OzzyBoy

@Melvin-Moderator

What's your opinion on using Minox post-HT on my transplanted region for 6 months ONLY, and then stopping it entirely? The major point to consider here, is that my grafts have been transplanted in between existing native hair, therefore if I apply minox on my transplanted region, that also means I will be applying it on my native hair...…..from my understanding, my native hair would shed once I stop using it at the 6 month mark, right? 

I had my HT 5 days ago and have never used minoxidil before (i'm 27 years old). My HT surgeon has recommended I use it on my transplanted area only for 6 months post-op and to then stop it....it's my choice whether to continue using it beyond 6 months, but he has said I don't need to.

I have thin hair and my 2036 graft HT was for my hairline and mid scalp region. While I will use minoxidil as recommended by my surgeon for the 6 months on my transplanted area, I'm tossing up whether to 1) continue using it beyond the 6 months and 2) try it on my crown too, which is very thin and was not operated on.

I've been on Finasteride for nearly 5 months now, started it before my HT to minimise permanent shock loss. No sides, everything OK so far, though I've gone through a large shed in these 5 months. For now, I do intend to use it long term if I continue reacting to it fine...

hi guys,

From my understanding, matt3480 is right on this one.

Dr Bhatti is specifically referring to those who start taking Finasteride before their HT (to avoid shock loss) and then intend on stop using it 6 months or so after their HT. If you start using Fin before your HT to avoid shock loss / strengthen your donor area, my understanding is that it is recommended to then stay on Fin long term.

On 8/8/2018 at 6:07 PM, jg23 said:

Some 3 week post op photos.  All of the scabs came off on the 14th day.  A fair number of hairs were also attached to the scabs. Dr. Bhatti assured me this was normal and that the hairs will regrow as they are still planted beneath the skin.  

I'm heading back to work soon and I'm thinking about using some toppik on the transplanted area to blend in with the rest of the scalp. Anybody think this is a bad idea?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi mate, did you end up using Toppik? Was it ok on top of the transplanted hair?

On ‎4‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 3:27 PM, Cheddar said:

4 month update:

 

PROS:

I have noticed much less hair falling out in the sink when combing. Overall hair loss seems to have slowed considerably (possibly stopped). Also, my existing hair quality has improved significantly giving the illusion of more hair. It definitely appears thicker and I’ve received some compliments. I am quite impressed with the results after only 4 months.

 

CONS:

No noticeable new growth/regrowth. I understand new growth is rare, but l still hope to improve my crown density over the next 6-8 months. No significant sexual side effects except l have noticed a slight decrease in semen volume. There is definitely less than before taking Fin. I have no issues with my ability to “function”.

 

I will continue to take 1.25mg of generic Fin daily and I’ll provide another update in a month.

Hi Cheddar, just stumbled across this post - do you have any updates since April, it should be the 8 month mark now? 

On ‎8‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 11:57 AM, Melvin-Moderator said:

I agree with Dr. Erdogan, I would wait at least 6 months to see if the treatment is working for you, I would also add in minoxidil. I would not touch the crown as Dr. Bhatti suggested as well. You have a lot of miniaturized hair, hopefully the finasteride and minoxidil can help. If you do not want to take finasteride, I would suggest another 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. You can try Azelaic Acid.

thanks Melvin. One of the surgeons I mentioned above is recommending that I do not use Finasteride right now, instead, go for my HT and then use Finasteride for 6 months post-op only. Is this a viable option, one that you've seen before? I'd be happy to use Finasteride for the 6 months post-op.

I've attached a photo of my donor area with my hair grown out some more compared to my earlier pics. 

On ‎8‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 10:57 AM, pkipling said:

Hi Ozzy! Your donor does give me concern - particularly that you mentioned it is still thinning. Have you had your hair examined in person? The reason donor hair is donor hair is because it generally isn't subject to MPB and you're not going to lose them, regardless of where they are on your scalp. However, if your donor hair isn't stable, then those same hairs in the back/sides of your head that are destined to fall out will still fall out even if moved to the top/crown/hairline. I would be extremely cautious and get more consultations than your average person typically would. You're also quite young, and combine all of that with not being willing/able to take finasteride, ad your situation is particularly tricky... So please take your time and really make your decision carefully. 

