Rahal Hair Transplant

K_2009,

When you underwent hair transplant, surgery, FUT/strip was considered more viable than FUE in terms of growth yield and large single session mega procedures.   But over the last 10 years or so, those surgeons (such as Dr. Rahal) who believed in the potential of FUE as the gold standard for harvesting follicular units worked to improve and perfect the procedure.  Today, FUE is substantially more popular and is considered the gold standard by both leading surgeons and patients alike.

Now, every surgeon does things a little differently, but at Dr. Rahal’s Clinic, transection is checked for during each procedure after extraction using microscopes and is essentially nonexistent.

Furthermore, Dr. Rahal uses various tools for extraction depending on what’s best for the patient rather than simply adapting one tool for every patient.

Also, to minimize any risks of damage to the follicular units, Dr. Rahal and his staff use implanter tools which prevents anyone from having to touch the actual graft, eliminating the risks of crushing them by using traditional forceps.

Long story short, FUE (in the right hands)  can accomplish today what’s FUT did yesterday but without the linear scar and much faster healing times.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

@SuperNeoGenesis,

At a quick glance, I would say that yes, a 3000 graft procedure is doable based strictly on your donor. Whether or not 3000 grafts is appropriate for your particular case, I don’t know because I haven’t seen any photos of the top of your scalp, including your hairline.   We also don’t have any information about you, including your age, family, history of hair loss, whether or not you’re using any hair, loss, medication, etc..  

Now, the photo showing your hair a little longer on the sides and back of your scalp does show a few areas where it looks like there might be gaps.  This could be due to lighting but it does bring into question whether or not you might have some nominal thinning or miniaturization in the donor area.  If this is the case, this could affect whether or not you’re a candidate for surgery.

Now, do you know your own stop better than anybody. You feel that there’s any thinning hair on the sides and back of your head? 

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

Note, the above links are only a few of the recent examples we’ve presented,  o cam certainly post more examples of you want them or you can search the forum to see what his patients are saying  

I do want to say however, that the average number of hairs per graft is approximate 2.1.  So if a surgeon recommended 8000 hairs, that would be equivalent to approximately 3809 grafts or follicular units.

I do suggest however, posting a few photos showing your area of hair loss which should include a picture of your hairline, the top of your head and possibly A picture of your head from the front and a 45° angle. I also suggest putting a few photos of the sides and back of your head so you can see what you’re doing area looks like.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@fenners,

I think it’s good that you’re here beginning research. It seems like you have a lot to learn but that’s OK. Everybody starts in the same place. I remember when I first started researching hair transplant surgery, I thought Bosley and MHR were the only options.  Obviously, after finding this forum in particular, I quickly learned that there are far more and better options for me.  

Firstly, please note that the skill and experience of each surgeon varies as to their results. Therefore, it’s absolutely crucial and critical that you select a surgeon based on their proven ability to produce outstanding results consistently. So how do you do this?

forums like this are a godsend to potential patients because you can research years and years of results posted by real hair transplant patients and clinics a like.  You will quickly learn which surgeons stand out over the others and which doctors are consistent in creating results that are both full and natural…to the point that even hairstylists and other professionals wouldn’t be able to detect that you have gotten hair transplant surgery.

it’s also crucial that you don’t let cost and location determine where are you ultimately have your procedure done.   Now, it’s possible you happen to live in an area where there are no standing surgeons with a proven track record of excellent results. If that’s the case, then you are blessed. But… I would personally much rather travel and even pay more if necessary to undergo surgery with a doctor with an outstanding reputation and countless years on this and other public forums showcasing exceptional results posted by real patients and the clinic    I know this is true for many and most of the exceptionally happy patients who rave about their doctor are the ones who have traveled to make sure they’ve met with the best for them  

Below, I presented a few links to examples of Dr. Rahal‘s recent work and results to give you an idea of the kind of natural looking results that can be performed today by the best surgeons like Dr. Rahal 

if you are interested in a no obligation information session with Dr. Rahal to see what he thinks about your situation, feel free to send me a private message on this forum or email me at info@rahalhairline.com.

