jjsrader

Good to see Dr. Wesley giving context to this thread.  Please update us throughout the next 18 months.  I think your hair will look really good in the longer-term.  Cheers!

Ya'll seriously?  Joe Buck has fine very straight hair & is MUCH older than Mustang.  We don't know Mustang's ethnicity nor his hair diameter & I assume that Mustang w/his 10K transplants vs Joe Buck w/his 9 procedures - well, Mustang probably has at least 4K more transplanted hair than Buck.

That written, we all work w/what we have and try our best as we get older.  Also, Mustang is putting alot of body hair to replace the FUE's he is taking out.  Very aggressive but well planned for maximum yield and efficiency over time.

Buck being put under general anesthesia the last procedure tells me that his 8 previous procedures were not w/top-notch surgeons as Melvin wrote. 

Didn't know about Buck getting another procedure so it will be interesting to see his hair come late December & Jan '22 for NFL playoffs.

Dr. Soni's scars tend to stretch - I'm proof of that.   Good growth though.  Would like to see him switch over to lateral slits instead of saggital slits but his microscopes and support team are on point.  A well-oiled machine.

I need to lose about 75lbs and see if I get a bit of laxity to cut out my stretched scar (4.5K grafts from that scar in '17). 

I've had alot of work before so nothing is perfect when you are getting another FUT after 6 previous ones (2.25K, 400, 700, 120 & 100) since '90.

I think his FUE (I had 500 FUE same time as my 4.5K FUT) techniques are well done & he definitely has well over 3K procedures under his belt & is published (specifically 'crown whirl').

A good choice in India for megasessions.  He is quite busy and it's definitely less 'private' as a patient pre-op/during op (nice private room though for aftercare & good meals) - but that didn't bother me as I enjoy India and understand the culture.

Also, Jaipur is nice & his office is in the middle of a pleasant thriving district of activity & is great for people watching.

Finally, I have bone-straight very fine individual hair diameter & his 400 (200 each side) temple-point reconstruction is flawless (I'm white Caucasian w/Swedish/German ancestry).

Freeeeeek!  But you are not being an *ss about it.  Since you like the ultra-dense look & you were willing to spend 100K & you're OCD (regimented) & using Mwamba (super-freek HT scientist) - it's all good & an enjoyable read.

TY for documenting it for us mere mortals.😈

Bisanga is like a mad scientist!!  Totally into the minutia & obsessiveness of all things HAIR!  Luv it!

Hi,

GREAT pics & video.  You have to tell us where you went!!! 

I love this guy!  Such great 'posing.'  Happy he came back and updated. 

Spot on; nice!

I would make that bad-influence gf take 2 extra jobs - have her give you all her money for the next 2 years - minimum & research & then get a proper repair from a trusted surgeon.  Then dump her.

Didn't change a thing.  I've had hair restorations for purely personal reasons - when I looked in the mirror I never wanted to be bald.

Other than that it has had zero effect on any other aspect of my life.

11 hours ago, Hairgain22 said:

Anyone know how to get dut in the UK?

Yea - alldaychemist.com has Avodart (name brand) & generic (Dut) - sent to your house without a scrip'

Or use medicalwellnesscenter.com & get a scrip' sent to you from a U.S. doctor.

Yep - being a mod is fun!!  I feel for you - but some threads where very smart & detailed info is obsessed over actually leads to MORE info being discovered and debated, right? 

Sloggin' through is worth the effort imho.  No one has resorted to calling each other A-holes or threating physical violence.

Every once in awhile we get a few threads like these.  To me it is worth it to let them play out to near their logical conclusion(s).  Although it isn't fun for a mod - I think alot of newer guys learn alot & it is a good thing to be wary of any plastic surgery as a last resort due to it being elective surgery.

99.99% of men don't need nor require hair restoration to feel like a man - so we should really hold ALL surgeons to the highest standards.  The more people know the better informed and the more responsible MORE surgeons will be knowing they are dealing w/better informed consumers.

Putting up with all the stuff here as a mod (overall you do an excellent service to us all) only makes you stronger & a better voice of reason going forward for everyone that will discover this site in the future.

Hope you can keep everything in perspective.  Members like to vent on provocative topics from time to time & overall I feel it is healthy in the long run.