Thanks for your response!

Yes, i've had my hair examined in person in Australia (with some hair loss clinics, no world class surgeons though), they all recommended no more than 2000 grafts across my hairline and to leave the crown alone. They also recommended finasteride.

After reading more about Finasteride, I feel it's worth trying especially at my age in conjunction with a HT. It appears the side effects are rare / more psychological than anything. 

46 minutes ago, wjc1979 said:

This is what it looks like after two weeks, front area and donor area. 

 

 

Seems to be coming along really well mate - doesn't look too red and not noticeable that you've just had a procedure.....

11 hours ago, wjc1979 said:

It's day 9 and the scabs are almost all off. Only a couple of small stubborn ones remain. I think it's looking great so far. Dr Bhatti's aftercare routine involves applying shaving foam for five minutes to the recipient area and rinsing it off after day three. This softens up the scabs and they just slide right off. It's quite gratifying! 

One downside of this whole thing is that I don't like how vain I've become. I can't walk past a mirror without checking myself out and admiring how much better I look with a hairline! This is exactly the problem I was hoping for! I know it will all fall out very soon, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts! 

 

 

Great, looking forward to seeing the progress over the next few months! Are you on minoxidil too, or just fin? 

Very eager to see some update pics too!

Have you noticed any side effects from Finasteride? 

4 hours ago, alex84 said:

Hello and thx, it is good for now, but i wish i had done more grafts...

My subjective opinion is that both of them are great doctors.

Dr. Erdogan was not the right choice for me because in more than two and a half months and 15 mails and many, many pictures and explanations i still didn't know if he will take me as a patient. I am guessing that he didn't want to take me because i have diffuse hair loss and thin donor hair so i wouldn't be an amazing result. To be honest the whole proces of selection from dr Erdogan left me feeling little bit angry and disappointed because he never gave an explanation for all the questioning. I contacted 2 other doctors and thay were satisfied with the amount of pictures,my description of my hair loss, my medical history and finally with my expectations from HT. Also, i did notice that 90% of his patients are people with small hair loss, nw2 or 3, with great thick hair on top and an amazing donor hair, and i just don't fit in there because my hair loss is little more complicated than just filling empty space with loads of hairs.

Dr. Doganay had great results, with the excepion of the year 2015, and had many similar cases of hair loss patients as my. He did ask a few questions before (about my first Ht, my other surgery) but not like dr. Erdogan, and he could book my HT when it suited me, which was very important because of my work schedule. It was easy decision for me.

Honestly, i dont know much about BHT except for the fact that Dr. Doganay does it and Dr. Erdongan doesnt.

 

Yeah Erdogan has since responded and rejected me for transplant lol. He's asked me to go on Finasteride for 6 months before getting back in touch with him, but I don't want to use Finasterid so I guess I'm ruling him out...

Doganay says he can do 4000 grafts, so it's quite the contrast...one saying im not a transplant patient at all and one saying I'm good for 4000 grafts!!

On 7/18/2018 at 3:45 AM, Melvin-HTsoon said:

Do you mind posting pictures, it is difficult to accurately give you an opinion on your situation without seeing the extent of hair loss. 

Warmest regards- Melvin 

Hi mate, what do you think with my pics? I've been quoted a few different options so far.

1) Dr Erdogan has recommended I wait 6 months and use Finasteride before contacting him again. He won't operate on me right now given my donor area

2) Dr Doganay has said 4000 grafts total is possible now

3) Dr Bhatti can do 2000 grafts for my hairline now. He recommends i wait and do my crown down the track once my hairloss stabilises (I'm 26 yrs old). 

Not keen on using Finasteride so what other options do I have?