3450 Grafts - FUE

2711 Grafts - FUE

3002 Grafts - FUE

3001 Grafts - FUE (different from above)

@DavidJ,

Without knowing any real detail about you personally or seeing photos of your donor here, you do look like a candidate for Hair Transplant surgery based on the one photo you presented. In my opinion though, choose a surgeon based on their proven ability to produce all center results and only use location and cost as a final determining factor if you have to.

in my opinion, too many people select a surgeons based on low cost or a  convenient location and end up with a poor result and I need for repair surgery.  Not only does this require the patient to travel and pay potentially higher costs for the second, repair procedure, it’s a complete waste of precious, limited donor hair and may even affect the end result.

Frankly, it is a lot more difficult to repair a  procedure and transplant  over scarring from a previous procedure then it is to do it right the first time on an untouched scalp.

Since I see you’re already comparing surgeons and prices which is a good thing, just keep in mind that each surgeon will have their own philosophy on how many grafts you need to accomplish your initial goals in a single procedure and long-term goals which may involve subsequent surgeries.

I mention the above because by looking at your one photo, you seem to have pretty extensive hair loss and I would venture to suggest that you will need one more than one surgery to provide you with full coverage and adequate densityj… at least in the frontal core with a gradual fade in density as it  transitions into the crown.

Like I said, I see you’re already in the process of comparing surgeons which is good. If you would like to see what Dr. Rahal has to say about your case, feel free to contact me privately and I’ll be happy to get you in touch for a no obligation information session. 

Best wishes,

Rahl Hair Transplanh

@Mr. Clean,

Hair transplant results will vary with or without taking non-surgical solutions.  While Dr. Rahal does recommend some patients take Propecia/finasteride, there are others that are clearly candidates without having to take it. Below, is a recent result we presented where the patient did not take any finasteride or minoxidil at the time of surgery. He did take minoxidil in the past, but had a bad reaction so he stopped. He never took finasteride, although he said he would consider taking it in the future.

Note that the below patient is just one out of many examples who had a Hair transplant without taking medication.

Note also that this patient had plenty of additional donor hair in the event subsequent procedures are needed. He is also fully in the know regarding the possibility of additional loss, and the possibility of subsequent necessary procedures.  This is true for any and all patients Dr. Rahal performs surgery on.

Hairline

45 Degree Angle

Top

Crown

You can view the actual forum topic below.

@Emiry,

Personally, I started scab removal between day 4 and day 5 and the process was completed around the 7th or the 8th.   Of course, this process varies for everyone and every doctor has their own unique hair transplant post surgical instructions.

In my opinion, it is important to follow your doctors postoperative instructions even if they vary from another surgeon’s directions or what another patient has done.  Because each doctor has their own philosophy and methodology, in my opinion, follow your doctors instructions  for best results.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

This patient underwent an FUE procedure with Dr. Rahal totaling 3450 grafts (7706 hairs) in a single procedure in July of 2022.  He was 36 years of age at the time of his hair transplant. His surgical details and hair count breakdown is below for your reference.

Zones Treated - 1, 7, 8, 9, 10
Reference Zone #s in [], Hair Count in ()

1 haired FUs - 201 (201 [1])
2 haired FUs - 2345 - (800 [1], 1545 [7,8,9.10])
3 haired FUs - 801 (801 [7,8,9,10])
4 haired FUs - 103 (103 [7,8,9,10])
*****************************************
Total # Grafts - 3450
Total # Hairs - 7706

Hair Caliber 45 microns

*******
Zone 1 
******* 
Average Hair Density - 81
Average Graft Density - 45
Average Hairs per Graft - 1.8

***************
Zone 7,8,9,10
***************
Average Hair Density - 82
Average Graft Density - 34
Average Hairs per Graft - 2.4

+++++++

The patient is very happy with his results. See the attached testimonial.

This patient doesn't take finasteride nor minoxidil however, he is considering taking finasteride when his hair transplant matures.  He did take minoxidil in the past but stopped due to a bad reaction to the medication.  

The patient's family history of hair loss is one-sided (father's side only) with 50% of the men advancing to a Norwood class 5A (advanced baldness).

