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6 hours ago, donpizmeov said:

A troll? 🤭 Someone being a bit sensitive here…  Sorry, you were 51?

Relax? I am very relaxed. Actually I am just being honest that you are talking about fear on a daily basis yet you are looking into hair mills and questioning the difference .. Its so basic as it makes one wonder if you have done your homework properly.. Can you not handle a bit of honest feedback?

You definitely seem to be too sensitive, maybe better to just shave it off…  either way all the best to you troll 

Yes I'm younger than you and your point?

It doesnt seem like youre relaxed. Everyone has fear. I'm sure you dont which makes you superman.

Have a good one supertroll.

5 hours ago, Youth_Again said:

I don’t think you realize how lucky you are to first of all have the financial freedom to fly to Spain, and pay for a top surgeon, second of all how lucky you are to be booked with one of the top surgeon in the industry.

I appreciate your concern. But it seems like youre putting greater weight on the legacy of the doc than on the concerns of the patient. Again, I do appreciate your words and the doc would too, no question. But just remember factors beyond the control of the the doc that can drive a poor outcome 12 months postop no matter the expertise involved. Its reality unfortunately. Trust me, if shock loss didnt exist I would have had a procedure before I was born.

4 hours ago, SeanToman said:

Elithair really forces you to leave a good review while you're in their clinic.

I think a lot of clinics also do this to push ratings before patents even see their results.

Wow I didnt know Elithair did this. Very underhanded. Btw how do you this?

I dont think top tier clinics would bow down so low to do this also, unless I'm wrong.

1 minute ago, Youth_Again said:

I am in no way disrespecting you, you are feeding the forum everyday with the same questions and concerns same goes for private messages. 
I have always been nice to you and answered all of your questions in my DMs but it is getting a bit too much rn

When you badger someone's legit concerns about his sensitive issues you no longer respect him. No one is forcing you to read/comment my threads.

Exactly youve been nice which is why I dont understand your disrespect to my issues now.

Hair transplantation is not a game to play with. Everyone is sensitive is a large degree about it.

5 hours ago, jjalay said:

Check out this article about ht in istanbul. One of the patients (Jay) has had his hairtransplant by elithair and he got butchered:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8006363/The-bald-truth-bargain-hair-transplant-boom-Istanbul.html

I would never go to a clinic like elithair to get a hairtransplant even if i was sure that in my case i would have the best result. Because this gives such clinics the power and money to f%ck up someone elses life.

Wow! Great find! I scanned over the article briefly but can say its highly informative. Its appalling what these Turkish clinics like Elithair are doing to guys.

Although I get the gist of it, I will be reading it in full once I have the time.

Very good eyeopener! Thank you!

4 hours ago, Youth_Again said:

agree with you, starts to be some non sense at this point

No one is forcing you to read my threads. If youre going to disrespect people's concerns then dont comment otherwise youre breaking forum rules.

Leave troll.

7 hours ago, SeanToman said:

However, because I got a good result it doesn't guarantee that you will also, they could have a completely whole new tech team since 2 years ago.

Dr. Couto is both an incredible surgeon and an incredible artist, if you can afford him.. please choose him over elithair.  
It's a gamble, your donor area is not unlimited, it's better to stay safe than sorry.

A slightly cheaper alternative to Couto is Eugenix, they're well known for great results also and have actual doctors do the surgery.

Yeah I appreciate your support and very honest observation.

I never said anything about switching over to Elithair. Just curious about them.

Eugenix is in India, too far from me.

But youre right about Couto comparison wise.

Greatly appreciate your reply and if you have anything else in advice to fork over, please do!

11 hours ago, Jamos1982 said:

Your thinking about cancelling with dr couto a world class elite surgeon ? to then ask if eltiehair is any good? Mmm right ok then

 

I am? Thats news to me

11 hours ago, BackFromTheBrink said:

Stick with Couto, and save your 7k cancellation fee. You’ll get a better result from him anyway.

Yeah youre right. Appreciate that.

11 hours ago, donpizmeov said:

Your confused? Have you ever heard of statistics? All clinics will have good results, but hair mills will likewise have many more bad ones. It is all calculated risk if you choose to go down that path.

Im sorry I just cant get my head around all of your threads. The last one you made was that you were worried (again) about committing yourself to the HT you have in ~ 7 weekend with a world class surgeon in Couto as you are afraid of shock loss, but simultaneously your looking at sub-tier hair mills who have undoubtedly less experience than Couto thereby increasing risk of issues such as the one you are “fearing”.

