MiamiCurls

I was on Finasteride for 6 months after the procedure. Upon my return to America I knew that it would become more expensive to source them so I took them until the prescription ran out. My recommendation, daily exercise and a diet based on a high protein to carbohydrate ratio (go for complex carbohydrates, avoid simple and refined carbs as much as possible) to maintain cortisol levels under control and my hair is as full as it was when I was on Finasteride. By the way, my profile photo was taken two weeks ago, it's been over a year and four months since the procedure. Hope this helps!

Hi I wanted to post a follow up to my original thread, two years and three months after my initial visit to Dr. Bahtti's clinic. With plenty of time to gather my thoughts and appreciate the full results I have put into words all that I've been able to gather in this journey. I hope it serves you well in your own: Good hair restoration is an artform. All great works of art have one thing in common, they were not created in one day, they evolve through time. From Michelangelo's David to da Vinci's Monalisa they were all the product of progressive work. The same applies to a great hair restoration, this is one of the most important lessons I have learned during this journey. Two years ago I underwent a successful 2100 grafts FUE procedure with Dr Bhatti, the results were impressive, as evidenced on my previous post. During my consultation with Dr Bhatti I asked him to take a "less is more" approach in order to safeguard as much of the donor area resources as possible for when I had a chance to experience the transplanted hair growth and understand the best ways to style it (remember you can always add more but once it has been transplanted you can't turn back and the donor area resources are a limiting factor). So, after a year of enjoying his work and becoming acquainted with the looks of different lengths and stylings I had a clear idea of what could make it look even better than it already did. It basically came down to accentuating the windows peak area, since it was a defining feature of my hairline in my early 20's and to maximize the density so that I could also wear my hair very short and the areas with original and transplanted hair would look as equally dense as possible. I have a protruded forehead and the peak makes it look much smaller and balances my facial proportions. Last May I contacted his office to make arrangements for another procedure, and to my surprise Dr Bhatti gladly agreed to perform it free of cost as a retouch because the hairline he drew on the first consultation took that area into account. Even then I was a bit in doubt if it was really necessary, to me that is testament to how good his initial work was. I've always been told that I have a baby face appearance therefore a more aggressive hairline doesn't look awkward, especially since he had brought my temples forward on the first procedure. I was looking forward to share the result with the doctor and his team as I was so grateful what they had done for me. The protocol was the same as in my first visit, this time they even assisted me with the arrangements for accommodation. His driver picked me up at the hotel the morning after my arrival and took me to their new facilities, a state of the art dedicated medical services building. Upon seeing their faces I couldn't help but smile, at that point no word could express my gratitude. We had a brief consultation where Dr Bhatti listened carefully to my feedback, he explained his plan, documented the results and proceeded to prep my head by trimming my hair very short. The plan was to add 500 grafts to the frontal hairline and the widow's peak. The procedure went as uneventful as the first, his team showing again a high level of skill and professionalism. As in the first procedure, Dr Bhatti did the anesthesia and harvesting of grafts. After a short breakfast break Dr Bhatti made the slits and this took around 20 mins. The old team of my previous procedure did the plantation. Well co-ordinated with Dr Bhatti supervising the plantation every now and then and enquiring about my comfort. The plantation Once done they covered my head and got me to eat some lunch. After that it was time to reveal the grafted area, clean the donor area and bandage my head, once again I was blown out of the water as the amount of work he puts in is so evident, opposed to the doctor who did my botched procedure in the USA. Once completed the driver took me back to my hotel. Next morning I was picked up and taken to the clinic for the removal of the bandages, a final documentation of his work and to go over the care instructions and receive the care kit. I had decided that this time I wanted to stay at the villa the clinic offers for post-op recovery in Kasauli, one of the hill stations adjacent to Chandigarh, an elegant and peaceful retreat that includes a lovely lady that cooks deliciously and cleans for you. At USD 25 a day it is worth every penny. After spending a few days there resting and exploring the hill station I was ready to hit the road, but before returning to the US it was time to make the most of my trip by enjoying some sightseeing, this year it was time to explore Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple. India is such a big country with such rich and complex history that you barely can scratch the surface in just one visit. I know I will be back. Dr Bhatti and his team are like distant relatives to me now, anytime I look at myself in the mirror I can't help but think about them and how much they've done for me. A few last thoughts two years into this journey. Number one, trust Dr Bhatti and his work and don't cheap out on the PRP therapy that he is advocating as it is an essential element in the transplant result's success. Second, as one would be tempted to get every single possible hair grafted in one shot, the true artform lies in the work not being detected, specially by those who know you. I have noticed in the last two years friend commenting in social media about people they know who have gotten work done and they poke fun at the fact that they can tell they've had work done due to a combination of unesthetic looking and excessive restoration, in my case the only comment I've received in numerous times has been that I don't seem to age, a testament to his work, a boost of confidence to me and a win for all.

