Looking for HT

Hey everyone!! Apologies for not being very active on the forum.

So the full growth has now probably completed after 2 procedures. I will take some pictures after washing my hair and in good light.

Massive difference but still lacking a little density in the centre frontal. Hair fibres will be my lifelong besties I suppose.

Once I have posted pictures, I will let the audience judge and suggest !!

Cheers

On 9/15/2021 at 9:03 PM, MazAB said:

@BoldnotBald I’m happy to share more details around those topics for sure. As far as blood testing goes, I personally have it tested by my primary care physician because I’m able to have my insurance cover most of it, and can also have my doctor recommend dosage of some of the key supplements, based on what may be lacking in my diet. The main benefit of having your doctor work with you directly on this is you can track trends year over year and have input on how you can change your diet first and foremost to meet the deficiencies, and if diet alone can’t, then the use of supplements will nicely fill that gap. I use a combination of nutrition testing and vitamin panel testing to evaluate the levels of macronutrients and micronutrients in the blood. Here is the breakdown of what it covers.

 

Nutritional Tests:

• Calcium

• Magnesium

• Iron 

• Sodium

• Zinc

• Phosphorus

• Omega-3 / Omega-6

• Folic Acid

• Beta Carotene

• Electrolytes

Vitamin Panel Tests:

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin E

• Vitamin K

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

• Vitamin B3 (niacin)

• Pantothenic acid 

• Biotin 

• Vitamin B6

• Vitamin B12 

• Folate 

These are all good for the body and hair, so you would not want to be deficient in any of them. It's a great start to understanding where your diet needs to change and how to add in supplements to eliminate any deficiencies. My doctor is also a nutritionist so that certainly does help, but I would think that most general doctors can perform nutritional and vitamin panel testing. 

Best advice I can give anyone before doing this is to improve your diet, incorporate HIIT training in your workouts, and find a fasting schedule that fits your lifestyle.  If you give your body positive changes and a more predictable lifestyle that it can adapt to metabolically, then the tests will satisfy a much bigger part of the equation for you. 

 

As it relates to the hair, I can definitely see a difference with some key supplements I’ve taken for years mentioned in my initial post. Intermittent fasting however, while it doesn’t have any proven benefits to promoting hair growth, if the diet is undertaken properly it can over time give you stronger, healthier hair. 

 

It’s important to ease into intermittent fasting. I started with a 12 hour fast and worked my way up. I now do 18 hours daily with a 6 hour eating window. If you don’t ease into it, it could cause  stress as your body undergoes a major dietary transition which could actually lead to additional hair loss, so definitely ramp into it slowly! Month 1 - 12 hour, Month 2 - 14 hour, etc… The reason I do 18 hour is that I want my body to enter into Autophagy which is when all the repair at an intracellular level happens. It takes typically about 14 to 15 hours to burn thru your glucose stores before you enter into it, so the extra few hours in Autophagy daily really helps everything in the body, hair included.

 

Another word of caution would be that when you are first making changes to your diet it can become easy to miss out on key nutrients and minerals your body needs to ensure your hair remains healthy and strong. Often the mistakes made for anyone starting to fast is that caloric restriction many times leads to the lack of key nutrients which many times leads to premature shedding and more hair loss over time. So be sure to eat what your normal calorie intake would be in that shorter window, and be sure to incorporate as many superfoods as possible during that window (lean meats, fish, leafy green vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.). 

 

For my research in general health in addition to hair, I tend to lean more towards Cochrane reviews simply because they are the most established and have the most rigorous testing methods, typically perform double blind placebo controlled trials more often and with some of the most respected researchers across the world. They are most definitely at the top of the pyramid for anyone using high-quality information to make health decisions. You can search on their website as well for any trials performed related to hair treatments or drugs. There are countless amounts of them to sort thru. 

https://www.cochrane.org/

 

For my hair research I try to take from multiple sources, but I really like William Slator. He’s probably written a few hundred articles over the last decade or so on hair loss. Although he’s the founder of his own product called Biogaine, which I do not necessarily endorse, I do respect his knowledge and research around the biology of hair. I’ll point you to a must read article of his that discusses how Intermittent Fasting and Autophagy has a direct effect on the hair. 

https://www.hairguard.com/fasting/

 

Here is my Day 15 update: 

Seems to be that everything is progressing as normal. Donor looks and feels untouched. I’ve been applying natural aloe from my aloe plant several times a day. I’ve been keeping the grafts very well hydrated with daily washes and saline spray throughout the day. Hopefully that helps the crusting heal a little faster. It’s a slow going process with the healing of the crusts, but I know it’s just par for the course, so I will try not to focus on it and let nature do its thing. Redness is lingering a little, but noticeably getting better by the day. Right temple needed less work than the left, and you can clearly see a very natural look blending into the native hair on that side. I’m hoping that the left one, once fully mature, has the same natural appearance.

