Sean

Congrats, just saw your pictures. It is looking great. Really good early growth, and undetectable. Great work by your doctor. Thanks for sharing.

Big change in 6 months. Where is the scar? Can't even see it. Nice Work!

I think it is best to fly out after the post op checkup and first cleaning. For me, I drove, but swelling kicked in big time on the 2nd night/third day after surgery. I couldn't drive on the third day because my eyes were somewhat shut due to swelling, so I had to stay an extra day, my eyes went back to normal, and then I drove home. The swelling lasted for a couple of days though. So, if you fly home soon after your checkup, then I guess you should be good to go to avoid any possible swelling during your flight. Good luck.

Looking great. Outstanding work by Dr. Wong. Amazing transformation!

Best advice ever, if you don't have the money for it, don't go for the procedure until you have the financial resources to pay for it. This is to be on the safe side overall. It is common sense any loan can do you damage. People who aren't approved for consumer personal loans sometimes are approved for those equity loans, so that is why it can be a choice for those in that situation. That is an option for those people. If you are desperate for it, and no other option is on the table, then yea, you can check out those other options and do so at a risk, but most banks do offer optional insurance option with that type of loan if you lose a job, medical issues, and etc. Obviously, if you don't have that option added then you do things risky. Whether you sell a car or do whatever, there is some risk and you will lose a benefit. I listed random options the person can use, as I felt really negatively about the carecredit loan process due to numerous bad reviews about it and what it did to my friends with the interest rates. I am sure $10,000+ procedures even on that loan and high interest rate surpassing 27%+ due to some "mishap/glitch" is enough to even risk your financial situation and even put a threat to your home mortgage and in debt if you don't have enough financial resources to pay it all off in the first place. Best bet is to save up as much as you can and then do the procedure. It is possible and it took me a while, but I was able to do it with financial hardships along the process. I wanted a transplant bad, but took the route I felt was the safest. If you can't pay for a procedure now, just make sure you are able to pay off that high cost of the procedure within a one year period if using the personal loan. It worked for some, but for some it didn't or something else happened. Good luck.

Outstanding. Looks great! Congrats.

Great work by Dr. Wong. It's really great to see skilled surgeons helping people. This case is going to be a home run. Awesome work.

Corvettetester, you are really taking it out of proportion, there is no backtracking but you are making it seem as if there is. You are being vicious about it. I think every doctor has mentioned Rogaine or Propecia as two other proven remedies to combat hairloss. I don't know what Mattj suggests or doesn't or why you mention him in your post, nor have I mentioned anyone being a shill, but I can tell you he and other people from other clinics represent their clinics and clinics they have gone to really well on these forums, a quality patients look for. I can understand that T&D offers carecredit so you are pushing it as a possible option and that's fine. The best advice I can give to the OP is to go to your place of transplantation Tru & Dorin and get carecredit to pay for the procedure. People be ready to face the wrath of corvettetester if you so happen to speak without praise or question anything because you will be cross examined and questioned in the end. I think I just realized that. OP, Do your research and good luck with whoever you go with. Get price quotes from as many recommended doctors in NY etc. Pick the one with the best price, service, and willing to cater to your needs. Again, there is nothing wrong with negotiating. It is just added competition for doctors in the industry. :cool:

JustMike, congrats and I look forward to seeing your updates. Seeing this is 2556 grafts and it is dispersed on the scalp and even temple areas, I want to see how it looks in the months to come. Dr. Rahal really has a great strategy he uses, especially when working in between native hairs, he's really good at that and I feel and his placement maximizes graft growth. I have a good feeling this will be an great result. The work looks clean. I had surgery with Dr. Rahal too almost a month ago. Looking forward for your updates. Wish you the best.

Lorenzo, I said it once and i'll say it again. I like your results and H&W did a great job. Are you doing the highlights still? How are you styling your hair now?

Good luck to you buddy. You are in good hands. I know the feeling, I went through it and then finally got a transplant by Rahal August 31, 2011. Can't wait to see your progress. Hell, I can't wait to see my own progress in the months to come. 3 Months and then you get the procedure and then sit back and wait, and then a year later, BAM! New hair! Wish you the best.

