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Hi everyone, Long time lurker here. I have a procedure scheduled with Dr. Lindsey in Virginia on July 8, so I'm about two and half weeks out from the surgery. I intend on documenting it as much and as well as I can. This forum has been a great source of information for me and I want to pass along the help by trying to document whatever I can about the experience, my progress and results. I will try to post pictures at the major milestones, i.e., before (Link), after surgery, 1st & 2nd weeks, 1st month, and then monthly beyond that. I'm 53 years old, although my hair loss began around 25 and I think I'm now a NW6+. I believe that my hair loss/balding has been stable for more than 6 years or so. I've never taken any hair loss medication of any kind ever and not planning to take any in the future as well. I have been trimming my hair to zero for more than 8 years or so. Throughout my research, I was leaning towards FUE method and consulted multiple FUE surgeons. However, during the last few months, it became clear to me that an FUT as the first surgery would give me better options in the future; I could choose to have another FUT or FUE as a second surgery if I wanted. I had reached out to Hasson and Wong in Canada, Dr. Bloxham in NY and Dr Lindsey in Virginia since they are all highly recommended on this forum. I met with Dr. Lindsey in person about two weeks ago and was impressed by his straightforward approach and the facility. His clinic is very close to where I live and another consideration during the time of a pandemic. Details of Consultation/Recommendation by Dr. Lindsey Norwood scale: VI+ Hair type: Fine/Thin Suggested/Estimated number of Grafts: 2500 - 2700 Target Recipient area: Conservative Hairline with coverage on mid-scalp (I originally wanted the temples restored, but Dr. Lindsey is not offering that option to me) Supplemental: PRFM (Platelet-Rich Fibrin Matrix) I may need at least one additional procedure for coverage towards the back and the crown. I hope is to come out of this with good results and emerge from the quarantine with something achieved. Regardless, I just wanted to put my long-awaited procedure and experience on interested parties' radar in case they're interested in following along as a source of info and also to get any feedback from the forum members to get the most out of the procedure. Thank you. -
Some clinics regularly do 4,000 graft mega sessions in one sitting... Rahal, Hasson & Wong for example. Still, I think you'll need more than 4,000 grafts for a desired outcome. I do agree with Dr. Bloxham's assessment that you should do FUT, but that's only the case if you grow out your hair on the sides and back a little longer. I can get away with a 3 or 4 guard. -
Ray Konior, MD – 763 FUE (Crown)
Melvin-Moderator replied to 1978matt's topic in Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients
Very impressive for a small number of grafts, Dr. Konior is giving Dr. Wong a run for his money for crowns. You and @makehairgreatagain have had fantastic results.- 37 replies
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This Vancouver-area patient in his early 40’s approached Hasson & Wong in the hopes of restoring density to his frontal zone, mid-scalp and crown. He first began to lose his hair around the age of 25 characterized by recession in the temples and thinning of the crown. Without intervention, Dr. Hasson estimated his likely progression to be a stage 6-7. Upon review of this patient’s case, Dr. Hasson determined that he was a good candidate for a large-scale FUE procedure to address the areas of concern. He also recommended that the patient use Finasteride in order to minimize further hair loss and improve the mid-scalp. During the course of a two-day FUE procedure, Dr. Hasson and his team successfully harvested 4699 grafts that were transplanted into his hairline/frontal zone and crown. Of these grafts, 300 were singles, 2485 were doubles and 1914 were 3-4 hair grafts.These photos were taken approximately 11 months post-op. -
Dr bloxham patients?
ADuckwithNoHair replied to James C's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
I'm in a similar situation to you too, teetering on the edge of committing to a procedure with Dr. Bloxham. I think that from a technical perspective, Dr. Bloxham is at an elite level. He has a lot of documentation of his scars, from average to best case scenario and they're all exceptional. I also think his dense packing technique is top level. All of his work is extremely refined. My only concern is whether he has the artistry and subtlety of elites like Doctors Hasson and Wong, especially for hairline design where I'm not sure there's a substitute other than years and years of experience. Keep in mind also, his cost/graft is even higher than Hasson&Wong -
Good morning fellas. I am asking for some friendly unbiased opinions on 3 surgeons. Hasson and Wong, Dr. Blake bloxham, and Dr Diep. I’ve had consults with all 3 and they all seem like they would be good options. I am progressing into a nw 6 so i have opted for FUT, then fue afterwards. Just so i can utilize more lifetime grafts. What are your guys opinions on their results? Who would you recommend? Price and location mean nothing. This is strictly about getting it done right the first time. Thanks guys
