Stublue

Cheers for the reply bressie and sorry to hear they didn't do a great job for you. Thankfully, I actually ruled them out a while back. Booked Dr. Bisanga in BHR, Belgium back at the end of Sept-12 and have the procedure next month. They have an excellent reputation unlike Ailesbury so looking forward to it (well kind of, a little apprehensive too).

Hi Rob, Awesome result so far. To say I am envious is an understatement. I am due for approx. 2,000 grafts with Dr. Bisanga in Feb-13 so its just a matter of waiting. I just have a couple of quick questions for you: I see that you take no meds. I took finasteride for 12 months but stopped a couple of months back due to libido issues (i still use minoxidil and nizoral shampoo). Are you pretty much resigned to the fact that you will prob need a second HT in a few years due to the lack of meds or how do you see it? How long do you think it took for your HT to be unnoticeable under normal conditions? I have looked at your photos but they can be misleading. I have scheduled 2 weeks off work and I will prob be shaving my head for the procedure. Thanks for any response. Again your hair looks awesome. Stu.

I currently use minoxidil and nizoral shampoo. I was on finasteride for 12 months but gave that up as it was affecting my libido and I no longer think the risks are worth it. Each to their own I guess as it did slow down my loss. Yeah my hairloss isn't too bad but I really want to correct my hairline, which I can disguise pretty well. I would love just to have the option to have a short haircut with a good hairline that frames my face. I have lost a small patch of hair right at the centre of the hairline so I cant cut it too short without it being obvious. My crown has a small bit of loss and I am aware that I may need a further operation to address this, especially as im not on fin any more. Definitely get in touch with BHR, they are very helpful. Just to give you a heads up their waiting list seems to be around 4-5 months. My op in Feb seems ages away!!! Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Just a quick update. I have decided to go for Bisanga and have paid the deposit. Step 1 completed!! Surgery is scheduled for Feb-13 so bring it on. I will make sure to keep the forum updated as its an invaluable tool. 2,000 Just as an update I have also decided to stop taking finasteride as I did suffer from sides. My libido definitely suffered and Im just not sure about the long term effects. I know its not ideal to not take the meds after a HT but I will continue to use minoxidil and nizoral shampoo.

Hi, I thought I would throw my 2 cents in. I went for a consultation with Ailesbury around 2 months ago and safe to say I was not overly impressed. Nice people but dont really seem to know what they are talking about. I met with a consultant (not a doctor) and she quoted me 2,700 hairs (they charge by hairs at Eur2.50, not grafts). She drew a line across my hairline to show the result and she literally brought my hairline down by about 2 centremetres!! Way off and would need a hell of a lot more than 2,800 hairs. The clinic doesnt specialise in HTs and I wasnt impressed with the facilities either. I also met the guy off TV3 and his hair is not particularly good and I thought it was pretty obvious that he had a HT. I mentioned overseas options to him such as Belgium and it was way over his head so he clearly did no reseach whatsoever. So all in all I would definitely give it a miss. Also had a consult with HRBR in Dublin and they quoted 1,500 grafts (so around 3,300 hairs I believe) and their new hairline was far more conservative. I was impressed by the clinic but their prices are ridiculous at Eur10 per graft. Plus they only do FUT and I want to go the FUE route. Ended up doing a good few consultations on line and went with Dr. Bisanga who quoted 2,000 grafts. Have my op next Feb. His reputation is second to none and he is actually cheaper than Ailesbury. An absolute no brainer for me. Dont let travel put you off. Hope this helps!

Yeah I was on it for a year and my libido definitely suffered. Its a bit like how bobilero described it. Everything worked fine but the drive was almost non existent. You dont really notice the side effect until you sit back and think about it. I think is some ways people who use it are in denial of any side effects as they want to keep their hair and the thought of coming off the drug is too risky. Well in my view, the risk is certainly not worth the possibility of keeping some extra hairs. I'm off it now for about a month and my libido is improving but still a way to go, so here is hoping!

Hi guys, Thanks for the responses. I have been in touch with a few clinics with the same question. They all pretty much responded with the same reply in that they advise the use of meds but plan their HTs on the assumption that clients do not use them or that they are not necessarily effective. This is somewhat positive in my view. I realise that not taking them leaves me more suseptible to future loss. My crown area is still pretty strong but should I lose a significant amount in the future I am willing to address this with a further HT if required. I will not go back on finasteride as I dont believe its worth the risk. Cheers again.

Hi all. I am just curious to see how many of you have had a HT without taking any Propecia/Finasteride. If you have done this, have you experienced more hair loss since your HT and if so are you now considering another HT? I realise in an ideal world we should take the meds but they are no longer for me. Basically I am due to have an FUE HT with Dr. Bisanga in Feb-13 (approx. 2,000 grafts in the frontal third). I was on proscar for over a year and no longer wish to take it. I without question suffered from a lower libido and I don't want to mess with my hormones anymore. I continue to use rogaine liquid in the evening. Out of interest anybody had success with Saw Palmetto? Thanks.

