Gatsby

Gabreille I have read of the term 'donor dominance.' In your experience with patients using beard hair, have you at Eugenix found this to be true, where the characteristics of the donor (beard) hair take on the characteristics of the recipient (scalp) hair?

Hi Guano. I too live in Australia (Melbourne) and I am sorry to hear about how you feel about your results at this stage. Did the clinic say why the yield is at 30-50%, etc? If you end up deeming the result as a failure then I would seriously think about the risks of having another hair transplant with your finite donor with them again. Also I would forget about a surgical procedure with anyone in Australia as harsh as that sounds. I've had consultations with probably all of them and none of them came up to tick any boxes. Some were actually an embarrassment to the profession. You only get one chance at this and this procedure is for life. Everyday for the rest of your life when you look in the mirror you will be reminded of who you chose to do your surgery. If it means you have to wait before you can travel over seas then that is a small price to pay for the rest of your life. I had to live with 'plugs' and later on I had to live with scars that required 4 or 5 surgeries in an attempt to improve the scars. A week out of your life and a return flight to Canada, USA or America is nothing in the big picture. I too am waiting on the travel ban to lift so I can begin my hair transplant/s. All the best mate!

2 hours ago, Gabreille Nelson Mukhia said:

It is so important for young people to understand that transplant requires a lot of patience and has a particular candidacy. I have too, witnessed massacres in young people who have been blindly transplanted. To have a bad transplant at an age where one is just stepping into young adulthood is horrifying. Plus usually they don't even require it. Unrealistic hairline choices are the worst. It is so difficult to reason with young adults and adolescents. 

I agree with everything you have stated Gabrielle. Sadly from personal experience and I hope that anyone who is in my postion when I was 18 reads your words and watch the video so they can learn from my mistakes and not their own. It's a lot cheaper and stress free if they do.

I couldn't agree more with the suggestions and advice above. If you focus on surgeons who are great in working with Norwood 6/7 patients then you will be heading in the right direction. Eugenix is a good starting point as they have a great track record in this area. All the best.

An incredible transformation with such a minimal number of grafts used. Really goes to show the art in using less equals more. Incredibly happy for you and I look forward to further updates as you still have a few months ahead of you. Thanks for sharing and take care!

Donjamo that's what I call a successful hair transplant. It looks unremarkable (in that you look like you never had a transplant to begin with). Very happy for you and the age appropriate hairline completes how natural your results look. Can I ask how does the donor area feel after two procedures? Thanks for sharing and all the best!

I would begin at the end and work backwards. If it's H+W or whichever surgeon you choose, I would consider waiting for travel restrictions to ease and go with the surgeon who is the best for your situation (which may indeed be Dr Konior anyway). I say this because a hair transplant surgery/s is for life. I'm a Norwood 6/7 and I've chosen Eugenix in India because to me, they have a great track record of working with Norwood 6/7 patients. I've been waiting since early this year and it won't be until well into next year before I will be free to fly there due to Covid. But it's the end result that I am chasing. All the best!

Animal I feel your frustration. I guess when you look at this in the bigger picture your hair transplant/s are for life. Something you will see in the mirror every time you look into it. In the bigger picture try and see it in this perspective. I've been waiting to travel for my hair transplant since March and it won't be until well into next year (due to Covid) until I will be able to have my surgery. Take care.

8 hours ago, RickieL89 said:

Thank you for replying. I'm actually 31 years old going to turn 32 in Mar of next year. So from what you see does my hair look like it has changed from 2019 compared to the 2020 pictures?

Your hair looks fine since 2019. In fact for 31 years old, if you were balding you likely would have lost a lot of hair by now. As has been said you have amazing hair and most people here would be jealous. Time to enjoy life! All the best!

Definitely start Finasteride and stick with it. All the best!

In my humble opinion no, your hair looks fine. I don't know your age but I think your hair is just maturing. I don't see any evidence for you to worry about. You have a great head of hair too by the way. Take care!

16 minutes ago, tanner1987 said:

I’m not that technical on things, but they called it SMP despite it being “temporary”. It was The Look, they were on Church St, Richmond but I think they have since moved. The artist’s name was Alex and the manager’s name was David; happy to show somebody in person the finished product, albeit 4yrs old without touch-up.

Thanks tanner1987. Yes I saw them also around early 2017 from memory.

Yes I have become aware of Dr Zarev this year and the patient results that he has presented. It's quite incredible that he posts patients that have 11,000 plus graft moved (and more) yet the donor area appears the same regardless. Interesting.

On 9/1/2020 at 8:38 PM, tanner1987 said:

SMP here from 2016(Melbourne) and still very happy with it. Is definitely fading, by maybe only 10-15%, but entirely uniform with no bleeding etc whatsoever. I intend to let it fade much more before I contemplate a touch-up.

tanner1987 who did your SMP?

On 2/2/2020 at 8:22 AM, Mr Sinister said:

Hi guys, as smp is still a relatively new field I’m finding it hard to find examples of smp which have been done over 4 or 5+ years ago. I understand it fades, but I’m wondering if the pigments have a tendency to “bleed” into each other over time, similar to how normal tattoos work.

