Speegs

You made a wise choice contacting Dr. Konior, he's one of only a handful of surgeons I'd trust with my head.

You are losing your hair via a receding hairline, looks like some diffusion might be creeping into the frontal third, but keep in mind some of your recession is the natural maturing of the male hairline that occurs in a majority of men. Most people do not keep their juvenile hairline, and at 29 you are not a juvenile and of the age range that experiences the hairline maturation. Eyeballing you, i'd classify you as a early stage Norwood 3, maybe in route to a 3A. Are you taking finasteride? That's a must to try for stabilizing your hair loss before you proceed with any surgery. I recommend since you are a US resident exploring your American options first before trotting abroad for medical tourism, you have world class physicians short plane rides and drives away from your present location, and don't need to use a passport.

I've heard of people breaking their proscar tablets, which are 5mg, in half and doing every other day, but I haven't heard of people doing it with the 1mg propecia tablets. That's not to say it will be harmful, but I would seek medical advice on the matter from the doctor who prescribed you the propecia. Medical opinions from those who know your case the best trump anything we could tell you in this forum.

My case is a good example of why 2500 probably isn't enough..but may be an appropriate start. My signature attests to the fact it took a few rounds. Realize this is a journey, likely over several years and not just a one and done. PM if you'd like private details about my journey and doctor experiences.

Eyeballing it I have my doubts that 2,500 will give you a density that won't want you wanting some more. I've had three different procedures addressing the frontal third, and it took them all to get a density I wanted.

I've been on finasteride since 22, I had a Norwood 3 with diffuse thinning that advanced a little bit till it got to Norwood 3A then held steady. I'm now 33, so going on 11 years with finasteride and it has preserved my crown and mid-scalp and allowed me to be relatively aggressive about frontal region and hairline restoration. So far no sexual side effects and my hair is looking good. My dad looks like Patrick Stewart and was sporting a combover at my age, so i've definitely bucked the genetic trend that awaited me with help of finasteride and restoration surgery as a one-two punch.

Who do you see doing FUE for $3.50 per graft? That sounds alarming to me as it is a labor intensive process, they likely are using the NeoGraft, which is not a top tier mechanized graft extraction device, it's one usually hocked to the one-stop-shop plastic surgeons you're trying to avoid. You live in the LA area or in Vegas? Because nearby Arizona, and Oregon have some worthwhile doctors to check out. I can vouch for Dr. Gabel in Portland, flew from Texas for him, and if you're in Vegas or LA that's even closer.

You sound like you escaped since you saw no bleeding, but you'll have to wait 8 months to a year to know for sure. Do not do that in the future, never pick scabs, follow your doctor's post op precisely.

Hi kattru01, I live in Texas too, I agree wigs sound uncomfortable. You appear to have a diffuse pattern of hair loss common in women. It is difficult to say the amount of grafts you may need from this picture, but ballpark would suggest upward of 2,000 to give you any satisfying coverage. Since you wear long hair, an FUT would maximize your donor, be more affordable, and give you the best opportunity to address density long term. Are you using minoxidil (Rogaine) or Viviscal? Both products appear to be helpful to women, low light laser therapy may also be worth exploring to encourage growth, unfortunately women cannot take finasteride (Propecia). Please feel free to consult with a couple of doctors on this board and see what they have to say, have you spoken with your dermatologist about anything for your hair? You might bring up Rogaine and Viviscal and lower light therapy, some doctors here can certainly help you with acquiring those if you need direction.

I would default to the advice of your physician, give them an email with your intentions and see what they say.

Ask your physician, I'm personally a little bit weary of the stress that pull up motions may put on your scar.

I'm afraid more honest posterity can look at the initial posts and only wonder what you're angry about. You're tilting at windmills here, and being very rude and uncivil without provocation.

It is clear you're an argumentative person with selective listening and an agenda. Please move along. For the sake of patient advocacy I repeat the uncontroversial truth that first world medical tourism to the third world is buyer beware.

I'm not interested in an argument, I stand by the fact residents of first world nations are better off seeking domestic consultation and surgical procedures than resorting to medical tourism in developing countries in the name of cost.

You're certainly entitled to your opinions, but medical tourism has proven that most non western countries simply don't protect patients with the highest standards possible in the event of malpractice or for the sake of preventing the licensing of people that are unscrupulous. If i live in a western country, particularly a North American one, I'd think twice about leaving the confines of one for a medical procedure.

Hi, i've had three FUT surgeries. I don't recall any pain or tightness from playing soccer six weeks post op...just being winded and out of shape.

I played soccer six weeks post op with no problem...wore a cap, got knocked down, but didn't hit my head...or use it.

What hair style do you maintain? A concealer may work for you or the possibility of micropigmentation if you keep short hair.

In my humble opinion, going abroad (with the exception of perhaps Canada) is futile for North American transplant patients. You have highest standards of medical practice and a majority of the best surgeon's at your disposal on the continent.

Be careful, sun burn would be an issue.

The advice sounds legitimate, however, I'd consult with more than one doctor before making your decision.

Please don't do a transplant, anything less than a norwood 2a or norwood 3 is typically deemed unethical use of donor by a scrupulous surgeon. You're not near there yet. The hairline you presently have is what most crave a restoration to become.

Breathe easy, this is normal. Shedded grafts will bleed and have signs of tissue.

Please consider generic finasteride, I think you can benefit from it. It can be obtained affordably and safely in American pharmacies. Simply get a prescription for finasteride generics from your GP or dermatologist, and if you have a prescription membership at either Walgreens, CVS, Costco or Walmart you should be able to buy them inexpensively. For example, I pay a 20 dollar a year prescription membership at Walgreens, and get monthly refills of generic finasteride under the generic brand of Teva for $6 dollars. Very budget friendly, $72 dollars a year plus the Walgreens membership means finasteride costs me $92 a year to protect my hair. Additional $50 co-pay if you factor in the doctor visit to write the prescription. Very affordable that route, no insurance necessary, please look into it. PS I live in Texas too, so I understand the frustration of figuring out what route to take for surgical options, there weren't many recommended options locally, and so I ultimately went out of state.

As has been stated by others, several factors make your post op experience vary from others. Your physiology, post op care and the techniques of the surgeon can all contribute to healing time or prolong it. Redness can last days, weeks or months, depending on the before mentioned factors. Scabs should start coming off after a few days to a week in most cases, two weeks at the most should see them mostly gone (not by picking, never pick them). Hairs from transplanted grafts can last weeks or even a couple of months, depends on your physiology, post op care etc. Unfortunately, only vague generalities can be used to predict what your experience may look like, but it shouldn't depart drastically from the experience of others if performed by a competent surgeon and if you're a healthy individual that follows the post op regimen assigned to you.