Hairwolf

Seems like you have an underlying scalp condition as it is spotty and  inflamed at the front. Also, TBH the work looks sparsely implanted for 5500 grafts ( but perhaps the grafts have been crusted over) and appears very crusty overall, with some purple which is concerning. 

You may be having a reaction to the minoxidil liquid, so I would get off it as it may be putting you in a constant shed. As the OP mentioned you could try Oral minox at a later date.

Next step would be a good dermatologist to check for scalp with biopsy and I would forget about what this Dr tells you also TBH. Did you get it done in India?

Good donor but it would be a long road and yes an FUT+FUE combination would be suitable for you to give you those extra grafts. Dr Laorwong did a great FUT+FUE combination for someone on the forum here, so worth checking out. Eugenix also have a great record of high NW using BHT combinations. 

The scalp doesn’t heal for months actually so you would cause irritation and a lot of trauma to the scalp- you would certainly feel it. The scalp needs to heal for growth to be optimal.

Generally you are advised to wait for a month post op, and that’s with clippers. Don’t even think of using a wet razor on your head so soon after surgery.

Good report and good info about the temple points. How many grafts did you get btw?

It’s recovered well and great to see it! It looks pretty good imo, and  also you are  only 23 so to echo the OP here,  hold off on any more surgery for the foreseeable and try some other meds, as there is a good chance that it will fill in the mid-scalp. You could always get a touch up with a reputable surgeon.
 

I would also be running a mile from HLC. Along with some subpar results on the forum quoting you that many grafts is unethical!

12 minutes ago, TheDarkHour said:

Would you guys recommend RU58441 instead? Side effect profile seems low anecdotally.

I used it and it definitely yields results but would hesitate to recommend it per se so up to yourself if you think it’s too risky or not.

This looks not bad considering your starting point. Where is the Dr located? 
How is the beard hair settling in to the scalp? Any pics in stronger lighting?

24 minutes ago, jjalay said:

Dont know anything about this clinic but 3000 grafts for your type of hairloss is WAY too many grafts. Why did they go so aggresive at the age of 27?

Wish you the best result you can get.

Good report- indeed 3000 does seem like a lot of grafts since you only really have minor recession. Also the extraction pattern wasn’t spread out completely but perhaps you have a particularly thick donor. Anyway keep updating and all the best.

you are starting to turn the corner now. Growth has started and the donor has rebounded as well. Hang in there.

6 minutes ago, BackFromTheBrink said:

All good, thanks. Good to see you're not obsessing about the growth. Checked you thread and it's coming in nicely! Uneven growth is common and will sort itself out I'm sure.

I had similar growth - hairline is looking stronger and crown starting to fill in now

 Hopefully we are both set for a strong next month!

Yeah fingers crossed 🤞 an all that 😁. Hairline looks strong indeed. Naturally I will be going for a follow-up op for the crown next year.  How long before you started seeing growth with that?

36 minutes ago, BackFromTheBrink said:

How's it going SH? We were operated on at the same time and hope you're starting to see good growth as you approach month 5 in the next few weeks 🙂

Not too bad here thanks Brink- yourself?  started a new job which took my mind off looking in the mirror and the growth started about week 10, so perhaps the PRP had something to do with that. The density is quite good , and the temple points have filled in one side more compared to another. I just updated my thread so can take a glance sometime.

How about you? Did a bit of reading on your surgeon seems very good indeed.

21 minutes ago, BackFromTheBrink said:

To try to offer a little balance here.

Eugenix have delivered some excellent results, many of which can be found on this forum.

I'm yet to see many, if any procedures where they have achieved poor yield.

While absolute are undoubtedly delivering some great results there are fewer examples on the forum, they are becoming the forum darling (with good reason) but we've seen other clinics suffer when faced with huge demand.

The comments about Eugenix planning are valid. However, I think they're related to very difficult cases (NW6 and 7) and where they have tried to deliver what the patient asked for, and those asks were very ambitious. If they have a fault that is it - taking cases they perhaps should not.

If your case, at a NW4 or 5 it's unlikely you will encounter that.

I caveat all that by saying both have shown to be extremely capable, so you have already done good work in your selection process.

Yes also valid points raised here. On balance, Eugenix have a track record of some great results no doubt, and indeed a lot of the issues were cases were  just too ambitious, but others were obviously botched, such as a NW2 hairline on one side that should have been a foregone conclusion. No doubt some of their techs are excellent and it would be unfair to compare them to hair mill in Turkey, which was not my intention.

I consulted with Eugenix last year and wasn’t keen on the vibe without going into too much detail. I am speaking from my own perspective and so I just didn’t feel it was the right clinic for me.
 

