Hello all, I could not find a sub forum specifically for hair transplants. I'm 38 years old and lost the top part of my hair when I was 18. I went to doctors in the beginning of my transition at age 34 and they took a quick look at my head and said there is no point doing a transplant or taking medication. My top is too barren and there isn't any extra density on the sides and back to compensate with a transplant. That diagnosis hasn't changed since then after years of HRT.

Since then I have felt pretty good going around with hats and growing what's left of my hair.

So I'm okay either way, but still... I am considering to save up in the course of the following years for a possible... "upgrade".

See, those doctors told me transplant is pointless because they assumed I would want a full set of hair. Which of course ideally I would, but what about the next best thing... moving my bald part from the top of my head, to the back of my head?

See, I don't care so much about looking "normative" BUT a bald part at the back of my head looks a lot more feminine than a bald part at the top of my head and as much as hats are nice, I really would like to advance to a point where I can look feminine even when I'm totally naked, it would help with my personal feelings about my body.

So, my questions are:
a. is hair transplant a dependable way to move hair follicles and preserve their health and ability to grow into full length?
b. what is the range of how much do they cost?
c. who and where are the best doctors to do hair transplants who could help me do this weird thing?

To give you some idea of how this could look, here is a video of a youtuber who shaves parts of her head and still looks feminine.



Again, it doesn't look "normative", but that isn't a priority for me. Now, I know shaved doesn't look the same as barren bald no follicles... but I could tattoo the barren parts, and doing a tattoo over a barren top would not look feminine, but doing a tattoo over a barren back I think would look feminine. Plus, here she shaves the sides of her head, and my idea is for me to move hair from the back up top but if possible leave the sides untouched because I LOVE sides hair.

So question d. I guess is:
d. what do you think about my theory? Do you think it could work to make me look more feminine without having to rely on a hat or a wig, even if it does not look normative?

This is an interesting idea.  I'd be worried that the procedure would leave scar lines that are totally visible.  Also the idea of tattooing in the stubble is interesting too.  Stubble does catch light differently than a tattoo though.  People will notice that's a tattoo.  I'd personally go totally bald and embrace the hats and skull caps if doing the wigs and hats with hair is wearing on you.  Your face is totally feminine.  You will pass with no hair, I'm pretty sure.

Bari Jo

No, I do not pass without hair+hat or wig. Not at all. I prefer hat+hair or wig over totally bald any day. I'm just wondering if I could upgrade it more to have the option to have hair on top. Would transplanted hair grow full length and thickness?

Oof, alright I misread.  I do think your face is lovely though.  I don't have the answer to your other question.  Perhaps another that has had transplants for quite some time can pipe in.

Isn't there something that is basically a surgically implanted wig you have to have adjusted occasionally? I remember reading that one woman did it after her hair loss was deemed too severe.

There are partial wigs that can be glued with a strong adhesive. Some salons provide services to make a custom one, do the gluing and removal once a month and help with styling. It costs quite a bit more than my normal whole head wigs, like 5-10 times more and the monthly expenses are also heavy. Plus, I once had a wig on my head for two weeks and when I took it off my scalp looked awful. The salon promised me that their wig type breathes better and it won't itch... but I couldn't get them to sign a contract on that, so that together with the high financial cost made me decide to say no to that option. In theory though, they would look much more natural because I could use what's left of my hair together with them (for example, the sides would be completely my own hair and that is one part that wigs have trouble with) and I could wear them most of the time and not see the baldness every day.

I understand there are also procedures to glue synthetic fibers to the scalp, but it is very expensive and you would have to do it again and again as they fall off the head and I also understand there are often problems of allergies, itching and rejection.

Both of these solutions have too heavy prices to justify doing them.

If I can get the top of my head to be full of hair instead of the back, I am hoping it would be a one time thing and then I would just have to do the normal maintenance everyone has to do with their hair.

It all depends though if I can depend on the hairs growing full length and thickness...

I am moving this thread to FFS because often hair transplants are a part of the  FFS procedures to cover scars and finish off the look after surgery. From what I have been reading about transplants, they work but normally a strip of skin is removed from the back of the head and the hair is then placed where it's desired one plug at a time. The hair is just like what used to be there and after a while even grows in the same direction surrounding hairs grow. The real question only your surgeon can answer will be is there the hair to gain the desired results. Anyway, look at the FFS section and you should learn more about hair transplant procedures.

Cool, thanks. Might be a good idea to add to the description of FFS group that it is the place to discuss hair transplants. I read the descriptions of all the sub forums and didn't find that specified in any of them.

