MachoVato

On 11/17/2023 at 2:12 PM, MazAB said:

Looks amazing @MachoVato! I was actually considering these guys before finding Eugenix. They are definitely one of the best options out of Turkey for sure, and your results are a true testament to that. Congrats bro!

Thanks! There are so many talented clinics. It seems to be getting easier to get great results, huh?

On 11/17/2023 at 6:09 PM, Melvin- Admin said:

Looks great, have you considered switching to 0.5mg dutasteride?

Thanks, Melvin. No, I haven't considered changing it up. The PEDs are tricky. I'm trying to stick to the "hair safe" ones, but it's so easy to get hormones off balance. Sometimes I get acne on my scalp, crazy. 

Considering that I've been taking finasteride for over a decade, I probably should mix it up. I'll see if my doctor will give it to me. If not, I can go underground. 😛

On 11/18/2023 at 9:33 AM, Jupiter_ said:

Incredible result from HLC..it is so natural that you cant even understand that it was a hair trasnplant...Really Happy for you 🙂

Thank you. I've always felt lucky with the hairline result.

On 11/18/2023 at 11:04 AM, Vann said:

Drop that trap routine asap.

 

But glad to see you back @MachoVato and do you ever plan to do any future work? Not sure if you have been following the threads but look up verteporfin, its showing a lot of promise for better scars and the potential to yield future grafts you wouldnt have had access to.

First time I think I have seen you with facial hair too. Was this due to the peds?

Yeah, I'm considering another procedure. There are a couple spots I'd like to touch up. Especially with the crown. I might have 1000 grafts left. I'll save them for now.

I'll read up on Verteporfin. Never heard of it. 

I rarely grow out the beard stubble. I don't have a good beard and most of it is gray, so I usually shave it. No, nothing to do with PEDs. But my lady likes it so I'm stuck with it for a while. haha!

19 hours ago, Gatsby said:

@MachoVato you are looking dangerously great. Hair looks excellent! 👌💯

Thank you, sir. Catching up with your progress... I hardly recognize you! Congrats!!

Hi all!

It's been a while since I've posted. But I thought I'd share an update 3 years after my first HT at HLC Ankara. Click on my posts in my signature to see my before/after photos. I also went to Bisanga for my crown, which was about 2.5 years ago.

Overall, my hair is pretty good! I have experienced some thinning out, especially in the crown area. I blame this primarily on my use of PEDs, which I started after the transplants. I cycle testosterone, deca, and a couple other AAS compounds. Donor area is fine, although it looks crazy with this haircut fade. 

I'm still taking hair meds, but low quantity. I'm taking 0.5mg finasteride and 2.5mg oral minoxidil, each 3X/week. Maybe I'll increase it, I don't know.

Here are a few pics under direct, harsh lights in my bathroom.

In softer lighting, the hairline is strong! You can pull up my IG: machovato and see some gym selfies and videos and whatnot. This doesn't do it justice.

3 hours ago, Fue3361 said:

Mine was between 76 and 81 grafts/cm2, with a very good yield.

Yes! You're the case I was thinking of. Dr Leal. If I were to go to Brazil, this is where I would go.

Who is the doctor in Brazil that does dense packing? One of the best dense packing results I've seen. Pittella?

You have more hair loss than I did when I got my first transplant. And yes, you seem to have some retrograde but not bad. The good news is that you have a strong beard. For transplants, that's not the best donor area but it can really help with adding density.

I would look for doctors with experience in using beard as a donor area. 

On 3/28/2023 at 7:17 AM, mark2137 said:

Hi  So, this is my last update. One year ago I had my surgery and I will just simply say it was totally worth it. I cannot recognise myself in older pictures. I'm very grateful to Dr. Bicer. For the surgery itself but also for the post-op care.

Now, I will enjoy what I have and in September I'm about to go for the second run. Thanks to all of you who were following my progress. Take care and see you

It really is amazing when we look back pre-surgery and are so surprised at the difference.

Have you selected where you will go for your second HT? I would recommend a clinic that specializes in hairlines. It's going to be tricky to improve you hairline without lowering it, I would think.

On 3/19/2023 at 7:34 AM, Rick3803 said:

Your end result is remarkable. You look like you’re 40. Completely natural result. IMO when I look at the “after” pics of a HT patient, I’m usually thinking “does it look natural”? Natural is the best compliment. I’m much older than you and i’m likely a NW 6 at best. So when I viewed your pre-HT pics, I felt like you looked pretty good and your donor was especially dense/good. 
 

When I viewed your second post op pics, I’m like “wow it’s even better.” Thick, dense on top with natural hairline - totally undetectable. So I agree that you did the right thing by perusing HLC and seeking two procedures because your results are impeccable. Did any of your close friends, extended family make a positive remark? Sometimes their compliments can be very reassuring especially if they didn’t know you got a HT. 😉
 

Regards, Rick 

Thanks! Well, most people didn't notice the hair. I had some hair already, but I wasn't coming from a norwood 6. So they all just said that I look good or younger. The ones that did notice the hair and asked what I did, I told them. 

