Hi all.
I'm having my first FUE procedure with Dr Tejinder Bhatti tomorrow and I wanted to share my experience as I go along.
My background
I am a 31 year old Caucasian male from the UK. My hairline started to recede around 8 years ago and for the last 4-5 I have been losing hair from the front, top and crown. Photos attached. I have been using minoxidil for the last year, which seems to have largely halted the thinning. For the usual reasons, and against the recommendation of several surgeons, I have decided against taking propecia - I feel this one is simply down to your gut feeling.
I have been using hair fibers for the last couple of years and I can't speak highly enough about them - I would have had to undergo this procedure much sooner without them
Selecting a clinic
I spent the last year researching which clinic to chose. Initially, I focussed on the UK and found various clinics ranging from ?6,500 to ?28,000 for my procedure. A lot of the clinics in the UK seemed reserved about doing my whole head all at once and instead wanted to do no more than 2,000 grafts per procedure (each procedure several months apart).
I started to look abroad in all the usual places and when I came across Dr Bhatti's work, I was very impressed.
Consultation
The consultation consisted of no more than sending a handful of images and talking about my expectations. Dr Bhatti recommended a maximum of 4,000 grafts and to confirm I picked a date and sent across a small deposit, around ?250. If we go for the maximum 4,000 grafts then the cost will be around ?4,500 all in. I have booked in to have the procedure tomorrow, with my preop appointment later today.
Travel
The travel to India was fairly painless. I chose a night flight from the UK and slept for most of it (around 9 hours). I booked my flights (return) one month before and the cost was ?400, flying with Virgin Atlantic. Once in Delhi I took another flight to Chandigarh which cost ?40 and only took an hour. The taxi to the hotel was incredibly cheap - around ?4 for a 30 minute journey. I have no idea how that even covers the fuel, but certain things are very cheap here in India.
I used the eVisa service which cost $60 and was ready within 24 hours. No problems at the airport.
Chandigarh
I've been in Chandigarh for 2 days and I quite like the place! It's modern, it's spacious and the people are very friendly. I haven't seen another white person yet and that's probably why I have been stopped several times for selfies. Everyone keeps asking if I'm an actor, which is amusing. There's plenty to do here and I've easily kept myself busy for 2 days. For those of you who are worried about India not being up to the standard of the west, I'd advise checking out something like the Elante shopping mall - it's as impressive as anything we have in the UK. My preconception of India was certainly wrong.
I'm staying at the TOY hotel, which is a nice 4 star hotel and it's costing me ?38 per night including breakfast. I've booked in until Saturday as I'd like to be close to the clinic for a few days after the procedure.
The food out here is wonderful and so far I haven't had the reported 'delhi belly'. I may be tempting fate but I've been drinking from sealed bottles and eating hot food and so far no issues at all.
Next Steps
So I have my pre-op in a couple of hours time. I have been asked not to shave my head as Dr Bhatti would like to see how the hair falls, in preperation for the operation tomorrow.
I will let you know how that goes and post again after my operation tomorrow.
Any questions, feel free to ask!
All the best...
Michael