Sean

Hey Capelli, Just got your message regarding exchange rates. I'll try to help you out with some valuable info. PM me if you need any other help or you want to talk to me. I had trouble getting an answer out of credit companies on exchange rates. They seem to lie, they told me they will match the rate according to the market rate, but I too have found out some of those guys lie. I know if you have a Capital One credit card, they may not charge any transaction fees so look into that. Call Capital One to confirm this. I have read about it all over the web. On another note, talk to a couple of banks, not the tellers, but the people sitting inside the bank helping new customers etc (experienced agents with college degrees). Ask them how their exchange rate system works and if they are able to send money to any bank in Canada. That is because some banks may not directly transfer money to a Canadian bank. Take a look at TD BANK, and a couple of others. Like I said before, Wells Fargo is anything but competitive. They do not give you the live rate, yet give a higher rate but don't tell you it's a hidden premium, they just tell you that's what the computer and their system is telling them and that they do not know how their rates are calculated. Yes, that was the answer given to me by them. I had no choice but to use them as I had to pay 2 weeks prior to my surgery date as that is when the money was due and couldn't transfer my funds to another bank or another cheaper service, so I got screwed. Now, there was an online service that transfers FUNDS at the LIVE MARKET rate, that may save you TONS of money, but they said it takes them anywhere between 2-3 days to 2 weeks to transfer the funds directly to the receiving bank. That service is called OANDA. They are probably your best bet you might want to call them. I wanted to use them, but like I said, my payment was due 2 weeks prior to surgery, and at the risk of them taking 2-3 days to 2 weeks to transfer, it would have collided with my surgery date or after. I found out about them the same day I was getting ready to transfer money. Was too late, unfortunately. So, take a look. Give them a call. Here is their website link. I am not promoting them, but rather helping you out by using them to save money possibly. Here is the link: Money Transfer | Send Money Online | OANDA FXGlobalTransfer You can calculate the LIVE market rate and the amount you will pay right now at the link I posted above. You are going to convert USD to send Canadian. I think their services are only available for American and Canadian consumers. So, foreign customers may have to find their own service to transfer large sums of money. Call and ask them all questions regarding the bank you will transfer to, how long will it take, your total costs, how it works, and etc. If you want to book surgery in Canada, i'd use a credit card to pay for deposit and then pay the rest using the service that gives you the BEST rate of transfer. Again, stay away from Wells Fargo, I say this from experience. Good Luck.

A major change. Looks good. It's only gonna get better. Good Luck and thanks for sharing.

Lookin good buddy. I can see the growth. It seems like you may be the lucky ones that grow quicker, that's a good thing. Some people start blossoming after the 6 month mark. But it looks good. Can't wait to see your future updates. Thanks for sharing. Good Luck & Happy Growing.

Hi Lisco, I don't want to you to think the worst about your transplant procedure. However, I had frontal hair restoration similar to yours and I think you should take a look at my post op photos here, http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/162401-my-fue-dr-rahal-3000-grafts-large-procedure.html . Also, to see very good quality large photos, go to page 5 of my thread. A lot of people have told me that the work looks very refined and really liked my hairline design. So far, I have not had anyone raise an alarm to me about my procedure nor be too critical about it, other then that I am a young patient. Regarding your photos, IMO the placement does look somewhat odd. However, we do not know how it will turn out in the future. It may be a great result and in time things may look different. I have analyzed many post operative photos and that pattern did stand out, it is true, because I haven't really seen such a placement before. A lot of members have expressed their feelings, both critical and good. I do think that if the clinic has assured you decent results for the future you hold them to their word. You created this thread, and informed others, and showed what was just recently done. A submission was made and it is like a huge piece of proof and something that no one can argue with later on as being your fault if something comes out funky. I think the clinic you went to will back up their claims later on, when you keep posting. They are recommended here. I think it is very important, you post your progress monthly for the users to see and to critique it. It will only help you in the end if you need a surgery again/revision or to back up your concerns and claims for some sort of resolution later. You are doing a good job, and keep up with the posts. Hair restoration is such a stressful process, an expensive one, and everyone has a right to be informed and be educated. People that show their progress can save or help a person that is interested in such procedures. Results they post can ultimately make or break a clinic. There are users on here that have given me sound advice and tips before I went ahead with my procedure. I consider the advice very valuable and it may have saved me from making a decision I would have regretted later. So, what you are doing is a big and great service to the hairloss community. Opinions matter, and they should be taken into consideration, they are in your best interests to help you, not to attack you. So, don't take what some people have said to the heart. I hope you have a great outcome. Only the months ahead will determine that. So, keep following your post op instructions and take medications you are able to tolerate to help you with hairloss. Hope all is well with you and good luck.

