How's it going guys?... as the title indicates, I am seriously considering getting a hair transplant. Before I ask you wonderful gentlemen for your opinions/advice, I'll give a brief summary of myself.
Age --> 29 … balding since 20.
Balding Pattern --> Norwood 3/4 ... most likely heading towards a Norwood 6.
Treatment --> Took Propecia at the age of 24 … suffered side effects so stopped. Propecia is no longer an option. No other history of medication/treatment.
Goals --> Currently, to address the frontal region and hairline/temples (to frame the face). Open to additional surgeries down the road to address the crown.
Method--> FUE is the only option I am considering. I do tend to wear my hair relatively short on the sides/back and I do want to leave the option open of shaving my head again down the road. I know FUE is not scarless, but I prefer FUE scarring over FUT scarring. Perhaps I can SMP/BHT into the FUE scars if need be.
Questions.
1. What other hair-loss medication/treatment do you guys recommend? I have browsed the forums quite a bit over the past 6-7 years and it seems like finasteride/minoxidil are the only effective medication? Considering I do not intend on resuming finasteride, are there any other effective treatments/medication? Any thoughts on the effectiveness of the following?
- Pumpkin seed oil
- Biotin 5,000 Mcg
- Lipogaine Big 3 Shampoo ... or any other effective shampoo? Currently using Aloe Vera H & S.
- Lipogaine Minoxidil ... is this essentially another form of Minoxidil? I've heard it works better than simply Rogaine.
2. As mentioned, I have been a lurker for the past 6-7 years. However, I have not consistently checked the forums in the past year or two. Needless to say, a lot has changed. A lot of new doctors have gotten my attention due to their amazing results (Diep, Lupanzula). A few doctors that I had on my short list have also produced some subpar results. There have also been other issues discussed in the forums regarding lack of patient/doctor communication and poor aftercare. Nonetheless, the following doctors are on my current short list.
1. Dr. Konior
2. Dr. Rahal
3. Dr.s Hasson/Wong
4. Dr.s Paul/Ron Shapiro
New additions
5. Dr. Diep (Loved Htsoon’s results, I have a similar hairloss pattern, but with more hair still left)
6. Dr. Lupanzula
KONIOR
About 5 years ago, when I was in "full-research" mode, I had my mind set on Dr. Konior for all the reasons mentioned on this website. IMO, his results were simply the best. I could not find any "dirt" on him. After all my consultations, he was the doctor I felt most comfortable with, and I still hold this position today. However, the reason I was hesitant on booking a procedure with him (aside from having “cold feet”) was the lack of FUE results posted on this website. However, with more FUE results now posted, it seems as if his FUE results are just as stellar as his FUT. For this reason, he is still my number one choice. He also recommended the least amount of grafts compared to other surgeons … I guess this can be considered a good thing? … doing more with less?
RAHAL
Loved his hairline work back then, and I still do today. But in consultations, I did a lot of communication with his staff as opposed to him. I know doctors are extremely busy, but this kind of rubbed me the wrong way. In comparing this with my consultation/communication with Dr. Konior, all my communication was directly with Dr. Konior himself. Dr. Konior answered all my questions as quickly and as in-depth as possible, without aggressively "wooing" me. He was simply upfront and gave it to me straight. However, it seemed as if Dr. Rahal's staff was too aggressive in their sales pitch (a lot of potential “discounts” etc) Not to mention, there was a repair case thread circulating at that time (I think the username was "Sean") that really rubbed me the wrong way. Nonetheless, I still do believe Dr. Rahal is a world-class surgeon.
Dr.s HASSON/WONG
Absolutely love their work, but they only offered FUT back then, if I recall correctly. Would choosing doctors who recently started FUE be a bad choice?
Dr.s PAUL/RON SHAPIRO
They were a close second on my list. Still heavily considering them.
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Dr. Lorenzo was not keen on operating on me, perhaps due to my aggressive hair loss and my discontinuation of Propecia. Dr. Edrogan has produced some stellar results, but too many grafts for my liking. Is there anyone I am missing?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Considering I am way busier now than I was at the age of 24-26, I do not have the same amount of time to research these forums. Would selecting Dr. Konior, from the research/information I gathered in the past be a bad/emotional choice? Do you guys believe his FUE results are on par with others? Or, do you guys recommend I continue my research and consider some new doctors? I have practically researched on/off for the past 8 years, and have had consultations with almost all the doctors mentioned on this list. If money is not an issue, which it isn’t for me (thank god), who would you guys choose for a FUE hairline restoration amongst the doctors listed above? I apologize for the lengthy first post, but I would really appreciate any feedback/responses on any of my questions. Pictures will be posted sometime this week.
Thank you
