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Hi guys! Im new here in this great community, but definitely not new to hairloss stuff. I already had a fair research with a help of this forum and users experiences, as part of my journey to my (soon) HT. I will tell my story in short. Im 30, and been suffer from hairloss for about 10 years. There are no words to describe how this has been effecting my life, Im pretty sure more than almost anybody else here. I always have been concern with my look to a level of obsession, and in some point I realized I have BDD (body dysmorphic disorder) , Started as a teenager, got in depression cause I didnt like my appearance. But with time I grew up nice and was very pleased, till hairloss kicked in. I can actually remember the very day it started lol, I noticed my temples receded a tiny bit, and got panicked immediately. and from that point, it was doomed. I became obssesed with my hairloss 24/7, it increased my overall bdd to a new levels. I immediately jump on meds, but they didnt stop it, dont know if they did anything but I just kept taking them. with the years hairloss kept advancing slow but steady - major temple recession, front hairline receded a bit, and thinning on top. I realize in some point that HT is my only option to get my hair back and actually get my life back, and did a research 2 years ago and consultation with both Bisanga and Lupanzula, which both were great, but I ended up deciding to postpone it for several reasons. And now it is the time for sure. So, to the point, I need your help and opinions on any matter here that can help me get the best that I can. I added pics below. My goal is to restore my hairline and temples - This is the most important for me, I have to have a good frame, and preferable good density in hairline and behind it. I want to lower a bit the hairline and even consider to reconstruct the temples points a bit. As about the procedure type - I thought Im going for FUE all the time, but after reading in this forum Im not so sure. I read alot of advantages for FUT - you can get more grafts from your donor, the yield is higher, and overall better chance for more quality results, is that true? Yes of course there is a scar, but first Im not going to shave my head never in my life. I do shave the back and sides closer than the top of course, but not on zero guard, so im not sure how much of a problem it will be. Also, the price is lower, which is a plus, but I want to say here that generally price is only second priority for me. Second, Im still not sure which doctor to choose. Im from middle east, and the best for me would be someone from Europe (I dont even consider turkey). currently in my list are Bisanga - great surgeon, care about his patients, I already had consultation with him in the past and I got very good impression. but he specialize mainly on FUE, and if I decided on FUT I guess there are better options? Also, is his type of work considered dense packing? Im not sure. I would love to get good density in the front. De Freitas - which has amazing results, but im not sure about waiting list, does someone here knows what to expect? and also, I heard that communication is problematic since he speaks spanish. I dont know, but it seems like an issue to me. Feriduni - great doctor as well. but most of his cases look too conservative to me. and he is also specialize on FUE (?) what you think? Dr.Maras from HDC, cyprus - He is a great, reputable surgeon, with great results. And although he is recommended doctor here, I dont see many posts about him, or even mentions, when people here talk about the best doctors. I wonder why is that, wouldnt you consider him in the same level as the other top tier doctors in this list? Im not sure about his specialty in FUT though. But the good thing is his clinic very close to me, and actually has representation in my country. Hattingen - I heard about this clinic here, and saw some good results posted by them, but not alot of patient results. I do read many opinions of people praising this clinic, but I really cant tell I guess... The rest of the options are in US/Canada. I mean, I really hate flights, and long flights to canada or US seem like nightmare for me. Im not afraid of flights, Im just kind of big guy and it's really uncomfortable for me to sit there for so many hours. But since I cant compromise on the outcome even a bit, I guess I would have to take them into account as well. in my list: Dr Hasson from H&W - I read so many great things about Hasson. Looked for lots of patients posted results. not one negative review, and almost all are amazing, and also lots of cases similar to mine, with outcome I would kill for. I think he is actually number one for me in the list, since he does great FUT as well as FUE. The only problem is the distance about 13 hours flight. What do you think? would you fly so far for this? it really bothers me... and what if, god forbids, I will need a touch up or something? those flights can be very inconvenient. Im not even talking about frontal consultation, which Im not sure if they require it before the procedure. Dr.Konior - also great doctor as I read hear and some other places, but I really know less about him than the others. Im still in the research phase so I will get some more knowledge on those doctors and other that come up. This list is not closed at all, I would be happy to hear any (honest) opinion or suggestion. I would appreciate any response, and you can be sure that I will share with you my experience, when it happen, hopefully soon. Pics attached look really bad when it is not styled and combed... but I need to show them. -
3582 GRAFTS I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS OF MY OWN HAIR TRANSPLANTATION JOURNEY, TO HELP ANY OF YOU WHO WOULD LIKE TO GAIN SOME KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS INVOLVED , AS YOU MAY BE CONSIDERING GOING ON THE SAME JOURNEY . ABOUT MYSELF : IM FROM IRELAND IN MY 50 s CLASSIFIED NORWOOD 6. I HAVE BEEN LOSING MY HAIR GRADUALLY FOR 15 YEARS, HOWEVER IT BECAME VERY NOTICABLE TO ME 6 YEARS AGO. I DONT TAKE ANY MEDICATION FOR HAIR LOSS. RESEARCH : I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS TO GAIN AS MUCH UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE AS POSSIBLE ON HAIR TRANSPLANTATION. I HAVE BEEN ON THIS FORUM FOR OVER 5 YEARS AND I HAVE GAINED LOTS OF INFORMATION FROM ITS MEMBERS ESPECIALLY THOSE MEMBERS THAT HAVE HAD A HAIR TRANSPLANTATION THEMSELVES . I HAVE CHECKED OUT YOU TUBE TO SEE DIFFERENT CLINICS AND DOCTORS AND PATIENT RESULTS. I VISITED CLINICS HERE IN IRELAND, CONTACTED CLINICS IN AMERICA AND CANADA , AND ALSO EUROPE. I SPOKE TO PAST PATIENTS AND FUTURE PATIENTS , I ALSO TRAVELLED OVER TO LONDON FROM IRELAND A FEW TIMES TO MEET SOME TOP DOCTORS . WHY EUGENIX : DURING MY RESEARCH I SAW PATIENT RESULTS AND TESTIMONIALS ON YOU TUBE ABOUT EUGENIX WHICH WERE REALLY IMPRESSIVE. I ALSO SAW MANY VIDEOS OF THE 2 FOUNDING DOCTORS DR.PRADEEP SETHI AND DR. ARIKA BANSAL. DR. PRADEEP AND DR.ARIKA EXPLAINED MANY DIFFERENT AREAS ON THE SUBJECT OF HAIR TRANSPLANTATION WHICH WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE. SOME TIME LATER DR.PRADEEP AND DR.ARIKA WERE RECOMMENDED ON THIS FORUM WHERE THEIR PATIENTS SHOWED SOME OUTSTANDING RESULTS, NOT JUST FROM SCALP DONER BUT ALSO FROM BEARD DONER ALSO. OTHER PATIENTS THAT HAVE GONE TO EUGENIX HAD POSTED IMPRESSIVE RESULTS ALSO. SO ALL OF THIS WAS GREAT PROOF THAT THESE 2 DOCTORS ARE HIGHLY SKILLED AND FURTHERMORE HAVE INVENTED THE DHT TECHNIQUE , DIRECT HAIR TRANSPLANTATION , AS THEIR IS SIMULTANEOUSLY EXTRACTIONS AND IMPLANTATION OF THE GRAFTS WHICH GREATLY REDUCEDS THE OUT OF BODY TIME MY GRAFTS WOULD BE SUBJECTED TO , MAYBE AT TIMES GRAFTS MIGHT BE OUT OF THE BODY FOR 20 MINUTES OR SO ALSO WHICH IS NOT VERY LONG.THE DOCTORS ALSO WROTE AN EXCELLENT BOOK ..STEP BY STEP HAIR TRANSPLANTATION. ALONG WITH THIS EUGENIX HAVE BUILT SOME STATE OF THE ART CLINICS WITH THE VERY BEST OF EQUIPMENT INCLUDING EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH MAGNIFICATION LENSES WHICH ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. ALL OF THE ABOVE ALONG WITH 2 DOCTORS WITH THE HIGHEST OF CREDENTIALS IN THIS FIELD, ALONG WITH MARVELOUS PATIENT RESULTS PROMPED ME TO REALLY CONSIDER DR.PRADEEP AND DR.ARIKA @ EUGENIX AND AT THE TIME BOTH DOCTORS WERE PLANNING TO COME TO THE UK FOR A CONFERENCE ON HAIR RESTORATION , SO I ARRANGED TO GO TO LONDON TO MEET THEM BOTH . I FOUND DR.PRADEEP AND DR.ARIKA TO BE REALLY NICE GENUINE PEOPLE WHO HAD A GREAT PASSION FOR WHAT THEY DONE , AND THEY ARE ONLY FOCUSSED ON HAIR TRANSPLANTATION , I BELIEVE THEY ARE TRUE LEADERS IN THIS FIELD. WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE IN MIND AND LOTS MORE I BELIEVE AND PUT MY TRUST IN DR. PRADEEP SETHI AND DR.ARIKA BANSAL AND SUPPORTING DOCTORS AND TEAM @Eugenix Hair Science AS THIS IS MY BEST CHANCE OF A SUCCESSFUL HAIR TRANSPLANTATION. JOURNEY TO INDIA : I CAUGHT A FLIGHT FROM IRELAND TO LONDON ( INSTEAD OF GOING DIRECT FROM IRELAND )AND THEN FLY WITH AIR INDIA FROM HEATHROW DIRECT TO DELHI . WHEN I LANDED AT THE AIRPORT EUGENIX REPRESENTATIVE ABHINAY AND THE DRIVER JALDHAR WERE THERE TO GREET ME AND TAKE ME TO EUGENIX CLINIC. ABHINAY ASKS ME ABOUT HAVING DINNER WHICH I APPRECIATE BUT I HAD PLENTY OF FOOD ON THE FLIGHT. DR.PRADEEP RINGS TO WELCOME ME TO INDIA WHICH WAS A NICE TOUCH ALSO. NELSON RINGS TO ENSURE ALL IS OK AND SLSO ASKS ME ABOUT DINNER WHICH WAS NICE. I ARRIVE AT EUGENIX CLINIC AROUND 12 MIDNIGHT AND A REALLY NICE ROOM IS WAITING FOR ME WITH COFFEE AND BISCUITS PROVIDED, VEEY NICE SITTING AREA IN THE BEDROOM WITH A LARGE ENSUITE . I HAVE A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP. D DAY: I GET UP AND HAVE A SHOWER AND BRECKFAST IS DELIVERED TO THE ROOM BY THE VERY NICE STAFF WHO ENSURE IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU NEED IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. I MEET DR.ARIKA AND DR.PRADEEP DOWNSTAIRS WHO INTRODUCE ME TO DR. SHISHIR. DR. PRADEEP THEN INTRODUCES ME TO ALL THE TEAM WHO IS INVOLVED IN MY SURGERY AND EXPLAINS WHAT EACH MEMBER OF THE TEAM DOES , AND HOW LONG THEY WORK WITH EUGENIX, ALL A VERY LONG TIME , SOME 10 YEARS. I THEN GO THROUGH SOME HEALTH DOCUMENTATION WITH DR.SHISHIR , MOSTLY A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT MY OWN HEALTH . BLOOD PRESSURE IS TAKEN. I HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH DR.PRADEEP AND DR.ARIKA ABOUT MY HT REGARDING DONER CAPACITY AND COVERAGE . BLOOD SAMPLES ARE TAKEN ALSO TO BE USED FOR PRP DURING SURGERY. TIME TO CHANGE MY CLOTHES INTO SOMETHING MORE SUITABLE FOR THE PROCEDURE. THEN ITS INTO THE PHOTOGRAPHY ROOM WHERE ALL ANGLES OF MY HEAD ARE PHOTOGRAPHED AND HAIR IS COMED THIS WAY AND THAT WAY BY DR. PRADEEP , LOOKING AND CHECKING THE WAY MY HAIR FALLS AND DIRECTION . NEXT ITS THE HAIRLINE DESIGN WHERE DR.PRADEEP MAKES SUGGESTIONS AND DRAWS THE LINE , THEN WE TWEEK IT A LITTLE BIT . NEXT ITS TIME FOR A FREE HAIRCUT . AROUND THIS TIME IM GIVIN SOME MEDICATION IN THE FORM AS A ORAL SEDATIVE ,ORAL PAIN KILLER AND ORAL ANTIBIOTIC AND PROBIOTIC. THEN IT IS INTO THE THEATRE ( OF DREAMS ) WHERE ALL THE TEAM HAS EVERYTHING READY , INCLUDING A FINE BIG TV AND MUSIC PLAYING. THE SURGERY ROOM IS REALLY CLEAN, AND ITS ONLY THE TEAM AND MYSELF ALLOWED TO BE IN THERE TO PREVENT ANY RISK OF CONTAMINATION. DR SHISHIR EXPLAINS THAT HE IS GOING TO GIVE ME THE ANAESTHETIC . I CAN FEEL THIS VIBRATION SENSATION ON MY HEAD AND THE