Relax! I dont have to explain myself to you.

Youre gushing over a surgeon like candy instead of understanding a patient who's nervous about his procedure. Youre highly negative. If you really can't understand my threads just ignore them otherwise you're just a troll.

2 hours ago, Gatsby said:

You have to ask yourself are you a good candidate? I don't mean with your donor but psychologically. I can't make the decision for you but I believe that if you have doubts about surgery then you should pass. I say this because if you have the surgery and you shock loss is unacceptable to you then what if something else worries you, etc? It could be the speed of growth, the hairline, anything? If you are hyper focused on something that hasn't happened then perhaps pass on surgery. Some people have excellent results and feel unhappy with it. Others have average results and are over the moon. It's something only you will know. But from the level of anxiety about shock loss (which is a normal experience) I don't think you will make a good psychological candidate. That's only my opinion.

Appreciate that Gatsby. The thing is, if I withdraw from surgery, I lose the $7k paid to the clinic. So I'm stuck as mentioned. If shock loss werent a thing I wouldve had this done years ago. So its damned if I do, damned if I dont.

I dont mean to force an answer out of you for me. Just nervous about outcome which you explained everyone normally feels.

Appreciate again your response.

4 hours ago, Jackdaniels said:

@SeanToman had a nice result from elithair Istanbul

Man, I'm confused. A user said its a hair mill. And youre telling me theres a guy here with an great result.

I'm completely confused.

1 hour ago, Gatsby said:

I agree 100% with what Dr Couto said.

Hi Gatsby.. but what should I do? I'm seriously stuck in the middle and dont know what decision to make. I know you said you agree with Couto. But I'm still stuck in the cement. Would you please offer more info on what decision to make?

My apologies for pushing you like this, its not normally something I do. But in this situation which is nerve racking, I have to ask for your answer and support since youre experienced. I'm really lost. Hope you understand.

5 hours ago, gillenator said:

Permanent shock loss is more prevalent with native hair that is in a more advanced diffused stage…but if it were to occur, you could consider using a partial hair piece

No wayyyyyyyyyy

1 hour ago, MAIZE1694 said:

Honestly you are pretty far gone. I think you'll need a 2nd pass regardless of the 1st surgery outcome. I wouldn't be worried about shock loss in your situation.

Again, you're going to need 2 surgeries anyway.

Appreciate the response but Couto assured me that chances are that I dont require a 2nd surgery. But thanks for the cnocern

I looked at Elithair clinic and they do have amazing results. But I also read about them being a hair mill with negative reviews. So I'd like to know if theyre legit.

And assuming Elithair is legit, do they produce better results than Dr. Couto?

2 hours ago, Cooper48 said:

I hear you brother.  We are near the same age and I spent the last 15+ years doing all of that.  Not sure what your crown looks like but we have similar loss in the front.  For me, once I evaluated the risk reward it was a very easy decision (with the risk being minimized by picking a reputable surgeon).  I'm at 6 weeks, I have significant donor area and recipient area (native and transplanted) shock loss.  I'm definitely in the ugly duckling phase and look worse than when I started.  While I don't like how I look right now, I have zero regrets.  I also still believe all of this is temporary based on all the research I have done. I weighed the risk-reward and it was a good decision for me.  It may not turn out but the risk-reward for me is still the same and worth it. 

I have no issues with my crown.

Who was your doctor?

If you have significant shock loss I dont think thats normal as shock loss shouldn't cover so much area.

Here are my pics if youre curious:

2 hours ago, MAIZE1694 said:

Haven't seen your pics so can't make a real judgement yet.

But you're booked with Couto? Thats one of the best surgeons on the planet. I'm sure he's had a few unsuccessful cases but they're few and far between.

I say go for it. 

No surgeon in the world CANNOT prevent shock loss.

Here are my pics:

8 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Definitely 

Hi Gatsby.. I talked to Couto. Concerning shock loss, he reassured me that he's had many many cases of patients who haven't experienced any. He did say that shock loss would wipe out 5 - 10% of the native hairs closest to the transplanted hairs due to competition for blood and oxygen from the newly transplanted hairs. Keep in mind, if memory serves me correctly, I do believe he said 5 - 10%.

