Hey everyone,
Wanted to share my hair transplant experience. Reading the success stories on here gave me the courage to go forward with the procedure; hoping my story gives others the courage to do the same. I'll spoil it right up front; it already feels like a great decision, and I'm not even 2 weeks in!
Planning
After doing a good deal of research on hair transplants in general, I decided to do the FUE procedure, and I determined that I wanted both my crown filled in, and my hairline moved down. After researching doctors on this forum (amongst other places) I narrowed it down to three choices: Dr. Gabel in Tigard Oregon (local to me), Dr. Fallon in Tigard Oregon (local to me), and Dr. Nader (Reynosa, Mexico).
For Nader and Gabel, I didn't do any in-person visits. I instead sent them photos of my head and asked what they could do. They each had the same basic recommendation: 3500 to 4000 grafts to cover everything I wanted. Oddly, Dr. Gabel wanted to split the procedures in two; hairline first, then the crown a few months later. Nader was willing to do everything in one go-around as long as I booked two days instead of one.
I actually met Dr. Fallon in person. He seemed like a nice person; we chatted for 30 minutes about miscellaneous stuff, then we started talking about the actual procedure. He seemed very.....disinterested in helping from that point onward. He gave me the info I needed, but he just kept repeating how booked up he was without offering to schedule me. I mentioned a few times wanted to schedule and each time he would respond with some variation of "I'm so booked" then steer the conversation to something else. Even at the end when I asked one final time, he said he'd have his secretary call with some dates. She never did.
The above experience helped narrow it down to Gabel and Nader. While I liked that Gabel was so close, and I was able to afford him (he was about 3x what Nader was charging), I didn't want to have two separate procedures when it could be done in a single day. So on 3/4/23, I booked the earliest two-day appointment they had (1/3/24).
I got an e-mail on 6/6 stating there was a cancellation in August I could take. I wasn't available at that time (I had just gotten laid off and was still processing things). I then got an e-mail on 8/15 stating 9/25 and 9/26 were available. Since my employment situation was a lot clearer, I was able to accept the dates.
Accommodations
I flew United from Oregon to the McAllen airport, then stayed at the SpringHill Suites. Decent stay; it was within walking distance from a few restaurants which made me feel better about the recovery process (that I could easily walk to get food). I arrived a few days before the procedure to check out the town. It was 103 degrees though with humidity that weekend, so I ended up staying in my hotel for most of it. I did make it out to South Padre Island to see the Gulf Coast. I wouldn't recommend it; just about everything there is to do on the island involves being outdoors; great if the weather is nice, but not worth it if it isn't.
I didn't end up eating anything worth mentioning or going anywhere else worth mentioning.
The Procedure
The morning of the procedure, Mr. Santos picked me up at the hotel primptly at 7:20. It took about :40 minutes to get to Dr. Nader's office from the hotel (about 10 minutes from the border to his office). Mr. Santos was great; English was a little broken but he spoke enough that we were able to have some fun conversations. He said he's been driving for Dr. Nader for 13 years now too which I think speaks to who he is.
We arrived at a completely non-descript medical building. Didn't take note of much across the border other than the large number of stray dogs, and the fact that the street vendors sometimes were literally in the middle of the street. I was worried at first until I realized that this was par for the course and Mr. Santos knew how to navigate through it all.
We were buzzed in through a large metal gate, from where we walked up to the office. Again, completely non-descript, with bare white walls and minimal furniture. It's not off-putting or anything, just had me surprised at first. I was given a tour of the facilities then instructed to remove my shows + shirt, put on a medical top, then meet Dr. Nader in his office.
Dr. Nader and I spoke for somewhere between half an hour and an hour. Most of it was just getting to know each other; I gave him my reasons for doing the transplant and what I hoped to gain from it. He shared his hair loss journey (including showing some photos), his personal research into hair loss, why he does what he does, etc. He really came across as a genuine person and he seems legitimately passionate about the field of hair loss.
He asked what my priorities were; I said hairline first, crown last. He then started mapping out what was possible. I told him I was satisfied with what we but together (his estimate was about 3500 grafts), and we were off!
I went into what I call the "TV" room (it's just a big chair in front of a TV). From there, they shaved my head, and I got to see myself bald for the first and last time. Then I went into what I call the "Massage Table" room. From there I laid down on a massage table, and placed my head in the hole. Honestly, this was the hardest part of the procedure for me. Not because the procedure itself is painful, but because my face would frequently get uncomfortable. Not blaming Dr. Nader for this; it's an expected part of the procedure. I brought some headphones as well to listen to music which helped pass the time. All told, I believe I was in this phase for 3 or 4 hours.
