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Showing results for 'Dr. Ron Shapiro'.
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I enjoy giving back to this community that helped me so much in my decision making process. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. However, I do seem to be answering the same questions repeatedly. These are FAQs. If you're question isn't answered here please read the thread and it's likely answered there. Price: I paid 4 euro/graft. Current pricing is 5 euro/graft. Treatments: Dr recommend 5% minox and .1mg topical finasteride. I take .5mg orally of my own accord as well. Wait times: 2+ years but there is a cancellations list. Call the clinic for a better answer. How to contact: Call the numbers on his website. Safe zone: Yes, he has a larger extraction zone that any other doctor. Read the thread to find out more. Beard hair: He only uses as a very last resort I’d like to share my experience with Dr. Zarev from Bulgaria. My procedure will take place in just a couple of weeks. I have spent the last 2 years doing extensive research on surgeons and after consulting with many top physicians in the world I feel that Dr. Zarev is the best surgeon in the world for FUE-scalp-only procedures for Norwood 6’s and 7’s. My journey through hair loss has been a long one. I started receding and thinning at age 18. I reached advance Norwood 5 status by about 27/28 years old. At that point I was about to take a blade to my scalp and move on with my life but happened upon a mail order hair system company and thought I’d give it a shot as a last ditch effort. Things worked out pretty well. Enough to keep me with hair until age 38 when I discovered clinics like Eugenix, Hasson and Wong, and others. At this point I have been a full blown NW6 for about 10 years now. To that point I had been told and assumed there would never be enough grafts to be extracted to cover my balding areas and have it look decent. However, there had been significant advancements in FUE procedures. I did consults with Drs Cooley, Shapiro, Keene, C***, H&W, ASMED, Eugenix, Civas, FUE Capilar. All of them were impressive. I’m sure I would have a great shot at a positive result with any of them. But as my very last stop I decided to chat with Dr. Zarev. He only would give a consultation in person, so I flew to Bulgaria to be examined by him. I was absolutely impressed by the level of detailed analysis he performed in his consultation. The first step was a discussion of him asking questions about my history and my goals. This was extensive and I could tell he was very knowledgeable on the topics we discussed. The second step was his showing me many before/afters of patients with cases very similar to mine both in terms of donor and recipient area needs. He also showed me pictures of patients who were spectacular transformations, far greater that what I was in need of. The third step was the detailed analysis of my scalp: Many microcamera pictures, traditional camera pictures, hair line design, calculations for each part of my scalp, calculations for densities and so on. It was a very thorough consultation and I felt very confident in his abilities. I felt a little hesitation because there were not many personal accounts of his patients. But a big thanks to @Hugo for sharing his journey. Also, I found four other guys who had excellent results with Dr. Zarev. They shared their experiences with me and I found that very helpful. Two were Bulgarian and one was Greek so not likely that they’d ever end up on this forum or any other English language forum. I also felt good that others in the greater transplant community had very positive things to say about Dr. Zarev. Matt Dominance, JT, etc. I’m scheduled to have 6,000 grafts in my first procedure and an additional 4,000 in another procedure 9 months from now. I’m looking forward to the journey and just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this forum who has been so helpful along my journey. I’ll be sure to post updates along the way.- 609 replies
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Looking for vouch for Dr Sara Salas
Antman replied to Antman's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
Cost and location are big factors I wont lie. Given that she actually does happen to be out of my budget and is the highest non-American quote I received so far for eyebrows. I like that she does have good reviews from what I could find and her staff is very professional and she took the time out to talk to me personally. I like that she is ISHRS certified and also she confirmed to me that she does most of the procedure herself. Another point is that she trained under and has vouches from Dr. Alex Ginzburg, Dr. Shapiro in Minnesota and Dr. William Rassman -
Hello all - I've been a lurker on this forum for over a year. It's been an invaluable resource to me as I researched options for hair transplants and garnered an idea of what the process looks like. I've decided to "pay it forward" in creating a profile and sharing my hair transplant journey. Profile I am a 33 y/old male who has been experiencing visual hair loss since I was 19. For the first several years, the hair loss manifested in a receding frontal hairline. At 22, I started applying topical minoxidil foam (Rogaine), but my adherence was spotty at best and I never really stuck to it. I went through alternate phases of buzzing my hair or growing it long to conceal my hair loss, but that became harder and harder to maintain as the hair loss progressed. When I was 27, I started taking oral finasteride, which I credit with significantly slowing my hair loss. Since then, I've been able to maintain most of the native hairs that I have left in my mid-scalp and frontal regions; however, I began to slowly lose hair in the crown over the past 5-6 years. About 10 months ago, I started taking oral minoxidil and that's resulted in some marginal improvement by slightly thickening the hairs in my crown. Research and Consults I never seriously considered a hair transplant as a viable option for me because I had a preconceived and outdated notion that they always resulted in a "pluggy" or unnatural hair line and/or were too expensive for me to afford. I began doing some serious research into the procedure in 2022. Shortly after, I happened upon this forum and it helped me deconstruct a lot of the stereotypes I previously associated with the procedure. After some preliminary research, I reached out to some of the surgeons recommended here and elsewhere, including the offices of Dr. Bloxham, Dr. Shapiro, Hasson & Wong, Konior & Nadimi, as a well as a number of surgeons in Europe. That said, I knew that I had a preference to remain in North America for ease of any needed follow-up care, etc. After some virtual evaluations and consults in April/May 2023, I narrowed down my choices to Shapiro, Nadimi, and Hasson & Wong. After a virtual consult with Dr. Nadimi, I decided to move forward with booking an appointment with her and putting down a deposit for a scheduled FUE in February 2024 (earliest available at the time). So, that ended up working out to a 9-month wait. During the consult, Dr. Nadimi quoted me 2,000 - 2,500 grafts to restore the mid-scalp and frontal regions. We both agreed that a conservative hairline would be best given that I have some loss in the crown and it would be best to save grafts to address it if medication ultimately proved ineffective. She left the choice of FUT vs. FUE up to me (she performs both procedures), and I decided on going with FUE because I like to cut the hair on my sides short. The quoted price at the time was $9/graft. I read somewhere that her price has increased since then, but I am not entirely sure, FYI. Interim During the long wait between the consult and the procedure, I kept in touched with Karen, the patient coordinator for the Chicago Hair Institute. She was an extremely helpful resource and always responded to my questions within a couple of hours. Otherwise, I just counted down the