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57 days out of a so far good experience with Dr L. Nader. This post will have results, experiences, opinions on my procedure and the process in general. 1) Decision. Early 40's male with slow progressing hair loss since early 20's and at time of procedure guessing a NW5 . Still had enough hair growing across the bridge of my head for some passable comb over action. Hair loss comes in waves somewhat. And this last wave over the past 3 years it went from presentable. to really thin and debatable if the comb over was helping frame my face, or looking kind of like I was holding on and trying too hard. Basically that point we can all see in other guys when we can safely say they look better just buzzing it and owning their confidence again. Funny thing is we don't see it easy in ourselves. To that end we have all seen men here completely failing in this department. I watched several guys here who looked really handsome with a little receding hairline rush and get a new one only to look less manly and detract from their looks. Granted, most guys benefit hugely from the front center being there, but sometimes high temples look better with certain guys and they screw it up. Bit the biggest fails I see here are the older guys who overdye and get too aggressive trying to see themselves at 20 in the mirror and it looks BAD. Or the flip side is they get some little tuft of hair three inches too high. It looks good to them, but they would look so much better just shaving it off and waste huge money on a look that hurts their looks. ASK PEOPLES ADVICE. I was lucky that I have a few really attractive female friends in their late 30's and early 40's and got some feedback. All said the same things! First is they really don't look at guys hair much unless it is bad. Kind of like how women notice each others nails and makeup but guys don't really focus on that. But let's also be honest, some people look good bald, but most look better with hair. A HT isn't going to make you go from a 5 to a 10. But like clothes, really bad hair can ruin you. If it is stringy and receding bad. man up and cut it off. Or if you are a good candidate and can really make a nice look, go with the HT if you can afford it. But only if it really can improve your look. Go bald or have it restored to at least a convincing mature hairline. After looking at 10,000 results I can say anything less will only make you look worse! To that end, I gave up the struggle with creative combing, hair spray and shading makeup (works great for once in a while when you want to look your absolute best). I cut my hair to about one inch. I hated it at first. Never had it like that before. Crazy thing is after a few weeks of getting used it it I knew I looked a 1000x better. All my female friends I asked were crystal clear they thought it was great short and was an improvement. I know I looked more bald, but confidence is sexy and I looked more confident . even if I didn't feel it. I always thought I would never have the kind of face or head that looked right buzzed. But turns out it's probably in my head and a lot of guys too. I only cut it short to prepare for the HT and see how I liked it since it was going to get cut off anyhow. I grew to like it. Not sure I will choose to grow it back to the 3-4 inches it was ever again. 2)Decision made, now what? So I am not a rich guy. But I always said when my hair got to the point where I really felt it was an issue, I would look at getting FUE. NEVER FUT. Month's of research and for the life of me, unless you are a NW6 who want's to absolutely push graft numbers to the limits, why would you ever let someone meat clever your head and get a huge scar. DON'T DO IT unless you are in that tight spot going for broke. Even then I think it is foolish. Two big decisions to make. One was what surgeon and two, how much needed to be done with a FUT procedure. I could not afford to use one of the top 10 big name clinics in the world. They have a huge proven track record of a high rate of good results and are the obvious choice if you have $20-40,000usd to spend. And with so many results you can see each doctor has a look that they strive for. Some are dense hairlines, some maximizing donor grafts for the best overall look. All are good, but pick one who's style you like and you have made as safe of a bet as you can. No Dr. hits a home run every time. Even the best. But odds are ever in your favor! HT is not rocket science. I see tons of guys disappointed for different reasons. Sometimes it is a medical failure, but usually an issue of unrealistic expectations, surgeon skill and lack of homework. After having looked at 1000's of results I gained some wisdom. The math does not lie. To get the density I wanted over the area that I wanted with the hair type I have I knew I needed 3,500 Grafts. The numbers are simple really, but ignored by most. The average patient with average thickness hair and average of 2 hairs per FU needs 40-50 follicles transplanted per cm2. installed in mostly bald areas. That is the minimum to have hair that does not look blatantly thin to the average person in front of you. It would probably not look right on a 22 year old, looks okay on a 40y old and up. Now, if you have jet black hair on a white guy, going to need more! It is not hard to measure. I did the math and knew what I needed. Now to find the right Dr. 3) With my budget in mind, I set out to explore the lesser known options outside of the superstars. This is where it gets murky. Even the 2nd tier surgeons in the US are pretty expensive. Some are for sure second tier because they don't do as good or as reliable work. Others are maybe up and coming and making a name for themselves. You can make your own decisions there. Then there are the 3rd tier places. Basically every city is full of plastic surgeons who will do a HT for you. But unless this is what they do, and all they do, STAY AWAY. It is a very skilled thing and needs a well oiled machine of a team. But for guys who are on a limited budget there is another option. Getting your HT done in a lower cost nation. Turkey is the superbowl of that. If you are smart and do your homework, you can get a world class HT done there at a fraction of the cost. But you really need to do your homework and sometimes roll the dice. I mean if you have a 95% chance of getting a best case result at a US superstar, maybe you have a 90% there at a good place in Turkey for 1/4 of the price. On a budget, that is still pretty good odds. I was going to get a HT in Turkey. The risk to reward on a budget was the next best choice to a top doc here in the USA. I was about to book a plane ticket when I caught wind of Dr. Nader in Mexico. 