InTheSix

On 9/14/2021 at 2:13 PM, jim_hair said:

@JohnAC71 After taking a closer look at side by sides, it does seem to be a little less noticeable..  I'm 7 weeks post-op right now so hopefully the next 2-4 months does the trick.  Many people have told me it's normal and it takes 4-6 months to heal but having a hard time finding similar stories or any reassurance on that.  I got the impression from my consult with Shapiro Group that this is not normal however, but wouldn't tell me that directly.

Thanks for the help and staying with the thread John!

Personally I think its too early to say that there is an issue.. everyone heals at a different pace.. I too was concerned about this after my FUE (3 month post HT currently), but it certainly keeps subsiding after every month.... best of luck  

32 minutes ago, ManeMan said:

Thanks! Yes you got it exactly right. Mostly hairline and mid-scalp with a some coverage on the crown and some filling of the temporal sides. I think he said he would bring my hairline down about an inch following the natural shape of my widows peak. I wanted to be aggressive. Another only advised 2k grafts on hairline so thought this was a much better option. Thoughts on how soon after the surgery it will be okay to fly home? Is 24 hrs enough time?

Good to stay back at least 48 hours.. get your first couple of washes at the clinics and they can inspect to make sure everything is ok.. plus the clinic will pay for those 2 nights at the hotel.. lots of eating options around the Sheraton they will put up in.. 

Best of luck

Amazing transformation.. and an equally well presented case.. great stuff

On 9/1/2021 at 5:31 PM, baldforawhile said:

Hello,

I've been balding since I first noticed it in my freshman year of college (19 years old), and am now 41.  I've attached some pictures of my current state of hair affairs, and after doing some research I think I'm a NW 6 or 7.  (After taking a look at the pics I've uploaded, I'm leaning towards NW 7).  I recently came across this forum and have been researching / reading posts, and the members here seem to be very knowledgeable!  I figured I'd ask what people think is achievable for my head, as I've seen some others do.

For some background - when I realized I was balding at 19, I accepted the fact that it was going to happen pretty quickly.  Back then I only remember seeing hair transplants using FUT method and was very wary of having any scars on my head.  I assumed that since I was balding at a young age, that I'd eventually be extremely bald and did not want to have scars if I ever had to completely shave my head.  I was also hesitant to do literally anything to stop the hair loss progression, since at the time the medications seemed unproven and there was not as much information on the internet.  I was also not keen on the idea of having to be on meds for the rest of my life just for my hair.  Looking back, I'd probably have preferred to use the meds and roll the dice on whether they'd work or not.  

I've been slowly balding for the last 20 years, and about 7 years ago took the plunge and shaved it all off.  The pics you see here are about as long as my hair has been in the last 7 years.  I do not look terrible with a bald head, but I don't personally like the look on myself, and have always wanted to fix it but just didn't think it was possible.

About 6 months ago I saw a video on social media of someone applying a hair system.  Shaving their head, applying glue, and slapping down the hair.  I started laughing immediately because I thought it was a joke, but after a haircut they showed the end results.  I was shocked at how natural and awesome it looked.  It was then that I started researching hair systems, transplants, etc, and became interested in fixing my hair situation.  I started weighing my options - is it better to be bald, or is it better to walk around with a toupee?  I actually bought a hair system and tried it out just to see how I liked it (I figured I'd go to a professional if I felt like it was something I wanted to do).  The jury is still out on that as having hair is awesome but the maintenance and just being self conscious about is very much not awesome.  A better alternative I've felt would be to get a hair transplant.  If I could just pay a lump some and have a hair transplant and be done worrying about it, I'd do it.  I figured people like Elon Musk have done it and look great, but I don't have millions of dollars for the best surgeon.  And of course, who knows if his hair loss is anything like mine.

That leads me to today - I'd like to ask everyones opinion on what my best options are, how my donor hair looks, how many surgeries (and approx. grafts) people think would be required, and possibly find some links to threads of people with similar loss to my own.  I have searched the forum already and have a few examples, but just figured i'd throw that out there.  Also would you think it would be wise to start on fin/min before thinking about a HT?  I would still prefer to not be on meds and would also prefer to not use FUT but I would do either if it meant I could get the result I want.  As far as the result I want - to me, if someone looks at me and thinks "he's going bald", I may as well not mess with my scalp at all and stay very bald.  If I could get a full head of hair with a high hairline that would be acceptable though.  I did also see a thread on having just the hairline transplanted and filling the crown with a system - that may also be acceptable and I'm sure would open up my options considerably.

