HairOnMyHead

This is the video Absolute Hair recommended that I follow, for the scalp laxity exercise which needs to be done daily for a month prior to the hair transplant. It's 11 days since my operation. I feel tightness in my scalp and some discomfort in some parts of the long FUT scar across the back of my scalp. Earlier today I I applied toppik to try to conceal the scar. It did a good job but the colour of the hair fibre did not match the colour of my hair because I have naturally brown hair. I've decided to wear a normal baseball cap backwards to conceal the scar instead of dabbling with the hair fibres. I've also trimmed my nails because last night, I was sub-consciously picking the scabs from the back of my scalp. I also want to say to anyone who's in their late 20s or early 30s reading my experiences. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have undergone for these procedures at least 8 years ago. If anyone has any other questions, fire away.

Yesterday was my last day in Bangkok. I went to the clinic, had my FUT scar checked out, had a wash, shampoo etc and then I was ushered to a room. (there are a few of each such as consultation room, laser therapy room etc located in different parts of the 6 storey building that Dr Kongkiat operates out from. Dr Kongkiat entered this room above and I finally managed to sit down with him. He answered all of the burning questions I had. 1) Do I need to take any medication for life? If yes, why must I take them? What are these medications? What are the side effects? What happens if I choose not to take them? He said I don't have to take any medication if I do not want to because I can let the new hair grow out and then update him in a year's time of how my hair looks then and then I can go for a second procedure to fill in any gaps or areas that lack density. 2) What vitamins can I take to improve the hair quality and increase hair growth? They have their in-house brand. I asked if I can buy other brands. He said yes. The receptionist/nurse at the entrance showed me the bottle and I took a picture of the ingredients. I will be purchasing the Biotin from iHerb website because its the cheapest online but I haven't identified which brand to buy. https://www.iherb.com/c/biotin 3) I was told about the possibility of having to return for another session 1 year from the transplant if I wanted to add more density. But why is this necessary especially since I was told that the transplant gave full coverage? Although there was full coverage, but my existing hair may recede further which is why I may need a second procedure in 12 months time. Below is a picture from my patient file on the type of hairs grafted onto my scalp. Anyone wants to shed light on what those numbers signify? 4) How do I shampoo my scalp? What products/brands should I use? How should I shampoo my hair? Do I use conditioner as well? Apply baby or olive oil on the scalp 10 minutes before bath, wash it off and then shapoo gently. Shapoo gently as per how the nurses have been shapooing my hair every day post transplant. 5) If there are white scabs on my scalp, what do I about them? Apply baby or olive oil on the scalp 10 minutes before bath, wash it off and then shapoo gently. 6) When can I shave my head? Or do I just let it grow out completely without having to do a first shave post transplant? I can shave it in 2 weeks time but whats the point? Because I still need the hair on the back of the scalp to always be longer than 1cm in order to conceal the scare. So either grow out the hair from now or trim it not less that 1 cm for the region across the FUT scar. 7) If I choose to grow out my hair now, when is it safe (timeline) to go for a normal hair cut? In 2 weeks time. 8 ) When is it safe to wear a cap because I want to conceal the long scar across the back of my scalp and not at the expense of destroying the newly grafted hair? I can start wearing the cap now so in my case it has been 10 days since my transplant. 9) There is a binded folder for every patient which contains all the information of the hair transplant such as the number of grafts etc. Will I be given a PDF version of it? Yes. The nurse will email it to me. 10) If it is not convenient to wear a cap due to being in the office while at work, can I apply Toppik/hair fibre to conceal the scar? If yes, how soon can I do so given that the stitches was only removed this morning. Yes I can start applying Toppik now to conceal the scar so about 10 days after the transplant. Procedure Costs 70 baht (regardless of FUE or FUT per graft) x 5000 grafts =350,000 baht (USD $10,680) Deposit of 20,000 baht (USD 610) to secure your chosen date of operation. Procedure includes PRP + daily washing and cleaning of scalp + daily wound care + daily low level laser therapy (LLLT). Hotel and Flight was booked via Agoda on a bundled promotion. Travel Insurance was purchased in my home country. When are you flying into Bangkok? If you happen to fly in on a friday night, quickly go to Chatuchak Night Market. It opens on Friday and closes on Monday morning. You can shop till you drop and perhaps get your luggage from there as well. There are no money changers in or nearby Chatuchak Night Market that operate after 930pm. So be sure to change your money either in your home country or at any Superrich Money Exchange in Bangkok. They give the highest exchange rates and they always have long queues of people. https://preparetravelplans.com/chatuchak-weekend-market-guide/ https://thaiest.com/blog/super-rich-thailand-best-currency-exchange-in-bangkok

The following pics are self-explanatory.