I am not familiar with hair restoration techniques but is your question if a hair bearing skin flap can be moved from the back of your head to the front? I guess that is possible. BUT if you decide to get an expander implant under your hair bearing skin, that can expand your hair bearing skin with follicles and can solve your problem. I think you should contact Dr Mayer for this procedure to find out what can he do do for you.

Quote from: reborn on October 20, 2017, 09:09:56 PM
I am not familiar with hair restoration techniques but is your question if a hair bearing skin flap can be moved from the back of your head to the front? I guess that is possible. BUT if you decide to get an expander implant under your hair bearing skin, that can expand your hair bearing skin with follicles and can solve your problem. I think you should contact Dr Mayer for this procedure to find out what can he do do for you.

Wow! The Fleming/Mayer technique? I looked at their site and they do some amazing stuff. Having a full head of hair would be ideal of course, but none of the doctors so far told me I have any hope of that, so I would settle with having a full head of hair up top at the expense of baldness at the back if full hair all over is not possible.

Wait, after they move the flap from area A to area B, is it actually possible for the donor area to regrow follicles and then nothing is lost?

Quote from: reborn on October 20, 2017, 09:09:56 PM
I am not familiar with hair restoration techniques but is your question if a hair bearing skin flap can be moved from the back of your head to the front? I guess that is possible. BUT if you decide to get an expander implant under your hair bearing skin, that can expand your hair bearing skin with follicles and can solve your problem. I think you should contact Dr Mayer for this procedure to find out what can he do do for you.

I did some reading about scalp expanders just now and I'm a little confused. Is it just stretching out the coverage area of existing follicles (ending up in thinner hair) or is it somehow tricking the scalp into new fill in growth?

Ruth,

In a skin flap procedure the flap is moved to a new location. When a skin flap is used to fill in a bald spot, the bald area is cut off and a hair-bearing flap is used to fill the defect.

The follicles are a part of the moved flap so after the procedure all of them are in the new location. The location from where the donor skin was taken is sutured shut.

Roll,

Yes, expanders are only used to stretch the hair-bearing skin. The total number of follicles remains the same.

I think that you are wrong zirconia. The total number of follicles increases with tissue expansion as well. Did you already have a consultation with Dr Mayer? Can he solve your problem?

I sent an email yesterday and didn't get a reply yet. I inquired how we could make a consult happen considering I live in Israel, not in Beverly Hills.

I'm going to try and be really strict with my nutrition, use the Hairegen device I bought over a year ago twice a day and be consistent with all health promoting activities such as exercise in the following year, keeping track of my activity with a spreadsheet to make sure I don't forget checking off all activities. I will also save money by not buying any wigs, clothes or junk food outside the house.

I will take pictures of my hair condition monthly.

My plan is to give lifestyle the best possible chance, and to see if it makes any definitive noticeable difference on my hair, while also saving money at the same time for the highly likely situation it doesn't.

If after a year lifestyle works then good, I made myself healthier and saved money.

If it doesn't work, then good, I have been saving money for the best possible procedure I will be able to find. The flap technique sounds promising to me, with or without full hair coverage... if I can at least move the baldness from the top to the back, that will be a substantial upgrade for me.

I wish you the best of luck. Please keep us up to date

Ruth,

I just remembered something.

If you're certain that you'd be happy with an unconventional look, one other thing that might possibly increase your options is body hair transplants. That is, of course, if you do have body hair even on hormone replacement therapy.

I do know some doctors do this. However, I also know it doesn't work for everyone.

The procedure itself is similar to regular follicular unit extraction, but instead of hair from the scalp, hair from other locations is used. It almost certainly wouldn't grow to be as long as scalp hair does, but if you are after a punkish look and can find a doctor with good aesthetics, patience and skill who is willing to work with you, it might still open up some design possibilities.

It's definitely not mainstream, though, so it would be even more important than with conventional procedures to be careful every step of the way.

Here's a question... Suppose the body hair in it's normal place, say, chest or back, would stop growing while on feminizing hormones. If prior to starting HRT the follicles had been transplanted to the head... would they stop growing just as if they were on the torso?

Hi, Roll

Yes, it is a good question. That's actually why I added the caveat "If you do have body hair even on hormone replacement therapy." If I'm not wrong, Ruth has been taking female hormones for some time. Any hair that remains even after the androgens are gone should be more likely to stay viable.

That said, some reports claim that with time the transplanted hair begins to take on the character of other hair originally present in the recipient area. If true, this may mean that provided the hormone treatment is started some time after the transplant procedure it might be less susceptible to the drop in androgens. However, that is definitely a question for someone specialized in the field. I really don't know.