England

Good question - I too would be interested in the answer. I have a similar hair pattern to this guy and plan on having an FUE procedure. I consulted with two top docs who both agreed to do it. Both also stated that the yield of FUE is very slightly lower (for example, 90% instead of 95%), but that there is a larger area from which to extract - so as far as I can see the only issue with doing FUE is cost, and time (and the fact it may have to be split over 2/3 procedures which are each spread over 2/3 days). I also understand that it's possible to do FUT after FUE, so he could always have a strip later on, and possibly another FUE. Great result, by the way, excellent yield for a relatively large area and a relatively small number of grafts.

The difference from 6 months to 9 months is staggering! Fantastic result.

Here's a random theory I came up with (I have no idea what this could be): Skin and hair is taken with a punch from the donor area (similar size to what you end up with after slicing up the grafts in a strip procedure). Skin is also taken with an equivalent sized punch from the recipient area. The punch from the donor area is then placed into the recipient area, and the punch from the recipient area is placed back into the donor area. This means that both the donor and recipient area heal in the same way that the Recipient area does right now - which also means no scarring, and no white spots - because there is still normal skin there. It also means that the yield should be quite similar to what you get from Strip because there is plenty of skin left on the graft. So, this combines the best of FUE and Strip? The yield of Strip, the non-linear scar of FUE - and also potentially leaves no scar whatsoever. Thoughts? :-)

I am not a doctor and so I have no idea about your specific condition - although the trial run sounds like it was successful. My advice to you would be to get on the channel tunnel (or fly) to Brussels / Hassalt - meet with both doctors and ask them what they think about your condition and the test run you had (which seems extremely wise, by the way). Then, assuming they are happy to operate on you, you can't go wrong with those two. I personally would lean towards Dr Feriduni - it may also be worth consulting with Dr Bisanga (also in Brussels). Good luck with whatever you choose.

Hi Man In Space, I met with both Dr Feriduni and Dr Bisanga personally 2 weeks ago. All the staff at both clinics were very professional at all times. Stephen at BHR clinic is a great walking showcase of the talents Dr Bisanga has - he seems to be a good guy, and Dr Bisanga is very down-to-earth and easy to talk to. Dr Feriduni is extremely friendly, and very artistic - his consultation went into greater detail and he was very good at listening to everything that was asked, and generally making me feel cared for. Both noticed different things about my situation, for example Dr Bisanga noticed some hairs from a previous transplant (not a reputable one) were angled in the wrong direction. Dr Feriduni noticed that the hairline was not level. Both measured my donor density at different levels, had different analyses of the number of 2's and 3's, suggested opposite approaches in terms of the density required (I have light hair), but both came to exactly the same conclusion in terms of number of grafts, and the area to be treated. I should also add that this did differ slightly to the initial online consultation I got from both, but my situation was probably more complicated than yours. So right now I'm probably not helping you to decide - but I think if you still have doubts you should go in for a personal consultation with Dr Feriduni as well before you make up your mind. In terms of results, I have seen excellent FUE results from both doctors. I too am in your situation and have been looking up every FUE case I can find, they both have an excellent track record with some unbelievable results. My two favourites are: Dr Bisanga: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/159424-2nd-fue-hair-transplant-dr-bisanga.html Dr Feriduni: Bald Truth Talk - Hair Loss, Hair Transplant and Hair Restoration Community - Bijan Feriduni, MD's Album: 1814 Grafts Overall my honest perception is that the quality of the result tends to depend on the quality of the hair - the thicker your natural hair the better the results seem to be, but both of these doctors seem like an excellent choice.

As far as I know, (and can remember) from my HT 7 years ago - the hairs you have 3 weeks post op are good indicator of the shape of your new hairline - and I can understand that it's quite an exciting time because you can imagine them continuing to grow. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the chances are they will now start to shed and begin their phase of regrowth, so things will probably get worse before they get better. If you're already excited by what you can see now, I think you will definitely be pleased with your final result. Just one additional question - you mentioned that they 'ran out' of grafts? This happened to me as well, at Norton Clinic so they had to leave one of my temporal peaks empty - I mentioned this to Dr Feriduni recently at a consultation and he said that HT surgeons should never run out of grafts - so would be interested to get your take on this? Anyway, congratulations on getting what I think (the surgery) is the worst part over with, now you can just look forward with excitement!