Not all recommended doctors on this forum have the same prices. Some are very different in range vs others. The price difference can be like night and day. I know this because I requested multiple price quotes from numerous clinics listed on this forum and not listed on this forum. The only way for you to find out is to go for consultations and get those quotes. Only then, you will be able to tell who is giving you the best rate. I actually was able to get surgery at half the cost of what some of the doctors on this forum would have charged me if I had gone with them. That's a fact. Remember, negotiating doesn't hurt either. Don't just settle for the price you see listed. I too, am very cautious about my financial situation as I have financial concerns myself. Not everyone can afford multiple expensive procedures. This also depends on the level of hairloss you have. Realize that if you have very extensive hairloss, Norwood 5 or above, you may very well need multiple procedures. Maybe one now, and then another few years later to be satisfied. However, if you want to knock out a very large procedure in one day, then you can certainly discuss this with your doctor. I think price is a major factor to consider when getting hair restoration. For some money isn't an issue, but for most of the public it is. Have you tried getting consultations from any doctors around the west coast? Are you thinking of getting strip or fue? That is a factor to consider as well.

Here are some updated pictures I took with my iphone on 9/12/2011. Everyone heals differently. Some people have lots of scabbing in certain areas, while some do not. I happen to have lots of scabbing on my upper frontal areas. The temples there is barely any scabbing visible. This is just how a person heals individually. I did have some questions that I sent over to Dr. Rahal's clinic regarding hairs shedding faster in some areas then others and got an answer after they viewed these photos. What I noticed was that one of my temple areas seemed more dominant then the other side. My left temple looks stronger then my right, this is because some hairs have shed on one side then they have on the other. I was worried because I wanted to make sure this does not affect me later but patient care assured me that it is ok. They assure me that shedding I am seeing is normal. On that note, I would like to warn everyone viewing the photos ahead as you will see scabs and it will look disgusting, however, keep in mind this is normal. I will wash the area under a light shower in the next 2 - 3 days to wash the scabs off gently and then I will do so by lightly massaging the area. After that, Dr. Rahal's clinic has given me other instructions. Only after my scabs are gone, I can start rogaine. Keep in mind, I still have not touched nor massaged the recipient area. I am letting the scabs fall off naturally as I am told to not to touch the recipient area. So, with caution due to the graphic nature of these photos, please check out the areas and donor areas. Thanks.

Since you asked for an opinion in who has the edge & experience, and as an added bonus (good price), IMHO it is Dr. Rahal. That's why I chose him after lots of research. Was very hard to select from the list I had of the choices of surgeons, but the hairline and density in his results swayed me his way and sealed the deal. You can see them on his website or on these forums. He just did a case with higher norwood with over 7,000 grafts. I think the hair count in that case is maybe some sort of record, it consisted of over 15,000 hairs. I never heard of that before regarding hair counts. That was in just ONE sitting/ONE session. So, density, fullness, hairlines, etc are consistent in almost every Rahal result. I think he has some great results on Norwood 4 & 5's. If you notice, some other clinics it may take 2 sessions to reach such a successful feat. He can achieve what you are looking for in probably ONE sitting. Good Luck. Hairline design on my own scalp by Dr. Rahal: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/162401-my-fue-dr-rahal-3000-grafts-large-procedure.html http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/161570-dr-rahal-patient-video-stellars-6228-graft-transformation.html http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/161303-dr-rahal-patient-6228-grafts-fut.html http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/162150-dr-rahal-patient-3693-grafts-7-months.html http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/160789-my-11-month-dr-rahal.html http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/162675-7-260-fut-grafts-eternal-gratitude-dr-rahal-his-staff.html http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/160548-5000-grafts-dr-rahal-pics.html http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/161967-my-5604-grafts-hair-transplant-dr-rahal-day-18-update.html http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/162179-my-5604-graft-surgery-dr-rahal-one-month-update.html http://www.rahalhairtransplant.com/meet-our-patients/before-after-photos/ http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/blogs_by_doctor.asp?DrID=376 There's a lot more, but that's a start.

