Modenese

Hi Albine

So sorry to hear that you are not happy with the result. Your calm and sensible attitude does you credit.

From the pictures it does look OK, but the pictures are not great. The things you describe, texture and direction, are hard to photograph but are the things that will make all the difference for a woman.

My advice is move on, don't consider any further work.

Again, so sorry to read this.

Modenese.

Hi Whispy,

You are mistaken, at least in the case of Bisanga.

I'm just back from a 2nd HT. Bisanga did 100% of the punch operations, and 100% of the incisions, just like at the first procedure, in line with normal practice.

The technicians insert the hairs into the incisions, and prep them under a microscope. and administer the (painful) anesthetic.

I've never heard of anything else there to be honest. Feriduni may be different.

Modenese.

Basically run away. Decent clinics don't do that stuff.

'A GMC registered doctor...'. If that's the best thing they can think to say then lol.

If you want to be robbed and butchered, go ahead.

Now you can't say you have not been warned.

Hi Mondayhead

Like you, I had a huge FUT procedure at BHR, and my thread is here:

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/170118-dr-bisanga-4800-fut-6-month-update.html

I will be posting a one year update next week.

I see in you some of the things I saw in myself.

- The downy hair under the scar. I had this also, it's like 'different' hair. In my case it went away over a 4 to 5 month period. I have suffered no long term effects, and I do not believe that I have had the direction or pattern of the hair disturbed.

- My scar isn't perfect, but you cannot see it under even quite short hair. In my case the redness stayed for a long time, both in the scar area and the transplant area.

I opted for FUT because I felt FUT/FUE combo was my only realistic choice - I was to all intents and purposes bald. I go in for a FUE on the crown October 2013.

If you are feeling anxious and want to compare photos let me know. I did not look good at 3 months.

My friend at work who knows, and my hairdresser, both describe the transplant I have had as 'an amazing transformation'. I saw a picture of myself for the first time, 3 months before the operation, practically bald, and it was shocking. I'd rather be where I am now. Hang in there, be patient, look after yourself.

Modenese

It's shock loss, and no it's too early to worry. It happened to me, it grows back. Try to relax.

Coming from someone who is going to Bisanga for 2,000 FUE soon (on a virgin scalp) and with the research I've done, I'm not surprised at all that he suggested going strip for your case. In fact, I would have almost expected it from him. He looks at each individual from a long-term strategic point of view. If you had gone another 2,000 FUE, you would have been tapped out from a safe FUE point of view, or very close to tapped out. If you had further loss down the line, it would be difficult to go the strip route then because of your thinner donor region, which would likely leave a relatively exposed scar. You'd then be in a bit of a difficult situation.

 

Interesting comment, reflecting my experience. Based on my age, hair loss, and goals, Bisanga advised strip/FUE combo. I've had the strip, and am going back in October this year for the final FUE session on the crown.

On the whole, this approach at this time feels right.

Hi Slickers

I seriously thought about Rahal before choosing Bisanga. Ottowa is so far away though.

As has been said, you are in good hands and I am sure you'll get a great result. All the best with the journey back.

Hi Clanvin

I would be concerned, that is not great growth. 6 months is maturity, but it is not early either.

Have you been using Minoxidil on the transplanted area? It may help to kick-start the growing process - it certainly did for me.

Good growth you you in the meantime.

Hi Darsha

From your photo it looks like you still have some shockloss. I had the same - thin hair, downy hair, under the extraction line. It started to grow again after a little bit of gentle, sparing minoxidil application to the affected area.

There are a number of quite successful FUE-into-scar revisions around, but you need to choose your doctor carefully.A number posted here.

Right now you can do nothing but wait and see how you heal. At 9 months, decide what you want to do next.

Hi Darsha

My shockloss lasted for more than 4 months in some places.

However, it doesn't look good. Scar tissue has only around 40% of the tensile strength of normal skin in the first few months, rising to around 80% after a year. So keeping away from the gym is good practice.

