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Let me start by saying I met or talked with via zoom over 15 drs and I watched tons of videos on youtube and researched off and on for about 3-4 years before I pulled the trigger , many of the clinics I have met have high level marketing/sales tactics which is an instant turn off for me... also many drs also dont talk about future loss and how to plan for it not just with preventive care but also with how many grafts to move to what areas in each transplant and why... Dr Panine was one of the few high level world renonwn drs that did this and he also gave me 4 people I could call and talk to all that had similar hair loss and similar hair to mine both color and skin tone so that I had the most realistic possible expectations of what could be accomplished. This + the fact dr Panine is hands on with every part of the procedure is why I chose him. surgery day I felt relaxed and comfortable with everything including the fact that I felt 0 pain I can remember a few times feeling very minor discomfort like a pinch and each time he instantly numbed me so I had 0 discomfort. after surgery they obviously ensured my friend was called to pick me up at the proper time and then followed up the next day for a hair wash... one thing that really sets great American drs apart from larger facilities that do lots of transplants is the after care follow up both Stuart & dr Panine ensure they get back to me with in hours of me texting or calling with any questions or issues... this may not seem like a big deal but when your spending alot of money and having a new cosmetic surgery for the first time having them so patient and attentive was a major stress saver in the first few months of the transplant they also do 3,6,9,&12 month check ups which is awesome! I am currently coming up on month 10 and I actually filmed my journey to help people & posted it on my YouTube channel Hair Transplant Reality if you want to see the surgery and the follow up visits etc I post 4-8 times per month I hope my videos can help you in your journeys! CHEERS!- 7 replies
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Hey guys this is my first post on here so I'll improve as I post more but heres a few photos of my before surgery and 6 month update pics I also made a Youtube Called Hair Transplant reality if you'd like to sub and check my vids out it would mean alot! My goal for the channel is to help men both by sharing my experiences & even having some men that want to share there experiences on my channel also! The goal is to make sure everyone knows that none of us are alone in this hair loss/ hair restoration journey and theres nothing to be ashamed of wether you prefer being bald or are trying to stop hair loss or have a surgery you gotta do what makes you happy! If you ever have any questions about my experience or anything at all id love to help any and all that need it! Below are 3 pics of me with very long hair before surgery July of 2020 and then I had my surgery July 10 2020 I am coming up on 10 months the other pics below show me at 6-7months and 3 from my 9months heres my 9 month exam video with dr Panine we also discuss my next procedure im doing in September https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P0uBxReIvQ Thanks Melvin for the invite to post! #hairtransplant #fue #drpanine #hairtransplantresults #results
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This 27-year-old gentleman had a hair loss pattern of a class 4v on the Hamilton Norwood hair loss scale. His goal was to rebuild his hairline and add density to the frontal 1/2 of his scalp. After establishing the patient’s medical history and understanding the progression of his hair loss, I diagnosed his condition as Androgenetic Alopecia (male pattern baldness), ruling out any other possible dermatological or medical conditions which can cause hair loss or impact the results of a hair transplant. As I discussed the options for a surgical plan with the patient, we discussed his goals, his age and his expected future hair loss based on family history. As we finalized his surgical plan, I was careful in taking into consideration the reconstruction of a hairline that would be suitable for him as he continued to age. A total of 2,550 grafts were used in the frontal 1/2 of his head. I used 1,410 single hair follicular units which allowed me to create a very natural hairline. This action will allow him to comb his hair without anyone detecting that he has had anything done. These are his results 7 months post-op. His results will continue to improve over the next 5-8 months. Note that I have also posted pictures from the day of his procedure and one-week post-op pictures. The patient is extremely happy with his results and is planning on doing another procedure to address his crown.- 5 replies
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Hi All, I wanted to give a quick update regarding my procedure with Dr.Panine that happened last week on the 31st of August,2021. The total grafts transplanted were 2814. The breakdown is as follows: 1 hair grafts - 1,306 2 hair grafts - 1187 3 hair grafts - 300 4 hair grafts - 21 Days leading to the Procedure: Stuart from Dr.Panine's office was extremely helpful and was always available to answer any of my questions/comments/concerns. He was very methodical in preparing me for my procedure(writing prescriptions that I need beforehand and following it up with a call to discuss, sharing expectations etc). He was very responsive. He also shared recommendations for places to stay in the area and I ended up picking a hotel that was a stone throw away from the clinic which turned out to be a big plus. Day of the Procedure: I arrived at the clinic at 830 am and was greeted by one of the assistants' who was super friendly and completed all of the pre-requisites(filling forms, medication pre-surgery, checking vitals, blood work etc). Dr.Panine then arrived and shared the details of the