Why Don’t More Men Get Hair Transplants?

Don't they take the hair from the back of your head for these transplants? I've always wondered, are you then just bald back there?

It's super cheap in Turkey, everyone and their grampa is going there these days.

Sure, everyone would like a great mop of hair, but balding actually can look good on some guys, but not all. Even if you have the money, it's a total vanity expense. I can see it'd be worth it if it's really going to make yourself feel better, but if you've got a partner who likes you bald, just leave it alone. It's a long, drawn out process, quite painful, and not always successful. One of the hottest, sexiest guys I know is bald.

I'm not balding (yet) but I totally will if it happens.

Why not?

Sure, it's vain but it's not THAT vain. It's more like getting braces. Not a whole new face.

OP, I don't know if you're bald or even a man, but male pattern baldness usually progresses very slowly. By the time you are shiny bald on top you've gone through 10-15 years of very gradual hair loss, so it's just not a big deal. Its not like you wake up one morning and all your hair has fallen out. You have time to settle into the look and a lot of guys look very sexy with no hair.

Because most men don't donate their hair after they die.

$$$$

Exactly, R7– it’s like $10K.

[quote]Exactly, [R7]– it’s like $10K.

For each hair?

[quote]Sure, it's vain but it's not THAT vain.

It's cosmetic surgery—what could possibly be more vain than that?

I did it in my early 50s. Helped me keep a corporate job and with good skin care I looked like I was in my early 40s and still in the game. Not a young buck but pulling my weight and then some. But old age is now thinning it out.

Do it if it makes you feel better but beware of the risks going in.

Also, I thought I read recently on DL about some new version of minoxidil/finasteride that was helping guys keep their lovely tresses. Some off-label compound in pill form you might find through a dermatologist with a specialty in hair loss.

I’d sooner go with scalp tattooing.

I've considered it - I still have a good amount of hair and have been able to re-grow a good bit with some products, but I've seen some AMAZING hair transplant surgeries.

My issue is that from everything I've seen, you have to shave your head but it takes some time for the new hairs to start. So it looks to be like a 9 month to a year process. Plus a few weeks at first to heal the implants.

I don't want to walk around with a plucked doll looking scalp for several weeks - and then be bald for some weeks after that?

Every surgery I've seen shows the person completely bald. I know some doctors say you don't have to shave your head, but I've not seen a single pic of that.

So is getting your teeth straightened, R10. And that often takes years (usually) and costs a ton of money.

Both are technically vain. Both are cosmetic (usually) in nature.

I think we all want straight teeth and we all want to keep our hair. So because of that universality, they don't feel as vain as, say, getting calf implants or having a tenth rhinoplasty.

But maybe I'm wrong.

As someone said above, baldness comes on gradually. But most people would wait to do this when they were actually noticeably bald, at which point , everyone would know exactly what they had done. I have lots of hair - but it has transitioned, over the course of 20 years, from dark brown, through a sprinkling of gray, to silver, and now it's white when I'm under bright lights or in the sun. If I had started dying it when I was still salt and pepper, it wouldn't have been obvious. Now everyone who has seen me over the past 15 years would know immediately. Somehow teeth are different - although I'm still startled when I see an adult in his or her 50s wearing braces. I guess I'm saying I can understand why someone who is now bald and has already mourned the gradual loss of his hair and moved on, might not be willing to go through the trouble and expense of transplants.

For most of us the cost is just too much, short of winning the Lotto. Also, there's no guarantee that all that money won't be wasted if the transplant is unsuccessful. Not all transplant surgeons are created equal... I just wear my hair shorter and shorter every year. I'm not quite ready to shave it -actually, I never will, as I have a very round face and head.

Probably Op, because they don’t care- you do, but they don’t.

[quote]I think we all want straight teeth

I'm OK with my gay teeth.

Perfect timing, OP!

I'm off to Istanbul tomorrow, lol. I look like I have more hair than i do from the front, but have a defined, medium-large bald spot on my crown which I hate. I am a performer and I hate seeing my bald spot on tv, or that moment in the make-up trailer where the hair people are struggling to either try to hide it or highlight it.

I had no idea I could afford it, but I found myself with the time and money at the same time. I have a big head and a lot of donor hair, so I'm expecting a really nice result. I'm older so it won't be a life-long effort. I'm doing it once and I'll be thrilled for any real improvement.

Spend the money on hiring pretty boys to pretend to find us hot, instead.

My skin is very fair and could form keloids, so I could look like a golf ball if scars appeared around each micrograft. I’ve seen some bad results, with odd patches of color that require your whole head of hair to by tinted or dyed.

Some of the scars from the older “flap” surgery are pretty gruesome.

I’d also be afraid of getting an infection if I went to Turkey or Mexico for cheap hair transplants or cosmetic dentistry.

The beauty of the male ball sack is that each man’s own has a profile that fits them perfectly. Some are smooth, some a little fuzz and others are just daddy.

[quote]but balding actually can look good on some guys,., but if you've got a partner who likes you bald, just leave it alone.... One of the hottest, sexiest guys I know is bald.