ANAESTHESIA BEING GIVEN TO MY SCALP AT THE SAME TIME. ITS NOT VERY PAINFUL AS THE VIBRATION SENSATION CLEVERLY TRICKS THE BRAIN INTO NOT THINKING OR FEELING THE PINCHES OF THE NEEDLES. DR.PRADEEP MAKES A LITTLE MORE THAN 3000 SLITS ON MY RECIPENT AT VARIOUS DIRECTIONS AND WHICH I DONT FEEL PAINFUL WHATSOEVER. DR.ARIKA STARTS THE EXTRACTIONS OF MY DONER ON THE SIDE OF MY HEAD , I DONT FEEL PAIN AND IM COMFORTABLE. ALL THE TECHNICANS ARE WORKING LIKE CLOCKWORK AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THEIR JOB. FROM TIME TO TIME I HEAR THE COUNT OF 100 GRAFTS EXTRACTED AND WRITTEN ON THE BOARD . THE MUSIC IS ON IN THE BACKGROUND AND IM COMFORTABLE, AND AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES I HEAR ..100 .....100 AND SO ON. SINGLE GRAFTS ARE PLACED ONLY ON THE HAIRLINE. GRAFTS ARE PLACED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO ENSURE OUT OF BODY TIME IS REDUCED AND WHERE IT DOSENT HAPPEN GRAFTS ARE OUT OF BODY FOR THE MINIMUM TIME POSSIBLE . LUNCH BREAK AND SOME REALLY NICE FOOD AND COFFEE PROVIDED IN A NICE ROOM JUST OFF THE SURGERY ROOM. BACK ON THE TABLE AGAIN AND MORE EXTRACTIONS WITH A MOTORISED PUNCH OF O.9 MM BY DR.ARIKA. WHEN WE FINISHED SURGERY FOR THE DAY 1960 GRAFTS FROM THE SCALP WERE EXTRACTED AND IMPLANTED INTO THE FRONT RECIPENT AREA. I WAS GIVEN MORE MEDICATION AS A PRECAUTION IN THE FORM OF ORAL ANTIBIOTICS AND PAIN KILLER AND PROBIOTIC TO BE TAKEN WITH MEALS IN THE EVENING AND BRECKFAST NEXT MORNING. SPRAY SALINE EVERY 2 HOURS ON THE RECIPENT , WHEN YOU GO TO BED YOU DONT HAVE TO DO IT. IM FEELING GOOD THAT DAY 1 IS OUT OF THE WAY AND HAVE A SHOWER , BUT NO WATER ON THE HEAD OF COURSE. DR. PRADEEP VERY KINDLY TAKES ANOTHER PATIENT AND MYSELF OUT TO DINNER FOR THE EVENING TO A REALLY NICE RESTAURANT. A LOOSE CAP OR SIMILAR IS WORN WHEN OUTDOORS TO PREVENT THE RISK OF INFECTION. I ARRIVE BACK AT THE CLINIC , HAVE A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP, EVEN THOUGH INSTRUCTED TO SLEEP ON MY BACK SO TO NOT DAMAGE THE NEWLY IMPLANTED GRAFTS ON THE FRONT. DAY 2 : HAVE BRECKFAST DELIVERED TO THE ROOM WHICH CONSISTED OF SCRAMBLED EGG AND TOAST AND COFFEE. ARRIVED DOWNSTAIRS AND MET THE DOCTORS AND TECHNICIANS. I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH DR.PRADEEP AND DR.ARIKA AND WE DECIDED TO PLAN FOR SCALP AND BEARD GRAFTS. THE BEARD GRAFTS WOULD BE EXTRACTED AND IMPLANTED INTO MY MID SCALP ALONG WITH MIXING THE BEARD GRAFTS WITH SCALP GRAFTS IN THE AREA. THIS WOULD HELP TO GIVE MORE DENSITY AS BEARD GRAFTS ARE GOOD FOR DENSITY, ALSO I WOULD BE HOLDING ONTO MORE OF MY SCALP DONER GRAFTS WHEN REQUIRED FOR THE CROWN WHICH I PLAN TO DO ON ANOTHER VISIT. BACK ON THE TABLE AND DR. SHISHIR GIVES THE ANAESTHETIC AND DR.ARIKA CARRIES OUT THE EXTRACTIONS OF MY SCALP GRAFTS . TV IS PLAYING WITH MUSIC AND ALL IS GOOD. NO PAIN , NOW AND AGAIN I DID FEEL A PINCH HERE AND THERE AND THE DOCTOR WILL STRAIGHT AWAY GIVE YOU MORE ANAESTHETIC . LUNCH BREAK. LOVELY LUNCH PROVIDED AGAIN TODAY, ARRANGED BY NELSON WHO ASKED ME EARLIER WHAT I WANTED. YOU CAN HAVE A CHOICE OF ANYTHING YOU WISH , WHICH I HAD A SELECTION OF A LOT OF FOOD, I COULDN'T FINISH. AFTER LUNCH IT WAS TIME TO DO THE BEARD GRAFTS . DR.ARIKA MADE SOME MORE SLITS TOWARDS THE BACK TO ACCOMADATE MORE SCALP AND BEARD GRAFTS WHICH AND THIS POINT WE KNEW WOULD BE MORE THAN 3000 SLITS THAT DR PRADEEP HAD DONE YESTERDAY. ANAESTHETIC WAS GIVEN UNDER THE CHIN BY DR.SHISHIR . FELT A LITTLE PINCH BUT NOTHING OUT OF THE WAY. EXTRACTIONS WE CARRIED OUT BY DR. ARIKA USING A 0.7MM MOTORISED PUNCH. ALL WENT VERY WELL. AT THE END OF TODAY : SCALP DONER 926 GRAFTS . BEARD GRAFTS 696 . = 1622 GRAFTS TODAY + 1960 GRAFTS YESTERDAY GRAND TOTAL = 3582 GRAFTS. DR. PRADEEP LOOKS OVER THINGS TO ENSURE ALL IS OK, AS HE DID THROUGHOUT THE PREVIOUS DAY ALSO. DR. ARIKA AND DR.SHISHIR AND ALL THE TECHNICANS HAS VAST EXPERIENCE AND REALLY WORKED GREAT AS A WHOLE TEAM SO ALL IS GOOD . IM TAKEN INTO THE PHOTOGRAPHY ROOM FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY DR. PRADEEP WITH AN ASSISTANT . IM VERY HAPPY THAT ALL IS OVER. I WAS GIVEN MEDICATION TO TAKE WITH DINNER AND AFTER BRECKFAST ON THE MORNING. DR. PRADEEP VERY GENEROUSLY GIVES HIS TIME AND TAKES NE OUT TO DINNER TO A RESTAURANT FOR A DELICIOUS MEAL WHICH IM STILL THINKING ABOUT, AND WILL VISIT AGAIN WHEN IM BACK TO DO MY CROWN. TAKE THE MEDICATION ,I HAVE A GREAT NIGHTS SLEEP. DAY 3 : BRECKFAST DELIVERED TO THE ROOM AGAIN. TAKE THE MEDICATION RECOMMENDED. I GO DOWNSTAIRS AND I MEET DR.ARIKA AND DR.SHISHIR AND DR.PRADEEP AND ENSURE ALL IS OK. ONE OF THE TECHNICANS PUTS BEATALINE SCRUB AND OINTMENT ON MY DONER AS PART OF THE DAILY REGIMENT FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS. MEDICATION FOR 7 DAYS: 1 ANTIBIOTIC 3 TIMES DAILY , 1 PAIN KILLER 3 TIMES DAILY . 1 PROBIOTIC . BEATALINE SCRUB ON THE DONER IN THE MORNING. ANTISEPTIC OINTMENT TWICE DAILY. SPRAY SALINE SPRAY EVERY 2 HOURS. MASSAGE THE FOREHEAD REGULARY TO PREVENT SWELLING . THERE IS ONE OTHER TABLET TO TAKE DAILY HOWEVER I CANT REMEMBER WHAT IT IS THIS MOMENT IN TIME. I WAS GIVEN SALINE SPRAY AND A BACK UP OF A SMALL BOTTLE OF SPRAYTO TAKE ON THE PLANE , WITH A LETTER FROM EUGENIX EXPLAINING THAT I HAD A HAIR TRANSPLANTATION AND WHY I NEEDED IT. THERE WAS NO ISSUE AT ANY AIRPORT. DR.PRADEEP SHOWS ME AROUND MORE OF THE CLINIC DOWN STAIRS WHEREVRECEPTION AND OFFICES AND BATHROOMS ARE AND ONE HAS TO BE IMPRESSED HOW CLEAN AN MODERN THE CLINIC IS. ITS TIME TO GO TO THE AIRPORT FOR HOME , I SAY GOODBYE TO EVERYONE AND WILL BE BACK AGAIN. ABHINAY ACCOMPANIES THE DRIVER JALDHAR AND WE HAVE A GREAT CHAT FOR OUR 25 MINUTE OR SO TRIP TO THE AIRPORT. I CATCH A FLIGHT FROM DELHI TO LONDON . AFTERCARE BY EUGENIX . WHEN I ARRIVED IN LONDON, AND GOT TO MY HOTEL DR. PRADEEP RINGS ME TO ASK HOW WAS EVERTHING WHICH WAS A REALLY NICE TOUCH. ALL IS WELL. HE REMINDS ME TO MASSAGE MY FOREHEAD TO HELP PREVENT SWELLING AND TO CONTINUE SPRAYING SALINE ON MY RECIPENT. EVERY DAY DR.PRADEEP OR A MEMBER OF STAFF HAS BEEN IN TOUCH THROUGH WHATTS APP VIDEO CALL OR MESSAGES TO ENSURE ALL IS OK . I HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF MY SCALP AND SENT THEM FOR DR.PRADEEP TO LOOK AT. I MUST ADMIT THE AFTERCARE IS EXCELLENT AS DR.PRADEEP AND EUGENIX REALLY CARES ABOUT YOUR WELLBEING . THEY SEND VIDEOS OF HEAD WASH AFTER 7 DAYS AND WHAT TO EXPECT LEADING UP TO THIS TIME , BUT ALL IS VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD , IM FEELING GOOD WITH NO PAIN WHATSOEVER. MY EXPERIENCE WITH DR.PRADEEP AND DR .ARIKA , ALSO DR.SHISHIR AND ALL THE TEAM OF TECHNICIANS , ABHINAY AND NELSON AND ALL THE STAFF WHO PLAYED A ROLE BEFORE MY ARRIVAL, DURING, FOR BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AND COFFEES AND DINNER AND ALL THE TEAM WHO ALL SHOWED EXVEPTIONAL WARMTH , FRIENDLINESS AND CARE WITH AMAZING HOSPITALITY WHICH I WILL NEVER FORGET AND WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL..THANK YOU SINCERELY. THANKS TO YOU TO HRN AND ITS LEADERS , WHO ARE DOING A MARVELOUS JOB AND ARE VERY DEDICATED TO MAKING THIS FORUM A GREAT BENIFIT TO EVERYBODY . THIS IS THE BEST FORUM IN THE WORLD . ITS MEMBERS ALSO PLAY A GREAT ROLE SO WITHOUT YOU I WOULDN'T BE HERE , SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. .............ALL THE BEST......... .................PADDY................. -
I went to a surgeon who wasn't very good, he pretty much gave me a hairline that started in my midscalp. The results didn't look good, and left a lot to be desired. The next procedure with Dr. Diep, is when I saw an enormous change in my appearance. I did my crown in 2016, but I also reinforced the midscalp. I had about 600-700 grafts in the crown and that was also Diep. The crown is bare, and I use concealer to make it look good, for full transparency here is what my crown looks like without concealer, and obviously the density is an illusion. You can see the true density when I part it down the middle. I want to give you realistic expectations. If you think hair transplants are gonna solve all your problems they won't. -
Dr. Dorin performed an utra-refined FUT consisting of 2008 grafts - 644 singles, 1245 doubles, 119 threes.Propecia initiated at the same time as his procedure. This is an auspicious start and atypical but we do see this from time to time. Usually this stage of development can be expected at around the 8 - 10 month mark. -
I'm 40 years old. Money isn't an issue at all. To my understanding, traveling out of the US is the way to go because here in the US I am understanding that they limit the number of graphs they will do in one procedure. A lot less than what clinics in other countries will do. Not sure how true that is but I will probably have to travel. So far, the guy I have my sights on is Dr. Juan Couto in Spain. But I know that they only put up their best results. So that's where the opinions that I seek come in. I want what everyone else here wants.... fullest density possible with minimal scarring as possible. -
HRN has never recommended clinics, we recommend surgeons exclusively, it has always been this way. For example, a doctor may work for a clinic, and we may like his work, but if he moves to a different clinic, we would continue recommending him, and not the specific clinic he worked for. We recommend surgeons, if you go on our list, you will see individual surgeons not the clinics. For example, Dr. Hasson and Dr. Wong are both individually recommended. I have been told by Dr. Sethi personally, that he creates the hairline recipient sites, even in the lower package, they may need to update their website to add that information. But I believe he’s telling me the truth. So you don’t want to accept them based on the fact that they offer a more affordable tier? If that’s true, then I can accept that. Although, I don’t agree personally. I think it’s a good thing that top doctors are offering more affordable options, while remaining competitive with these low cost FUE clinics that delegate the entire surgery to techs. In the end, as a patient you still have the option to choose to have the work be done exclusively by the surgeons.
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Should ask this patient if they should be in the Coaltion. Anything can be great until it isn't so what is being done for this one? The last update was at five and a half months so he is six months now. Some members were saying that the FUE's were to close and the punch was to big. Is that true? I think the clinic is to new to be considered. This guy also said that Dr. Bansal and Dr. Sethi weren't involved and that another doctor did the surgery. Does that doctor get considered to? -
Looking for Best option for my HT
Melvin-Moderator replied to kingk's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
It seems to be the same story time and time again. Where can I go for the cheapest surgery? Instead of what doctor gets the best results? You're asking the wrong questions. I think Dr. Bisnaga's clinic in Athens is on par with a lot of the low-cost clinics in Turkey, I would go to him 100x more than anyone on your list. Just my own opinion. People have said i'm biased to surgeon that are recommended, but that's not true. I would also recommend Dr. Ferreira, and Dr. Muresanu, both of whom aren't recommended, they are doing good work. In my opinion, you are better off going the strip route and going to someone like Dr. Muresanu or Hasson and Wong and then finishing off with FUE. If you choose to stick with FUE, I don't think there is a clinic with as many Norwood 6 and above transformations as Eugenix. Definitely take your time and look up real patient reviews on our forum- this is invaluable for research. -