surgery and the duration it would take( this was also shared earlier with me by Stuart so no surprises there). The total surgery took about ~10.5hrs. Pre-surgery Dr.Panine worked with me to construct a hairline that I wanted ...we iterated through it a couple of times and ended up with one that the Dr mentioned was conservative but this is what I had in mind ...I am not super concerned about recession and I feel it looks more natural and suits my facial structure. The doctor put me on local anesthesia and at every point made sure that I was comfortable.The assistant's also made sure that my comfort and care was utmost priority. The extraction took about 4hrs and then they provided me with lunch(thanks Stuart for taking care of this for me)...after with the sorting/creating slits(I think) took another 2hrs. This was followed by placement which took about 3hrs ....Dr.Panine mentioned that it typically takes longer but because I was willing (and wanted to) shave my head(just wanted to see how I look bald)....it helped them(Dr. and one of his assistant's) place the grafts faster.After the surgery, my head was wrapped in bandage and Stuart gave me a ride back to my hotel. For some reason(maybe the drugs) I was wide awake and felt energetic and was able to walk and get myself some dinner and went to bed after watching some trash cookshow tv. Not a whole lot of pain (masked by anesthesia/meds). Day 1 after Procedure: I felt pretty normal and was able to go about my day 2 day. The surprise for the day was the swelling of my face. Stuart had mentioned that swelling would happen but I was a bit taken aback by the extent of it. The person that stared back at me from the mirror felt like a bruised boxer / extra-terrestrial hybrid. I wanted to laugh out loud but that felt a tad bit weird as well. I met with Stuart and Dr.Panine and they took a look at my head to make sure it all looked good and the bruising was healing. The pain seemed like a headache in the back of the head(extracted area). Day 2 after Procedure: This was the day with the worst swelling ...it got to a point where my eyes were about completely shut and vision became challenging. I started to get more diligent about icing and and also laying vertical mostly to let gravity be my ally in dealing with the swelling. Day 3 & Day 4 after Procedure: The swelling is getting better ...it is coming down a bit. Day 3 was the first time I washed my head super carefully with foam (baby shampoo) and luke warm water gently. This felt pretty good. I am planning to add more details into this post as I realize that I may have glossed over some details...the goal here is to help folks considering a procedure and also provide an honest description of my experience. It will also be great if folks who have tread this path before can provide thoughts/comments/suggestions. Again, super grateful for this community and happy and eager to pay it forward. -
This 25-year-old gentleman had a hair loss pattern of a class 2, going into a class 3 on the Hamilton Norwood hair loss scale. His goal was to rebuild his hairline and add density to the frontal 1/3 of his scalp. Taking his age and hair loss into consideration, I discussed the patient’s goals with him and we came upon an agreement for a surgical plan that would suite his expectations. I paid careful attention, when reconstructing his hairline, so that it would be suitable for him as he continued to age. A total of 2,033 grafts were used in the frontal 1/3 of his head. These are his results 10 months post-op. His results will continue to improve over the next 2-5 months. The patient is presently taking Finasteride to try and control further hair loss. The patient is extremely happy with his results.
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Absolutely incredible work Dr. Panine 👏🏼 -
I can't thank Dr. Panine and his staff enough and this review is for anyone thinking about having a hair transplant and may be on the fence. I was your typical hair loss candidate, I was noticing that I was losing my hair but didn't want to admit it and in all honesty never imagined I could afford/have a hair transplant at my age (30). I met with a few Dr's and I just felt like I was getting a recording based off our conversations. When I met with Dr. Panine and Stuart, I left feeling like Dr. Panine took the time to understand my situation and what was right for me. Stuart also worked with me to help re-arrange schedules to fit me in early so that I could have positive results for my wedding which was 6 months away. I left after my consultation knowing Dr. Panine was the right decision. Stuart and the rest of team made everything so incredibly easy, from always being available to answer any questions pre-op and post-op to just making the day of the surgery super comfortable. Everything went so well and the results are beyond what I could imagine. The below pictures below are at around 6.5 months and I am so happy with my decision. It sounds really cheesy but I was losing a lot of confidence and Dr Panine and his team helped me gain that back and I couldn't be more thankful. -
My experience with Dr. Panine was exceptional, starting with the first consultation setting realistic expectations for restoring a natural hairline. The staff is incredible; going above and beyond expectations to ensure the procedure and recovery run smoothly and schedule check in’s along the way. While finding the right time to invest in oneself can often take last priority, I found the move to remote work made fitting in the procedure easy and Dr. Panine was able to provide a procedure time that would fit into a time that worked alongside my own schedule. After my procedure I could not be happier with the results, it looks natural and I have received many complements about how great I look. For context I I had the FUE procedure with 2500 grafts in Oct 2020, below are the before photos, shortly after the procedure and some more recent photos about 10 months after the procedure.