days until day zero. Pre-Op I flew into ORD on Feb. 7th and took an Uber to the hotel I booked (Staybridge Inn). The hotel is about a 4-5 minute drive from the Chicago Hair Institute. It is clean and adequate but it certainly isn't plush. [If you're looking for plush, I would recommend staying at the Hilton 5-10 minutes down the road.] The hotel room comes with a fridge and kitchenette, however, so I was able to Instacart some food so I didn't have to worry about how or what I was going to eat for the next couple of days post-op. The remainder of the day prior to surgery, I just relaxed in the room and got some work done. The Big Day I arrived at the Chicago Hair Institute a little before 6AM on Feb. 8th. FYI, in some older threads on this forum, I've heard some people say that Dr. Nadimi doesn't perform procedures of more than 2,000 grafts per day. Well, if that was true, it certainly isn't any longer as she planned on completing my 2,500 graft procedure in a single day. I was warned ahead of time that it was going to be a long day, so I anticipated staying until the late evening. Anyway, after arriving at the office, I was immediately greeted by Karen - the patient coordinator - who took me to a consult room where we chatted for a bit, went over some paperwork (consent forms, etc.) and completed payment. Afterwards, Dr. Nadimi and her assistant Anna (sp?) came in to the room. We chatted about my expectations, she took some pictures, and then we went over the hairline. I've heard that this can take quite a long time for some individuals, but for me, I think we were done in 20-30 minutes. Dr. Nadimi and I were generally aligned in what we thought was best, although I mostly deferred to her judgement in terms of drawing the hairline. Dr. Nadimi then left the room and Anna proceeded to buzz cut my hair and give me some Valium. I changed into the gown for the procedure and was then led to the operating room. As most say, the most painful part of the procedure was the initial numbing shots before the grafts were extracted. I was offered a break and some snacks and drinks between the three main extraction segments (right side, back, and left side). The graft extraction process was probably the worst part of the procedure for me - I bled quite a bit and the Valium hadn't kicked in for me yet (I had a high tolerance, I guess). That said, "worst" is relative. Overall, it was still a very tolerable. Around 1PM, I was taken to another room to chill and eat lunch. It's a sub from JJ's that you order from a menu at the beginning of the day. I was able to relax for about 15 minutes and then we were back at it. Quite honestly, I can't remember if we began the implantation process before or after lunch, but when I came back into the operating room, Dr. Nadimi told me that were going to extract another 400 or so grafts before continuing the implantation process. I guess that since I was bleeding so much in the morning, they decided to stop the extractions a bit early and get the rest later on. Dr. Nadimi assured me that the bleeding didn't effect her work. After those extractions were completed, we continued with implanting the grafts. I can't remember exactly what time we finished, but I think it was around 5PM. The afternoon was kind of a blur as the Valium finally took effect and I went in and out of consciousness. I was cleaned, bandaged, allowed to change, and given some post-op instructions. I took an Uber back to the hotel and got there around 6PM. I chilled in the room for the rest of the evening and then went to bed. Post-Op The next day, I went back into the office for a check-up and cleaning. Dr. Nadimi also came in and checked things out, giving me the proverbial thumps-up. She said that the caliber of my hair was good and that she was able to extract a lot of 2s [I'll ask for the exact breakdown tomorrow and will let folks know the exact distribution.] I also went in for a cleaning on the following day. They really encourage you to stay at least 2 days following the procedure and they're more than willing to allow you to come in additional days thereafter for cleanings and check-ups. Unfortunately, I had to catch a flight back home after my second cleaning yesterday. I was bandaged up again for the flight back and that drew quite a bit of eyes, but I honestly cared a lot less than I thought I would. These are strangers that you're never going to see again anyway and a head of hair is worth it. Overall, the entire process - from pre-op to post-op (thus far) - has been very positive. The staff at the Chicago Hair Institute really do treat you like royalty and make you their number one priority when you're there. I never felt rushed or pressured to make certain decisions and my questions were always answered quickly and directly. In the medical world, it's very difficult to find that consistency throughout the continuum of care. In the case that I do need a follow-up procedure for crown work or a touch-up, the CHI will be my first preference. It's now day 3 of post-op recovery and I think things are going well. I have had little to no swelling and the redness in the recipient zone has decreased dramatically. I took a couple of Advil on day 1 and 2, but now I don't feel anything except some minor dull pain here and there. Honestly, the itchiness it the worst part. I am counting down the days until directly shampoo and clean those grafts! I'll post some pics of the donor areas later this week. From here on out, I will also plan on providing 1 week and 2 week updates and then monthly updates thereafter. Pre-Op Photos: Immediate Post-Op Same Day Day 1 Post-Op Day 2 Post-Op
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I had FUE with SMG 2 weeks ago after a year of waiting and I'm making this thread to track progress. Hopeful everything turns out looking good but it's a bit nerve wracking waiting a year before seeing how it turns out. -
Background Information I decided to go for Round 2 with both Dr. Shapiro & Dr. Josephitis at Shapiro Medical Group (SMG) To be honest, I could have waited several more years before I got another transplant as I was very happy with my current hair However, I decided to pull the trigger for a second procedure for the following reasons: There were a couple of weaker areas in my hairline where I thought I could pack in more grafts One temple point looked softer and wanted to just beef it up a smidgen with more hairs I wanted to potentially lower the hairline if at all possible with SMG I worked with Matt Zupan, the patient coordinator at SMG to book both Dr. Shapiro & Dr. Josephitis: After 3 reschedules (2 were due to me contracting COVID), we finally got the procedure done on Monday, November 13th, 2023 I want to give another shout-out to @aaron1234 for coaching me through the whole process and recommending I go to SMG/Ron Shapiro I also want to give kudos to @Melvin- Admin for his words of encouragement and advice throughout my first transplant Medication I am currently on oral Finasteride daily (1.25mg) and oral Minoxidil (2.5mg) I also use Nizoral shampoo 3 times a week Check Out My First Transplant With SMG Below Pre-Surgery The front receptionist (Pamela) took my lunch order for the day Pictures of my hair were taken by Pamela (front, top, sides, and back) to show the before photos Pamela then took me to see Dr. Shapiro for the planning phase of my surgery Note: It was fun seeing Pamela get excited and make the comment that I had hair now! In fact, the entire SMG team was relishing in the fact that I had a head full of hair and were super happy for me Planning I met with Dr. Shapiro on the morning of my surgery to go over the game plan. Shapiro looked at me and said, "I think your case is pretty straightforward." He already talked to Matt Zupan and knew this was a case of adding more density and providing a fuller look Dr. Shapiro still asked me what I would like to do for my hair design in light of the above. I mentioned my desire to get more volume and potentially lower the hairline. Shapiro let me know that if