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You were taking Propecia at 15? I guess it's not entirely out of the question, but frankly I'm surprised a physician would start a patient on a serious hair loss drug so young. It's not too often that young men start losing hair so young, although I guess it happens in rare circumstances. I'm wondering if your hair loss was maybe due to a thyroid condition/deficiency when you were younger? At any rate.....the photos you post will help us give you a better assessment of where you stand. And you may not have had the best results with Propecia the first time around, but now that you are a bit older (and probably even more susceptible to DHT), it might have a more profound result this time around. Often times the drug causes an initial shed of your hair, but if you were on it for 2 years, then your hair loss shouldn't have gotten worse. The shed is only temporary while your body adjusts to the foreign medication....and then the positive effects are usually seen.

Thanks a lot for the response, Mick! Great result by Dr. Lorenzo! Very impressive!!

Woohooooo Pulped! That's awesome buddy, congrats. Can't wait to see the start of number two......

Glad to help, Wolfs! Keep us posted on what you and Dr. Rahal decide, will ya?? I'm excited for you buddy!!

There are several good restoration clinics in Belgium, and lots of EXCELLENT results coming out of them currently. I am personally a huge fan of Dr. Bisanga at BHR. He is producing some Grade-A work. Dr. Devroye is also in Brussels and has a great reputation for hair restoration. I'd check into both.

Dr. Rahal uses a motorized tool for FUE. I believe the first ARTAS system transplant he used was on a patient by the nickname of "Adamo". He (Adamo) should be close to 9 months post-op by now if I remember correctly....as he had his procedure shortly before me. If memory serves me correctly, it was the first ARTAS transplant to be done in Canada. Maybe Matt will confirm that for me, and hopefully not make me look an idiot!! :rolleyes:

I definitely wouldn't lower the hairline either. I would use the grafts only for density into the current/existing hairline and back. Any reputable surgeon who saw a limited donor in the patient, wouldn't allow the patient to lower the hairline......or at least wouldn't if they didn't want to smear his/her good name!!!

Daniel- At 19 years old, you are far too young for a hair transplant, in my honest opinion. I'm sure everyone else in these forums would tell you the same thing. The problem with getting a transplant so young, is that it is hard to predict what Norwood pattern your hair will progress to in the future, and so physicians need to be conservative in their approach to treating you. That is probably why Chad said you are not a good candidate, as most ethical clinics would NOT perform a procedure on someone of your age (unless it were a rare circumstance/medically necessary). I hate to be the bearer of bad news......but not all is lost. Are you currently on any of the medications (Rogaine, Finasteride (propecia), supplements) to help halt the progression of further loss?! If not, I would recommend/advise you to consider getting on these treatments. I wish I would have known about them at your age....I could have prevented A LOT of loss. I didn't have my hair restoration until I was 31......as it was important for me to wait to see where the loss was halting. Once my loss stabilized, it was obvious where I would need my grafts placed, and where I would need to save my grafts for future procedures. I would get on those medications as soon as you can (consult a physician) and continue to use Toppik. Concealers work great until you reach a place where you are ready to have a transplant! Please feel free to reach out to me or anyone else if you ever have questions. This place is a great space for advice and support, as this community really cares! Best, Mike

Daniel- Tough to say buddy. I'm sure a physician or a patient advisor would chime in with a more "accurate" assessment. Looks to me like you have a good, dense/thick donor area.....however, photos are super hard to give an assessment. I know plenty of people who were expecting a great donor area, and then on the day of their procedures found out it wasn't as good as originally thought. Same goes for the other way around too. Scalp laxity will also play a role in what the physician will be able to harvest. But speaking as an outside perspective, your hair characteristics look very similar to mine, and I had above average laxity and donor supply/density! If you don't mind me asking, what nationality are you? Some of us Italians and Spaniards luck out in that department.....and are ideal hair transplant candidates. Just curious and not trying to be rude....so please don't feel as if you have to answer that question! =) Best, Mike

I hadn't heard of this clinic. I checked out several videos on YouTube, and I must admit....they seem to produce some really excellent results. I was actually surprised to see they do some Mega-sessions too. One video showcased a one-day, 6100+ FUSS clip, and the guy looks great now. At the same time, I hate getting onto a hair clinics actual website and not being able to find a Bio on each surgeon and team member. I don't want to have to "contact us" for that sort of information.....I want "in your face" information about how long the physician has been performing procedures, etc. That, and I frankly wouldn't trust my head with anyone who isn't a HTN recommended physician....especially now that I'm an educated consumer. I would agree that there are plenty of other more affordable AND reputable clinics nearby.......

To be honest with you, I think this should be the standard for all hair restoration surgeons, and should be a criteria for a patient to choose their physician on these grounds. I personally wouldn't want to go to an "assembly line" clinic! I think that since we as patients are paying good money for an (expected) outstanding result, the physician should give us the time (that we spent said money for) to focus just on us, for a more precise result/outcome! The only exception to this rule, in my honest opinion, would be if the physician were doing a couple 1500 or less graft procedures in a day.....as I think this (at least with FUSS) could be done in two, half-day sessions!! Just my .02........