4) Why I went to Mexico. Simple really. I found a doctor I felt confident in who crossed all the t's and dotted all the I's I needed for a practice. His results were good (at least at the time I booked) and of course it was much closer than Turkey. I rented a car and drove there in a day. And of course, cost. I could afford 3,500 grafts there. And more importantly felt confident in his practice. To me it was the next best choice after the top USA doctors. So I booked a 2 day FUE with him. 5) Why Dr Nader. I knew I was going to have to get more creative than booking a bankrupting HT with Hasson and Wong. Having researched tons of doctors, medical journals and message boards, I came to settle on this guy for a few reasons beyond cost and location. He does the extractions and incisions himself. In other words, no technicians who you know nothing about doing the work. Sure, people can be trained and you go with the reputation of the practice. But even better if you know for sure someone who has done this 1000's of times is behind the punch putting 1000's of holes in your head. He has the right staff. Dr. Nader had 5 nurses/techs working with him on my procedure. He used a .8mm punch He limits how many grafts he does a day and only sees one patient a day. Very important and a real sign of quality. His website is lacking and marketing is non existent. But with some real effort you can see he had the important things you look for on paper with a good HT surgeon. At the end of the day I really had to look at results. His results are poorly documented. Considering he does this every day and has for over a decade, you would hope for more to go on. But I really had only about 10 results to see. And to be honest some looked mediocre. On the bright side I never saw any negative reviews or bad results. Then came the real hard looks. I noticed every mediocre result was because of low graft counts. Simply put Dr. N was getting really good results with the actual hairs he transplanted, but often patients were not having enough grafts done to start with. At the time of my booking I only could find one person he worked on that had what I would consider a sub-par result. I figured most of the unremarkable results were due to budget. I mean if the patient only has a limited budget, you do what you can and I think he gets a lot of guys who are on a budget. Armed with that information I felt strongly that Dr. N was a good choice and would be able to get the same graft survival rates as any top doctor should. I will add that right at the time of my procedure several new cases came to light here where his results were week even when the patient had enough grafts implanted. So I kind of got nervous. Though even those results were not failures. But they were not home runs either. One guy may just need more time, the other looks like maybe 60% of it grew. Time will tell I guess. Had I see these before my procedure, I may have gone to Turkey and seen one of the clinics there. It would have been a harder choice. I am glad I saw them after..lol 6)Procedure. His office is 2 miles from the USA. Really no big deal and he sends a car. Nice office. Everything they say about the man here is spot on. He is kind, professional, knowledgeable and you can not help but feel in good hands and like the guy. Very down to Earth. We talked about my goals and what we would be working towards. He also talked very candidly about his own struggles with hair loss and why he chose this profession. Even some American doctors who he knows personally as he is active in the community of HT surgeons. I also learned quickly why many of his results look thin. It really comes down to each surgeon is a bit of an artist too. His aesthetic is very conservative. To say he is NOT money driven is an understatement. He tried to convince me I only needed 2500 grafts even though it would still take up the two days I was booked for. So he would have lost thousands of dollars because he was advocating for me and what he felt. He could have safely transplanted the 3500. He just said it was not needed to have a nice result, and save my money. So two awesome things there, One, you start to realize this Dr. in his mind thinks thin hair looks age appropriate. There is no right or wrong there. Two, he proved to me that he is not money driven, but results and compassion driven. Regardless of my final result, I completely respect and feel confident in his ethics. Ultimately I was steadfast in wanting to get the density I was aiming for and knew I needed to hit for the look I wanted (low 40's per cm2). He agreed to implant to a as high a density as possible where we were still 100% safe and not pushing it. We ended up with about 500 extra grafts since I was insistent on harvesting 3500 and he truly didn't know how dense he could pack safely till implantation started later. So we put the last 500 in the crown. He also ended up with about 100 more grafts than I paid for, but told me not to worry about that. Very classy operation. Procedure was over two consecutive days. Not painful and pretty standard for a HT. Each session of about 1800 grafts took about 6 hours from first punch, till last implant. That's well within the safe zone time wise. He also uses a upgraded storage solution, but only mentioned it when I asked. These are things he could easy market on his website or cheap out on techs. Nope, he just likes what he does and cares for his patients. The first night I took some Advil. Night of 2nd day or surgery I didn't even have to take anything. It was as pleasurable and painless as you can hope for. It is really not fun though and let's not sugar coat it. But not so horrible you can't watch TV or grit your teeth and get through it. At the end of the two days we had implanted 3588 grafts. Nearly all were 2 hair grafts. My hairs according to him were on the thicker side of average. I have average donor density in back, so I probably have 2-3000 or so in reserve for the future. Most of it went into the frontal 1/3 and quick math shows we implanted at a density of about 43 grafts per cm2. We went with a fairly conservative hairline that we agreed looked good. Though he felt I could have left it about 1/3 inch higher on my forehead. I wanted it a bit more forward and that's what he did and I don't regret that. -
