mhaider1991

2 hours ago, Kiwi Guy said:

Do you know if it is just hypothyroidism that contributes to hair loss or does an under-active thyroid also contribute in the same way?

a Hypothyroid is an under active. Hyper is overactive. I believe both contribute to hair loss, but hypo is worse.

15 minutes ago, HairLossMentor said:

I agree. I have some very real concerns about Dr. Diep's donor area management. In my opinion, the damage I'm seeing is not acceptable. Plus some of his patients are in a lot of trouble should their hair loss progress. Even shaving at a number #1 donor looks okay. The money shot is when a guy shaves down after FUE. Here is an example of what I mean.  Looks like The dots are from a 1 mm punch. 3000+ of those in your donor shot-forever. You really need to stick to .8 and below. Despite what they say, size does matter.

Re: Dr. Bernstein. He's been around for a while and is more of a academic now. Plus he also supports ARTAS and is a shareholder I believe? I just can't support any Dr. who promotes the robot, after I've personally seen the damage it does to guys donor areas. I am open to debate with any Dr. who supports and offers ARTAS. But I doubt that will ever happen. The technology just isn't ready in my opinion. What's scary is that everybody in the industry seems to agree-yet some actively promote the robot, and privately say it's crap. Sad

 

BINGO! I am seeing a pattern of Dr. Diep regarding donor management, and it's almost borderline an ethical concern. Think he has great results, but donor management is just as important as the result IMO. 

7 hours ago, Kiwi Guy said:

Bernstein has a lot of youtube videos and seems to know what he's talking about. His results in terms of beard to beard transplants etc seem topnotch. From what I understand the reason he isn't spoken about on here is something to do with legal issues between himself and this site... not sure of the exact details.

I think there's  no denying Bern's knowledge. I just haven't seen exceptional results from him. Don't get me wrong, I think your in safe and good hands if you decide to have surgery with him, but it's not a comparison with Rahal. Rahal is one of the top surgeons in the field, top 3 for FUT IMO.

7 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I’ve had three hair transplants and two with Dr. Diep, I’ve visited Dr. Gabel, Dr. Mohebi, Dr. Konoir, Dr. Umar and Dr. Wong all of them in person and none of them told me my donor was damaged after having three hair transplants mind you. 

In fact, I’ve been told I have at least another 1,000-1,500 grafts left which would put me around the 7,000 range. 

I understand you decided to withdraw Dr. Diep  from your selection which is totally fine, but these statements simply aren’t true. 

 I’ve heard every argument and counter argument in the book. I’m well aware that several posters claim 1mm punches damage surrounding follicular units. However, a smaller punch transects more follicular units. At the end of the day it is up to the skill of the surgeon. If the surgeon is careless they can damage the donor of a patient regardless of the punch size or tool.

With that said, Dr. Rahal is a fine surgeon and I really have no problem with you saying hes better than diep if that’s how you feel, but making claims such as going with Diep compromises future procedures simply isn’t true.  

 

@jkm3 had two procedures with Dr. Diep close to 5,000 grafts

@spyk777 had several procedures I believe three with Dr. Diep via FUE 

@E39 had two procedures with Dr. Diep around 4,000 grafts

I respect where your coming from- but Diep has had donor issues and this is not a debate. It may not be the case of you, but has been for many people, especially in this forum. I'll even go and say that Diep may have better coverage than Rahal, but the donor area is a different story. I'm not even talking about punch size, because that is a whole other debate I don't want to get into. But top clinics should figure out a way to get those grafts without major transection and still have solid donor left over. This goes for both FUT and FUE. One part of a great surgeon is not just his results, but how thinking of the future, including donor area.

On 2/16/2018 at 6:33 PM, aWidowsPeek said:

Bernstein? ah one of the doctors who never posts and we hear nothing about. That's a easy choice. Search results on this forum and you'll get your answer.

 

Diep is better than Rahal imho. Quite a few doctors are. Cheaper too.

Strongly disagree with Diep being better than Rahal. Diep has great results, but he damages the donor area to the point of excessive potential grafts lost for future procedures. I would even go as far as to say that his FUE post invasiveness is more than some clinics' FUT.

19 minutes ago, Gasthoerer said:

Hair loss is a bitch and for men it is 99 % AGA. You have the classic pattern: All the conditions you mentioned will not cause such a pattern, but make you lose hair everywhere (or not at all, as not all conditions you mentioned are related to hairloss).

By the way: I think your logic is also flawed in case you are right. If you have the slightest hint, that a severe amount of your balding would come from this conditions then you should NOT opt for FUT. What happens if your donor thins out from either of these conditions? Then you are severely screwed even in the case of a good scar. 

 

Yes and No: i mentioned two conditions (lupus & thyroid). I actually only have thyroid. But both are definitly related to hair loss, that's not even a debate. So there's that.

