IndigoBlue

Hi Arabella, Many thanks for the message - hope you are keeping well. Most people seem to make their choice of surgeon based on first-hand accounts from patients. If someone's had the operation and is delighted, they'll post a positive review - if they're unhappy, the surgeon ends up with a negative review. If you look through the forums, you'll see a regular batch of surnames that come up in the States as being experts in their field, with lots of satisfied patients. Of course, it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that someone could arrange for a batch of bogus posts to appear on a site saying how great Mr X is - when he may in fact just be average (or worse). However, I think most recommendations are genuine. It's a couple of years now since I did my research, and I recall the names Hassan and Wong (?) coming up as being experts, but maybe someone else could help out with more info? In Belgium, the top guys seemed to be Devroye and Feriduni. But that was just my judgement based on all of the patient reviews I read. Belgium was also an easier choice for me as it's closer to England. Good luck!

Hi Angel, Good to hear from you. Yes, Dr Devroye is still going strong in Brussels. He opened a new clinic in Brussels last year. I really couldn't be more happy with my final result. Based on my personal experience, I can absolutely vouch that he is very professional and meticulous with his work, and that the clinic environment is clean and sterile. The reason I went to Belgium was that, after reading extensive reviews on the internet, my gut instinct was that Brussels had two or three guys who were on a par with the top men in America. I had really bad hair recession - the worst Dr Devroye had seen on a woman - yet he still gave me a great new hairline, and good density. Dr Devroye did everything - including the placement of some of the transplanted hairs. Obviously though this can be a very long process (in my case from about lunchtime to early evening) and too much for one person alone, given the levels of concentration required. The placing of hairs is partly carried out by his team, who are equally professional. Here's my hair wet and slicked back - so no hiding places! Good luck!

Hi all, Apologies for being away from the site so long. I thought I would pop back at the 10 month mark and show you how things are progressing. I am very happy with the growth that has been achieved in the my temple area. Before the surgery, I had a lot of receding in the corners of forehead, giving me quite a masculine hairline. However, after Dr Devroye's intervention, I am much happier. My hair is fuller, and the shape much more rounded. Without doubt, one of the best things I ever did :-) Indigo Blue

Hi Albine, Your photos look great! It looks to me as if Dr Devroye has done a great job. Everything appears to be very neat and tidy, and your progress is really good for just 11 / 12 weeks. Just be patient, and by the summer I expect you will see some really dramatic changes! I'll send you a private email later IndigoBlue

Six months since my surgery - and I'm delighted with the progress made since the summer. Happy Christmas everyone!

Hi everyone, Apologies for the delay in my monthly post. Here's some new photos showing the latest growth. It's now four-and-a-half months since my surgery with Dr Devroye, and I continue to be pleased with the progress. The images show my hair slicked back so you can see as much of the recipitent areas as possible. I usually wear my hair blow-dried, and even at this stage, it pretty much blends in. My natural hair is very fine in texture. The new hairs seem to have a bit more "bounce", which I actually like. From what I've read, the new texture of hair can be different after a transplant, but generally adopts the characteristics of the birth hair after time. I've really happy with the progress to date. I'll post some more photos in December x

Hi Beardy, Just seen the photos of your surgery with Dr Devroye - fantastic! So glad your September appointment went well. Your hair looks terrific! :-)

Hi. Three months and one day since my surgery, here's how I have progressed. At this stage, I'm personally very pleased with the progress made.

Hi Albine :-) Will send you a private message soon. As for my hair ... wow! I couldn't be happier really! The end of this week will be three months to the day since my surgery and the hair is definitely coming through! The new hairline is clearly visible, and the hair is filling out nicely. While it's not the finished result, considering it's only 12-weeks since I had the surgery, I could not be happier. There was no pain during the op, and I have had no complications whatsoever. Obviously, the thing you all want to see is photos...so I'll post some new images at the end of this week! The new hair is fine in texture, but I am extremely optimistic about the end result, and I'm just sooo sooo happy that I went to see Dr Devroye and his team. One of the best things I ever did

I'll second all of the above. I had my surgery two months ago with Dr Devroye. The good doc and his staff are excellent. They were extremely professional, and at all times I felt that I was in safe hands. Just under eight weeks down the line I have new hair growing! The scar on the back of my head is super-fine, and during the whole process, I have not really experienced any pain, bar a mild headache for the first 24-hours.