Thus, to clarify, overall they do produce consistently good results however the high volume of patients presented a risk variable that was too high for me, andcompared with Dr Laorwong with one patient a day and full involvement in the surgery it was the most preferable choice for me.

22 hours ago, jjalay said:

Personally i would go with dr. Laorwong. He is more consistent with great results and you know that you will have his full attention.

As a Dr Laorwong patient myself, this ^. Eugenix is a tech-led clinic and they have multiple patients a day, so you don’t quite know if you get the due care and attention in the planning without being rushed as quite a few have reported here.

To echo the OPs here, meds is your first port of call. You need to stabilize the hair loss before even thinking about a HT. I would not hesitate if I was you. 

Way back when I first looked into surgical options, I spoke to AEK. Dr Karadeniz was board certified so clearly a good surgeon and their YouTube channel was very slick. The price seemed great too. They did BHT and FUT so seemed like a great choice.

Had a ‘consultation’ with a rep and he was just a salesman. He was selling packages according to his impression of my pics and there was no mention of a Dr reviewing the pics, graft count, donor quality etc. I enquired and was told it’s a sophisticated’ topic. One of the packages was an ‘aggressive strategy’ of 5000 grafts. A lot red flags looking back, so didn’t take it any further and travel was practically impossible anyway with the Covid policies. 
 

Found this forum (thankfully) and discovered that these days it’s a tech-led clinic where the Dr supervises so dodged a bullet. If you go back 8-10 years the Dr indeed produced some great results.

@James Bond how involved was the Dr do you remember or where you to heavily sedated? I guess for FUT he must do it himself as the techs probably aren’t trained in the procedure? Where was he when the grafts were being sorted also? 
 

Anyway thanks for your post - it will serve as a warning to others and sorry for your situation. At least it’s not a botch job, but this is unethical to say the least. On the positive side you still have an FUE and BHT option open to you.

Hi Cooper,

Cheers-yes slowly but surely I suppose. Think I’ll let it grow out a bit and take a few more pics next month.

how’s it going yourself btw? Still in ugly duckling?

Pics taken just after the 4 month mark and in different lighting. Again shaved the head to a 3 guard all over bit less than 2 weeks ago. Might do a 7 guard on top and 3 on the side next time. Hairline has filled in a bit on one side I believe but still hoping for more thickening in the coming months.

Looking good bud. Details?

18 hours ago, deane95 said:

Am I right in thinking they provide you with a loose fitting bandana themselves

Yes they do provide a plain black bandana but it kind of sticks out a bit imo. I got a blue gangsta one for out and about. Was a bit of a laugh and nobody batted an eyelid 

Dr Laorwong is fully involved in all aspects 

12 hours ago, deane95 said:

Hi all

Was just wondering if anyone from Europe has had their transplant performed by Dr Laorwong in Bangkok? I live in London and am considering having my second/repair done by him, but am worried by the long haul flight. Also considering Dr Keser and Dr Mittal, but for value it seems Laorwong is up there with the best. My procedure will most likely only be about 1500 grafts max, so am thinking that maybe the flight and cost of flight may not be worth it for such a small procedure. Would like to hear your opinions.

Cheers!!

I am from your corner of the globe but based in Asia. I flew home on my holidays after 7 days and stopped off in Heathrow for the night before getting a connecting flight the next day. I would wait until 7 days also and take advantage of the aftercare with laser therapy. As mentioned make it a mini recovery holiday. Get yourself a bandana for during the day for out and about and just chill in the hotel room at night.

After 7 days, the grafts have anchored and you can start working the crusts out gently, so the plane journey will be much less precarious , just continue to use the neck pillow which won’t be out of place at all.

18 hours ago, Dr. Ahmed Altan said:

Op

12 hours ago, Daniel Dabros said:

Did you take the time to read any of the things that I have said throughout this forum? I don’t know what’s so sad about seeking excellent care for an affordable price. Why would I want to spend upward of $15,000 to $20,000 here in the states? That would be sad and financially not smart.

Overall, the other posters here are urging caution more than anything else. You are taking more of a risk by going to Turkey and choosing the cheaper option. It seems however, the Dr is quite ethical and has given a good account of himself here.  well here, and it further appears that it will be a decent result nevertheless.

To echo the OP it looks good and the buzz cut suits you, especially with the beard. I am in a similar situation to you,  4 months post op and also don’t like the ‘Yamaka hat’ look either so buzzed it down the other day and will continue to do so more frequently I think. 
 

I also think it’s a good idea to grow it out in a few months and get some pics and see if there are any adjustments you want done. Again will do the same myself .

Looks pretty densely packed and the hairline has a nice widow’s peak and irregularities. The Dr was fully involved in the surgery? Happy growing