deeznuts

1 hour ago, sunsurfhair said:

Depends on your levels of testosterone. If you use TRT to regain healthy levels that aren’t obscene, and are in need of it (meaning your primary or secondary hypogonadal) then it shouldn’t kill your hair. I’ve had no issues. DHT will of course rise accordingly with Test as it should and of course Estradiol will raise as well. Now if you’re boosting yourself to super high levels using high dosages, yeah your hair is going to fly the hell off lol. I’d rather have healthy levels of T then be a hypogonadal low T mutant, but healthy levels not body builder gear head levels.  

I still think the most important thing is someone’s sensitivity to androgens, particularly on the scalp. If your receptors are extremely sensitive, and you have the bad genetic code for AGA, you’re going to lose hair regardless of your level and regardless if you’re on TRT or not. 

FYI I became hypogonadal as a persistent side effect of Finasteride (oral). TRT has been incredible and my hair has been holding up really well. I am still in the process of considering topical meso dut (which I’m waiting on delivery) or a low dose of topical fin (.0025 - .0005) or even low dose classic dut as per the studies showing solid efficacy with quite low systemic release, but I will never take an oral prescription 5AR for the rest of my life. 

On top of ALL of this, I still believe the most critical thing for follicular health is vascular blood supply. I saw a study the other day that a ton of men with AGA were found to have poorer blood supply to the scalp. The problem with DHT and androgens is it creates a viscous cycle of inflammatory damage in some men sensitive to them which causes loss of of critical blood supply to the follicle which delivers oxygen and nutrients and then you get miniaturization. It’s a vicious cycle which unfortunately gives the end result of baldness. I like the idea of making the scalp androgen receptors down regulated or even resistant to androgens although I’m not sure of what the negative effect (to the scalp) would be. Systemically to a man it would be quite bad. 

Finasteride made your test levels drop? Is that a documented side effect? I guess it does make sense that your body would produce less testosterone since your test levels would in theory be elevated as a result of it not being converted to DHT... But is that actually what happens? And is that really enough to make you hypogonadal?

looks great for 5 months. Hopefully the part in the front fills out a bit more in the next few months. 

Not really related to the video but your results look amazing wow

where's the diffuse loss?

I'd probably just look at a lot of cases and read up as much as I can. Eventually you'll come to a decision I'd imagine

5 hours ago, Gatsby said:

I would not only forget about borrowing $6k due to the interest on it but for the poor results you will receive on your scalp. If you are looking at surgery that you have to look at in the mirror everyday for the rest of your life then save up. A hair transplant based on geography and cost is a recipe for disaster. All the best. 

I feel like once you get to the 2.5 euro (or maybe 3 euro) range, that's when the doctors start getting really good. Any lower and I just feel uncomfortable since Turkey doesn't really make me feel very protected as a consumer.

19 hours ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

Salty,

Truth be told, hairtransplant Surgery is not for everyone. We live in a world where costs are high and salaries are low.  Sadly, not everybody can afford a hair transplant. And those that can, often need to save money multiple times in order to have enough to undergo more than one procedure which is often required. Hair restoration is a long-term process for some and not just about assume procedure. As a result, this takes careful planning, a considerate amount of research, time and enough money.

that said however, and I haven’t use this analogy for a while but consider it this way: The average American buys a brand new car every 5 to 7 years. A new car cost anywhere from $20,000-$40,000 on average, probably higher at this point.  Well not everybody can afford this, it’s pretty typical that people buy cars more than they should simply because they want something new and they can somehow afford it through loans or other means.  

now consider if you’re the average American, instead of buying a new car once every five years, why not keep your existing car for 10 years, save $20000 to $40000 on a car and use it to restore your hair. After all, hair transplant surgeries and lifelong investment in not only your appearance but your self-confidence.  personally, I would much rather forgo the new car for five years and have a new head of hair that provides me with a more youthful appearance and self-confidence than that new shiny thing that will be dirty and lose value only a few days after you drive off the lot.

I don’t know if that analogy helps you at all, I don’t know your personal financial situation. But there are all kinds of ways to pay for a hair transplant including financing.  In my opinion, speak to a reputable surgeon you’ve decided on after plenty of research about a long-term hair restoration plan which includes how to pay for it.  then make decision whether or not it’s something that you can afford and commit to and then go from there. Even if it means taking a little longer to undergo all the procedures you need because you have to save money, that’s fine. After all, it’s better to save the necessary money to get it done right then go to a cheaper surgeon just because they offer a less expensive hair transplant.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant 

Yeah definitely agree with the car thing.