Have any of you had the procedure done a few years ago and got example pics?

thanks 

The key to good SMP is finding a great SMP artist. Someone who has been doing it for more than a few years and didn't decide to take up SMP as a career change in mid life. Before I had SMP I did a lot of research, no less than I would in researching for the best hair transplant surgeon for my needs. I was prepared to travel/fly, etc. I live in Australia and luckily I discovered Caitlin James. She now has three other SMP artists working for her across Australia under SMP Australia. I saw a few SMP artists before Caitlin and the body of work that Caitlin provided compared to the others were like night and day. Please note that I do not work for Caitlin in any way, shape or form. I'm just happy with being hair piece free after 25 years of hiding not only my baldness, but the scars of two really bad hair transplants. If people are looking for a really good SMP artist then you have to treat it the same as if you were looking for the best surgeon to perform a hair transplant on you. Their are so many cowboys in this industry (as it is a relatively new industry) and SMP is not for everyone. As stated earlier, SMP lasts a lot longer where as trichopigmentation is broken down by the body much more quickly. There are arguments for and against both. If anyone does intend on going down this path, then again, just do your due diligence. Unlike a hair transplant, SMP can be lasered off, but it is a painful process. Also everyone (just like a hair transplant) is different. Scars behave differently to SMP than the scalp and can absorb ink leading to 'blue' scars appearing, etc.

voxman you have a great head of 'natural' looking hair man. It looks good long. Keep it growing!

I had given up on hair transplants after I had several procedures to remove the punch grafts in my early 20’s. I began researching hair transplants again only four years ago when I was rejected by Dr Bhatti who I saw in person. Other hair transplant surgeons said they could go ahead but give me a limited head of hair (framing the face, filling in the forelock, etc). I declined until I spoke with Eugenix very early in the year. 

12 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I don’t mind it, bald cafe has a very anti-hair transplant stance. What made you change your mind on hair transplants?

Hey Melvin. Like zoomster I was told Previously that I was not a candidate for a hair transplant. It wasn’t until I got in touch with Dr Pradeep and Dr Arika that I was informed by them at Eugenix that I would be a suitable candidate. 

5 hours ago, LonelyGraft said:

Hey gatsby, who do you use for your amp and how long does it last in your scars? Your results are as good as this guys imo 

Hey Lonely Graft. I did a lot of research initially as I would if I was going to have a hair transplant as I think I may have stated. In the end I went with SMP Australia. Caitlin James did my SMP and she had volumes of work over the years to show me covering men, women, HT scar camouflage, different forms of Alopeica, SMP for HT's requiring more visual density, people wishing to get rid of wearing hair pieces, etc. She travels O/S every year for conferences and has won many international awards, etc. Caitlin has also worked with a hair transplant surgeon for many years also so she has a great understanding of how hair should behave, even at a shaved look.

As to how long SMP last comes down to so many variables. After the final SMP, after a few days the results settle and look at their best at about the two week mark. They continue to look 'great' for up to six months (this is in hiding linear scars I should add). Over time linear scars tend to become slightly more visible (they attract the eye geometrically, where as old style large 'punch grafts' and current FUE scars remain hidden. The reason why over several years SMP fades (but still remains) is because the liver is constantly trying to break down the foreign material. It's also incredibly important to cover your scalp from the sun (as it can bleach down the look over time 'and' give you skin cancer). The type of ink and the range of pigments available also play a role. Most importantly it comes down to the person performing it. It's just like the hair transplant industry. I hope this helps. Take care!

I have posted this podcast I did with Harry earlier in the year from his YouTube channel 'Bald Cafe.' I was getting pretty down on myself (due to the lock down at the time really) but I am fine now. The reason I am posting it is because I just want to share with some of the more recent and very young members who are requesting to have very low hairlines and unnecessary procedures as young as 20. I made this mistake at '18' and although I have come out of it on the other side many, many years later, I wouldn't wish what I had to go through on anyone to get there.

I hope it's ok Melvin to put this post up and feel free to delete if it's breaking any rules, etc. My aim is to hopefully prevent others from making the same mistake/s I did. It's so sad that today many, MANY years after what happened to me, this is now still happening on an almost pandemic level! There are so many young men who we never even hear from that live a lonely life of quiet desperation from the result of a bad hair transplant. It's a long video so feel free to only some of it if you choose to. Take care everyone!

Hey Leonidas. What is the name of the doctor who performed your procedure? How much involvement did he have in the procedure? What is the name of his clinic? It looks great. Looking forward to your updates in the future. Thanks for sharing.

You look great. You look unremarkable in that you appear as if you never had a hair transplant! I agree with Nelson that you should try finasteride to keep what native hair that you currently have. I look forward to further updates. Congratulations!

From the glabella (the point between the eyebrows) the hairline 'ideally' should be 7cm's high. This obviously varies and in older men should be slightly higher. This is if you want a 'natural' looking hairline and not something from Planet of the Apes!

That hairline is far too low. You have to remember you will be living with this for the rest of your life. You need a hairline that you can grow into, not out of. I have the scars to prove it.

I agree that less light to the scalp will equal less pigment from the sun. Also remember that scarring also occurs under the skin where the grafts heal which is perfectly normal.