they added more density to my frontal third, it would give the appearance of a lower hairline as you would not be able to see through it as easily Additionally, I brought up my temple points in which he said that I had such light-colored hair that it looked softer on one side, but he agreed to pack in more grafts on that side to make it match my other temple He drew on the hairline and mapped out the site with his pen. Shapiro lowered the upper corners of my hairline and also slightly lowered the very front by just a hair or two (no pun intended) Surgery The Techs Prepped Me For Surgery I was given Valium to relax My head was numbed and ensured that I was ready to go for the procedure The techs are always amazing: They were sparking conversations with me and trying to learn more about me as a person They made sure I was comfortable with blankets, had entertainment on the TV, and was ready with water/refreshments They made me feel comfortable and you can tell they care about their jobs with SMG. It's always nice to see happy people in any line of work Dr. Shapiro Made the Incisions Shapiro worked diligently and made incisions all over my frontal third You can tell that Shapiro is passionate and every punch he made was done with purpose: He would take pauses, assess the overall area, and then continue with the procedure Shapiro also cut my hair as the procedure unfolded which was to show where I already had hair: This would help him not transect other grafts and ensure he was filling in the gaps appropriately Shapiro also worked well with the techs and would ask them to double-check the hairline/area just to triple check everything looked good The whole operation was smooth and it's always nice to see everyone work harmoniously together My Head was "Shaved" After the incisions were made, I was sent back to get my haircut I was asked if I wanted to leave hair on top, but I said "Buzz cut it all." Dr. Josephitis Made the Extractions The techs numbed the back of my head Dr. Joe began making the extractions and also took his time to ensure a quality job was being done We took a break for lunch. After lunch, another Valium was given to me per my request. Sh** feels good! 🫠 Dr. Joe continued and finished the extractions The techs were constantly taking the grafts from Dr. Joe and storing them in Petri dishes to be counted After counts were done, I noticed that some of the dishes were placed in the fridge The staff let take a picture of the dishes and get a closer look Once again, the team operated as a unit, like a well-oiled machine The Grafts Were Implanted The techs placed/implanted the grafts in my head. I had 2 or 3 technicians constantly implanting grafts Dr Shapiro would come in and check in on the techs to ensure things were going well Once the implantation was done, Dr. Shapiro made several more punches to finalize and fill in any areas he needed SMG left roughly 100 - 200 leftover grafts to ensure they could adjust/modify my hair as needed. This process helps lock in final look for my transplant After Photos Taken Dr. Shapiro and Pamela took photos of me after the transplant was completed Pain This was the first time I had any discomfort with a hair transplant procedure. My head was definitely more sensitive and they had to numb it more than before During certain parts, I could feel an extraction which prompted me to tell Dr. Joe immediately. More numbing was provided after This also happened during the final incisions Shapiro made to finalize my look. I asked why I felt pain and Shapiro said this was due to my scar tissue from the last procedure. He said it's not uncommon for this to happen, but to just keep letting the team know if I need more numbing Bedside Manner I was asking Shapiro and the techs questions throughout the entire process. Shapiro answered them immediately and was enthusiastic about each answer Dr. Joe was also very cordial and answered my questions while he was doing the extractions I would also talk to the techs throughout the procedure and engage with them multiple times regarding the surgery or random small talk Dr. Joe & the techs constantly reminded me to let them know if I felt any pain or discomfort. This was to ensure I was 100% relaxed for the surgery Everyone involved was super attentive. It was the most relaxed and professional medical environment I have ever seen Shapiro Medical Group Review What can I say? Shapiro Medical Group ROCKS I love this group and I admire Dr. Shapiro for his passion for this line of work. Dr. Joe is also amazing and makes me feel super comfortable The office and surgical area are super clean Bedside manners are great, and their ability to work well as a team is fantastic Everyone's attitude is friendly and professional Everyone involved are absolute super stars, and I cannot recommend SMG enough Rating A++ BEFORE PHOTOS - HARSH LIGHT From this photo, the hairline is a little weak and you can see through it: AFTER PHOTOS - TRANSPLANT PETRI DISH WITH GRAFTS CROWN - BEFORE AND AFTER MEDICATION The doctor noticed that my crown filled in on its own with only medication, no transplant! This was a nice surprise. VIDEO OF INCISIONS AND EXTRACTIONS COMING SOON SLIDE DECK OF HAIR TRANSPLANT (CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS) The above shows more photos of Surgery Day, Day 1 (post-surgery), Day 2, and Day 7 I have pictures of Days 3 - 6 as well if you would like to see them I will add more as time progresses
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Hello Everyone. I've decided to finally make my thread about my hair transplant result with DR.Ron Shapiro and also Dr.David , There were few friends on forum who wanted to see my result on my previous thread but I wanted to wait enough time to have reasonable update , I hope my thread can contribute what this forum and others did to help me to chose right surgeon. I have done my surgery on Sep 2023 , I'm 40 and I was probably Narwood 4.5 before my surgery , My experience with Dr.Shapiro was great and staff was very professional and also friendly, We did 3700 grafts with total of 7151 hairs . I am uploading some before pictures , post op and also monthly update on this thread. We have covered around 115cm2 including sides and temples and the average density is about 32 . You're all more than welcome to share with me your view about my result , Positive or negative , feel free to share me your thoughts , I do not get offended. I prefer not comment about my result before hear you guys opinion , But i also have to mention if I wasn't satisfy with my result I wouldn't post it here. I tried my best to be consistent with length of my hair and also lighting is same in all pictures. I have a detailed thread about my consultation with Dr.Shapiro back in OCT 2022 which has been posted below : (Yes , I was on waiting list for one year ! ) This is 1 year and half before surgery , I lost some of hair in frontal scalp by the time of surgery . All picture are in top view and front view. Top View and Front View : 5 days post up 3 months 4 MONTHS 5 months 6 MONTHS
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Hello Everyone . I'm 38 years old and NW4 , I may need 3500-4000 grafts based on some consultation I had before for my first surgery to get reasonable recovery. I am not able to leave the US , I know DR.Shapiro work is solid and very natural , However his hairline is somehow conservative for my taste , I personally like DR.Rahal hairline more as my reference . I will have in person consultation with Dr.Ron Shapiro next month and here are the questions I have if anyone can help : 1- Is it possible to ask Doctor to give you more aggressive hairline ( If donor is not an issue ) compare to his routine hairline ?! In Another words is it a good idea to have surgery with doctor who have solid work but try to negotiate about hairline/density design ? 2- Between DR.Shapiro and DR.Cooley which doctor have the best hairline/density outcome ( I know they are par and very close but I want to know more details ) Thank You in advance.