Looking at the photos it looks like there may be a problem here.

Arn

Like Gasto, I recommend in the strongest terms you do not go anywhere near finasteride, based on the honest appraisal you've given.

One of the side effects can be anxiety and depression.

This is one of the listed side effects, and one I've experienced. Finasteride can make me feel like I'm going to be squished by some great unseen danger. It's the hardest thing to describe, but it's like you would get if you were in real mortal danger all the time. The feeling is physical, palpable, visceral.

The effects go away after 10 days of not taking the drug.

So, with that all said, please don't take this drug. You many not be able to find a physician to prescribe it anyway based on your mental health, and you should not self-prescribe from sources selling online.

I wish you the very best, but you must refuse to see yourself as a victim and stop feeling sorry for yourself. Victims have no power.

If you have depression get treatment for that, but also refuse to see yourself as a victim. Make sure you see more than a GP - they are not specialists. Go to a proper mental health professional. Decide you want to be well. For now, forget the hair, come back to it when you have made some progress on your mental health.

Hi Albine

Your growth has started relatively early, I'm pleased for you. You are over the worst part now, and for the next couple of months you can expect it just to get better and better - enjoy.

Modenese

Hariri, I'm sorry to bring this thread up again but I'm new to the party and have just spent 30 minutes reading through this for the first time.

It must be tough being a repair patient, but you honestly don't look like one now even without the nanogen.

So glad you got a resolution in the end. You are looking good, Even if you don't have any more treatments you are in a good place.

Take care, Modenese

Thank you all for your kind words.

It was tough getting through the first 3 months because I looked like a road accident. The help of others here and elsewhere helped me get through it.

Modenese

Modenese,

 

First off, you look great. Congrats!

 

When were the first three photos (the ones with you wearing the cool jacket and holding your camera) taken in relation to the 6-month photo in the time-line grouping? I ask because your hair appears significantly longer and denser up top and in front than it does in 6-month photo in the time-line set. Maybe just a different angle?

 

Thanks for sharing!

Hi Pupdaddy

Thanks for the kind words.

The photos were taken on the same day with the same camera. It shows what a difference a style makes.

For the timeline I washed the hair and combed it forwards like a skull cap so it was easiest to make a direct comparison. In the other photos I'm wearing what in England would be called 'a Cornish Pasty', where the hair is pushed from either side to the middle, and styled with a wax.

That jacket is cool though, but my wife has taken to calling me 'girlfriend'.

Basically most people are back, in the most part, to living their lives normally after a couple of months.

In my case the recipient area was still healing up to 4 months as the redness disappeared. For this reason, I'd say avoid the direct sunlight (wear a good hat that offers UV protection) and avoid extremes of hot and cold.

Are you have a strip or FUE procedure?

Hi Guys

6 months out now my procedure with BHR in Brussels. To recap:

Total grafts: 4889

1 Hair: 926

2 Hair: 2038

3 Hair: 1403

4 Hair: 522

Time in chair: About 10 hours.

Original post here, and 4 month post here.

It's been great. Fantastic actually. Before male pattern baldness started in my mid-twenties, I had a thick mass of hair on my head. Although those days are gone for good, I do feel like I have some of that feeling back. My new hair feels good, I can style it, it feels great.

Hair transplants can be dangerous. Since I started to get some serious growth, I've taken the kind of interest in my appearance that I have not done since my mid-twenties (I'm now 48). This has involved buying lots of great new clothes, and finding out how to use all kind of hair styling products. Before the transplant I didn't see the point.

My confidence has improved no end. One of the things I love to do is dancing (Salsa, other latin dances) which involves (if you are male) going up to women you don't know and asking them to dance. On the whole I don't think that the women care what you look like if you dance well, but it matters to me what I look like. MPB aged me no end, and I feel like I've got a new lease of life.

I feel like I'm already at maturity at 6 months. It's hard to imagine there is much more to come, and I'm delighted.

ive been doing this for 10 weeks now and im impressed, hair feels in great condition and feels and looks much thicker. only side ive noticed is increased urination.