Due to the patient's age, established hair loss pattern and calculated donor hair over a lifetime, Dr. Rahal felt it was appropriate to perform a larger, densely packed session with plenty of donor hair in reserve for subsequent work needed as necessary.

We look forward to your feedback,

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@justwand,

Out of curiosity, is there a reason why you are limiting your location to one side of world?  I’m not sure where you live, but if you live in Western Europe for example, it would take just as long to travel to middle to Eastern Asia as it would to the United States or Canada.  So, what’s your reason for the location limitation if you don’t mind me asking?

In my opinion, if you are willing to travel anywhere on one side of the world, there should be no reason why you shouldn’t be willing to travel to the other side if you find a surgeon there that impresses you more.

In my opinion, it is always best to select a hair restoration surgeon based on skill, experience, and a proven ability to produce outstanding results regardless of the verification and cost. Now, if you are narrowing your choices down and can’t decide between a couple, top-notch doctors, then, perhaps using price or location as the final determining factor would make sense.

But in my opinion, you are limiting your choices and missing out on some exceptional doctors on this side of the world for what seems like no real reason at all, especially since you’re willing to spend around the same amount of time traveling on one side of the world as a wood to come to the side if necessary.  This, of course is just my opinion.

Best Wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@NickB,

diffuse thinners are tough because if too much of the natural hair is in the miniaturization process, you may experience temporary or even permanent shock loss of nose hairs if hair is transplanted in between or around with them.  This is why Dr. Rahal and other surgeons sometimes recommend that diffuse thinners get on finasteride or even minoxidil for at least a year prior to surgery to see if non-surgical solutions can strengthen existing miniaturizing hair.

All that to say, if done right, diffuse thinners can be good candidates for surgery because as long as precautions are taken to minimize the loss of natural hair,  these patients can often end up with higher degrees of density and overall fullness than those with less or no natural hair existing in the area.

I will present a few examples of diffuse thinners performed by Dr. Rahal shortly as an example of what can be done when done right.   Stay tuned 🙂.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@mrmajified,

More isn’t always more. In other words, just because 15% minoxidil is offered, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily any more effective than the 5% minoxidil. It may be more potent but you’re interested in knowing about efficacy rather than strength of the solution.

in my opinion, I’ve never seen any evidence to suggest that 15% minoxidil is any more effective than The 5% solution. Instead, you may want to consider using the 5% twice a day if you’re only using it once today. If you’re already using it twice a day, You may want to consider adding another hair loss treatment to the regimen such as finasteride if you’re not already. Also consider platelet rich plasma (PRP), ketoconozole cream or shampoo (depending on what you get your hands on such as Extina, Revita or Nizoral).

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Trandplant

@EricLaurent,

Anything that can cause potential scarring to the scalp can potentially affect the success of a hair transplant.   Personally, I’m not a big fan of microneedling and feel that it’s abrasive on the scalp for essentially no reason.

And as stated, it can cause scarring over time especially if you’re too rough. Efficacy of microneedling as a hair loss treatment is also questionable at best in my opinion.

In my opinion, I would try proven treatments such as finasteride and minoxidil. If you want to try other alternative treatments in addition to these two, you can consider platelet rich plasma (PRP) and/or laser therapy (LLLT).  You may also want to try topical ketoconazole cream (like Extina if they still make it) or shampoos such as Revita or Nizoral.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@SeanToman,

It is perfectly safe to get a second hair transplant in the same area as the first hair transplant. That said, it is advisable to wait between 8 to 12 months prior to transporting hair in the same area as previous transplant. This will provide the  transplanted hair from the first procedure to at least break through the scalp so the surgeon can see where to transplant the new hair.