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Hello . Everyone I finally was able to fly to Minnesota and have my consultation with DR.Ron Shapiro , I just thought I should provide an update for those who were following my other thread and also to provide my feedback to other member on the forum , It will be a long post and some data you may already know or not , But what I'm trying to do is , to make it clear for everyone who read this post now or in future : The Shapiro medical team staff was very friendly and my consultation was with Matt and he gave me some general and also detail informations about the philosophy of the clinic and their repetition and also estimation of grafts I need for the surgery , Matt also measured the area of my baldness and then I met with DR.Ron Shapiro Since I was flying from California to Minneapolis I was specifically asked before to see DR.Ron in Person , I can only say good things about how he treated me and spent time with me and answering all of my questions , Considering he is an Elite surgeon in US and the World , I was very impressed how Humble he was , We had some great educational conversations and I was feeling very comfortable with him , He is very ethical and really have a good manner and also care about patients needs , at the same time when it comes to make decision about designing the hairline and also density he follows his standards and his rules which has been works for many years , Which is very understandable because thats his signature on his high quality work. Donor Area : DR.Ron Examined my Donor area and he seemed very happy with my Donor , He estimated I should have 7000-8000 in my donor , Maybe even more ( the average person have about 6000 grafts available ) Also based on His study and Dr.David If I combine FUE and FUT , I can have at least 2000 more grafts on the top of that ( The study was showing patient can get 1500-3000 grafts more ) , which can make my total number near to 10000 and when I mentioned that he confirmed that. FUT VS FUE : One of the reason I wanted to have consultation with DR.RON was because he is one of the fewest surgeon who do BOTH FUT and FUE , So he doesn't have any emotional attach to either method , Also if a surgeon can do both method then it would make more graft available to transplant , However DR.Ron mentioned if I feel more comfortable with FUE because of not having linear scar and less pain , I can chose FUE for the first surgery , And for 2nd Surgery he will examine my donor and then decide if I need to do FUT or not. So basically most patients can do FUE first and they can do the FUT down the road in order to maximize the donor area . Hairline Design : This subject was one of the main subject in our conversation , I had different hairline design in my mind for years which I kind of knew it wouldn't match the DR.RON standard but I wanted to hear his philosophy in person , He professionally explained to me that the design I have in my mind can look unnatural in his eyes and doesn't match his practice over the years , Because what I wanted was more aggressive and could be have some similarities to female hairlines however DR.Shapiro wants patient have some recession which is very normal in every men with no or minimal hairloss , He also mentioned he needs to do temple work on me to build up what I have lost which made me glad because I know the degree of my hairloss and I was always thinking without temple work I probably wouldn't have natural outcome. I also have to mention that for the previous consultation I had with some other clinics one of them didn't want to do temple work at all because of the risk of outcome and the other one accepted that after I requested that to the surgeon , So I do believe here is where you see the difference between very high skill professional surgeon compare to the average clinic , With that being said some or many surgeon avoid to do temple work since it is not very easy to achieve the desire result. Density :Here is one of my other favorite subject which we spent enough time to discuss , I personally did study around 300-400 patients from different doctors ( Including DR.Ron ) and figured the average number of hair each graft is 2.0 ( And yes this information can be easily access online with a simple google search but I wanted to have that number from different races as they can have different density ) , Dr.Ron mentioned the variation of the average is 1.8 to 2.3 hairs per grafts and 2.1 can be a good number for average ( Very close to the number I had) Also he mentioned that he always like to be on the safe side and put the other grafts for second sessions , He doesn't feel comfortable to do mega session and for instance if 6600 grafts need to be harvested , doing 4400 grafts in one session and 2000 graft on second one is not what he feel comfortable to do, He feels more comfortable to divide it moderately to two sessions ( Like 3200 each ) , The reason is he likes to see how the first surgery goes and see if the patient is happy with result or not and then adding or filling some area will be much easier than giving the patient look they are not happy with the overall work , Because the repair of that would be much harder . What I figured is even if Mega session or either aggressive hairline can make 1 patient unhappy out of 20 , Dr.Ron wants to avoid that to be happen , Which just shows how he highly cares about his work and patient satisfactions and of course this way he can manage the donor area for future loss as well and not putting most of eggs in one basket. I have to mention this doesn't mean surgeon shouldn't do Mega Session , These are just preferences and can varies between surgeons. In the end he plans to have 3000-3500 grafts FUE for me in two days and the exact number of harvested grafts depends on the caliber of my hairs on the day of surgery. I hope this post be helpful and if there is any question you have ,Feel free to post it here , I will be happy to answer. Cheers.
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Dr.Shapiro Hairline advice
parsia replied to parsia's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
Hi Gatsby , I just wanted to say my special thanks for your support to me and all other members on this forum , I have also posted a a link of my new thread with my results. Side note : You were right about me having great donor without seeing my donor , Lol , Because when I had in person consultation with Dr.Shapiro he also mentioned that ( Also two surgeons I had consultation with them before they were complimenting about my donor ) Thank You -
Thank you for your reply and also your picture. I'm also at month 6 with Dr.Shapiro and happy with my result so far , My left side is also weaker at this moment , But I have to wait to make a judgment call. In neutral light your hair looks very good considering you have another 8 months to go and its pretty soon. As far as temple if I'm not mistaken you are more referring to your temple peak when it connects to the hairline ( Not temple point by itself ) , You can confirm that with Dr.Shapiro but from what I know he doesn't want both sides to look even and symmetrical to provide more natural look and I think he intentionally designed them differently to do not be even.
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40yo Male with 3 prior FUT transplants seeking a final FUE of 1500-200 grafts. This number was quoted to me by Dr. Carmen in La Jolla, but he only does FUT, and I dont want to go through that again. Can you guys provide feedback on these Doctors, or do you recommend I travel to see Shapiro or Gabel? - Dr. Parsa Mohebi - Dr. Yazdan (Newport Beach) - Dr. Ziering -Dr. Alvi Armani -
Surgery Date- 29/12 + 30/12 (2 days) Age: 37 Norwood grade: 4 Total Grafts: 4290 (My first hairtransplent) Singles – 740 Doubles – 2250 Triples – 940 Quadruples – 360 No. of grafts implemented on each area: Crown: 1180 Right temple: 528 Left temple: 558 Hairline- 2024 My hairloss journey and how it affected my life I first started balding when I was 18. Over the years it progressed and I started to always wear a hat and became a heavy user of topikk to the point I applied it on my skin where I don’t have hair to have a “lower” hairline. Sometimes it looked decent and sometimes it looked ridiculous but I was so self-conscience about my baldness I preferred to rather look ridiculous than to be seen bald. I felt embareced and even humiliated if someone would see my baldness so I made sure it will never happen. It really affected my confidence and self-worth that’s for sure. Medications I believe that surgery is the last resort so I tried medication and non-surgical treatments both to keep my native hair and slow my hairloss progression as much as possible. Finasteride (oral)- I started using branded finasteride since I was 22 (now I’m 37). It may have slowed my progression but for sure didn’t stop it. I was Norwood 2 when I started taking it and now I’m a Norwood 4. Minoxidil (topical)- I tried topical Minoxidil over the years and stopped numerous times since it was very itchy (especially when I wore a hat at all times) and honestly, I didn’t see much improvement. Minoxidil (Oral)- Tried that for 6 months. Didn’t see much improvement and experienced sides effects such as dizziness (which I never had beforehand), chest pain so I discontinued use. Dutasteride (oral)- Been using it for the last 2 years. Taking it twice weekly based on the advice of Dr. Bisanga. Didn’t see much improvement but I think it slowed further hairloss progression. PRP + Dutosteride injections- tried that 3 times over a course of 3-4 months. Didn’t see much improvement. *Haven’t tried micro-needling. Research- which clinic shall I choose / Why I chose Eugenix - Dr. Sethi I started my research since 2010. I was reading and learning a lot from this forum (as a silent viewer) as well as Spencer kobren “The Bald Truth” talk-show and his association ISHRS, as well as JT and Spex Youtube channels, articles and direct communication with all of them. As I knew more about hairtransplents and botched cases I was more worried and wanted to choose smartly and not out of desperation. I know that even in the best hands there might be failures and doctors are not god. When I looked at results of many of this forum’s doctors, I always found stunning