Hello community. First of all, I tip my hat (exposing my scalp:P) to you to salute respect towards the fight. I'm a 28 year old physician, And I have androgenic alopecia. This thread will document my hair transplant journey with Dr. Ramachandran at Apollo Cosmetic, Chennai, India Procedure: FUT, 2700 grafts Prologue: The relationship I have shared with my hair is not so different from most of you guys. When I was 17, I saw my temples recede. I went to an Egyptian Dermatologist who told me these recessions were normal. Medical school opened my eyes to the possibilities of medical prophylaxis against balding, so I had decided to take Finasteride 1mg and Minoxidil topically to fight it. I continued these medications till I turned 23, then stopped. Bad idea. I was basically Norwood nothing, by the time I was 28, I lost my vertex, had a tuft for a forelock. By this time, I had networked enough to know who doctors go to for their transplants. I met a few friends who had amazing hair, told me of a surgeon in South India, decided to visit. The Meeting: It was a breeze booking an appointment. I would later sit on a flight for nineteen hours to make the trip, to get my hair back. Bummer I forgot my travel Pillow! Dr Ramachandran was a very calm, man (with a head full of thick hair!) who saw me at 11am. Asked me calmly what my expectations were. After close inspection of my hair and testing the laxity of my scalp, he decided FUT was the best procedure for my hair, to maximize results. He would try to get 2k grafts if I was lucky! (didn't give me big expectations). He booked an OR right after the holidays (Local new year). It was a breeze both getting the consultation visit as well as an appointment. Instructions: Wear a shirt. Bring a sandwich (they would provide me with that sandwich), wash hair twice, night before and day of with Providone-iodine. Minoxidil was already stopped 10 days prior (I came prepared!) and I arrived the day of the surgery, calm and ready. A narrow area where the donor site was marked was shaved by him personally, areas were marked. The surgical procedure itself was painless. He would talk to me through the whole procedure. A Long strip ear-to ear ~25cm and ~2-2.5m wide was excised. The tissue yielded 2700 grafts of mostly 2's, followed by 1s and 3's. All in all, approx 4600 hairs were moved. Excision of the tissue was ~2.5 hours. Closed with a trichophytic closure, double layered, inner nylon, outer vicryl rapid for self-absorption (I would return back to my country, he didn't want to trouble me with running to get them removed). The donor tissue was removed in two parts. While he excised the left occipital portion, his technicians sat under microscopes and dissected the hairs. After the donor excision, came the planting. The actual planting lasted around 6.5 hours. He decided to go around my forelock giving it a change for a while. I would later argument it with LLLT, medications and other methods. He did-not recommend any medications or treatments. The transplanted hairs would be DHT resistant. Since I had thick vertex hair, and minimal vertex thanks to the minoxidil, I deduced to continue my finasteride and replace this with topical finasteride compounded, at a later time. Again no pain during the planting. It was rather relaxing., I slept few times and woke to the movement of the table, the light was bright. He was kind to place an eye-patch. There was also a TV for those who want to stay awake for the procedure. However, I was already slightly sleepy and wanted to nap! He allowed me to use the restroom once. However he and his team of 10-12 who worked on me NEVER LEFT THE OR, never left the operating site. Shows true dedication to his work. He does everything himself, from marking, to shaving to removing the donor tissue, to implanting. Except the dissection, everything was done by Dr., Ramachandran. I have great respect for surgeons and the work they do. Personally I swayed away from a surgical profession due to my inability to stand still for five minutes. And he stood at his spot for nine-whole-hours working on my scalp. He does only one hair transplant per day if that is the case of the day. Brings tears to my eyes. He undersold but over delivered with 2700 grafts, covering the entire bald area he marked. After the procedure, he provided me with a kit comprising of a cap, gauze, a sterile spray bottle and some saline, that I would spritz q1-2 hours to prevent scabbing/clotting. He says the scabbing will occur anyway, I just shouldn't pick on them, but I can try the saline spray if I want. I did want. so he gave me a spray bottle. He also provided pain meds, steroids (to prevent edema) for 5 days. He did-not recommend any finasteride, minoxidil, said it was up to me and I could start after x days. Instructed how to shower my hair starting day 4 and provided wound care instructions for the donor site. Right now, as I write this, I am 11 days out. The grafts are likely anchored well. There is some scalp numbness but no pain. I still sleep up Bec its more comfortable and I dont want to compromise blood supply to the donor area, risk any scars. I also have some silicon scar cream that I intend to apply from day 14, and finally, he told me to scrub the graft sites hard on day 14 --------------- Overall, the procedure and after care with Dr. Ramachandran was excellent. The following thread will photo-document my journey from tresses to tress! There isn't much on Dr Ramachandran on these forums. Very few posts, despite him being a Veteran surgeon who went from plugs to mini-micrografts, to FUT and FUE. His clinic did-not even try to make me take up PRP or any other secondary treatments. In my humble opinion (as well as the numerous physicians he has operated on) he is truly a professional and ethical surgeon. I vouch for his craftsmanship. My only expectation is that I dont want to have a shiny scalp. Time will tell if this expectation, can be my new reality. Photos to follow. PIC 1: Donor site Marked, shaved by the surgeon himself. PIC 2: Recipient site PIC 3 Post op DAY 0, 1 hour after (He offered to comb over after the procedure, LOLLOL Post op day 1: You can notice there is some swelling. Saline sprays that night helped clean up some of the serous fluid build up around the grafts Just a pic of me Before, the night before, to remind myself how bald I was! -
Hello, Now it's finally my turn to give back to this community by sharing my story, experience and progress of my hair transplant surgery which I did with Dr. Koray Erdogan at ASMED Clinic in Istanbul 9-10th Jan 2020. Background I'm a 29 year old guy from Sweden and I started experiencing hair loss when I was around 22. I started to lose hair very slowly, it was barely noticeable but as baldness is in my family I kind of knew it would eventually turn into NW 5/6 and wanted to do something about it early. So I booked a consultation with New Hair Clinic which was the top clinic in Sweden at the time, but they suggested me to wait a few years before undergoing surgery. I didn't really feel my situation was that critical so I followed their advice and didn't do anything about it, but I did however get useful knowledge about hair loss and about finasteride, minoxidil and the lasercap even if I didn't start using any medications immediately. I was a bit skeptical to finasteride due to potential side effects but started using minoxidil 5% at age 24 and after a few months I could already see both regrowth and thicker hair, it felt really nice and all my anxiety about hair loss dropped, situation was handled. I've read about people that tried minoxidil and didn't see any results (or at least not quick enough) so they became skeptical and eventually stopped it. Well it's true that some don't see as much improvements as others, but for me it really worked and I got great results. I learnt (the hard way, I'll come to that) that the important thing is to be very patient and consistent with it, in the beginning I was using it mornings and evenings every day and held on to it during the shedding phase and that was probably key for me. Unfortunately at age 26 I got a bit overconfident about my hair and got sloppier with the daily minoxidil routine. Mainly it was due to that I had summer vacation and I was travelling a lot so I started skipping days, but then I had also got used to my hair being so full for such a long time and somehow thought that I might have stabilized it and didn't need minoxidil anymore. Which was false obviously... Within a month or so I immediately started seeing my hair fall off again and this time it was getting even thinner and on the crown too. At this time I began researching about hair transplant clinics again and did an online and phone consultation with Dr. Saifi at European Hair Transplant in Poland who I had read some good posts about in a Swedish forum. He quoted me 2200 grafts for the frontal and part of the mid-section area. He had a waiting list of 6 months, but I ended up not booking as I still didn't feel ready and hadn't got the push to actually do it. I started with minoxidil again and was able to recover a lot of hair. This time I applied it only in the evenings as it was messier to apply it in the mornings and I wanted to style my hair without it. I did however apply almost double the dose (maximum daily dose) when applied in the evening. I didn't know if it would still be helpful but I thought to try it out and it actually helped keeping it stable so I continued like that for another 2 years. Then last year at age 28 I underwent a tough period that got me to seriously consider a hair transplant. I stopped using minoxidil as I didn't prioritize it due to personal circumstances and a lot of change happening in my life (including new job & country). I was well aware that I would probably lose hair again but I accepted it and thought that if it would get really bad I'd just shave bald. It took a month or so and I panicked when I saw the hair loss and realized I actually didn't want to lose my hair, note sure what I was thinking before. So I started with minoxidil again and the shedding phase this time was horrible. My hair never fully recovered again to how it was before the shedding and that's what pushed me into actually going for a hair transplant. After having done research online and reading a lot on this forum and seeing good results I decided to contact Dr. Koray Erdogan for a consultation where he quoted me 5000 grafts for the front, mid and crown areas + recommended finasteride to stop further hair loss. I didn't take finasteride but continued with minoxidil (until 2.5 weeks prior to the surgery), and then it took me a year of consideration until I eventually booked the surgery with ASMED now in Jan 2020. The consultation I had my dad with me who is a NW6 and the first thing Dr. Koray did was to go and inspect his hair to see where I'm headed. The bad news was that my dad's hair had become thinner also on the sides and back, and he said that if I would to follow the same pattern then my donor area would not be as strong as it might seem right now. Although I was not happy to hear that I was glad that he noticed this as I will now be careful to not over-harvest my donor in case of future surgeries. He then also inspected my hair and did a calculation of my donor capacity which was estimated to 