Good hair restoration is an artform. All great works of art have one thing in common, they were not created in one day, they evolve through time. From Michelangelo's David to da Vinci's Monalisa they were all the product of progressive work. The same applies to a great hair restoration, this is one of the most important lessons I have learned during this journey. Two years ago I underwent a successful 2100 grafts FUE procedure with Dr Bhatti, the results were impressive, as evidenced on my previous post. During my consultation with Dr Bhatti I asked him to take a "less is more" approach in order to safeguard as much of the donor area resources as possible for when I had a chance to experience the transplanted hair growth and understand the best ways to style it (remember you can always add more but once it has been transplanted you can't turn back and the donor area resources are a limiting factor). So, after a year of enjoying his work and becoming acquainted with the looks of different lengths and stylings I had a clear idea of what could make it look even better than it already did. It basically came down to accentuating the windows peak area, since it was a defining feature of my hairline in my early 20's and to maximize the density so that I could also wear my hair very short and the areas with original and transplanted hair would look as equally dense as possible. I have a protruded forehead and the peak makes it look much smaller and balances my facial proportions. Last May I contacted his office to make arrangements for another procedure, and to my surprise Dr Bhatti gladly agreed to perform it free of cost as a retouch because the hairline he drew on the first consultation took that area into account. Even then I was a bit in doubt if it was really necessary, to me that is testament to how good his initial work was. I've always been told that I have a baby face appearance therefore a more aggressive hairline doesn't look awkward, especially since he had brought my temples forward on the first procedure. I was looking forward to share the result with the doctor and his team as I was so grateful what they had done for me. The protocol was the same as in my first visit, this time they even assisted me with the arrangements for accommodation. His driver picked me up at the hotel the morning after my arrival and took me to their new facilities, a state of the art dedicated medical services building. Upon seeing their faces I couldn't help but smile, at that point no word could express my gratitude. We had a brief consultation where Dr Bhatti listened carefully to my feedback, he explained his plan, documented the results and proceeded to prep my head by trimming my hair very short. The plan was to add 500 grafts to the frontal hairline and the widow's peak. The procedure went as uneventful as the first, his team showing again a high level of skill and professionalism. As in the first procedure, Dr Bhatti did the anesthesia and harvesting of grafts. After a short breakfast break Dr Bhatti made the slits and this took around 20 mins. The old team of my previous procedure did the plantation. Well co-ordinated with Dr Bhatti supervising the plantation every now and then and enquiring about my comfort. The plantation Once done they covered my head and got me to eat some lunch. After that it was time to reveal the grafted area, clean the donor area and bandage my head, once again I was blown out of the water as the amount of work he puts in is so evident, opposed to the doctor who did my botched procedure in the USA. Once completed the driver took me back to my hotel. Next morning I was picked up and taken to the clinic for the removal of the bandages, a final documentation of his work and to go over the care instructions and receive the care kit. I had decided that this time I wanted to stay at the villa the clinic offers for post-op recovery in Kasauli, one of the hill stations adjacent to Chandigarh, an elegant and peaceful retreat that includes a lovely lady that cooks deliciously and cleans for you. At USD 25 a day it is worth every penny. After spending a few days there resting and exploring the hill station I was ready to hit the road, but before returning to the US it was time to make the most of my trip by enjoying some sightseeing, this year it was time to explore Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple. India is such a big country with such rich and complex history that you barely can scratch the surface in just one visit. I know I will be back. Dr Bhatti and his team are like distant relatives to me now, anytime I look at myself in the mirror I can't help but think about them and how much they've done for me. A few last thoughts two years into this journey. Number one, trust Dr Bhatti and his work and don't cheap out on the PRP therapy that he is advocating as it is an essential element in the transplant result's success. Second, as one would be tempted to get every single possible hair grafted in one shot, the true artform lies in the work not being detected, specially by those who know you. I have noticed in the last two years friend commenting in social media about people they know who have gotten work done and they poke fun at the fact that they can tell they've had work done due to a combination of unesthetic looking and excessive restoration, in my case the only comment I've received in numerous times has been that I don't seem to age, a testament to his work, a boost of confidence to me and a win for all.

