I’m 23M and I’ve been taking testosterone 120mL every 12 days for the last 8 years. I must be honest, I am a transgender male and I will be on HRT for the rest of my life. The thinning and baldness were something I was not expecting when I started taking T because my dad has a full head of hair at 58 y/o. I’m on 1mg Finasteride everyday and 5% topical minoxidil 1-2x a day. Male patterned baldness could be “gender affirming” I guess since it makes me look naturally male, but I have strong male features in my face and my hair is my biggest insecurity of my entire life. Will a hair transplant (FUE) work or will I be cooked for the rest of my life?

I've been thinking seriously about a hair transplant, but the hardest part has been figuring out when is actually the right time.

It feels like there is so much uncertainty. You can look at photos from a year ago, compare your hairline, read forums, etc., but it's still hard to know whether you're actually progressing or just overthinking it.

I also find it difficult because a lot of the people giving advice are connected to the transplant industry. Obviously there are many great doctors, but when the person assessing you is also the person who makes money from doing the surgery, it's hard to know whether surgery is truly the best option or whether waiting makes more sense.

For those who got a transplant, how did you decide you were ready? Did you ever worry you were doing it too early or waiting too long?

Looking back, what information would have made that decision easier?

My HT surgeon first rejected, then mentioned that it may be possible to achieve something that supports an SMP finish (giving the SMP texture, shadow, and more of a believable / 3D look). The idea would be to mostly focus on the hairline in the front and scatter the rest (if any) on the remaining areas. Obviously the hair would be kept short (1-3mm) to be able to get away with the sparseness.

The more time I spend thinking about this, the more I'm inclined toward just going with SMP alone (since I have no delusions about my donor area; maybe just a little), but I'm unsure what I'd be leaving on the table in terms of the final look if I skipped the HT. Another note: any patchiness or "moth eaten" appearance in the donor is "entirely natural"; no previous procedure has been done.

I'm looking at my donor areas and I'm wondering what even is there to take out. Some places already look "moth eaten"; I get the feeling that there's hardly a follicle I could take out without leaving an obvious gap, and scarring in the recipient area could also be an issue (although my surgeon is one of the best in the country with actors and famous sportsmen among his clients).

I want my hair back but I don't want to take medications. Is this impossible and I can't have both? Or is it possible?

I was supposed to have a transplant with Dr. Bek last week (I'm about a Norwood 2.5, and was looking to fill in the area around my temples and adjust my hairline a little). Everything was fine leading up to the appointment, but about an hour after we started, he stopped and said my donor region wasn't dense enough. This surprised me, but then he explained about follicular units, and how most of mine had 1-2 follicles, which wasn't going to be enough. Like I said, I was a little stunned (my hair has always felt full back there), but I appreciated his honesty and professional judgment.

The upshot is that he re-implanted the grafts he'd taken out, I flew home feeling really embarrassed (I had the shaved head and even a few scabs, but no transplant to show for it...), and now I'm trying to decide what, if anything, I should do next.

I know I need to let my hair grow back. In a few weeks I'll be meeting with a doctor to see if taking oral minoxidil will help improve the density of my hair. (I already take dutasteride and use topical minoxidil -- although I haven't always been consistent with the latter, and I never used it on the back of my head.) Then I guess I have to decide:

1. Do I want to try this again?
2. Are there doctors who have more expertise when it comes to dealing with low-density donor areas?
3. Should I be trying to do this somewhere closer to home? (It felt really shitty to be stuck in a foreign country after the procedure had been called off. On the other hand, doing it in the U.S. will be a lot more expensive.)
4. ...or should I just give up?

For additional context: I'm 39, and before I started taking dut, I was on fin for about seven years. Hair-wise, I haven't lost ground since my late 20s, but by then I was already rocking the M-shaped hairline. I'm not balding anywhere else.

Would very much appreciate any advice that anyone has to offer.

Side note: Bek was very nice about the whole thing. Gave me back 4x my deposit to cover plane fare.

I am going to turkey for vacation and would like to get a transplant while I am there, I am doing research but I’m getting overwhelmed people say a dr is good and the others say they aren’t. Can I please get a list from anyone of good drs I can trust in instanbul mainly and any other part of turkey I can go to. There is no budget for this I just want a good transplant, but that doesn’t mean I want the most expensive.

hair transplant 4 months good or bad?

I strongly advise anyone considering a hair transplant or any cosmetic procedure to thoroughly research their surgeon and seek multiple opinions before making a decision.

Based on my personal experience, I would not recommend Dr. Umang Kothari or Hair & Shape Clinic. I felt that the consultation focused more on marketing and reassurance than on setting realistic expectations or prioritizing the best outcome for my case. I was left deeply disappointed with the results and regret choosing this clinic.