4 hours ago, WS2020 said:

I care about my hair but I am not being "obsessed" about it. I believe everyone has their reasons to choose HT but having it done right or wrong is not going to change the course of my life. I am in my 50's now and have been losing hair since early 20's. I am well aware I can look better with more hair but it never affect my confidence on both work and dating life.

Even with my NW4, I still look better than 90% of the guys in my office (comments from my female coworkers in their 20's and 30's.) People has to understand hair is just one of the many elements of once appearance. Since I made a decision from the beginning that I will not take fin for my hair, I focus on what I can control. Prior to Covid, you will see me at the gym doing cardio and weights 4 days a week with at least 60-90 minutes per session. I also spend a lot of time studying and following different clothing styles and make sure every piece of my clothing fits me as good as it can.

My point is good appearance is more about confidence and other elements than a full head of hair. I choose Diep because even his "not so good" results are ok in my book. Since I know what is my baseline, I am fine diving in.

 

Fine - you've made up your mind.  I will say you seem very smart w/a high self esteem.  To me, frankly the photos I have seen here w/regard to this doctor - I personally would not go to him.

Fair enough?  If you are all that (I'm in my 50's as well) w/your fitness & clothes and such a good-looking stud & clearly a 1%'er I don't see why the photo evidence is not giving you pause.  If you get it wrong (hair) it's no big deal?  C'mon - you are rationalizing - but okay.  We've seen some photos of results that just would not be acceptable to me.  But again, if you are fine with it - have at it.

Anyways - I wish all my balding brothers (including you) the best & hope you get density & good healing & a better head of hair.

22 hours ago, WS2020 said:

Thanks for all the great pointers here. This is the list that I will bring in with Dr Diep this week for my HT:

1. Use single hair draft for the hairline
2. Don't get all the donor hair on one side of the head
3. Don't go to far up for the donor hair
4. I did bring up the corn row concern with him during my initial consultation. He gave me the same explanation about the density. I may bring it up again.

Otherwise, I am diving in. Btw, I am neither OCD nor take life (or hair) too seriously. Not having too high an expectation going in and hope for a pleasant surprise. Actually, if my front looks like Jim, I am good. 

Diep is gonna' stomp all over your demands and bulldoze through his 2 patients a day regardless.  You are treating this not nearly as serious as you should.  It is cosmetic surgery.  A bad result will haunt you.  Good luck.

All you OCD-anal types earning big $$'s considering Diep - can you obviously not see that you are paying premium prices for mid-level results?  Stop rationalizing 'cause you either live close or his results aren't that bad.

Just pick from at least 5-10 other very outstanding very experienced surgeons in N. America who are way more meticulous & typically only do one patient per day & have outstanding staff & follow up & bedside manner.

It is clear at this point - learn from those that are just as anal/OCD that have paid the price & given you good guidance.

Good luck & good growing.

I'm 53 - I have good coverage throughout.  When my hair is cut to the proper length and styled properly I look like I have a mature hairline w/no bald spot.   I have very fine hair and very straight hair.  Every male member on both sides of my family after age 30 was/is NW 6 or NW 7.

I had 100 and 120 grafts (minigrafts) done in Dec. '90 and Jan '91 by Leavitt.  I had 400 and 700 grafts (minigrafts) done in '94 & '95 by Pomerantz.  I had 2250 micrografts done by Feller in '04   All of this work was done in the frontal 1/3rd.

I had 4500 micrografts done by Soni & 500 FUE done in same session in '17.  400 grafts (200 on each side) to do temple points & 4600 from hairline all the way to crown.

Been on minox (now oral for 2+ years) for 25+ years.  Been on proscar and now dutasteride (Avodart) since '97 and '03 respectively.  Been on Nizoral 2% 2X's per week for 15+ years.  400+ diode laser helmet now for 2.5 years+

I'd say my density is about 40% of what I used to have - good overall coverage w/no bald spot.  I'd like to FUE out (maybe 2-3K grafts left) in the next 3 years w/surgery next year and in '23.  Will eventually put alot of beard hair into the worst spots of my scars.

Can't wear my hair short - but never really did anyways in the back.  Sometimes when I'm wearing a hat and my hair is pushed to the left or right in the back you can see a bare spot or two - but 99% of the time it's not noticeable w/a regular haircut on the sides and back.