These are the pics from after the operation, from this morning before and after the stitches have been removed.

These are my pics a few months before the operation. I do not have any others except the ones that the clinic took.

yes. Dr Kongkiat said to split it into 2 sessions during our email exchange and during the consultation in person. Strip FUT of 3000 grafts on Day 1 and 2000 grafts for FUE on Day 2. But he finished both sessions in one day. The operation started at 9am and ended at 0015 hrs, 15 minutes after midnight. The FUT scar is a long line across the back of the scalp. Now here's the thing I can't reconcile. 2 of the other Doctors (who were apparently trained by Dr Path) from two other clinics I had also emailed during my research process, said that my FUT scar will disappear but Dr Kongkiat said that it will be there for life. He also told me to grow the hair at the back by more than 1cm to conceal the scar. You asked about pain. I felt no pain during the surgery and this morning when Dr Kongkiat removed the stitches. Slight discomfort? Yes. But no pain. You asked about medication. Well due to Dr Kongkiat's busy schedule, he told me this morning in a conversation that lasted maybe under 1 minute but was punctuated with long pauses, that I will have to take medication and prescribed propecia and minoxidil. I also asked him if there were any vitamins I could take and he prescribed those to me as well. Just so you know, the same 2 other doctors from other clinics above said that I did not need to take any medication because I was completely bald. Before Dr Kongkiat left me this morning, I asked him if I could come in tomorrow morning before my flight to get my scar and grafts checked out one last time and also if he could provide me answers to the burning questions that I have, in full. He said yes. I will have to update here once I receive the answers. So what are these burning questions that I have? 1) Do I need to take any medication for life? If yes, why must I take them? What are these medications? What are the side effects? What happens if I choose not to take them? 2) What vitamins can I take to improve the hair quality and increase hair growth? 3) I was told about the possibility of having to return for another session 1 year from the transplant if I wanted to add more density. But why is this necessary especially since I was told that the transplant gave full coverage? 4) How do I shampoo my scalp? What products/brands should I use? How should I shampoo my hair? Do I use conditioner as well? 5) If there are white scabs on my scalp, what do I about them? 6) When can I shave my head? Or do I just let it grow out completely without having to do a first shave post transplant? 7) If I choose to grow out my hair now, when is it safe (timeline) to go for a normal hair cut? 8 ) When is it safe to wear a cap because I want to conceal the long scar across the back of my scalp and not at the expense of destroying the newly grafted hair? 9) There is a binded folder for every patient which contains all the information of the hair transplant such as the number of grafts etc. Will I be given a PDF version of it? 10) If it is not convenient to wear a cap due to being in the office while at work, can I apply Toppik/hair fibre to conceal the scar? If yes, how soon can I do so given that the stitches was only removed this morning. The questions above are a combination of having read through many articles online, posts from this forum and reddit and also based on my own curiosity. And I want to receive these answers from the surgeon who performed the surgery on me and not from someone online who has thousands of post counts and yet no one actually knows for sure whether this person has actually undergone a hair transplant in the first place or just making up stuff as he goes along. No problem. Hoped it gave you some visibility of how things are here, what may actually happen etc. What's your Norwood scale? If you're only doing FUE then you have nothing to worry about. FUT is the real killer cos it's a massive operation.

