Any people experience combining a hair transplant with a hair system?

[Lets_help_others]

Something I can find very little information about is combining a hair transplant with a hair system.

I would at least expect quite some people have done this.
For example when you have a poor donor region, your hairloss went extreemly quickly, great amount of hairloss when you were young or didn't know how to effectivily combat hairloss.

I would like to know how common this is and or what your experience with it is?
I also would like to know what hair transplant surgeons and hairstylist think about this?

[LaserCaps]

Understanding donor limitation, for those with advanced patterns, is key.  Some, in this situation, will transplant the front and use a small system for the crown.  

Systems can use tape.  As the hair grows under the system, it sticks to the tape. At the time they service the system, it can pull more of the native hair.  Use clips instead.  

[AB2000]

I've seen it where people build up the area outside of the hair piece, such as the temple points or the very front of the hairline so that natural hairs are appearing and mix in with it.

[duchaine]

Dr lan in one of his lessons said that, for very high Norwood cases, it is useful to rebuild the temples, using an hair piece for the front and crown.

The problem with hair pieces is the unnatural effect related to the sides. You lose hair on both front and sides, thus using an hair piece when the sides are lost has a lot of chances to create an odd look.
So, when the bald area is huge and the donor is limited, it can be a smart solution to build the sides only.

[Gatsby]

This is probably more common than we think. I was offered this option by Dr Bhatti. He proposed that I have only my hairline transplanted where it meets the hairpiece. The problem is that you are then stuck with a hairline of hair forever. What happens (as in my case) you decide after wearing a hair piece for 25 years that you finally no longer want to wear a hair piece? It’s a bad option in my opinion because it’s permanent. Wearing a hair piece may not be after years of wearing one with the maintenance involved, etc. 

[Al - Moderator]

I wore a hairpiece before I had a hair transplant. I hated the hairpiece, but I was pretty sure I was going to end up being a NW 7, so I didn't think I'd be able to get a full head of hair with a hair transplant. I was already between a NW 5 and NW 6 by then at age 22. My idea was to combine both. I wanted to transplant the front half and wear a hairpiece for the crown. That would solve what I hated most about the hairpiece (the fake front) while giving me a full head of hair. Then in 10 to 20 years when maybe I wouldn't mind having a thin crown as much, I'd get rid of the crown hairpiece and transplant a little there if I could.

Unfortunately the hair transplant clinic thought that was a crazy idea and assured me that they could give me a full head of hair with just transplants. I even paid an extra fee for a guarantee. I don't have the exact amount I paid for the guarantee, but I think it was well over $1000 and that was back in 1989. I was quoted 4 sessions for full coverage. Then he transplanted the mid scalp and crown first which made sure I couldn't stop going once the front was completed because they didn't do the hairline until later.

That guy screwed my life over so bad, but I don't want to get into all that here. Anyway, I wish I stuck to my original plan. If I did I could have transplanted the crown once beard hair started to be used. I would have had a basically full head of hair for the past 35 years instead of NW 7 with scars all over.

 

[grincher]

I knew a chap who had had a hair transplant around the hairline but wore a piece behind it