Cmon man, your taking things way out of proportion. Im only saying what I said using CareCredit due to some people I know having issues with them, he can use it if he wants to but really be on top of the game to pay back that company not to get screwed over. Some people have good experiences and some don't as you saw from those links I posted. I didn't use the service, I was about to consider it as an option, but instead saved up and paid my procedure in FULL due to risks and worries. Yes, some credit cards may offer lower APR penalties than carecredit and other loans. But as HairThere mentioned, it maybe a good option to rack up those points. ChaseSapphire offers 0% apr, no foreign transaction fees and offers 50,000 REWARD points bonus if you use it in the first 3 months and by spending $3,000 I believe, that might be something to think about. By the way, that whole equity idea was a third option even BILL the moderator mentioned in another post in a way to pay for a transplant. http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/147769-financing.html I think he gives good advice on the forums, but I guess you think it is a reckless idea given by me and him. It's an option if you fear somehow you may end up with 29%+ apr on the personal loan or if you do not qualify for such personal loans either. As far as finding a doctor even for a dental procedure with 0% financing, well my procedure was about $6,000 and I got 0% on it, so I am just saying, I don't know what docs do this for transplants but maybe some can, who knows. Do you get commission from CareCredit by signing people up or work for the clinic you got your procedure done from or got a free procedure or something? Seriously, it is being projected like that after reading your posts more and more and you analyzing results of patients that are not satisfied in such detail. I notice Tru & Dorin are CareCredit registered doctors. http://www.carecredit.com/doctorlocator/True_and_Dorin_Medical_Group/Cosmetic/Hair_Restoration_%28Replacement%29/10017 Read this very important article, Consumer Reports details medical care credit crisis (Chatham Journal) I think I can end this back and forth and end this discussion right here and make you happy by just saying "go to True and Dorin and get that carecredit loan and get a procedure done" Or I can say, check out other doctors on this site as well and see if they are willing to negotiate, because I do think negotiation is possible as Hairthere also suggested, there are some doctors that will cater to your needs. There is nothing wrong with negotiation. If something can be the price of a used car or a new car, then I think negotiation is valid. I mean come on. Negotiation is a part of life. It may not work on all consumer products such as ones by APPLE, but for a service, it is very possible. By the way, I got a transplant by Rahal, and that whole VAT thing, if you are an out of town patient, out of country etc etc. The travel discount he offers goes against it. AND i really don't think Dr. Rahal will find negotiation offensive just as other docs wouldn't. He will try to cater to your needs as much as he can and is able to. Yes, his prices are very good. That whole "PRICE" thing was one of the major factors why I went to him as well as the quality of work. I've even seen Dr. Feller assist a patient on here that had financial issues. He worked with that patient and his results are on here. That is outstanding. So, some doctors are WILLING to work and help patients. If you talk to the doctor, negotiate, tell them what is up, you may be able to work something out. You got a point in saying travel costs may be a factor to consider (just as hair transplant costs are a point to consider), but I think if you live in NJ or NY it isn't that bad of a trip to Canada either. I drove from NJ so I paid for gas, took some food with me and I got some food there, paid 60 a night for 4 nights at the Foxbar guesthouse, but there was a major plus point, I got daily cleanings and care everyday from Dr. Rahal's clinic, another guy was there for 2 weeks, and he was getting a cleaning done daily basically. Patient care even drove to the guesthouse to check up on a patient when they called and even checked me out in the process to see how I was doing. Such service is something to consider if you are paying big bucks for a procedure. :cool:

2500 grafts were not going to make a huge impact to the type of hairloss you had. That's what I think. You definitely needed more, i'd say at least 3500 grafts dispersed throughout especially if you wanted to do it like you planned it by tapering, without stopping at a zone. That probably would have given you better coverage and one that you could be satisfied with for now. Hair transplantation is not an easy process and it's a pain in the ass to go back and get another one right away if you aren't satisfied. So, by looking at tons of patient results/photos, i'd say around 3500 grafts would have been right for the first procedure and then a second procedure would been another 2000-3000 grafts and you would have been set. Did you address your concerns with your doctor while planning the strategy? How many grafts did he recommend? Initially and overall? Why 2,542 grafts? The hair does look better with gel, it makes it look thicker styled as someone else mentioned. In the meantime, you do have a few more months left to grow. If anything, try medications and or toppik as a filler later on if needed. It may help, otherwise another transplant will be needed to get the result you are looking for. Costs of transplants are a big concern obviously, but if you want to get it done, get it done right the first time with careful planning and research. I think if you had more doubles and triples it would have helped you out. Good Luck.