Hi everyone. Just wanted to say thanks to people here who taught me a lot and helped me make a good decision on who to go to for my hair transplant. i didn't plan on writing this post because it's time consuming but I recall being in that helpless situation before where I was looking for answers and I spent so many hours online reading and trying to make sense of the intricacies associated with hair transplants and the terminology and then having to sift out the legit doctors from the duds and so yeah, hopefully my contribution can help someone out there who's planning to get a transplant and the do's and don'ts based on my experience. I won't be active on this thread because I have other committments. I plan to do another update tomorrow and then 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, 9 month and then 1 year update. I'll probably do another update in this same thread sometime this month in 2024 because Dr Kongkiat said I could return for another session if he deems it necessary. I'm 37 and a norwood 6. Never taken any form of medication such as rogaine, propecia, minoxidil, onion mixed with garlic paste (its a traditional remedy which many elderly folk swear by) etc in my life. I contacted the clinic via email last year in November. It's found on their website. https://absolutehairclinic.com/en/ consultabsolutehairclinic@gmail.com I finally booked the hair transplant last month for this month, paid the clinic 20,000 baht deposit via Wise app (previously known as TransferWise). Paypal's fee was about USD 35 more than Wise which only asked for a few USD dollars. I also asked the clinic for hotel recommendations. They replied either Cascade Hotel, Ex Capita Hotel or Aim House bangkok. I chose Aim House Bangkok Hotel because it was the cheapest and it's like maybe a 350 metres walk to the clinic. So from the road outside the hotel, I turn left and walk straight for 100 metres, turn left again after I walk past the very busy 7/11 store, walk for another 100 metres to the main road, turn right and walk for 40 metres and walk up the stairs of the overhead bridge (which houses the Krung Thon Buri station), cross over to the other side and when i have walked down the last step of the bridge, I can see the clinic building infront of me which is like another 40 metres walk. The hotel has a laundry facility on the rooftop which is sheltered. You pay 40 baht for washing and another 40 baht for the dryer. You can purchase the washing and comforter liquid solution from the hotel reception for 50 baht a sachet. There is also an ironing board in the lobby which you can use. The hotel's wifi is very strong. The room is spacious with a fridge and a desk and a dressing table and comfortable bed and a TV although their news channels often depict the crimes that happen in Thailand such as shooting incidents, fights, kidnappings etc. There's also a balcony at the back but I've never ventured there. Smoking either traditional tobacco or vape is banned in the hotel rooms and there is a 2000 baht fine if the alarm goes off. My only complaint about Aim House Bangkok Hotel is that there are mosquitoes in the lobby of the hotel and the adjourning sitting area. So whenever I order food via the Grap app, I leave a message to the delivery rider to text or call me when he's reached the lobby. Anyways, I booked the hotel and flight bundle through Agoda because it was cheaper by a mile than other websites and travel agents. I flew in 2 days before the operation. Before I flew to Thailand's Don Mueang (DMK) airport, I purchased a TrueMove SIM card in my home country for USD4.96. However I saw the same SIM card which is valid for 15 days at the DMK airport for 699 baht (USD$21.36) -what a rip-off- at the airport itself after I cleared immigration. And there was a slight long queue infront of the booth. So if you're able to purchase a TrueMove SIM card in your home country then do it. If money is not a problem for you then just purchase it at DMK airport after you have cleared immigration. The booth is located on the ground level after you go down the escalator after you've cleared immigration and you won't miss sight of it. https://www.truemoveh-thailandsim.com/ When you come to Thailand or even before, download this app called Grab. Link your bank card to it so that making payments will be a breeze. You can book a Grab car to transport you around (not a taxi cos taxis in thailand charge high cos they don't want to use the meter) and order food using this app. The prices are already fixed on the app so the driver or the food delivery rider cannot suddenly ask for more money from you later on. Anyways the Grab car ride from the airport to Aim House Bangkok hotel was 473 baht or USD$14.45. I only took Grab car from the airport to the hotel and twice to the major shopping malls. I then started taking the train because it was way cheaper and I also got to see the sights Bangkok has to offer. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grabtaxi.passenger&hl=en&gl=US When ordering food from the Grab app, try not to purchase from street food vendors. The app will tell you clearly that it is a street vendor. Street vendors in thailand, are people who have mobile push-carts attached to their motorbikes and they cook the food on a makeshift table. So unless you have a strong stomach or come from a country where street vendors are a constant sight and you purchase your food from them, avoid buying from them. The last thing you want to do is get food poisoning or fall ill and then not be able to be physically fit to undergo the operation. Luggage bags in Bangkok are quite pricey. So depending on how long you're going to be in Bangkok and if you're going to be shopping till you drop, you might want to purchase a luggage bag from Shopee so you can pack everything into it and return home. It costs up to half than what most of the sellers in the malls and shops are selling the luggages for. The earlier you purchase the luggage bags then the better cos it takes about 3 to 4 days for the luggage to reach to you. https://shopee.co.th/search?keyword=luggage bags&locations=ภายในประเทศ&noCorrection=true&page=0&sortBy=sales Anyways, I had a short and sweet consultation with Dr Kongkiat (he's really a man of few words) a day before the operation, he checked my donor hair, drew the hairline, shaved my head (I requested it to be done on that day instead of the day of the operation). I also had to fill up a number of forms about my personal details, any allergies to medications and also signed some declaration forms. In the email reply to me last month, the plan was to do 2 sessions over 2 days. Strip Fut of 3000 grafts on Day 1 and 2000 grafts for FUE on Day 2. The plan remained the same during the consultation. Before I left the clinic, the receptionist gave me a small bottle of shampoo to shampoo my hair on that day and on the morning of the operation. She told me to wear a buttoned shirt on the day of the operation and every single day after that so that I won't damage the grafts each time I removed my shirt. I left the clinic and bought 10 buttoned shirts from a store in Platinum Shopping Mall because I didn't pack any for this trip. I also went to New Stitches to make suits, shirts and pants. Besides the obvious affordability, the quality of the fabric is good and it takes about 3 days for them to get your clothes tailored made and ready for collectioin. They have a complimentary pickup service so ensure you make use of that. https://www.facebook.com/newstitchestailorsthailand/posts/pfbid0wZTFgsnhpwdD98JfFeabRp563j1xMMJMFXyNogCDUVtsLMNKBA6NMoJa9PvZxpn5l On my third day in Thailand, I reached the clinic at 815am. I had to take the HIV test (the nurse pricked my finger). At 845am, I changed out into a light blue surgery outfit. I then had to take a few pills with water before I was brought into the operation room. The operation started at 9am. They covered my eyes and then my face and injected anasthetic into my scalp. There were 7 nurses in the operating theatre. One nurse massaged both my legs for about an hour or so. Another nurse placed her arm and part of her body against my left shoulder from the start of the operation until the lunch break. What she did was very reassuring to me to let me know that she was there for me and that I could voice out if I needed to voice out. From time to time, she woould adjust the sheets that covered my eyes and face and wiped my neck etc. The other nurses were really very quiet although I could sense a lot of movement within the room. They only stopped so that I could eat my lunch in the adjourning room which was maybe around 12 noon? Anyways I finished my lunch in 10 minutes and was ushered back to the operating room. I was given anasthetic again and I drifted in and out of consciousness. Finally I was made to sit up on the operating bed. I looked at the clock and it was 0015 hours (15 minutes before midnight). Dr Kongkiat told me that they managed to extract 5000++ grafts and completed the Strip FUT and FUE in one sitting. He also said that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was also done. I was so happy because then I didn't have to turn up the next day for the second session as per our agreed plan during the email exchange and consultation the day before. A nurse bandaged my head, placed a headband around my forehead and she placed a bandana over it. I was given a number of medication and a spray solution which I had to apply to the grafts for 5 consecutive days (once every hour) or until the bottle runs out. I went back to the hotel and I slept well. I woke up the next morning, had a body shower, returned to the clinic for shampoo, wound care and Low-level laser therapy. Each session lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. The nurse who did the shampoo and wound care was really very gentle. Every night I sleep on my stomach so as not to damage the grafts. The only side effect I had so far are the swollen areas around my eyes. So I've been here for 8 days and have been visiting the clinic everyday for the post transplant care and I'm removing my stitches tomorrow. I'll be chatting with Dr Kongkiat tomorrow because I have a list of questions for him that I need answers to. I will post picture of my scalp etc as well as the questions I will be asking him and the answers that he will be providing me with. @junior @Freddy0 @densedream @tosspa @Archan @Jamos1982 @SteveRogers @rr1992 @JayKHair @Hristo13 @Gi29 @Ramons @Thomo @MJM @bw77 @Apostrophe1234 @Iceee222