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Hi everyone! In early 2020, I had my first FUE HT (1500 grafts) by a no name surgeon and while the hair grew, I was left with an unnatural hairline, lots of multi-grafts in the hairline, and poor graft placement. A year later in March 2021, I went to get my hairline corrected by Dr. Panine. The goal of the procedure was to soften the hairline with singles in a zig zag pattern and also add some density in the front. I received 1338 singles and 287 doubles. The team was very professional during the surgery and my healing process went much better than the first time. I wanted to get everyone's thoughts on the progress at nearly 6 months...one thing I noticed was the right side has only singles in the front of the hairline (as expected), but I've noticed quite a few multi-grafts coming in on my left side in the hairline, including one multi-graft/cluster of grafts at the very front with five hairs that stand out when styling my hair (can't tell if this is a five-hair graft or several doubles stuck together). Since they pulled 1338 singles, I was surprised to see a good amount of multi-grafts near the front and found it odd they only appear on the left side (can't find any on the right side). Is this normal? I am hoping some of the professionals here can tell me if it's normal to mix in that many multi-grafts on one side and what I can do...if anything...about the one pesky multi-graft. I'm including some photos below. Photo 1: The day after surgery Photo 2: The right side (only singles in the front) Photo 3 and 4: The left side (singles and multi-grafts, drew an arrow towards that one pesky graft that sticks out...this one has also been surrounded by some redness since the operation) Thank you! -
This 23-year-old gentleman had a hair loss pattern of a class 4v on the Hamilton Norwood hair loss scale. His goal was to rebuild his hairline and add density to the frontal 1/2 of his scalp. We discussed his age, hair loss and expectations for the surgery. The patient’s goal was well suited to his needs and therefore I planned the surgery according to what we had discussed. I put extraordinary care into reconstructing a hairline that would be suitable for him as he continued to age. A total of 2,523 grafts were used in the frontal 1/2 of his head. I used 1,130 single hair follicular units which allowed me to create a very natural hairline. This action will allow him to comb his hair without anyone detecting that he has had anything done. These are his results 7 months post-op. His results will continue to improve over the next 5-8 months. I have also posted pictures from the day of procedure and 6 weeks post-op pictures. The patient is extremely happy with his results.
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1 year result with Dr. Panine and I’m so happy with how it’s turned out!
