jessie1

Hey Son, How are things? Be sure to post an update. Maths was never my strong point (gulp!) but by my reckoning you are in the chair today? As soon as you can, post an update about your experience. Safe journey back to Sweden! Jessie

Salem, I have studied your pics. I agree that the pics are not completely conslusive, however I would say that in excess of 3000 grafts are required to tackle this. That may even be a conservative estimate. I note that you received less than 3000 grafts in your first procedure. It's difficult to judge a persons situation with photos alone but I respectfully believe that there has been no cosmetic improvement in your case. I appreciate that I have no knowledge of any progressive loss since the HT. Salem, it would be interesting to see what other forum members think. As I have said, 3000 plus seems to be more like the figure we need to be talking about here. I will be interested to know Transmed's perception of your yield is and how many grafts will be required to take you forward. Good luck, jessie

Aaron, Had another butchers at your website just now.... very exciting. Congrats. MGZ, I am in the minority on this thread regarding my thoughts on going ahead. I am not 'gung ho' and my experience will tell you that I opted for the HT route far too prematurely. Your situation is different and I respectfully feel that you are heading for a high Norwood. Propecia may stabalize and it may not. Much has been said about the physical issues associated with opting for a Ht at 24 years. Lets briefly discuss the mental aspect. This all comes down to how YOU feel, not withstanding 'expert' advice from the Doc. Some people have advised waiting until you are 30. If you do not think about your hair loss constantly and becom increasingly depressed about it then I can see the merit in waiting it out, for all the sensible reasons lready mentioned. If you foresee 6 years of misery in waiting until you are 30 and effectively throwing the rest of your 20s away then I would strongly consider going ahead now. You already know where you are heading and have been realistic about this. There will be continued loss post Ht which donor supply pending, may result in a second HT. You are the best person to figure out where you stand mentally and I feel that this is an extremely important factor in you decision making. Furthermore, a great Doc, and even a good doc, will be able to assess your situation and projected loss and will perform the surgery with projection in mind. Propecia: The jury is out with me. My experience is inconclusive. I have been on propecia for 2 years and I have continued to lose hair all over. Who knows what my situation would have been if I had not have been on the meds.... Judging the unknown is therefore impossible. All I would say is that test results are over optimistic for want of a better term, not just based on my experience, but many other different experiences shared by other forum members. I feel that these real life experienes are much more credible. MGZ, why not go for consultations with both and see where you stand. See what the Docs say after examining you first hand. Its all awfully confusing and everybody will have different ideas. I would definitely get back in the gym and change for lifestyle around. This in itself may give you that mental boost to hold off. You won't know until you give it a shot. All the best, Jess

Bill, is there any way you can help Salem out with his messages? Salem, It is regrettable that these communication issues crop up in this day and age. I hope that Transmed resolve your issues. Bill, spot on for facilitating a prompt response from Transmed. Jessie1

5Sheri, Welcome to the forum. I have had a previous experience with Dr Goldstone at the Hospital Group. I would reconsider. There are other options. This forum is a very useful tool. Please continue with your research. Jessie

MGZ, The fact that you are young will in itself attract a certain amount of advice (and even concern), which is good of course. I considered the age factor prior to formulating my initial response, having studied your pics and other factors. I do believe that there has been some improvement since the minox and although the images are edited and do not reveal your face, the shaved look looks nice and tidy and you are blessed with a good facial structure to carry it off. I was 27 when I had my first HT and I didn't need one. I got sucked in by some ridiculous sales patter which will not come into play with the two Docs that you have narrowed your search down to. Once you go down the HT road you are 'in the tunnel' to a certain extent, depending on how aggressive the initial procedure is and your future requirements. For instance, I opted for 1000 grafts FUT in order to strengthen my hairline. Some would say this would be unethical for a 'fill in' job at such a young age. Furthermore, the scar was badly placed and ridiculously wide. I have been chasing this receeding hairline since in an attempt to catch up with badly positioned sporadic grafts. In fact, its probably a blessing in disguise that the yield on my UK HTs was so poor. Of course, I will never recover these lost grafts. I would get a massive FAIL in the research department. Hopefully none of this will be a concern for you as you are in GREAT hands. Forum members are right to be concerned about your age because of situations like mine. There are without doubt worse examples out there than mine. Furthermore, your situation and requirements are completely different. Having seen your pics and noted some improvement from the meds, I respectfully think that you are possibly going to head for a high Norwood in years to come. Why wait? You have already said that the rapid hairloss has effected you badly. A good Doc will consider your age and individual characteristics and will carry out the procedure accordingly, with projection in mind. The fact that you have done some very sensible research and arrived at these great Docs will ease the burden. The decision is yours to make. Putting myself in your position : I would go for it. Others may have different opinions. This is the beauty of the forum and I hope others come forward and help you in your decision. Jessie

Salem, I'm afraid that when it comes to computers and technology, I'm about as much use as handbrake on a canoe. One of the moderators will pick this up in no time. I PM'd you by the way, aren't I a clever boy!!!!