Next was lunch; the famous tacos! They were really fantastic....maybe I'm saying that because I've admittedly never had good Mexican food before, but I was a big fan of these. Ample time was given here to readjust. I answered some texts, used the restroom, and decided what I wanted to watch. Soon enough, the team was back in and we were ready for round 2.
Round 2 was about 4 hours of them placing the grafts. Again, minimal pain here, and whenever there was pain Dr. Nader was quick to take care of it. Honestly, this part was a breeze. I decided right then and there to start an Arrested Development rewatch, and pretty much got lost in the show until the end of the day.
Mr. Santos took me back to my hotel. It took a good deal longer this time, mainly because of the line at the border. I would say I got home in 1:15. I wasn't in much pain....really the worst part at this point was the anxiety that I was going to do something to screw things up. Dr. Nader did an excellent job at the beginning of explaining how few people had any complications from his procedures, and the ones that did only lost a graft or two (he even showed me pics others had texted him of their lost grafts so I could see what it looks like so I'd know if it happens).
Ended up that I had nothing to fear. Being extra precautious paid off; no issues the first night. I made sure to sleep on the couch in my room with my head elevated and wearing a neck pillow (so my head didn't come into contact with anything). I put a body pillow by my side as well so I wouldn't roll over. It worked!
I woke up the next day feeling fine with no issues. Mr. Santos was there again at 7:20 sharp, and we were off. Second day got right down to business as I went back into the Massage Table room for more extractions. It was a bit easier dealing with it that day since I knew it was coming. A few more grafts were taken the 2nd day than the 1st, so I was in here longer than the day before.
After lunch was the implementation part. Again, no issues here as I got lost in Netflix. For unknown reasons, this part went a lot quicker than the day before, so I ended up finishing about two hours earlier than the prior day! I gave a heartfelt thanks to Dr. Nader for such a positive and streamlined experience. He explained that he ended up taking a few more grafts than originally planned, but he didn't charge me for them (I promise I insisted that he should!).
Mr. Santos was waiting in the lobby to grab me, and he promptly took me back to my hotel.
No issues with pain or sleep the 2nd evening, though I did forgot to spray my head on a number of occasions (Dr. Nader gives you a spray which is a saline/water mix and says you should use it on your scalp every :15 that you're awake). It wasn't the end of the world though. I also took my medication as instructed by Dr. Nader which seemed to eliminate any pain or itching.
The next day was an early flight back to Oregon. No issues here other than a flight delay. When I got back I took a well-deserved nap, then started the next phase.
Recovery
Per Dr. Nader's instructions, my next 10 days were spent on scab patrol. I was to use the saline/water spray as instructed for 3 to 5 days. I was to shower each day and use his 5-5-5 method: 5 minutes of putting water in my hair via gravity (I filled a Tupperware bowl with shower water and then slowly released it on my head), 5 minutes of performing circular motions on scabs to try to release them (not too hard for the first few days, but I got more aggressive towards the end at the stubborn ones), then 5 more minutes of washing via gravity.
He explained in the office that I likely wouldn't see any fall out for the first two days, then a few the third, then accelerating each day till the last 10% or so. I would say that reality matched his estimates 100%. First three days I thought I was doing something wrong because nothing was coming off. Fourth day saw a bit, fifth a bit more, then on the sixth day so many were coming off that I didn't even try to massage them, I just focused on washing my hair. All told the last scabs came off on the 10th day.
Initial Reaction
I gotta say, it's already wild looking at myself in a mirror. I'm not shedding as of yet, so I can get a rough idea of what I'm going to look like once the hair is grown, and I'm already happy with the results. My brother said the new hairline alone makes me look five years younger.
I have no complaints about the design. There are a few imperfections, but Dr. Nader told me before the procedure that he purposely puts a few in to make the hairline look more natural. The funny thing is that that's exactly what it looks like; it doesn't look perfect, but it doesn't look unnatural either. Mission accomplished!
I know that the journey isn't over yet. I'm mentally preparing for the shedding which I know will happen at any time. Dr. Nader also explained that hair grows on the front faster than in the back, so I have to prepare for that too. I know it'll be worth it though!
Huge thanks to Dr. Nader, his staff, and Mr. Santos for such a pleasant experience. Would highly recommend them if you want both quality and price. I never felt afraid in Mexico either (I didn't bring cash with me though which helped).
Photos
I'll include some photos below, starting with my last photo with hair, up through photos at day 5. I'll try to get some more tomorrow since Tues will make 2 weeks since the procedure.
If anyone wants any more info, I'm happy to share. Feel free to reply to this post or send me a message. Thanks again for everyone else for sharing their stories!!