Apologies for the delay in posting my latest photos - I have been busy moving house. Well there is most definitely new hair, which I'm really pleased about seeing as it's just under two months since my surgery. The new hair is fine and grey, with the longest new hairs about 2 cms in length. At the moment they are quite hard to visually pick out in my photos, mainly due my camera! If you click on the attached images, you should be able to see the early sprouts. Hopefully they will thicken up over time, and at the moment I am very optimistic.

Seven weeks on and definite new hair spotted!!! Very fine and grey (haha) but new hair none the less. I know it's not old hair regrowing, because it's in an area of the temple which was bald. I'll attempt to add a photo to this post at the weekend

Hi Slickers, I could take a pic, but having the roots done on my existing hair isn't something that's visually different from my recent photos. It's just the 1/2 inch of regrow near the roots of the hair I already have. Hi Albine, Hope you are keeping well :-) I'm good friends with my hairdresser, so I had already told her that I was going for surgery. I would guess that 80% of the grafts at the front have mostly shed now, though a few seem to still be growing. I think I'm at the stage where a couple of months now need to pass before there's any noticeable difference in appearance. If there are any signs of growth, I'll stick a piccy up! :-)

It's one day short of my first month post surgery. I had my hair professionally coloured yesterday evening at my regular salon. No reaction or unusual sensations caused by the dye.

Week four, and as with most people, the shedding is well underway. None the less, my scalp feels good and has healed nicely.

You are, of course, absolutely right Slicker. I'm going to try and stop checking every morning for a dramatic change. It's difficult though :-) Patience is a virtue.

Having checked today, the grafts are definitely longer than when they went in. Is this a good sign? I know that from the two week stage (where I am now) the new grafts should start to shed. Thanks, Indigo

The stitches came out this morning. The nurse was very impressed. She said the work was incredibly fine, and that she could barely see any scar.

I don't know whether it's an optical illusion or I'm kidding myself, but the grafts seem to have grown slightly. My camera doesn't show it so well, but they certainly seem longer than the day after surgery.

Ten days on from the surgery and this is what my scalp currently looks like. All the redness and swelling has gone. I have resumed using my regular shampoo and conditioner. The grafts feel completely part of me. Just to make clear from my earlier photos. Dr Devroye did cut in slightly to my existing hair, something which was necessary to plant the grafts which will improve my density across the front top of my head - hopefully! My stitches are removed in two days time.

Hi Slickers, Unfortunately I don't have any pre-op photos in my possession at the moment. However, Dr Devroye did take some as part of his normal routine. Once he has past them on I'll stick them up. Essentially though, the area he covered can be seen in the first, head-on pic. It was both recessed temples, and the same breadth and amount of incisions in the forelock (though not so clear due to my existing hair).

I returned to work on the fifth day after my transplant, wearing a bandana. I explained I had experienced a bad reaction to a hair dye to explain the slight redness. It's now day seven and all the swelling has gone. The incisions remain really clean and virtually scab free. My new hair feels like a one week old beard!

Hi Albine, Thanks for the message. I recognise myself in a lot of what you have written. I am considered attractive, and because I've got used to styling my hair in a certain way or wearing hair-bands etc, guys were never aware of my receding temples. However, I was aware of it - and that's what matters. I'm sure they guys on here have a similar problem. In terms of cost, it all depends on how many grafts you require to fill the area you are unhappy with. I would suggest you take a few brutally honest photos with your hair pulled back. One from the front, one from your left and right, and one from above. Then send them through to your surgeon of choice and see what quote he comes back with. It'd be lovely to stay in touch. My email is jcw91@hotmail.co.uk xx