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Hi All, Apologies for the long lull from my end - had a full plate with insane amount of work and personal stuff w/ the pandemic to deal with. All good now! After talking to a few reputable surgeons I decided to narrow down my options to Eugenix and @Dr. Vladimir Panine. Both are awesome and I decided to pick Dr.Panine because it makes things simple from a logistics perspective and I am slated to get the procedure on the 31st of August. First, thanks to all the reps from Eugenix...they were super helpful and also made sure I had a chat with @Dr. Sethi & Dr. Bansal himself. He is a very learned man and an artist (as you all already know) , I hope to get a procedure some day from him as my gut tells me I need more than one. @Dr. Suhail Khokharthank you for the recommendation....I am a bit nervous as it is my first one but I feel like I am in good hands. Stuart from Dr.Panine's office has been stellar so far and on top of everything. I will be getting about 2500-2800FUE procedure done. To be honest I don't have crazy expectations and I am hoping for a realistic hairline that also looks natural and doesn't look super sharp at the front. I will keep everyone updated. I also have a few questions, 1. how does one effectively collaborate w/ the Dr. to come up with a hairline? I guess there are 2 pieces to it and the most important is the communication on what you want. 2. I am a bit nervous about shock loss and how much of that will be permanent !? I also switched to topical finesteride in the past couple months and did initally notice some increased loss with stabilised and I felt like some of it was coming back...but I have had to stop it during this surgery time as it has minoxidil in it....I will be taking oral for the next few weeks again. Not so stoked about that. Man! also the topical stuff is expensive compared to oral. Anyway, will keep you all updated. Finally, thanks to all the folks here for all the pointers @JohnAC71 @Dr. Suhail Khokhar @mustang
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champybaby, We can agree that Dr. Konior is always worth the wait and the price! I see you’ve had three procedures with Dr. Konior so I can understand your exuberant comments but I kindly note that you don’t have to step on others to highlight Dr. Konior’s amazing skills which have given rise to his patient’s fantastic results. Good results deserve recognition. Poor results demand accountability. That is why we are all on this forum. When you said, “TBH, I don't think I've seen a single good Panine result. At least not one I'd be happy with.” I absolutely welcome your criticism but the second part of your comment demeans the views of my patients on this forum that have posted their own results and are happy with their results. These are patients that I’ve seen transformed with confidence that gives them a new life. Just like you are very protective of Dr. Konior….I’m very protective of my patients. I’ve read through your profile to try to bring some context to your statement and we agree on more than we would disagree about. You seem very knowledgeable about how personal a hair transplant is and how it may just be one of the biggest decisions of your life. Earlier this week you said on the forum, “If the person feels good about how they look, then that's all that matters, right?”. I have to believe you didn’t intend to dismiss the feelings of the very people who have had the courage to share their experiences and were excited with their results. It is for my patients who have shared their experiences on this forum that I bring it to your attention. Again, I’m sure you didn’t intend it to be taken that way by those who, just like you, are very happy with their results. I’ve taken the time to pull a few of them and posted the links below. My EXCELLENT Results with Dr. Panine! - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Hair Transplant Patient of the Month: Ginkgo's 4,749 Graft FUSS with Dr. Panine - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Dr. Panine 2,500 FUE Grafts with Results - Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Review: Chicago Hair Transplant Clinic (Dr. Vladimir Panine) - Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Review of Dr. Panine - Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Dr. Panine (Chicago) results 25/male with 2.5k grafts from Norwood 3 - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients MY experience with Dr. Vladimir Panine - Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Dr.Panine Fue (Follicular Unit Extraction) Hair Transplant Before and Post op 1-5Review - Page 2 - Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Dr. Panine FUE - Reivew Post Op - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Dr. Panine - 2,720 grafts - FUE - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients 10 days post op! Blog is up.. let me know what you think - Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients My Experience with Dr. Panine - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients My procedure with Dr. Panine - Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Dr.Panine 3500+ FUT just under 4 weeks post op - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients My surgery with Dr. Panine - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients Track my progress: 3000 grafts Dr. Panine - Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients - Hair Restoration Network - Community For and By Hair Loss Patients
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I've been following these threads for awhile, but this is my first time posting. I thought I'd take the time to share my hair transplant experience w/ Dr. Panine's office, Chicago Hair Transplant Clinic. Before I chose to go w/ Dr. Panine, I probably spent a few years researching and even debating if I should do it. I'm honestly glad I did. In fact, I met w/ several surgeons but the differentiator for me was the experience. I have to say, hands down, @Stuart01 created the most comfortable, relaxing and informative experience between all of the other offices I visited, and it wasn't even close. @Stuart01 attention to detail, responsiveness, insight and overall passion for his work throughout the entire process is second to none. After a consultation w/ Dr. Panine, we decided to go with an FUE procedure of ~2500 grafts concentrated at the hairline. Dr. Panine worked closely with me on my hairline and my expectations while providing honest feedback about what I could expect in terms of results. The procedure went very well. After years of reading through various forums and websites, I can understand why they all share that Patience is Key! It was absolutely worth the wait and I am so very happy I found Dr. Panine. He is incredibly skilled and I honestly couldn't be more thrilled with the results. It's been a year now and I feel like a new person. Sharing photos of my pre-op, post op and 1 year later. -
Can anyone provide feedback for who you would recommend to fix my hairline? I can’t find prices for Dr Panine, but I really like the results he gets. I can’t find many reviews for Dr Carman, but he has impressive credentials. Carman’s results seem natural but perhaps not very dense. Dr Arocha has some questionable reviews that give me a little pause. Most of his reviews are positive though. Also, his cost per graft is respectively very low. Please let me know ASAP, I am trying to get this procedure done before September. -
This 27-year-old gentleman had a hair loss pattern of a class 2 going into a class 3 on the Hamilton Norwood hair loss scale. His goal was to rebuild his hairline and add density to the frontal 1/3 of his scalp. Taking his age and hair loss into consideration we discussed his options and came upon an agreement for what would suite his expectations. I paid careful attention to the hairline while planning the surgery as we wanted to reconstruct a hairline that would be suitable for him as he continued to age. A total of 2,421 grafts were used in the frontal 1/3 of his head. I used 1,456 single hair follicular units which allowed me to create a very natural hairline. This action will allow him to comb his hair without anyone detecting that he has had anything done. These are his results 9 months post-op. I have also posted pictures from the day of his procedure and one-week after the procedure. The patient is extremely happy with his results.
