BackFromTheBrink

As others have said, the communication comes across to me as threatening and difficult. Arguing over the law on filming then the ongoing talk about reviews and influencers would also have made me rethink whether you were a patient I wanted. From their perspective the risk vs benefit just wouldn't have been worth it. As they said, it's a bilateral relationship - seems you had doubts about them, they had doubts about you and the best thing for everyone would be to find a better match. I'm sure you didn't mean to be difficult. However, I do think there are things you should perhaps reconsider in your approach for your next surgery. The communication that we've seen from the clinic wasn't flawless either, but this appears to be a long way from 'they cancelled without reason'. I'm sorry you've lost the £500 and your procedure will be delayed. Turkey is an easier country to go to. Best of luck with your procedure.

Could you share how you've reached your shortlist? Some background on your current hair position would be useful. Pictures are ideal, but failing that a description of your hair characteristics and loss, what you're hoping to achieve through a transplant and whether you've taken medication to stabilise your loss. That information would allow people to help you determine which surgery is most suitable for your specific situation.

Title says 10months so likely a typo in missing the zero.

There's no simple answer to that. While your loss is much less, as a diverse thinner there's a greater chance of losing existing hairs, so generally the graft count is higher to cater for that. I also thought you were planning to lower your hairline, which can quickly eat up grafts (due to density needed and use of soft singles). There's also: - Hair characteristics. I had about 2.7 hairs/follicle on average and average hair diameter. - Luck with medication response. I believe I've seen growth through finesteride usage, which is unusual. - Placement. Use of grafts sparingly by the doctor to give an illusion of density. Mine is probably less refined than would have been possible for someone with less loss. - Survival rate. I must have had a fairly high survival rate since people have commented that a large area was covered with a relatively small number of grafts. I'm also 6'5 and have a large head, which makes the result all the more impressive.

Sure you will. You chose a great surgery and had more grafts into a smaller area so you're on track for a great result. Happy growing!

Looks good, and I'd say denser than mine. To give you an idea - my before and current:

I have a very similar level of hair loss to you (but slightly more advanced). I had 3100 grafts 10 months ago and it's given a good aesthetic improvement. I had most grafts in the hair line / mid scalp with some in the crown. Good luck with your journey!

I wonder if there's any correlation between the account registrations and when the school term ended?

Clearly. That said, I'm not sure how you not knowing the difference between 'your' and 'you're' is relevant to your answer, however.

Do you really need to insult people who are trying to help others? If you're taking the high ground and trying to convince us of your credibility by attempting to claim you're more intelligent than other posters, at least try to do so with something resembling correct grammar. If you don't, people could begin to think 'You're such a doughnut'.

I'm not sure - will depend on hair characteristics. I was 5a and got good coverage with 3100 grafts

The NHS guidance on the medication says that a rare side effect (<1 in 1000) is low mood / depression. I’d imagine suicidal thoughts are significantly less likely than that. However, I’d agree it’s not something that should be ignored and the prescribing doctor should make patients aware, and consider any previous indications of poor mental health before issuing the drug.

The techs talked to me and each other during the surgery (as did the two surgeons) - sometimes chit chat, others about the surgery itself. It made my time go quicker and helped me to relax and I’d have preferred it to silence in the same way a pilot chatting with his copilot wouldn’t bother me when I was flying. I know if I’m finding something at work challenging, I’ll be quiet and focus. Similarly, if I’m doing something routine, I’ll do it better if I have something to keep me engaged, whether that’s music, chatting or whatever. In short, I don’t think it’s reasonable for someone to spend multiple hours doing the same thing over and over in silence, and neither do I think you’d get as good a result if you (or the clinic) forced that.

I had a great experience with Dr Arshad. I had 3100 grafts (NW5a) 10 months ago. I've had excellent growth % and great after care from the clinic.

I didn’t see your pre surgery pictures so it’s hard to judge. However, I think it’s unlikely you’ll have significantly more coverage from here. Perhaps they’ll offer a shave less procedure to minimise the inconvenience - small surgeries / top ups should be possible without fully shaving your head.

I’d say yes - it’s made my life better. I feel more comfortable in my own skin generally and think less about taking part in social occasions, having my photo taken with my family etc. On the flip side, I do now have hair greed and am more critical of other aspects of my appearance, but nothing compared to pre surgery.

One thing I will say is that it’s still thinner than the rest when under harsh internal lighting. You can see that on the photo I posted right at the back of my head. That area had no grafts and it’s progressively filled in due to the meds.

I did. The grafts were placed with high density in the frontal third, medium density in the mid scalp and much lower in the crown. we were aiming for another 300 grafts in the crown but we were up against the level of anaesthetic allowed, so called it early. I’d say it’s probably 50/50 from grafts and meds, though Dr Arshad did a great job at recreating the swirl (and showed it to me specifically afterwards, so think he was pleased with how it looked).

That's a really difficult one to answer - I started taking meds just before the surgery so it's hard to pick apart the impact of each. Different people respond differently too - the amount of regrowth, speed of growth after surgery etc. I'd say I was a very early grower so my timeline is probably atypical. However, my crown lagged the rest significantly. The biggest change was probably months 8-9, but for others that may be a few months later.

One other consideration is the possible impact of taking medication such as finesteride. It thinned out my chest hair significantly.

Thank you - I'm really pleased with the outcome. I'm hopeful my crown will continue to respond to the medication - I'm told it's an 18 month process so plenty of time to go.

Here's the before and after to give you an idea of the difference

I think that’s a really sensible approach. I had slightly less loss and had 3100 grafts with most in the hairline and midscalp. I’m 9 months post surgery and believe it was the right approach. Medication has helped strengthen my crown so I may not need another surgery.