8300 grafts. He said that I had to start with finasteride as I didn't have enough donor capacity to cover my full head if I were to loose all existing hair in the future (estimated to 8700 grafts). Was not very happy to hear this either, as I had already during the online consultation expressed that I preferred not to take finasteride but that I was fine with continuing with minoxidil as I had seen good results from it. They had then said that they respected this, so I ended up having a small argument with the doctor as he tried convincing me to take it, and that if I didn't he would rather not want to do the crown area right now but use the 5000 grafts on the front and mid-section and then do the crown next time. I didn't like this option as I wanted to prioritize the front and crown as I already have some hair in the mid-section which I hope to keep for a couple of years with the use of minoxidil, and instead consider a second surgery in the future if I would need it. Anyway, as the doctor convinced me that the risk of side effects is very little and that taking it would help against shock loss and improve growth during the first year, I decided to try it out and he supplied me with Proscar for 4-5 months (1.25 mg daily). He drew a hair line which was a bit more conservative than what I had aimed for, but given that I had limited donor capacity and after seeing the pre-consultation photos that were taken by the clinic I realized that my hair loss was much worse than I had perceived it and accepted his suggestion. The pre-surgery care, clinic & surgery days As many other members have already described these parts I will not go into much detail. But what I can say is that everything from the contact with my patient coordinator Andreea, to the pickup from the airport, to the greeting at the clinic and the surgery itself was very professional. I stayed at the clinic for 5 nights and the service was exceptional. All of the staff were very nice and the food was great. Before going I was hesitant whether I should stay at the clinic or book a room at Radisson Blu hotel, but now afterwards I don't regret it at all. It was very comfortable not having to leave the facility, having breakfast, lunch and dinner just outside your room and get to meet other patients that were also staying there in the spare time. They had live music in the evenings, big screen TV, pool table and the basement had a high quality gym and basketball area. What I also appreciated was that for patients staying over the weekend, ASMED arrange a free city tour of Istanbul with a private guide where we got to visit the famous bazaar, the blue mosque and the city center. Hair situation and medication - Androgenic alopecia: NW5/6 - Finasteride: Proscar (1.25 mg) started with the procedure. - 5% minoxidil (topical): Been using it daily for 5 years (Stopped it 2.5 weeks before the surgery but will start using Minoxidil foam in a few weeks) - Daily hair-loss shampoo: Nisim NewHair Biofactors Shampoo (Normal to dry) Graft distribution - Total donor capacity: 8300 - Total transplanted grafts: 5078 - Hair thickness: 61 microns - Ratio: 2.03 hair/graft - Single: 1190 - Double: 2658 - Triple: 1103 - Quadruple: 125 - Quintuple: 2 I think I've covered most of it now and will keep uploading photos of the progress here. Feel free to ask me anything if you have any questions. /KM90 -
Hello Melvin. Thanks for your interest. After 11 months since surgery I saw that my transplanted area is still lack and result is bad, therefor I wrote to the Asmed and sent them pictures. They wrote me that it is normal and everybody has different hair growth and I have to wait to the end of 18 month from HT and if my transplanted area will be still lack I have to write them and they offer me a solution. After 18 months my transplanted area was still lack and there were no improvement, therefor I wrote to Asmed another mail with pictures and asked them why my result is so weak and where the mistake happened. I was very surprised when they asked me to fill new questionary and send them another pictures. My surprise was much bigger when they wrote me that I need another HT with 2500 grafts, which will be cost 6.250,- Euros! I have been in Istanbul again in August 2018 and I wrote to Asmed and asked them to arrange an apointment with Dr. Erdogan. They wrote me back that Dr. Erdogan is busy due the moving of clinic and he has no time to meet me, but if I am interested I can come to Asmed to make some pictures. I denied it, because I needed to speak with Dr. Erdogan. After time I published few pictures of my result on this forum with asking for opinion and I was contacted from Asmed for inormations who am I and when I had HT in their clinic. I send them answears and they asked me for pictures of current condition of my hair, which I sent them, but I didn't get response. After 3 weeks I wrote them that I didn't get response and they wrote me back that they sent me response on my email adress but I didn't get it. After few days they wrote me that Dr. Erdogan checked my pictures and my result is normal and it was caused due stopped using finasteride (I have using Propecia for 18 months from the surgery 1mg daily!). I wrote them that it can't be true, because my original hair are fine and my transplanted area is lack. Also the condition of my hair was same after 11 and after 18 months when I was on Propecia, and also now when I don't use Propecia. If it will be true, than my transplanted area will be fine and original hair will be lack. I wrote it them and they asked me for another set of pictures which Dr. Erdogan will check again and tell me the best solution. Therefore I sent them another set of pictures with current condition of my hair, but they didn't response for a month. I wrote them that I didn't get response and they wrote me that they sent me response on my email adress but I didn't get it. Another day they wrote me that hair behind the frontline started shedding when I stopped finasteride. Therefore it does not support the frontal part and this is why it looks as it does. I sent them once again set of my pictures and wrote them that I was on finasteride from my surgery to the end of 18 month since surgery and asked them, if bad result of HT in 11 month since surgery and in 17 and 18 month since surgery,, where the same weak result was visible is caused by discontinuation of using finasteride after 18 months and asked them where is area of shaded hair after discontinuation of finasteride, which they mentioned. They wrote me back on 13th February 2020, that they will have a meeting with Dr. Erdogan to my case next day (14th February) and they let me know. Because I didn´t get any response I wrote them on 6th March what is happened. They wrote me back, that they had meeting, but Dr. Erdogan had to go to Mexico for the FUE workshop and they didn´t write the report and they think that I need another HT with 2500 grafts (the didn´t mentioned that free HT). I wrote them back that I still don´t know what is reason of my terrible result of HT. They wrote me back that no using of finasteride is one of the reason and the exact reason is possible to say after analysis in live. After 3 years and 3 months from my HT I still don´t know what is the reason of my terrible HT result. But I know that the reason is not discontinuation of using finasteride after 18 months since surgery, because the result in 11 month since surgery, 17 and 18 month since surgery and also now is the same. Please check pictures. 1st picture is after 11 months since surgery. 2nd pictures is after 17 months since surgery. Pictures 3 and 4 are after 18 months since surgery. And last two pictures are from present. Now I am waiting for report from Dr. Erdogan and I will see what they will offer me. But I don´t believe fo something serious because I see that they try to delegate resposibility to my person and dicontinuation of finasteride after 18 months since surgery. And this is NOT the reason! -
Like many members of this patient based community, I have been a BHT - Body Hair Transplant (transferring body hair follicles to the balding areas of the scalp) skeptic, largely due to this procedure being over sold and over priced by clinics other than Dr. Umar. However, I have a newfound respect for Dr. Umar after having observed him perform surgery, viewed photos of his final result and learned about his dedication to personally doing such tedious FUE/BHT work at very modest prices. I now think he provides a very valuable service in particular to patients whose standard donor area has been depleted. I was also impressed by the BHT/FUE presentation he gave to his colleagues at the last ISHRS annual scientific meeting. He presented BHT results without over selling their benefits, while pointing out their limitations. With his background in cosmetic surgery and dermatology, Dr. Umar is uniquely qualified to perform hair restoration surgery. He is a true pioneer in developing an effective process for transferring body hair to the head with minimal scaring. Part of Dr. Umar's passion for developing an alternative hair transplant process stems from a botched 400 graft strip session he personally endured years ago. His personal dedication has helped motivate him to do the extremely tedious work of extracting and placing all the grafts himself at very modest prices, while enduring unfair criticism from some of his BHT competitors. Dr. Umar has been perfecting his FUE and BHT procedures since 2005 and has performed over 150 BHT cases to date. Since recently meeting with Dr. Umar at his Redondo Beach office, I invited him to share more of his work on our discussion forum community. Some of his impressive restorations can be viewed by visiting: 10,000 Graft BHT case at http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/746...311069083#9311069083 3,000 FUE and Body Hair Grafts - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=146132 I enjoyed watching him perform surgery during my visit. It was very evident that Dr. Umar has developed a high level of skill in extracting and placing grafts and has a very smooth touch. He typically extracts the grafts by first scoring the skin surface with a punch that is 0.9mm or less in size. He then uses a needle to separate the base of the follicles from the surrounding tissues. This process minimizes the transection that might result if he simply attempted to excise the follicle by extending the punch down to the base of the follicle. He then places the follicular unit grafts into lateral incisions that he creates using tiny custom cut blades. He likes to combine body hairs with scalp hairs, with the body hair acting as filler hair. In his experience body hair tends to grow longer when on the scalp, but maintains the same hair characteristics that it had when on the body. Body hair also has a much longer dormant/resting phase, so more body hair is required to provide the same amount of coverage as normal scalp hair, which is only in the telogen dormant phase about five percent of the time. I look forward to having Dr. Umar continue to share his life changing results with this community. Below are photos of the surgery I observed during my recent visit. The patient I observed had a 1800 graft strip surgery with Bosley two years prior. He wanted his hairline refined, his strip scar grafted with beard hair and density added to the overall balding area. Dr. Umar used beard and head hair do his work. The patient received close to 3000 grafts total. -