Bakri, I think you look like a Norwood 4V or towards Norwood 5. But you could probably tell if your hair was grown out a little more. What did the doctors say to you or quote you? Are you on any medications for hairloss, finasteride or rogaine? IMO, You'll need at least 4000-4500 grafts I think to start your hair transplant journey. You are young too so you don't know if you will advance further towards Norwood 6. How is the hairloss in your family? If you progress further after a couple of years after your first transplant, then you may need another transplant. So, think one transplant for now due to your age and then one in the future after a couple of years. Unless you want to wait another 2-3 years to see if your hairloss progresses further. Depending on how much donor hairs you have available, density, their texture/quality, you may be better off with STRIP for such a large procedure. You can probably also do FUE if the doctor says you are a good candidate for it. Obviously prices will vary between the two procedures, STRIP in most cases is half the cost of FUE. I am not a doctor so that is my own opinion after what I have researched. Hope everything works out well for you.

Alternatives: 1) Save up an pay it off in full like I did, pretty much avoid other bs 2) Get a credit card 0% for the year or so, pay it off before the time is up, take advantage of those REWARD points, take a look at CHASE Sapphire and CITIBANK 0% APR cards, and make sure the penalty isn't an interest rate over 9.99% (that is still high but better than that bogus 29% or higher APR on that personal loan by care credit or other personal loans) 3) Work with the surgeon, some surgeons do give financing if you have really good credit, and some can do it for that 0% APR, I don't know if any hair transplant surgeon does this, but for expensive dental procedures, I did get it done that way. 4) Sell your car 5) If you own a home, get an equity based loan or something for the transplant 6) Go international with your transplant needs to save money if you need to ..7 .....8...........9............... 10) Take a chance and use that CareCredit loan or other similar loan service but make sure you pay them off well in advance of their monthly due date like 20 days before or something to not risk any issues with them, but read their complaints first before you take this route :cool:

Agreed. I feel great seeing this. I am really anxious for my results, but I still got a year. It does look solid and gives a lot of reassurance and seems Dr. Rahal can basically match his FUE with his FUT. Lets see how mine turns out. Can't wait.

I think this guy does great work. He was one of my choices too from the list of surgeons I had. From looking at your pictures, I'd say you are a Norwood 4. You do have frontal recession as well as losses dispersed throughout your midsection. I don't know if you will advance later, but it seems that you may very well go towards a 5V or 6 in the future possibly. You do have native hairs in your mid scalp, which are starting to thin. Have you tried any medications? Understanding that you want to use close clippers, I don't think you have to worry about that with FUE. I'd say you'll need at least 3500 grafts to start, frontal and then some dispersed into other zones to add density, I wouldn't even mess with the crown yet, but it is likely you may need another procedure. This transplant hair restoration process is not going to be a one hit wonder, as you don't know how much further your hairloss could extend. You were born in 1989, I mean you are very young but I can understand your concerns completely. Everything I just said is my opinion.

This is an amazing result by Dr. Feller. The work looks beautiful, look at that hairline. Nice work.

I say do both methods. As lighting varies. This way you can see for yourself how your result will turn out in all those conditions. Indoor or out, with light or without. People usually just do indoors and with natural light without flash. It's good to have a set of all those pictures in those settings to compare later on when you look at our transplant in those situations. You just want to cover yourself as well for later on, when say if your results aren't as you would like and others say oh, well your pre op pics were taken outside and that's why there is a difference or etc, when the finger pointing starts. I don't think you would have to face any of that, but just as a precaution. I'd save and take pics in all those settings and situations and then do the same when the transplant is fully grown in all those settings and situations. Just for assurance. Good Luck.

