This is a long post! but please try to help
Hello I'm new to the forum and so first let me share my story. I'm a 23 year old male from the UK and have suffered hair loss since I was about 13. The hair loss runs in the family and I have the same pattern of loss as my dad and uncle i.e. I have nice healthy hair at the front, sides and back, but very thin hair on top. My dad and uncle have hair on the front, sides and back but no hair on top or the crown.
So anyway, when I turned aout 16 I started to use various herbal treatments to combat this because it was looking really bad. I'm talking about taking pills, massaging the head with oils and stuff etc. This has worked because some of the hair on top has grown back, and hair loss seems to have stopped. I say this because whenever I used to massage my head with oils, a lot of hairs would end up on my palms. These days I don't get any hair in my hand when I massage my head. Others have also commented that my hair is looking much better and that the gaps are not as obvious now. If my hair is of a certain length, or if I've straightened it and under certain lighting, it looks normal and healthy, but other times it looks pretty bad. Just last weekend a girl I met at a club commented that my hair was very thin and that I should shave it.
My hair is still very thin and although the herbal medicines have helped, they haven't cured the problem and my hair is nowhere near as nice as it was when I was a child. So finally, I'm considering a transplant and need your input.
I had 5 HT clinics on my shortlist.
1. Dr Mahadevias clinic in Ahmedebad, India
Hair Loss Treatment India, Hair Care Clinic India, Baldness Treatment India, Hair Growth Solution India - Goodbyehairloss
2. Dr Madhu's clinic in Hyderabad, India
Dr.Madhu:::Hair Transplant Surgeon, India- Hyderabad::: for best Quality & Results::: to educate about advise for Hairloss
3. Transmed in Istanbul
Hair transplantation and alopecia treatments
4. Dr Tykocinski's clinic in Sao Paulo Brazil
Tykocisnki Medical Group - Lateral slit Follicular Transplant
5. Dr Devroye's clinic in Belgium
Hair Transplant Surgery
Here is what I've learned so far.
Dr Mahadevia-
Pros
Very cheap
Very quick and in-depth reply
Member of ISHRS
concerns
poor quality before and after pics
website looks basic and has broken links
It's in India (although I'm British, I'm of Indian ethnicity and know the way things work over there. There is a tendency to have a carefree attitude and I would be concerned about how seriously they address my concerns.
Have seen some photos of a member who had a transplant done and the scar looked very big, even after a few months
I contacted the clinic with my photos and was told that presently a hair transplant was not a good option for me as the surgery could cause shock loss and I could lose my existing hair. I was recommended to use medication.
Dr Madhu's clinic
I haven't consulted with them yet.
Pros
Recommended on this website
Cheap price
a decent set of before and after photos with number of grafts noted
Concerns
Its in India. Now I don't want to sound like I'm dismissing someone just because they are in India, but I'm sure you can understand my concerns after reading of some of the bad HT experiences people have had in India.
Another concern I have is that the after pictures all show a combed to the side hairstyle. Why? Will spiking the hair up show up the bald patches?
Transmed
I contacted transmed and after reviewing my photos, told me that I would need approximately 2200-2400 grafts. I replied back saying that I want a lot of density and that I want this even when I'm 50 (I know that a HT will not stop native hairs from falling out). However, they assured me that 2200-2400 grafts would be enough for me to achieve my goal.
Pros
A short flight from the UK
Recommended on this site
Good quality before and after pictures. Results look good
Professional looking website
In depth reply to my e-mail
Concerns
More costly than the Indian clinics (but still a lot cheaper than the UK)
Mahmood's progress diary (on this website) shows very poor progress even after 1 year.
Dr Tykocinski
Pros
Good quality before and after pictures
Professional looking website
Recommended on this site
Concerns
The first e-mail I sent them I forgot which photo I attached but I got a reply saying I did not need a transplant. I sent more photos and was told I needed approximately 3500 grafts for my goal. How can they make the first judgement based on just one picture?
The e-mail was also very short and not in-depth at all, and did not answer all my questions. It makes me think perhaps their english is not so good? Or maybe they do not take my concerns very seriously?
Could be more costly because of the price being higher than in India and the flight/accomodation in Brazil (but still a lot cheaper than the UK).
Dr Devroye
I have not consulted with this clinic yet
pros
Recommended on this site
Very good quality before/after pictures with very good results and detailed explanation of each case. Probably the best results I've seen so far.
Professional looking website
Short flight to Belgium
Concerns
Higher cost (still a lot cheaper than UK though)
General concerns with HT's
Here are some general concerns I have with HT's that I hope you guys can address.
1. Most HT pics I've seen show the combed over to the side hairstyle. I like to have my hair spiky. Can a HT give sufficient density to allow for this style as well as the use of gels, slicked back hair etc? Or will I have to use the comb over?
2. Shock loss is a big worry. I still have hair and no big bald patches. Like I said Im just thinning on top and I'm worried that a HT might make me lose my existing hair. However, at the same time I'm not really satisfied with my current volume. Medication is not an option as I'm looking for a one time solution instead of paying for expensive medicines on a long term basis.
3. A lot of HT's I've seen show the end result to be dry, dull, lifeless hair.
4. I want this to last a long time i.e., I don't think there is much point in a HT if in 10 years I'm gonna lose the existing hair on top and still look bad because the transplanted hair is not enough to compensate for the loss of native hair. The HT should be good enought to cover me in case I lose my native hairs 5 years down the line.
5. I don't want to rush into things but at the same time I know it takes at least a year to see real results and this is the time when I should be feeling confident, going out, meeting girls etc, so I don't want to waste my youth being unhappy either.
My feelings so far
Depite the nice e-mail reply, I have been put off Dr Mahadevia's clinic due to his poor before and after pictures. I am not too sure about Dr Madhus clinic either. Like I said, I have concerns about the way they do things in India. Dr Tykocinski's clinic were not really good with their e-mail reply and so the 2 favourite options at the moment are transmed or Dr Devroye. The shock loss thing has also left me unsure about a HT now and I need serious help in making a decision.