In addition I’ve upped my doses of MSM, D3, C, E, and Niacin. In my opinion, Niacin is the perfect post hair transplant supplement. It improves blood circulation in the scalp, decreases inflammation in the scalp, and also rebuilds keratin in the anagen phase (growth phase). As hair is composed almost entirely of keratin, the lack of it will always lead to thinner, weaker hair. Once the grafts shed out, the telogen phase takes over, which as we all know takes about 3 to 4 months for the new hair follicles to come out of that resting phase, and enter back into an anagen growth phase. My goal is to try and take them out of that resting phase a little sooner with higher doses of D3 and MSM. While Niacin helps in the growth phase, D3 will help in the resting phase, both will promote more keratin proteins to form, and a higher dosage of MSM will help to fuel the keratin in every stage.     

I’m still well within the safe limits with my daily intake, but like I've already mentioned, but sure to talk with a doctor or nutritionist before deciding to fast or taking any additional supplements for yourself.

MSM - 2 Grams daily

D3 - 5000 IU daily

Niacin - 200 mg daily

C - 1500 mg daily

 

@BoldnotBald the extractions taken behind my ears were used for my hairline on the second pass. They wanted, of course, lighter, finer, more natural looking hairs at the start of it.

 

@Zoomster 007 will always be a 10 out of 10 as far as I’m concerned! Impossible to tell the difference between native hair and beard. Even in sunlight his hair looked 100% natural. Only difference is that it did not look like a dense, thick head of hair in high lighting situations, which of course, is now fully taken care of with the second procedure. All you need is 50 grafts per cm2 to achieve the illusion of full density, and between both procedures and his total graft count, he more than meets and/or exceeds that threshold. I’m really looking forward to his progress!

The lines of communication are fully open with Eugenix as I’ve been hearing proactively from them quite often on my aftercare, the steps I’ve been taking at home, and also requesting for me to periodically upload pictures for them to review. 

India may be on the other side of the world for me, but they have made themselves feel a lot closer😉.

Thanks all ~ Maz

Oh wow !! You did it 😄 All the best mate. You look great👍 

2 hours ago, Zoomster said:

Hi Guys.....just giving you all an update ...I had my 2nd procedure with the wonderful team at Eugenix over 2 days 4 and 5 of September..you all know my thoughts on the clinic at this stage ...people are allowed their opinion..and mine is they are currently one of the best in the world for restoring HIgh norwoods through Mega session FUE / BHT over most probably 2 passes ...others im sure have their own favs and that’s perfectly normal .

For the record the pre op pics attached were just after a shampoo and blow dry so there’s no styling product on board and my hair is around an inch shorter than normal so creating less of an illusion of density than normal....

I had the great fortune of meeting @MazABwhile i was visiting ..a really top bloke and whatever he doesn’t know about the HT industry ain’t worth knowin....he gave me a gentle nudge in the direction of having some temple work done to properly square of the face to give an added youthful touch for good measure ...on bringing this up with Dr Sethi he felt i didn’t need them but if I really wanted them he would do a very soft subtle version ....bottom line is ....I’m delighted I decided to run with it ...I think when they blend in soon and soften up ..I’ll be delighted I took Mazs advice 

I received 2,400 scalp and 2,200 beard for a total of 4,600 grafts which brings me to just over 11,600 FUE ..

Im all out on scalp now ...I’m hopeing this procedure seals the deal as they say ...I know one thing for sure ..

I couldn’t of found a Better Doctor to help me do it with the starting point and hair characterics I had .

From the bottom of my heart ..