results yet from those same doctors I also found some results I wouldn’t consider great. So that kind of held me back in addition to the financial demand associated with it. Over the years I had online consultations with Hasson & Wong (back when Joe Tilman was working there- yes. That long ago! And also, in the recent year), Dr. Rahal, Dr. Diep, Dr. Ron Shapiro, Dr. Bloxham, Dr. Lorenzo, Dr. Konior and Dr. C*** either with a consultant or the doctor himself. In addition, I personally visited and was physically assessed by the following doctors: Dr. Charles Glen, Dr. Hasson, Dr. Bisanga, Dr. Nusbaum Sr & Dr. Paul Rose and Dr. Sethi. Yea. I did a lot of travelling. For me it was important to know in advance which hairline they are going to offer me before I commit to a surgery. I didn’t want to put myself in a stressful situation where I book a surgery, meet the doc and have him draw a hairline I don’t like. That was a lot of work, time and money to spend but I’m very meticulous and I care too much of how I look and I know anxiety will take place in such an incident so it was all worth it. It’s not the same to have an online consultation and a face-to-face consultation. Some doctors told me contradicting things online and in person. Also, when I compared one doctor recommendation to another – there were also contradictions that can sometimes confuse. Eventually, I decided to choose Dr. Sethi as my surgeon. First, I liked the hairline he suggested the most out of all the doctors I personally met. Second, I didn’t see any other clinic with so many successful Norwood 6/7 cases so me as a Norwood 4 should be an easy case for him. In addition, he introduced me with additional of his patients when I was in his clinic in Mumbai. I saw their results in my eyes. They spoke for themselves. Everyone was so happy and highly recommend of him. In addition, I was told all the celebrities, businessman and politicians in India choose Eugenix. Not to mention the amazing hospitality. I’ll be honest. After my consultation I wanted to go with Dr. Sethi but had doubts. Although I really liked his suggested hairline, he suggested 2500-3500 for my entire scalp (he said my head is small and the designated transplant areas where small) while other doctors I visited suggested 5000. I found it to be good and bad. Good because I get to preserve my donor for the future and it tells me the doc doesn’t want to over quote me and make more money which shows a lot. Bad because I was concerned I would have a low density. After thinking about it, as well as communicating with Joe Tilman I got to the following conclusion- Dr. Sethi is an excellent doctor. This surgery will significantly enhance my look and worst comes worst I can always have additional surgery to increase my density. Also, I get to save and smartly manage my donor area. In addition, I saw some cases where the doc used low number of grafts on a relatively high Norwood cases and the results were amazing. Moreover, the doc showed me other patient in his clinic with a large head and showed me his balding areas which were larger surface compared to mine. So, after clearing my doubts, I was convinced to proceed with Dr. Sethi. In general, I think that one should be critical of any doctor and ask as many questions as possible and understand the rational of their suggestions + cross it with the knowledge you gained in this forum or other sources and that’s the best advise I can provide. Never go to a clinic on a “desperate mode”. Be patient and do your research. I know I was crazy with my research but I was paranoid to have a botched results so it took me a longgggg time and trust me baldness controlled my life. It is a disease of the spirit. At least for me. Consultation with Dr. Sethi I will mention I initially had an online consultation with Dr. Sethi – twice. Then I flew to Mumbai and met him personally. I was thinking it will last max 30-40 min but I ended up staying few hours since I was talking with him, met and talked with several of his happy patients and stuff including technicians, he even showed me the operation room, tools, microscopes and ordered me a launch. The doc and the entire stuff were super nice and the hospitality was so great and welcoming. Most importantly, he drew a hairline I liked with ease. He mentioned he’s not sure he’ll touch my temporal points and that will be decided on the day of the surgery, which I was fine with. Surgery I arrived 2 days before my surgery. Eugenix were kind enough to pay for my hotel for those extra 2 days. I stayed at the Hilton Doubletree Baani Square and was picked up by their driver from the airport. When I arrived, I decided to get a local sim card which costed me 3$ (for 28 days, local calls + 1.5GB internet daily) as I stayed in India 8 days post-surgery (total of 2 weeks) so that I could wear a hat when I fly home as I wouldn’t feel comfortable to fly with a “Karate kid” band on my head and be stared at all the time. No thanks. As for India, you will get to know Indian culture this way or another. The stuff in the hotel and the clinic were super nice. They always want you to feel good and comfortable. Also, I got to experience their food for the first time in my life. I highly recommend Poha and Idli lol. Thank me later… Also, they have a food delivery app called “Zomato” where you can find meals for 10$. I even had noodles meal for 3$ shipping included! Since my payment wasn’t received on the day of my surgery, it was postponed in one day. I got my blood pressure checked, did anesthesia tests and signed some forms. Oh and they have a really nice tea with ginger in their clinic. I highly recommend! 😊 I had a 2 days procedure. Day 1 We started at 4PM and finished around 10PM. Dr. Sethi drew my hairline and decided to address the temporal points as well (which will require additional 1000 grafts). I expressed my desires and brought some pictures when I was a teenage to show him the shape of my hairline but he didn’t need it and I couldn’t ask for a better hairline. Pictures were taken from all angels, later on I was given anesthesia. In some areas it was more painful (it stings) and in other less. The team made sure I’m not in pain and were super nice the whole time. I was given PRP injections and upon that Dr. Sethi entered the room and made the slits. When we finished, I was invited to his house where I had dinner and had some chat with his son (intelligent boy I must say) and the doc. Later I was taken back to my hotel. I didn’t feel any pain whatsoever. Day 2 We started at 7am and finished almost at midnight. I changed my clothes, given anesthesia and the harvesting from my donor (scalp hair only) begun. I was constantly asked if I feel pain and was massaged from time to time by the technicians. On bathroom breaks I was always accompanied by someone. Nice music was played, some nice mashups/remixes and I almost found myself dancing while lying down on the operation chair lol. The hardest part for me was to lay down in the same position for long. Blood flow becomes limited and you start get uncomfortable but I didn’t want to disturb the techs work. In the evening / night time I felt I’m losing my patience and it became harder for me to lay down in certain positions. Also, they changed the anesthesia substance and I felt intense sting sensation at certain points. It was unpleasant to say the least (no pain no gain) but it was short and after that I didn’t feel pain. Graft count was written on a white board and all seemed to be very organized. When the surgery was done, I was told I was a great patient and made the techs work really easy as I was very cooperative. Also, I was told my grafts were very easy to remove from my donor which was music to my ears (no trauma = higher survival rate). On the following day I got the graft count which made me even happier. I have an average of 2.2 hairs per follicule which is great. More density for me. Also, I was told my temporal points should look really good as about 500 grafts were put on each side and it is rare for Dr. Sethi to use that number of grafts in that area. The max he usually does is 300 grafts per each side. At the end of the day, I was given dinner, got the post op instructions and was driven back to my hotel. Post op I decided to stay in India 8 days following my surgery so I’ll be able to wear a hat when I fly back. I absolutely made the right decision as I was able to get my first head wash in the clinic and was able to properly take care of myself as per the clinic post op instructions and address any issues that might occur post op directly with the clinic. On the first and second day post op, I had mild stomach ache from the antibiotics so I visited the clinic and they changed it to a different kind (which solved the problem) and also cleaned my donor area and answered some additional questions I had. Following my surgery, I stayed 2 additional days in my hotel and later booked for another one. After my visit in the clinic post op I should have gone back to the new hotel I booked. However, Dr. Sethi was kind to invite me to stay at Eugenix farm house for the rest of my stay (1 week). It is a house surrounded by enormous pastorale view which was super relaxing and beautiful. I was served with delicious meals 3 times a day and really felt like a king. I wasn’t wearing a hat obviously and it was quite liberating to be hatless in front of people (house crew) and not having the worry to hide it. When I walked outside the house there was a light wind and I haven’t experienced the feeling of a wind on my scalp for more than a decade so that was fun. Also, I didn’t have to worry and put my head down so my topikk fibers won’t come off… One of the workers in the farm house used to work as a technician in Eugenix for 5 years. He told me that his training took 1 year and that Dr. Sethi was very strict and meticulous which I liked to hear as this is how it should be! Post op I didn’t feel any pain. I had some swelling in the following 4-5 days. At certain point I looked like the character from Avatar movie (no joking). Overall, I had a great experience. I’m looking forward for my hair to grow. Ugly duckling phase is ahead of me… Enclosed, you will find my pictures immediately post op and the ones with the marked hairline is from my consultation which took place about 2 months earlier.
