Dally6

On 5/7/2022 at 9:00 PM, DrTBarghouthi said:

It can be hard to ascertain what went on . It can be nerve injury related, or neuropathic pain. It can be related to the medication being injected in the first place too. You also said you had an injury in that spot too right? Could that be causing this pain  after having the injury? Some injuries will cause such types of sharp pains a while after sustaining them. Please clarify a bit more the nature of the injury, treatment etc so we can hopefully come up with a good explanation. 

Thanks for the reply and interest in my situation Dr Barghouthi.

I call it an injury but perhaps that isn't even the correct term. I could never get a proper diagnosis. Neuropathic pain is probably correct but dysesthesia was also used. Basically I was a young athlete that developed chronic fatigue syndrome. I managed this condition for many years. A few years ago I started getting intense isolated pain in four locations (all on my right hand side) that further perplexed all my doctors. One area was a small area on top of my scalp. Out of desperation I tried stem cell therapy which greatly improved my health and pain (but didn't cure it). Unfortunately some of the local stem cell injections into my scalp caused some damage. So the "injury" on my scalp is a small area that is painful (but manageable) + 4 small areas of nerve damage from the injections (that don't hurt unless aggravated). I'm not sure if that helps. Either way id be interested in getting a HT if I can navigate this issue. 

6 hours ago, Euphoria said:

FUT is when they make a horizontal cut in back of the head from side to side which leaves a small linear scar. FUE is when they take each follicle individually from the back and plant it as front.

DHI is same as FUE except with fue, they make an incision (a hole) in the recepient area then take the hair follicle and implant it in the incision. With DHI they put the hair follicle in implanter pen and implant it in recepient area in one go ie no need for making separate incision and then implanting, it’s done in one go with the implanter pen.

The benefit is less bleeding, supposedly more graft survival etc. 

The thing is surgeon skill still matter and graft extraction and time outside body still matters.  If they damage the graft during extraction, dhi or fue doesn’t matter. And if they keep the graft outside body for a long time, graft survival would still be less.

So in the end, a great surgeon is what matters. DHI is a better method generally 

Thanks. Thats a helpful explanation. DHI sounds like it may also be less painful and also quicker? I assume slits don't need to be made or the still do?

Long story short: I had an injury that required some injections into a small patch of my scalp. About 4 injections caused isolated nerve damage after needle impact (some were applied too hard). The daily nerve pain bothered me for about 5-6 months before subsiding, however the nerves are still sensitive and I absolutely shudder at the thought of a needle or sharp object touching them again. I also don't know whether doing so will damage them again (for many months).  So basically 99% of my scalp is fine to inject with the exception of about 4 hyper sensitive isolated dots (maybe 4mm in diameter). Is this something I can navigate? I'm thinking maybe the incisions and implantation - while done with a sharp object that pierces the scalp - may not go deep enough to hit the nerves...

35 minutes ago, slim999 said:

I had a very good overall experience with Dr. Yaman's clinic. From the moment I arrived at Istanbul to the day of the surgery and also post-HT, the service was excellent. Dr. Yaman is a very pleasant guy and he was very easy to communicate with. He did initial hairline and the incision. The extraction and hair transplant was done by 3 techs, who I think did a pretty good job. But I have to wait and see how the results. I opted for DHI, but I really don't know what the difference since I  slept through most of the procedure. The only thing that I hated was the anesthesia , which hurt quite a lot. But once that was over  I didn't feel a thing. I stayed in IST was 6 nights. I will be putting a much detailed post about my experience. 

How was the anesthesia administered? Multiple injections into the donor and recement areas? How many injections? They didn't numb the area with a swab first?

7 hours ago, odeh said:

Thank you so much for your reply. I have checked Dr. Yaman but I have seem some really bad results. I'll check FUECapilar thank you for your advice. 

Can you refer me to some of his bad work? I was considering his clinic.

Why does the title say 11,600 graphs but the body says "5400 scalp and 1400 beard to scalp were planted and as you can see the recipient area healed magnificently". Confused. Thanks

15 hours ago, Gatsby said:

You will need a serious number of beard grafts to address your hair loss. Possibly 3-4K in addition to using your scalp donor grafts. You’re a good responder to meds and they may even help more in time. As a high Norwood like myself I would suggest contacting Eugenix who are highly skilled in managing this number of beard grafts. All the best. 

Im new to this HT journey and investigating options. Im told I'm a NW5 based on the pics I submitted to a reputable clinic. Another clinic told me I need 4500 graphs.Either way I need a lot of and my hair loss will continue as I wont take meds. Based on my research it would be appear an FUT would be a best initial option (as it wont exhaust my donor region), but I would much rather get an FUE. However, I didn't know taking hair from the beard was an option. I have a thick beard.

