JohnCasper

Wow, 12 hours for 2,600 grafts is a long day for you and Dr. Diep. I'm glad you didn't experience much pain. I'm curious as to whether you were taking any prescribed pain meds by Dr. Diep and therefore didn't experience any pain? The swelling you're speaking of is quite normal and will not cause any discomfort. You will look like you were in a boxing match for a few days but the swelling will dissipate pretty quickly. If you want to see what to expect over the next 30 days and beyond, you can look at my website (MyFUEhairtransplant.com) where I chronicled the first 30 days and beyond. This hair transplant forum is great for dialogue. My site is full of before/afters and my comments. Just click on the archives and September 2012. Good luck and happy growing.

Great explanation Dr. Bhatti. This is one of the great strengths of this forum. Doctors weigh in on a regular basis.

I had a mega-session done by Dr. Vories in 2012. My blonde hair didn't yield a strong caliber of hair to work with but I had strong donor areas. However, my results have been stellar and would never consider using concealers or have pictures made with concealers. In an earlier post in this thread, someone referred to this guy as being "John Casper'd". I take that as a great compliment. I haven't spoken to Dr. Vories recently, but I'm always happy to be an advocate of his great work. Keep in mind, I do not have strong caliber donor hair.

Excellent, quick results. Good for you. I know you and your doctor are pleased.

Your hair loss in your original post sounds a lot like me. I had a mega-session done in 2012 (5,125 grafts). My hair loss had stabilized in my mid-thirties. I had great donor areas as well. Also, you are correct, this forum is great for consultation questions and searching for a doctor. Make sure you you're comfortable with the doctor and the process. All of the extractions and insertions was done by the doctor. The technician assisted with graft preparations, etc. Great results for $5 per graft. I'm glad you are choosing FUE. I have absolutely no visible scarring in my donor areas (see blog pics). You can see more pictures at my blog .... MyFUEhairtransplant.com Good luck to you.

Very intriguing process Janna, thanks for sharing. With the amount of additional time involved, how much does this increase the cost per graft for the patient?

"MrGio" is correct, its and issue with caliber as well as other considerations. Beard hair is becoming more popular with some. You would certainly need a face to face consultation with a reputable FUE surgeon to safely explore these options. Good luck.

Excellent results Dr. Gabel. Looks like awesome donor area to work with. I'm sure your patient is thrilled with the results. Thanks for including the video.

Everyone grows transplanted hair at different rates but I'm posting two pictures. First picture is prior to surgery and the next is about the same time frame as you.....6 months. You can see more pictures at my blog... MyFUEhairtransplant.com and see more pictures. Hope this gives you some perspective. Be patient, your growth rate may be a bit slower. Hang in there.

Yes, the price is always less overseas but you have to take into account your airfare, hotels, meals, etc. Also, check on your health insurance overseas just in case you have a post surgery medical problem and need medical care not provided by the clinic.

Mega-sessions are available in the U.S. My first surgery was 5,125 FUE grafts in September 2012.

Sometimes patients are told 2,000 grafts and it really means 2,000 hairs. Did your doctor tell you how many singles, doubles, etc were transplanted? If the doctor moved 2,000 grafts you may have received over 3,000 hairs. Just wondering if you were informed of the number of hairs per graft, et. Best of luck and happy growing.

Don't get too discouraged, you may be very happy with the results in a few months. Be patient. That said....you are correct regarding placement of temple grafts and where they were harvested. Same goes for frontal hairline. I know my grafts were strategically selected and placed to form a natural hairline. Hang in there....hope you're pleased in a few months.

Bill makes some very good points. You have a lot to consider. This may or may not help, but I'm posting a picture of my donor area two years after my first surgery. I would estimate about 1,750 grafts came from the area marked. There's very little discernible scarring from a couple feet away. Hope the picture helps.

I'm sorry that your disappointed. I hate reading about unsuccessful transplants. I hope you find some kind of compensation. Overseas hair transplants are generally successful but I would always caution those who expect to have the actual doctor doing most of the surgery. Technicians typically are doing so much of the work in many clinics. 100% of my grafts were extracted and inserted by the doctor. The technician only preserved and prepared the grafts for insertion.

You shouldn't experience much shock-out after a month but don't worry, that hair will begin growing with its normal cycle in 4-5 month after the dormant stage ends. Just continue to be patient. Take a look at my pictures after 30 days and beyond. I've chronicled my entire 3 year experience at MyFUEhairtransplant.com You will see lots of pictures and expectations. Thanks for sharing on this website which is an excellent resource for dialogue like this. Best of luck.

You will probably be fine. However, my experience included the doctor carefully selecting donor area hairs that would be suitable for the area being transplanted. This type of surgery also has an element of artisan workmanship. Hairs are inserted at particular angles and caliper of hair is also considered. Again, I think you will be okay after the new hair begins to grow in 4-5 months. Be patient and keep us posted here on the HTN website. Best of luck. Also....thank you for your military service there in Germany.

The main reason anyone from the U.S. goes to Europe for hair surgery is absolutely the cost. However, when you calculate your travel costs (airfare, hotel nights, food, etc.) it essentially changes the per graft cost. It's still cheaper in Europe but you must calculate everything. Also, if there is an issue and you require any medical assistance, you may have an insurance problem overseas. That may not likely happen but it certainly has for some. Also, you can pay $5 per graft here in the states and that includes extractions and insertions ALL performed by the doctor. Lots more technicians are used in clinics overseas. Do your homework and good luck.

Travel safe, best of luck, and post some pictures of your results when you return. Dr. Bhatti has a lot of support on this site.

I'm sure Dr. Shapiro is a fine surgeon. Where I had surgery you can expect $10,000 for 2,000 grafts with the doctor doing all the extractions and insertions. You can use this info as a comparison. Most importantly, choose a doctor who you are absolutely comfortable with. Best of luck.

Post-surgery pictures look quite good and very typical. I'm sure you are happy with the one week results. I'm also curious how much it cost, including the cost of your trip (airfare, hotels, etc.). Adding in your travel expenses, what was the ultimate cost per graft overseas? Thanks for sharing.

Best of luck "Toby", make sure your doctor can confidently move more donor area hair. You're a young guy and you still don't know what to expect down the road. Your comment on your donor being patchy and thin is a bit worrisome. I've had over 7,000 grafts moved and luckily my donor area is still excellent. Hopefully a reputable surgeon can give you the look your seeking. I'm impressed that you can afford these surgeries at such a young age. Good for you.

Here's another angle showing my temple area.

Your donor area will eventually grow in. The contrast of your darker hair and your scalp makes it more noticeable. It may take 3-4 months but it will grow back. You had a major FUE surgery. I had 5,125 over 3 and a half days in 2012. I did not experience shock loss with my donor area and after about 3 weeks you couldn't tell I had surgery in the donor area. Bill is right, try not to scratch your donor area and let it continue healing on its own. If you want to see what to expect with such a large FUE procedure you can look at my before/afters on my blog. I'm glad you found this HTN site to speak with former patients etc. This site is great for this. My pictures and expectations are at ..... MyFUEhairtransplant.com Be patient and happy growing.

Everything looks great. You appear to have great donor areas. You obviously have plenty of hair to move around in the future if you choose. The scalp tingling/numbness will remain for many months but will slowly dissipate. Keep growing.