21 Years old thinking about FUE with Bosley

[prayingforfollicles]

Hello, so I've been thinning in the front/corner areas of my scalp for over the last couple years and have tried a couple of different things. I've done the following:

- Rogaine (still am)
- Laser Cap -- for about a year
- PRP -- which for 6 months I did see good results
- Different "therapeutic" shampoos

So I am approaching the point where I don't want to apply Toppik everyday for the rest of my life, which I must admit works wonders. So recently I've visited a couple of offices in the DC area to do some research on the FUE and FUT hair transplants. I've been told by the doctors I have seen that I am a good candidate for FUE because my donor area hairs have good density and grow straight and what not.

So I am on here to ask, does anyone have any experience with Bosley when it comes to the FUE hair transplant? I've read some pretty negative things on Bosley but have to say that my consultation with them seemed really promising and had me walking out of there with serious hope. Any feedback would be awesome. The doctor is Bryan Freeman at the Chevy Chase, MD location.

[BaldingEagle]

Hello, so I've been thinning in the front/corner areas of my scalp for over the last couple years and have tried a couple of different things. I've done the following:

- Rogaine (still am)
- Laser Cap -- for about a year
- PRP -- which for 6 months I did see good results
- Different "therapeutic" shampoos

So I am approaching the point where I don't want to apply Toppik everyday for the rest of my life, which I must admit works wonders. So recently I've visited a couple of offices in the DC area to do some research on the FUE and FUT hair transplants. I've been told by the doctors I have seen that I am a good candidate for FUE because my donor area hairs have good density and grow straight and what not.

So I am on here to ask, does anyone have any experience with Bosley when it comes to the FUE hair transplant? I've read some pretty negative things on Bosley but have to say that my consultation with them seemed really promising and had me walking out of there with serious hope. Any feedback would be awesome. The doctor is Bryan Freeman at the Chevy Chase, MD location.

Bosley is gutter trash, get a real HT surgeon.

[Hairbrain]

Hello, so I've been thinning in the front/corner areas of my scalp for over the last couple years and have tried a couple of different things. I've done the following:

- Rogaine (still am)
- Laser Cap -- for about a year
- PRP -- which for 6 months I did see good results
- Different "therapeutic" shampoos

So I am approaching the point where I don't want to apply Toppik everyday for the rest of my life, which I must admit works wonders. So recently I've visited a couple of offices in the DC area to do some research on the FUE and FUT hair transplants. I've been told by the doctors I have seen that I am a good candidate for FUE because my donor area hairs have good density and grow straight and what not.

So I am on here to ask, does anyone have any experience with Bosley when it comes to the FUE hair transplant? I've read some pretty negative things on Bosley but have to say that my consultation with them seemed really promising and had me walking out of there with serious hope. Any feedback would be awesome. The doctor is Bryan Freeman at the Chevy Chase, MD location.

Do yourself a favor and do some research. Especially on this forum. First of all your age is of grave concern when it comes to getting a transplant. Its not about the amount of loss or donor you have today but what they will be in 5 or 20 years from now. Without seeing any images its hard to grasp where you may be headed as far as your final hair loss stage. Even with images it can be impossible. If you start transplants now and continue to bald you will be chasing your hair for years to come. And if your thinning at 21 there is a better than good chance your hairloss will continue for some time. If your thining in the frontal corners of your scalp and you get those areas covered, what happens if or when your frontal mid area starts to thin. Do you go back for more? One thing is for sure you wont look natural if that happens. You will have your corners covered and hairsloss in the front. And not to mention every time you sit in that chair you're rolling the dice on your results.
One bad transplant can affect you in ways unimaginable for the rest of your life. Be careful. There are plenty of doctors and so called clinics who will take your money and cut your head any day. I don't know your complete situation but I believe any reputable doctor would turn you away based on your age alone, hopefully out of the sake of humanity or at least to keep you from comming back here or other sites years from now to post a potential less than great outcome primarily because of your age at the time. At best you have to use a very conservative approach anytime when planning for a transplant before your final stages of hairloss are evident. I'm not trying to discourage you in any way. You have options. If nothing else you should speak to a doctor about Finasteride. Many men are at least able to hold on to what they have with that drug. If you do enough research on Rogain you will find out it works primarily on the crown and for most hairloss sufferers it's only a temporary bandaid. You have options and will continue to have optios in the future, but the hairtransplant industry can be or I should say is a mindfield! Don't even consider Bosley. If you really want "the bald truth" schedule an in person or Skype consultation with one of the doctors recommended on this site. Again I mean no disregard and wish you luck. I'm not a doctor and you may take this advice as just my opinion. But just so you know, I had my first and second procedures around the age of 19. It never looked great and when I started loosing more hair it looked horrible. It devastated a great part of my youth and young adulthood. In my mid 20's, I subsequently in search for an answer had two more procedures from a clinic basically promising me a full head of hair only to make matters much much worse. To shorten my story I've had two repair surgeries since including scar revisions that helped a lot but I still do not have a natural look without using topik, a partial hair piece in the crown and blending it all together with a ton of hairspray every morning. This year I will have another repair session and that will be my 7th transplant. I think transplants can and are a viable solution in the right hands at the right time on the right person. However you decide to procede I hope this may help you moving forward and at least gives you something to think about.

[Mpbman]

You should definitely try propecia first, before any HT.
If you're lucky, your hair loss will slow down and you might continue using it into your 30s or 40s..

If you don't want to take propecia (or dutasteride, which is more powerful) and decide do have a HT, there's a big chance that your hair loss will continue and that might create a gap between your native hair and the transplanted hair and just look weird.

Have you tried dermmatch and caboki?
Use a bit of dermmatch first - after you wash your hair - then gently "brush" it off with a paper towel, so you don't get that dry look hair - and then use caboki at least 12 hours after you wash your hair (that way it sticks better to the hair in my experience). I like caboki better than topik, because it usually stays on the hair a day or more longer than topik.

[SMH4]

My experience has been Bosley is unethical (like most HT surgeons). Do a LOT of research on this website, Joe Tillman's website and review the IAHRS doctors.

[allTheGoodNamesAreTaken]

Literally every time I have seen the name "Bosley" mentioned it has been followed by a horror story or people calling them greedy / unethical and advising against using them.

[Driver]

Bosley aside, most 21 year olds, IMHO, are far too young for HT. See a good doctor and get a thorough eval. Consider meds or buzzing/shaving at your age. In a few years, when things are more stable and you are older, if you still want HT you can always do it then.

Sorry you are going though this. I started losing my hair even younger than you and I know how hard this can be.

[pkipling]

I would definitely do a lot more research and look at other surgeons besides Bosley. There are way too many qualified, ethical surgeons out there to risk a potentially disastrous experience with Bosley.

And Driver is right - 21 is quite young, and it would take a special set of circumstances and a very ethical, conservative approach for you to be considered for a hair transplant. I'm not saying that it's impossible, but your age is even more of a reason for you to really do some serious research and inquiry until you find a surgeon who will be upfront and honest about the reality of your situation and what your realistic options are.

I know you're probably itching to get the ball rolling, but I implore you to be patient and take your time making this decision.

Best of luck! Stay active on the forum and people will continue guiding you on this journey.
__________________
I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff.

[GNX]

Bosley = HACK!!!! don't be fooled by the infomercials. it still amazes me that threads like this even exist but I too was ignorant to HT's at once too.