Can't wait either. Hopefully, I am not a slow grower and you will be able to see some decent results by then. Some people start blooming after the 6 month mark, I hope I start before that. Pain, well, during surgery I did have some, but that was during the freezing shots. They freeze you so well that you don't feel it in the surgery unless your procedure was as long as mine, where freezing tends to wear off and on and you have to get shots again. But, I'd say I had mild to severe discomfort after my surgery, lasted for a few hours, the next day I was good to go though, but painkillers certainly helped the first day. And then every other discomfort or pain died down in the upcoming days. It's not so bad, but you know what they say, no pain no gain. You can say the same a little bit for hair transplants. I wouldn't say it's the worst pain though, rather discomfort. I think strip guys feel more of a pain though. I say this because I saw some strip guys in the guesthouse where I stayed. Honestly though, for me, it is something I was able to handle, it's not something so severe that you wont be able to take it. You'll be able to handle it. I'd say my tolerance to pain was low due to several factors. Some people don't even feel as much. That's the best way I can describe it to you. Everyone is different too, so some can take it better. Donor area took a few days to heal. I don't feel anything there anymore. Just a little redness still. It'll go away soon. I am just applying the cream I was told to and following all post op instructions. I'll try to post pics soon to show you how everything is looking.

Bobo, your question is "How to differentiate". I will try to answer it. Well, you got three great choices to select from. So, how can you break it down? 1) Get consultations from each of them, see how many grafts you need, placement strategy, will they cater to your goals, etc etc 2) Get price quotes from each one of them 3) Analyze cases that have dealt with similar hair loss as yours from each of them How to decide? Since they are all great surgeons, these things may help break it down even further and may be considered as important factors to use as filters. 1) who gives the best price 2) convenience 3) patient care 4) customer service 5) if you are getting strip or fue, and who has the best scar tissue rate, less is better. 6) how many positive vs negative reviews 7) who has the best hair lines, analyze everything in deep detail 6) any other variables you feel may help in your selection......... I personally will not recommend nor tell you who to pick as that is your own choice. I went with Dr. Rahal but do not have a full grown result yet to show you. So, I don't have credibility yet to refer anyone based on my own results yet. I only have seen his work and results that swayed me to go to him and you can see what else from my own write up on the forums. Price was also a major factor for me. It's a tough choice to make, but I think with enough research, you will make one you are really happy with. I just had my surgery August 31st, so, if you get a chance, check out my pics. I am trying to get as many comments, and for the most part, a lot of people liked my hairline design. Other then that, all I can say to is Good Luck on your research, selection, and future transplant with whomever you choose.

