dreadlocks

I eventually went with SMG and flew from London. The people in the clinic were fantastic and the experience was all that I imagined it would be. Thank you guys. The Hotel staff could not have been more helpful. Generally, what Minnesota lacks in architecture, it more than makes up for in hospitality (they call this 'Minnesota Nice'). The same cannot be said for the customs people who gave me a crap time both getting in (2 hour wait and interview). and coming out (practically strip searched in public without cap). This is despite my high tech biometric passport. I guess I should expect this shoddy treatment with my non-Anglo Saxon name (their excuse - honest!). Although, this sort of treatment has effected my holiday destinations and general business dealings. It has had zero impact on my recommendation of SMG and would go back every time.

I suspect that the anticipated anxiety is much worse than the actual event. But it is always good to get real life accounts

Thanks Fingers. It really helps getting first hand experience.

Hi Guys, I am a frequent flyer and spend much time at airports. I love the US and Canada and enjoy travelling out there. But getting through the security is always dreaded, both going in and coming out. Now I'm planning to visit to either Feller or H and Wong for a hardcore procedure. Both shave and I'm worried about the abuse I'm going to get when leaving American soil. I wanted to ask people that have been through this experience - How bad is it with a half shaved head and are there any tips to save your dignity? And how long does it take before you look vaguely human without a cap?

With a previous FUT/strip scar (two surgeries 900 grafts each - one scar) and a professional career, I'm finding it hard to decide on the best strategy forward to address thinning that probably needs 500-1000 grafts. I do not want any sort of shaving. Last two procedures were without recipient area shaving. Both with good result. My strip scar is quite close to the hair line and I dont want to mess around with excellent thin scar. Also my best donor area seems to be the sides of the head above the ears. Hence I wonder if I should ask someone to do a mini FUE procedure without shaving (other than a small, thin strip that will not obviously show) With minimal inconvenience to work? Also I wonder why more surgeons dont work this way producing a more natural result over a longer period of time (the cynic in me says that surgeons dont do this because they can charge you more money for a single session and post more impressive results). Any thoughts/advice?

Hey Maxxy, thanks for the enquiry Experience has taught me that research is key and surgical skill varies with the stage/nature of work required. If you decide to have a strip and subsequently needed FUE would you stick with the old surgeon out of loyalty or get the best FUE surgeon. Also hair transplantation is probably one of the few medical specialities where you should seek a global expertise hence I continue on my journey but probably will go back to the Farjos. Good luck with your work BigBill

Im not here to prove my case but I find your suspicious minds interesting. What if I say that in my opinion DHI are low life that should be avoided at all costs.

Thanks windjc - In a nutshell - naivety and internet advertising and not knowing about this forum at the time.

I note most of the top docs shave the hair preprocedure - even for strip work. I had a procedure with a Farjos, who didn't shave and still got a good result and I only needed to take a week off work (If shaved would take at least six weeks off). I have to work long and hard to pay the next surgeon. Any thoughts?

Amir please help out, these guys are too cynical to hold a sensible debate.

The good news is that it seems to reduce the risk of prostate cancer which we are more likely to get.

Thanks Mike, will probably go with FUT using previous scar - it a bit low now. Im meeting Drs Farjo and Bisanga soon.

Oh and the story of the sunny day in London, office pics and movie - all true!

I hear what you are saying Hairismylife. Sorry it sounded disengenous but I have no agenda and am here to educate and share experience with guys (and of course girls) who are desperate for help and turn to flash advertising using models with hair brushed out as before pics. I am very much against the conveyor belt approach and budget transplants and am no fan of DHI, BHR, Hospital Group or any other cheap hair dealerships. But the question remains - Why would Amir Khan (A man instantly recognisable to a billion people) go there for his work and have the photos taken to prove it. Moreover, why is virender Sehwag (also known to roughly the same billion) now endorsing them and plastered across their website. Many other young dudes will ask the same question? Why? Why? Why?

Last year I went for a consult with DHI - Didn't go with them but had a very pleasant sunny afternoon in London afterwards with a cold one. Anyway, for those that you don't know Amir Khan is a forty something bollywood legend. Perhaps, one of the ten top recognisable actors in the world. I was fascinated to see that the walls in the rented office space were posted with pics of Amir Khan with staff from DHI. The guy I saw spent a lot of time telling me about the excellent work they had done on him (big stars probably don't have the same rights to confidentiality the rest of us take for granted!). The story doesn't end there. A few weeks later I took the wife out for a much deserved night out and we watched Amir's latest hit: Ghajini. Amir is a perfectionist and the film is a homage to the perfection of his post work out body (google Ghajini and Amir Khan) and perfect hair transplant - complete with very clever use of strip scar. In fact he made it into a fashion statement. As a mere mortal I can but wonder that if DHI is good enough for Amir Khan, surely it is good enough for the rest of us? Don't expect them to keep it a secret though!

Hi mmhce I'm not sure there is generally available published data on this. I'm hopeing there are experts who access the forum and give us some guidance. Lets face it - these drugs are designed for old guys with urinanry problems and the hair issue is a side effect that has been seized on by 'hair loss clinics' and lots of young men are paying a lot of money for some hair gain but potentially at serious health risk.

I have a friend who works with pharmaceuticals and she tells me that there has been a non-conclusive link between the use of dutasteride and breast cancer in men (men apparently get 1% of all breast cancers). They are simply monitoring the situation at present. Has anyone else heard anything on this? Also with the very long half life (6 weeks) should we only take one tablet every few weeks?

Hi Guys, I need some advice. As a professional working in the public sector, image counts for a lot. Hence when my previous mane started to shed in my early thirties, I naturally went for surgery - Initially done by the hospital group UK. Strip: not great but excellent result for me because of my natural hair. I believed it helped me progress in my career but after about five years (now in my late 30s) things didn't look so good with more loss and some of those plugs were showing! Then procedure number two - at the Farjo (Manchester UK). Strip, closed with a trichophytic technique, Front now looks very impressive and seems permenant (I probably will only want a little tweaking at some point). Now at 42 years I have thinning at the Crown, despite dutasteride and propecia. However does not seem to be progressing. I have a lot of thick doner hair. I have decided that the best way forward is with FUE perhaps with one of the masters. And here lies the problem. I know they will want to shave at least part of my head - hence exposing my scar, which will give the game away as I have never told anyone of my previous surgery (except wife!). I will certainly not want to be at work while the scar shows. Hence the questions are: How long should I be looking to be off work? Should I think about mini procedures where only a strip is shaved? Or should I go back and have another strip - They will probably usee the same old scar (but I fear the result will not be as natural) Please help wise friends.