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Dr. Sethi is certainly a reputable doctor known for achieving good, natural-looking results. If you're exploring other options, here's a list of doctors categorized by their approximate pricing per graft: 2-3 euros per graft: - HDC clinic - Dr. Laorwong - Dr. Pekiner - Dr. Custodio - Dr. Bicer - Dr. Saifi - Dr. Ximena Villa - Dr. Heinicke - Dr. Nader - Dr. Camacho - Dr. Keser - Dr. Pathomvanic 3-5 euros per graft: - Dr. De Freitas - Dr. Pinto - Dr. De Ferreira - Dr. Pittela - Dr. Couto - Dr. Bisanga - Dr. Mwamba - Dr. Lupanzula - Hattingen Clinic - Dr. Nadimi Above 5 euros per graft: - Dr. Munib Ahmad - Dr. Zarev - Dr. Shapiro - Dr. Konior - Dr. Feriduni There are other reputable doctors not included in this list due to lack of pricing information or i might not have sufficient knowledge about them so It's better to conduct your own research or seek opinions from other individuals regarding that. View this list as a starting point for identifying skilled surgeons in different price ranges for consultation purposes. I hope this helps you. Good Luck. -
Hello folks – Merry Christmas! My gift to you all today is my documentation of my recent FUE HT procedure, which occurred on December 20 and 21, 2022. Important stats: 1’s – 455 2’s – 1,646 3’s – 208 Total: 2,309 grafts or 4,371 hairs total Total lifetime grafts estimated: 5,000-6,000 Total lifetime grafts remaining: 2,691-3,691 I already have a detailed thread regarding my backstory/struggle with hair loss, so I’ll spare you the extraneous details. For those who are unaware of aforementioned backstory, here’s a link to my prior thread. OVERVIEW: I was initially planning on undergoing this procedure a year ago (December 2021), but ultimately delayed it in lieu of giving medical intervention (Fin) a try first to see if my frontal third could potentially recover and regrow but sadly it did not. Fast-forward eight months later to August 2022 and after lackluster results with Fin, I decided it was time to finally commit to a HT! I contacted Matt Zupan, who I absolutely must commend. Back when I contacted him in 2021, he never pressured me to undergo the procedure. In fact, he advocated that I give medical intervention a try first before going down the surgical route. With a clinic as well-known and well-renowned as SMG, their waitlist was, unsurprisingly, booked several months ahead already. Their earliest opening was in April/May of 2023. For me, that wasn’t ideal since I think the best time to undergo a procedure such as this is during the Fall/Winter months when it’s easier to conceal such an operation. I kept in constant contact with Matt and eventually it was brought to my attention there was vacancy for December 20 and 21. I was initially reluctant to take those particular dates due to how close it was to Christmas. My primary concern was that given a major holiday was right around the corner, I would most likely end up with the “B-Team” or potentially have some of the staff mentally checked out, but I can attest that this concern was unfounded! Everyone was on top of their game and I can't extol Dr. Josephitis (Dr. Joe) and the team of techs enough! Moreover, being from out of state, I knew traveling could potentially present a unique set of challenges, but in the end, it was not an issue in the slightest. THE WARMUP – Day 1 (December 20, 2022) Total duration: 3 hours – 1.5 hour for consult and haircut / 1.5 hour for the actual procedure (incision at the recipient site) Photos taken at hotel prior to procedure: I arrived at 1p where I finally met Matt Zupan in-person. He gave me a quick tour of the facility and I even got to meet Dr. Ron Shapiro briefly. After that, I got to meet the man who would be performing the procedure on me: Dr. Joe! He was extremely friendly and attentive and answered all my questions and addressed all my concerns. Dr. Joe examined my hair and we discussed what the final hairline design would be. He was initially a bit aggressive (in my opinion). He wanted to bring down my recessed corners a bit, however I told him I was more in favor of a conservative hairline and wanted to simply maintain what my current hairline was. Photos of the hairline design: Once it was marked up, I was given a shirt to change into and then brought into the stylist room where Dr. Joe performed the haircut for me! And I got to hand it to him, he’s got solid barber skills! I’ve seen photos from friends and what other’s have posted online of their haircuts they received at their respective clinics, and I was often surprised at how sloppy and uneven some of the cuts were, but with Dr. Joe he gave me a helluva solid buzz. He even managed to give me a decent fade on the top since I wanted to retain the longer hairs on the top of my head. After the haircut, I was offered Valium to help me relax and to take the edge off, but since I was not nervous at all, I kindly rebuffed the pills. Once in the operating room, it was just Dr. Joe and another technician, Tiffany, who was simply fantastic! They sat me on the operating chair, akin to the kind at the dentist, and I was handed an Apple TV remote to pick out something to watch. I ended up just opting for music since I didn’t want anything playing in the background that could potentially distract Dr. Joe or Tiffany. They assured me they would be in their own bubble once the procedure began, but I opted to just play it safe and have chill tunes play in the background instead. They numbed my forehead via injections and even used a small massage wand to distract from any potential pain or discomfort from the needle. I’ve read a few accounts where people say this is the most painful part of the procedure, but I suppose everyone’s pain tolerance is different and, for me, it was completely pain-free. I just felt a minor pinch. Nothing more. After giving it a few minutes for the anesthesia to settle in, Dr. Joe began his incisions at the recipient site. Once Dr. Joe completed all his incisions, I was given a black surgical bandana (headgear) to conceal/protect my head and I went about my merry way back to the hotel. Photos after incisions were made (the purple hue is a dye used in order to make the incisions stand out more for placement the next day): THE MAIN EVENT – Day 2 (December 21, 2022) Total duration: 8 hours – 30 min break for lunch and one quick bathroom break I arrived at 7a where I was greeted by Pamela at the front desk who took my lunch order for Jimmy John’s for later in the day. Once that was taken care of, I was given a zip-up shirt to change into and it was back into the operating room, although this one was a different room. This room was equipped with multiple magnification sets on the table on the sides. The team of technicians were: Peng, Vicky, Carla, Tiffany, and Jenglia* (I’m certain I’m spelling her name wrong). There might be one or two technicians I'm missing, but those 5 technicians were the ones I primarily interacted with. Dr. Joe checked my head and inspected the incisions made from the day prior and we discussed/finessed the final hairline. I was offered Valium again, which I declined once again, however this time the techs insisted I take the pills (10mg) since the operation was going to be significantly longer. Moreover, they reasoned the Valium would help with the anesthesia as well, so I relented. It was back onto the “dentist chair” again. Although, instead of laying on my back this time around, I was on my stomach for the beginning portion. Once again, the same technique of using a massager on my back and head was employed to distract from the anesthesia shots. I received anywhere