Yeah Yeah, rub it in Matt! Signed, -The guy who has to hit the gym 5 days a week so as not to balloon up to blimp-status!!! :rolleyes:

Silica is a trace mineral which supposedly has a healthy effect on hair, skin, and nails; however, I think your biotin and saw palmetto extract pills will do the trick. I am also taking MSM (often paired with glucosamine as a supplement) and a B-complex vitamin, both of which I feel has made a positive difference in my growth and texture. But again.....the biotin alone seems to be one of the supplements with the most positive correlation for hair growth. As long as Ebay has that for you, you are good to go!! Israel huh? Awesome! Tel Aviv is on my short list of places I want to see in the VERY near future! Best, Mike

Hi Daniel- Excellent choice in considering Dr. Rahal for your transplant. You will be in excellent hands. I just recently started on Saw Palmetto and Biotin myself. I don't take silica personally, but know others who do. Do you live in the United States? If so, I personally buy ALL of my multi-vitamins (including my hair loss regimen) through Amazon. I find that they usually have the best prices, they ship directly to my house, and they have a "subscribe and save" option that allows you to sign up for monthly (or less) recurring deliveries. When I utilize this feature on the website, they discount your order an extra 5%. I am certain you could pick these up at any local grocery store or pharmacy in your city, but this is the most convenient option for me personally! Likewise, Amazon allows people to review different brands...so I can see which manufacturers are more highly rated. I find that when I shop in a store your options are more limited, as the store often only carries one or two manufacturer brands! Hope this information helps! Best, Mike

Not a very drastic transformation for this patient; especially given that his 2829 grafts gave him 5700+ hairs for coverage! I'm definitely glad that the patient is satisfied, as that is the most important thing at the end of the day; but hoping that next 2000 grafts makes an overall better cosmetic improvement for him! Just out of curiosity Dr. Quatela.....when you repeatedly use the words "the team" in reference to involvement of your employees in the various stages of this patient's procedure, what is your involvement with the procedure? I'm assuming you do the strip extraction and then your "team" ( I imagine a nurse/surgical techs) does the graft harvesting and placement? Not being accusatory in any way at all......I am just always curious what physician involvement each clinic employs, as it seems to differ so much from practice to practice. Thanks for sharing these results!! Best, Mike

Well, no big surprise there considering you were in some of the most capable hands in the industry!!! WELCOME BACK Matt! Sorry for the speed-bump in your life.....hope all is well mate and that everything is okay now! Missed seeing you around. I'm with Spanker.....let's see those photos soon!!! I was dying to PM you to see what was going on and when we'd be seeing an update from you. No pressure, I'm sure you'll do it when you are able again!!

Hi Wolfsatplay- I agree with Lorenzo and Matt's advice, and understand you have a tough decision ahead of you in terms of graft placement! The great news is, you don't have to bare the decision alone, as Dr. Rahal is phenomenal at designing a hair "map" that looks totally natural and appropriate for the specific patient. If it were me personally, I'd want to go with more hair to restore my hairline and mid scalp, and anything left after decent coverage in those areas would go into my crown!!! As Lorenzo said, you might be a candidate for more grafts if you are diligent with your scalp laxity exercises between now and your procedure. Likewise, Rogaine Foam personally worked wonders on my crown, so I think (if you're anything like me), you could get even more natural growth back in your crown from Fin/Rogaine. Personally, my reasoning for doing this hair design (again if it were me) is that the hairline and the mid-scalp are the areas that people see when they are looking at you.......not the crown. Furthermore, I think concealers are much easier to use in the crown than they are in the hairline. This would at least be an option for you until there are other hair loss options in the future (come on already hair cloning) to finish up your crown. But again, this is a decision you and Dr. Rahal will figure out together. In the meantime, Lorenzo provides excellent advice with the medication and the scalp laxity exercises. Best of luck to you Wolfs, and keep us posted on what you choose to do! Best, Mike

Mick- Looks like another excellent result from Dr. Lorenzo!! How long after the procedure were these photos shot? Just trying to gauge if this result is completely matured yet? I had no idea until just now that Drs. Farjo and Dr. Lorenzo are merging for a joint venture. I explored the write-up on the website, and think this will be a very positive move for the business!! Should be an unstoppable trio! Congrats on that!! Best, Mike

