dreamingofhair

Makes sense. To establish baseline before taking Finasteride - i just got the following blood work requisition done "Testosterone panel, Estrogen / Estradiol, FSH, LH, DHT, Free DHT, SHBG, PSA, Prolactin, Semen Analysis" - Anything else that's a must ? I know that ^ may be un-necessary but i just wanted to be sure and able to evaluate the drug after few months against the baseline - especially considering it might end up being a lifelong companion

Great, any Dermatologist can diagnose it accurately ? If yes, I will speak to a GP to get a referral to a dermatologist here in Canada. Thanks a lot

Can someone advice me what will be the best way to rule out DUPA ?

Thanks, Yes - just got a prescription for finasteride. I had come to the reality that given my current stage, for optimal results regardless of procedure & surgeon - I will need to be on medication (Finasteride) for foreseeable future. So I think it is better to evaluate finasteride first and see if I can tolerate it without significant damage. If in case, I have adverse effects with finasteride - then there is not really much point in spending $$$ on surgery as the results will be relatively short lived. As of now I had decided to get some blood work done - Testosterone (Total & FSH), Sperm count and DHT (i read about LC/MS analysis - need to figure out where I can get it done in Canada) to establish a baseline. Get on Finasteride for ~3 months primarily to evaluate adverse affects rather than potential gains (as they are evident only after 6+ months time frame). Get my blood work done again after 75-90 days and compare against baseline. If i don't see tragic demerits - i can conclude that, I will be able to pursue Finasteride for the long run. Once that's established - will proceed with surgery from one of the clinics. Hear Hear, i don't have insane expectations - just would like to do whats best possible given circumstances. H&W against Hattingen - preference of H&W is primarily based on my geographic proximity or quality of work / results ? So far Dr. Wong's clinic had been excellent with respect to addressing my concerns - prompt and informative. I am yet to hear back from Hattingen & Eugenix Medispa is enticing when it comes to cost as its easily palatable. I read about the 1am consultation & agree that it was very unprofessional. Kudos to the chap to have the balls to pull out at last minute. Having said that, If I am proceeding with surgery - I plan to block a weeks time and hope I could mitigate aforesaid experiences with better communication in person - may be a day or two before the surgery. Still contemplating whether 1 Mega - FUT + FUE (with or without BHT) makes sense or to take it slow and have smaller FUT session initially and then one FUE to close it off (along with covering the FUT scars) - all spread over few years.

Yea, $3 is not an absolute number. Flexible on it as i rather have it performed close to perfection. Waiting for evaluation from Eugenix. Never contacted Mwamba. Will explore that. Any other recommendations?

Wong didn't deny me. Infact they responded favourably - it's just that the cost is tad on the higher side. H&W estimates ~5000+ Grafts for complete coverage but they aren't fully confident (as of now with just photos) if my donor area can support that much. They classified me as a DPA 6 candidate. As @Curious25suggested, I am getting a feel from all major doctors to figure out what are their preliminary analysis & to gather sense of direction. Just got response from H&W, Medispa & few others. Waiting for Eugenix & Hattingen to have a comprehensive view.

Hi All, First & Foremost, THANK YOU for the wonderful contributions to the forum. I had been lurking around for over a week & learned a lot so far. As I am seriously contemplating about getting my HT done ASAP - thought its time for me to jump in & take recommendations / feedback. I am 31 years old, with some history of baldness within the family. I started thinning hair around 23-24 but it went terribly bad in the last 2-3 yrs. I have not taken Finasteride or any similar drug till date. Experimented with minoxidil for 3-4 months in 2019 but discontinued due to dryness and itching of the scalp. 1) First & Foremost, can you please let me know what stage of hair loss am I currently at (in Norwood scale) ? And also, what is the estimate going forward ? For greater clarity, I would like to know if my hair loss is stabilized or am I expected to deteriorate further with time ? 2) In my current condition, is it recommended to get Finasteride ASAP and then perform the hair transplant procedure after a few months OR can perform surgery without the need of finasteride? 3) What are the possibilities of complete coverage (including crown area) with a relatively decent density? Am I a good candidate ? 4) Based on my research so far (not very extensive) - I am inclined to do FUT to optimize my available donor area. However I am confused about the strategy. Ie, does it makes sense to have a combo mega session - FUT + FUE + BHT OR take it slow & have a smaller FUT for the hairline and then perform another FUT+FUE or FUE alone after 14-20 months time frame to achieve complete coverage. 5) I am based in Canada (but of Indian origin) and thus inclined to do the procedure in India (but open to other geo locations primarily Canada, US & Europe). Cost is also a deciding factor. My preferred budget will be upto 3USD / graft but flexible to increase it within margin. I had been eyeing on the following clinics 1) H&W, Vancouver - Dr. Wong (out of my current budget but open to it if i don't find a better choice) 2) Eugenix, Delhi - Arika Bansal (slightly varied as they only perform FUE) 3) Medispa, Jaipur - Suneet Soni 4) Satya Hair Clinic - Shail Gupta (need to gather more info as there isn't much reviews available here) 5) Amrita Hospital Plastic Surgery Unit - Sundeep Vijayaraghavan (need to gather more info as there isn't much reviews available here) 6) Hattingen, Germany Open to comments & recommendations. Pics attached (I cut my hair short - usually guard 1-2. Last haircut ~ 32 days back)