MachoVato

I love this work! Just when I thought I made up my mind to go to Bisanga for my second HT, I see this.

Why not have your vacation BEFORE the procedure?

Back on topic... I agree that you need to wait for the swelling to go down, which can take a few days. Just my honest opinion, I think you're over-thinking this. It looks very crazy because of the redness and swelling. Even if it isn't perfectly symmetrical, there's a good chance that it'll turn out ok. Just relax and trust the process. It will take 5 or 6 months before you start seeing the results. Patience!

Timo, you need to get a life. You registered just to spew this trash? Whatever.

My shed started around the 1 month mark. It got real bad at month 2. Stopped around month 3. If you haven't started to shed yet, maybe you're lucky and won't?! But be prepared for the shed to kick in over the next couple months.

Just my opinion, but it may be too early to be sporting such a short fade. Your donor is still healing, it's still a little pink. And maybe a little shock loss, too? It took about 3 months before I noticed my donor start to fully recover (even though it isn't perfect). Be patient with the healing process. 👍

I wish you the best over the coming months! There are many "late grower" cases. I remember this one by Dr. Keser. He didn't begin to see growth until month 6!

If I did get shock loss, it's gone now. But I don't think I did. 👍

Month 7 Update A quick few pics. I don't notice a lot of difference from last month. I'm sure it's improved, but I can't really tell. Not bad for a 50 year old! 😝 It's come a long way!

It's all good news from here on out! The next 2 months are going to rock!

This is the guy that uses pubic hair for his donor. I'm kinda impressed.

I haven't decided yet, I might go back to HLC. I'm just looking to try somewhere else. Belgium or Spain, for sure.

Waiving the VAT in Belgium is available for repair cases. As it would be a "medical procedure" as opposed to an elective surgery.

Obsession with plastic surgery at the age of 22 is a little scary. The surgeon is Dr. Kahen in Beverly Hills. I'm not familiar with this clinic, but the hairline is super aggressive. This is a pretty radical procedure. I can't see how this will age well, at all.

Yeah, you have an advanced level of hair loss for 26 years of age. As mentioned, you are likely to lose a lot more, which is why a transplant is not a good idea right now. Most will agree to get on finasteride for at least 1 year to determine how stable your native hair can be. If it does stabilize, then most clinics might consider your case. I definitely agree on the budget issue. I would consider a plan that includes two procedures. Something like this... 2021: 12 months of finasteride and minoxidil 2022: First transplant for hairline and mid-scalp 2023: Second transplant for crown and any hairline touchups I know you don't want to do this, but really, this isn't something you want to get wrong.

If you were considering the budget clinics like Cinik or Smile or Cosmedica or even HOI, I would recommend FUECapilar or Bicer all day! A doctor would do most of the work instead of a technician. But I don't have any experience with them. I recommend starting your own thread about this. Post some current pictures and talk about the meds/supplements you're taking. I think you'll get more feedback that way.

Having the results/progress so far from HLC, it would be silly for me to regret it. It's not perfect but it's exceeded my expectations. A short story... I first started researching transplants in 2019. The plan was to get it done in early 2020. I consulted with Bisanga in Belgium, Maras in Cyprus, and Keser in Turkey. My first choice was Keser, as I saw some results that were fantastic. He uses manual extraction, stick & place implantation, and limits procedures to 700 grafts/day. I would need a 4 day procedure. I later learned that he formerly worked at HLC. He had some family issues and had to cancel my appointment. I saw some reviews from Pekiner liked the feedback from the consultation (also formerly with HLC). I sent him a deposit for April 2020 but had to cancel the booking due to pandemic. The following months I tried to book with Dr. Ferreira, but travel to Portugal was restricted. Then in October travel to Turkey opened up, so I reached out to several clinics at once and everyone was booked for the next few months. But HLC had a cancellation 2.5 weeks out and I booked it. I would have been happy with Pekiner, Maras, Bisanga or Ferreira. I chose HLC because of timing. Bicer is not for me. I am considering a second transplant for my crown and maybe some hairline touchups, perhaps in 4-5 months. At the moment, I am considering Bisanga for that.

Thanks for that! Things really started taking off when I hit month 4. Your hair is just getting started. Good times are ahead for you!

Let's hope you get more density over the next few months.

Nice improvement from Month 5. How do you feel about the progress?

I don't know if I'd call it shock loss, but there's a patch on my right side, behind my hairline, that's lagging. I mention it above. It's much better than 2 months ago, definitely improving. It was super thin pre-surgery. At 6 months, the hairline (at 50 grafts/cm2) is better than the mid-scalp (at 40/cm2). I can see scalp under harsh light. So I think it's possible that my native hair might be slow to regrow. My only concern at this point is my donor area. I think the thinner density is resulting in my hair not laying down as is did before. I'm Mexican, so when short, my hair doesn't lay flat anyways. The hair on the back of my head feels more outward. I can either go shorter, like a fade, or grow it longer. Ethnic hair, ugh! Thanks! I was prepared to pay Konior-level money. So they way I look at it, I saved money by going to Turkey. Zero regrets. If had the chance to do it over, I wouldn't change a thing.

Yeah, your donor looks better in those photos. I agree that you need to manage your expectations. The "one and done" approach might be difficult. Sure you can get full coverage but you'll sacrifice density. Most clinics won't go over 5000 grafts in one procedure... there are limits to how much trauma you want to introduce to your scalp. If you really don't want a second op, Eugenix has a good record of mega-sessions. I would add Dr. Zarev in Bulgaria as a possibility. Good luck!

January is a very long time away. I thought Turkey was only on the red list for a month or two. I had my procedure in early November 2020. I was in discussion with Dr. Bruno Ferreira for a booking, but Portugal was not possible at the time. And I really wanted to get this done during the shutdown, work-from-home situation I was in. I reached out to HLC, Dr. Pekiner, and Dr. Bisanga. They all had a 2-3 month wait, but HLC had a cancellation in 2.5 weeks. So I took it and I'm glad I did. My advice to you is to pick the best clinic you can afford. But there's one lesson I can share with you. Once you get a transplant, you'll regret not going sooner.

I'm surprised these clinics think you have that good of a donor area for 3500+ grafts. Maybe with hair from your beard? I don't agree that for a couple more grand you can get it done properly in the US. Prices start around $5/graft for FUE. (Which is why I elected to go to HLC.) I like your choices, though. Nader and Bicer are legit options and at a very reasonable cost. Have you considered FUT? It might be a better option for maximizing your yield, and allows for a second transplant via FUE, if you desire.

At 6 months, there are still a couple lagging areas. But they are better than they were a month ago, so those areas are catching up. I'm most impressed with the development of the hairline. It's exceeded my expectations. The hair texture is a little course, which many people experience. It will mature over time and resemble my native hair.