from 15-25 injections to numb my head. Full disclosure, that number is only an estimate since I didn’t count, but all I know is I received substantially more shots and they injected in a grid pattern this time around. Once the anesthesia had settled in, Dr. Joe double-checked and prodded around with a sharp tip to ensure I felt absolutely no pain. Good thing he did because I ended up needing maybe 2 or 3 extra shots since I could still feel some sensation in the peripheral area on the back of my scalp. Once I was fully numb, Dr. Joe began expertly extracting the follicles from the back of my head with the aid of Carla, who served as a spotter or a second pair of eyes and kept the donor area clean as Dr. Joe worked. In total, the numbing + extraction process took maybe 3 or 4 hours. Once all 2,309 grafts were removed, I was granted a bathroom break and then it was lunch time! After lunch, I was offered Valium again. I denied it once again, but the tech (Vicky) was able to convince me to take it one final time. So it was back in the seat. Except now I was back on my back again so a few more incisions could be made and all the extracted grafts could be placed by the technicians. During this process, I finally decided to watch a movie (Venom). While that was happening, I had 4 or 5 technicians actively working on placement. Dr. Joe came in perhaps once or twice to check in on the techs. After about an hour of watching the movie, I ended up falling asleep for the remainder of the procedure. When I woke up it was about 4p and the techs were essentially finished and Dr. Joe came back for one final round of inspections and answered any questions or concerns I had at that point. It was during this time I learned that my lifetime donor grafts were estimated to be between 5,000-6,000 grafts, which Dr. Joe indicated was below average. I was a bit disappointed to hear that, but not surprised since Asians typically have less hair when compared to Caucasians. After that, I changed back into my button-down, had my surgical cap placed over my head, and that was a wrap! I ordered my Uber back to the hotel (although Dr. Joe was willing to drive me back to my hotel, but I politely declined. What a guy though!) and my first FUE HT operation was officially in the books! Once back at the hotel, I made sure to stick to the regimen of spraying the recipient area with the provided Liposomal ATP spray every 30 minutes. I even hoped on my laptop and did a couple hours worth of work! Photos after extracted follicles placed into recipient area: POST-OP – Day 1 (December 22, 2022) There was absolutely no swelling during my 2 days of surgery and none the very next day, which I was pleased to see. I was informed by Dr. Joe that swelling only occurs in 10-20% of patients. My head, both donor and recipient area, was scabby and slightly bleeding. I used the provided disposable pillowcase coverings/protectors that were provided by SMG, which is an absolute must because it was covered in spackled blood. I headed over to SMG at 10a for my first wash. Jenglia* (once again, probably not how her name is spelt) was the one who handled the wash. She was very gentle and helped remove the scabs that had formed and used cool water for the entire process. Overall, it took about 30 minutes from wash to towel dry finish. Once my head/hair was cleaned, it was off to the airport! I was comfortable enough with how I looked post-op that I didn’t want to wear a surgical cap or any type of headgear, however Dr. Joe recommended I do so to protect it from the elements (it was in the negative degrees) just in case, also especially since my head was still so fresh. My flight back home was about 2.5 hours and during this time I was bundled up since it was absolutely frigid in Minnesota. Not only that, but I made sure not to have the air vent on the plane blow directly on me because I removed my headgear every 30 minutes to spray. So I think me being slightly overheated ended up contributing to the headache because once I was off the plane and back in fresh, cool air again, my headache eventually began to dissipate. Once I was back home, I had dinner and took a couple of Advils and my headache was completely gone. SMG provided Tramadol to help with any potential pain, but luckily for me, I never experienced any physical post-op pain and opted not to take it at all. Moreover, since Tramadol is an opioid, it was the main reason why I didn’t want to take it. I'm sure everyone is aware of the potential horror stories related to opioids. Photos of day 1 of post-op: POST-OP – Day 2 (December 23, 2022) Despite not swelling for the first 2 days of the operation and the day after, I was a bit surprised to see that the right portion of my forehead/temple and the upper portion of the bridge of my nose was moderately swollen (I looked like an Avatar due to my swollen nose. If I colored my skin blue, I would have been a dead ringer for a Na'vi 😜). I was informed by Dr. Joe that if swelling was to occur, it would typically happen 2 or 3 days after and it seemed that this was the case for me. SMG provided 2 icepacks, which I used to help with the swelling. Near the end of the day, the swelling did subside a bit. I also did have a mild headache when I woke up, but after eating breakfast and popping 2 Advils, it went away. This was the first day I had to wash my hair on my own and naturally I was a bit nervous at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy. I used the baby shampoo that SMG provided and followed their instructions by wetting my scalp first by using a cup of water to drizzle gently onto your head. Then I lather up the shampoo in my hands first before gently tapping the grafts to work in the suds. The donor area you can be a little more liberal with. I would use the pads of my fingers in a circular motion to massage in the soap. I’m happy to report that I didn’t have to deal with any post-op oozing or bleeding. My donor and recipient area looked really clean. There was really no redness or scabbing going on. If you had no knowledge of my HT, you would have been unable to tell I had anything done in that region. Not sure if this type of surgery takes a lot out of your system, but even though I had a pretty good night’s rest the night before, I ended up taking a 3-hour nap later on that day. Photos of day 2 of post-op: POST-OP – Day 3 (December 24, 2022) Day 3 was more or less similar to Day 2. I continued to use the Liposomal ATP spray despite the instructions stating it should be tossed out after 48 hours. I figured an extra day wouldn't hurt. The swelling was still there and I continued to ice it in intervals throughout the day. I also took Advil in the morning to help with the minor headache I had. Photos of day 3 of post-op taken after washing: POST-OP – Day 4 (December 25, 2022) Another slight headache when I woke up this morning, but Advil helped alleviate that. The swelling on the right-side of my forehead/temple and upper bridge of nose was almost gone. I made sure to keep icing it throughout the day and by the afternoon it was completely gone. My donor area looked fantastic! With the exception of some minor redness, it essentially looked like it was back to normal. Once again, if you had absolutely no knowledge I had a HT, you would be unable to suspect I was still in recovery. Photos of day 4 of post-op: Overall, I am very satisfied with my experience thus far. Dr. Joe, you are a standup guy! The tech team was fantastic! I can't praise my experience at SMG enough! Thank you all! And now we play the waiting game... I plan on giving monthly updates. So, I suppose the next one will come next week at the top of the New Year. Anyways, thanks for reading this super long, detailed post. I plan on posting photos with each corresponding day soon. I’ll need to edit the photos first but stay tuned for photos! Also, if you have any questions or want more clarity on anything, feel free to ask! EDIT: PHOTOS HAVE NOW BEEN PAINSTAKINGLY ADDED! - Walter White