Hi hairthere, Where can I find the graft calculator? Cheers

LOL. It looks like Marshall's hair in How I Met Your Mother, when he is about to get married and decides to shave his hair - but stops after taking the first strip in the front.. Very cool :cool: Looking forward to seeing your results, good luck with the growth :-D

Honestly, I would say that if you can't afford the prices of say, Dr Feriduni, Dr Bisanga - you can't afford an FUE. The two questions are related - you would most definitely benefit from an FUE procedure, but you will regret it for the rest of your life if you get it done by the wrong doctor. Even poor surgeons can show some good results so that's not enough to make a decision. You need to go to a doctor with a proven track record on forums like this, or you'll end up having to pay more later on to have the HT corrected. My first advice to you is, seriously, please, never go to that unknown clinic to get your hair transplant done. You may well end up regretting it. I say this as a guy who was exactly in your position at 20, and went ahead with the procedure. It was not very well done, and right now I find myself having to have a second procedure with a more qualified doctor. Secondly, give the Propecia and the Rogaine foam at least 6 months, or preferably longer, otherwise hair which might have re-grown may appear to be lost and transplanted over. In summary, save up the extra money required for the FUE with a reputable clinic over the next year, whilst also giving the Propecia and Rogaine time to see their real effect. They alone could give you enough thickness to satisfy your needs (although this is unlikely). It is simply not worth getting an FUE if it isn't with a good doctor. On a side note, 2000-2500 grafts looks about right for your hair loss, in my non-expert opinion.

Can I ask, what discomfort was this? Was this discomfort from your body position and being face down, or was it discomfort due to pain in the back of your head where the extractions were taking place? Oh, and I'm looking forward to your updates, and congratulations on what will hopefully be a very successful HT.

He posted some before pics on page 2 - the day of the op. Cheers

Thanks Janna, I ask because the result looks excellent - exactly what I'm looking for. After consultations with both Dr Feriduni and Dr Bisagna, both recommended 2300-2500 via FUE so I think this case is quite similar to mine. The one worry I have is that by having the FUE I could actually end up with less thickness at the front due to shock-loss, but this definitely wasn't the case with this patient - the results look awesome.

Can't wait to see the latest updates! It's been so long since you posted :-)

with the hairs at the front*

Hi Janna, This patients 'before' picture look very much like my situation now, with the hairs at the result looking like mine after a previous strip surgery. Can I ask how you dealt with the existing hairs at the front and on the top, did you place the implanted hairs around them or on top of them (knowing they may fall out later on). Thanks

hey mw_2, can I see your results anywhere?

'He has intellectual property to protect' If he has a patent, which his website says he does, it's already protected.

I don't understand the secrecy here. If you patent a medical procedure, even patent pending, you can share the details of how it works freely without losing any of your intellectual property protection. Therefore I see no benefit in keeping the process so secretive.

Sorry to say but I agree with everything Ritchie said. That being said, don't panic. For the big hair transplant surgeons, repair work is a large percentage of their business - they are very familiar with cases where hair transplant results were not ideal and may be able to help you to repair any issues which arise. At least you are now here on this forum where you can find out about them and their work. Good luck with the growth, and keep us updated!

This is something I had not considered, and very interesting. Is it possible to reduce the shock loss of a hair transplant by having the hair shaved? If so I may decide to have my hair shaved before my FT.

Thanks guys for your responses. I agree with what you say Bill. As I already said, I'm sure there are legitimate reasons for selecting a low graft amount (for example grafts not all being available in one session) - but we shouldn't assume that this applies to this case. If the intended solution was to spread the transplant over multiple procedures, I think Strong would (or should) know about it. Lets wait to hear back from Strong who should be able to clarify the answer to my original question.

Yeah, he also stated that the doctor said more grafts were available. Absolutely agree that it's up to the poster to decide if he reveals the doctors name - I would definitely be interested to hear.

Slick boy, it's looking great already. Really looking forward to updates. I am considering Bisanga too, it's between him and Dr Feriduni.

In fairness, I think the original poster did clarify he told the doctor money was not an issue, and that the doctor told him he has more grafts available. It all seems to beg the question to me: why were so few grafts used? I'm sure there are legitimate reasons, but it would be good to know them. The bigger question, for me, is why the patient wasn't informed that he would be getting a low density with those numbers, to have realistic expectations. I think the biggest issue here is the gap between the expected outcome for the patient and what was actually achieved. I would also be very interested to find out the name of the doctor, not necessarily as a witch hunt - but I believe it's right to name the doctors whether the outcome is excellent or not, and to potentially hear their reasoning behind the number of grafts.