Wow, I too was interested in Armani at one point. I don't care what doctor operates from their clinic or who is in charge now. There are far too many patients unsatisfied and I will never take a risk with them. I was so interested in them when I initially started researching hair loss remedies a few years ago, but this forum opened up my eyes to a whole new level. To do a surgery with Dr. Armani himself it costs more and rarely many of his patients go through him, even though he is supposadly retired now. Other patients have went to his other doctors in his franchise locations throughout the globe, and have reported results that are not up to par with most industry leading hair restoration surgeons. I am only saying this after researching the forums and the results reported. I would really be cautious and avoid a possible depression diagnosis after seeing the results of most of Armani clinics patients. I can't stop you from going nor will I, but IMO I would not step foot near that location due to the information provided in these forums. If you get results that are not good, you can't openly speak about them, unless you want Armani legal team to go after you, they tend to do that to their patients after they report unsatisfactory results on the forums it seems. Whatever you decide, good luck, but I would carefully research this. I only mentioned all that for your own safety based on what I have researched on the hair loss forums. Who knows you may have a good result, but, me, personally can't take such risks with so much money, time, and years of hair loss invested. There are a few places I took interest in, hairclub for men, armani, and bosely. IMO, it seems none of them can match the security, safety, assurance, reliability, care, results, etc the doctors on this forum can accomplish it seems. Could I be wrong? I don't now, but these forums provide a useful education tool to back up what I have said. However, as for concealers, I would definitely ask a reputable doctor that question. Personally, I would not risk using concealers till after a month after a transplant. This is because you want to make sure your recipient zone isn't harmed. I mean you can't even start using Rogaine right away either, so you should wait it out until scabs fall off, and the area has healed a bit to be on the safe side. Your paying lots of money for the surgery, I guess it's best not to take any unnecessary risks. Good Luck.

It's looking good man. Scabs formed and are probably falling. Any discomfort or is everything good?

Frontal hairline repair work looks smokin good. Awesome work Dr. Konior. He has great hair.

Thanks for the comments on the way the hairline looks. I really appreciate it. IMO he creates the best hairlines based on what I have seen. I am not the first Rahal 3000 FUE patient, just one that is documenting my progress on the forums. He has been doing this for over a year. He has had a lot of FUE patients, but not many that documented it like I am doing on the forums. There were patients with over 3000 grafts. I am the first 3000+ graft FUE DOCUMENTING my progress for opinions/feedback/responses. You already mentioned Dr. Bisanga as being right up there with the world top FUE surgeon in an extensive previous post, so why not go to him? Your top three consist of doctors in Belgium. Dr. Bisanga, Devroye, Feriduni. But even after that, your Number ONE pick was Prohairclinic. I mean you are from Italy, so I would assume those other doctors you mentioned would be ideal to where you live and that they are great docs. They are probably even better than Prohairclinic. Dr. DeReyes retired Prohairclinic a while ago. So, who is the doctor now? Last I heard the hair transplant procedures at ProHair were mostly done by techs. I would rather have an experienced hair restoration doctor work on my scalp, than to have the job mostly done by techs. This was discussed here, http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/139677-2509-fue-prohairclinic-belgium.html So, why go to the hassle of U.S. or to find doctors around this area, when you already have ones that are near you? Would you rather look for surgeon in the U.S. or just unsure of the work the others you mentioned? Check out the forums on all doctors and see who can really help and ask for plenty of photos. I would not go to any clinic that does not have an experienced doctor. IMO, Hair transplantation is a doctors game with the assistance of techs, not the other way around. Good Luck.

Wow, outstanding result! Looks great and suits you well.

