TheGreatPretender

Only thing I required was a blood test which was offered by my GP for free nothing more.

Well its a bit different from me because I got as soon as I had my HT from a nearby local pharmacy near the clinic (De Freitas) in Spain as they were happy to prescribe me. So I started 3 days post op. I had a 90 days pill box worth of capsules then I ordered from ADC so I think it may have taken over 2 to 3 weeks max to reach home and have enough supplies till feb/march but I will likely reorder earlier when the time comes.

I've ordered from them and started their pills last month (after completing mine bought near the clinic in Spain) and thei're legit. I got the 10mg and split them in two since its more economical and you save alot by doing it. They also come with a score in the middle so if you get a cheap splitter you can just break them in two, its a bit of a pain in the start but you get used to it.

End of day to me it mostly resumes to sult activity in your folicles. If you have more on your head then topical might be more effective to you, if howeaver like the majority of people you dont have enough in there then its likely oral will be the better option. I feel that Oral does have the advantage of getting systemic and reaching more easily to the folicles then topical because it essencially goes via the blood after already been converted to minoxidil sulfate starting in the liver which presents the sulfotransferaze enzyme activity that a lot of times is missing in the scalp. In a way it's similar to how oral DHT blockers are better than topical and how they reach the folicles via the bloodstream. The less bald you are the more likely you are to respond, but this is merely my observation since Minoxidil's full mechanism is unknown right now so it goes on a person by person basis.

Couto is the obvious choice. You need to ask if you'd rather be operated by some unknown technician producing variable results or would you prefer to Increase the chances to your success with a top flight surgeon? Every Good clinic produces bad result once in a while, while every bad clinic produces good results for once in a while. Transplants are never a guarantee but you'd rather have the peace of mind that you chosen a good doctor and increased your chances to the maximum capacity to get the best out of your surgery.

Flew back the day after and spent like 9 hours straight in between flights and cabs after waking up. Still managed to protect all my grafts with some help via wheelchair assistance and also my parent who helped me along the way. I always moved very slowly to the point of being careful enough not to bump. I couldn't believe myself on how quick it actually went lol.

Minoxidil induced shed is fine either oral or topical. I noticed I had upon starting topical for a month or so I noticed things got very slightly worse but picked up later no problem. I didnt notice anything upon starting oral but I had my head shaved after my hair transplant but its plausible to have lost a couple of hairs in the proccess. These usually always come back in a few months if not the month after.

I requested flight assistance (wheelchair) since I flew the day after and had my trip from 9:00 all the way till 17:00 local (gained an hour after flight). To me it helped alot since I had to fly from Valencia do Amsterdam which is quite a populated airport then Amsterdam to Birmingham, I also had to stay 5H in Amsterdam before catching the connecting flight which got delayed, it was aprox 9H counting both trips + airport stay. My advise would be to take your time entering and exiting the taxi and try moving too quickly, always be on the lookout if outside (without being 200% paranoid obviously) and be ready to dodge if anything may come in the way of touching your head. I remember almost hitting a tree branch and having dodged it with quick reflexes. 😂

Its not, many people do order from there and it comes from an actual legit manufacturer from india. There's also another uk site that actually sells it though its more expensive in there. But its always better and more convenient if its from within the country.

Might try those two and see if it works. For now I am just ordering from Alldaychemist and halfing 10mg worth of tablets. Would be better to get it from within the UK though.

I was thinking boots could potentially accept it? I don't want the Oxford pharmacy since they only sell 2.5mg and I use 5.

They said it was off label, that was basically their justification. I am talking about my local medical practice to whom I gave the prescription written by the clinic.

Are they? I got some with me and tried to give to my medical practice but got rejected. How did you get yours?

Although I agree that these two doctors are at a good level I cant really say they are in the same league as Couto, Freitas, Ferreira or Pinto. Correct me if I am wrong but both Farjo and Ed Ball seem to charge higher than the ones I mentioned. Even if they don't I still think you will get better results elsewhere with a top doctor in Europe.

Insane results, congrats!

You're right to bring your own neck pillow for the trip. I found theirs way too soft and felt like I needed something more rigid which could keep my head from turning so I took the one in which I kept practicing for 2 weeks my sleeping positions. I think they usually will recommend to wash the donor with baby shampoo, shoes without laces is also good. You will usually wake up at the hotel, get the paid breakfast before departing at the cab called by the hotel which will lead you to the clinic. Doctor will usually wet your hair, shave it, draw your hairline and discuss it with you where the grafts will take place. Then you will go to your waiting room and they will call you for extractions/implantations. Sometimes these are spaced out throughtout the day depending on how many grafts you need. I think if you usually get less number like 1000 you may be able to get away in a single day, though dont quote me on this. I had 2 distinct days, finished early at around 15:00 in the first day and around 21:00 in the second since there were alot much more to implant.

I slept pretty well after practicing it for like two weeks straight. It became second nature almost.

First of all I've been in your spot months ago. Second of all you have nothing to fear, you did your due diligence and went to one of the best. Thirdly if you can try and contact the airlines and ask for flight assistance on wheelchair. I managed to get one and was very very very useful since I was doing pitstop among flights. It was extremely helpful to get home without hitting my head anywhere on board. When they send you for help you can explain that you need to be careful with your recently implanted head and it can't touch any surface. They will help you get through checkpoints, etc.

Redness and bumps are all normal, you're fine.

Day 7 + No blood + no pain = Lost hair ≠ Lost Folicle. I freaked out at day 11 for aparently blowing up a pimple but didnt lose any hairs then I obsessed over the area and monitored the grafts close to it till death and they staid till shedding 1 week later. I know the first few days post op are a bit stressfull but try to not stress over too much and if there is something that draws your concearn just text the clinic. Plus I had some of those on ocasion, its just the hair but the root is perfectly safe.

At your age its best to keep taking medication and avoid thinking about surgery for as long as possible. Try different things from Finasteride or Dutasteride until you feel like you exausted all your options. Surgery is always a last resort, always.

I have seen stock in online pharmacies here in the UK for 5MG though you need a presecription which is a pain in the butt to get, you can still get the 2.5mg version online without seeing a doctor afaik.

Its frightening just to think about the amount of clinics with this sort of mindset out there.

I had one day flight in before the surgery date. Out at 9:00 in Birmingham and arrived at local 17:00 in Valencia after doing a two hour pitstop in Amsterdam. Flew back right the day after surgery waking up at 7:00 flying out at 9:00. This time staid for 6 hours waiting in the Amsterdam airport before flying at around 16:00 local and arriving at 17:00 local. These were two hour flights in which I did "win" an hour extra. Got home at 17:30. 0 bumps, scratches or anything else. I was on my guard the whole time and I didn't let anything happen to my head during this time.

No, absolutely not. You have a great head and you could easily go off without looking like you never had this desease in the first place, why go through stress while taking risks for a couple more hairs? Try to stick to it for a year or two then revaluate.