I have not consulted with any HT surgeons and obviously will be consulting with many before I take the plunge, but figured since there seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum, that I'd ask for opinions here first!  A few notes on the pics - the hair I do have is turning grey so the pictures might look like worse donor area than it actually is, but I'll let you be the judge of that.  When I've let my hair grow out in the past, I actually dislike how thick it is, so always figured it would be good donor hair (of course as I mentioned it's been a while since I've done that). 

I appreciate everyone reading this, and also appreciate anyones feedback!

Thanks!    

 

 

your overall expectations will be key.. not expecting people to say "he's going bald"  is, in my opinion, a tall order... as people have mentioned, HT is an illusion of density, specially for people with higher norwood and less than ideal donor...  if you do go ahead... FUT+ DUE or FUE + BHT will be your options... its good that your sides have still not fallen completely... i would suggest you try min/fin since you have lots of miniaturized hair and those may get some help...but they are both lifetime commitments, so only do if your serious about moving ahead with addressing your hair loss..

best of luck

On 8/30/2021 at 1:25 PM, Melvin- Moderator said:

Fair enough, I wasn’t aware there was a personal situation. Although, I do believe there are better doctors for different situations. In my opinion, Norwood 6+ have H&W and Eugenix as the top two clinics.

true... that was the thought behind going to H&W for the 1st..  now I am thinking of going to Eugenix next year for the 2nd HT..

thanks

On 8/27/2021 at 8:27 AM, hairyharry said:

Thanks for the helpful feedback! Here is a pick of my donor area. 

your donor looks good. Pretty confident you will have a great cosmetic improvement via an HT should you choose to go with a good doctor.. lots of people here have had an HT and dont take Finas, and seem to be doing well..

best of luck..

On 8/26/2021 at 10:45 PM, Gatsby said:

I'm 54. To me the biggest advantage of taking finasteride is that it can (and does) strengthen your donor area. I took it for a while and I could feel that my donor hair felt thicker and that the bottom of my crown may have been growing in. This is certainly the case for zoomster in his own words. So yes it has benefits but when you are reaching NW 6 you have far less to lose by not being on it compared to if you are a Norwood 3. That is there is less hair to preserve from DHT.

Did you notice any initial shedding when you started taking finas (if so, when did it start/stop)... topical or oral ? .. Are you planning on re-starting after future HT (I recall you mentioned you were planning on a future HT)

I should be getting my topical finas soon (takes 3 months for prescription to fill), so trying to gauge what to expect when I start using it.

On 8/23/2021 at 12:20 PM, Melvin- Moderator said:

What’s with the Rahal hate? It’s now a few posts. Seems like you’re disgruntled for some reason.

Not only is that an inaccurate characterization of what I have said so far, but some poor choice of words too re: "hate" "disgruntled"...  You have been very helpful to me both directly (via private messages) and indirectly (maintaining this forum), so I will definitely give you the benefit of doubt, that you didnt mean those words in their true sense.

I dont hate anybody in this world.. life's too short for that and no one is that important frankly... I dont have any agenda against anyone (I wish I had that much time on hand)... I am simply sharing experiences from my personal journey, which I am hoping is a tiny way of giving back to people in the same position as I was or am... Some of my experiences were positives and some werent... Does that mean everyone else's experiences will be the same as mine.. of course not (the adults in this forum get that).. hence if I had great experience with Nadimi and H&W, does that mean no one will have bad experience with them.. of course not.. similarly, my experience with Rahal was not great, does that mean no one will have a great experience with him.. of course not...  In fact in some of my Rahal comments you referred too, I clearly stated that I am not commenting on this skills, which I am sure they are great  given all the positive reviews.. I simply thought that my personal consultation was rushed, and I was aggressively sold PRP and SMP. when I didnt wanted it.. my expectations were also quite modest.. at a minimum I wanted a frontal 3rd done to frame my face... which is what I eventually got done 3 years after my Rahal consultation 

