Shera

Hi Tomcat, One reason why I went to India was not having to compromise on the quality of my procedure when lowering the costs. I spent about a fifth of what I was being quoted in the UK for a simular FUE procedure and a got a world renowned doctor carrying out the bulk of my surgery. Looking back in hindsight, it was a no brainer. As for the UK, there was definitely a shortage of UK doctor reviews online written by actual patients and I couldn't really find the quality of result on UK patients (Rooney, Gardner at al) that was being produced by doctors abroad. I have since come across some results from a couple of UK doctors that are of the quality of the doctors abroad, but again the cost differential is staggering with some doctors even charging upto 5 pounds sterling per hair, not graft. That would have multiplied my costs tenfold. I have since sent other patients from the UK, Caucasian and Indian origin and they have all had good experiences, there is no reason to suggest why their end results should not be as good as mine. I can hook you up with a few patients if you want to contact them to learn from their experiences, just PM me or contact me at the details below. The most important thing for you is to do your research and not to rush in. I wish you all the best.

Hi Michael, So tomorrow is the big day, I'm sure you (as others before you, myself included) will have a successful procedure and everything will go as planned. It will be a long day so just try to stay relaxed about the whole thing. I'm glad you are enjoying the City of Chandigarh, it is a great place and every patient I have ever sent has had a wonderful, memorable and rewarding experience there. The Elante Mall is definitely on a par with any other super mall, the sports bar on the top floor where the restaurants are located is up there with the best I have been to anywhere in the world. The people of all classes are very friendly as you have experienced yourself. You really can't go wrong and I'm really glad your experience has changed your preconception on what to expect. All the best for tomorrow, feel free to get in touch with me whilst in India or when you are back in the UK if you need anything.

Hi Yaz, Congratulations on your latest transplant, once it grows out you will never have to worry about your hair again. Your story is very compelling, one of the great HT success stories on the web. Having met you personally, I am absolutely made up for you mate, all the best!

Hi Wwiizzkkiidd24, I have sent quite a few patients over to India to see Dr Bhatti. If you wish I can send you their details so you can get a feel for the experience they all went through. Just PM me and I'll take it from there. Cheers

Definitely a difference there for the better Rashid. The hair does appear to be thicker. Keep it up, will be interesting you see how you progress.

Thanks Bill, hopefully this thread will evolve into an excellent first point of reference to anyone considering India.

Very well put, I would strongly agree that having spent a considerable amount of money on the transplant, it doesn't end there. Looking after physical and mental well being will give your hair procedure the best chance of being a success. Think of it as a second chance and make some lifestyle changes to reflect that. It certainly worked in my case.

If anyone out there has any questions or concerns about going to India for a hair transplant procedure, then please feel free to voice your concerns on this thread. I totally understand that the thought of traveling to India for a procedure can be immensely daunting. Most potential patients will dismiss the idea almost immediately even though they could save thousands and have a world class procedure carried out by an internationally renowned surgeon. I have sent over several patients from all over the UK and each time, the whole process has been extremely efficient. Patients themselves have commented that the experience was amazing and immensely rewarding. I will try my best to answer all queries to the best of my knowledge.......fire away!

I'd have to agree with most of the posters here. I myself have always been a confident kind of guy who took a great deal of pride in my appearance. As far as looking after myself and dressing well, the hair thing was something that was out of my control. I gradually started to withdraw myself socially and the realisation that it was affecting my life sunk in. As a forty something I just wasn't ready to give up and accept my fate so I did something about it and got my life back. Best thing I ever did. Also having a couple of young kids, I was starting to look like grandad rather than dad. My advice to anyone who is suffering is just go for it, you have one chance at life so you may as well give it your best shot!