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Hello, long time lurker of the forum here, as I really looked hard into getting a hair transplant a few years ago, but ultimately decided not to do anything and just live with what I had. I'm 49 yrs old, and have always had very thick hair up until the age of 40. Around the age of 40 I also got on testosterone replacement therapy, and that's when I noticed my hair starting to thin. Things remain pretty good still up until my 45th birthday, and that's when I noticed the biggest drop off in my opinion. Started Finnasteride 3 yrs ago, stayed on it for 2 years but didn't see any real benefit, so I discontinued use last year, but no side effects were present. So now I'm back and ready to go through with the hair transplant, but so many choices of doctor and what type of transplant, fut vs fue, so just looking for any comments or suggestions. I live in St Louis, but have pretty much ruled out anything out of the country, and will be seeing someone here in the US. Here are my Top 5 in no particular order...... 1) Blake Bloxham 2) Sahar Nadimi 3) Jerry Cooley 4) Shapiro Medical Group 5) Vladimir Panine -
Dr. Panine, Thank you for your response. Corrective surgery is challenging. @EJHair355 I ask that you please allow Dr. Panine the opportunity to post the pre-op pictures, obviously not showing your face to maintain anonymity.
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This gentleman was in his mid-50’s and had a hair loss pattern similar to a class 5v on the Hamilton Norwood hair loss scale. His goal was to get as much coverage as possible. With his degree of hair loss, I let him know it would take 2 procedures. Taking his age and degree of hair loss into consideration, we discussed his options and developed a surgical plan that would work well with his expectations. I paid careful attention to his hairline as I wanted to reconstruct a hairline that would be suitable for him as he continued to age and allow me to still give him some coverage in the crown. I used a significant amount of single hair follicular units which allowed me to create a very natural hairline. This action will allow him to comb his hair without anyone detecting that he has had anything done. The patient has had 2 FUE procedures and for a total of 5,076 grafts. These are his results, 10 months, post-op after second procedure. He is very happy with his results.
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I am 24 years old, and have been thinning from the age of 20. I have done countless hours of research and have tried every known remedy to man (natural and unnatural) to slow down my hair loss: (LLLT, Minoxidil, Finasteride, Saw Palmetto, Biotin, Hair/Skin/Nails pills, Omega 3's, DHT blocking Shampoos, Dermal Rolling, Diet changes, Snake oil products and all sorts of other oils.) Of course when nothing worked, similar to many men before me, I looked into surgery as an option and spent countless hours researching Dr.'s looking for FUE/Strip, scars, hairline, density, and the most natural looking results. I narrowed it down to three surgeons: I've met Dr. Katona (Restore), Dr. Keller (North Shore Hair Translplant), and finally Dr. Panine with Chicago Hair Transplant Clinic. Each gave me a consultation regarding my situation and explained what I could come to expect. Considering my line of work as a Nurse, I know my Dr. "types." I can tell when a surgeon is all marketing gimmicks or treats their patients like a conveyor belt, and charges more for less results (Restore). Or whether their living in the past, not up to date on more modern/advanced procedures, biased in opinion, stubborn on their own methods (Dr. Keller). Or if they are actually open to their patients INDIVIDUAL situations, goals, and presented with the best options to accomplish them. Dr. Panine was the obvious choice. The choice was as simple as his decades of experience, track record of great results, willingness to update his approach with the times, his Individualistic nature towards his patients, willingness to answer any questions you have, his price point, and of course his artistic ability (which is a HUGE factor that many surgeons lack). I can't explain how happy I am that I made that decision because it's safe to say that surgery was a breeze, his surgical assistants were cute, and I was kept comfortable and relaxed throughout the entire procedure, and there is virtually no scarring. I'm so thankful to Stuart for his support and communication, as he was my go to man when I needed anything or any information regarding pre and post op expectations, and when to come in for followups. But most importantly the thing we are all eagerly looking to get out of our hair transplants... RESULTS. And Dr. Panine Delivered! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves: Pre Op Post Op 7months Post Op Outdoor Lighting Indoor Lighting And stay tuned for my 1 year Post Op results! -