Now I'm used to the hair and those around me forgot all about what I looked like before. I've changed jobs and no one knew me before. What's interesting is that I'm dating again. I'm 51 and I'm dating 35 year olds. I couldn't have pulled that off before, really. I get a lot more attention than I did before. 

1 hour ago, marcoslw said:

Which doctors are as talented for a cheaper price?

This is an old post. But in this case, I was referring to Dr. Gur and Dr. Turan, which charge around 1.0 - 1.5 per graft (last I checked). Both excellent low-cost options.

4 minutes ago, Pmk1 said:

Thanks your help. I will upload some pics in due course.

1. Yes , I am willing to travel but would prefer to stay in Uk. I haven’t heard of many great clinics in Uk.

2. 6-7500k

 

just dipping my toe into this transplant.

Photos are needed to determine number of grafts. Your budget isn't very high, so you'll be limited to around 2500 grafts. That's based on a clinic that charges around 2.5 euro/graft. No one in the UK can do it for that cost. You're looking at Turkey. If you need more grafts, you'll have to find a cheaper clinic or increase the budget.

5 hours ago, AlbaHair said:

Forgot to add - 

I keep it quite short in general but the photos are after 4-5 days of growth. 

Based on the recommendations on this site, I am planning on contacting:  

Fuegenix (Netherlands)

Dr. Bisanga (Belguim)

Eugenix (India)

Hattigen (Switzerland)

Of this list, I would say Bisanga and Hattingen. 

In Spain, I like Dr. De Freitas. In Portugal, I like Dr. Pinto and Dr. Ferreira. 

58 minutes ago, Pmk1 said:

I have used the recommended list and I’m still very confused quite frankly.

Then post your photos and ask for suggestions. What's your budget? Where are you willing to travel?

I don't care about manual or motorized extraction. I've had both and they were both excellent. I do, however, prefer manual placement over pre-made incisions on the recipient area.

A little over 2 years. Here's a video at the barber. A low fade, very short, in very bright light.

This is shorter than I like. You can kinda make out the donor area on my left side. After 5700 grafts, not bad! I still got one more transplant to go!

5 hours ago, buns said:

Where did you get the microscope that you were referring to? I recently had a FUE procedure with Dr Taleb Barghouthi . Will be posting my pics soon but I would like to slowly and gradually observe my progress using that microscope which you used. Thank you.

This is the one I bought. But there are many others just like this. 

https://a.co/iuhdItl

I stayed at Martin's Grand Hotel Waterloo. I used Uber.

It's a great clinic!

Many things can cause low libido and ED. You need to get a blood test and check your testosterone, estradiol and prolactin levels. Topical fin doesn't go to your stomach or liver where it goes systemic. It's generally considered very side effect safe.

There are other compounds that can help if you want to avoid fin. There's a pharmacy local to me that compounds some solutions, like:

Minoxidil 3%, Melatonin 0.2%, and Latanoprost 0.01%

I went to HLC and had a fantastic result and it's well documented on here.

That said, I think De Freitas has the best hairlines from any clinic at any price. I have a total man crush on his work. He'll cost about 1 euro/graft more, or something like that. 

And I agree with Melvin on the notion that isn't a "hair only" clinic. I think it takes away from the focus. But the HLC building is 3 stories (or maybe 4?). So the other floors are for the facial cosmetic stuff. The top floor is all hair and yeah, the hair doctors only do hair.  

3 hours ago, PizzaWolf said:

Do you want elevated DHT if you're taking Fin to prevent hairloss? If your dick is taking a vacation, then okay, but otherwise low DHT is really the point.

As far as your actual DHT numbers, they seem like they're rising and falling in tandem with the amount of testosterone you're using (higher on a cycle, lower on the cruise you've been on). 5AR inhibitors do their job very well, so it wouldn't be suprising for 3mg of Fin per week to significantly lower serum DHT levels.

Do you have any baseline DHT blood work, prior to using anything, for verification?

Last, throwing in other compounds that aromatize, like Deca, would also have a direct impact on your hormone numbers. Even non-aromatizing compounds, like oxandralone, for instance, could also have an impact through more convoluted mechanisms like androgen binding affinities and competition at the receptor site.

Basically, everything you're describing sounds like what should be happening under the circumstances.

Interesting that you mention oxandrolone. I was taking anavar as a pre-workout for a while, so that might be skewing my numbers too. Lately I've been experiencing things like libido is low and difficulty ejaculating. I did NOT have these issues when blasting. There could be many things to blame for that, but low DHT can contribute.

No, I don't have DHT numbers when I was natural.  Yes, DHT levels seem to be in tandem with my testosterone levels. I adapt my Arimidex dose on cruise or blast to manage estradiol, which is working. It seems I need to do the same with finasteride. Maybe half dose while cruising.

2 hours ago, Curious25 said:

You sound pretty confused,

You’re seemingly upset you have lower than range DHT, yet you’re taking a medication that is specifically used to reduce levels of DHT, I’m unsure as to what your goals are?
 