Dear all, As previously posted, Dr Tejinder Bhatti will be personally conducting free patient consultations in London on Sunday 15th May and Monday 16th May 2016. There are couple of consultation slots remaining for the Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Please contact me asap if you are interested in attending. If you wish to attend then either PM me your details or email your details to darlingbudsuk@gmail.com. You will be asked to initially provide detailed photos of your hair as it is now, the front, sides, top and back views with dry hair preferably without a harsh flash. From these pics, Dr Bhatti will be able to identify firstly whether hair transplant surgery is a viable option for you and if it is, then he will devise a plan that is best suited to you. This plan will form the basis of the discussion when you meet with him in the consultation.

Hi CSB, Yes, castor oil, now there's a blast from the past. My parents had way too many medicinal uses for it, yuk! Never really given it a thought since to be honest, just googled it and it seems that my parents obsession with it was somewhat justified. Probably worth giving it a go as opposed to your standard baby oil, can't see it doing any harm and may just do some good. Hopefully by September you will have had some good growth and enough to get away without being noticed. There's always a plan B at the wedding, you can always just keep your head covered. The best of luck for your big day, I hope it all goes as well as could be. I do remember just a few hairs coming off with the crusts but this is quite normal and nothing to worry about, the grafts are firmly embedded by now and will in time start producing the new hairs.

Hi Ben53, Of course you can contact me, just initially email me on darlingbudsuk@gmail.com or PM me from this site and we'll take it from there.

Hi CBS, I'm glad my thread contributed towards you making the decision to have your hair transplant. I did try to make it as informative as possible and you may well find many answers in there to forthcoming questions and queries you may have with regards to your progression. As for your question on shedding, I think I was one of a small percentage that didn't really appear to shed any hairs, I don't really know the reason behind this but others have remarked that it may well explain why my growth was quicker than most. I would say that over 90% of patients' stories have indicated shedding therefore I wouldn't read too much into this process being an indicator of the final result, that's my opinion anyway. I probably started thinning in my early to mid thirties and it took about 10 years to get to the pre op pic stage. At your age I had a great mop of hair much like yourself apart from the regions affected by Sikh Alopecia, I fully understand what you went through there as well, having been there many a year ago up to the age of 11. I do see a lot of similarities so hopefully once you have grown your transplanted hair out you will be OK for another 10 years or so. You may also want to consider going on the meds (Fin/Minoxodil) for longer than the suggested 6 months if you want to delay any future loss. Personally, I would do the 6 months and just monitor future loss initially, there may well be none so no need for any more meds for the time being.

Hi CSB, congratulations on your hair transplant with Dr Bhatti. There's really no need for you to be worried with regards to graft spacing. If you check my thread you will see that I have very similar hair quality to yours. It was said that my grafts were too far apart but when you consider the end result, the spacing was not really such an issue. Feel free to contact me in the UK, I can send you some recent pics that will alleviate any doubts you may have. The best of luck on your future growth, not that you'll need it!

Hi Durhamboy, Thanks for the mention. As you are well aware, I will be available all throughout your trip should you need any advice etc. It's great to see that you are taking in the cricket in Delhi and Mohali whilst there, I'm really glad that the English cricket team have not let you down so far. I look forward to helping you along whilst you are in India, and ensuring you make the most of your trip. Everything is in place for you, you just need to relax and enjoy the experience.

Hi Tommy, Here's a start for you, Hair Transplant Cost in India, FUE Cost, Price Dr Bhatti's full pricing breakdown with exchange rate calculator.