I recall reading this forum extensively prior to having my consultation with Rahal, which is why I was even more gutted and truly felt that I had no other option beyond PRP/SMP (because my impression was that this is one of the best clinics in the world).. Is that completely on Rahal.. No.. I could have done better research and been more well equipped to take the rejection and I take accountability for that.... But life happened, and I simply gave up for another 2 years, until I re-started my research again.. During this research I came across some great honest feedback.. basically what was possible and what was not.. For instance Dr Nadimi told me what I can expect as for sure in terms of cosmetic improvement, and then what I "might" be able to achieve in future HT's given that I recover well etc... 2 clinics went even further, and said while they can give me a decent level of cosmetic improvement, they think I have a better shot if I went to a clinic that also did BHT (which I thought was great level of honesty)

Based on this, my 'personal' opinion (and maybe I am wrong) is that Rahal seems to not focus on difficult cases. In my past comments, I even qualified this opinion of mine by saying that "its his business and he can run it as he pleases" but it would have been helpful, at least in my personal experience, had he taking more of a patient approach (and transparent feedback) as oppose to business centric, which in my case was trying to sell me PRP/SMP.....again that is just my personal experience. Does that mean the clinic wouldnt be a good choice for others, of course not. I am sure they can do wonders for other patients.

Thats it... nothing more or less... No hatred or disgruntleness .. just simply sharing my personal experience (and trying to keep it balanced as much as possible, even when my own experience was not great) so just in case anyone else is in my similar shoes gets a rejection, they shouldn't feel like its the end of the road (I also get that for some HT may truly not be an option)...

I think I shared a negative personal experience as balanced as I could, and I believe @Westview was also sharing a balanced opinion. And the example you shared to counter the views (which again is not needed, as we both agreed there are two sides to this) is also of NW2, minimal thinning, almost no family history of baldness, on meds.. and pre-HT hair that most bald people will give up their 5th born for.... which actually reinforces my overall assessment of the clinic...

On 8/21/2021 at 5:41 PM, TPV said:

Hi,

Does anyone has any recommendation for a surgeon in GTA area for restoring my hair @ Norwood scale 5-6?

 

Dr Jones did share some patient pics over watsapp with me... so you can go down that route too... fyi.. he was not doing any in person consultation 9 months ago due to covid.. so not sure if he's changed that now ...

best of luck..

On 8/21/2021 at 5:41 PM, TPV said:

Hi,

Does anyone has any recommendation for a surgeon in GTA area for restoring my hair @ Norwood scale 5-6?

 

In GTA, you dont have much (any) options..  There is Dr Jones in Oakville, but I have almost never seen a patient of his posting their results ..

Rahal in Ottawa will simply reject you because your end results are not going to be worth his hall of fame... your only good option in Canada is H&W in Vancouver... there are also many more options in US, Europe and India.. but I guess you want to stay within Canada..

best of luck..

On 8/16/2021 at 4:37 AM, deeznuts said:

Yeah I definitely feel you. That's why when I've been planning out my transplant, I've been seriously considering staying for a good 2 weeks minimum just in case something goes wrong, I can stay completely local. That and the fact that Spain sounds really nice during the spring. Doesn't really help the hotel room stuff but hey, maybe having access to room service and hotel staff is a benefit

Might just go back and visit again after a few months cause why not get a checkup and enjoy a second vacation though not so sure on this yet

I have had an in-person consultation with Rahal, a few years back, and in hindsight, I wish I had never wasted a single minute meeting him, let alone a 4 hr travel and an overnight hotel stay. My personal opinion is that he simply looks for 'poster' worthy cases, and avoids challenging cases. I get that its a business and he can run it as he pleases, but as a doctor, it would be nice if he was more transparent and clear in his evaluation. He spent about 5 mins talking to me, and simply started selling me PRP and SMP, when I clearly said I was not open to it. For the next 6 months, his sales rep kept trying to sell PRP and SMP..... This is not to say Rahal doesnt have skills, but my overall impression was that this place was more about mass business than individual patient care..

I also had an in-person consultation with Dr Nadimi. She came across as a thorough professional. Dont expect her to sugar coat anything, but I found her to be honest, attentive to your expectations and never tried to sell her opinion to you. Even her online communication was impeccable.. Frankly, I never had to wait more than 12 hours for her reply.. she was detailed, to the point and very helpful.. Granted she is less experienced than some other doctors, but I believe that her waiting list (and perhaps even prices) will soon be elite level...

I would also advise you to look into H&W.. (Thats the clinic I finally went ahead with).

best of luck..