Hi everyone, I wanted to consult with you all regarding my hair transplant journey. I live in Miami, Florida and traveled to Chicago where I had an FUE surgery with Dr. Sahar Nadimi one year ago and had 1500 grafts put in. At the time, I already felt I had great hair but wanted to restore my hairline which was thinning in the corners. While I must say, the experience with Nadimi's office was 100% exceptional and my donor area did not even look like I had surgery within a week, I mean seriously some of the best donor work I have ever seen. A year later and what i'm facing is that I just don't like the hairline she designed for me, it does not suit my face, does not replicate my natural hairline and doesn't suit my features. I have a long, narrow face and my hairline is now much wider looking it is straight through the center and naturally, there was a dip in the center and less open in the corners. I would never have anticipated a second procedure, but here we are. I consulted with Nadimi and again and while I like her, she is a bit combative and not in line with what my aspirations are she is also apprehensive about doing any work behind the leading edge of the hairline. Thus, i've decided to consult other doctors- including Rahal, Vories, Diep, Hasson and Wong, Bisanga, Cuoto and Bruno Ferreira. I spoke with Vories and was not thoroughly impressed. I spoke with Diep and really liked him, good guy and hit it right on the head- your hairline does not match your face and is the wrong design- he said this without me even saying a word about it which kind of brought me on board with him right way. I know one of your moderators had a surgery with him but I do have to say while he is my first choice, I am highly concerned with his donor sites, and, I have seen some results that were ultimately bad in the long run- bald spots- you've seen these results as well. I do prefer his hairlines and work to Hasson and Wong. I really wanted to work with Diep but ultimately, I just don't see if this is worth the risk. Hair Transplants are about results at the end of the day but some of his post donor sites are unsettling and I have seen results where there are definitely patchy spots in the long run in the donor area, not that this happens with everyone but I just cannot justify the risk. One thing I really appreciated about Nadimi was how amazing my donor site looked after surgery and how it looks now. Moving on, I am now focusing on Dr. Rahal and Hassan. My personal opinions are as follows, I prefer Rahal's hairline work, I think that Hassan produces more V shaped hairlines which would not be a natural look for me. That being said, I am actually leaning toward Hassan just for the fact that I find him to be the most consistent, I really have not seen poor reviews from him, donor issues or dissatisfied clients. If I could count on Rahal, I would prefer to go there but I have heard of recent dissatisfactory reviews and I have also heard he spends very little time in the operating room- the latter less important to me because it's all about results at the end of the day. But am I going to get a bad result from Rahal? While I like his hairline and work better I just see there being more risk with him than Hassan. I have not been able to find recent reviews regarding Rahal and have actually had trouble finding a lot of photos from his post ops. Also not important to me but not impressed with his reps, annoying. It's crazy to me that in my gut i'm leaning toward Hassan while I am not blown away by his hairline results, there is so much hype around them too. I consulted with Konior and I think he's really the best, he felt that Nadimi produced excellent results and politely suggested I work with her again. I however did not consider Konior due to waiting list and cost (18K for 1500 grafts) other than this price, I am mostly pretty price flexible and wouldn't deem this a top criteria. I am straying from Nadimi for facts stated above and also because her primary focus is not Hair transplants, and I believe it's best to work with someone with a single focus. Will also point out that what is great about Nadimi is that you are getting her and Koniors staff- she's in the room the whole time. Lastly, I am considering Bisanga, Ferreira Cuoto- I frankly am almost at the point of removing Bisanga from my list because it feels crazy to fly from Miami to Brussels for a hair transplant when there are great doctors closer. I also am not too thrilled about the thought of being in a foreign country when healing after a procedure and then flying back a prolonged distance, based off of my experience in my first FUE, it's nice to be comfortable after, abroad could be stressful. I am in process of consulting with Ferreira but I don't' think he has the experience of other surgeons I am considering. I would travel to Cuoto because I think his results are just absolutely insane- yes, they are youtube videos and we have not seen unbiased forum posts but none the less- but none the less best results in my opinion. Trouble with Cuoto is long waiting list of almost two years. Lastly and very important, it is not ideal that you cannot consult with some of these doctors directly- Hassan and Rahal for example only consult through reps, pointless in my opinion because I am now pretty well versed in HT and would like to speak to a DR- this makes the decision increasingly difficult. I think you really have to take all factors into account which makes this challenging, while I was most impressed with some of Dieps results my opinion is he carries the most risk, my gut wants to take a chance on Rahal but the sound, safe and wise part of me tells me my best bet is with Hassan. I am basically putting this out there for any help and experience that might lead me to a decision, ready to move on from this! Thank you!! -
Your donor region looks good. I would consider a large FUT. Look into Dr. Hasson or Dr. Wong. -
looks like you need another mega-session based on the balding area that needs to be restored, since you've already had an FUT procedure, I would look into that again to yield as many grafts as possible - Dr. Blake Bloxham, Konior, Shapiro, Hasson & Wong, Dr. Cooley, Dr. Gabel - just a few I would be researching and talking with -
Is consultation required?