Hello my fellow Hair Restoration Network patrons (and the man, the myth, the legend Melvin!) , yesterday I had my procedure done with Dr. Luis Nader of Nader Medical in Reynoso, MX. I had a fantastic experience and feel I owe it to this community to share/answer questions about it. Backstory- I first noticed my hairline had changed for the worse when I entered basic training in 2009 at the age of 23, and had my head buzzed down. I started using rogaine, saw palmetto, and nizoral shampoo after I got out of basic a few months later. I believe these 3 slowed my hairloss down to a turtles pace, and at times halted it. I have a mixed bag or hairlines on both sides of my family. I maintained a NW 1.5-2 my entire 30's, which I considered a massive win. I have a background in college and a brief professional career in a sport which resulted in 8 surgeries and pain that I still feel today at 37. I started using Kratom at around 34 for pain management. From everything I had read it was a safe alternative to opiods, etc. I continued to take the Kratom for a little over 2 years before multiple side effects became impossible to ignore ( that's a real rabbit hole ), but my biggest issue was it seemed to speed up my hairloss from a very slow pace to warp speed. I weened myself off said substance and my hairloss stabilized immediately without any further intervention (even thickening up a little). However my hairline and crown took a real beating during this time and a true recovery did not seem to be in the cards without surgical intervention. At this point I went from a NW 2.5 to a NW 3 V which just didn't look good on me anymore. I used some fibers to fill the crown for awhile, but I didnt wan't to have to do this for the rest of my life, and eventually ended up buzzing it down to a 2, then 1, then 0. I look "ok" with it buzzed down, but I tried to live with it for a year and was never happy with it. I did not take finasteride during this period because of what I had read/horror stories on reddit etc, and because I was starting a family in my 30's and wanted to maintain fertility and not have any possible birth defects. Selecting a Surgeon- I like many of you probably know more about hair transplants, the science, and hairloss than I care to admit. I have been researching transplants for 10 years, and consider it one of the subjects that I can speak on with a great deal of knowledge. I seriously enquired with Dr. Konior, Dr. Panine, and Restore Hair Clinic (within an easy driving distance, and 2/3 are very well respected as many of you know). The prices were pretty staggering, and while I could have financially made it work, it would have hurt. I have a career where I make good money, not great. $20k plus is a hard pill to swallow for many of us. From here I started researching on this website, as well as a couple reddit forums. It was through these that I came across Surgery tourism and began investigating Turkey and Mexico. Turkey was out quickly when I broke down the logistics of cost, flight, time, vacation needed off work, etc. I then narrowed down my prospects to HMR (the cortez brothers), Neopal, Dr. Sara Salas, and Nader Medical. I had serious consultations with HMR, Sara, and Nader. I could never get anyone from Neopal to call me back after repeated emails and calls. I found Dr. Sara salas really delightful when we spoke, but her prices were pretty steep for what I was looking for (also endorsed and trained under dr. Wrassman). The Cortez brothers communicated well and the price was what I was thinking, but I didn't love all the hairline photos I saw of their work. By no means am I slamming them, I think they do great work, and am seeing more and more people sharing positive experiences they have had there. Finally I contacted Nader Medical and it felt right almost immediately. The receptionist/liason Brenda is a saint. She answered my endless questions promptly and was extremely professional. Every single person online that has shared their experience with Dr. Nader came away raving about him. They all spoke of how much he genuinely cared, how this was a passion of his, not all about the money, and the results always looked great. I found all of this to be true as well. Dr. Nader was warm, gentle, extremely knowledgeable, and had a very calming presence about him. After many emails, and calls I decided to book my appointment. The actual surgery and details- Flew into McAllen, which is right across the border from Reynoso, MX, where I stayed at the Days Inn by Wyndham. This hotel is a mile and half from the airport, and was a very basic, yet clean hotel room. Some might be a big snobbish to it (it's no 4/5 star), but through the military and sports I have lived/stayed in some absolute shit holes. This was no shit hole. I flew in wednesday afternoon, had the surgery thursday, and am currently