MGZ, First of all I like your blunt honesty about how hairloss has effected you. Its great that you are a confident guy and why should hairloss steal that from you?.... I wish I knew the answer to that mate. For me, its 'peaks and troughs'. Ok, back to business. In answer to your question, Rahal or Hasson. For me I agree with HARIRI, Rahal. I have seen excellent examples for both, however Rahal tops it due to the density he manages to achieve and on a consistent basis too. If I was to travel to the states again I must say that Ron Shapiro would be my first choice.... just to throw a spanner in the works!!! But if you are choosing a Doc in your own country, Rahal is the man. MGZ, without meaning to patronise you mate, why not try and get back into the gym and sports again. This may help fight off the 'depressing times'. Hairloss is complex and there are huge proven psychological effects, however keeping active and throwing a few weights around every now and again helps to improve my mood when I'm down. I respect that this will not work for everbody for a variety of different reasons. You obviously want to tackle this head on and move on with your life. I think this is a good move, just be mindful of possible projected loss an try and keep some donor in reserve. Both of these are ethical Docs and will no doubt give you some very sensible expert advice. Good luck Jessie

Jfables/ Aim4hair/ Givemehope I definitely want to stick with FUE but we will have to see what the score is with my donor. I will feedback to the forum after my consultation with Dr Bisanga. Dr Bisanga seems to be one of only a handful of Docs, in my opinion, that have confidence in it. I will ask Dr Bisanga about yield (ie FUE vs FUT) and see what he says. It goes without saying that had I known of Dr Feller's and Spex's opinion on FUE prior to my HT I would never have opted for FUE with Feller. I only learned about Dr Feller's true stance on it after my HT and recent meeting with Spex. I still harbour the negativity arising from this meeting about the effectiveness of FUE. I will have to conduct more research including individual patient experiences before I decide which is best for me. The common demominator here is without doubt RESEARCH. Again, and I'm getting bored at being my own worst critic, I have to reflect on my experiences in the HT industry and in part I blame myself for failing to research properly. Cheers for your comment guys, hope more contribute on FUE with their thoughts... Jessie1

HARIRI/ zo1279 Bisangas name keeps coming up time and time again at the minute, this is reassuring since I have booked a consultation with him in Brussels for later this month. Not sure which road to go down in terms of FUE or FUT. I don't want another strip scar but I have issues with yield.... I will take advice from Dr Bisanga of course and take it from there. I too want my strip scar addressed. I will speak with Dr Bisanga about the possibility of dilluting it. I would feel more comfortable about another FUT if something could be done about my old scar.... Everything up in the air at the minute... Let's see what the consultation brings.. Cheers, Jessie1

Son111, I logged on when I saw your thread in order to wish you all the best. I know all about that nervous feeling having travelled from the UK to NYC for a HT with Dr Feller. I have heard an absolute ton of positive comments on this forum about Ron Shapiro. Not only is he extremely skillful in what he does, I get the impression that the aftercare is spot on too. I'm not sure whether I would make such a long trip again, I am considering closer to home this time. If I was to consider hopping across the pond though, Dr Ron Shapiro would be in my top three without doubt. All the very best. I hope you receive more messages on the build up to the big day. Not long now. Will you let us know how the consultation goes? What the plan is, how many grafts etc? Kind Regards, Jessie1

HARIRI, Brave man! If you had to compile only one list (world wide) , in order, how would you list it....? I'm kinda going to sit on the fence. But I would put Bisanga and R Shapiro up there as my top FUE. Why? Because I am seeing very consistent results. Furthermore, particularly with Shapiro (and this is no reflection on Bisanga as I am still researching this aspect of his service), the aftercare seems to be absolutely top notch. zo1279, as well as the skill of the surgeon, be sure to look at how the Doc handles aftercare just incase things don't quite work out. Some Docs tend to feature more than others in the aftercare department, sometimes (and only sometimes thankfully), for all the wrong reasons. Therefore when I think of the best, I always consider both skill and aftercare. I wouldn't risk one without the other. Hope others participate in this thread. Jessie1