I'd like to add to the wealth of knowledge about Dr. Diep since it seems he has many reviews here that are mostly positive. The jury is still out on this one, but I have high hopes so far. I am 33 years old and paid ~16k total for this FUE procedure and it was booked about 9 months in advance. I *almost* backed out a few days before after reading some scary reviews on realself and after hearing Dr. Diep's reputation for using a large punch size, but I went ahead anyway since he had a solid reputation on this forum. I've always had a high hairline since I can remember (I recall a girl calling me out for a receding hairline when I was 16), but I don't think I actually had noticeable miniaturization occurring until about 27. My father is nearly completely bald, and my brother's hair (who is about 7 years old) has progressive hairloss that is a bit worse than mine. I would say that for most men my age that are suffering from pattern baldness, mine is relatively milder (likely due to my early attempts at treatment). Some might say I am crazy for getting FUE at this stage of hairloss, but it is bothering me enough and it is difficult to style the hair the way I want (I have a huge forehead so I generally wear it down and to the side). My hair is currently receding in the temple areas a few inches and I believe it is starting to thin in the crown area as well. Here is where my hair currently is: You can kind of see on the right side of the picture of my temple area where I think the hairline used to be - one sole surviving hair seems to be nice and thick still. As far as treatments go, I probably have propecia and keto use for the last 4 years or so to thank for the relatively minor hairloss I have (compared to my brother at least). I hadsides when I started propecia, so I experimented with dosage and and also used grape seed extract as a way to counteract the effects (I forgot the mechanism involved but I read about it a long time ago and it seemed to work). I landed on taking approximately .5 mg every 3 days. Any more often and I start to get foggy brain. I sometimes try to increase it to EoD but I just can't do it because the brain fog messes with my job performance. Anyway, on to the stuff you guys probably care about. I initially paid for 1750, but Dr. Diep convinced me it would be a good idea to at least give him an allowance of an extra 100 based on the line he drew to restore my hairline. I also went with the A-cell - cost wasn't that huge of an issue for me and there didn't seem to be any drawbacks other than extra cost: This was exactly what I was looking for - even though I was tempted to lower my hairline a bit since my forehead is so large, I decided ahead of time that I should keep it conservative and simply restore what I had previously. I didn't want to deplete all my donor hair in case I needed more in the future. I also wanted to avoid possibly having an artificial looking hairline by at least having native hair closer to blend in with the implanted hair. I've seen Diep do magic with hairline lowering, but I've also seen some less than stellar results so I didn't want to take any chances. The half a CM or so that it appears to be lowering is simply because you can't really see the few straggler hairs that had not yet receded. As far as how the procedure went, it was fairly typical as others on this forum have described. The Dr. was already working with a patient when I arrived at 7:30, and he told me that he would be done with that patient in the early AM and would be with me for the rest of the day (that turned out to be not really true - once he finished making the recipient incisions, he only came and checked on the technicians performing the implants every now and then). I was given a concoction of pills and then waited about an hour and a half before the doctor came to begin the extractions (around 9:30-10). I did not fall asleep like most others describe but I was fairly relaxed. I experienced some pain from the anesthetic injections, and also had some pain during some of the FUE extractions in a particular area, and I recall him giving additional anesthetic injections for that. I don't know what size punch he used, but he indicated during pre-op that he used between .9 and 1mm - he explained his reasons for the larger punch and while I am aware I could have insisted on a smaller punch, his results speak for themselves and I think its best to let the doctor do things his way. Many of the criticisms I've read thus far regarding the punch size have been focused on how the donor area looked just after the procedure, but I haven't seen any real criticisms of his donor areas in the long term - and I also had not read of donor reserves being unusable as a result. The FUE extractions came from the back and my right side, as seems to be common with Dr. Diep (and debated about in other threads). I think the jury is still out as to whether this should really be done, but I can say that the left side of my donor area is well preserved for any future need, though I am not sure I like how far near the right ear he went with the extractions. That said, I will generally not be buzzing my hair very short anyway (5 guard minimum) so I don't think this will be an issue for me - you can see from the photos how I generally wear my hear. He made sure to minimize any shaving of hair at my hairline since I plan to return to work after 3 weeks and I am hoping (though I am skeptical) to disguise the work with a mixture of clever styling, makeup, topik, etc. One criticism I had about this procedure is once the extractions/incisions were done and lunch was provided, I asked for another round of sedatives (xanex/valium) since what I had so far wasn't really doing the trick and I had much more time to remain in the chair. I wasn't provided that - I am not sure why. The second half of the procedure was fairly uncomfortable - I was generally conscious and could feel each insertion of graft (though no pain from it initially). The inability to move at all due to the inserting of grafts, combined with the very chatty techs who were talking/laughing very loudly inches from my ear talking about all sorts of things (strip clubs, dating, etc), and the lack of any sedative effect, made for a very uncomfortable 6 hour process. I believe they started inserting the grafts around 2pm, and when 5 rolled around or so and I was basically wide awake, I asked how much longer it would be, and I was told 2 hours. Well, 2 hours rolled by and I asked again how much longer, and I was told 30 minutes. The anesthetic had mostly worn off and I was starting to feel pain/pressure and decided to just power through it (they asked if I wanted the Dr. to come apply more anesthetic but I declined since they were almost done, I thought). But it took another hour and a half and everyone from the office was pretty much gone except the technicians and the doctor. The post-op instruction lady came in and decided to give me my post op instructions and sign it while I was still laying on the chair and getting grafts placed, which I thought was kind of odd (do you think I am going to remember this well while I am getting stuck with grafts?) I understand that things happen and just sometimes take longer, but I couldn't help but feel like there was a sense of being rushed at the end (techs complaining about being hungry and what not). By the time things were wrapping up, I was asking for the painkillers prescribed to try and get ahead of the pain that I could feel coming on. The painkillers they gave me did not seem to have any effect on me (Tramadol) so my girlfriend and I drove straight to the pharmacy, and wouldn't you know everything was closed by 10pm, and the one 24 hour pharmacy was out of percocet. Most people describe the post-op pain as being relatively minor but I was experiencing the worst head pressure/pain I had ever felt. I ended up quickly glancing through the post-op instructions and seeing something about how ibuprofen can be taken 4 days post-op and in my pain and dizzyness from the valium, believed that meant I could take ibuprofen and took 3 (turns out I wasn't supposed to do that because of the blood thinning effect). While his written instructions, if you actually parse out the language, say that you can take ibuprofen after the 4th day, it is very easy to misread the instructions if you are in a daze from the sedatives and in a lot of pain. I was mildly annoyed because my girlfriend had been in the waiting room since 4 pm and could have picked up the prescriptions for me as I had asked (but they declined to let her because they said they already had painkillers for me). A word about the post-op instruction packets - I also don't understand why there are two different sets of post-op instruction packets which address the same issues and in some cases are contradictory (one set of instructions are telling you how to clean the recipient area each day after surgery but the second set clearly says you should *not* touch the recipient area until day 4). Dr. Diep was very pleasant during the pre-op but I didn't talk with him much after the procedure. I believe he came in to check on the technicians about once every 30-45 minutes during the insertion of the grafts and to take final photos. I went to my first post-op wash and was hoping to get a rundown of how he felt about the procedure, but he was too busy when I was there, so I am hoping to catch him in one of the other cleanings if possible. Anyway, here is the stuff you guys probably care about: Other than taking ibuprofen after the surgery, everything seems to be normal. Once I woke up, i was no longer in pain and haven't really felt anything yet. The doctor told me the ibuprofen won't have any effect on the graft survival, it can just cause excessive bleeding from the donor area (doesn't seem to be a huge issue at the moment). I also apparently misinterpreted the pre-op instructions regarding smoking - the warning made specific reference to the dangers of nicotine - so I assumed that smoking marijuana was still OK (I used marijuana semi-regularly 1-2 times/week), and had smoked it 4 days prior to the surgery. Dr. Diep didn't like that but said it should be fine, but advised me to refrain from any marijuana use for an "entire year" ?!?!. From what I've been reading, it seems that the general MO is to refrain from smoking anything for a month or so, but after that I can resume. Cannabis has been show to inhibit growth of hair generally from what secondary sources I've read, but it doesn't appear from anything I could find that would cause the failing of hair grafts once the grafts are fully healed. If anyone has better information they could chime in? Anyway, thanks for listening. Any tips to disguise the hair implant would be greatly appreciated - I can't wear a hat as I work in a courtroom so its very important to look professional. I might also just need to fess up and tell everyone why I took a 3 week vacay - but we''ll see. Thanks for listening. -
In my opinion, you would benefit the most from a strip surgery, which means you should stay in North America. The only clinic outside of North America that handle large strip cases is Dr. Muresanu from Hattingen Hair Clinic in Switzerland. My advice is stick with FUT, you will get more bang for your buck, and more hair, once you have stripped out, then you should consider FUE. I would take a look at Hasson and Wong, Dr. Bloxham, Dr. Wesley, True and Dorin, Dr. Cooley, Dr. Gabel, Dr. Rahal, just to name a few.