10 hours ago, Recedinggenes said:

So I was on minoxidil for about 3 years, was a pretty good responder and I think my hair stabilized until about 6 months ago I saw it creeping back so I just gave up on it, I’m curious to see how aggressive my hairloss is.

I will say this about finasteride...the shit is poison! I gave it a try, lasted about a month before I started noticing my erections were drastically reduced, it was harder to get going, and worst of all, testicular pain that was so bad I couldn’t sleep. I still today suffer from pain down there, but have gained most of my libido back. 

Thanks for the advice guys...

Hi mate, I'm in the same boat. 26 years old and just gotten a few quotes from surgeons to proceed with my transplant. Deciding which surgeon to choose now.

My big issue is that all of them have recommended I use Finasteride pre and post surgery, as my donor hair is weak and overall hair very thin. They want me to use Finasteride to thicken my donor area for future possible transplants.

I'm very worried about the side effects. How was Minoxidil for you? How did it improve your hair and did you get any side effects? I'm wondering whether I can just use Minoxidil / Rogaine pre and post surgery instead of Finasteride....

27 minutes ago, wjc1979 said:

I wouldn't worry too much about finasteride. From what I've researched the side effects are exaggerated and rare. In the unlikely case you can't get a boner, you'll know soon enough to stop taking it! ?

Haha yeah, I imagine you will call it out here if anything weird happens for you (hopefully not though!), so I will keep a lookout...thanks again

Thanks mate, really appreciate it.

I'm a little nervous about Finasteride, as my wife and I are looking to start a family over the next 12 - 18 months. 

I have emailed Dr Bhatti my pics and hope to hear back soon! I will follow your progress too, best of luck with it!   

Hi there, best of luck with the growth! A few questions if you don't mind.

I'm currently researching too and have been tossing up between Dr Erdogan in Turkey and Dr Bhatti. What made you choose Bhatti over him?...do you have to travel to Chandigarh for the procedure or can they do it in Delhi too?

Also, do you mind sharing how much you paid for the total surgery? I assume you had to pay for your own accommodation etc?

I have a weak donor area so keen to see what Dr Bhatti recommends. Has he put you on Finasteride at all?

Finally, were there any other Indian doctors that you were really close to choosing? I'm looking at Dr Kapil Dua too...

Sorry for all the questions man!

*UPDATE*

So Dr Doganay has responded and recommended 4000 grafts. Despite the weak donor, he thinks he can extract that much + can take a few from my beard too.

Dr Erdogan is yet to provide the final evaluation, however has initially replied just saying that he recommends I use Finasteride on my donor area. Waiting to hear back from him regarding number of grafts he can do, etc. 

6 hours ago, Melvin-HTsoon said:

Do you mind posting pictures, it is difficult to accurately give you an opinion on your situation without seeing the extent of hair loss. 

Warmest regards- Melvin 

Thanks Melvin.

Hi everyone,

I'm very close to booking my HT, just doing a lot of reading on the topic right now. I am 27 years old. I've got quotes from Dr Erdogan and Dr Doganay from Turkey, just tossing up between them (would love to hear any opinions on either of these surgeons, especially Dr Doganay as I know Erdogan is great). 

The Finasteride debate is one i'm dealing with right now too. Both Doctors have recommended I use Finasteride, as I have a weak donor area at the back of my head. Their view is that Finasteride should help in thickening this area and improving my overall donor capacity. I have never used Finasteride. 

The challenge is that my wife and I are looking to start a family within the next 12-18 months, so i'm really unsure about giving Finasteride a go and tempting fate with any side effects. Dr Doganay offers beard transplants, which can be used on the scalp, so i'm seriously considering that. However, my crown has started to thin already, so my worry is that having a HT with a weak donor area, combined with non-use of Finasteride is just setting me up for a future of looking very weird, given I won't be able to have future HT's (as my donor area thins out further). 

Would appreciate your thoughts on this....

17 minutes ago, yoyooo said:

OzzyBoy - It's all good!