July 4th. Famous for being Independence Day. The date hadn't even crossed my mind until I arrived at Dr Jean Devroye's clinic. Ten hours later though, the Belgian medic and his fabulous team may well have given me my own form of independence. The freedom not to wear hats, hair-bands and bandeau's. Let me start at the beginning. I'm a 43-year-old female who has always had a high forehead. My hairline is (or was) very masculine, with the traditional "M" shape. I got by with the use of hair-bands and such like to cover the temple area. If I'm honest though, my receding temple area always bugged me. So I decided to investigate hair-transplants. For me, it's a topic I've always regarded as being a little bit dodgy. Internet horror stories of people left with ugly scars, or paying a fortune for a very patchy result. I researched for two years, and eventually decided on Dr Devroye. Why? I can't say for sure. He certainly has plenty of positive testimonials on the internet, along with photographic evidence of his work. But then, so do others. My choice was partly gut instinct, and certainly a small leap of faith. I met with Dr Devroye for the first time at 6pm on July 3rd. He examined my hair, and I was delighted to hear I had good laxity. The exercises must have paid off! Dr Devroye than drew an approximate hairline and asked if I would be happy. I said yes. The following day I was extremely nervous. I hadn't been able to sleep, and I very briefly even considered just not turning up! However, I did, and at this point in time, I think I made the right choice. The day started at 8:00am. Dr Devroye once again drew a hairline, but being a perfectionist, thought he could do better. I would guess he spent about 20-30 minutes sketching the outline, and I have to say I was absolutely delighted with the area he was aiming to fill. He even asked one of the female assistants to raise her fringe, so he could copy the outline. Next step was the anaesthetic. A job performed by Anthony, or Anthony Anaesthetic as I now think of him. Let me say at this point I HATE needles. However, my fears were unfounded. Five or so jabs in the area where the strip would be taken and I was completely numb. I didn't feel any real discomfort and can honestly say the jabs at a dentist are worse. At this point I was face down in the chair, and Dr Devroye began removing the strip. Again, I didn't feel anything, though the sounds were a little bit odd. Similar to corrugated cardboard being ripped. Totally painless though. I was then stapled up and stitched while the strip was taken away. Anthony Aneasthetic told me it looked to him about 3,000 grafts worth, so I was absolutely delighted. A quick break and then Anthony Anaesthetic got out his needle again. This time, he was going to numb the temples. Again, my research told me that most people report this bit not being very pleasant. While it did sting a little, it certainly wasn't agony. Very quick and all over in a few seconds. Excellent! Dr Devroye then spent quite a while making incisions for the hairs to sit in. I could feel him touching my head, but there was absolutely no sensation of pain. Time for lunch. I was able to get out the chair, and ate a salmon and pasta dinner provided by the clinic, chatting to Dr Devroye and his staff. In the afternoon, the grafts were ready. At this point, three ladies working in different combinations began the painstaking work of placing the grafts in the incisions. I was amazed at their patience. I began thinking about how I might look and I began to cry. Not through pain. I didn't feel any real pain all day. I was weeping because the stress of worrying about my hair for years could now be over. If everything went to plan, I could be independent of the hats and hair-bands. When the final one was in place, I was told that the strip had provided 3643 grafts or 7636 hairs. I was given instructions on how to care for my new hair, and returned to the hotel. I didn't take any painkillers, just the anti-biotic's and anti-inflammatory medicine provided by Dr Devroye. I had a slight throbbing headache, and my forehead did swell, but considering the amount of work that had been carried out, I was amazed the discomfort wasn't greater. After sleeping on and off propped up during the night, I returned to the clinic to have the staples removed. The staff washed my hair and we said our goodbyes. I only ever say what I see. Hand on heart I can tell you that everyone at the clinic looked after me during the day, and I always felt that I was in safe hands. Everyone was very friendly and sympathetic. The proof of the pudding, as we say in England, is in the end result. I'll keep up the posts over the next year so you can see how I progress. IndigoBlue x

Hi Tankdozer, Your hair looks great! I'm actually looking to have a HT with Dr Devroye in the next couple of months. I've been trying to send you a private message - but can't figure out how to do it! I'm useless with computers. Could you tell me how much pain you experienced - and how is your hair at the moment? Many thanks, Joanne (Indigoblue)