It took me 10 years ... they were well worth the wait. I started receding in my early 20's but by age 24 it really began affecting me as I could not find a way to dress the hair where it would not look weird. I did not like the shaved head look, so I battled pulling the hair in many ways but the habit began to evolve into an obsessive behavior. I knew it was time to look for a hair restoration alternative (mind you, we're talking 2005, most of the work back then didn't look as nice as it looks now and FUE was less commonplace). Being young and desperate for a solution I chose to go with a Miami,FL area doctor who allegedly transplanted 1200 grafts via strip method in 2006. The result was sparse, wispy and very obvious because they were grafted where there was no hair left and next to a dense area of hair.They say a good hair transplant goes unnoticed. Even people that didn't know me would stare at my hairline when talking to them, there eyes would stray upwards as if they knew there was something funny, this made me so uncomfortable. What that doctor did not know was that his work would send my life into a tailspin. The stress and anxiety drove me to abuse alcohol and drugs and I eventually ended up in legal troubles. There was a long road ahead, I progressively went into hiding and isolation from friends and avoided social situations, but that was never me. During all those years I kept an eye on the industry. Two years ago I decided it was time to take action. During that time I came across something Dr. Bahtti had written regarding the restoration of the temple peaks and how this restoration is so effective with the use of less donor resources. That brief writing made me look up his clinic's website.He specializes in working with patients with Sikh pattern alopecia, a form of baldness due to the constant wearing of the turban used by the Sikh male population of India. I took a look at his work and after reading his CV decided that he was worth further inquiry. Dr Bahtti quoted 1800 grafts to be required based on the photos I sent. His clinic's quote was far more competitive than any I got back in the USA, even when adding the flight and accommodation costs. I decided to start making plans for a mid 2017 date, a birthday gift of sorts and an end to a dark chapter of my life. On May 22 2017, I boarded a flight to Chandigarh, India and upon arrival at the airport I took a taxi to the clinic. Once there, a deep sense of peace came upon me. The facilities are on par with any top notch medical clinic in America and the staff is very welcoming and attentive. When I got to meet Dr Bahtti he discussed his plan and proceeded to sketch out the hairline profile based on the 1800 graft quote. I asked him if it could be lowered a bit more and he said it would require more grafts but it was possible, so I asked to have a new quote with the additional grafts. The new quote was for 2100 grafts, I agreed and we finalized the arrangements for the procedure to be done the next morning. On the morning of the procedure, the clinic's driver picked me up at my accommodation and took me there. Dr. Bahtti's clinic is a well oiled machine and surgery days run in a very structured yet streamlined form. The procedure was uneventful, in a matter of a few hours they were finished and had the ordered lunch ready for me. After lunch it was time to get my head dressed, it was here where I got my first look at the work done. I was in awe, I felt so relieved, the dark cloud was finally going away, It looked so good, and best of all it looked good no mater how I looked at it. After a last inspection they put on the dressings and had the driver take me back to my place. The next few days were all about rest, relaxation and the proper maintenance procedure of the scalp. By day #5 post op I was ready to hit the road as I had planned to make the most of my trip by heading to the Himachal Pradesh region. I had the chance to come face to face with the Himalayas and all the beautiful scenery that surrounds it. Two weeks post op, with scabs shed it was time to head back home. A month post op I had a quick trim and around the 3 month mark the fine hair that started growing turned thicker and thicker. Dressing the hair had not been this easy for a long time. The days of getting trapped in front of the mirror due to an awkward look were long gone, a simple wipe of the hair had it dressed in an aesthetic pleasing way. I haven't cut my hair since, waiting for it to look odd as it used to look when I had the first procedure. I couldn't let it grow for more than 3 months before it would look all wispy and unbalanced. All I have to say is that I've got my curls back! I never thought I would feel confident enough to share my journey with others, I didn't think I would see a happy ending to my story. I will be forever grateful for what Dr. Bahtti's team at Darling Buds, India did for me.