And I think your misunderstanding what I'm saying. I clearly have AGA, it's just the loss has been kickstarted due to other conditions as well. As far as my donor area is concerned, I've had a face to face with many doctors, including Hasson. Excellent donor with little to no chance of any thinning or loss happening in the back, and that's from Dr. Hasson. Estimation, 4500 grafts. Not concerend with the donor area, thus FUT.

One

6 hours ago, Gasthoerer said:

Great to hear that there are no NW6 in your family. But unfortunately this is not a guarantee. The bald genes from both sides can also add up and make you the worst of it all.  Please, stop thinking your loss is not AGA. 99.9 % it is AGA. Maybe psoriasis, has triggered it a little (!), but you have the classic pattern and your loss is strong. The typical dermatologist, does know less about hairloss than the average Joe here in the forum.

The reasons why you think your loss has stopped:

- Hairloss often comes in waves

- Hairloss visibility is not linear (From 100-60 % density reduction is hardly visible at all, this is why HT works in the first place). 

- You have lost most of your hair in NW4-5 area already. Of course your loss is slowed down. 

Summary: If you plan is based on the remaining hair your have in the front  or that your loss has stopped you make a big (!) mistake. 

P.S. If I get one dollar for everyone in the forum who thinks his loss is not AGA, I would be able to quit my job and still make living. 

There are other conditions, such as hypothryoidism and Lupus that strongly contribute to hair loss. I suffer from conditions like this as well. One problem i DID make early on on my research was to believe that all of it was AGA. Hair loss is a bitch and many things can lead to it. However, AGA is 99% of the worlds reason for it. Unfortunatly for me, it's a small part of a list of other reasons why. However, with the right medication of these conditions and stable health (such as my psoriasis) my hair has been fairly consistent and much stronger.

6 hours ago, Gasthoerer said:

Great to hear that there are no NW6 in your family. But unfortunately this is not a guarantee. The bald genes from both sides can also add up and make you the worst of it all.  Please, stop thinking your loss is not AGA. 99.9 % it is AGA. Maybe psoriasis, has triggered it a little (!), but you have the classic pattern and your loss is strong. The typical dermatologist, does know less about hairloss than the average Joe here in the forum.

The reasons why you think your loss has stopped:

- Hairloss often comes in waves

- Hairloss visibility is not linear (From 100-60 % density reduction is hardly visible at all, this is why HT works in the first place). 

- You have lost most of your hair in NW4-5 area already. Of course your loss is slowed down. 

Summary: If you plan is based on the remaining hair your have in the front  or that your loss has stopped you make a big (!) mistake. 

P.S. If I get one dollar for everyone in the forum who thinks his loss is not AGA, I would be able to quit my job and still make living. 

Please don't think I am not expecting to lose hair- that's not what I am saying. The reason why I am going FUT is planning for future surgeries, knowing I'm going to need more and also going to lose more. However, I do know what head started my hair loss and it was my condition. My pattern is AGA, but majority of it was due to my psoriasis. I know this for a fact because I have other medical conditions, which I'd like to keep private that have contributed to this along with my psoriasis. Those are just facts. AGA is there- but that is not the lone cause of my loss. Had it been the lone, I would not have lost as much hair as I have.

I think  a patient should seriously shave his head- it is generally easier for the doctor to place grafts, which means you have a better chance of a better result. From my understanding, it's also easier to wash and take care of the grafts in the initial early days when the head is shaven.

Really depends. In my understanding, if the doctor is going to be working in areas where there is existing hairs, then shaving is easier in planting the grafts. But to answer your question about the whole head, if someone is working in a virtually bald area and only in a specific region, some doctors will not shave where they won't be working. Really depends on the doctor. 

5 hours ago, Gasthoerer said:

OK, seeing you pics and regarding your age: You are not (!) a diffused thinner. Your crown is huge and almost slick bald. The front and mid is diffused, but so heavily that is it clear that all of this is lost after the transplant. You should plan as if this hair isn't there. My recommendation:

0) Think about medication

1) Check your family history. If there is there is a risk going towards NW6+ you should not have a transplant

2) Shave and consider SMP or Trico. Maybe you like yourself with short hair.

3) Go to reputable clinics H&W (If you are in North America) and Hattingen (if you are in Europe) who offer strip and FUE. You have to have a personal consultation. 

Options

FUT: But most likely leave the crown open. + Chance for best coverage and classic hairstyle -  Fall back (Shaving) in case of further loss / poor growth is difficult

FUE with SMP: Kind of less is more. More evenly distributed with less density but the option for a shorter hairstyle. 

Good luck

 

 

P.S.

