MachoVato

Hairline looks great, excellent density. This is going to come out so good!

It's totally acceptable to be unhappy with your results. It looks like a spot didn't come in very dense, I see that. I'd be surprised if HLC didn't offer a top up for free, as many clinics would do.

I'm still stuck on the trichologist thing. In the US, they are not doctors and aren't even allowed to prescribe medicine, much less perform surgery. Dermatologists are doctors, but not trichologists.

I got 5mg pills. I take it 3 days a week, MWF.

I think it looks great! Hairline looks super dense. I'm looking forward to your results.

We've seen some great results out of Eugenix. It isn't always clear which package they selected. The top package with Dr. Sethi is 2x-3x the price than the Turkish clinics you mention. 

Do you know how many grafts you need? And what about your budget?

The photo quality is not very good, hard to see where your original hairline is and how dense it is. 

It sounds like the new grafts are behind your native hair, so the zigzag pattern won't be obvious. That makes me question why do that pattern at all if it's going to be hidden. I agree with the others that the density isn't very high. It will be an improvement but you will want to add more in the future.

I also agree not to go back to that clinic. The pattern and density are red flags. This isn't the work of a quality doctor (or technician). You have a long way to go but in 9 months or so, look at the forum recommendations for more quality work

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-transplant-surgeons.asp?sr=HRN

Best of luck!

I'm not aware of anyone here that has gone to Long Hair Center. I've seen some on a Facebook group, but not here. 

Seriously, this is great work. Brag worthy. 

Nothing wrong with wanting better... we call that "hair greed", haha! 

Fighting hair loss is a life long battle. If you want another procedure, plan for it. Give yourself some time though. 

39 minutes ago, Fireblade said:

DHI is not only a tool, it's also about how dense you can make it and also without shaving

This isn't true at all. DHI is fine, but traditional FUE does the same thing. All top docs are doing 45-50 grafts/cm2 density in hairline, which is as dense as you want to go.

Women typically don't shave recipient areas. If you're just adding hair to areas where there isn't hair now, no need to shave. They might shave a 1/2 cm back to get better density, but that's not an issue.

6 Month Update

I'm a few days before my 6 month mark, so here's an update on my crown. 

The crown has turned a corner. It looks looks significantly better than before the transplant (which wasn't terrible, to be honest). The crown will take longer to mature than my hairline, that is normal. So I'm excited about the next 6 months.

I'm no longer using Toppik or DermMatch to cover the thinning, especially after the transplant. Truth is, I don't look at the back of my head much any more. 

I agree, of those name Bicer is the best option. Your budget isn't good enough though. 

I would recommend FueCapilar as an option, but I don't think your budget is enough for them either. If you can find €3500, your options open up.

Last bit of advice, you need to get on finasteride and minoxidil. You'll see good improvements from that alone! But also, if you get a transplant, plan on 2 (at least). You have a large area to cover, so work on your front area first, then your crown second.

Best of luck!

It might help to show pictures of your hair and the areas you want to improve. And it will help to know your budget, the costs can vary a lot.

The "no shave" option can be tough, usually not recommended, and typically it's more expensive, too. But if it is just lowering the hairline, that is possible. 

Don't get fooled into the "DHI is superior" narrative out there. It isn't, it is just a tool. Focus on the results. Who cares what tools they use?

On 2/1/2022 at 9:26 AM, digi23 said:

2 euro per graft for Turkey is pretty high to be honest. She is considering herself to be close to HLC and Dr Pekiner in quality and I dont know if I agree with that. She is good, dont get me wrong. I think personally she should be maybe 1.75 euro per graft max to make a clear difference with the top Turkey options and other elite European Drs like Dr Ximena Villa and Dr Bruno Pinto which is about 2,5 euro per graft. Also Dr Rafael De Freitas 3,5 euro up to 1000 grafts then 2,5 euro per graft.

I agree with this 100%.

She's raised her prices because of new popularity, partly in due to membership on this forum and now on Spex's "top hair docs in the world" list. However, Wong, Konior, Lorenzo, Wesley, etc. aren't on that list, among many others. With love and respect, no way her results are better than theirs.

Microscopes in FUT are an absolute must. But not so sure with FUE. Might be a good topic for the next interview.

What a write up! I've never heard of a 6 day marathon like this. And to look for grafts "where no man has gone before"... is pretty cool! I would have done the same thing... I'm here, let's do it!

I'm super jealous of your experience. I kinda want to go now! I can't wait to see the final results of this. Life changing!

1 hour ago, Vann said:

Honestly, the only thing that can be understated is how you're down playing your back routine. I see those rhomboids and traps. "look at my new hair transplant" *low key flexes back* haha

But I appreciate your feedback and I am honestly happy that your results look great. I also think your donor zone was really good and the amount of hair that you have lost was not too bad. If it was worse I think your donor zone would've covered it but its really great that it did not come to that.

You mentioned an additional 500 grafts you would add. Is that the temples side you would add it to?

Ha! thanks, I never work out traps, they just somehow get activated in other exercises. 

Yeah, I think I'd like to close my temples a little more. My temple peaks are so strong that the temple recession looks worse than it really is. Who knows? 

7 minutes ago, Vann said:

Yea I am very impressed with Keser and Pekiner but I believe Pekiner is solo now (at a place called NeoHead clinic I believe). I see HLC still has good results nonetheless, so I can see why you chose that clinic.

I am 100% with you on Bisanga, I am really impressed with almost all of his results I just dont have Bisanga money so I am keeping him outside my reach for now.