There’s some discussion as to whether or not it’s a good idea to wait longer for the trash down here to mature, as people do row in a different rates. Personally, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to err on the side of caution and wait a full year to transplant hair in the same area as the previous transplant. But, generally speaking, waiting, eight months between hair transplants if you’re adding density to the same area as the previous transplant is prudent.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

@John Doe,

As others have said, it’s rare that a result doesn’t turn out the way we expect but on the rare occasion that it does, we stand by our work.   We’d love to see an update on your touch-up procedure when you have a chance.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@craig1982,

Below is an example of one of Dr. Rahal‘s patients who of course had FUE.  As I’m sure you can see, this is proof that the donor area can look not only very well healed 13 days postop but the donor can look like essentially no signs of surgery ever took place even when the size and back of the hair is worn at exceptionally short lengths.   Below is a picture of one of Dr. Rahal‘s patients immediately postop and then again at day 9,  

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

Post-Op

Day 9

I also want to add that the number of hairs per follicular unit matters substantially. For example, if you group 30 single haired FUs together in a square centimeter and then compared it to a group of 3 haired FUs put together in a single square centimeters, I think you would see that the latter would be far more dense. So you know honestly, you should really be asking how many pairs per square follicular unit will provide any real illusion of density rather than actual follicular units which vary in size.  I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

@Hair4Days,

To be honest, The final result a.k.a. the overall density will depend on more than simply the number of follicular units per square centimeter.  Other variables include, the number of hairs per follicular unit, hair caliber thickness typically measured in microns, hair color to scalp color ratio, etc.

As a result, 20 to 30 FU/cm2 Will look different on each and every patient. In general however, most people don’t start to notice they are losing their hair until they lose about 50% of their natural  hair density. Typical natural hair density ranges between 80 to 100 FU/cm2 depending on the individual.  This, 50% of these numbers would be between 40 to 50 FU/cm2.

if you figure from there, 30 FU/cm2 can be rather dense looking under most lighting conditions.  That said, 10 can be rather thin looking but it still a whole lot better then being bald.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant 

@mdg8736,

Please keep in mind that the number I’m throwing out there is not a formal estimate from Dr. Rahal or our clinic, but just my initial opinion by glancing at your photos. But I would say that you would probably benefit from about 2500 grafts in the frontal third of your scalp. You seem to have a lot of hair in the midscalp region and your crown.

if you’re not currently using finasteride or minoxidil, you may want to consider speaking to a doctor about the benefits and potential side effects related to them. Finasteride in particular can help you keep your existing hair as it works to slow down, stop or even reverse the effects of genetic hair loss. Non-surgical solutions and surgical her restoration often complement one another this way.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

@mark91,

Other than physiology, which can affect growth yield, although it’s not typical that yout physiology will cause any problems, physician selection is everything.  In experienced, surgical hands, both FUE and FUT should produce high growth yield with practically nonexistent transection and/or damage to the follicles.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

@honey21790,

I had forgotten to post the photo showing the progression of the Ludwig scale. See the below image.

best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@rumblefish7194,

I’m sure a number of individuals have given you information on various treatments and vitamins they use for their hair. That said, I do feel compelled to say that there are no nonsurgical solutions nor vitamins that are proven to grow hair in completely bald areas.

At best, some of the proven treatments, such as finasteride and minoxidil can help to slow down, stop, or even reverse some of the effects of male pattern baldness by thickening some of the miniaturizing hairs in the process of disappearing. That said, only hair transplant surgery is proven to grow hair and completely bald areas.

In general, vitamins are good for the hair, scalp and body, but they won’t do anything to stop the effects of androgenetic, alopecia, a.k.a. male pattern, baldness 

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

@Wesgrifin,

The below is my opinion based on my knowledge as a veteran a transplant patient, research and been in the field for over 15 years. Know that I am not a doctor so before you read my opinion below, it’s important that you take the bold line of text very seriously and rely on that over anything I or anyone on this forum says  

Please check with your hair transplant surgeon and the surgeon doing your chin implantation surgery to make sure there are no problems or potential conflicts that would reduce efficacy of one procedure or another, etc.  this includes procedural methodology, medications provided Prior to and after surgery, etc.Prior to and after surgery, etc.

Now, my opinion…

There shouldn’t be any problem in terms of healing, hair growth field or effectiveness of your hair transplant. In fact, if you are undergoing FUE hair transplant surgery, healing times are much faster than that of FUT and as a result, all the time you have you are implantation into your chin, I wouldn’t expect that you would feel any remaining discomfort or pain from your surgical hair restoration procedure.

