Approach

Your post is very valuable. I hope guys continue to comment on it. I'm all ears....

Fantastic. Thank God you had the beard hair.

Wallie, until you have a consultation with the top Norwood 7 doctors, you will never know. Things have advanced since you scalp reduction 20 yrs ago.

I'm guessing his Density will end up great. Although I don't know how physically large his head is, 11,291 grafts for a NW "6" seems significant. Looking forward to seeing his final results!

This may seem off topic, but if any of you guys are considering weight-loss (GLP-1) type meds like Wegovi / Mounjaro / Zepbound, etc I'd be interested in hearing your feedback as it relates to side effects related to hair. Specifically: Do these meds truly cause some hair loss? A lot, or a little? If a guy has a HT, then 3 years later begins taking one of these weight loss drugs - Will he likely lose some of his newly transplanted hair? If nothing else- if anyone is considering these meds, pls research side effects first.

This is a really dumb question, but: What does hair greed really mean? I may be mixing up the term. Is it simply: The desire to continue HTs one after another until all bald spots are covered? Or, does it refer more to "density" of everything. Thank you.

Al -- thank you for your feedback. A few points that you said stand out to me. That is: "You may have to decide at the time you're going through the process because some of this is going to depend on whether he will be able to get either more or less grafts than he estimated..." And, your other point about "hair greed" helps. Thanks for the heads up. Apparently hair greed is a bigger point than I realized. I will keep this tid-bit of info in mind. Thanks again.

Thank you for your feedback Fox. Each tid-bit of feedback from guys on this forum is really helping.

I am a very high NW. (My question is not about cost.) Do any of you believe the following approach is a good idea with a reputable surgeon like Dr. Pittella: The primary goal would be to add density to the frontal portion of my head and frame it age appropriate. And, another goal would be to add a modest amount of density to the crown-- similar to pic below. Do most of you think this is a viable option, or would you aim to have a full head of hair -- esp since it might be Dr. Pittella. (I'm 52 y/o male).

I would not touch the scar until you have a solid plan. "If" you need further HT surgeries, definitely wait until then since they can do another strip to harvest donor hairs (then suture it shut nicely).

Yes, 2 of them in the 1990's FUT

Melvin, I really appreciate your reply. Indeed Dr. Pittella did explain all your points, and all points are truly valid! Thank you for reviewing the importance of setting realistic goals, and that ultimately it's up to "me". It also helped that you reminded me: "Keep your expectations in check." Thanks again! I finally understand! PS) I now remember-- Dr. Pittella did speak to me about percentages of beard hair to scalp hair; and in my case the ratio would need to be closer to 50/50 due to my poor donor area.

Thank you. Fyi, Doctor P wants to use up all remaining donor hair. (He said best case is 5,000 grafts.) Then, he wants to take beard hair (on my face and under jaw line. (It's reasonable considering my poor donor area.) Estimated total grafts after surgery would be 10,0000 to 12,0000. I sensed by our conversation that he isn't a big fan of body hair. It's a last resort for him. He explained that the growth cycle is different, etc.

Good point. (My total grafts would be 10,000+) (He said he would do his best to mix in the beard hair appropriately.) Dr. P said to plan on removing a couple thousand grafts from back of my head. However, he said he really wants to aim for closer to 5.000 grafts. With that being said, this is nowhere close to the 70/30 rule you mentioned. Sometimes it's confusing because: Advice from knowledgeable guys like yourself makes sense. So, why would a doctor push the envelope so far? I think he's an awesome doctor, and I enjoyed talking to him. But, I anticipated he would give me a yes/no answer. Instead, he said: If "you" (patient) wants a HT, then I'll perform it to the best of my abilities. I asked him a few times: But, do "you" (an expert surgeon) recommend I do it, based on your experiences, etc? In the end, he said a 3rd procedure to fine-tune things and fill in any remaining areas would be the likely case. So, in conclusion, I do believe that physically, Dr. P can get a full head of hair (especially because of a 3rd procedure - maybe even mixed with body hair). But, one good thing is: he seemed confident I would be pleased. He showed me pictures of other patients' he did like my case. *(PS - he said some guys are willing to do anything to get hair on top of heard - even if it's mostly beard hair/body hair as he has noticed improvements in self-esteem, etc. Ughh, I wish I could pull this off with scalp hair only!

Thanks for your well-thought-out opinion. It makes sense. I esp recognize your point about my "starting point" is not ideal / risk. Thank again.

Did he use a lot of beard hair?

Via video consultation, Dr. Pittella said he can restore my NW 7 head. He seemed confident. There is a caveat though. He said, although my donor area is poor, he estimates he can remove up to a few thousand grafts from the back of head. As well, he will need to remove nearly every beard hair on my face & neck. (He can leave enough hair to grow a goatee.) Specifically, my question is: If "you" were in a situation like mine, would "you" proceed or not? and *Why? Thank you!

I am interested too.

Here I go talking about temple points again (sorry)! Any thoughts?

Kartik -- it's great that you are thinking through things and doing research! No offense whatsoever that you feel differently about my suggestion. Your question asked about doctors in India, specifically. Truly, there are great HT surgeons in all parts of the world though. Gatsby and Melvin are great resources. You may hear different opinions from members on the forum and that's ok! Nothing personal. Listen to each members opinions. This will give you constructive way to compare and contrast.

Welcome to HRN. As with anything, I definitely wouldn't shop on price alone - especially for something as important as HT. Take your time, talk to the guys on this site and meet doctors (in person when possible) for consultations. There are great doctors all over the world, but to answer your question: I've heard Dr. Sethi in India is a great doctor for NW 7 if you're a candidate.

I realize time will tell. I just wanted to be sure I understood clearly, ie, potential to fall out someday. Thank you for clarifying.

Can you say more? Is your point --- Some of the newly transplanted hairs could eventually miniaturize and fall out?

You are the voice of reason. Well said!

Thank you for the thorough explanation. I found it especially helpful you mentioned: Subtle Enhancements (than full reconstruction). I get it now. Thanks again.