Baldness
I have been reviewing FUE hair transplants, and I would like LWers’ opinion. I’m actually surprised this isn’t covered, as it seems relevant to many users.
As far as I can tell, the downsides are:
- Mild scarring on the back of the head
- Doesn’t prevent continued hair loss, so if you get e.g. a bald spot filled in, then you will in a few years have a spot of hair in an oasis
- Cost
- Mild pain/hassle in the initial weeks.
- Possibility of finding a dodgy surgeon
The scarring is basically covered if you have a few two days’ hair growth there and I am fine with that as a long-term solution. he continued hair loss is potentially dealt with by a repeated transplant and more certainly dealt with by getting the initial transplant “all over”, i.e. thickening hair, rather than just moving the hairline forward. But it is the area I am most uncertain about. I should add that I am 29 with male pattern baldness on both sides of my family, Norwood level 4, and have seen hair loss stabilised (I have been taking propecia for the last year).
Ignoring the cost, my questions are:
- Is anyone aware of any other problems besides these?
- Do you think this solution works?
- Any ideas on how to pick the right surgeon (using someone in Singapore most probably)?
Open Thread.
Technically it wouldn’t matter, but of course by posting in a fresh Open Thread you get better visibility.
(So sometimes it is strategic to wait even if the old Open Thread is still “valid”, but already full of comments.)
And you are right about the time zones; although there is no hard rule when exactly the threads appear, “one day later” is a good rule of thumb.
It’s not automated, so the new one will be posted whenever someone gets around to it, which they normally do pretty quickly. You’ll get more people looking at your post if you put it at the beginning of a new open thread.
I’d enjoy seeing information about the benefits, and how the decision differs for rationalists or applies to rationality.
at first glance, this is similar to every other cosmetic surgery: cost, risk, and benefit are all small, and there’s enough subjectivity in the value that it’s purely personal choice.
I’d say the benefits of cosmetic surgery can sometimes be sizable.
Fair enough. Quantify those benefits so they can be compared with the costs and risks.
rational wart removal