The increased urination might be the start of prostititis. The prostate becomes sore, tender and when it comes under any pressure from your bladder you feel like you have to pee.

I know about the condition because I developed it on fin and wound up seeing a specialist.

For me it started gently and I ignored it. Then it got bad quite quickly.

I became unable to sleep properly - wanting to pee every 2 hours.

Take it easy

Regarding the sides from Finasteride:

I take 1mg 3 to 4 times a week. At this dosage, I don't get ED or brain fog but do get benefits.

I never, ever go over this dosage.

At 1mg per day I get ED and brain fog (sorry, no other phrase describes it).

Regarding the hairloss, have a serious look at SMP. If you choose a good practitioner it can give you a great look, particularly if you have a good physique (the shavd gym guy look). Right now you are too young for surgery in my view.

As for 'miracle cures' don't include them in your planning. You will be disappointed.

Hi

I had those kind of 'lines' or 'cracks' as you have them. Like you I worried about them.

It turned out to be nothing. I'd love to know what is going on, but I can tell you I recognise what you see, but now I'm at 4.5 months I do not have a hairless line.

Keep us posted. It's hard getting through the period immediately after the transplant but keep in mind where you will be in 4 or 5 months when the growth kicks in. It's a great feeling.

Somehow I feel it's much harder for women. I have no doubt you'll turn out with a mega result.

Huge improvement - I'm pleased for you. You stated earlier you just wanted to look normal. Have you achieved that yet?

Hi Trinder

No I was not a repair case - I waited a long time before getting a HT.

My transplant was in October 2012, and the two posts I've made are:

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/167822-4800-fut-dr-bisanga-bhr-clinic-brussels.html

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/169237-dr-bisanga-4800-fut-4-month-update.html

There is a 'My Photos' link at the bottom of this post also.

As you can't afford to make mistakes, I still say to look at all 3 - Bisanga, SMG, Feller - and any others you come across.

In my posts I mention shockloss. This is where the blood supply is disturbed, and clumps of hair fall out. I was devastated by this, but it is very commonplace, and hard to predict. In the end, as you can see from the photos, it's coming back/is back. I had nearly 4900 grafts transplanted in a single sitting, so I had a lot of work done,

EJ, who posted in this thread, had a major repair at BHR. You should read his story.

Janna from SMG also posts here, you should talk to her too. When all is said and done, it's just 10 hours UK to Minnesota, 7 to NYC, , and in the scheme of things nothing too much.

What I think you should look for is a case handled by a clinic successfully which is just like yours - donor depletion issues, age, skin tone, scar patterns - so you can have high confidence that you will come out ahead.

We haven't seen any pictures of your situation - that's OK, there is no need to if you don't feel up to it. It might be though that you should look at other techniques such as Scalp Micro Pigmentation. It's cheap, quick, and reversible. There is a subforum here I think.

All the best,

Just been looking for dr Bisanga on this forums list of surgeons, and he doesn't seem to be on it.

could anyone tell me why this is? I looked on the sites map at Belgium and no luck either.

 

I'll have to google him.

Hi Trinder

Really sorry to hear about your plight.

To be listed here the Doctors undoubtedly have to pass a high quality threshold. But they also have to pay a fee and some refuse to pay that fee. Bisanga is a case in point.

For repair cases, three names stand out in my mind as I've followed them doing some great work with difficult, donor-depleted, scarred clients.

Shapiro Medical Group (USA). Janna from SMG regularly posts here.

Dr Feller (USA). Spex is a former client of his.

Dr Bisanga (Belgium)

Of course lots of Docs do repairs, but those are my personal stand-outs.

If you look around the web for repair cases featuring those 3 you'll see some amazing things.

I can only imagine how HT's were sold back in the day, before the Internet.

I hope things work out for you. Take care.

Thanks guys

After so many years with my hair in a downward slide, it's really nice (and strange) to be on an upwards trend.