cargo65

.......

Yes, I have confirmed with Dr. Rahal himself that he does indeed use a motorized tool for FUE.

No need to apologize at all. Cheers!

Absolutely, patients should consider the pros/cons of both techniques, and in my opinion FUT offers the best option of the two in terms of yield, cost and results. Having said that, FUE is a viable method, especially for someone who wants to keep a very low cropped haircut. In my opinion, a lot of FUT practitioners and their patient counselors fail to grasp that. I believe they sort of think "if you're gonna go through the trouble of getting hair transplanted, why would you want to shave (crop) your hair off?" Obviously, there are number of reasons. For me, I have some diffuse thinning with a little bit of recession in the frontal-third. I have thought about the idea of getting FUE to restore/reframe my hairline with the idea of later shaving my head and getting scalp pigmentation once my balding progressed to the point that I couldn't mask it. I like that alternative much more than having a FUT procedure only to eventually be left with whispy thin coverage on top and an ear to ear smiling donor scar that would prevent me from shaving my head. That's just me though... I don't believe the strip method has been utilized quite as long as you've stated (1950s). Ironically, I believe a lot of surgeons in the 1970s/80s were using a more archaic form of FUE (if it could be called that) that caused the doll-like, punch hole-sized, pluggy look we all grew fearful of. FUT will leave a scar though. Now, because of advanced suture techniques, the scars have become more refined, but every ethical hair surgeon will tell you that you'll end up with a scar. For those who plan on keeping their hair at a longer length, it's not an issue and typically unnoticeable.

I agree with you GNK. Are scarring issues related to FUT apparently new news to some in the world of hair transplantation? No. The reality is FUE/FUT are surgical procedures that cause trauma to the skin and thus can leave scars dependent on any number of variables. It is accurate to say though that by in large, FUE allows for less noticeable scarring, especially for those who desire to have closely cropped hair. In other words, all things being equal, that if two patients with the same skin and hair characteristics received HTs (FUE & FUT), and both surgeries went as expected, the patient that had the FUE procedure should be able to cut his hair much with a much closer grade and higher up his scalp and sides than the patient with the FUT procedure. It's also misguided to post a loaded description like "...this is from a well known FUE surgeon" as if to subtly lay some blame at the surgeon's feet. Every patient has their own unique physical characteristics that can affect the final results. It would be just as misguided to post a picture of a FUT patient with a stretched out scar due to poor scalp laxity or condition (ex: keloid) and simply say "...here's a result from a well known FUT surgeon in Canada..."

agenteye, thanks for the reply. I'm actually "on-call" to possibly do a surgery with Dr. Rahal this December for 2,500 grafts. I keep flip-flopping between FUE or FUT. Dr. Rahal has some impressive FUE work, but he's also has had some recent less-than-stellar results that are well documented on this forum. The motorized tool makes me wonder, especially when he's doing these high graft counts. I know that no surgeon will bat .1000, so it's not a knock against him.

Do you know if Dr. Rahal uses a motorized tool for FUE?

Wait. Not a fan of Rahal anymore HARIRI? At best, you toned your comment in an unfortunate fashion. At worst, is sounds like you may have an axe to grind. Not being recommended is vastly different than not being able to post due to local Ottawa law.

I checked out Dr. Gho's (HASCI/HST) website. While the procedure method seems to be a benefit to the donor area of the patient, I wasn't left very impressed by the results in the recipient area. Although, to be fair, most of the results shown (if not all) were taken from the nine month mark in the recovery process.

I see, thanks! I thought he was in trouble or something...

Wow, not a single bit of advice?

Care to elaborate?

Hey there guys (ladies?). I'm getting ready to pull the trigger and go under the knife for my first hair transplant before the end of the year. However, I've been thinking about the shortterm and longterm benefits of getting a HT for someone in my situation. I'm a diffuse thinner, and I'm wondering what really is the best course of action for me. I've been on Propecia regularly for more than 10 years, as well as minoxidil (on again, off again) for about the same time. Is a hair transplant even recommended for someone with diffuse thinning? Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.

Thanks for putting that together.

Please explain in detail how you would know of my personal interactions with Jotronic? After answering that, please explain how you've concluded a conversation you've never heard is baseless, unfounded or untrue? If you believe it to be just a bad joke or innapropriate, then I will be careful not to make any further comments of that nature. If you think it's baseless or unfounded, then I'd love to know how you've surmised that.

What, no Jotronic to spread the SMP fear? Oh, that's right, he basically represents an SMP practitioner now. :cool:

Great stuff. Looking forward to scheduling mine sometime soon with Dr. Rahal.

Hey guys, I'm super late to the thread, and instead of reading it in its entirety, can someone give me the summary of what's happened. I'm gathering Sean got a less than desirable result with Dr. Rahal. Is Dr. Rahal balking at helping him with a second procedure?

Very nice hairline. Good work.

I've put it in my package when I've traveled for years now. I did have concerns like you when I first started doing it though; I was nervous security would think it was gun powder or something. Actually, I always have my wife put it in her bag in case we get stopped and asked what it is. I don't want to tell people that I use it to disguise my thinning.

FWIW, my understanding is that Asian hair can be ideal to work on in terms of shaft angle and straightness.

For what it's worth, take it as a good indicator of Dr. Rahal's integrity (but not necessarily a poor reflection on Hasson & Wong). Dr. Rahal has your best interest in mind and isn't just out to make a buck.

Lol, seriously, I know all about it. Toppik is worth its weight in gold to me, but it's such a hassle. Everytime I have to use it it's like performing a masterpiece before I leave the house.

Couple of things... 1) The fact that you've had multiple hair transplants (and I'm assuming you've had the work done to your hairline/frontal-third...) is a good thing. As you know, SMP only really works when the individual shaves their head. The more natural stubble you have the better the SMP can blend in and give you a very nice natural look. 2) HT scars cannot ever be 100% disguised, removed or completely masked (outside of longer hair covering it). I've seen some really nice SMP work done on HT scars that really muted the look of the scar, which I'm guessing makes a lot of folks happy, but I've never seen a scar completely "disappear." 3) In regard to hairlines... SMP is no different than HT work in that it's all about the artistry of the practicioner. It's in your best interest to research the different clinics and find someone with a portfolio of work that you're comfortable with. There is a clinic whose work with hairlines seems really good in my eyes. I won't give the name on here because I don't want to be accused of being a schill for their company. Bottomline, you have to be willing to go where the good clinic is. I'm in California, but I'm not in love with any of the hair transplant clinics out here, so I'm willing to fly to Ottawa or Vancouver to get work done when the time comes. It's not even a question in my mind. I think the same would/should go for someone getting SMP work done. Anyways, those are my two-cents.

I don't trust any supposed patient who takes pictures laying down with a tiger.