Rafael Manelli

https://hairtransplantnetwork.com/best-hair-transplant-surgeons/New York I would trust any of these doctors in New York.

I have to echo this, Nader. Thiago Bianco Leal is great too but he is in Brazil.

You’re about a Norwood class 5 - high sides and a bridge. Medication should be priority 1. If you can hold on to that hair in the middle and on the lateral humps, preventing yourself from becoming a class 6 or 7, you will save the equivalent of perhaps 3000 grafts. Maybe even more. Finasteride or dutasteride might actually thicken up your native hairs somewhat. After that, I think 5000 grafts sounds about right for respectable density and a conservative hairline placement. You could go to Hasson and Wong. You could go to Hattingen in Switzerland. They do large sessions. Or you can break it up into two surgeries.

I am not surprised. Dr Konior is among the best in the world

A lot of people say that ASMED tend to quote higher graft numbers. I would avoid HOI. Your hair looks sparsest at the frontal tuft. The very front middle, where it needs the highest density, not the lowest. Then there seems to be a roughly triangular area of low density behind and especially to the left side. It’s not bald however. You maybe only need 50% more density there. To be conservative, you might need about 2000 grafts minimum. Your hair seems to have a good texture for coverage. Even just 200 grafts could make a huge difference to that frontal circle.

The trouble with fine hair is you need more density to look thick, and that means you need more grafts in the recipient but it also means you can afford to take fewer grafts from the donor before it looks thin there. And it’s more expensive in terms of money, and the grafts are more delicate. Result here looks very natural though, and seems to have a good density. Is there a reason grafts were not prepared with a microscope?

It should be fine. If you wear it incredibly tightly it can be bad. People get traction alopecia that way. But that would be very rare. If you’re just wearing a baseball cap normally, it should not cause issues.

Impressive. Do you have a photo of the scar?

Too early to tell. Don’t worry about it. Wearing a cap is fine.

I understand. I think you mistook my use of the word "just". I didn't mean to imply it was 'simple', but more that it's just kind of obvious. As in, it's just common sense. People don't want that done to them. They find it gruesome.

Fair enough. Why? Do you like very short haircuts? Are you scared of scar stretching or would even a good scar be unacceptable to you? Are you afraid of just getting a big slab of flesh cut from your head? There are all top quality for sure. Are you worried that you are "locked in" to having hair now, incase hair loss advances and you can't maintain an aesthetic result, but you can't shave your head either? I think this is pretty accurate. The only thing I would add is that FUE has risen not just due to consumer demand but also because it's far more accessible to physicians. Learning how to do strip takes a big investment, they need a large staff, and at the end of it you have to sell it to patients with education because average guy just doesn't want it and doesn't see the point. Especially young guys in their 20s and 30s. The other thing is learning FUE gives the doctor access to BHT as well. It's clearly worked out very well in your case.

Judging an HT at 4 months is like judging a crop harvest at 4 months. It’s simply far too early.

I took a look at the topic where he used the term, that is what I mean. I was just looking for context. But I understand your position and I see how it was fairly criticised as derogatory. I’m trying to give the benefit of the doubt.

Okay. That is fine by me. I made a mistake in thinking it would be better to bump an old thread than start a new one of a similar topic. I am sorry.

Fair enough. I believe Dr Feller was simply using it to distinguish between physicians and laymen. But I see your point that it came across offensively.

Okay. I apologise. I thought a blast from the past would sometimes be appreciated, and I thought the topic was still relevant. I guess I’ve done it too often recently. May I ask how old is too old? I figured 4 or 5 months would be fine, or a year or two. Does it depend? Is asking for updates on results okay? Once again I am sorry for reviving this old topic and the one that was last updated in late November. I didn’t know it was a problem.

I don’t think a patient should be blamed for putting his trust in a clinic when they tell him he is a class 3V. Laymen are expected to put a level of trust in experts, especially if they are going to be cutting their scalp open. Your head is literally in their hands.

“Peanut gallery” is not a phrase with offensive and negative connotations in my book. Perhaps it varies country by country. It simply refers to the audience. We’re all peanuts sometimes.

It’s mostly just a laxity thing. Some people have enough for 5 strips. Some only have enough for one.

I was scratching my head reading this because I couldn’t think of Ziering and the only Dr Z that came to mind was Zarev 😅

Interesting. Who are the 5 or so doctors you have in mind?

Do you think your result would be better if it had been done as an FUE?

That sounds like a plan. Just make sure you go to a proper good clinic AND the doctor is a good one.

Great point about the photo angles.

You are set for life.