in between flights on my way home on friday. Nader arranged for a very friendly guy named Aaron to pick me up from my hotel, take me across the border, and return me home after the surgery. Aaron has a fascinating life story, and was a treat to talk to on the way there and back. I have read all about the cartel and violence in Mexico, but never once did I feel unsafe. I have previously lived in southern Texas, and traveled extensively around the border, as well as been in various parts of mexico, which possibly made me feel more comfortable than someone without those experiences. I arrived at Nader Medical around 8:30 am, filled out a little paperwork, then proceeded to sit down with Dr. Nader and talk all about my hairloss journey, life, what I wanted, etc. It was a wonderful convo and lasted well over an hour. I wanted a conservative hairline that I could age into well, and my crown addressed. (I started finasteride a month prior to this with zero side effects). We drew multiple hairlines before we got it right. I might add that the facility was very clean, and had a very professional staff of maybe 5 techs. My zones were drawn, head shaved down further, and on to the extraction table for a few hours. They injected lidocaine into my donor area repeatedly, which feels like minor pinches, nothing to worry about. My head was completely numb, and they went to work. After that I was served lunch, with the options being tacos or a chicken salad. I chose the salad and it was very good. From here we moved onto placing the grafts while I watched netflix. I think it took around 3 hours, but I wasn't really keeping track of time, just relaxing and enjoying some netflix. I felt zero pain during this part of my procedure as well. From there I was cleaned up by the tech's, followed by some questions for the Dr, and talk of after care. I literally have zero complaints about my whole experience. I could not have been happier with Dr. Nader, his staff, and his work. I got a picture with the Dr, gave him a hug, and thanked him for everything. He gave me his personal number and we will continue to remain in contact. For those that care, Dr. Nader attended school in the US and Mexico, and speaks perfect english. The driver then took me across the boarder and back to my hotel (zero issues). I purchased a neck pillow prior to this surgery in anticipation for sleeping. It took me a little to find a good position, but eventually I was able to find a comfortable position and actually got some good sleep. I woke up this morning feeling great about my choice to go with Nader. Going through a hair transplant can be an emotional roller coaster, but I felt nothing but happiness and relief. Details of surgery- Total grafts- 2520 Hairline- 1290 Grafts Crown- 1230 Grafts Singles- 221 Doubles- 909 Triples- 1208 4's-217 (Dr noted I had a very good donor area with a bank of 7,000 or so, also commenting on the unusual amount of double and triple grafts I have. People who have cut my hair have always noted how crazy thick the back and sides of my hair are. I guess this finally came in handy! ha Cost- Total Cost was $5,445 US. I used the option for 10% off by bringing a cashiers check for the majority of the cost. Nader will reimburse you for a 2 night hotel stay of up to $250. I'm open to any and all questions, and will eventually post pictures. Thank you to all of you for posting your experiences, it got me through some dark times knowing I wasn't alone. Also thank you to Melvin. I think this guy is awesome. His story, transparency, kindness, and tireless work in this hairloss field has been awesome. I remember being in a very dark place over my hairloss a year or so ago, watching some videos by Melvin, and feeling like there was hope. -
Mods, please move this topic if not in the right sub-forum. I have had the opportunity to visit many hair transplant clinics and am seldom impressed. However, I had the pleasure of visiting Dr. Vladimir Panine’s Chicago Hair Transplant Clinic (CHTC) in October and came away very excited. Dr. Panine is an Elite Coalition member and possibly the most accomplished hair transplant surgeon that I’ve come across. He is truly an artist when it comes to hair restoration. He completed 3 years of General Surgery residency (at Stanford University, no less) and finished a Dermatology residency and is Board Certified in Dermatology. Dr. Panine has been a hair transplant surgeon for about 30 years and has performed well over 4,000 hair transplant surgeries during his illustrious career. When I had the chance to visit Dr. Panine, I jumped at the opportunity. His academic and clinical accomplishments are stellar. CHTC is located on the 27th floor of the iconic John Hancock Center in the heart of the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago. His clinic overlooks the scenic Lake Michigan and famous Lake Shore Drive. I’ve visited