Thanks again orlhair. Can't wait to hear your feedback throughout my process. Thanks Capelli, I appreciate the comments. Yes, well first thing, this must have been the mother of consent forms lol. I guess every doctor has one. It was a few pages, took a few minutes to read through, a lot of initialing,signing, and some re-writing. There was certain side effects discussed throughout. One that stood out for me was that 10% patients might not have regrowth or something from the implanted donor hairs. There was something about temporary or permanent numbness. There was something about allergic reactions to medications administered during the process. If any dispute occurs it will have to be resolved in courts in Canada, etc. There were points re-iterated about scarring. I am sure most consent forms are like this. But some of the stuff is a "what the hell" process when you have to read through all that the day before or just prior to your surgery. There is a lot of you understand this and that type of stuff. Like I had no idea with some of the stuff the consent form mentioned. I had questions about the stuff I had to initial and sign, and asked Dr. Rahal to clarify when he was drawing up my hairline. I think no matter what clinic you go to, you should read the consent form you are suppose to initial/sign the day of your surgery during your initial consultation when you are about to book a procedure. You can use the actual consent form itself to ask questions regarding all the "you understand this" stuff. That's my opinion. I really think you should contact the clinics you are interested in to go over the consent form with you as you do have concerns about the hair restoration process and request to do so at your initial meeting with them. TC17, thanks for the comments. I appreciate it. Indeed that is a lot of grafts, but, it was needed to create a dense hairline to my goals. Dr. Rahal did measure me and created the hairline after analyzing my facial structure, framing it to my face. I hope it turns out great. However, I am 29 years old, your right, I am young, what you said is understandable. The highest class of baldness in my fathers side is like a 4v barely touching a 5. No one on my mothers side is bald and all have a thick head of hair. I have 5000 grafts remaining for future use via FUE. I believe I responded well to Finasteride. Take a look at my photos on my hair loss website link, the ones that show my condition one year prior to my surgery. I started taking finasteride January 2011 and still take it. The day of my pre-op, you can see I had some hairs regrown, hair got thicker, and my crown kind of recovered. So, I think the response was good to Finasteride. I also have not started rogaine foam yet, but will in a few days. I hope all these factors go in my favor even though I am young. My goal is to fight progression and to try to maintain everything, and I know there is that fear of being young and then things getting worse down the road. I hope it doesn't apply to me, but there maybe that chance. I keep myself really healthy and hope that factor helps. I want to keep baldness at bay for many years as I want to focus on my career. That is why I went for this surgery now. I hope there will be better technologies in the future. But you made a good point.

Here are some POST OP Photos from the day of my departure from Canada/Dr. Rahal's Clinic 9/3/2011. Please take a look. These were taken by Dr. Rahal's staff and are in better quality for you to evaluate. *These photos can't be used without my permission, since they show the work Dr. Rahal did on my scalp. Only he has the right to show these as I gave him permission to do so. Only he has my consent to show them. It is copyrighted material. There are clinics that take photos and pass them as their own or other hair loss companies that do so. No one else has permission to use these unless I say so. So, if found elsewhere on other websites, companies, etc, other then where I have posted, I will pursue those involved to the highest extent of the law. These photos and any photos I post here, are being shown here by me for opinions/advice/feedback and to help forum members get an idea of how my FUE was. Thanks.*

I was asked a question on My Hair Loss Website that I am not sure the answer to. Professionals & hair loss researchers, if you know the answer, please answer the following question asked by Jay: "just a question to all...Mr Sean had 3000 grafts via FUE, can he still have FUT in the future if he wished to. Its just seeing his donor area, made me think about FUT." Thanks.

Zenmunk, Thanks for your response and message. I think you created a great thread and it his helping a lot of people that are researching or underwent surgery learn more about procedures and things not discussed as much. I took into consideration what you said, hair does not define us. You are right, i'll try not to worry and hope for the best. Thanks for the words of encouragement. By the way, I posted more photos of the donor areas on my hair loss website, I hope they are clearer. I just got them the other day from the clinic when I requested them. I know your thread is all about extraction sites. By the way, I wanted to let you know the punch size used on me were .8 and .9, that is less than the 1mm ones used by most clinics. I hope that is an important factor to consider regarding extraction sites. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gillenator, hello and thank you for such an in depth thoughtful response. I believe the most advanced baldness class is 4v if anything. I don't even think my father is pushing past or touching a 5, he has to be a 4v by looking at his scalp and evaluating it myself. My mother's side of the family, no one is bald. Everyone has a really thick head of hair. I am taking propecia since January 2011 I believe. I did miss a month of it I believe in between sometime around March. If you look at my one year photos before surgery, that is around the time when I started taking propecia, then if you look at my preop photos, you may see some changes, with some hair regrown or hair stabilised, rather in the front. I don't think I lost hair since using propecia, but it has definitely helped I feel, especially the crown area. I haven't even touched rogaine foam yet. Just have been taking Proscar (1.25mg estimated per day). I do feel I am responsive to Propecia, maybe you can check and see if you think so by looking at the pictures, I can always use a second opinion. I wish I had a video telescope or densiometer to show the donor, but im trying to make the best of it with the pictures taken by the clinic. I do understand what you are saying though, regarding the dark hair on fairer complexion. You feel that my extractions seem a little high just below my crown into the coronet area, that does concern me. I hope progression wont creep into those areas. Only time can tell, but I hope medications can stabilize it. I am not sure how many extractions my zone can give up before thinning becomes noticeable. That is a good question. I really hope I do not have a moth eaten look. I am following all instructions carefully. Maybe this matters, a punch size of .8 and .9 were used in combination. So, it was less than 1mm most other clinics use. I do have a wider area in the back to extract from, due to the shape of my head. I think if an extraction were to occur in the future, it maybe in from areas other then the already extracted zone? I was told I had really good density, hairs, when I was getting the procedure done, so I guess that may help with better coverage. Thank you for such a valuable opinion and answer. I am taking what you said into consideration for any future treatments if needed. I completely understand though, that in my case, solo procedure may not be the case, i'll need more later on in life. I just hope, I don't need them soon.