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Hi Folks, Long time lurker; My very first post here with the intent to share and contribute based on my upcoming surgery in India with Darling buds and most importantly “ My results “ in the next few months. I feel morally obligated to contribute at least something back to this community that offers : A worldwide network of HT experts, reputed Senior members sharing invaluable info, Top rated HT surgeons positioning their point of views and most importantly "real patients sharing real stories". Background Male in mid-thirties from Canada; NW 3 - Less/More. Past 6 years were dark and depressing. Living in a fool’s paradise; using Toppik daily assuming everything’s fine but somewhere at a deeper level; it continuously bothered me. Finally in 2019; I made the big decision to get a HT. This website is the main reason as to why I was able to solidify on my research, move ahead with a concrete decision and was able to find one of the best doctor (just being positive here) as per my checklist/strict criteria. Special thanks to the Creator of this website – Kudos to the brain that kicked off this humanitarian initiative as it continues to educate millions of potential patients like myself. Why Darling Buds India (I guess they changed the name to 5 Rivers Hospital ) This piece takes forever to decide especially for someone like me who spends gazillions of hours on the Internet/YouTube/Forums. I was always skeptical about giving my Head to someone to be operated; so consulted with many Canadian, American, European, Indian and Turkish clinics. Many reputed names like Dr. Rahal ( Known as the hairline king from Canada), Dr Acar ( Cosmedica Turkey), Dr. Erdogan ( Turkey), Aestimed ( Turkey), LA Hair ( USA), Qunomedical ( Belgium & German clinics), Dr. Cinik ( Turkey) and the list goes on……………………………………………. but None fitted my checklist in it's entirety reflecting 8 Key deciding factors that was prepared after extensive research for years 🙄 : 1. Max cost under 10,000 CAD ( 7500 USD ) for 3500-4000 Grafts to be able to achieve maximum density in my case. YES, I decided to find the best treatment within this range. IMHO, paying this much should suffice in getting you a world class, still affordable HT in today’s age with advanced Technologies, Globalization, the power of internet and competitive market. It's costing me around 9000 CAD ( including some expensive flight tickets) with Dr. Bhatti which seems adequate for the reputation he has or rather a steal ( not sure - will tell later) If budget wasn’t a constraint, I would’ve booked Dr. Rahal ( Canada ) who is local to me OR Dr. Baubac ( Alvi Armani USA) more importantly to save myself from the hassle of flying 20 hours one way, then drive to a different city, book a hotel for a week, apply for a visa, Take few weeks of vacation from work etc. Dr Rahal charges 8 CAD per FUE, most other clinics would cost the same in N. America for FUE Treatment. It’s costing me around 2.40 CAD with Dr. Bhatti ( includes all international/ Local flights, Visa, Hotel, Food, Cab etc.). If you compare Dr Bhatti's fee with his peers who fall in the same reputed arena of global doctors, I think most would sign this off as a great offering for hair loss patients globally. Eugenix quoted around 4 CAD per graft but it was for DHI method. They produced some great results lately and they are the inventors of DHI which is now adapted globally; goes to show that they are researchers also - very impressive. As of 2019, I think Dr. Bhatti and Eugenix should be compared as top players if India is the selected destination for your HT Journey ( My comparison below) I almost finalized Eugenix over Dr. Bhatti but then based on my research, took a U Turn : Eugenix positive aspects: 1. Biggest is DHI - OUT/IN grafts within minutes. Definitely better method as compared to Traditional FUE . I could only find positives so far, no negatives on DHI. It's hard to logically beat DHI method with traditional FUE; so no doctor should even try it IMO. I wish Dr Bhatti would offer DHI to his patients by now ☹ 2. Clinics are located in major cities like Delhi and Mumbai. No need to drive / fly again from major airport all the way to Chandigarh. Eugenix Negative aspects: 1. Some patients mentioned that they were taken for a ride. Eugenix Docs prey on foreign nationals; after or during mid surgery – Dr. Bansal asked for 500 more grafts payment as required and payment must be done during the middle of the operation ( insane); also no breakdown/reasoning was provided in the end. On the contrary, Darling buds has returned some fee to few patients to their surprise which is a classy act of ethical business in my opinion (hard to find) 2. Eugenix costs are almost double than Darling buds( quite expensive for many) but anyways DHI is more costlier than traditional FUE globally and if results are better with more graft survival rate, most patients wouldn't mind paying more. 3. Eugenix is run in a satellite office format, more than one location and hard to get a hold of prime doctors - Dr. Sethi and Dr. Bansal where as Dr. Bhatti provides a peace of mind with one location, one clinic, one doctor who is also the owner of that entire facility with 15 good staff members well trained under him in a peaceful non polluted city near a hill station. #3 was a critical factor in my decision to go with Dr. Bhatti In short, I would’ve loved DHI for best results but I settled with FUE for now Note: Out of thousands, This site recommends ONLY 2 surgeons from Turkey, 7 surgeons from India and 1 from Canada ( I was surprised to see only Dr. Rahal in the list, yes Hasson is there but they're again advocates of FUT ), so HRN really helped me short list 10 surgeons before making the final call 2. ONLY FUE for ME – My heart said a Big “No“ to a linear scar; doesn’t matter if some Doctors persuade you with somewhat genuine reasoning's to avoid FUE such as : FUE provides Less density, FUT offers more grafts and saves Donor area as untouched for future sessions, FUE is a blind process etc. Dr. Feller and Dr. Soni ( Medispa India) seems like the two biggest advocates of FUT over FUE and I agree with some of their explanations as it sounds logical. Dr. Soni really pushed me to sign up with FUT and said his scar technique is different. Promised that he will close it in a way where almost no scarring is visible . It was tough buying into that argument, additionally recent negative reviews about him and I finally decided to brush him aside at that point. 3. Doctor MUST perform the operation (No technicians) – I could only find someone as reputed as Dr. Bhatti who performs 80% of the procedures that includes Hair trimming (to feel your hair ), Anesthesia, FUE Extractions with motorized punch and Incisions. In Turkey where I was almost sold at one point, all operations are run by Technicians. Not a Plastic surgeon, no educational background/ competency level ( it's scary as they're known as the butchers of HT industry) I wish Dr. Bhatti would implant the grafts too ( not his nurses) for extra cost but I guess it will be a tedious job for a busy surgeon to sit for another 4 hours or so ....... Am I asking for too much 4. World class facility matching North American standards : with Heart rate monitoring, proper blood tests, blood pressure check up, spotless , Face coverings during entire operation and sterile environment. 5. Super microscopes and Magnifiers is a must ( Most Turkish clinics operate with naked eyes, when I asked they tried to sell me bull *&**** ) This is extremely important during all 4 phases of operation : Extraction – To make sure proper gaps are left in between grafts in the donor area and get the right angle before using the punch. Sorting – To count how many pure singles, doubles, triples and quads ( if any ) are collected. Incisions – To ensure least collateral damage, magnifier will show 6 x scalp surface so during incisions, holes are made at the right angle, depth and only on bald scalp areas ( not where you've some fine hairs). This should also minimize some shock loss in the post op phase. Implantation - Imperative to only use pure singles / baby soft hairs in the very first few rows of hairline and Temples. If by mistake, they implant doubles – it will give a pluggy look and I would rate that transplant as 50% failed right then and there. If during implant, nurses grab a multi - haired graft, at least microscopes will allow them to revisit to find a pure single graft and then insert it in the right spot. Joe Tillman's video is quite helpful : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeQ4ZvEHb7Y 6. Doctor should have a solid reputation on major forums, hair restoration network, should be well read, traveled, have some global exposure, recommended by Bald-truth, Spex and many other HT mentors like Joe Tillman. Dr. Bhatti checks all those boxes. Yes – there are some mixed opinions about him (and every other Top HT surgeon out there) but perfection is impossible to achieve; so I decided to just look at the bigger picture and go for it. 7. Detailed info, pre op care, post op care, regular contacts and supporting your patients in their hours of greatest needs is of utmost importance. Its well know that Dr. Bhatti, Shera ( his rep) , California would contact their ex. Patients regarding some concerns, would stand by them and not disappear. This was impressive. 8. Patient advisor should be genuine, honest and straightforward – So far, Shera has been awesome, friendly and taking care of all my minor/ major concerns. Always reachable, quick responses and a real time patient who has experienced the same Doctor few years ago first hand. In the long run, it helps to have a contact like him for small chats if need be. I will continue to share my Journey with Darling buds and also, highlight If any red flags are there. So far, I’m just one naive internet researcher in this field who talks based on theories and hypothetical situations, I don’t have any practical experiences yet. Assuming I've made a good decision by choosing this clinic (over others) and trying to keep a positive mindset hoping I will be in good hands is the only thing I can do now. One Sr. Member said it wisely – “For Dr. Bhatti and his staff ( or other clinics) 18th March will be just another day with another patient like thousands came before and will come after, but for a patient who’s been researching on this constantly day/night, it’s a big life event and 18th is one of the most important day of his life after which either he could regain his lost confidence or could loose it forever “ After all, handing off your head to someone for the entire day isn’t one easy decision I’ve seen members here supporting each other against doctors if results aren’t satisfactory. That speaks volumes and the main reason as to why I joined here to gain support from my so called “Anonymous hair restoration family” Dr. Bhatti's hairlines were talked about – not too dense? Any suggestions? Should I revisit this with him ? I don't want a sparse hairline but Not sure if this was an old issue (one -off) Also, I’ve not met Dr Bhatti for any F2F consulting yet or a video consultation, plan is to meet him a day before my procedure. So far, Shera is my driving force. I’m hoping for a life changing experience (like many others), regain my lost confidence and I always say “ Hope “ is something that brings us to these Doctor’s doorsteps. Yes finance and reviews are important aspects but we all hope to be treated in the best possible way during our special treatment day. A little daunting for me to fly all the way, get operated in a surgical room, holes in my head but I’m collecting all the courage in this world to get this done. Shera is helping like one true Samaritan If some of you are able to read this completely, my apologies for such a long note but this is the only forum where I am able to write everything anonymously and vent out if need be. My Journey to be continued……………………………………………………………………………………............................................ -