I guess my question is: instead of an FUT now + FUE later (as I was planning), could I not get an FUE now + Beard extraction later?

Wow! Amazing job! Congratulations- looks great!

You needed a large number of graphs and Im wondering why you didnt choose FUT? Isnt that the preferred method for large areas?(sorry newbie)

10 hours ago, John1991 said:

Cosmetically, the FUT procedure is a quicker "recovery" because of no visual change to the donor area (if your hair isn't short).    What particular part of the recovery is most important to you?  If you want to be physically active quickest, FUE is best.  A few extra weeks out of the gym shouldn't sway you to doing FUE if you think FUT is a better procedure results-wise, though.  

As far as the "if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin" line, respectfully, that makes very little sense.  What about sunscreen?  Or moisturizer?  Or chapstick?  Or shampoos other than Nizoral?  It's a shampoo - I'd imagine you already use shampoo for your hair, what difference does using a kind that might actually help thicken your hair make? It simply doesn't seem logical to being willing to undergo a surgical procedure, but not use a different type of shampoo or apply a foam to your hair.

The quicker I am fully recovered (wound healing/bandage removed, no pain, proper sleep, gym etc) is certainly preferred.

According to the scientific method the skin is permeable (obviously not as much as other body parts: gums, digestive tract, eyes, anus etc.) Occasional use of shampoo, moisture, sunscreen etc is perfectly fine for most people depending on the ingredients, but they are not necessary. I dont use any of those products.

22 hours ago, J.A.C said:

You will find Drs/clinics prices vary on many things. I will post a chart which although is now out of date, it will give you a ideas on the variations.

It’s best to judge on results, not prices. Some have increased (Like Eugenix) as they expand in to new premises etc, others increase their price the more popular they become. So many factors at play, a lot don’t even need to really do any marketing as such they are that in demand/well known. 

Great advice and thanks for the table! Very helpful. Should all of those surgeons listed be considered viable candidates worth exploriing? (ie. they have been vetted for providing excellent work). There are so many clinics to choose from its difficult to make a decision..

I dont want to travel to India but d like to get a HT in Portugal so perhaps Ill investigate Dr Ferrier. 

1 hour ago, J.A.C said:

Actually they are not that expensive, Dr Heitmann (Zurich) is someone else who I think is doing very good work. 

Thats interesting. He charges 6 CHF per graph. Is there a reason for him being 30% more expensive even though they are both in Zurich? I also noticed Dr Zarev in Bulgaria charges 4 Eur per graph and I would assume his overheads would be considerably less than Hattingen yet his prices are only 11% less. I guess my question is: do these prices reflect the quality of service or dis the variance in price based more so on administrative costs (marketing, decoration etc)

1 hour ago, NARMAK said:

I think Hattingen is probably something that might suit you if your budget allows. They do great FUT work and FUE. They're based in Switzerland. 

I noticed Hattingen getting recommended on here a lot. Is there a reason they are not officially recommended by the forum?

Also, I would assume they would charge a significant premium based on the overheads in Switzerland being higher; is that what makes them more expensive or are they also more expensive because they offer a superior product? 

1 hour ago, John1991 said:

Fair enough, but there are things outside of Fin that you can do to try to preserve your hair (minimally) or at least thicken what you have.  Such as nizoral and minoxidil.  If you care enough to consider an extensive transplant, I'd imagine those two things would be worth your while.  Also, to avoid potential side effects from fin (because it seems unlikely the actual taking of the pill is the real issue), you could try taking it twice a week...  That would at least prevent loss to some degree and reduce chances of side effects. 

As far as which procedure is preferable, it depends upon whether you want one (likely) small scar that prevents you from cutting your hair very short, or whether you want thousands of miniature scars that allow you (generally) to keep your hair shorter than the one, long scar.  Even with a less than ideal FUT scar, you'll be able to wear your hair reasonably short, just not very, very short.  Some think graft quality and yield rate are higher for FUT, though many here will say otherwise and very few are disinterested (on either side), but I don't think it's crazy to suggest that starting with FUT gives you a greater quantity of lifetime grafts.  

The duration of your recovery will be longer with FUT, but the immediate noticeability of the transplant will be greater with FUE.  And even with FUT, the increased tension in your scalp that results from the removal of the strip should recede around 3-4 weeks after the procedure.  Numbness can last several months more (generally to a significantly smaller degree than you'll find immediately post-op), but FUE isn't without donor numbness or discomfort either.

Very interesting. A lot of pros and cons for each procedure. Is there a pro/con chart I can refer to?