On 8/18/2021 at 8:55 PM, webathon said:

The consultation doesn't come from the doctor?

as @Gatsbysaid.. do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions.. things are not as 'black and white' nor linear as they may seem aka just because there is a notion that FUT before FUE yields more lifetime graft, doesnt mean that applies to all potential patient or situations... From personal experience, your initial feedback from H&W can just come from the consultant, based on their experience.. this doesnt however have to be the final word... You can share more information and have further conversation with the consultant or ask to get direct feedback from the docs.. again this doesnt mean that their recommendation will not change based on additional feedback, better pics or in person conversation... also know that Dr Hasson primarily now only focusses on FUE (at least thats what I was told) while Dr Wong does both (but of course he does a fair chunk of the clinics FUT's)... from personal experience, my communication with H&W was over several months/years, and between that time my prognosis evolved quite a bit.. I went from being a good candidate, to not so good, to good again, to FUT strongly recommended to FUT or FUE not making a big difference in my case... And the reason for differing opinion was simply more information (my preferences evolved, I shared better pics, I spoke to the consultant over the phone vs email, I had an in-person evaluation with the doc vs email)....while most clinics are good at giving decently accurate virtual recommendation, in my opinion nothing replaces an in-person doctor consultation... level of miniaturization, hair caliber, skin laxity, etc can all either further reinforce your initial recommended option, or slight shift favor to another (FUT vs FUE).. for example in my case, simply the fact that the lead tech involved in my HT was, in Dr Wong's opinion, "not just the best in North america, but perhaps the world", improved my FUE odds significantly (as her transection rates are minimal)...

best of luck..

4 hours ago, TPV said:

Hi,

I also have a diffused pattern hair loss and it looks very similar to one of the images posted here. I contacted Dr. Rahal and his assistant said I am not a good candidate for FUE (it was an online consultation via Zoom video). 

I wonder if there are any good physicians in the GTA area that I can consult with.

Not a lot of options in GTA.. within canada, H&W is your best option IMO.. dr wong is great with diffuse thinners..

While you havent shown any pics and while its true that not everyone is a good candidate, I would not get too discouraged by Rahal's rejection. His inaccurate assessment costed me 2 years of inaction.

If you do decide to share pics, I am sure you will get honest and robust advice on this forum

Best of luck..

14 hours ago, Hairtroubles said:

Youre right, i agree, so thats what you think I should do then. Shave it.   Like that's the next step for me?  Fack man.  

This sucks. I dunno what to do.  The more I read about Finasteride, the more i see its syntetic chemicals entering the body, and day by day damages DNA and neurons.  This is what i believe is the case.  I dunno what to do man.

I really dont.  Can you help in terms of coming to a decision.

I havent been to a barber in years. I simply buzz my hair for the last 8 or so years.. i know tons of ppl who have gone down tht route and loved it... give it a try, you may just like it.. you dont have anytnin to lose, jus to gain in this strategy...

..

4 hours ago, Hairtroubles said:

Why dont you want to be on Topical Fin anymore?

@InTheSix - thanks, i appreciate the reply, the problem is, i have researched fin, topical fin, probably over 1,000 hours now.  Its gotten to the point i know everything i need to know. 

Its a synthetic drug that seems to have huge problems and side effects.  Ive read too many horror stories, its scary.  I hate this.

I dont know what to do.

Even weaning off seems a problem?

Most, if not all, medical interventions have the possibilities of unintended consequences. its good to research and know about them, but I do think you need to focus on the probabilities of those unintended consequences.. heck, even a hair transplant is not a sure shot... many fail, or not yield the result you want.. even hair system can cause issues..

Dont take this the wrong way.... But I do think your focusing too much on the negatives or the relatively smaller unintended consequences... with that mind frame, the 'only' option you have that will have a 100% success rate.. is to simply shave off your head, and make peace with it... pretty much any other alternative will come with some possibility of unintended consequences, which I dont think you are ready to entertain... 

7 hours ago, Hairtroubles said:

Hey man, 

Yeah, its just a lot of information at once and it's super demotivating.  On the two sides of the coin, I am being told to do something NOW, and on the other hand, because I do not want to take medication, I am being told to do nothing so I can then get a HT after loss has stablised.

I know this isn't a miracle cure, but I booked an appointment with a Dr. Eva Proudman in three weeks and paid GBP 130.00 to see her.