Aim4hair, I agree with your comments about location. You have pretty much covered what I myself have picked up on..... Do Docs really have that much faith in FUE? I fully understand the pros and cons of FUT and FUE having done plenty of research but there seems to be somewhat of an under current of reservation about the effectiveness of FUE with many Docs. It is only recently that I have come to realise this from spending a little more time in this forum. I look at Bisanga's results and see consistency. Without getting too deep into my own personal experience (and risk somebody crashing the thread) , I have lost a lot of confidence in FUE. Taking my own experience together with what I have learned on this forum and I am still troubled about FUE. I will only opt for this again if I am entirely satisified that the Doc has complete confidence in its effectiveness and of course that he feels like it's the right method for me. Givemehope, Regarding your question about Wayne Rooneys Clinic. Apart from the fact that I have heard much about his HT, I haven't heard much about his clinic on here. There could be many reasons for this and I won't speculate, but I have to ask myself why vastly experienced HT veterans are not talking about the clinic? I do recall seeing a thread about his HT and there will be mention of the clinic within it I would presume. Jessie1

Salem, I hear what you are saying mate. I had a bad experience with a notorious UK clinic (not Transmed) and the aftercare was awful. I received aggressive responses when trying to outline my concerns and was never afforded the privilige of direct contact with the doctor. 'Incompetent' would pretty much sum up my experience. Being left out in the cold is an awful feeling. Can I respectfully ask you a couple of quick questions? 1) have you documented your journey with your own photos? 2) what exactly do you mean when you say 'they dropped me'? 3) have you exhausted all communication options? Have you escalated your concerns to management level? Salem, you have mentioned all sorts of concerning things in your post, not least of all the fact that Transmed have apparently lost your file. Would this include the consent form/ disclaimer? I think that it would be just as much in their interest as yours to get their hands on this.... I would consider the following unless already done so. 1)Record and retain all correspondence. 2)Ensure that you escalate your complaint to the highest level possible. This way you are giving Transmed every opportunity to comply, engage and ultimately resolve, should the matter finally end up in a civil court well down the line. 3) Identify a single point of contact ( I would accept nobody less than a manager bearing in mind your failed communication efforts to date). This way the famous 'breakdown in communication' doesn't come into the equasion should things need to escalate 4) start getting your photos together 5) If the clinic do not oblige you with a follow up visit go and see another reputable Doc and ask for an expert opinion. Before pics would come into play here. Finally, I would personally try so resolve this matter privately opposed to getting too 'deep' in the forum. Sure you want to share your story, as would I, but give Transmed every opportunity to respond prior to showing your full hand. Forum member will also ask you to provide photos. I see no harm in this but try not to get too bogged down. Other forum members may have different ideas and there are far more experienced members than me. I have endured two failed UK HTs however and can identify with some of the things you are saying. Also, Bill- managing publisher, is a fountain of knowledge and may be able to give you some tips on how to proceed from this point onwards. Regards and good luck, Jessie1

Givemehope, I have Bisanga on my short list and have heard only positive things to date. I want to be thorough in my research as everybody does. Are your friends in a position to share their experiences? PS. Loads of choice in the US for sure. I'm a UK lad and I wish we had the same options. Easy access to the Doc is important. Jessie

Levrais, Excellent. Keep the updates coming. Couple of questions if I may.... How often does Dr Bisanga do his follow ups? Any feedback on patient aftercare? Do you feel looked after? How confident would you feel about Dr Bisanga addressing any concerns (if any were to crop up)? In terms of concealer, I use some on the frontal area just behind the hairline and I'm paranoid about it when I have it on. For this reason I only use a very small amount . In the crown I have heard that it can be more effective and realistic. Never used it in this area so I am unable to offer first hand experience. Why not give it a shot? Cheers Levrais Jessie

Stingray, Spot on...... nice trim too ha ha!!! Cheers for posting those pics mate. This is an excellent thread, very informative, Jessie1

22John, I understand your personal reasons for not wishing to go outside of the UK. John, its not my place to question a Docs competence without benefit of personal experience, however I recently watched a programme on TV which featured Dr Bhatty. I wasn't impressed for many reasons, however who am I to judge from the comfort of my arm chair! Plus, the programme did not show the final results if I recall correctly. Furthermore, Dr Bhatty is not here to defend himself so I will leave it at that. Please research mate, I can not stress this enough. If you make the same mistakes I did with UK clinics it will play on your mind for a very long time. I do not wish to sound negative. This forum is excellent and there are all sorts of experiences in here from a variety of different doctors. It is so important for you to speak with patients about their experiences before making your decision. Don't restrict your research to some clever sales patter and glossy photo albums, there's more to it than that. There are far more experienced forum members than me mate, but daft me did not just make one mistake with a UK clinic....... I made two! Farjo seems to be among the best in the UK, perhaps a little more expensive, I really don't know. Keep interacting in this forum and this will seriously help with your research. I can honestly say that if I had known of the existence of this site prior to my UK HTs, I would not have gone through with them. Jessie,

