I have been on finasteride for 7 years. I have pretty much maintained my same density over this period. A little more thinning in the front. I am now 36. My father had many transplants from a doctor who is a dermatologist. Not from a doctor that specializes in transplants. His transplants are awful. What should my expectations be if I wanted to get off the drug and try transplants? I am fair-skinned with wavy auburn hair, and my individual follicles are thick, but not dense.
First, the old plugs can easily be fixed today. Look at the following links for articles and examples of good repair work which can and should be offered to your father:
- The Art of Repair in Surgical Hair Restoration Part I – General Aspects of Repair and Basic Repair Strategies
- The Art of Repair in Surgical Hair Restoration Part II – The Tactics of Repair
- Dean’s Story – Step by step photos of a repair procedure
- Repair Work Photo Gallery – Before and after patient repair photos
The second part is that taking the drug Propecia is a different decision to having transplants. They can be complementary (see: Hair Transplant and Propecia Combination Results). As for expectations about transplants for yourself, meet with your doctor and have him/her develop a Master Plan with you, so that you have your needs addressed before the procedure.