Thanks for the motivation and comments Gattaca. I really hope I get awesome results. Please check out my updates as I will be updating my hairlosswebsite often. Were you ever bald? I tried looking at your photos but could not see before ones, but whatever you posted now as your Display pic, seems serious. It's like that "justin bieber" hair. You got a huge mane with those 3500 grafts. You still have months to grow if your only at 8 months. Are you taking any supplements? Rogaine? Finisteride? After seeing yours, I can't wait to see my growth, I got a whole year to wait. Where were you losing hair initially, the crown or front cause I don't see your before photos.

Allgone, where exactly did you have your hairs implanted. The crown area or the center or the front or all over? From the pictures 12 months after, it seems your frontal area there is some hair growth if you had it implanted there or maybe that's how you styled it. For the crown areas, I don't see much of a change if all 3300 grafts were used in that region. Are you on any medications? rogaine or finasteride? Do you have any more photos of before and after or maybe even photos post op right after surgery?

I just uploaded more Recipient & Donor Photos from 9/3/11 at my hairloss website link to give a better look at placement and extraction sites.

I think your balding pattern was similar to mine. I just had 3000 grafts done in the frontal areas using FUE. I really don't think your a 4A, but you never know what the future holds, so I would definitely plan accordingly. Seems like you keep it skin tight as I would on the sides. So, your choice with FUE route is a good option. You are right, it definitely has come a long way from what it once was. People are able to achieve great densities, some surgeons that do both FUE/Strip have been able to match their quality between the two procedures.

I agree with the above. With Propecia you will retain some hairs you are bound to possibly lose. It also makes the hairs you are going to possibly lose thicker and healthier looking. You will regrow some hairs in some areas as well. So this will give you an optimal result. Without it, you run the risk of thinning hair, losing native hairs and etc. Propecia I think along with Rogaine, helps keep baldness under significant control. If you look at my one year photos, I just started to take propecia, but then check out my photos when I was ready for my pre-op. It seems as if I didn't lose more hairs, but some hairs filled in where I didn't have hairs. I wouldn't say it is a WOW major change, but yea, I can notice a change. Now, I just got a transplant, and I will still continue to follow propecia but add Rogaine to my regimen in a few days. Hair transplant alone does make a significant difference, but with medication it makes the results optimal.

Thanks for your input Dr. Lindsey. I think it's important a lot of green tea drinkers that are planning on getting a transplant realize the excessive bleeding it may cause during surgery. So, 10 days before, stop drinking green tea people, drink as much as you want afterwards. lol at the "Now if you have too much tequila with the tea, you might bump the grafts out of your head"

Dr. Charles, that looks amazing for 2010 grafts. You gave him great coverage with only 2010 grafts. Looks good, Nice Work.