I just spoke to Eva Proudmans husband on the phone (who works for Eva), they work with closely the 'Maitland Clinic', said she is really sought after and so forth, been in the industry for 20 years. 

I was on the phone for 40 minutes, told him all my worries.  He said to come in, they can closely look at my scalp, try and find the cause of the loss under the microscope, he kept mentioning minoxidil, but said they have other alternatives.  I mentioned my fears of Fin, and he said there are other alternatives, then he said there are, and then I put two and two together, he meant Saw Palmetto, any thoughts on this? I'm sure I have read people reading they also got permanent Side Effects from Saw Palmetto too?  He said something about it not being in it's original form, I'm not sure, but it demotivated me quite a bit, I thought there was some new product/formula out with minimum side effects.  He didn't want to tell me the name as well to avoid researching it.  I feel like he may have said that so I buy it on the day without reading about it?

Are my options just that limited, like genuinely?

 

Also, did you end up getting a HT from Dr. Bisanga, are you not on Fin, and why are you going on it now, did it not scare you? Are there really not any alternatives?

In my opinion, there are only 2 things humanity has ever created (with enough long term supporting data) to fight hair loss.. thats HT and Finas (Minox comes third).. I am sure other things like Biotin, supplements, dutas, saw P, Nizoral, microneedles, laser hats, PRP, onion oil, hanging upside down for an hour a day... may help someone but I just dont think they are part of a long term robust strategy (maybe ppl can put an arguement for dutas)

Frankly, if you keep searching for "non-finas solutions" you will come across tons of example of "miracles".. but just know that its only because you are looking for them, and secondly, they are part of the exception not the norm...

in short, yes your options are limited (which btw is not a bad thing if you think about it)..

No I did not get an HT fron Bisanga, but I am considering him for my 2nd HT as I will most likely need to use my beard for future HT and he seems to be good with it..

I havent used Fin before, but I ordered it 1.5 months back and I am waiting for it (topical)..  I didnt use Fin in the past because I was young and not well researched (I feel you are in that position today)

I would suggest you spend some time researching topical Finas or dutas.. I am no expert, but I believe that they have the potential to be the next game changer/gold standard, given their potential benefit with little/ no (dare I say) side effects... My HT surgeon had full confidence recommending me topical finas (not to confuse you, but since Topical finas is not FDA approved, its compounded by pharmacies.. which means that topical finas bought from different sources can have slightly different formulations.. so try to get it from an accredited place)

Since all hair loss medication are recommended to be taken for life, you need to have a positive mind frame if you choose to go down the med route.. meaning that if you keep thinking negatively then chances are that you will have side effects (placebo)... our bodies naturally slow down, and things (hint hint) dont always work the same way they did when we were 16... so if you keep thinking about finas, you may simply blame age related rustiness to finas.. that will be a losing battle...

8 hours ago, Hairtroubles said:

Thanks man, appreciate the message.  I am contemplating this, to be honest, shaving and then rocking the beard, sucks, but oh well...
Also, the thing that annoys me, paying GBP 130.00 doesnt get you face to face with Dr. Ball, this is for his rugby clinic, where you meet with someone called Eva Proudman, who then goes through your hair.  So yes, this is why I am a bit annoyed by it, given their availability, and me having to book work off for a holiday for this and take a 2 hour train there and back.  

Is there anyway I can mentally re-train my mind or prep for topical fin, or is that just an absolutel no go for me.

Hi bud.. I can imagine losing hair and not knowing what to do about it can be stressful. Trust me, been there.. I read all the comments here, and here is my honest 2 cents for you:

- take a break/pause.. hair loss is a marathon and I dont think you ever solve it, you simply find ways to manage it to your expectations

- think long term. What are your expectations 2 / 5/ 10+ years from now.. meaning are you adamant to have a full dense head of hair (that may be difficult to achieve for most), or are you ok to have some thinning with maybe a light crown or no crown coverage.. (each one of those will have a different action plan)

- you seem to be a diffuse thinner, so was I (I say "was", because I lost most of my hair, not because I found a cure.. sorry dont mean to scare you).. and I can tell you that as a diffuse thinner starting from age 26, while I didnt like the way my hair looked at present, I always yearned for the hair I saw in photos a year back.. in short, its all relative.. you may think your hair looks bad today, but 2 years from now, you may do anything to dial back just 2 years ..