To be frank, the fact that I made an effort to get involved in this thread shows I am very much concerned. I have also PM'd Techie my personal contact details so I can offer him any assistance he may require. You state that you would not expect any visible improvement between now (9 months) and the 18 month mark, in that case, shall we all just throw in the towel after 9 months? I personally have had a big noticeable difference from my already amazing 9 month result, I am now at 16 months post FUE. Therefore, maybe your expectation of a full blown result after 9 months is just a wee bit off the mark. Also, what we need to take into account here is that not all patients are the same. If an identical procedure was performed on a number of patients simultaneously, what are the chances that they will experience identical results no matter who the surgeon is. There are many other factors to consider including the patients unique genetic make up, including existing medical conditions and maybe even lifestyle and stress levels can be taken into account here. I do make this clear to my patients and I know from my own experience that it is a chance you take. There are no guarantees. Can you categorically claim that your very own Dr Lorenzo has a 100% success rate? It is always a gamble, but a gamble where you see many past winners and very few losers. I met a successful patient who had his HT over in the US, and he told me how he treated himself much the same way he treated his pregnant wife over a 9 month period to give his hair the best chance of growing, a bit extreme maybe but if you can, then why not. If I compare your own results from the fine Dr Lorenzo I notice you have grown your hair a little longer and combed it over, I would say that if Techie did the same, then his result will appear not too distant to your very own once his hair thickens a bit more and you did have a lot lot more native hair to start with. Dr Bhatti did advise me to grow my hair anywhere between 1 and 2 inches to maximise the appearance of the transplanted hair, thus creating the illusion of a full set of hair. Lets be realistic here, you will never get the density you had before your baldness set in, and certain styles as mentioned by RobC in the previous post will almost certainly be more pleasing to the eye than others, helping to maximise the aesthetic appearance of the transplanted hairs. As other experienced and respected posters have already mentioned, lets ride out the 12-18 months and see where we stand. Depending on the result then, we will consider any further actions if need be. Adonix, good luck with the rest of your hair journey, if you wish to place a wager that your own hair will not improve after the 9 months, then please PM me. Techie, please feel free to email me at any time.

Hi Techie, I totally understand your concerns, but again the most important thing is the improvement from the last set of pics. I would be more worried if I stopped seeing an improvement, hang in there.

No disrespect Oldchestnut, but most lay persons in the UK will be paying about 40 UK pounds a month for Fin on prescription and the Regaine 5% Minoxidil foam will probably cost another 35 UK pounds (Boots) a month. That's 75 UK pounds a month, 900 UK pounds a year. Add another 200 UK pounds a year for all the special shampoos and vitamins and you have 1100 UK pounds a year. Over the course of 3 years, that's 3,300 UK pounds, just slightly under the same figure I paid for my transplant. If you can source a generic years supply of Fin and Minoxidil for 65 UK pounds, then that's even cheaper than India, good for you but this will not be the case for the generic population. Having spent a few years on the medications myself, I do believe that there is a point when the med's can no longer do their magic to sustain an acceptable look and it's time to move onto the next step. For example I am still on Fin 1mg but it would never have bought my hair back without the transplant. Thankfully, with your hair, the med's seem to have worked over the course of a year, however you did have hair of an 18 year old to start with, which is lot lot different to the Ops hair. It is in the context of the Ops hair, I stated that he may well be wasting his time and effort on his current regime of med's, they probably aren't going to miraculously bring all his hair back as he and we have all hoped for in the past. The med's may well bring something back over the course of the year or years, but is a little something back over the course of a few years what the Op is looking for?

Will definitely look at the creme too, thanks. The very best of luck with your procedure in June, I hope it all goes according to plan. I will look out for your results.

Hi, I think you will need a similar amount to what I had, please have a read of my story using the link below.

I'd generally go along with what the last poster says. You may well be wasting your time and effort on your current regime of meds, they aren't going to miraculously bring your hair back. I know how much some of this stuff costs in the UK, you may be better off just putting that towards the cost of a hair transplant. Judging by your pics, you do appear to be a good candidate but clearer more detailed pics of back, sides, front and top of your scalp would confirm this. Feel free to PM me if you think I could be of any assistance.

Hi Hairsgone, I ordered a couple myself and will be giving them a go. I will check out the creme too, thanks! On another note, have you decided on where you are going for your next procedure?

I did read somewhere someone recommending Samy Fat Hair Amplifying Shampoo and the matching conditioner. They are currently buy one get one free for the shampoo and the conditioner from Superdrug UK online with free delivery if anyone's interested. Cheers Shera's Hot UK Barnet Boosting Deals

Hi Spidey, Your hair already looks great at just 7 months and with the quality of hair you have, you will, in my opinion definitely see a lot more improvement over the next few months. I am 16 months in and I am still seeing a gradual improvement. Congratulations!