karatekid replied to karatekid's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
Yes, believe me, I did a long research and definitely didnt rush into it. I had frontal consultation with Bisanga, Lupanzula, and now Feriduni. I also actually had frontal consultation with Dr.Maras (and he rejected me, but it was 2 years ago, my hairloss progressed since) I had online assessment with lots of clinics - with Hasson and Wong, which suggested me only FUE. I know them especially for their FUT work, but if I they offer me me only FUE (for some reasons didnt quite understand) than I have better choices which are closer to me (I live in middle east so US and canada is big disadvantage for me), cheaper and even better. Also got online assessments from Keser, Lorenzo, Rahal, Pekiner and maybe 1 or 2 more. About konior, as I said, US is a bit too far for me, and although I would go if I though it is worth the long travel, but from my reviews, those doctors seem like better choice. -
Flying after surgery advice
O Hare 57 replied to O Hare 57's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
Thanx: For the tip. I had scheduled a procedure with Dr. Wong and was going to drive across border but now I am flying as I have had to reschedule appointment three times do to C19... Alot of guy don't get procedure due to finances, or uncertainty, or there not able to get time off from work. I have to deal with a pandemic. erg..... I have been trying to get this done for over a year and half. To enter Canada you would have to self-quarantine for two weeks b4 you can legally go out. -
@Coady almost everyone at HRN will tell you that you should never believe what you see on facebook, YouTube and instagram because those results are either cherry picked or fake! If we want to see real results we have to check real patients posting real results! I did write that Cinik seems to have decent techs putting out decent results but are you sure everyone that goes to Cinik will get a good tech team? In reality anyone that goes to Cinik will be betting on their luck to get a good tech team doing their surgery because the Doctor has zero involvement in the surgery. In Turkey a technician is not required to have any medical background so you can have a former dishwasher doing your surgery. Therefore, I can’t recommend any of the several all inclusive Turkish hairmills like Cinik where surgeries are run by techs. Are you seriously comparing one of the best clinic in the world H&W to a low cost Turkish Doctor at 1€/graft like Yaman? Any amazing tech in the world would kill to work at H&W so they can always chose the best ones. Dr. Wong and Dr. Hasson are involved in the surgery so the results aren’t solely dependent on the amazing tech team they will always have working at H&W. -
It really is HARD to believe...TEN years since my very first hair transplant with Dr. Victor Hasson of "Hasson & Wong". For those of you who may not know who I am and what amount of grafts that were available to me... Here's a Re-cap: Dr.Hasson Harvested: 4,849 Grafts for Hairline/Front - September, 23rd 2004 2,955 Grafts for Crown - June, 23rd 2005 671 Grafts for Temples - Nov, 6th 2007 Total Grafts = 8,475. What has all this meant to me?...someone asked. Freedom, from obsessing about the lack of hair in comparison to others. Appreciation, for having come across Hasson & Wong at just the right moment and time in my life. Sincere happiness in having helped hundreds, if not thousands of people either directly or indirectly make a positive decision, see them follow through and actually GET their hair transplanted (by amazing artists and surgeons in their own rights) and most of all get it done right. That is what I'm most proud of standing behind H&W so vehemently.
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Vancouver area patient in his mid- 30’s had some slight recession and weakness in his hairline. As is often the case in what seems to be minimal loss, the patient was bothered daily by his hairline. With above average donor hair to work with, Dr. Wong and team transplanted 900 grafts using the FUE method of extraction. 204 were single hair grafts, 634 were doubles and 62 were 3 hair grafts. These photos were taken 10 months post-op.
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I had my first HT today, and I don’t think I could have chosen a better clinic. I’m sure you all know that H&W is a world class clinic, so I’m not gonna write an essay about what a nice facility they have, what a pleasure it was to meet and work out a plan with Dr. Wong, how attentive his staff was, how well they all work together, etc., etc. Overall, the experience was about as pleasant and professional as one would hope for. One of my biggest concerns was whether approximately 4000 grafts could be harvested from my mediocre donor regions. Especially since another surgeon estimated during an in-person consult that about 2400-2600 grafts was realistic. Well, Dr. Wong came pretty close to what I was looking for, while being careful and conscientious about the donor scar. Based on my laxity, he removed a 1.6cm strip today and harvested 3808 follicles. The strip was 28.5cm long, and he spent 90 minutes removing it. Here’s the breakdown: 1 hair: 639 2 hairs: 2435 3-4 hairs 734 total comes to at least 7701 hairs with an average density of 2 hairs per graft. I believe about 2500 grafts went into the front part, and most of the remainder went in the mid-scalp. He also placed some grafts around the edge of the crown. I’ll get more details about density of the different areas treated when I go to the clinic tomorrow for a follow-up. FYI, I’m at least 75% grey, so I dyed my hair for the procedure. I’ll be going back to grey after the dyed hair grows out. I’m looking forward to having my face framed again, and I’m anxious to see what kind of coverage I get on top. I’m not going to worry about the crown too much, so next year I’ll most likely return for a smaller session to add density to what was done today. I’ve been buzzing my head for the past 10 years, so at 50 years old I’ll be happy to frame my face with a mature hairline and have some coverage on top. I’ll be back at the clinic tomorrow for a washing, so I’ll see if they can email me some post-op pics to share here. I’ll keep you all updated with pics so you can see my progress over the next 12 months or so. I welcome your questions and comments! -