I understood FUT was a quicker procedure but if recovery is significantly longer than its not really quicker. This is definitely something I need to consider. I want to bounce back quickly. Is DHI the same as FUE in this regard?

I dont want to have my hair very, very short. I know its popular with kids these days but its not my style. I dont think the FUT scar will be an issue based on what I read on the Hattingen website (assuming its reliable info): "The area is closed using the latest plastic surgery techniques leaving a very narrow linear scar. Using the latest technique, Tricophytic Closure, it is possible for hair to regrow back through the thin scar helping to camouflage it even further. The result is a barely noticeable scar with long or shorter hair."

They also seem to recommend FUT for larger, singular procedures which require significant donor hair (my requirement): "The Follicular Unit Extraction is a very suitable method of donor hair extraction when the patient has a low demand for donor hair, smaller sessions. However if there is the need for higher graft numbers and with follicular unit extraction by calculation the donor cannot provide safely then FUT would be the much preferred method of harvesting. An advantage of this harvesting technique is the effectiveness and efficiency to remove a large number of FU´s in a single day as well as a high % of intact follicular units in optimum quality".

Thanks for the tips re preservation substances. Maybe its contradictory that I would get a HT but not take chemicals, but that's where I am. "If you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin" is the mantra : ) Id rather be bald than engage a daily chemical regime (shampoo or otherwise).

1 minute ago, J.A.C said:

Check out the forums recommended list:

https://hairtransplantnetwork.com/best-hair-transplant-surgeons
 

 

Ive already consulted that list and contacted the surgeons closest to me. Thanks

10 minutes ago, J.A.C said:

Maybe you would consider someone that can do a combo Ht, Dr Bisnaga does some great FUT/FUE work.. Who have you consulted with so far.? 

I submitted an online application. I hope to hear from him soon. Id like a surgeon that provides both methods so we can objectively discuss the best option.

3 minutes ago, J.A.C said:

DHI is mostly used as Marketing for hair mills, along with “scarless”, it’s a legit method of FUE but it’s Drs/Clinics results you need to be focusing on. Anything “quicker” is likely going to be someone just wanting to give you a higher graft, and they won’t have your best interests in mind. 

Dr Resul Yaman does DHI. He is recommended on this forum. I was planning on visiting his clinic for an in person appraisal. My concern with the DHI method is exhausting the donor area. I will continue to lose hair as I wont take meds.

11 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

Firstly, are you on medication like Finasteride? 

Also, FUT isn't necessarily the way to go for you. Look at Eugenix and the great work they're managing with the FUE technique for higher grades of baldness as an example and even Hasson & Wong famed as Elites in the hair transplant industry have begun to switch over from FUT to almost exclusively FUE for patients to achieve great results. 

What i think you should do is always start with medication like Finasteride to preserve what you have. Depending on your actual hair loss, maybe Minoxidil and Microneedling could be used too. You spend a year on that treatment to get an idea of if your hair loss has stabilised and whether you might have even benefited from regrowth which could help reduce the amount of grafts you need even. 

Plus, that 12 months gives you ample time to save, research and book with the right clinic for your hair transplant goals. 

Thanks for the reply. I am not taking medication and I don't wish to do so. Id prefer to go bald then take a daily pill. Just my personal preference. 

Ill look into Eugenix, I understand they are based in India. I was hoping to get treatment in Europe if you can recommend a clinic there.

41 years old with significant receding and thinning. Been classified as a NW5 based on pictures submitted.

Been told I need 4500 graphs. If I can get more done now and not have to come back (for many years or ever) that would be great. I don't want to get multiple surgeries. I also don't want to exhaust my donor area in case I do need to come back. As such FUE concerns me. 

I want the procedure to be as quick as possible (without jeopardising quality) and I want minimal scaring. I keep my hair short and often have the back of my head shaved by a 3 blade (sometimes 2 or 4) 

I'm guessing as such an FUT (in the hands of an experienced FUT surgeon) would be better for me? That way the procedure is fast, the scaring is minimal (thin line perhaps), I can cover a large area, and I wont exhaust my donor area.

Also, is the DHI method quicker then FUE? Does it leave less scaring?

Edit: I am not taking medication and don't intend on doing so. Just my personal preference.  Also money isn't a significant factor in choosing a clinic (however time, location, discomfort is).

Thanks.

On 3/17/2022 at 1:53 PM, slim999 said:

Nice review. I am booked with Dr. Yaman for next month for 4500 grafts, DHI method. 

How was your experience? Ive also been quoted 4500 grafts via DHi. Im new so still dont understand the benefits of DHI over FUE and FUT.