Hair transplants - any experience?

[E-Brennan]

Sooo, much as I hate to start a non-gun-related thread, here goes.

Practical questions about hair transplants:

- How much would hairline restoration cost (give or take) for those receding areas at the front of the forehead, that classic "M" shape?

- Painful?

- Recovery time?  Much sick leave needed?  And can it be covered with a baseball cap while healing?

- How quick did the hair actually grow?

- Are you pleased with the results?  Would you do it again?

[katiej]

I've been looking into this myself.  They can sculpt a very feminine hairline - moreso than with scalp advancement - but then it takes however long to grow the hair out.  2-3 years?

It's not nearly as invasive, but will still cost $5-10k depending on how much you have done.

It's an outpatient procedure under local anesthetic, and recovery time is just a few days.

Honestly, I'm surprised that more MTF's don't use this option, but I wonder if it's because of the long hair regrowth time.

[E-Brennan]

I had no idea the hair took that long to grow back.

In the little research I've done, the cost seems very high.  I guess docs have few qualms about gouging vain balding middle-aged men.

I think it's back to the drawing board for my hair.  Unless a combination of minoxidil and finasteride do the job, aided by hormones soon, I'll opt for some good wigs.  I just can't see myself paying the best part of ten grand for hair restoration surgery when a $250 wig will cure the problem.

[katiej]

The hair they transplant is very short. So it just takes that long for it to grow to the length of a female hairstyle.

Wigs will be a short-term solution for me until I can either do this or scalp advancement. I read someone on here say recently that 60% of passing is hair. And i think they're totally right.  The wig will be better hair than I'll ever have, but the natural hair with a female hairline will still be more passable.

For me this would be a better use of $5-10k than FFS.

You might look into some of the international options. I know Cardenas in Guadalajara has a hair transplant guy he works with.