MrZennie

How many graphs did they put in your crown?  

On 4/24/2019 at 11:56 AM, RecessionProof said:

no one could tell after the 3rd or 4th day, other than my new haircut.  People I did tell were shocked and amazed.

This is incredible.  Most people on the 3rd/4th day have swollen faces and scabs all over the recipient area. Makes me want to fly all the way to Chicago so I can have a similar experience.  

It would be a FUE procedure.  And it's a top doctor who does the extractions (no Artas) and incisions.  

At a recent consultation near where I live, the doctor suggested we do somewhere around 2500 graphs over the course of two days.  I asked if we could do it all in one day and he said we could but it would be a long day for everyone.  If you lived close to the clinic, what would you prefer in this scenario, one or two days?

I've heard that in some circles, hair transplants are viewed as a status symbol!  I can't remember where I heard this, I think it was a youtube comment.  They said something like some younger guys are wanting insanely dense hairlines so it actually looks like they had a procedure done. 

Just yesterday I told my older brother I was thinking about getting a HT.  He was pretty surprised.  I told him it would be the ballsiest (Most courageous) thing I've ever done.  He replied "the vainest".  I didn't expect that reply.  I guess I view it like how you described it another comment I just read  "...it's simply about keeping what you were born with". 

Exactly!  I just want the hairline that I would have if I didn't have MPB.  I replied to him that I really liked and enjoyed having hair.  (You wrote something similar to this in another thread too Melvin!)  In my 20s and early 30s I enjoyed styling my hair.  Sometimes I would slick back with pomade, or use other products etc. After we talked a few minutes, he seemed to come around a bit and basically supported my decision if I go through with it.  

Honestly I think it's much, much less of a stigma these days than even ten years ago.  So many celebrities and public figures have had them that it's almost dare I say normal, and borderline status symbol territory.   

Super natural looking hairline, wow!

There are several reasons I won't take fin:

About 18 years ago I took some medications that had sexual side effects, so I have first hand knowledge of what that's like.  It turns out I don't like it.  

I'm susceptible to the nocebo effect.  I KNOW I would drive myself crazy thinking the fin is causing problems, even if it isn't.  I'm 49 and my libido is already not what it used to be.  If I took fin, I would interpret every libido funk, every little ache in my groin area, every fatigue or brain fog episode etc, as being caused by the meds.  

Finally, post-finasteride syndrome terrifies me.  

Great results! Was this a two day procedure?

8 minutes ago, gillenator said:

Not heard of many docs suggesting to start minoxidil to minimize shock loss...most will want their patients to stop using it at least 3 months prior to the procedure.

Interesting! I was thinking of starting minoxidil next week for the first time in my life, and also thinking of getting a hair transplant in about 4 months. Maybe I should hold off on the Minox. I do recall now the doctor saying he would suggest the minoxidil get started 7 days after the procedure. 

Thanks Cosmo!  I just researched using Minoxidil once a day and it seems to be effective.  Dr. Bernstein advises: 5% liquid, once daily at night.  

(People can google 'Minoxidil once a day Bernstein' . There is a short audio clip at the bottom where Dr. Bernstein compares foam to liquid)

This is inspiring stuff, thanks for sharing this.  One thing that's not totally clear from your regimen...Are you using the minoxidil only after each microneedle session?  (So minoxidil approx twice a week?)

Yes, I could easily email them the questions, but I don't want to take up any more of their time until I'm more sure I'm going to use them.  And one of my questions is directed at members of the forum who've undergone the procedure already, hence my post.  

I agree with Melvin.  Give it another 3-5 years and reevaluate then.  I think your hair looks great.  

I've had two consultations now.  One doctor pushed the finasteride pretty hard, the other one said we could do something topical instead. (I assumed they meant topical fin)  I told them both I didn't want to use fin, they didn't seem happy.  One of them said he wants to avoid shock loss so I can preserve my look in the first few months. 

I said I might be willing to try minoxidil so he suggested I used it starting a week after the procedure.  I didn't ask if that's to ward off shock loss.  

Questions:

Has anyone here gotten a HT without using fin/minox? Did you have shock loss? Does minox help ward off shock loss?

On my next and most likely final consultation, I'm going to lead (as politely as possible) with something like "I'm very firm on not using finasteride. I'm talking 100%, no, 1000% firm. Please let me know what I can expect from a procedure with that in mind".

On one hand, I imagine business is booming.  All the videos on youtube showing HT procedures in detail, along with amazing results, has to be good for business. (These videos/results which have MILLIONS of views have me strongly considering a procedure myself.) On the other hand, people can visit places like Turkey and save $15,000-$25,000.  How much do you think discounted places like Turkey are affecting US businesses? I notice US surgeons routinely host open Q&A events around the country, presumably to attract clients.  If they had all the clients they wanted, why would they travel around?  I also notice ads for some top surgeons showing up in my FB feeds. Maybe it's not booming after all?  Thoughts?

You still have a lot of hair!  I agree with the other comments, if the drugs don't scare you, get on fin, and use minox, and after 4-6 months you might not want a HT anymore.  

Not that anyone will care but...I got another consultation today and the Dr. said I had easily 6000-8000 available graphs!  That's a lot better than 4000-4500!  I'm so happy/relieved.  He also said my donor region was "better than average", so I'm pretty sure the last doctor misunderstood my question, he probably thought I was asking how many graphs I needed for a complete job.  

Your results are inspiring, especially for other "slow growers". 

Inspiring results, congrats!  I think the most daunting thing for me about getting this procedure done is the waiting game.  I don't know if I'll be excited/hopeful for the growth phase, or anxious that it's not going to work and that I've made a big mistake.  More likely I'll probably oscillate back and forth.  If I actually schedule a HT, I'll probably start another thread about how to handle the "mental game" of this procedure.  I have fair skin too so I'll probably have the redness for months too.

Btw, you don't really need it BUT a little Toppik sprinkled on the crown will completely hide the thinning look.  You're still in very good shape but the Toppik could come in handy in the future if necessary imo.  

This is a question for people who have been following this industry for a while: If money and travel were not issues, which doctors would be in your top five list for hair restoration surgery?  (Doctors must be able to do FUE procedures)

Thanks!

Keep in mind Dr. Mohebi has two practices already and is currently getting a third one off the ground, I really doubt he has time to spend in online forums etc. For you to imply that he, or any doctor for that matter, is doing something wrong by not participating in an online forum seems unfair to me.

50 minutes ago, BjornBorg said:

You are a doctor in Europe for 10 years and you have to look for a discount on a hair transplant? 

I was also confused about this.  I feel that people who fly to get these bargain basement prices are all playing Russian roulette.  I doubt a doctor of ten years would do this. 

With that said, if everything in the post is accurate (I didn't make it to the end to be honest), I truly feel for you man, it sounds like a terrible experience.  Do you have any photos to share? 

5 hours ago, jj51702 said:

Why does dr mohebi not answer questions on his Instagram or on here?

I would imagine because he's busy performing HTs.  But that's just a guess. 

Does anybody know how to increase the font size on this board? It's quite small on my phone. I tried increasing the font size within my phone settings and on chrome but it didn't do anything. I can pinch and zoom which definitely increases the sizebut the text doesn't wrap so it's hard to read.

That's good to hear! Looking forward to my consultation even more now.