Thank you Dr Sethi ,Dr Bansal and your team for all you’ve done for me 

I wish you both and all your team continued success long into the future 

Z

( PS...it’s been just over 20 months since I last visited Eugenix ..and it’s all the same team of faces that warmly greeted me ..techs,docs ,client support ....enough said )

Oh wow !! This is great bud. Very happy for you. The year will fly for full fledged results and those temples will look great 👌😄

Enjoy India and have a safe flight back home😄

20 minutes ago, MazAB said:

Incredible! Like I said the emotional swings back and forth was way more than anyone bargained for. What's more, you should still have growth and/or hair caliber maturity in the next few months to make the results even stronger.

Like everyone else on this thread, I was rooting for you every step of the way, and am over the moon happy for you dude! 

Thank you for all the support mate and hopefully exciting times ahead 😄

1 minute ago, JohnAC71 said:

One of the best transformations I have seen 👏👏

Thank you John😊

3 hours ago, Berba11 said:

Mate! Looks fantastic. FANTASTIC! I'm really delighted for you. Wanna swap hair?

I'm re-reading your thread actually. Obviously, not enough grafts were implanted to reach the desired density for what you wanted to do, but ultimately, I think we'd all rather a surgery undercook rather than overcook the grafts. This thread should be a valuable lesson; *start with less* - you can always have more work done later. It of course would have been better if you'd had the correct amount done from the start, and I'll be using this thread/journey as a reference for whenever I can get myself over to India. But I've just been browsing Hair of Istanbul's Instagram after my barber told me his Dad is booked in with them in March next year and... crikey! They are mega aggressive with their hairlines and you have to wonder how many of these mostly younger dudes have paid any attention to their hair loss needs 10, 15, 20+ years from now.

The result after the the first pass was doubtless frustrating and stressful (but still decent by month 10), but on balance this is the best way a HT can "fail", all things considered.

Thanks once again for the updates!

I will swap the bank account( Almost empty) but not the hair🤣

Thank you for your input and following the progress 😊

4 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Wow you look at least 10 years younger without seeing your face. 

incredible transformation 👏🏼👏🏼

Thank you Melvin. The place I went for covid Jab questioned about my identity vs old picture on ID card 🤣

Thank you for all the support and honesty throughout 😊

5 hours ago, Parasol said:

This is great! I know it took longer than you had hoped, but it looks like you finally got there in the end. Looking real good!!!

Thank you😄

41 minutes ago, Parasol said:

This is great! I know it took longer than you had hoped, but it looks like you finally got there in the end. Looking real good!!!

Thank you☺

12 minutes ago, Zoomster said:

Just like I predicted from the very outset...

gonna be the dogs boll.x of a HT come Christmas 🎄!!!

Z

🤣🤣 I hope so too bud !!

2 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

Superb 🤩 so pleased for you ! This is looking fantastic 👌 how is the workouts going .? 🙏

Thanks mate ☺ Hope it gets even better 😄

Still fully commited haha...Just booked a beach holiday as fully vaccinated now😅

Hey guys

Hope all is good.

I am excited to share this update as I feel that some kind of magic has happened in past 2 weeks 😄 

What are your thoughts? Feel like its improving.

Thank you everyone for all your support ☺

10 hours ago, DJ001 said:

I've just read this whole thread from start to finish. Congrats on your journey man and what a great in depth write up for everyone.

Lets hope you're going to happier and happier in the next few months, looking at the start to now the transformation has already been huge.

best of luck

Thank you☺

16 hours ago, tressful11 said:

By any chance are you taking creatine? It can affect hair and induce hairfall

No mate. Not at all as aware of it ☺

On 7/2/2021 at 1:32 AM, Melvin- Moderator said:

I believe the pictures show that he is most definitely improving. Will it look perfect in another 6 months? Probably not, but no one should be chasing perfection through surgery. I think he has a strong platform right now to build from. I truly feel that in another 6 months things will improve a lot. 

Btw @Looking for HT whats your diet workout routine bro? 

Thank you Melvin. I hope so too☺

I have been counting my daily Macros since Jan 1 and combine cardio and strength training 5 days a week. Cheat meal is once every 10 days😄

Hey folks

I agree that with an aggressive approach during the first HT might have been a bad idea. However the onus is on the surgeon to explain the patient about the expected outcome which in my case didnt happen. I also agree with some members here that I was repeatedly told that density will be achieved over time but it didnt happen. 