Cars are probably the biggest money sink you can own. If you can afford to not own a car, you are going to free up hundreds a month in repair fees, monthly payments, insurance and gas.

Obviously not doable for everyone since many people do need it for their jobs but if you can figure out a way to live without a car (i.e. living in a major city like Toronto or NY), you're gonna see a lot of extra money in your pocket. When I sold my car, I found I had a ton more money without having done a single thing. And if you need, you could always put some money back into living in a better location in which case you can lower the commute time despite not owning a car. 

Also, grocery delivery is a blessing lol. Yeah it costs like 5 or 10 bucks up front, but you save two hours of your life and you don't have to own a car which means you come out way ahead

FUE scarring is often visible with shorter hair styles from what I understand

2 minutes ago, demezz2 said:

that’s dope i didn’t realize credit cards did that, thanks

You'll have to do some research but just about every credit card (that isn't complete garbage) comes with some sort of points program that rewards you for using them. I heard it's pretty crazy in the states some of the rewards they have.

Like if you get 2 points per dollar spent on your hair transplant and you transplant is 20k, then you just got 400 bucks back assuming you get 1 cent per point. There's really no reason not to have a solid card to get some $ back or maybe get some free vacations

35 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

Work! During Covid I was (fortunately) working nearly everyday. Literally! Melbourne was the most locked down city in the world during Covid and I had a day off roughly once every 11-12 days. Not everyone can do this with a family, etc. It was the money from this that paid for my surgery six months ago. Prior to that I have always worked a second job. I guess if you want something bad enough you will find a way. Having said that, your point is a real issue @SaltyCaptain592. Not everyone can afford multiple surgeries, life long medications, hair fibres, shampoos, etc, etc. I've gone from shaving my head in less than one minute a day to now spending money on shampoo, meds, hair cuts and hair coloring, etc, etc. This stuff costs money (and takes time) and I am currently saving up for a second procedure with Dr Pradeep for next year sometime. Having a hair transplant (even if it's successful) is often not the right answer. As I have said previously, if I didn't have the scars in my donor and along my hairline, I wouldn't have had a hair transplant. All the best!

Wow. You still have donor in the tank? Where are they taking it from this time Gatsby 

I'm a software engineer and really great at passing rigorous software engineering interview processes lol. So I'm lucky I'm naturally talented in this regard.

But also, I'm not paying all that much rent so I got very few expenses. No car either cause I live in the city and realized that a combination of public transit and uber (as necessary) is much cheaper than a car. Also, I'm a healthy 30 year old who works out like 5 days a week so no medical bills except contacts for my terrible eyesight.

Also, I'm somewhat cheap (not so much as before... goddamn lifestyle creep lol) so tend to save more money that way. Now I value my time a lot more which is why I won't spend an hour trying to save 5 bucks on an air fryer anymore.

I guess I also have minimal wants in life as well... I'm not really trying to get the newest iPhone or whatever. I'd legitimately be happy with like 11 milk crates for a bed frame or a couple cinderblocks for a nightstand.  Sadly my girlfriend gets upset at me for even joking about it 

Credit cards are also fun to churn so that can be an additional bit of income. Or even if not churning, a cash back credit card/points credit card is just free money. I literally have my CC hooked up to my bank account and I don't even forget my bill payments - AMEX just does it for me. It's like a debit card with points. 

And as always, invest your money (. Renting isn't always better than buying (do some research on the topic), opportunity costs are a thing (and sometimes taking the time to invest in yourself pays back more than it costs you to blow your money on X convenience).

I don't really know about lending/leasing but i have heard some places let you pay with credit card. I think a lot of them ask for bank transfers which is lame.

If you are given a choice and you can afford to pay for your transplant in straight cash (homie), use a credit card and max out the welcome bonus for a specific card. It'll be pretty exciting getting an additional 20k or 30k points on top of a hefty welcome bonus

I mean different methods of delivery have different results... 

If you poured a liter of vodka on yourself, you probably wouldn't get drunk.

If you drank that liter, there is a pretty good chance you get drunk.

(Not a perfect analogy but you get the idea).