Cheers for the advice David. Just really confirms that I want to go the FUE route.

Hi, I am considering a HT and am deciding between a FUT and FUE HT. I am aware that both have their advantages and disadvantages and don't want to get into a debate about which is better as it completely depends on the individual and the ability of the surgeon. However, I do have a quick question. I generally like to keep my hair short at the back and the sides. Basically I always go for a blade 2 (1/4 inch) and I was wondering if a scar from a FUT HT can generally be seen at this length? I realise it depends on the scar but if its considered a good quality job can you see it at this length? I assume you can see the scar at blade 1 (1/8 inch). Just a bit of background, I am 30 and am a NWII or IIa. I have been on finsateride and rogaine for the last year and my hair loss has pretty much stopped. I just want to restore my frontal hairline and have been told I require around 2,000 grafts. I am between Feriduni FUT and Bisanga FUE. Any feedback would be really appreciated.

So had my consultation with Ailesbury Clinic yesterday and met one of their ex-patients today. They assured me I was a very suitable candidate and that I needed around 2,800 hairs (they charge Eur2.50 per hair). However, the surgeon himself didn't meed me so that was disappointing. I commented to the consultant that the lack of positive reviews on forums such as this makes me hesitant and she just said that they don't spend much on marketing! In fairness, they do a lot of procedures and I havent found any bad reviews. When I met the ex-patient I wasn't that impressed. Lovely guy and his hair wasn't too bad but I have defo seen better on this forum. He also claimed that I could return to work without anyone knowing within 5 days, which seems very optimistic to me!! I also asked him about his research and by the sound of things he did very little. He basically wanted FUE (as do I) and chose Ailesbury because it was close. He hadn't heard of any other clinics and when I mentioned Belgium it was completely over his head. Overall the experience was worth while and the people seemed very nice. But the clinic is not for me and I dont think its in the same class as the options in Belgium. So I have pretty much decided to go for Belgium and its between Bisanga and Feriduni (leaning towards Bisanga). Does anyone have any opinion on this? It seems like its much of the same between the two but Bisanga is slightly cheaper and is handier to get to (30mins from Brussels airport). I have a call with Mick from Farjo clinic on Mon so i'll listen to what he says.

So what do people make of the AHI technique. Is it basically just FUE? I have been reading about it on the Ailesbury Hair Clinic website and I actually have a consultation with them soon. Now don't get me wrong, I am not signing up to it but am just going for a consultation and I was just wondering if anyone has any experience or thoughts on this technique? Cheers.

Great stuff thanks Bill. The Farjo clinic just got back to me on my online consultation and have a few questions. So I'll get back to them and will definitely keep them in mind. Defo handier to travel there as opposed to the US or Canada too!!

Just a quick question. How do you contact members on this site? I cant seem to access private messaging as it says its disabled. Also I cant see any option to email members. Is it because I am a junior member perhaps? As per your advice I would like to contact Spex with a few questions!

Hi Bobilero, Firstly, thanks for getting back to me on my post about Irish HT clinics and the BHR clinic. I can't seem to work out how to message you privately like you did to me (says admin has disabled this) so I have gone for this route! Could you maybe let me know your email address as I have a few questions on your procedure with BHR in Belgium. Cheers.

Thanks for all the advice guys, really appreciate it all. I have pretty much decided against going for an Irish HT clinic at this stage as there is too much negativity towards them on this forum and other forums. I'll still go along to the upcoming consultations to hear what they say though as it will be a good experience. I am leaning towards BHR with Dr. Bisanga at this stage but will continue my research.

Cheers Richie, thanks for the advice.

Hi everyone, first time post! Basically I am a 30 yr old Irish male considering hair transplant. I have been receeding for around 5 years (no real loss on the crown) and really want to get it sorted. I visited Hair Restoration Blackrock last year and was put on Proscar and Rogaine. I went for a second consultation last week and my hair loss has stalled thankfully so I am now considering a hair transplant and doing tonnes of research. I have a pre-op consultation with HRBR in two weeks but am seriously put off by the price (Eur10 per graft) as this seems very high. I also have a consultation lined up with Ailesbury Clinic in Dublin (FUE). Does anyone have any experience of these guys? Their website looks very professional but I suppose I will take a view after I meet them. I have also submitted an online consultation with the Farjo Clinic in the UK and the BHR clinic (Dr. Bisanga) in Belgium. What do you reckon about these 2 clinics as I am reading good things? Any advice whatsoever would be really appreciated. Thanks!!