I was debating between both Dr's but I decided to go with Dr. Hakan Doganay cause he performes the procedure himself. The technicians only assist in the operation. With Dr. Erdogan all his technicians  do the entire procedure. Now I'm not one to say that his work isn't amazing but I felt more comfortable getting it done by an MD. 

The beard hairs are there to fill in and for density. No he didn't use it on the hairline. He only used it in the middle towards the back. I still have a full beard and no patchy spots. Feel like nothing was ever done to be honest. 

The reason I paid that low was I came with a friend so they gave us a packaged deal. Speak to Mohamed he's really friendly and understanding. 

Good Luck.....

Thanks again. Just received my final quote from Dr Doganay and waiting on Dr Erdogan to provide theirs. Erdogan does not do beard transplants at all, another reason he may not work for me.

One final question regarding Finasteride - I noticed you stopped using it. My wife and I are looking to start a family over the next 12-18 months, what are your thoughts on it? I've read so much about the potential side effects, but that it can also be so beneficial in thickening my hair. Then again, I've read that some people saw no effects at all, so it really is a tricky one. I don't just want to 'give it a go' and gamble, but I guess I can't have everything right. If my hair transplant can be successful without using it, that's my preference.  Both Dr. Doganay and Erdogan have come back to me recommending it though, particularly as I have a weak donor area. 

Hey, sorry I think I commented on your other post, I didn't see this updated one. Great progress so far. Sorry for the long post, I'm literally deciding between Dr Doganay and Dr Erdogan right now.

I'm interested in understanding why you chose Doganay over Erdogan. You mention that Erdogan quoted more grafts, is that the only reason why? 

Also, how does the beard transplant work, did they only use that because your head donor hair was weaker than expected? Did they use the beard hair for your crown only (I believe beard hair is not great for hairlines?). I'm a bit worried that using beard hair will leave my beard permanently patchy in the future... but I do have a weak donor area on my head..

Interesting you paid 1.5 euro, Ive been quoted 2 euro for scalp donor hair and 2.5 for any beard hair...though there is some discount if the grafts go above 2000 

Hey, do you guys know anything at all about Dr Hakan Doganay from ahd in Turkey? I've read that he is one of the best along with Erdogan in Turkey (perhaps not as good as Erdogan?)........but that he also specialises in body / beard hair transplants (BHT), which i'm only just starting to read a bit more about...i'm just doing my research before I completely rule out the possibly of a HT haha

hi mate, nice progress so far.

how would you compare Doganay vs Erdogan? I've seen great things from Erdogan too...

Also, do you have any views / feedback on Doganay using body hair? I have a very weak donor area at the back of my head and have heard Dogonay is an expert at body hair transplants.....though i'm unsure of his results with this...

1 hour ago, Legend007 said:

Yes they can take hair from where ever u some.. if the surgery n surgeon is good .. they be able to do it with a good survival rate .. I don’t mean to be a downer .. but u have a tough battle .. n if u want to go down that route choose who u have surgery with carefully .. n u need to hop on meds .. finasteride . It’s a good defense for diffuse thinners .. the side effects are rare ,, If u care about ur keeping ur hair u have no choice .. it’s not a miracle drug : but it helps making ur hair stronger n not fall out as easily.. I’ve been on it for a year .. n my hairline seems to be worse ,: but overall I have less Hair fall .. n the feeling of u actually able to control ur hairloss while on meds , is a good thing .. I was feeling depressed seeing my hair just fall out when I shake my head .. so my hair is more manageable now . Hopefully urs will stabilize too . Good luck.. also with some toppik  ur hair won’t be so bad . It be good if u need to go out for special occasions . U won’t look bald .. just thinning hair .

thanks man, that's a bummer for me, but ah well! It is what it is, right. 

regardless, I will let you guys know what Erdogan ends up saying too 

Uh oh, it's not looking great for me! Will fill you guys in as soon as I've heard back from Asmed. 

Out of curiosity, can they not take donor hair from anywhere else for hair transplants? Like the side of my head or even my beard (which is quite dense)....?