I think he mentioned something about collagen as well. i.e. Minoxidil causing premature aging

I think surgery and research are way different from each other. But maybe I'm wrong.

A surgeon more or less just cuts holes in your scalp (or creates them with an implanter pen), administers drugs like local anesthesia, and follows various surgical protocols. It's vary much a craft like making the perfect pair of leather shoes or building artisanal furniture. 

A researcher on the other hand deals a lot with chemicals, receptors, DHT, proteins, DNA and whatever else. I feel like it's so different just because asking a surgeon to do research is like asking a chef about the maillard reaction. Or a food scientist to cook a 3 star michelin meal. 

That's not to say you can't be an excellent researcher and surgeon, but being good at implanting hair in an aesthetic manner is a lot different from finding the genes that is responsible for hair loss

5 hours ago, RTC said:

With all due respect, you're splitting hairs. Garbage is garbage.

Dr. Cinik is the one splitting hairs

Europe is great. I don't know why more people don't go to Europe with Bisanga, De Freitas, Zarev, Couto, and more

I watched a decent chunk of it. Though maybe not so intently as I would have liked.

In regards to the fin vs oral min discussion... You mentioned that fin "stops the bleeding" while Dr. Bisanga said that there are many causes for inflammation more or less and that fin doesn't address all of it...  

I'd like to see Bisanga to dive a bit deeper if possible since I do have some questions in regards to that. 

1. Even though oral min gives better results than fin, since it fails to stop the bleeding... Won't it eventually lose ground compared to fin? Not that fin doesn't lose ground over time but I'd imagine fin loses ground slower by negating one of the causes (though not all the causes) of hair loss? Like MazAB is an amazing example of fin working over decades to keep him at a NW3. So the question would be... Based on Dr. B's reply, wouldn't oral min only result in better short term results given the information in the video?

2. He mentioned dutasteride applied as a gel. I might have missed it, but did he say anything more than dut applied as a gel? Is he compounding it or sourcing/manufacturing it in anyway? Does he have any experiences with it? Or is this more of a word of mouth thing from a fellow doctor (i.e. Mwamba, Hasson)

accidentally posted

23 minutes ago, Konfue said:

Ironically everyone thinks this was a cheaper clinic. It cost me $4k US with a $250 euro discount for coming in short notice when they had an opening (paid twice that for the quick flight premium). I've sent my pictures to inquire about repairs and some clinics even thought this was a $1k HT. 

That is a cheaper clinic imo. $1/graft is pretty cheap isn't it... That's like hair mill territory I'd imagine. 

On 7/16/2022 at 2:53 PM, HappyMan2021 said:

never go to the same place for a repair....even if they offer it for free. 

For the 1st surgery, best case assume the doc and techs gave their A+ effort on you, and still came up short. Worst case they didn't give a sh*t about you and didn't put any effort into your surgery.

In either scenario - would you want to go back to the same clinic?

I've never done a repair but that's probably a bit too dogmatic for me... The way I see it, all doctors make mistakes but if they made a mistake, I'd like to know why they made a mistake, how they intend to ensure the next transplant isn't a failure, and maybe get a second opinion. Like I remember reading a Konior story about a patient with a failed transplant and he suspected they might have LPP. In order to ensure the transplant succeeded, he tried to eliminate the potential issue before attempting a full transplant. 

If they were one of the best clinics in the world before the bad transplant, then they will remain one of the best clinics in the world after the transplant. If I was offered a free repair from someone like Couto or Konior, I would gladly take it. The best clinics in the world still make mistakes and one of the best things about them is that they stand by their work and will fix it for you at no cost to you. 

I'm pretty sure this was a question asked in their recent Q&A

Anyway, different methods of absorption will result in different amounts of absorption.

He's listed on the website for Konior

https://www.chicagohairinstitute.com/

5 hours ago, SeanToman said:

Not exactly mate, it's just the extraction method.

Some people prefer DHI because it's cleaner and leaves the donor in better condition if you're looking another transplant.

People can still get multiple FUE transplants of course, some worry about overharvesting of the back causing it to look patchy though.

DHI doesn't do anything to the donor since it's an implantation method. It literally stands for direct hair implantation. And iirc, it just means they use implanter pens

i thought they automatically give you the schengen visa? not that ive tried to get one yet...

going to couto or lorenzo?