BackFromTheBrink

Looking good! Sure that second surgery will give you a full head of hair given how well this one is growing 🙂

I’m confused. Why would taking 5 times higher dose of finasteride result in higher dht levels?

I actually find myself wishing hair from higher up my head had been used. It's easy to end up with a band of hair which has neither miniaturised or been extracted from between donor and implanted hair which looks less natural than homogenous extraction. Of course, it does rely on halting your hair loss so that transplanted hair isn't affected by DHT.

Looks very refined work. You had almost exactly the same number of grafts as I did (though I was NW5). It should give a good illusion of density. Happy growing!

Even then, sure you'll still be fine....

They haven't used straight lines either, so again, more chance of blending in. 4000 grafts is a fairly big procedure, and since they've only used two thirds of the real estate will be fairly demanding on the donor. That said, and average or above donor should be able to handle that.

I personally think it's too early to judge. However, the extractions are reasonably spaced out, which is positive and less likely to cause a problem. What I find unusual is how high they've extracted on the back of your head, and how they haven't used the sides (which would give a more homogeneous look). I suspect it'll look worse in the short term because of that, but when grown out, will be ok.

Doesn’t that just mean they’ve studied the effects for that long. The same article says that the long term effects are unknown.

So not the 3,871 as mentioned in the thread title?

How many grafts - there are two numbers mentioned.

Yes, agreed. it’s an imperfect measurement system too - what really matters is the area to be covered through a transplant. It’s also difficult with people who wear systems since it tends to make the hair look worse than it actually is.

I'd say 6 - the bridge is all but gone but the sides and back are still relatively high.

The post by Dr Pittella today is an example of what's possible by the best surgeons, without finesteride and with a NW7 patient. That's not to say you'd get the same result, but your circumstances are better, so you should, with the same doctor. Would that be an acceptable outcome for you, or would you look for more density to meet your requirement of a 'full head of hair'?

Have you looked at the recommended surgeons list? That's a good place to start. I'd also look at others with similar hair loss and filter based on the results and aesthetics you like.

If say you're a 6, heading to 7. Your donor area does look pretty good from what can be seen on the photos. Have you tried medical therapy yet? It could well save you many grafts. I'd say you're a candidate, but it'll be a long and expensive journey - 2 or 3 surgeries). There are several excellent doctors who specialise in high Norwoods. Many great results can be seen on this forum. I'd suggest looking at Dr Sethi, Pittela, Zarev as top tier. There are other less expensive doctors ( Hattingen, Laorwong etc) but lower than that, the chances of a great result would be less.

awesome - find one by Dr Zarev please.

The Turkish surgeons you quoted are some of the best in Turkey and as such, should cost more than less accomplished surgeons. Bicer was one less than 2 euro a graft until fairly recently, and I’d say was undercharging. I don’t know prices off the top of my head, so it’s hard to judge with other surgeons. Ultimately, it’s a personal decision on value. i used a surgeon in Cyprus who I believe offered exceptional value, and I had quotes from Turkish surgeons but considered them less desirable for my specific circumstances (wanted unshaven, manual punch and 2500 grafts). I also know people who work in Turkey but have relocated to Cyprus since cost of living is lower there. Spain has a slightly higher cost of living than Turkey (even in Istanbul), but it’s certainly closer than it once was.

Inflation in turkey currently is unprecedented. Government figures are 50ish perfect, but on the ground they’re reporting over 100% in reality. I can’t see transplant costs remaining as low as they currently are for long.

Agreed. There are also cost effective options overseas with surgeons that operate on one person per day, including Turkey. The recommended surgeons list on this site is a good place to start.

Pretty sure Zarev would be out of business by now if that were the case!

A hair piece would not typically cover the donor area, so I guess that's why the focus on it. Most people have 6-8k grafts before overharvesting, but it depends on the individual. There are exceptions where some surgeons can take more and retain a homogenous donor - up to 14k grafts. In those cases the hair to follicle ratio is typically low so I do wonder whether they use small punches to precisely extract grafts where other surgeons sometimes take more than one follicle using larger punches, and that makes up the difference.

I would suggest 2 weeks for FUE, especially if you: 1) need to wear any head protection or 2) work in dusty / dirty environments or 3) perform strenuous work

His does also look fairly thin in the donor area on the sides above his ears, and the transition is fairly abrupt on his vertex. I could be wrong, but his doesn’t look particularly natural imho.

Ultimately the trustworthiness of the recommended list (and therefore the benefit from being on it) is down to Melvin, since it’s his site, and business. However, this recommendation is different to those I’ve seen so far. There doesn’t seem to be a large number of cases documented on here at all. More than that, there is some suggestion that some recent cases haven’t been great. if it’s ‘a list of surgeons recommended by the community’, then I’m not sure this one fits the bill. Admittedly, I haven’t seen any private communication, but that’s not usually required in all the recommendations I’ve seen up until now.

Looks like a 2 part surgery with me, with the first covering the hairline and midscalp. Second one to come on the crown. Would have to see the front properly though...