The reason finasteride works for hair loss is by its ability to block the enzyme that converts T -> DHT, so you can’t have your cake and eat it unfortunately, and will have to accept that reducing your DHT levels is a necessary evil to endure, should you wish to pursue the prevention of hair loss via this angle of attack. 
 

Just figure out what it is you want to prioritise - hair or serum DHT within range. Should it be the latter, the simple fix would be to drop finasteride and let your 1300 ng/l of T get busy converting. 

I'm not trying to protect my transplanted hair, which is already DHT resistant. Of course, I want to preserve my remaining native hair. 

My objective is to have DHT in range. You don't want to crush it. Finasteride blocks something like 70% of 5ar conversion. It's clear that finasteride is working. I can't imagine taking 1mg everyday! 

I hear you, though. It's a balancing act. Next week I'll bump my total test to over 3000! 

1 hour ago, sunsurfhair said:

Finasteride is crushing your DHT - which is what it does. Even on TRT. It’s literally blocking the conversion of T to DHT via 5AR - it’s a 5 Alpha Reductase Inhibitor (Type 2) where Dutasteride blocks Type 1 and 2. So it’s doing the job it’s meant to do. Are you experiencing side effects? If not I wouldn’t be concerned. DHT is notoriously difficult to measure in the blood anyway since you’re seeing serum levels vs what’s active at the tissue / AR. Free Test and Bioavailable Test are better markers for Test alone aside from just Total T. 
 

What’s your Estradiol Sensitive look like? If you’re not having symptoms of such a low DHT level I wouldn’t worry but having your T so high is going to contribute to your hairloss regardless of DHT. Test / androgens alone can influence hair loss; DHT being the stronger culprit but androgens in general having an impact. 

Yes, good point about in-tissue DHT versus serum levels. I didn't even think about that. 

The only side effects, if I can blame it on low DHT, is low libido and difficulty ejaculating (not as awesome as it sounds). I've started taking hCG, which may help with that. My estradiol is 26.4, which is perfectly in range (7.6-42.6). I can thank Arimidex for that. 

On blast, my free test was >50, not sure the exact number. My SHBG is low (15.9), which is a good sign of test bioavailability. 

Yeah, I'm watching my hair shedding. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. That may change soon as I'm going to try 4 weeks of Anadrol. haha

4 minutes ago, HappyMan2021 said:

I'm curious, are you taking steroids for a medical condition, or are you like a bodybuilder, etc.?

I'm taking it to gain size. I'll go on cycle again soon.

I got a blood test and my DHT level is 25. (Reference range is 30-85) DHT is 

I'm currently on TRT, taking 200mg/week so my testosterone levels are elevated.
Total test is 1393. (Reference range is 264-916) Yes, I know this doesn't qualify as TRT. 
Free testosterone is 33.4. (Reference range is 7.2-24)

All that's good. But it *should* elevate my DHT levels, too, right? I'm currently taking 1mg finasteride and 5mg oral minoxidil, each 3 times per week. Most would say this is a very low dosage of finasteride. I have no signs of unusual hair loss or anything like that. 

Interestingly, A few months ago I was on a steroid cycle, running more than double the testosterone and some deca. And my DHT was 50, middle of the reference range. So maybe I can cut my finasteride dosage in half. Like 0.5mg on MWF. 

Anyone else have low DHT? 

Remember...this is where you were half a year ago!

14 hours ago, Parasol said:

Don’t temples naturally grow in opposite directions? At least in some (or a lot) of people? My left side grows forward and my right side grows backward, and I’ve never had any temple work done.

This I don't know. You might be right, I just never saw pics of both temples side by side before.

Temples are notoriously difficult. The hair is finer caliber and lay down almost completely flat. Bisanga extracted grafts from around my ears for this, as I recall.

8 hours ago, MazAB said:

Looking very nice @MachoVato!

I do agree temple points are so easy to scrutinize. I definitely was my own worst critic with mine after the 1st procedure which was one of several motivating factors to go for the 2nd procedure. 

Yours look great though. So natural!

Thanks Maz! I want to get a third procedure to refine the temples. You know the saying... the only thing better than more hair, is more hair! LOL!

Since I got dragged into this... I don't like those temples at all. They remind me of my temples a lot!

Look at how my temples have different directions...

Logging in just to share my excitement for you.

This is looking so good! I know I'm biased, but HLC does really great hairlines. Very natural looking.

I know you'll go back next year for your crown and temples. You have a long way to go but this is already amazing. Hair transplants have come a LONG way!!

Congratulations, brother!

1 Year Update

Honestly, I didn't really notice much improvement over the last few months. Especially the temple points, those were fully grown around month 7 or so. I think we could have added more to a little area on my left temple, but I'm nitpicking. 

I'm happy with the crown. It's cut pretty short and I have some paste (no fibers) in my hair and I still like it. 

I might get a touch up on my temples at some point.