It doesn't sound to me like Bazancourt is unwilling to take preventative medication, so much as he is "put off" by the thought of it. In his original post, he later asks: "Furthermore, should I take propecia or rogaine now for example, despite their side affects? Should I take it after my FUE surgery? Or should I leave those products alone as I have decided to have FUE done and that should be sufficient?" In answer to your question asked as the title of your thread, Bazancourt, NO! I don't think it is ok for you to get FUE just yet. I think you are still a bit too young to have a restoration procedure; until you begin preventative meds and see how you respond to them. I do think you will be a good candidate for a restoration later on down the road to address the recession in your temples, however. In answer to your question that I reposted up above, Bazancourt, YES, I think you should get started on Propecia (Finasteride) and Rogaine (maybe), and stick with them for a full year before you consider a restoration. I think there are so many people who naturally worry about side effects that may or may not even affect him/her. I was very worried to start the medications because of said side-effects, but fortunately I have had zero issues. If you decide that you are having negative effects from the drugs....you can get off of them and your side effects will dissipate. Keep in mind that Rogaine is most effective in the crown area, and not the temples where you are experiencing loss! Being as you didn't shoot the top of your head in your photos, I can't tell if this is an area of concern for you, but I'm guessing not. You may be able to skip the Rogaine altogether for the time being. I would just start out with 1mg of Propecia/Fin daily, and see how you respond to it for starters. I think any ethical surgeon would help you (honestly) decide if you are a good candidate for a restoration, but again.....try the Propecia for a year before you spend the money on a transplant. As far as FUE goes, you said that you quite like Dr. Rahal, but you are put-off because he doesn't use a manual punch?! He does amazing FUE work.....and in all honestly.....it is the physician performing the FUE that gets a great result with the tool they choose to use, NOT the tool itself. I know people are consistently concerned with a higher rate of transection with a motorized tool, but only if the doctor performs the punch incorrectly. Therefore, I wouldn't cross Dr. Rahal off your list just yet. At any rate, you listed some excellent physicians.....and there will certainly be some good options available to you when you are ready to have your procedure. Good luck, and keep us posted.

Has it really been a year already?? Wow, Congrats Spanker!!! You deserve it my friend! Your hair truly looks phenomenal, and I would give a pinky toe to have a head of hair like yours. Let us know what Dr. Konior says about your future donor bank next month!!

I agree with Matt! Haha! You're a pro at MS Paint.........:cool: That hairline would be a nice (much improved) look for sure!!!!

Haha!! NO NO, don't do that pal! I certainly don't think that there is any "set pattern" for it.....and I have heard of plenty of other people who shed without their hairs "hooking". I think it is just very different for every patient! Plus, I am Italian and have a very strong (stubborn) head! I'm sure Dr. Rahal had to just push a little bit harder to get those suckers in my dome! LOL!!! :rolleyes:

P.S.- I do think your decision to steer clear of the UK clinic was a good choice!! I'm sure Spex (The Hair Master/Guru of these forums) would have steered you in the right direction; but as a whole, it seems like some of the most unhappy patients are the ones who chose the "wrong" clinic in the UK!! There are so many other available resources for you in your part of the World.......and some of the best results are coming out of Europe and the Middle East right now! You'll find the right fit for you!!

Hi Jon- Welcome to the forums buddy, and nice words from you for the members and the forum in general. Thanks for that.....you are definitely correct in saying that this site is a bit of a brotherhood (and sisterhood) for most of us.....and we do all recognize that "we are in this together"!! I can't say that I know too much about Dr. Demisroy....but maybe someone else with some experience with this physician will chime in?! As far as Dr. Doganay goes.....I am a HUGE fan of his work....and would absolutely recommend him if I were having a procedure done in Turkey!! You can browse these forums and find many posts of satisfied patients.....and his "after" results definitely back up the accolades. Also, just because Dr. Doganay is suggesting 2500 grafts, doesn't mean he can't (or won't) try to obtain more. It is really difficult to assess the state of loss via an online consultation.....so I'm sure if you were wanting to shoot for more (provided you have an appropriate donor/laxity) it could certainly be an option for you. As far as the price is concerned, 2 Euros is a BARGAIN for the work Dr. Doganay produces. So don't fret too much about price. A lot of cases of "Bad Transplants" have surfaced because of people who assigned too much value to the "price". Again, I'm not saying anything negative about the other physician (I don't know anything about him).......just make sure you do your research thoroughly before you make the leap. That is the most sound advice anyone on these forums could give you!! With that said, excited for you that you are ready to make a positive difference. I am 8 months post-op myself, and feel like I was given a second lease on life! I feel like a new man!! It sounds like your intuition is good, and I'm sure that "gut feeling" of yours will help steer you in the right direction. And as you mentioned yourself, this forum is an excellent resource for support/advice....so definitely reach out to any of us at anytime; and keep us informed of whatever it is you choose to do. Looking forward to seeing more posts from you in the future, as you continue on your restoration journey! Best, Mike

Hahaha for sure. Although my experience with hair restoration......considering it IS a gradual change......is that people don't seem to notice what it is about you that's actually changing. You wouldn't believe how many people still don't notice it's my hair that's different......and I was pretty advanced in my loss!!! I still get the "have you been working out?" or the "what are you using on your skin?", before I ever get hair recognition! Which is A-OKAY with me!! Guess it just goes to show you, that a lot of people (at least close friends and family) don't let hair loss dictate how they see you as a person. We are the ones who really let it affect us negatively!! At any rate, when you get back from Europe, you (and your family) will have something to celebrate!! Congrats again!!