Balding at the back of the neck
Lately I have been using transit to go to work because of the overhigh gas prices we're seeing these days, and on my trips to and from work I have observed a lot of bald guys. One thing I have noticed several times in people that have advanced male pattern baldness (Norwood 5 or more) is that a lot of them have lost hair at the backs of their necks. That is, they have a receding hair line at the back of the neck, just under the area of hair that is resistant to hair loss (in MPB) where hair is harvested for hair transplants. It's quite noticeable. Keep your eye out for it. The next time you see someone with Friar Tuck hair, try to get a glimpse of the back of their neck, chances are they have recession there.
"So what?" you may be thinking. Who cares about hair loss at the back of the neck?
Well, if you're considering getting a hair transplant, and especially if you are still relatively young and don't know how much hair loss you will experience in your life, then it matters. I have seen some people with about an inch and a half of hair at the back of their heads in the hair-loss-resistant area. This is the donor area for hair transplants. Imagine an inch of that being used for a transplant. That would leave a half an inch of hair at the back of the head. I don't think that would look very good or natural at all! So if you are planning on getting a hair transplant, first make sure you take a look in at your father or your grandfathers to see how far you may recede. Heck, take a look at your uncles as well. Whoever has the most hair loss is what you should assume as your potential worst case scenario. If they have no recession (or very little) at the back of the neck, then you are in a better position if you are considering a hair transplant. Otherwise, I would tread VERY carefully. Mention what you have learned to the doctors and I stress the plural in the word "doctors" because you should talk to more than one, that you are considering for a hair transpant, and ask them about how recession at the back of the neck could effect your future look. If you decide to go for a hair transplant despite evidence of recession at the base of the neck in your family, I strongly suggest that you get a prescription for Propecia or Proscar (cut into quarter-tablets) and use it permanently to battle any further hair loss. This will help prevent loss at the back of the neck. Be careful with hair transplants. Don't get one until you have checked out all the angles and asked a ton of questions from the doctors that you are considering to possibly perform the procedure for you.
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