I have a thick head of hair at 60 and my father had the same hair, leaving the world in his 80s with a very thick head of hair just like mine. I have nothing to worry about, And good thing. I find bald men creepy. Baldness is not at all attractive to me in any way; it's the opposite, I'm quite repulsed by it beyond all reason, especially when it's not a concern of mine.

Were it, however, I'd be flying to Istanbul but fast.

Good luck, R19! Let us know how it goes.

Thanks. r24.

I'm not going to a head mill for $3,000, I'm going to a one-patient-a-day clinic where the doctor does 90% of the work. Obviously it is on the higher end but still within my budget and the online consultation and reviews were encouraging. I'm a simple case as I don't have one of those giant, broad foreheads with a super high hairline many guys have, so it should look robust but natural. I think my expectations are also very realistic.

Hair grows in in 90 days.

Do they harvest from the back of the head and plug them up top? I read somewhere they're cloning individual hairs with your own replicated hair plugs.

Same here, r23. I trace my bald phobia back to the '60s and '70s and Mr. Clean commercials on TV. He creeped me out and scared me.

R11 do you enjoy your job?

[quote]I did it in my early 50s. Helped me keep a corporate job and with good skin care I looked like I was in my early 40s and still in the game. Not a young buck but pulling my weight and then some. But old age is now thinning it out.

Yikes. After going through the trouble and expense of a hair transplant, it simply thinned out again? It sounds genetics win in the long run.

I believe Dump was scarred badly from the flap surgery.

A friend of mine got one. He’s in his 50’s and frankly he looked better before with a really short cut. It looks like he’s grown a mound of pubic hair on his head. Plus, rather embarrassingly for him he’s obsessed with his “new hair” and makes regular social media posts about it, even tagging and trying to get manufacturers of hair styling products to message him. It’s all a bit pathetic for a 50-something. My hair has naturally thinned but still looks fine to me. Indeed, I have much bigger problems than the number of hairs on my head. If I did ever get a transplant, and I highly doubt it, I’d just keep quiet about it and not broadcast it to every single person I meet.

It's my understanding that you need to have it done in the early stages of balding.

For me, it's the cost combined with a lack of guarantee. I'd rather not spend all that money only to find that it didn't work properly.

R33 if it does't work properly most surgeons have something like a 10 year guarantee which means they'll perform the surgery again for free. Or if it works for a few years then things they will still perform the surgery again, not sure if all do this but it's certainly common

It is not painful really as your scalp is numbed with anaesthetic. You need to take care of your scalp afterwards til your hair regrows and use supplements such as finasteride (can be bought cheaply from online pharmacies).

You don't need to do it in early stages of balding but may cost more depending on how many follicle transplants you have left.

The hair they cultivate from the back of your head does grow back as wherever they collect it from is still able to replenish itself, unlike your balding spots. They can also take from your beard if you no longer grow any hair on your head.

I think I paid about £3000 for it in Turkey ($3700). Included hotel and transfers but no the flight. The surgeon and his team had a plush clinic and 1000s reviews so wasn't in some back street den.

It also depends on the type of hair you have. I have very fine hair, so not a good candidate for it.

Given all the rich and powerful men who are effected by this, I'm surprised a viable medication that really works hasn't been developed yet.

Just become an influencer and then some Turkish clinic ill fly you out for free to do it.

My sister's boyfriend just had one. The surgery was about 12 hours long. His hair looks weird now. Unnaturally fuzzy looking.

I'm not losing mine yet, but I would have the surgery if it does happen.

If you are bald bald it will take much longer for it to look normal and you need a good amount of viable hair to harvest. Even then you need to co-treat with propecia and rogiane.

Turkey is not wild about gay patients and will absolutely not operate on any HIV+ patients.

Fascinating! What is this “hair transplant” you speak of?

I don't care for the results when the hairline looks stenciled. I assume Elon got the best, but I think his resembles astro-turf.

R19 which doctor?

R41 see, that guy would look much better with no hair or a number 2 or 3 buzzcut. Is having bad hair preferable to no hair? I guess it depends on how attractive the guy is otherwise?

Meh.

R19 are you at Radisson Blue ? That's where I stayed

I’ve had a thinning crown for years.

My hair is fine/medium thickness so I decided last year to get a #2 round the back and the sides and have my barber shave the crown.

Hello, Jean Luc Picard!

No r46, I'm an IHG member so I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Express Istanbul - Altunizade.

I bought my flights and hotel all on miles and points, even sprung for business class on the way home.

All I'm paying for is the procedure.

Because there's nothing sexier than a completely confident, self-assured bald guy.

r42 Elon has more money than god and THAT is the hair he got?

R48 good luck!

r48 here. I'm back! It went really well, and Istanbul is a trip, even though I mainly had my treatments and rested as instructed. I am predicting excellent results.

All I can say is do your research, get recommendations and don't seek out $3,000 head mills where you barely see the doctor unless you're willing to roll the dice on bad results.

The Istanbul airport terminal is the largest single airport terminal in the world. The Turkish Airlines lounge is lavish with delicious food, views and coffee. It made me arrive at JFK, take one look and say, "Wait. This can't be right?"