Hattingen has an own section with tons of patient reports in a domestic forum, but you need to register as it is not allowed to publish before and after pictures in many EU countries: https://www.alopezie.de/foren/transplant/index.php?t=thread&frm_id=14&

 

No real significant cases of extensive baldness in my family on both sides. Max a thinning crown, but no Norwood 6s. Should also have added this: a lot of my hair loss was due to an extreme case of psoriasis which has since been "cured" (I used quotations because technically there is no cure but remedies and change in diet has led to me having virtually no psoriasis), and sometimes just a regular dry scalp, and that only during the winters. Due to this, I had lost a lot of hair since it was very extreme. 

A good percent of my hair loss was due to this and not genetic, and has been confirmed by my dermatologist as well. Obviously, the recession and pattern of hair is genetic and has definitly contributed to my hair loss- but most of it was due to my trauma. My hair has been pretty much consistent since the post psoriasis period. Can't use Propecia for this reason- it can lead to a very senesitive case of mine to stir my psoriasis back up and that's exactly what happened once I tried it. Am taking Nizoral religiously and am also thinking about a laser comb.

16 minutes ago, Spaceman said:

With your age and level of loss, and without Finasteride, you will continue to lose what is left on top. A HT into the front and midsection may very well accelerate the loss (permanent shock loss) in that area and you may end up back where you started.  If you go down the HT road, you will need a lot of grafts over multiple procedures. Donor management is going to be key. You need a long term plan with a conservative approach. I think you already know all of this. 

In your case, I’d recommend you consult with Dr Wong. Probably strip to start, and then FUE down the road.

Not even considering FUE until I'm down to at the minimum 1500 grafts, due to the need for future surgeries. I know it's a longterm commitment. Not a personal fan of FUE for my situation.

Here’s are some pics as promised

41 minutes ago, Spaceman said:

Konior uses stick and place for diffuse thinners and does great FUT work. No mega sessions though. All of the surgeons mentioned are excellent. HnW is probably your best bet for FUT mega sessions. As close to one and done as you will get. You should strongly consider Finasteride for 6 months before surgery if you’re not already on it.

Love Konior- just doesn't do mega sessions. Leaning towards HW. Can't take finasteride for other medical purposes. 

55 minutes ago, Gasthoerer said:

OK, I misunderstood your request. If you focus is a strip megesession H&W would be my choice from the two clinics. Another one would be Hattingen in Europe. Both are strip megasession Experts. Rahal woould be my favorite for hairlines.

I am not aware of a FUT specialist well known for work on diffused thinners or using an implanted pen. But maybe there are. I have seen some nice cases on YouTube for diffused thinners from Arocha if I remember correctly. But not patient reports. 

I would be VERY interested in Hattingen- only problem I have is tht I don't see many patient experiences from them a lot. From what I see, they have amazing results, my only concern is the lack of patient responses I see (or don't see). If I see them, I would deff consider them.

5 hours ago, Gasthoerer said:

You should look into clinics using implanted pens. Usually this clinics have great results with diffuse thinning. Lorenzo or Freitas could be starting points for your research. 

I have great respect for both of those surgeons- however FUE is not an option for me. Frankly speaking, I don't consider them FUT specialists even though they are exceptional surgeons and FUE specialists. One reason why I narrowed down it to Hasson and Rahal is due to their strong FUT expertise.

Hi All,

I am a 27 year old patient with diffuse loss (will post pics soon) and have narrowed my choices down to Hasson and Rahal. I was considering Diep at one point, but due to some questionable things I've read regarding him not standing by his work and his donor site, I've removed him from my list. Between Hasson and Rahal, who is better for diffuse loss and to get the most coverage in one procedure? My hair loss will deff require more surgeries for the future, so I don't have the one and done attitude- but I do want the most coverage possible in one go.

Even though he  has thousands of reviews on his youtube and website,  the reason why some of us fear they are fake reviews is because it's always different when a patient shares his experience vs what a clinic shares. First hand patient account is always more valuable to a consumer than what the clinic shares. This is why people have that fear, and although I have great respect for the clinic, it's a solid reason to question some of these reviews.

There needs to be a rule by the moderator that when posting reviews, it's MANDATORY to have pics. Either this is his staff or maybe even another doctor trying to ruin a reputation. Whatever it is, there needs to be a rule that if a person doesn't submit photos within 24 hours or so, the thread is deleted.

I don't doubt your results, you've been forthright with it. But I do think it is questionable that this clinic constantly has these reviews without photos, and have only one post about how great their experience is, without any pictures and don't post at all.

Another one (DJ Khaled voice)

Honestly, these type of reviews worry me. And it seems as if Dr. Diep is loaded with these type of one and done, without pic reviews. 

Any update? Hate it when guys do this, you can never tell the outcome. Either post your results consistently or don't at all.

Hasson may have cleaner donor work- but it's difficult to get to talk to him. And spaceman, Hasson rarely does consultations. Many of the times the day he has surgery, he meets the patients or talks to them for the first time. This is where Diep has an upperhand- it may be brief, but he personally consults his patients online, in person.