Sorry let me clarify, I know some people that used the service you used Care Credit. They ran into difficulties with them. I think since you had no issue with them, things worked out for you and I am glad they did. However, two of my friends said they didn't do enough research with them and then they sent me a links before I made a decision on my dental treatment. I was going to use them for Dental treatments, but I decided not too after roaming these websites below. The sites I paste below or not promotional, and are for consumer research and protection: CareCredit GE MoneyBank Consumer Complaints CareCredit @ Pissed Consumer An Honest Review About Care Credit - CareCredit Healthcare Finance Plans - Epinions.com Granted sometimes people make payments on time and have no issue in doing so, however, my friend got screwed by trying to pay online and their internet service was DOWN supposeadly for a few days for upgrades on and off. So, what happened was they gave him that high interest rate and then didn't remove it and blamed him for not paying sooner. He was 5-6 days or so away from his payment due date. So, I mean, corporations are always looking for ways to make a buck or to screw people over. That's how it is with a lot of credit card and loan companies. Some loan services do charge pre payment penalities, this one claims they do not though. But as Corvettetester said, it is always better to do your research. I actually saved up for a transplant until I had the money then made the move, due to these added worries and what if's. It's always better to be safe than sorry. There may even be some surgeons that may offer their own payment plan. Check that out if it is possible. I know for dental treatment, I found a doctor that was really good and offered a 0% interest payment plan by himself and I pay him monthly. So, I don't know if any surgeon offers this on this forum, but ask around. Good Luck.

Looking really good for only 1200 grafts? What's the graft breakdown? IMO, it looks really good for the amount of grafts received. Looks very natural in the front. Keep these results coming. I am sure the guy is very happy. Awesome job.

Looks great, I really like the way you all break down these cases. Make it all nice and organized and it helps with any confusions later. You can see the start to the middle to the end. Nice work!

Whattttttttttttt, he does not need any scalp exercises. Lucky guy, he is blessed with an elastic scalp. I've never seen that. I know some rare medical conditions make the skin elastic, but not sure if that is the case here. Looks like a really good result waiting to happen. Seems like a great candidate for strip!

I did use that poly tar shampoo someone mentioned prior to Nizoral, I felt that shampoo caused an itch and the skin was sensitive to the sun while using it. That's why I switched to Nizoral. Nizoral I was able to handle. Coal and Polytar shampoos are really good for psoriasis and other serious scalp conditions. Similar tar shampoo is Neutrogena T-Gel. Like I said, Nizoral had a strengthening impact on my hairs. I wouldn't say it regrew any nor did I lose any. I did have a very very very minor shed but hair grew back it seems in those area stronger and thicker and no hairs fell after my body adjusted to it. This is when I did not use propecia nor when I used Rogaine or any other supplement. It was just when I experimented with Nizoral ALONE. But I didn't really have dandruff, i had somewhat of an oily scalp. It helped control that, I don't know if that was a factor as it kept my scalp dry. IMO, if you got thick strong hair right now, I wouldn't even use it. Like they say, don't try to fix what isn't broken. Just use your normal shampoos. At this time, there isn't anything known to grow back hairs or to strengthen them to a higher degree, other then Finasteride or Rogaine. Everything else is subjective to a person's own physiology. It may work for you it may not. Just like supplements. Biotin is workin for you, but it may not for someone else. Saw palmetto works for some, but it may not for you. You know the list can keep going. But I have read that skin tone can play a big role on how these products work as well. Rogaine may work for you better due to your skin tone, and at 5%, while other people may need higher percentages. good luck

Born, you are looking good buddy. Before and after result with FUE is solid right now but as SPEX mentioned results may grow up to 18 months, I never knew that before. Normally I thought it was 12 - 13 months and it was final, but hey if 18 months is the final final result date on some people then even better. I bet you are happy. Looks great. I got 3,000 FUE with Dr. Rahal. I'll post more pics on the one month mark of my surgery in a few days to show how it's looking. Looks like you had a good yield. Very happy for you. congrats