Overview 1036 graft FUE done by Dr HASSON Graft breakdown: 294 singles 668 doubles 74 3-4 hairs. Hey guys/girls, I wanted to create a thread regarding my experiences/updates with respect to the FUE procedure I had with Dr HASSON of HASSON and WONG. I am a 33 year old Asian male, and live in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Background: I started to notice the hairs on my temples becoming weaker approximately 10 years ago. I did not think much of it as I attributed them to being the "baby" hairs on my hairline. I noticed it when I decided to buzz my hair to a number 2, and realized that the temple hairs were finer, and did not grow back as strong as the rest of my head. I was still a NW1. Two years later, I realized that the temples were indeed receding a bit. I started to panic, and hit the internet for solutions. I started on MIN 2% liquid and applied it only to the temples, as prescribed. I Immediately noticed tiny vellus hairs, but they never turned terminal. As MIN became more available, I switched to the 5% liquid, then to the 5% foam (which I use to this day). I have been on MIN, and applying it to my entire scalp for the past 8 years (for preventative measures). I do not experience any sides with MIN so I am lucky, however my temples continued to slowly recede and thin out. This year, it has gotten to the point where it was getting hard to conceal my hairline, and the thinness started to show. I also wanted to be able to slick my front up, which I have not been able to do for years due to the recession. I have experimented with Saw Palmetto extract for a couple years at a time, and although I did not obtain regrowth with it, I actually experienced FIN like side effects such as ball ache (which subsided after the first month of use), and anxiety/panic attacks (which started approximately 1 year after continual use). For the last 2 years, up until my hair transplant, my regimen had been S5 cream 2x a day, and MIN foam 5% 2x a day. I had always lurked the different hairloss forums, and posted now and then. I had always been interested in HW as my choice for a HT clinic if I ever decided to bite the bullet. Of course price, and the fact that HW only provided FUT were the drawbacks for me. I have always cut my hair very short on the sides, the longest being a number 2 on the sides and back, so FUT was not an option for me. Also, travelling out of country was NOT an option for me for a HT, or any surgery for that matter. The lack of followup in the case of complications post op, was a big deal for me. Consultation with HW After sending pictures to HW for an online consultation, I received an email from Doug a couple days later advising that I was a good candidate for HT with Dr HASSON. I was invited to come into the clinic for a free in person consultation with the Dr. on June 18th, 2015. On June 18th, I walked over to the clinic (yes I live that darn close!). I remember feeling a bit excited and anxious. When I reached the office, I noticed right away this clinic was top notch; clean, tasteful decor, and extremely friendly/professional staff. I first met with Doug who spoke to me for about 10 minutes, and showed me some pictures of hairline work the clinic had done. Soon after, Dr HASSON came into the office and introduced himself. His calm and confident demeanor was comforting. Dr HASSON examined my hair and stated that he estimated that I would require 800-1000 grafts, and that I was a good candidate for FUE. I peeked over at the chart Dr HASSON had, and confirmed that I was a NW2 at this point (which I have been for a few years now, but a thinning one). I don't remember too much more from the meeting except saying to myself, "I can afford 1000 grafts!!" I spoke more to Doug a bit after regarding HW and FUE. I learnt that HW had officially offered FUE as an option to patients earlier in the year, however, they have had special cases where they would perform FUE in the past. A week later, I decided to schedule my surgery. Took the time off work and confirmed a surgery date of Aug 5th, 2015, at 7am. Day of Surgery I did not get a wink of sleep the night prior, and it wasn't because I was nervous. I worked a grave yard shift, and pretty much got off work, took a shower, had breakfast, and straight to the clinic! I arrived at the clinic at 6:55 am. Completed all the paper work required, and was met by one of the techs. Dr HASSON asked if I had any questions regarding how I wanted my hairline, and if I had thought about what we discussed at the time of the consultation. We decided to have him draw in a hairline, and have me look at it after, which I was very happy with. I did not want a juvenile hairline and wanted to keep the NW2ish look, however I just wanted the symmetry improved and the density increased. Pre Op pictures were taken. Now for the fun stuff. Dr HASSON confirmed that he would require 1000 grafts for my surgery. He shaved the donor area down with clippers, and injected local anesthesia, which IMO was the most painful part of the surgery. It really does suck! Once all numbed up, Dr HASSON passed the procedure on to one of his techs to perform the FUE extraction which was all done manually with a .85mm punch. This information here is probably what most of you wanted to know, whether the Dr did the extractions or the techs. I am not sure if this is the case for every single FUE surgery they perform, but for my case, a tech did it. Although I could not feel a thing, I could tell that the tech was very confident and smooth with her movements with the tool. During the extraction, I had to go to the bathroom a couple of times. Lunch was at about 12pm (which only lasted 15 mins, then right back at it). I am not sure how much more time was spent on extraction after lunch, but it wasn't that long. While the grafts were being extracted, another tech was inspecting and trimming the grafts in the same room. Throughout the extraction, Dr HASSON would enter the room and inspect the donor area, and grafts that were extracted. After the extraction was done, I was finally able to lie on my back. The most uncomfortable part of the extraction was being face down for hours. I watched Back to the Future while Dr HASSON made his world famous lateral slits! Dr HASSON made a couple slits, and got the tech to see whether the size of the slits were appropriate for the grafts. The remainder of the 1000 slits did not take that long. After the slits were made, two techs (one on each side) started to implant the grafts. I am not sure how long this took.. but I remember being done at 6:30pm.. So pretty much 10.5 hours of surgery with minimal breaks in between. Now I know why FUE is more expensive than FUT... It really takes that much more time. Dr HASSON made a comment that the grafts extracted looked very strong, which was encouraging. Even Dave (Garageland) made a special appearance and popped into the room to say hi, while my grafts were being implanted. I was bandaged up, and given post op instructions, and scheduled to come back the following two days for my first and second washes. Pain/immediate post op I was given pain meds and sleeping meds that I decided not to take at all when I got home. As the anesthesia wore off, I started to feel slight throbbing, and soreness in my donor and recipient areas, but I decided to tough it out. I was exhausted and had