Vanity, Thy Name Is Man

I'm surprised no one linked this clip - which references most of what was mentioned above.

R52 glad it went well! Did you get the anaesthesia they numb your head with? Did you have to wear the black recovery hat?

No, r55, they did give me a black baseball cap (adjustable) but told me not to wear it for a week. I went 8000 miles from Istanbul to NYC with a scabby head. It didn't look as savage as the ones I've seen online though. My doctor said the cheap places don't control the bleeding and send you home with that diaper on your head, but mine didn't look like that.

The anesthesia is just lidocaine. I figured a few shots in my skull and I'd be set for the day, but that is not the case. They jab it in all over of course, for the donor areas as well as the recipient areas. On the second day I counted how many individual jabs of lidocaine I got. Ninety-eight! That is the only part of the procedure where you feel anything like pain, but not every shot hurt, just every other one.

They gave me a Xanax, but I've never taken a benzo in my life and was underwhelmed. I felt about 15% more "subdued" after taking it, and the second day I felt zero difference. Maybe I'm immune to that kind of drug, it was a very mild difference from not taking anything.

R56 I don't know what they gave me but I was floating all day during mine!

Or just work out a lot.

I had a hair transplant 7 months ago. It was to fill in a bald spot in the crown. I'm super happy about the result. The crown is full again.

Totally worth it.

r56 all in how much was it, airfare, hotel and procedure?

Aging puts the brakes on hard upon our vanity.

R61 is bald and bitter.

I have a friend who got a hair transplant many years ago, and when I saw him 4 years ago he had lost most of that. transplanted hair. I saw him again the other week and he has since gotten a second transplant and looked great.

I know two young gay men who dark brown, gorgeous, thick, lush hair. They are so handsome. I’m bald.

R61 I think in this day and age we have choices about managing aging. Although I wouldn't have a facelift or anything radical I have nothing against hair transplants, the odd filler, cosmetic dentistry (within reason) and various little nips and touches to freshen up.

So long as you have decent health then why not, if it makes you happy?

R15, I don't get people like you who think that the whole point of a cosmetic procedure is to fool everyone and/or to hide something. Who fucking cares? If you want to have something done, do it. But thinking it's only worth doing if no one finds out about it or whatever - I mean, my gawd, dye your hair if you want. (Just get it done professionally.) You think the only point is if you can go around and pretend you've never had grey hair or whatever? Deception is not the point. What a strange mindset.

So, you'd go around lying to people saying, "Oh no, this is just natural..."? Bizarre.

OP Because it's stupid. I'm an elder gay that's been balding since age 23, shaved my head at 28 and didn't look back. The young ones like the Daddy.

R67 got a big daddy cock?

Bald/balding men do it for me, especially those pointed out by r49.

Hi R34, do you mind sharing the name of your doctor in Istanbul?

Quite the BDF on that Corey Stoll, r69.

To the poster who keeps bringing up vanity. You're ridiculous and you sound bitter.

People do all sorts of things to better their appearance. Some wear aligners. Some go to the gym. Some go on a diet. Some use sunscreen. Some but nice clothes. And yes, some have a hair transplant. And it's ok. Welcome to 2023.

r56 so how much was it total?

I started to take Propecia when I started to go bald. Halted the loss and even improved it a bit.

I started balding and initially I gave Regaine a try but it didn't really work for me and I just couldn't be bothered with the upkeep, so I shaved my head and never looked back. I never considered a hair transplant - I never particularly liked my hair when I had it, and I look much hotter with a shaved head anyway.

Corey Stoll

Now That is One Hot Jew

This guy's a great advertisement for hair transplants.

I recently looked up doctors in my city for a hair transplant. The after pics on the websites were not amazing.

It's not "dirt cheap" to go to Turkey...its probably $5k by the time you're done and there are horror stories. and if you end up with an infection or problem, its a bad situation. And there are hundreds of clinics over there wtih very poor regulatory standards. Seriously, how do you make sure a clinic in a different country is one of the "good ones" and not one of the hundreds of practically unregulated ones?

Its about $15k in the U.S. for a good doctor in a big city. Matteo Lane just did a special and said it was 2 weeks of recovery. Maybe in his case that meant going out in public. So its about $25k before taxes. Many of the people who would jump at this surgery age out before they can afford it. and then they get used to how they look by the time they can pay that kind of money.

The guy above is a model in his 20s. He got a free procedure. His hair was much thicker when he went in than most guys who start thinking about a transplant.

Any cosmetic surgery, and this is surgery, runs all sorts of risks.

Prince William was so handsome with hair. I don’t understand why he didn’t get transplanted hair.

[quote] Prince William was so handsome with hair.

He was also very young, which was his biggest asset.

My aftercare was specific and explained to me in person and in writing, but Matteo Lane's sounded a bit much. Part of me felt like American doctors make things complicated and overdone to justify the huge price.

The transplanted hair anchors in 3-4 days. Yes, you have to take it easy for two weeks and gently clean your head every day. Beyond avoiding any kind of hat friction for a week, it's pretty straightforward.

Researching any doctor and clinic in Istanbul is an identical process to investigating one here in the US.