- I think by now you get this.. but no one is saying you 'are' a NW5 or 6 but that you 'may' turn into one.. similarly, I read Dr Bisanga's evaluation as you not being a good candidate 'now'... but you may in the future.. frankly thats actually a good evaluation in my opinion, as you still have a lot of hair that you can lose due to shock loss.. when I was 28 yrs old, I went to a doctor, who said I was a great candidate for HT and recommended 3200 grafts.... thank god I didnt go ahead with his recommendation, as I am sure that was a bad decision in hindsight ( i feel you are in that situation today).. What I do regret from that time is that I didnt start any medication.. I do wish I had given finas a try then.. but alas..

- If it makes you feel any better, dr. Bisanga was also somewhat skeptical about my case, and even the doctor I eventually got my HT done recently(I am 39 now), initially said no to me... the point I am trying to make here is, dont feel down if you get an answer from a doctor that you dont like... its fine.. its completely normal to get different opinions from doctors, and the reasons can be varied (ethics, skills, preference, specialty, bad photos, etc) 2 years back I got a 'your not a candidate" from a very well respected doctor, and because I wasnt well researched, it really put me down.. the point here is... take your time, do your research and trust me, just like in the movie Matrix, you will start to see things very differently once you have a better handle of things. (just fyi.. i now take oral minox, and have ordered topical finas, and waiting for delivery)

- finally, the advice you get on this forum is pure GOLD, especially from some of the seasoned people here... you wont even get this much dedication from most clinics.. use it, consume it, learn from it, and hopefully you learn to manage this beast called hairloss

4 hours ago, 5BetaReductase said:

What was his reasoning on that?

He mentioned he had good initial results, but then one patient had some unexpected results. He did mention some term, but I totally dont recall.

This was an in person conversation, and the overall sense I got was not that he was commenting on the viability of BHT, but just that he simply decided to stop doing it. 

5 hours ago, Egy said:

H&W, De Freitas, Feriduni to name others.

thanks bud.... although Dr Wong did recently tell me that he stopped BHT while back...

Would appreciate if people can share who in their opinion are the top 5 BHT clinics/doctors out there ?

I have seen good results from eugenix, konior, bisanga and others, but interested to get other opinions too

Thanks

1 hour ago, baalloss said:

Warning – long post.

So, here’s a summary:

It’s 15 months since the op, and things haven’t worked out well. Quick-and-dirty review of the whole process :

Weeks leading up to the operation  – good (Scott was very responsive, providing quick answers, clear pre-op instructions etc)

Day of the surgery  - excellent (great doctor,  very pleasant, painless op, friendly staff, etc)

Post operation support - incredibly poor (no advice given, being fobbed off, manipulative actions, toxic)

 

Photos.

Here is the photo that sums up the result. The first is taken on the morning of the op; the middle one, an hour after the op, and the last one is in Jun ’21, 15 months later.

As you can see, things haven’t worked out. The reason is explained below.

 

 

The dream turns sour.

My very first post in this thread explains how I was very impressed with the things leading up to the operation and the day of the transplant itself. That was excellent, and this still stands, of course. However, in the months that followed, things took a turn. I started realising something was not right at the 6-month stage, but was trying to be patient, and it was at the 9 month mark that I came to a realisation that this is not working. (See photos above in post dated 09-Dec-20).

I was emotionally distraught, and wanted to know what could be the reason for this poor result so far. I hoped that the clinic would give me some ideas, advice, information etc. However, there was nothing – I mean literally NOTHING – not one piece of “Oh, it could be because of X or Y or Z….”. No explanation of why the growth was poor, what steps I can take to find out more, what the clinic has done in the past for other patients in this situation etc.  Instead, there was sugar-coating, refusal to accept that there was even a problem and re-assurances that all will be well by the 12 month mark, that I needed to have trust, and that the doctor will only look at my case after 12 months, and at that point, I will get a full assessment, a proper investigation, and we will work as a team to fix this, etc etc. All contact was with Scott. No access to/guidance from the doctor at all. This was all very well, and I totally get the 12 month timescale, but I desperately wanted to know the reason why my transplant wasn’t working, so I came on this forum and wrote the post mentioned above to ask the community here for advice. There was no criticism, no judgement, no blame in that post  -  just a simply request for information.