Of course, hair transplant surgery takes up to a year to 18 months to fully grow in and mature.  Furthermore, any shock lol she experience may take up to six months to a year to return. There are other residual healing aspects related to the procedure that may extend a little longer than normal such as postoperative redness, inflammation , etc.  but even still, extended healing of these components shouldn’t interfere with your upcoming implantation procedure and vice versa.

I hope this helps.

Best Wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@rabbitandthehair,

I don’t know if you modified your first post but I didn’t see his explanation until now. So allow me to respond to that.

In the past, the statement that FUT was superior in terms of growth yield to FUE was true.  This was when surgeons were still perfecting the procedure and learning how to overcome forces such as traction, torsion and tension when extracting the follicle.

These forces still exist due to the blind dissection component to FUE. But with continued practice in performing FUE exclusively by top surgeons such as Dr. Rahal, transection and damage to the follicle during the extraction process is practically nonexistent.

And while the tissue surrounding the follicles is thinner and thus more fragile, historically, it was easier to damage the follicle during the insertion process into the recipient site. However, By using implanter tools which enables skilled technicians and the surgeon to insert the grafts into the tiny incisions without touching them, The possibility of crushing or causing any kind of damage to the grafts during the insertion process is also practically nonexistent.

Long story short, FUE is Actually superior to FUT as a whole because now that growth yield is on par with FUT, The other benefits of FUE outweigh FUT. These include…

* No linear scar

* more minimally invasive

* faster healing times

* ability to wear hair even shorter on the sides and back of scalp

* the ability to cherry pick follicular units for the crucial hairline areas

* The ability to select more single haired FUs or multi haired FUs For certain areas of the scalp as needed.

So I emphatically disagree with what the surgeon told you about FUT being superior.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant

@rabbitandthehair,

EDIT - Read the below post but I did create a second post below because somehow I missed where are you sad that the surgeon claimed FUT was superior to FUE. I am finally disagree and my second post explains why 

—-

My question to you is, did he explain why he suggested you undergo FUT instead of FUE?  As a general rule, I think it’s good to request an exclamation for anything you don’t understand. For example, if you are considering FUE only and the surgeon recommends FUT, and I would advise asking why he feels FUE may not be good for you or why he recommends a procedure for distinct  from what you are considering.

in my opinion, there are two possible reasons why this particular surgeon suggested FUT over FUE.

1. The surgeon is more comfortable performing FUT and as a result, he feels he can get you a better result using this technique.

2. He evaluated your specific situation and determined based on your physiology, available donor area, scalp  elasticity (which really only applies to FUT), area of baldness to cover, or some other variable that he could provide you with The best results using over FUE.

Now it’s rare, but even Dr. Rahal who now only exclusively performs advanced FUE and does it exceptionally well has turn down the occasional patient stating that The patient is not a candidate but if the patient is going to proceed with surgery, that FUT would be the better route.  But like I said, this is exceptionally rare.

as for the first scenario, if the doctor is strictly recommending a few tea because he’s more comfortable with it, I suggest consulting other surgeons and potentially going elsewhere. You always want to see a Doctor Who has your best interest in mind and not interested in doing only what’s easier for them.

I hope this helps

Rahal Hair Transplant 

@honey21790,

I happen to disagree with @LaserCaps Who stated that your hair loss pattern seems to follow the Ludwig scale which is more typically Found in genetics female hair loss. Don’t get me wrong, men can follow the luggage scale of her loss just as women can follow the Norwood/Hamilton scale of hair loss.

But if you take a look at the photo below, it shows the progression of a typical genetic female hair loss sufferer. And while the below was just a guide and not an exact formula for how everyone progresses, I don’t feel that you fit in this pattern of hair loss.

that said, to answer your original question, I do feel that you are likely fall need a few standing pattern but that your hair loss is still likely genetic in nature.  Do you feel that you are also thinning or losing hair on the sides of back of your style or is it strictly limited to the top of this point?

I do see that your second post on the topic indicates that you are using finasteride every day which I think is a good idea assuming you’ve discussed this with a doctor.

So my question to you, other then trying to determine the classification and pattern of hair loss you are ecperiencing, is there any other advice you’re looking for? What do you intend to do moving forward? Are you going to stick to finasteride? Are you looking into other non-surgical  solutions?  Are you considering a hair transplant?

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant