Sunnycoastman

Not an easy situation. Heres my take. we all like to look good , we all look in the mirror and what we usually see is what we dont like about ourselves. and its not fake or superficial to try and improve that area of our appearance. Its not a bad part of our humanity to want to look our best is it. as we get older we have to accept theres less we can do about it but we still care how we look. I see 80 year old men dyeing their hair...why? it makes them feel better about themself. some things are easier to improve than others. If your wife started going grey, she would notice right, and probably colour it out pretty quickly... and regularly...easy and cheap. If she didnt thats what she would see every time she looked in the mirror....more and more grey. not so easy for you or me to fix when our hair is dissappearing, but same desire...to look better and younger, improve confidence, and stop that constant worrying about our hair gradually thinning and how to cover it up. is that wrong. No, its pretty normal in this day and age Id say. If money is the issue you need her on board. Its her money too. tell her your innermost feelings about it all, talk about ways you can save money to make it happen and sketch out a time line for it. If money is no issue you still need her on board...shes your support team. And I would still talk deep down feelings about why you want the HT...women like to know the emotional reasons for why you want to do it. I had my HT on wednesday 25th Nov. I go to work monday 30th Nov...i work in an open plan office and ill have to wear a hat. no one wears a hat there. Ill tell my co workers I had some surgery on my head, nothing life threatening and have stiches that dont look nice and the doctor told me to wear a hat.My scalp is red, My head a bit swollen....4,167 grafts....Im really not looking forward to monday..Im not a confidant person who dosnt care....theyll talk i know but itll blow over in a month. theyll eventually twig to the HT thing but Ive decided too bad what they think....its me looking in the mirror at me every day. so you have to come to terms with that difficult first part of it for the long term gain. Choose your doc very carefully. Go with a doc highly recommended on this site....prices vary alot too. my ht cost $2.78 per graft in thailand with Dr Path. he was excellent and his team superb. Good luck mate

I looked at Dr Knudsen when i was first considering an HT. But the cost was beyond what I could afford or justify and i felt it was over the top as well. I know cost shouldnt be a factor but for some of us it is...probably for most of us it is I would think. So my HT (based on the estimated 4000 grafts) with DR Knudsen would cost me $23,650. And thats if it could be done in one session. Plus i would have an airfare of around $200 and expensive hotels to pay for on top. If it was 2 sessions it may even cost more. His website says $12,650 for 2000 grafts.My HT with Dr Path, a recommended doc on this site who does excellent work will cost me $12,200 and that includes the airfare to thailand. A reasonable hotel is $50 a night. So why would I pay an extra $12,000 to have my HT done in australia. Even only having 2000 grafts youll still save 5 or 6 grand by going to thailand.

well I cut back to 0.5mg of fin and placed a dry facecloth on my head for the scalp exercises and the pimples have gone. im thinking the pimples were caused by bacteria off my hands. I also found I can apply more stretch to the scalp with the facecloth there...it seems to grip the scalp better...scalp exercises are hard work Ive found and tedious as well. Ive also just switched to proscar. Im cutting 1 tab into 7 to give me around .6mg per day. that works out at around AU$12.50 per month....not bad. cheers and thanks to those who helped with my concern

thanks beachgoer, I still worry about the scar. My hair is fine and not thick in the donor area and Im afraid the scar will be visible....always things to worry about ay...lol. Yes, 22 years and 7 kids..my youngest is 9...made it the toughest year of my life by a long shot..3 years after it I still didnt care if I woke up the next day...Im just coming right now I guess, still have my moments so I figure this will be a walk in the park compared to all that. Mate I wish you well too...Im sure your road has been incredibly rough...I can only guess how hard but every one of us has our own jouney that we must complete dont we...I will never know the feel of where your beaten up shoes have been but I can understand you cz I have my own beaten up shoes...cheers

hi beachgoer, Im trying not to think about it. I have my moments of doubt about doing it and sometimes I feel Im doing the right thing. I check this site every day to see whats happening with others. some things I read worry me, others give me hope all will be ok.when I split with my wife 4 years ago and during the split she told me "I dont like grey and i dont like bald"....that hurt after 22 years of hard work and kids, so now Im treating myself to this...could never have afforded to if i was still married. I hope the guys at work dont give me a hard time about it when I come to work with a hat and they find out ( Ima kiwi..we banter alot) Its costing me every cent I have right now. The exchange rate hit 31 cents yesterday...best its been for a long time so thats good. so yes I am just hoping all will turn out ok. Dr Path has a good reputation. I was just going to turn up at a hotel when i get there...for the first night Do you have to book ahead? ...cheers

thank you, Iwas worried of course but feel better now. ill go with the antibacterial stuff and .5mg fin...I appreciate this site.....cheers

thanks spex. theyre in the area where i already have hair not in the bald crown area where I have none.and they seem to pop up in different locations all within the band of hair. I havent had a HT yet. I know people get them after the HT. Is the finasteride causing it do you think. I thought I might go back to 0.5mg per day again and see if that helps. cheers

I have raised pimple like bumps appearing in my hairline about 1 inch above my ears and and an inch or two behind and in front of ...2 or 3 kind of in a cluster, a little bit tender like a pimple. Its been happening for the last 2 weeks or so. Im baffled and i dont want it to be a possible problem in 2 weeks time when i have my HT. I started on .5mg of fin about 2 months ago and increased it to 1mg about 2 weeks ago. Ive also been doing the scalp exercises. Im wondering if the pimple thing is from the increase in fin or some sort of reaction/infection off my hands from the scalp exercises. Im thinking of trying antibacterial shampoo or going off fin a week before the Ht to see if it clears up. Im annoyed. i read here that if theres a few pimples they wont do the HT....any ideas/advice/help would be much appreciated. Im flying to thailand. I dont want the doc to say sorry cant do it cz of the pimples..cheers

Hi Beachgoer. Im watching the exchange rate closely. Its good right now so i will do a telegraphic transfer soon I think . Thatll save me carrying a heap of cash. it costs AU$30 to do the transfer here but I get a rate at least 3c better than if I went to my bank in oz and bought baht. That 3c gives me an extra AU$1000 to spend on grafts (4000 needed Im told) The other option Im considering is taking my Oz dollars over in cash and exchanging at the bank in Dr Paths building. Im 2 weeks out from the consultation day. Ill probably stay in one of the hotels dr Path suggested the first night and see how that goes cz I arrive in Bangkok at 8pm. Ill keep you updated as to how things go....cheers

Im from the sunshine coast. Im booked in with Dr path on 24th November, about 3 weeks away. I looked at Knudsen and the el mondo clinic on the gold coast. Both around $6 a graft or more. I made an appt to see someone from el mondo...drove 2 hours on a saturday to get there...waited 45 minutes but the door was locked... no-one there so I drove back home...good thing too cz I found this site eventually. At the current exchange, and youll get a better exchange if you do it in thailand youll pay about Oz$2.90 or 3.00 a graft. airfare about $1000 or less depending on how far ahead you book. Good Hotels about 50 bucks a night and cheap food. Hes recommended on this site and I havent seen any negatives from those who have been to him. He has alot of experience as well....so to me its a no brainer. Send him some pics and get his opinion.....cheers

hst had his HT with Dr Path a month ago. search under "hst". theres a thread on sept 19th where I asked him about hotels and theres other general info of interest on that thread too. Havent heard from him for a bit so if youre reading hst give us an update. Im booked for october 24th. cheers

Heres hotel info I got from Dr Path. you should go on propecia if youre not already and do your scalp stretching exercises.....cheers This is the list of hotels those not far from our clinic:- 1. My House Hotel (need passport) 560 ??“ 900 Baht (not included breakfast), tel. 02-2781350-3 (within walking 5 minutes but no cable TV) 2. Mido Hotel 1,400 Baht (per person included breakfast) 1,600 Baht (per 2 persons included breakfast) tel. 02-2794560. 3. Karnmanee Hotel (need passport) 1,400 Baht (included Breakfast), tel.02- 6186977-99 or e-mail karnmaneest@hotmail.com 4. Sofitel Centrara Grand Bangkok (Standard) 3,700 Baht (included breakfast) Tel. 02-5411234 or e-mail scp@chr.co.th 5. Siam City Hotel 125 USD Tel. 02-2470130, 02- 2470120 or email siamcity@siamhotels.com 6. Grand Tower Inn Rama VI Tel 02-6186688 to 99 (20 line) Fax 02-6186363 email rsvn.rama6@grandtowerinn.com 7. Sena Place 1,800 Baht (need passport) 1,400 Baht (included Breakfast Tel 02 2 271-4424-8 OR 66 2 271-4410) email info@senaplace.com http://www.senaplace.com/home.htm

you need to tell your insurer about the proposed HT surgery so you can make sure youre covered in case of complications...It might make a difference in the premium you pay...

Thanks for that. Im actually going to Dr Path in Thailand and I live in australia so there wont be any hairdressers around the place I live that would be familiar with HTs I wouldnt think. Guess ill just have to warn them before they start and hope they dont ask questions too loudly. Cheers

I have some questions. 1. Dr Bernstein in a study he did concluded that vigorous irrigation(ie showers every 3 hours the day following surgery) 1- 2 days after the op should be able to eliminate surface crusting while allowing the coagulum around the graft to hold it firmly in place. Dr Bernstein instructs his patients to do this.It is said to significantly reduce crusting. Has anyone done this? Did it work? Any problems? 2.Has anyone had dissolvable sutures that dissolve over a couple of months.I have this option and it seems to me this would greatly help prevent stretching of the scar especially if you exercise intensely. Anyone used this option and can anyone see disadvantages. 3. Ill be growing my hair a bit before the op, but within a month after Ill need a haircut. Do you just go along to your normal hairdresser and say "I had a HT a few weeks ago, watch out for the new scar". what do others do or say. I dont know my hairdresser very well. Thanks

I see the baht is now 30 to the oz $. Thats 2.83 per graft with Dr Path in thailand.Hard to beat that and he has a good reputation on this site. If money is an issue then now is a good time to go to thailand or america. Oz is 91c US and rising still. Im booked with Dr Path in November. i have no qualms about going to thailand for a HT. Ive read enough on this site from those who have been to feel confident in the quality of the care Ill get. Hst has just come back from a HT with Dr path. He seems happy with how things went so far....cheers

I have some ideas on this. We want to maintain our workout fitness and muscle mass as much as possible during the down time. I suggest overtraining before the op so that your body is then ready for a week or so off. train every day for the 2 weeks before the op. First 4 days after the op complete rest. next week after that just do cardio on the stationary bike and the treadmill on high elevation and just walking. thatll improve your aerobic fitness and work the legs at least without any strain on the scar. After that start with the workouts but no compound exercises like squats or chins, dips or bench press or anything where you hold your breath while you push becz that increases cranial pressure. Also no shrugs or deadlifts or upright rows or anything that stretches the scar site. Just do a circuit of light weights 15-20 reps per set and isolation exercises like concentration curls, flyes, DB rows, DB tri extensions etc. benefits are the body at least get worked and its good cardio fitness. a week of that and youre ready to start slowly back into some heavier stuff. Thats my plan anyway. I have a question....My doc says i can have dissolving sutures that dissolve over 3 months or so. Sounds like a good idea as the stitches would help hold the wound together for alot longer and my guess is help prevent widening of the scar in that first 3 months of healing. Dont know what the disadvantages are tho. Cheers

I also would like some advice on this question. I workout most days at the gym...weights mostly and some treadmill time. it'll be hard to stop for more than a couple of weeks max. can you get back to workouts using light weights say a week after the procedure. How soon after the op can you do fast walks or cycling. i wouldnt think sweat would hurt the grafts. any practical advice would be appreciated....cheers

I looked at dr Knudson too, but at an average of $6.60 per graft it was just too expensive, so Ive booked with Dr Path in bangkok in late november. If the exchange rate stays as it is now and i get 29 baht per oz dollar its just under $3 a graft if youre having more than 1000 grafts. Less than 1000 grafts its around $3.45 per graft at the current exchange rate. The airfare is around $1000 and it may be possible to get that for less too if you hunt for a good deal. hotels and food are cheap over there too. And Dr Path comes highly recommended by others on this site so that has to be a big plus. cheers

Thanks hst. keep updating us please. Did Dr Path prescribe you propecia or similar. I was hoping that it might be cheaper over there and Id pick up a years supply. How many grafts did you have done. did you do a strip procedure. What country do you live in hst. does Dr Path use staples or just sutures. Hope all is going well with the recovery process. cheers

good on ya hst, Ive had doubts already too but paid my deposit and airfare so I'll be there when the time comes. It sounds like yours went really well from what you have said. I wish you the best. it sure is a big step but you had the courage and you did it. cheers

Hi hst, congratulations and Im glad it was a positive experience. thanks for the info as well. keep us posted with your thoughts, experiences and progress. cheers

The hard part of dieting has nothing to do with food....its exercise...get into a regular exercise habit....yes it has to become a habit...you may not like it.. i dont... but you do it anyway. I like my food and beer and wine so i exercise so i can eat the food i like...if i stop exercising Ill get fat..and quick..so eating the food I like is my incentive to exercise as well as looking good and fitting my clothes properly. dieting works but is really hard on its own long term..it dosnt exercise the heart, it dosnt shape muscle, it dosnt relieve stress or make you feel fit...so number 1, get a daily...yes daily... exercise regime going....then make the compromises in your diet eg i have an average breakfast(2 eggs on toast) but skimp on lunch so i can have a few beers and a bigger dinner...and i sit in front of a computer all day...but every lunchtime...without fail, Im at the gym for 45 minutes...and its a workout not a chitchat and play around....then eat my lunch at my desk afterwards....sometimes, maybe 3x a week Ill go for a 30-45 minute walk after work as well....you have to make weightloss fit into your lifestyle...its hard to deny the things you enjoy isnt it...especially as you get older..its a constant balancing act but you have to do it....no point in having great hair and a huge ugly stomach..the key is making exercise a habit...good luck.

What should I ask the doctor at the consultation or on the day of the HT. Should I tell him what density I want per cm2 or leave it to him. Should i tell him I want the hairline feathered and randomised with single grafts to look natural or is that a given. Do I have to say i want the donor scar symmetrical around the head. Is this all discussed at the consultation. can you think of any questions I should absolutely ask. My consultation is the day before the procedure. Cheers

What should I ask the doctor at the consultation or on the day of the HT. Should I tell him what density I want per cm2 or leave it to him. Should i tell him I want the hairline feathered and randomised with single grafts to look natural or is that a given. Do I have to say i want the donor scar symmetrical around the head. Is this all discussed at the consultation. can you think of any questions I should absolutely ask. My consultation is the day before the procedure. Cheers