He suggested PRP and incisions spaced a bit from the transplanted zone to lessen shock. And if need be, a touch-up which I presume is done 12 months postop after should it be needed.

He also strongly suggested refraining from reading about topics revolving around hair transplants/ shock loss in order to remain positive about the upcoming surgery as stress hormones can wreak havoc on the scalp during surgery.

He assured me that I'm in magnificent hands and not worry at all. He said I’m a very good candidate with lots of donor hair.

Let me know what you think.. looking very much forward to your much needed response, Gatsby.

47 minutes ago, Cooper48 said:

Surgery is all about personal risk-reward.  If the reward doesn't outweigh the risk for you personally then you probably shouldn't do it.  I'm sure all of us here evaluated the risk but determined the percentage chances of issues versus positive outcomes were in our favor and chance of issues were worth it for our own reward (e.g., looking better, less self conscious, not wearing a hat all the time, looking younger, etc...)

Hi Cooper. Appreciate your reply. So I'm on the fence with only a few weeks before surgery. This is no doubt the toughest decision of my life. As you can imagine, I'm biting my nails as this is by no means an easy decision.

Given my hair loss, I'm still able to style my hair (combover) in a way that looks like I'm not losing hair with good density. But my sister says it looks like I'm recruiting hairs from the side to cover my hair loss - something to consider.

One thing you mentioned that rings very true is, "not wearing a hat all the time.'" I always wear one outdoors most of the time when I dont style my hair. I also wear one indoors most of the time.

Styling my hair takes a bit of effort in getting it to look just right. After shampooing and drying out my hair completely with a blow dryer, I stand in front of the mirror for 10 minutes to get the style to look good. This involves recruiting hairs from the side to overlap and add density to the top and recruiting hairs from the front to cover space in the temple area. The style is a combover. Hairspray and gel are used to keep this style in place. But the wind is my enemy. If theres a gust of it, I'll turn my head from it or duck into a store for cover to prevent the hairstyle from messing up.

Its a good system given the circumstances. But it can be tedious and a bit frustrating when it fails to look the way you want it to since there isn’t enough hairs in the temple area for added support. This makes it susceptible to the wind which can make it unravel to the side. And the only way I can style my hair is always after I shampoo, completely blow dry and do all the needed steps mentioned above, fyi.

Let me know what you think.

1 hour ago, streethawk said:

You are in good hands with Couto, so wouldn’t worry to much about shock loss but contact him just to put your mind at ease.

Appreciate that. I talked to him. Although he assured me things would go well I still have some doubts.

27 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

I would tell Dr Couto that you are extremely anxious about the possibility of permanent shock loss. Ask him everything that worries you. Write each point out that you wish to discus with him before the consultation. If he is sympathetic to your anxiety (and he should be) then follow the same questions up with him when you see him in person. Before I had my first repair transplant, I was speaking with Eugenix for two years with endless questions and worries on a weekly basis. Everytime my question was answered another question popped into my head. Often I thought about canceling and two weeks before surgery I was going to pull out of it. I here you bro!

So you recommend I talk to him over the phone first then follow up in person if satisfied with his answers. I can do that.

Btw your hair result looks very very good!

1 hour ago, Gatsby said:

However remember that shock loss is rarely permanent and passes 'IF' it happens.

Gatsby its damn good hearing from you again!

But I've read that permanent shock loss is more common than you describe it and can cover more area. Are you sure abut that??

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You need to have good communication with your surgeon before surgery. But I can promise you that you will need it even more after the surgery.

Are you saying this because of the possible issues following a procedure?

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Unfortunately every surgery has risks regardless of who's performing it. I've often said communication is key in hair restoration. I would definitely be speaking with your surgeon about this concern prior to surgery.

You are 200% correct about communication with the doctor being key. That said, it would be wise to travel to Spain to talk to Couto face to face about this instead of over video. Video isn't as precise as in person. Let me know what you think about this approach.

3 hours ago, Youth_Again said:

What's the worse that can happen? 

I answered that question in my op.

4 hours ago, asterix0 said:

The problem is, when a surgeon is transplanting over a non-bald area, there is only so much he can place in a first pass around these weakened hairs. It is pretty much impossible to predict which will survive and which won't.

Yes youre right. Thats why its a gamble and risk. If shock loss didnt exist I wouldnt be so frantic about getting surgery.

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So, this is why many times a second surgery is needed for density. 

I'm not going for a 2nd surgery.