Hairthere, Points taken in good spirit mate. Of course you don't have to PM me, I was merely trying to avoid taking us off track, mainly for Stingray's benefit. On reflection I can see why you felt the need to chip in. Let's both celebrate the fact that Stingray has achieved a successful result. I think we are both in agreement with that. Regards, Jessie

Stingray, Excellent pics mate. The fact that you rarely think about your hair now is a success within itself. Sorry that my pics have appeared in your thread mate, I never intended for us to get off topic. This is all about you. Hairthere is respectfully welcome to PM me if he has an interest in my case. Stingray, I am slightly concerned about my donor area despite being told that it is excellent. I'm not too sure. Can I be awfully cheeky and have a peek of any donor area pics? If you don't want to publish these on the forum would you consider privately PMing these if poss? Also, another quick question on density. Any idea? Cheers mate, very impressed. Jessie

Gillenator, Thanks for yor response. Let me tell you that I feel humbled by your experience mate. You have come through a very difficult experience in your life and you sound like a very positive and optimistic person. To answer your question, I have some transplanted hair in the hairline together with native hair. I hope (fingers crossed) that the transplanted hair will be safe. Its the weak native hair in the zone behind causing me the most concern as this area will need 'the works'. You have answered my query regarding potential shockloss. My hope is that the transplanted hair will not only compensate for any shockloss, but will outweigh it in terms of yield and offer the cosmetic improvement I am hoping for. I hope I am being realistic. Gillenator, I have a few on the short list but Bisanga seems to stand out. I have not completely ruled out going back across the pond but my recent experience has knocked my confidence. Access to the Doc is a must in my opinion. I will send you a PM after my consultation. Interesting to see how the Doc views it all. Date yet to be set. Thanks for your response. Jessie

Hi Guys, I would be really grateful of some advice on this. I appreciate that this may have been covered in the past but I would really like some fresh thoughts and/or experiences on the issue of placing grafts between exisiting hair. My next HT will be HT #4. My hairline and zone behind it will be the focus of attention. This will involve transplanting in and around native hair which exists behind my hairline. This hair is particularly miniturized and weak. Transplanting between hairs raises the old favourite topic of 'shockloss' which I'm sure will be a consideration here. Therefore: Does anybody have any personal experience of a HT with similar requirements and/or any useful advice or reassurance? Thanks in anticipation. Jessie1. Ps. I use fin (minox has never worked for me)

Stingray, I'm slowly working my way through some Dr Bisanga cases and this one cropped up.... Sounds a little juvenille but the first word that popped into my head when i saw the result from your first surgery with Bisanga was 'WOW!'.... I am hoping to get a consultation with Dr Bisanga later this month. The Pics look amazing. The hairline looks dense, thick and strong. I underwent a 1000 FUE in September and there is absolutely no comparison. I appreciate that every case is different and each person has their own individual hair characteristics and physiology, but this is a fabulous result.... I am starting to regain my faith in FUE having seen fine examples like this. Can't wait to see updated pics of the second HT..... Stingray, two quick questions if I may 1) Were all these grafts singles? (first surgery with Bisanga) 2) Did Dr Bisanga plant FUE grafts into the same area Armani worked on? Having received 3 poor HTs to the hairline area I'm concerned whether FUE is the best choice for me in terms of yield, especially when considering that my next surgery (HT #4) will still require some work in the scar tissue from the previous 3 HTs. Keep us posted mate, Jessie1

Hal, Another potential excellent result to add to the collection. Keep posting the pics mate. Many on here would love to share your excitement and progress in the months ahead. Jessie1

Albion, You have been on a hell of a journey mate and I am so pleased that you have managed to work things out with the Doc. It is regretable that your journey was so long and drawn out and I'm sure that things have been somewhat stressful for you. You have handled this with restraint and dignity. SkinupPinup, I tend to agree with you. The whole 'saga' for want of a better word sits very uncomfortably with me. Without having the benefit of all the information here it is difficult to be absolutely clear on what has gone on. What is clear is that Albion has seemingly 'jumped through many hoops' to get where he needs to be. Bill: The fact that Albion has managed to work things out with the Doc, I feel in part ( ok, a large part), is down to your intervention. We will never know what has gone on behind the scenes, but for me the turning point seemed to be when you made contact on behalf of the patient. I have absolutely no knowledge of this Doc so I am genuinely not best placed to offer my opinion on their competence/ aftercare service, especially when this is the only post i have read about Dr. Kulhaci. Quick question though Bill: Do you think that Albion would have managed to secure a deal with Transmed, and effectively have his concerns addressed, without your intervention and personal correspondence with the Doc? Albion: All the best and keep us updated with your journey. It goes without saying that you have attracted a huge amount of backing from forum members, Jessie1.