However, I wanted to be positive and went ahead with the 2nd touch up. Again, I completely agree that a free touch up may sound fantastic but it did cost me flight, my time, holidays from work, emotional stress and had to go through the recovery phase.

As you all know that my journey on this forum has been nothing but 100% truth so here is what went through my mind after 12 months of 1st HT.

Doctors said that they were also unsure why the density was not achieved after 12 months so I wanted to give them another chance. After the touch up, 6 months have now passed so lets give another 6 months. Still if the results are not achieved,  then I will be convinced that there is someone else out there who would have done a better job. Until then lets not jump the gun and hopefully things will be different in Dec 2021. 

I didnt take finasteride during my 1st transplant but taking it regularly since the touchup. Only time will tell how the results pan out.

No offence to Eugenix team as I just want to share my true thoughts.

Regards

30 minutes ago, MC10298 said:

Many thanks OP for the update.

Couldn't put it better myself.

For me, this is the elephant in the room. All the talk about poor growth ignores the simple math. The area was large, and the number of grafts for the 1st surgery was insufficient to provide the desired density. The hairline was lowered and flat (i.e. temples had been heavily restored). There is a cost to this aggressive approach and that is density.

Look again at the numbers 30 to 35 per sqcm. Even with strong growth of 90%, you get a poor density of 27 to 32 per sqcm. When you consider a full head of hair would have a density of between 80 to 100 per sqcm and 45 to 50 per sqcm is required to create the 'illusion' of density, then sadly, the OP was on a loser from the start.

 

 

I completely agree with you and thats why its important how the hair is styled. Hair fibres are going to be my best friends for quite a while I suppose

34 minutes ago, sandyr said:

@Looking for HT - I disagree that you can't get natural hairline, of course HT is supposed to camouflage original hair but there are few doctors that can get the natural hairline with enough density

You could be right as seen some of my mates with very dense mid frontal. Lets see how it turns out in next 6 months. 

4 hours ago, JohnAC71 said:

Wow 😯 fair to say you look like a totally new man 👌 very fit and now with awesome hair to boot 👌 And your not even anywhere close to the end of your journey. What a inspiration ! 🙏

Thank you very much 😊

Amazing bud. Getting better every day😄👌👌

7 minutes ago, MazAB said:

Damn dude, you are jacked bro! Love the dedication and pursuit to a healthier body, mind and spirit. That goes well beyond just more hair and is a great example of how we need to have a balanced approach to our lifestyles/wellbeing and not just be so hyperfocused on hairloss alone.

All that aside, your results are fantastic! I can still see how it's lacking density front center, however it's still a major improvement from before and also possible that there's more to come being at just the 6 month mark so keep the faith! 

Following your journey has been an inspirational experience for me and has helped quite a bit in facing the realities of a hair transplant and the emotional highs and lows you inevidably encounter. It has also put my mind at ease to finally move forward with Eugenix. They truly care and have the best interests of the patient at heart. I will document my journey here and pay it forward. Tentatively scheduled for March 2022

Thank you mate. I wish you all the best too☺

Hey everyone!! I am so sorry for not being active on the forum.

After the touch up in January 2021, here is my progress.

I have come to the terms that the transplant will never give the look of a normal high density existing hair. The way around is how you style it. I still wish that I had more density. I am using fibres to make it dense as otherwise the scalp is visible,  specially the mid front.

However,  the procedure has truly changed my life from where I started.

I am taking 1mg finasteride everyday since Jan 2021 with zero side effects.  I also take multivitamins including Biotin.

I had decided to take a journey to transform myself physically so been very strict on the diet which has definitely helped with the growth. Apologies for flashing the fat loss but I do want to mention that diet is definitely a part of healthy hair and overall mental wellbeing

I am also going to include a styled picture with fibres

Any feedback or comments are much appreciated and apologies again for not replying sooner !!

Please do check the attached pictures from Dec 2019 VS Now

Kind regards

3 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

That looks incredible tbh. Once the front is dialed in and perfect you’re gonna look 💯 percent 

Thanks mate

1 hour ago, Gareth6969 said:

Hi, how much was the actual procedure please?

Please check with the clinic . I paid whats quoted to everyone else.

4 minutes ago, TheManeMan said:

Did Dr Bansal do any part of the original surgery or was it another doctor and technicians?

Dr Bansal made hairline and slits and after that mostly technicians