However, a few days after I posted that, I get a call from Scott and I am reprimanded on the phone for doing this. He mentioned that my post had resulted in the relationship becoming strained, and he also used words like “lawyer” and “court” – not sure if this was a subtle, veiled threat of legal action to frighten me. I brushed that aside, but was frustrated that the rep was not only giving me zero information, but he was now preventing me from getting information from others.

Now, I understand that clinics do not want patients with poor results to talk about it publicly. It’s not good for business. Fine. But as a very stressed patient, I needed to get some advice and since I was getting none from the clinic, I had to turn elsewhere.

This was in Dec ’20. The next 3 months were an emotional rollercoaster, and every day of waiting till my 12-month anniversary (3^rd Mar 2021) was agony. When March came, I sent off my photos to the clinic and looked forward to getting this resolved. A Skype video call was arranged, and the “full assessment” and “investigation”  that I had been promised all along, turned out to be nothing more than the doctor telling me to get a biopsy done and check for lichen plano polaris and frontal fibrosis. Why the doctor couldn’t have spent 5 minutes on the phone back in Dec and tell me this at that point, I do not know. There was no recommendation of which dermatologist to use, no visual examination over video, or any detailed discussion around the why, when, what, etc.

Okay, so I find a dermatologist (in Reading, UK), and have the biopsy done. It turns out I have lichen plano-polaris (LPP). Here’s an interesting back-story :

When I had the initial consultation with the doctor and Scott in London in Feb ’20, I specifically asked the doctor to check for LPP – the reason being that, prior to this, I had had a consultation with another doctor, who mentioned that he suspects that I have LPP and that whenever I have a transplant, I need to get this checked. Dr Lupanzula examined my head a second time, but couldn’t see find any evidence of LPP.

It would be easy to blame the doctor for not correctly diagnosing the presence of LPP, but I feel that that would be unfair as this can be a very elusive condition to diagnose, and I give Dr Lupanzula the benefit of the doubt.

I get the biopsy report from my derm and pass it onto Scott for him to forward to the doctor so that we could have another Skype chat and work out the next steps. I get a call from Scott and his tone is totally different. He’s clearly upset with me, and tells me that our relationship has broken down, and is not sure if he can help. Now, I made certain up till that point, that I did not update my review even though people were asking for it, in case I upset the clinic. However, in a moment of excitement, on another forum, a week or so prior to getting my derms report, I saw an incredible result from a Dr Bisanga patient and I posted I believe something like “Wow, what an amazing result – I wish I had gone to Dr B for my transplant as well”. (I made no mentioned of Dr Lupanzula/Medikemos.). It seems that Scott had seen that post, and maybe made a complaint about it to the owner of the site, who then edited my post to simply say “Oh wow, what a great result.” and messaged me to let me know. So, un-knowingly, I had re-awakened the wrath of the rep.

The phone conversation that followed with Scott was a very un-pleasant and heated one, where he was indirectly saying that he would not help me unless I went to the forums, apologised and wrote positive things about the clinic. Knowing full well that the only “help” I can expect from the clinic will be along the lines of “Get your LPP sorted out, and then come back for a transplant in a couple of years.” I told Scott that if he wanted to help me, then great, if not, then that is fine too, cos I do not play games. Quite frankly, I had grown tired of the constant reprimands, the false promises, the sugar-coating, and constant sales pitch about how amazing the clinic is, how awesome the doctor is and how many happy patients they have, and a lecture about the importance of “building trust”. Yeah, sure, that’s great, but all I wanted to know for the last 6 months was why my transplant had not been successful. How about just giving me some guidance and advice, like the people on the forums did? After 40 minutes, we end the call, and I honestly wanted nothing more doing.

But to his credit, a few days later, he did organise a Skype call between himself, me and the doctor. As expected, the doctor was very pleasant, but I have LPP and I understand that it’s up to me to get this sorted.

 

The whole post-operation “support” has been un-necessarily and frustratingly poor. Having an unsuccessful transplant is an emotional and very painful experience and on top of that, when the rep strings you along, reprimands you, is always in sales-mode and tries to coerce and manipulate you, it rubs salt into the wounds. Rather than help, he was a hindrance, and although Medikemos is a top-class outfit, the after-care made it feel like I was dealing with a second-class clinic in a 3^rd world country. This was purely due to the support rep I had to deal with, and I accept that a clinic shouldn’t be judged by the actions of an employee.

The positives.