I do all the medical therapy to keep my existing hair (and donor hair) healthy - it's really worked well but once you commit you can never stop.  I would be a NW 7 by now without any medical hair therapy.  Without hair restoration I would be a solid NW5  So nothing is perfect.  I didn't really start losing my mid-vertex and crown until around 2011 when I was in my mid 40's

With a good thickening shampoo and mousse and blow dry - my hair looks really good.  That being written, I don't recommend hair restoration surgery.  If you are destined to be very bald and have fine hair - genetics will win over 30-50 years - everytime.  I knew I would need multiple surgeries over the years when I saw all my relatives radically balding my entire life.

Alot of guys have really good hair diameter and wave w/limited lifetime balding - those guys I would recommend hair restoration for.  If I was younger w/the same genetics and started my restoration in the 2000's vs 1990 - I would have simply chosen 2-3 strip surgeries to get the most bang for my buck.  Still - most of my surgeries were done in the 90's and were luckily small procedures.

If I had more self esteem in my early 20's I would have waited much longer to consider hair restoration.  But I personally don't regret it.  I've had hair my entire life & for me it was worth it over the long haul.

I've had so many strips.  All different lines.  Last two were Feller in '04 (2250 grafts) & Soni in '17 (4500 grafts).  I'm going to revise my strip from Soni next year w/Hasson & Wong probably - but I'm done w/strip.  My last surgeries will be FUE.  I've had 8800 grafts from strip beginning in '90.

Ron Shapiro in MN can do mega-sessions & work on a 2nd FUT 'same-scar' as well.  Very experienced FUT surgeon w/the great personnel & techniques.

He was shaving his hair down on the sides and wearing a hairpiece.  He had LESS loss than what the 'before' visual suggests.  Still - very good results on a guy w/hair the thickness of a horse (basically).

Shapiro in Minnesota or Cooley or Arocha would probably give you very detailed plans to really refine and correct your frontal band.  They are all older and do repair work and can do multi-stage surgeries and all have an eye towards taking out alot of those thicker frontals and then blending finer hairs into the very frontal hairline.

If you do this right and are patient and communicate well w/a willing Doctor who is also motivated to give you the most natural results it could look 100% natural.  Which after all - is what you are striving for at this point.

Diep's work is a bit flaccid and weak as he gets older.  Ultra-efficient in extracting $$'s & takes shortcuts and his work is arguably sloppy and undisciplined as he ages.

Simple as.  We see it over and over from some of the most obsessive OCD patient reports. 

I'm sure his bank account is not suffering though from his decreased attention to detail over time.

Of course everyone has their own opinion. 

DOMINAN(T) one!  Ahahaha!  His frontal hairline is abysmal.  I can't believe the layperson wouldn't feel themselves compelled to just gaze at it anywhere w/n 6 feet.  It's hypnotizingly awful.

He'll probably never fix it and when people tell him it looks normal - he'll rationalize that it is.

I've been around the world a few times in the last 10 years and the sheer number of complete and utter hair restoration failures always shocks me.

Too bad, doesn't have to be that way.  I've found plastic surgeons to be (all things considered) the least caring physicians as a group.  It shows in their results the vast majority of the time.

You look perfectly normal.  Don't do it.  Get the best haircut for your hair and facial type.  Use volumizing shampoos & mousse when you want maximum volume.  Other than that - enjoy your young girlfriend.

Thailandpharmacy.net    I think you can even use bitcoin.  I use Western Union and buy enough for a year and a half at a time.

https://www.thailandpharmacy.net/?s=oral+minoxidil&post_type=product

I started at 2.5 mgs.  Then 5mg and then 10mg and then 10mg 2X's per day.  I now take 5mg's a day.  So much easier than nasty 15% or 30% custom-compounded minox creams.

I take it mainly to keep my donor hair (along w/brand-name Avodart & a hair laser helmet) healthy for more hair restoration surgeries as I keep getting older.

When I was on the highest dose I think my heart rate might have been a bit elevated when exerting myself - but maybe I was just fatter and more out of shape 1 year ago.  I did monitor my BP along the way - no changes.

I'd go see this guy (the guy narrating the video) - he is imho the best in the U.S. for SMP.  He would give you a custom video consult I believe for free.  Hairline shapes are completely individualized and his scar-repair work is top notch.  Watch some more of his videos where he is the presenter on youtube.  You'll see a nice variety of work among all ethnic types and skin types.