Thanks for the update Ahmeda87. I think your result looks fantastic so far and I expect this to improve further up until the 15 month time point as the new hairs mature and thicken. The parting down the middle is a good way to track and measure progress but it ultimately exposes the true density of a HT which can never stand up to the density of native hair. Dr. Lupanzula will review your case at 12 months as agreed and we will then make a judgement on the final result collaboratively taking into account your opinion and by also revisiting initial goals.Thanks for giving you feedback. ScottPatient Liaison ManagerMEDIKEMOS ClinicEmail: scott@medikemos.comMobile:+447855544669Instagram: scott_medikemosTo learn more about our clinic, Dr. Lupanzula's work and our results, you could visit the following websites: Our English language website:http://fuehairdoctor.co.uk/https://medikemosclinic.com/en/We are the only clinic in Belgium recommended by The Hair Transplant Mentor™https://www.hairtransplantmentor.com/belgium-hair-transplant/Take a virtual tour of our clinic.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVd48WxAmq0oQeV6GBgJK8CbTyNiVes_SView the best hair transplant results videos on Youtube!https://www.youtube.com/user/MHairTransplantationMedikemos Hair Transplantation263 Av. Brugmann, 1180 Bruxelles Belgique -
Jonny, You know very well that this is not true, we are patient advocates first and foremost, yes our recommended surgeons sponsor the forum, but to say we’re only in it for the money is a total lie. None of our recommendations are set in stone, a few year ago we cut loose Dr. Doganay, because we found him to no longer meet our standards. It’s clear that you’re not happy with Dr. Erdogan, and you’ve voiced this several times, on multiple threads. Have I ever once tried to censor you? In fact, just speak to @dust78 and he will tell you how I’ve been at the forefront of his case to ensure he’s treated well. I’m disappointed in how you view our community, if we were really in it for the money you would’ve been censored and banned ages ago, like other forums do, and I wouldn’t still be working a full time job. We’re truthfully one of, if not the last forum to host good, bad, and even ugly reviews. At this point, we haven’t seen any of our recommendations not stand by their work, granted that won’t change how you feel about your own results, but that does demonstrate ethical standards and integrity in our eyes. As I said on the dust78 thread, if it changes, our list will change, that’s a fact.
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@Jonboy81 your correct in saying that Eugenix can give you an illusion of a head of Hair. Yes they are definately outstanding as results have shown around this forum and elsewhere with delivering excellent results for high norwoods. They are also excellent at making the most of managing very limited doner on scalp, and at the same time not overharvesting the doner area ,and also using Beard hair. Your comment about not really having to take medication is a matter of personal choice. Plenty of patients that go to Eugenix and have a HT do take medication. Plenty of patients that go to Eugenix don't take medication, and I am one of those. There is no right or wrong, it depends on each individuals choice. As you say Eugenix is cheap. Yes , Eugenix are really competitively priced . For example surgery led by Dr.Arika is €1.80 per graft. Yes Eugenix are recommended on this forum. All the patients with positive results are the true holders of the holy grail . Paddy
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@Walter it`s true that Turkey is the world capital of botched hair transplants and that is because there are hundreds of all inclusive low cost Hair Clinics where surgery is performed by technicians. Turkey also home of some of the best FUE Doctors in the world such as Dr. Keser (3,5€/graft), Dr. Pekiner (2.15€/graft) and HLC (2,7€/graft). These 3 are the best and for me the only options in Turkey. These 3 Doctors are all performing the entire surgery with manual extraction of grafts and implanting manually using stick&place which is the same technique used by the most well known FUE Doctor in the world Dr. Raymond Konior (8US/graft). Eugenix (1.8€/graft with Dr. Arika or 3,8€/graft with Dr. Sethi/Dr.Arika) is getting great results. In India they are by far the best choice and for me they are the only choice in India. -
Dr. Demirsoy Vs Dr. Kaan Pekiner
Portugal25 replied to bruce90's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
Somebody did claim that Dr. Keser doesn’t use a microscope but I find it hard to believe given the results he is achieving. @Kaya is it true that Dr. Keser doesn’t use a microscope? -
Hi everyone, I’ve been a long time reader of this site while I’ve been on my own hairloss journey, and similar to many other people, I’ve decided to share my story and details of my procedure here to help anyone else who may be planning a similar path and would like to see my experience. The background I’m now 33, and I initially realised I was thinning around 10 years ago. My older brother thinned around a similar time, my Grandad was bald though my Dad (in his 60's) still has thin hair coverage. Initially it was just on the crown of my head before it thinned on my temples and I tried a number of solutions before realising I needed to take Finasteride and to look into Regaine / Rogaine products. I joined the hair restoration programme at Boots here in the UK, and paid the equivalent of £1 a day for Propecia. I’m very fortunate in that I don’t think I have had any side effects at all! I tried Regaine, but after a year I really didn’t notice any difference so I stopped it. About two years ago, when I moved to Barcelona, I started taking a generic form of Finasteride which is available over the counter in Spain. It’s in 5mg pills which I cut into four segments and I take one a day, at a cost of about 10 Euros for about 4 months’ worth (far more cost effective…). I also began shaving my head short (not skinhead, but shortly cropped) – and I had a micropigmentation procedure (basically a tattoo on my head) that certainly helps my head look a darker shade, but didn’t really solve the hairloss issue. While I feel happy that the finasteride has slowed down the hair loss and the pigmentation procedure helped disguise my situation, I’ve never been happy with the crown / corners of my hair and so I’ve worn either Toppik or Mane Hair Thickening Spray (dark brown) for a while which I feel covers up my hair loss really well. However, as soon as I lean against a white wall or sleep in a bed that doesn’t have dark bedsheets, I leave behind a black mess and I always knew I’d go down the hair transplant route one day. Plus I was recently with a dude who ran his hand through my hair then saw the black mess on his hand and was like ‘what’s this?’. Let’s just say I’d prefer not to deal with that kind of embarrassing situation again. Deciding on the hair transplant An ex of mine told me he’d gone to Este Grande in Istanbul for his transplant but it seemed a little too cheap to be true. He’s only just had his procedure and I think it looks great, but it’s too soon to tell and I didn’t want to choose price over quality reviews. Another ex had gone with DHI Global in Greece (I seem to have dated a lot of people with hair loss issues huh?), though I’d read some reviews of DHI that didn’t make me feel confident. I used these forums and found out about Dr. Erkan Demirsoy / Armamed and took some time looking through his work and reading through forum posts from people who’d chosen him, and I was sold. As I don’t need to create a new hairline (just lots of focus on the crown and temples) then I feel confident that for his price, it would be the best for me. He’s quoted me the standard 3500 – 4000 hairs, for 1.25 Euro a graft. I booked, and fortunately he had space in about 6 weeks’ time from when I booked. Today I'm flying from London (where I currently live) into Istanbul and my procedure is tomorrow on April 17th. I fly back to the UK on the 19th where I’ll spend a week with my family recovering and stuffing my swollen face with Easter Eggs. I’ve included some pictures here which show my hair before the MSP procedure and after the MSP procedure, and my current situation where I’ve grown my hair a bit which will help Dr D see the whole hair picture, which isn’t so easy to see due to the MSP procedure I had. You may notice my hairline isn’t all that straight (ironically) but that doesn’t really bother me – I’m happy with where my hairline is and would only want the temples filled in. I usually use Mane HT spray as I think it provides a really good cover up solution and some of you reading this may find it’s a better, temporary solution while you consider the transplant path. Final words I’m really looking forward to the procedure and will do everything I can to get the best yield. I’m a non-drinker or smoker, and I'll do my best to follow all the professional advice I can to get a good result. I play sport a lot – mainly cycling, lots of rowing, weightlifting and I walk everywhere so I’ll be keen to get back into that afterwards. My biggest fear in all this is being 6’5” (195cm) and the fact I hit my head everywhere I go….the metro…doorframes…lampshades…low hanging branches. Finally, something I’ve learnt from what I’ve read is to manage my expectations. I’m not expecting that I’ll come out of this (after a year) with a full head of hair. I just want MORE hair in the places that are thinning, and to not feel like I’m 53 when I’m 33 and to not leave a dark brown trail mark in white areas. All future posts will be shorter but I wanted to give you the background to my journey. The following post will show the pictures on surgery day and please feel free to ask me anything or comment as I’d love to share my experience with you all. -
Looking for a FUE doctor
Melvin-Moderator replied to bigtyivier2k2's topic in Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients
In my honest opinion, you are probably better off going strip first, which would eliminate Turkey. I would consider Dr. Rahal, Hasson and Wong, Dr. Gabel, Dr. Cooley, Dr. Glenn Charles, Dr. Bloxham, True and Dorin and Dr. Carlos Wesley. You're better off maximizing grafts with FUT and then finishing off with FUE. -
If money and travel were not issues...