-          In fairness, I feel that Dr Lupanzula is a fine doctor. He’s incredibly pleasant and likable, and knows his craft. The day of the operation really was a largely painless experience, and the doctor was involved throughout, even to the point of shaving my hair, taking photos etc. I felt well-looked after in the operating room.

-          The clinic seems to be a family business (I met two other immediate family members on the day of the operation) – and I really like that aspect. It gives it a personal touch and Medikemos is not a faceless, conveyor-belt outfit which just gets multiple clients in every day.

-          The staff on the day of the operation were very friendly and helpful. They even explained what they were doing under the microscope and invited me to have a look. I un-knowingly made them laugh with my loud snoring whilst they were doing the planting, as I had nodded off.

 

Who’s lost out?

We all have – myself, the doctor, the clinic. This whole debacle could have been handled so much better and with such little effort. And that’s the saddest part. It seems that the clinic has outsourced the post-operation support service to an employee, and whilst that makes sense, it comes with risk. Medikemos is probably not even aware of what’s been going on, or the consequences - I’ve got friends in real life who were thinking of a transplant with this clinic after I had mine, but now they will go elsewhere. There have been people PM-ing me online and they’re not too impressed either. Dr Lupanzula has spent decades learning his skill, and I respect and admire him for that, and I would not want him to lose out as a result of this incident.

It’s not un-common for companies to have most departments work very efficiently, but have one department that lets the side down. Or have an employee who is well-meaning but who is not quite in the right job, and uses practices which ultimately harm the company’s reputation. Unfortunately, from my position, the situation of Medikemos appears to be like that of a top-quality restaurant, which has a very highly skilled chef working away in the kitchen, but some customers are turning away cos the serving staff are letting the side down.

 

In summary, I wrote this not to look for an apology or explanation, or refund. Nor sympathy, nor to play the victim. Life goes on. I wrote this because one of THE most frustrating things in my research for a doctor was the sheer lack of negative reviews. To the point that, at our initial consultation, I remember saying to Scott “Surely, there MUST be people for whom a transplant hasn’t worked or the result is poor.” I had no idea that a year later “I” would be such a person. I realise now that there are lots of transplants that are not successful, and there’s a reason why you don’t see many negative reviews……but that’s the subject of another thread.

I posted this update in a hope that someone, somewhere will benefit from this experience. As odd as it seems, the clinic itself could also benefit in the long term.

While no words will turn back time and reverse the experience you have had, as a stranger reading your comment, 48 hours after my very first HT, I must say it seems you have handled yourself with great poise, balance and composure despite the cards you have been dealt with. And while there are no good "candidates" to go through what you have gone through (I wouldnt wish it on my enemies frankly) I do believe, from the little I have read, that you have the right attitude to turn this adversity around into a positive story eventually.

I look forward to reading your turn around/success story in the near future

sorry that you have been experiencing hair loss since 16. Could imagine it wasnt fun at such a young age.. You seem to be given yourself a decent shot by your current regimen.. You will find a lot of admirers for Eugenix here, and although I havent personally dealt with them, they are definitely one of the clinic you should consult with at some point, especially since they have a lot of experience with high NW (in case you end up being one). Not sure where you are located, but personally I didnt find a lot of clinic big on BHT in North America. Mostly Europe and Eugenix in India... I did however personally meet with  Dr Nadimi in Chicago, and she mentioend she performs BHT also (she came across as honest, and good at what she does)

The other school of thought will tell you to not go for FUE, but instead go the FUT route first, to maximize your potential lifetime grafts, especially if you are concerned you may end up at NW7.... In that case, you should at some point, consult with H&W. (they do not perform BHT).. you can of course go for FUE/BHT in your 2nd procedure, if it come to that, which for most NW7, it will...

Judging by your time record, you seem like a meticulous person.. and you are probably over analyzing your hair state... frankly the hair you have currently, many (myself included) would drop a pretty penny to have.... with your regimen, I dont see an HT in the near future i.e you dont need one

6 hours ago, JohnAC71 said:

Whilst it’s true that Dr Hasson seems to do more FUE, either are a very good choice ! 🙏

6 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I think they’re both great. Dr. Hasson does more FUE I believe, and Dr. Wong is a master for crowns. Both have their strong suits.

True. From what I am told, Dr Hasson 'only' does FUE now, while Dr Wong does both...