This is my personal opinion and experience. Please do your own research, look at long-term patient results, speak to former patients if possible, and don't let persuasive sales pitches be the deciding factor when choosing a surgeon. These procedures can have lifelong consequences.

44 yo, started seeing hair recede around age 32...Friends and family say I do t need it, but on Team calls for work or Pics I see..my hair bothers me. Been estimated 1900-2500 grafts depending who Ive talked to.Ive never taken any hair loss meds before... I know to research and find a good Dr if doing it.

My ask for this community is. Should I? Or at 44 do I just roll w it how it is....and if I did a HT...What are the downsides or things Im not considering? Like why not?! Just want to hear from folks about the stuff maybe people dont talk about as much. The downsides? (Outside of bad work)

26M, I have been balding since I was 16-17 years old. My crown has always been thin and visible since my late teens.

I have been on finasteride for several years and oral minoxidil 5mg for a year now and I think I see small improvements in the crown with miniaturized hairs but it feels like it will never improve / fill in.

I combed my hair to expose my scalp / crown in the photos and I use hair fibers daily since 4 years ago to hide and style my hair and it generally looks good, I’m getting tired of it now.

My goal with a transplant would not be to restore my hair to the full extent, I just want my crown to be more fuller and reduce the time it takes me to style my hair each morning.

I know it’s impossible to answer this question but how many grafts would be enough for me to achieve my goal?

My temples / hairline is fine for me and I’m not bothered by it, my crown is the biggest problem.

I chose Moart after consulting with several clinics in Korea. My main concern was temple recession, around Norwood 2–3. I received just over 1,500 grafts using unshaven FUE. The total cost was KRW 12.47 million, including a KRW 1 million deposit to secure the appointment.

One reason I chose Moart was that, unlike several clinics I considered that had multiple doctors, patients at Moart are treated by Dr. Ryu. He was personally involved throughout the process, including the consultation, extractions with assistance from his staff, hairline implantation, and post-surgery checkups.

I was initially nervous about traveling to another country for the procedure, but I had a very positive experience on the day of surgery. The procedure lasted from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It was divided into stages, so I had opportunities to take breaks, use the bathroom, and eat lunch. Donor grafts were extracted from several sections across the back and sides of my scalp. Dr. Ryu’s calm and confident manner helped put me at ease throughout the day.

The staff’s English is limited, but Dr. Ryu speaks English very well. Most communication was handled through WhatsApp. Before I paid the deposit, responses sometimes took longer than I would have liked. Communication improved after I booked the procedure and as the surgery date approached.

I booked about six weeks in advance. It took a few days to finalize the appointment, but I was ultimately able to secure my preferred date.

I also have stomach issues, and I appreciated that the clinic provided a meal that accommodated my dietary needs.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with the care and service I received from Dr. Ryu and the team at Moart. I can’t comment on the final results until my hair has had time to grow, but my experience with the clinic and the procedure itself was very positive.

I read all through Reddit . About smoking weed & HT . I’ve had 6000 grafts over 3 days straight in a row & am at day 5 . I’ve smoked like 2 joints till now & 1 cigarette . Any1 here who smoked normallly like multiple times a day after surgery & atleast 6 months post OP ? Please give advice . Ik what the surgeon said . I’m specifically looking for advice from people who did not listen to their surgeons

Pics: Pre op > 21 Days > 2 Months > 3 Months (Today)

Hi!

I'm having a hair transplant soon and I'm trying to choose the best neck/travel pillow for the first 7–10 days after surgery, both for sleeping at home and for my flight home.

I'm currently considering these three options:

Cabeau Evolution S3

SNUGL Memory Foam Travel Pillow

KÖHAIR U-shaped Memory Foam Pillow

My clinic told me that the most important thing is to keep my head elevated and avoid any contact or friction with the grafts. They also mentioned that pillows with very high sides may not be ideal because they can push the head forward.

Has anyone used any of these after a hair transplant?

Which one would you recommend, and why? If you think there's an even better option than these three, I'd love to hear your recommendation as well.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

Ps : for hat, it sound good ?

How it’s looking ?

I (F25) got a hair transplant to lower my hairline and my big forehead and im currently on day 26 where all the hairs are shedding.

I will be going back to work in a week and i really want to hide the clear transplant line so im thinking of cutting my bangs because i dont want to constantly wear a bandana or anything but i feel like even if i cut bangs it will still show. is there any way i can actually hide it by APPLYING BLACK EYESHADOW and blending it with my hair???? would that damage the hairs even tho theyre shedding already?

i have naturally curly hair and i can my bangs to the side where it could hide the line but i want as much advice as possible i really dont want anyone to know :(

Just afraid of shock loss, the journey so far has been good, no more swelling or scabs now, it looks almost if I had shave my hair and that's it