no problems sleeping. I slept on the couch as I didn't want any issues sleeping on the bed with the wife there. Day 1 Post Op Went in at 12pm for my first wash. Took pictures. Dr HASSON re inspected the work and was very happy with how the donor area, and recipient area looked. He again commented on how happy he was with the grafts and how I had very strong grafts. Again, I was very happy to hear that. Day 2 Post Op Donor and recipient areas starting to itch, showing signs of healing. Went in for a second wash. Going in tomorrow for an optional third wash as well. They offered it, and I decided to take it since I live so close by, and I figure I prefer them doing the washing during the early stages to be on the safe side. I will post pictures once I receive them from the clinic. I also wanted to stress that I could not be any happier with the treatment I received from everyone at HW. I have NEVER dealt with a more friendly, and professional group of people! Every single one of them had a smile on their face, and asked how I was doing numerous times throughout the surgery. Even for my 1 day post op wash, the tech that worked on me, went out of her way, to come and say hi to me and asked me how I was doing when I was getting washed. I was very impressed, and felt very welcomed. So there we have it... My initial experience with HW's FUE. Pictures: Pre Op 1-3 Immediate Post Op 4-6 1 Day Post Op 5,6
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Hello all, I finally bit the bullet. To give everyone a rundown I’m 39 years old this year. I live out of Austin, TX but I’m from closer to the Houston area. I started thinning when I was 18 and I tried everything to slow down the process, admittedly without a lot of knowledge back then. This was 1998 and I didn’t know much about propecia or minoxidil. I tried shampoos and all kinds of gimmicks. I did try propecia and minoxidil liquid but because I didn’t know enough about it and didn’t see immediate results I just stopped and got on with my life. It all started in my crown and then over the course of a decade marched its way forward toward my hairline. While my crown was very noticeably thin my hairline and frontal third stayed noticeably strong until my mid to semi late 20’s. At 24 I went and had my first consultation at a Bosley clinic in Houston and the whole experience made me feel uneasy. The doctor wasn’t really concerned with my crown which is where all the thinning was happening and wanted to lower my hairline which was still a teenage hairline. It was less than four fingers down on my forehead and still really thick. Ah, how I miss that wall of hair... lol. I politely passed but they called me every single day for two years straight trying to get me to come in for the transplant. They wanted to charge me 20K to lower my hairline and sprinkle some grafts in the crown. Knowing what I know now I think back about how they didn’t even bother to mention propecia to help slow loss. Bullet. Dodged. I got married in 2010 which ended really badly very soon after and my hair really started to go after that. Around 2012 I went to Dr Brad Limmer and got on Propecia/biotin/minoxidil foam to slow things down. Sadly he passed away the next year almost to the day of my consultation with him. I’m an actor and I was staying in Houston with a friend in 2014 while filming a movie in Louisiana when someone mentioned Dr. Arocha. I scheduled a consultation and we immediately got on very well. I loved his attitude, how much knowledge he wanted to share, that he was very honest about what we could achieve. I was traveling a lot though and it just wasn’t the right time to pull the trigger. While I traveled around the states for jobs I would schedule consultations with other doctors. I spoke with Feller and Bloxham, Gabel, Hasson and Wong, and others-some through email, FaceTime, in person. Ultimately it came down to me feeling the most comfortable with Arocha although Gabel was pretty close. I’m a diffused thinner and if my father and maternal grandfather are any indication I’m going to end up a 6 on the Norwood’s scale. I was going to go ahead with the procedure last year but my wife (I got married again in 2017) and I found out we were pregnant with twins so I decided to wait until things settled down with them. Side note: I did not stop taking finasteride when we found out we were pregnant and our babies our beautiful and healthy and at the time of this post almost 6 months old. The Big Day! I got to Arocha’s office a little after 7:30 am (traffic in Houston sucks) I signed the paperwork. We took some preop pics. Dr Arocha designed the hairline basically within my existing one. The plan was to work through the existing hairline, fill in the temple corner recession, and bulk up the frontal forelock. We discussed what we would do next year, reassess the front or go ahead and work on the crown. Everybody was really nice. I was visibly nervous and my blood pressure was a little high due to my being a little antsy. The Valium quickly helped out with that. When they were injecting the numbing solution into the back of my scalp I noticed I started shaking and feeling queasy so I spoke up immediately. They turned me over and raised my legs and put ice on my chest. I almost immediately felt better. Dr Arocha was there and cracked a joke about how I was his first patient of the day but probably his 7000th patient altogether so there was really nothing to worry about. TBH I wasn’t nervous about his ability to help me as much as I was just nervous about this giant step I was taking. After this procedure there was no going back. I turned back over when I was ready and they took the strip out. They kept complementing me on how good my donor was however I never got a number from them. I asked but they were just like, “don’t worry, it’s really really good.” I believe I heard say as they were looking at it that it looked like 80 to 90. Dr Arocha started to make the incisions and we talked for awhile before I dozed off and the next thing I know is I’m waking up to salmon kabobs, a killer salad, and potato and black bean soup. I eat up and then I go back to the chair where the techs start to insert the grafts. We chat for quite awhile. Dr Arocha was there for quite a bit of it as he would interject in our conversations. Every once in a while he would remind them about this or that concerning my grafts. I dozed off again and when I woke up we were basically done. They informed me that while I was out they put PRP all over my head. They went over cleaning instructions and we took some post op pics. My wife came in to pick me up and everyone came out to meet our twins. After that we were off and back to Austin. The ride back was pretty rough. There was a lot of pressure in my head and I got a pretty bad headache. Even with the pain pills. It didn’t even last the entire three hour drive though. I’m attaching some pics. Some preop through day two. I don’t have any pics with the design yet. I’m going to speak to Arocha’s office and see if I can get my hands on the hairline design. -