many hair transplant clinics and CHTC is easily the most beautiful clinic I’ve visited. If I were a patient, I’d consider myself lucky to not only have Dr. Panine as my surgeon, but also being lucky enough to have such great views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. I was warmly greeted by Dr. Panine and Mr. Stuart Rosenberg, who is the clinic manager of CHTC. I visited CHTC on a Saturday and saw a post-op patient who had had an FUE procedure the day before on Friday. In my experience, most clinics are closed on weekends and I asked Dr. Panine why his clinic is open on weekends. He said, “Because I like to see my post-op patients the day after their procedure and periodically thereafter, even if it’s the weekend.” His dedication to his patients and passion for his craft are unparalleled. The patient had received about 2,300 grafts and the grafts were strategically and finely placed in the frontal part of his scalp to give the best results in terms of both density and contour. Dr. Panine creates the recipient site himself beforehand to minimize the time that grafts spend outside the patient’s body to maximize graft survival and everything is done by hand for perfection. He extracts grafts via a 0.7mm – 0.9mm punch using the Harris and Cole punches punch. Grafts are placed in chilled HypoThermasol and ATPV solutions, which has been shown to enhance graft survival. Dr. Panine’s techs have an average of 10 years of experience and they just assist during the procedure. Under Dr. Panine's supervision, the techs trim the grafts using Meiji microscopes and then Dr. Panine rechecks them before placing them. Dr. Panine extracts grafts with minimal transection, makes the surgical sites and places the grafts. While people appreciate the skillset, artistry, and knowledge of hair transplant surgeons; I firmly believe it is VERY important to have great technicians. In addition to a post-op consult, Dr. Panine saw a 36-year-old gentleman for a consult. The patient was concerned about his thinning hair and receding in the frontal and temple areas. This patient barely had any hair loss (I would have loved to have his hair) and Dr. Panine put him at ease and recommended a 3-month trial of oral finasteride. There was no rush or pressure placed on the patient whatsoever and Dr. Panine answered all of his questions comprehensively. I am thankful to Dr. Panine and his staff for allowing me to visit their clinic. Without a doubt, I would recommend Dr. Panine. He performs ultra-refined follicular unit transplantation and is extremely dedicated to his patients. He truly is an artist and it is no wonder why he is so well regarded in the field and has so many happy patients. Dr. Panine says that it makes his day making his patients happy and making them look more youthful. Here are some photos from my visit and photos that Dr. Panine and his staff kindly provided me to share. Check out the sweet views of Chicago and Lake Michigan from Dr. Panine's clinic: -
Hi all, I had a FUE procedure with Dr. Panine - approximately 2,700 grafts August 24th and am just curious if anyone has any advice on how long FUE scars are typically visible for. My scars are still extremely visible and looking for some assurance on my healing and how long I should expect to see the scars. I had prior procedures with Dr. Paul Shapiro in 2016 and 2018 with 1800 and 1600 grafts, respectively.
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Thanks y’all. I’d be curious to hear anymore stories as well. on a side note - my experience with Dr. Panine and Stuart was fantastic, this is really more of a self-conscious question on my behalf as I return to the office in 10 days and was hoping I didn’t have to do any explaining. Attached is a picture immediately post op if as well if you y’all have any additional thoughts.
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This 36-year-old gentleman had a hair loss pattern similar to a class 4v on the Hamilton Norwood hair loss scale. His goal was to rebuild his hairline, add density to the frontal 1/3-1/2 of his scalp and also add a little density into his crown. As we discussed the patient’s goals, I emphasized that I would only be able to do some work in the crown in order to properly manage his expectations. He understood and we prioritized his goals. I created a surgical plan that carefully accounted for his age and the progression of his hair loss, paying close attention to creating a hairline that would be suitable for him as he continued to age, looked natural but also added some density to his crown. A total of 2,500 grafts were used in the frontal 1/3-1/2 and 300 grafts were placed into the crown. These are his results 1 year post-op. The patient is extremely happy with his results and is presently on Finasteride 1mg and Rogaine to try and stop further hair loss.
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