It was a little difficult to tell from the photos but it looks like you added really good density to some parts of the mid scalp that I thought wouldve been an issue to the native hairs. By any chance did that affect any of your native pre-existing hairs much? Because based on your photos there is almost little to no loss. But maybe it could be because of hair style so I figured I might ask.

I am currently taking a step back from the hair transplant approach to make sure I exhaust all my options since I have been taking the medical approach for awhile now, but because I want to make sure I have the right mind set I have considered HLC as one of my options.

Would you personally recommend HLC based off your results or do you feel there could be other options that are near that level of price range-quality (Bisanga if he was slightly more affordable to HLC)? 

I saw the list that was created with different clinics but I am curious on what you believe is a good clinic?

Sorry for all the questions.

I can't say for sure if I lost my native hair. My density is good, not the same when I was 20 years old, but you can't see my scalp. My crown was the only place you could see scalp, so I got that fixed by Bisanga.

Of course, I would recommend HLC at this price. I paid €2.5/graft, there are not many top clinics in this price range. Maybe Dr. Pinto in Portugal, or Dr. Vila in Spain? The price quickly goes to 3-5 euro at the very top level, like Bisanga, Lorenzo, Feriduni, etc. 

For me, I wanted 100% doctor operation, and I was really wanting stick & place technique. I still think stick & place is a better approach, but that's just preference. It is smart to try to see how you respond to medicine. I can say this... once you get a transplant, you'll wish you did it sooner. Lowering my hairline and improving my temple points have made a HUGE improvement to my appearance. It can't be understated.

11 minutes ago, Vann said:

I see a lot of surgeons that add PRP during surgery to prevent shock loss but i guess it depends on the surgeon and their skill. 

If you dont mind me asking why did you choose HLC and what expectations did you have that were met? Also what were the most take aways would you point out about the clinic or process?

I believe most shockloss is due to too much anesthesia.

I booked with HLC because I liked their results and hairline naturalness. I also liked Dr. Keser and Dr. Penkiner results (both former HLC doctors), so HLC is doing something right. I wanted to lower my hairline and increase density, like most people. I was quoted 2300 grafts at first. When I got there, they said my donor was in great condition so we could lower my hairline about 2cm, almost an inch, which wasn't considered in the quote. I agreed to the plan of only doing my hairline and mid-scalp... and to do my crown during a second transplant.

Of course, I'm pleased with my results. It exceeded my expectations. My only takeaway is to plan for a second transplant. The first one is great and should address most of your coverage. Use a second transplant to refine your hairline, add density, and make any extra changes. Also, I saved money by going to HLC first. It would have cost me about €10k more if I went to Bisanga at first. 

33 minutes ago, Vann said:

During your treatment with HLC did you decide to get a PRP shot injected before/after? Also did your native hairs fall out from any form of shock loss?

Plus 4k grafts is a lot to take away. Your donor zone looks really good congrats on the results man.

Hi! I'm not sure if HLC offers PRP, but no I didn't have anything like that. I had a little shock loss, I'm sure. It did take a while before my donor recovered fully. But it wasn't patchy or spotty. 

Yes 4000 grafts is a lot. I had 1500 more removed on my second transplant with Dr. Bisanga. At my age, I'm lucky to have a good donor area. 😎

I might get a third transplant in a year or so, not sure. But it will be minor, like 500 grafts. 

3 hours ago, Bonek said:

What about Bicer?

It's just personal preference. In this price range, I like FueCapilar. I like Dr. Gur a tiny more than Dr. Turan, but again, it's personal preference. They are more popular in Facebook groups than this forum, which has it's own favorites list. 

The best advice I can give is to do your research. When you move up to the 3-5 euro, it's the safe zone... all top quality doctors. But at the 1.5 price, you'll want to see patient cases to see what results you like best. However, last I head Bicer raised her prices to 2.0 euro.

They can all do it. Temples are hard, though. I'm considering Dr. Mwamba from Belgium, who comes to Atlanta once a month or so. He seems pretty good.

Topical minoxidil only works where you apply it.

17 hours ago, Ryan Daniel said:

You have the same problem that i have.  You have a dark and strong hairline now but the temples are completely gone. This means there is no frame to the face and it looks unnatural no matter how good and soft the hairline is. I feel the same way, its like everytime you go in the mirror you feel that is something wrong, even if you have no hairloss on top. 

My opinion would be that you find a good Dr, that is able to create a softer frame, 1 row of new hairline which will connect with your new temple points. I think this would make you happy, and you wouldn't need more than 900 grafts for this 

I agree with this. Your results are good, nothing wrong with it really. Adding temple peaks would help to frame your face. The problem is that temple peaks are very hard to do. Ask for examples from Cortes.

I think you could add some density to the hairline, and perhaps make the line a little more soft/natural. But that's just my opinion. 

7 minutes ago, that1guyy said:

Turkey has really good, board certified doctors equaling the skill of top Western doctors

No, not at all, not even close. There are a few excellent options in Turkey, but the vast majority of clinics may not even have doctors involved at all. Most of the names on your list are 100% technician performed. Cheap (although HOI isn't that cheap) but not on par with top US doctors.

Doing the math, you are looking at the 1.5 euro/graft range. That's the danger zone in Turkey. The only one I could recommend is FueCapilar (Dr. Turan or Dr. Gur). 

But really, just go to HMR in Tijuana. They have excellent service (they pick you up on the US side) and pretty good results. You'll save money on flights, too. 

What's your budget?