I wasn't going to post anything, but given that this forum reaches so many people that are ultimately making a life changing decision - perhaps some context as to why who you choose matters might be useful. I'm in my early thirties. About 7 years ago I had a consultation with Dr. Rahal in Ottawa (with him in person) - at which time I had A LOT more hair and he had indicated I was not a good candidate for HT surgery and I was sent off. I was pretty devastated, and over the years the progressive loss became worse to the point where I decided to try his clinic again to see if technology had changed or they may have a different perspective. I met with one of his patient advisors and all of a sudden I was now a candidate. With MUCH less hair as I was now a NW5A with barely anything left on top (see pics below), they had recommended an FUE procedure with SMP and PRP and hopefully 2500-3000 grafts to be distributed throughout my frontal area and mid scalp (somehow). I found it extremely confusing that now, all of a sudden, I was a candidate - but 7 years ago I wasn't. I decided to take my search online and found Dr. Jerry Wong in Vancouver whose clinic is re-known for mega-sessions and great results. My FaceTime consultation with Dr. Wong sold me on him. He explained why the recommendation by Rahal's clinic was not a good idea in the long term - going through the difference between the FUT and FUE procedure in terms of yields, and the possibility of doing subsequent procedures with FUT and how FUE can destroy donor area for follow up procedures, the risks with SMP essentially turning your head into a big tattoo over time etc. etc. Needless to say, I couldn't have made a better decision avoiding Rahal and seeing Dr. Wong. I know Rahal does amazing work , but it seems like he only wants to do FUE, and to be honest this is not a good idea for an advanced hair loss patient before exhausting your FUT options. PRICE: I was quoted the same at Dr. Rahal for 2500 grafts, with SMP and PRP as I paid for 5300 Grafts with Dr. Wong WITH the possibility of doing a follow up procedure as my donor area won't be tarnished like it would be had I done FUE first. About $20,000, but I received more than double the amount of actual hair moved. See below my before surgery, after surgery and my 6 month post-op photos. I took them after waking up so the hair is all over the place. Months 4 and 5 have been really good in terms of maturity and growth. 5300 grafts. I would say the frontal zone took about 3500, crown 1000 and mid scalp maybe 800? (I am aware that I will need another procedure to fill crown and mid scalp) So far it's going well! Very happy with Dr. Wong and his teams work - and the after service. I'm convinced the reason he can do mega-sessions and other clinics can't is because he's gotta have something like 6-8 techs working with him to extract and assist with placing the grafts. He does every single incision on his own. Guy is a legend, and does things RIGHT! -
After what was done to me, I am so scared that I wouldn't even think of going to anyone other than the top internation surgeons for a repair. I am slowly trying to collect money but it might take me years. What do you think someone like Dr. Hasson and Wong or Dr. Konior would charge for a repair case? The recipient zone is badly destroyed too. So it's going to be a full repair including hairline. Do you have a very rough idea of the cost? -
First time making a post, so hope it works. Interesting that Dr. Wong suggested you get started on it soon. The HT doctor I'm consulting with said that there was little benefit to starting now if my surgery happens in and around June (haven't officially book yet) Because I'm new to this, what are your thoughts on Doctor's recommending finasteride? Do they over prescribe it, do they prescribe it to enhance their work, do they do it so that if your HT isn't the result you were hoping for they can just say "you really should have started finasteride" or is it just customary for them to say the line "it will help you keep your existing hair and only 1% of men have side-effects?" Take care. -
Thanks for the comments guys! Mycroft, The patient was apprehensive about the donor hair shave so Dr. Wong was able to limit the harvest to the lower part of the zone especially given the small number of grafts. No strategic reason other than for his comfort level and to to help alleviate his anxiety🙂
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Best doctor for thin blonde hair
krusher7 replied to thinhairguy's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
Dr. Wong is incredible. You should, at the minimum, do a virtual consult with him. He saved me from making a BIG mistake by explaining to me, in his professional opinion, why the plan proposed by Rahal was not good for me long-term. Dr. Wong also provided me with much better value and a great (so far 7 months) result. His service afterwards is outstanding as well. Very easy to get a hold of - gives you his personal number to text him with questions etc. -
Overall it was good. I knew I had poor laxity which Dr. Wong confirmed. Actually, when I feel around my head I am unable to pinch any skin at all. On a positive note he said I would be a good FUE candidate with a total capacity of about 8000 grafts. Dr. Wong suggested I get started on finasteride. -
Hello all, I’m posing this question as a prior FUE patient (not of either doctor). I am not currently looking to get a procedure because my hair is pretty good right now but I will be looking within the next two years or so, and I couldn’t find any information about the above topic. I lurk on these forums often to stay up to date with things and check out results because it’s very interesting to me and makes me happy to see guys getting great results. I have seen some really good things from both Hasson and Wong of H&W clinic fame. They have a robust patient community and some good marketing and are known globally. I have also recently discovered Dr. Raymond Konior in Chicago, which is close to where I live. I’ve conversed with him several times just asking about his methods and was truly impressed by his responsiveness. His results are also amazing and I have not found anything bad about him. I’ve compared results between the two and honestly it’s hard to really tell which takes the cake. With someone like me who is willing to wait a while, what is the best course of action that you would take? Could I be better suited with one or the other? My procedure would be entirely in the frontal third, mostly the hairline, and I’m looking for FUE. I can upload some pics later, as well.
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