Portugal25 replied to MrZennie's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
True that nowadays new FUE techniques drastically reduced the transection rate and made possible FUE mega sessions with results almost at the same level as FUT so it’s understandable that nobody believes it to be necessary to have a FUT scar to achieve a good result. However, in cases where donor area limited and there’s a lot of area to cover FUT is preferable for the first (and maybe second) surgery with FUE only being advisable after there is no more skin laxity for FUT. I was advised by Dr. Pekiner that in order to maximize my donor area I should go for another FUT with Dr. Rahal and only after 1 year go to him for FUE+BHT but I didn’t want another FUT strip taken off and go threw a FUT recovery again so I decided on heading straight for a mega session FUE+BHT to get things done in one go (was a tuff decision and I’m still waiting to see if I made the right call). If I had went back to a second FUT it would have been either Rahal again or H&W. -
I had a "Celebrity FUE" procedure at Dr. Parsa Mohebi's office yesterday in Encino, CA. This is my initial post and will detail my journey with this procedure. I will continue to post occasionally until the final result is achieved. About Celebrity FUE / Unshaven FUE Procedures For those who don't know, "Celebrity FUE" is the term Dr. Mohebi has used to describe what is also known as a "non-shaved FUE procedure." On his website, he details both that this is a non-shaved procedure, that "the Celebrity FUE technique allows patients to keep their hair long during their procedure." I have attached screenshots of these statements to this post. At this time of writing, there is also a video on his Celebrity FUE page which says, "we don't cut, trim, or shave any hair." Why I Chose Dr. Parsa Mohebi As a public health professional, my top priority is to conceal my hair transplant from my patients while also getting good results. I had initially booked an FUE procedure with Dr. John Diep, but Dr. Diep told me he would need to shave the baby hairs on my hairline to implant the grafts. Although I admired his results more than anyone else I had seen within the US, ultimately, his statement led to me canceling the procedure with him. After reviewing many, many other surgeons, I scheduled a consultation with Dr. Mohebi., who I had bookmarked from my prior search - specifically because he offers a "Celebrity FUE" procedure. It was the most expensive of options I could have chosen, but concealing the transplant was critical to me, even if the results might not be as ideal to me - as long as it was good enough. Another selling point to me was that he said, as he does on his website, that "80% of transplanted grafts will already have your longer hair." During the consultation, I was assured like the videos that there would be no cutting of my current hair so that I could completely conceal the transplant. Additionally, when I asked Dr. Mohebi if he performs the surgery himself, he said straightforwardly said "yes." He reinforced that the grafts would be of my longer hair and said I would see a good preview of what my hair would look like after the full results were achieved. Not only was this attractive to me because I could conceal the transplant, but also potentially pull off a more enhanced hair look for the first month after the surgery. Surgery Day / The Experience The meeting I had with him in-person the day before the procedure went well. We examined my loss pattern with a microscope and determined the density of various areas, particularly the donor area. I showed him pictures of my hair loss progression over two decades (starting at 16 years old, I'm now about to turn 36). We created a long-term plan for my hair restoration that included potentially rebuilding the temples at some point (though not necessary) and thickening the crown and vertex at a later date when it is needed. When I arrived the next morning to begin the surgery, he asked me if we could trim my baby hairs around my hairline. Whenever anyone says trim, it means literally to trim - not shave or buzz off. Even though I did not give consent to this on the written forms, I said yes verbally because I knew he was indicating that doing so would provide optimal results for incision and inserting the grafts. He then told me there would be a few ladies assisting him during the procedure. I imagined these assistants would help with graft harvesting and counting. Once I was in the chair, I was sedated with laughing gas and one Valium. Once sedated, he requested "the clippers" from one of the technicians and buzzed off about a half-inch all around the hairline on my crown - my hairline now resembling an old Nicholas Cage. I was not happy, but it was too late, I was sedated, and there was no point in pulling out at this point. Once I was fully sedated, Dr. Mohebi used his syringe to provide me with good local anesthesia as needed. The pain was more minimal than a regular injection you would receive from a lab technician doing bloodwork. Dr. Mohebi then began extracting a number of grafts from my donor area using a tool that made drilling-like noises - the puncher, I assume. I do not believe this tool was used on extracting all of my grafts, and Dr. Mohebi himself did not extract all of my grafts. After a short period of time, probably around a half hour, and while my head was now positioned down facing the floor, I stopped hearing his voice but felt the work continuing. When I asked what was happening and where Dr. Mohebi went, the four female technicians said "he has left to do other things while we catch up for him with the graft removal and placement process." This process continued, largely without Dr. Mohebi for the remaining 9 hours of the 10 hour surgery. The female technicians continued to chat with each other thoroughout the surgery. Dr. Mohebi would check in about once every two hours for about five or ten minutes to see how things were going, usually to administer more local anesthesia (I assume the technicians are not able to do this). Once he came in and rotated a couple of grafts that one of his technicians had inserted for him, I heard him say "these here need to be turned around." I was not happy with this process since I was told he would be conducting the surgery and there was no mention of technicians who would essentially be doing the whole procedure for him - technicians whose credentials I have no knowledge of and that I was not able to evaluate prior to my surgery. It is my understanding that all graft removal and placements are critical to the outcome results of the surgery. I would say Dr. Mohebi was in the room for a total of less than one hour for the ten hour procedure, and often for only 5-10 minutes at a time, usually to administer more local anesthesia. I did not vocalize my unhappiness during the procedure. The last thing I wanted to do was cause a stink while a group of people are operating on my head whose mood/focus I might affect. But I was not happy. A significant amount of the hair that I use for coverage of my temples had been buzzed off, and the process of the surgery was not what I was told it would be. I could have seen Dr. Diep for the same offered procedure (a buzzing of my baby hairs with FUE grafts) for thousands of dollars less and more density/grafts! The extra precautions I had requested be taken with Dr. Mohebi to conceal my operation and keep my hair have not only been been compromised, but disregarded when the doctor knew this was my top priority. Additionally, though he told me in an email prior that 80% of the grafts would contain my longer hair so I could see a preview of the results, he said at the end of the surgery that only half of the implanted grafts had hair. The hairs that were there were not my full length either, so it seemed pointless to me that we did this method of a procedure at all. The procedure itself was not painful. The four female technicians were very polite, though it did bother me that I had no idea they would be performing the surgery and what their experience/credentials were, if they were rented assistants, etc.... There were a couple of bad (i.e. mildly painful) punches that happened on occasion, but it was so minor that it barely registered. The most uncomfortable part was the pressure on my forehead from laying forward for a long time, and my hands/arms would go numb from laying them underneath my chest. I took three breaks in total throughout the 10 hour surgery - one of them for lunch, and the other two to use the bathroom. In total, I received 1567 grafts. Of those grafts, roughly 338 were triples, another 950 were doubles, and 279 were singles. I was given Valium, some extra strength Tylenol, and Prednisone to help me through the first days of recovery. Next Day Follow-up Meeting In my follow-up meeting the next day, one of the technicians from the surgery showed me how to wash my hair for the next four days. I felt the post-operation procedures were explained to me thoroughly. Finally, I met once more with Dr. Mohebi for about 10 minutes. I told him that I had a comfortable surgery experience with minimal pain, and that I was looking forward to seeing how the results turned out, but that I was very disappointed with how much of my hair was buzzed (not trimmed), which would compromise the concealing of my hair transplant, and also that I didn't appreciate how he told me he would do the surgery but in the end his technicians did. Although I could tell he was trying to remain professional in his response, he was quite defensive. At one point, he told me "I was there for most of the procedure, you just didn't see me because your head was down." I told him I knew this wasn't true because I heard every time he entered and left the room, and that I confirmed his absence with the technicians. He looked surprised. He then told me at least he did all of my graft extractions and incisions. I told him this was also not 100% true, because the technicians told me they were continuing to do extractions for him while he was gone. He then told me it was in my best interest to not have him insert my grafts anyway, because "I am not good at graft insertion. When I try to do it, my technicians laugh at me." I believe he continued to minimize his role in selling me on a procedure that did not meet our shared understanding and agreement. Finally, he was able to say: "I'm sorry. Thank you for your feedback. I will certainly consider it in how I advertise this procedure going forward." I was calm and rational with him throughout this conversation, but I was pretty upset with the accruing dishonesty made by this man, further reinforced by his responses to me during the conversation. I made my point clear though: I was lied to about the details of the procedure. My remaining hair looks drastically different and will not provide the coverage or natural lift as an unshaven head would have provided to conceal the operation, which is what we were going for. Far fewer implanted hairs are in place, and the ones that are look out of place. He told me he would be performing the surgery. He did not mention it would be completed by technicians nor that he his involvement would be minimal, let alone that he is "not good at graft insertion." I paid $21,000 for this procedure. I could have achieved 2000-2500 grafts with Diep for the same process of a procedure (and he was honest with me about it). I believe I was sold with a bait and switch approach here, and that hurts, given how much trust, vulnerability, and investment goes into this process. Had me told me from the first consultation when I asked him my questions and said, "we may need to shave part of your hair for optimal results, and my technicians do most of the work," then I could have made a more educated choice. I'm more than sure he was aware of this. These doctors are salesmen and marketers too, not just surgeons. Having said all of this, I do look forward to seeing how the results come out. I really do. I like the hairline that Dr. Mohebi drew for me. In 12 months I am hopeful that I will feel happier with my appearance than I do today. If the results are good, which I am hopeful they may be, it will be a significant improvement to my self-esteem and long-term concerns about my hair. But it doesn't change the facts of what happened, the bait-and-switch tactics, and the enormous additional cost to have a procedure done that did not do what it said it would do or performed by who said he would perform it. The procedure itself was not painful. What is painful is that the top reason I chose this particular procedure and to pay the incredibly high cost for its specialty approach was pointless. Not to mention the emotional pain of putting my trust, vulnerability, and a high premium financial investment into a procedure that could have been replicated cheaper and with an outcome that I believe would have been more desirable. And so regardless of my final results here, which I hope are good, it won't erase the reality of what has transpired here. I believe that I had the right to have the realistic process explained to me given my questions, concerns, and priorities for having the procedure with Dr. Parsa Mohebi. I will continue to post and update on my progress over the months ahead. I have attached pictures for exhibit of what is currently advertised as a Celebrity FUE procedure on his website, along with an email exchange, and pre-op pics of my hair and now post-op pics of my hair. While it is too late to go back in time, and although l am upset and have lost more money (and potentially though hopefully not compromised my results), my hope is that for those of you reading this you will realize how important it is to ask every little detail about the procedure. Even when I asked "will you be performing the procedure?" and received an immediate and straightforward "yes," it was later minimized and defended post-op by him saying "but I was there." We need more transparency and honesty in marketing. When it's not there, one cannot help but wonder why. -
That is very true, I will be meeting up with Dr. Sethi asa well on those dates.
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