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I’d like to share my experience report of my HT so far and get feedback on the progress I’ve seen to date. Pardon the verbosity, feel free to skip to the pictures and provide feedback. About me: 40 years old with family history of NW6 on both sides. I was pleasantly surprised that I made it through my 30s without going full NW6. My hairline receded pretty early and developed a bald spot (so NW4) but it wasn’t until 2020-2021 that I began noticing rapid hair loss and the dreaded horseshoe emerging (NW5). I didn’t know hair loss prevention was really a thing until I researched in November of 2021. Medication: I got on fin 1mg/daily November of 2021 with no perceivable side effects so far. \o/ I have avoided min based on my surgeon’s recommendation (he said it’s effectiveness lasts for ~15 years so he recommends waiting to use it until later in life when you need it more). Goals I have lived with a high hairline for a while and it never bothered me enough to research solutions. The emerging NW6 scared me though so I wanted to slow / stop that as much as I could. Restoring a hairline seemed like a bonus but I wanted it to be conservative and mature. I wanted to do the surgery locally in Salt Lake City (SLC) due to logistics. Cost was not a big factor for me but I did want to have the surgery soon. I also wanted to go as big as I could so as to reduce the number of surgeries. I did not learn about Ultra Refined Follicular Unit Grafting until more recently on this site… had I learned about it before it would have been a goal of mine. Decision on surgeon and surgery I only consulted with local surgeons in SLC. In hindsight I wish I had found this site sooner and done some remote ones but somehow I did not find this site during my research phase which was, granted, short but intense. Nearly all of the “surgeons” in the SLC area seemed like jokers. They were plastic surgeons who did HTs on the side with a NeoGraft device. I seemed to know more about HTs after a weekend of research than they did. (This video from Dr. Gary Linkov about the different types of surgeons really resonated with my experience!) The only legitimate surgeon I found in the area was Dr. Zufelt. He has a lot of experience doing FUT and FUE. Similar to all members of the Shapiro group, Dr. Zufelt is a Fellow of the ISHR. This external validation and my conversations with him about realistic expectations and trade offs made me feel comfortable moving forward with him. He also had some pictures of results and they weren’t all cherry picked as his best results so I felt like he was an honest guy overall and wanted to help people similar to how his own HTs had improved his life. Aside from him, his staff was friendly and could answer a lot of my questions as well. His office is kinda odd. It used to be a group home and seemed low budget (prefab housing) especially compared to the high end offices of the joker plastic surgeons. The juxtaposition of office quality and surgeon skill was interesting as they seemed to be negatively correlated! Surgeon skill and quality >> office quality. After discussing with Dr. Zufelt I decided to go with a FUT given my advanced hair loss and the high likelihood for multiple HTs particularly given my family history. Zufelt cited, and shared with me, the research (done by Shapiro I believe) on FUTs + FUEs combinations providing the highest graft yield and so this approach, starting with a FUT, seemed like the best long term approach. I, of course, don’t like the FUT scar and have some regret about it but at the time my thinking was that HTs are one-way doors regardless and with FUT I would be able to maximize the benefit given the research above. (Yes, I saw the recent video and thread about the debate here; very interesting!). If I had got on medication sooner and had been more proactive perhaps I could have gotten away with a FUE. Surgery cost and details On December 17, 2021 I had the FUT surgery. He had estimated 3k grafts but given my goals of going big he said he would try to do as much as possible while being safe. I had a good dense donor area (100cm2 I believe) and so he was able to get 3,412 grafts. He had quoted $3.50/graft and did 100 of the extra grafts above that quote for free. Included in the cost of the operation was also a PRP at the time of the operation (he includes this for free since previous patients saw much better results with them). I also have the option to have him do free SMP sessions at month 8 if I want to hide the scar more. Along with some post op care package that I opted in for, the total operation was just under $12k. Surgery report: Dr. Zufelt only does one patient per day these days. I like the fact that he was focussed and not distracted with other patients. He met with me to discuss my goals, drew the hair line and got to work. We agreed to: a conservative new hair line with the temples only getting 20cm2 coverage My “horseshoe” area was at about 40cm2 and so the goal was to take that to 60cm2 so that it wouldn't’ appear to be thinning. I asked him to use additional grafts to focus on the crown which he ended up doing. He and his assistant removed the strip and technicians went to work with microscopes preparing the grafts while he started carefully doing all of the punctures (is that the right term?) himself. We had lunch after which two technicians implanted the grafts. I did not think to ask if he was going to be doing the implants. It seems pretty common for even the best surgeons to have technicians do this portion. I wish I had asked about the technicians training and experience but I did not do that beforehand and, well, the valium was not conducive to critical thinking. My sense is that they had worked for him for a while but I don’t think they were trained nurses (aside from the one who helped with the surgery). He was in the other room while they worked and would check in periodically. He removed the sutures on day 7 and has periodic check-up appointments with me. Dr. Zufelt is quite accessible and answers emails, texts, and phone calls. He is quite personable and so I have no complaints about this aspect of the HT. Whether or not I can recommend him will depend on the results in 12-18 months and I am curious what you all think. Pictures! New hairline lines prior to surgery (I can’t remember if we went with the top or bottom). Check out that immense forehead! Day 8 He said I didn’t need to shave the recipient area (or the donor area aside from the strip which was covered by the remaining hair easily). As a result you can’t easily see in the photos the grafts he placed on the top of the head where the majority were used. Day 14 The scabs have mostly given way to the graphs so you can see the new hairline before the shed began. The immense forehead is now merely a massive forehead. Month 2 - the dreaded shed My hair certainly looked much worse than before the surgery. I started using hair fibers for the first time as a stop gap until future growth. This was all pretty depressing even though I had been warned about it. Month 4 - some growth, not much Month 6 - meh, what do you think? It is probably the lighting but the crown looks worse than month 4 IMO: The hairline so far: Right side: Left side: Overall I am underwhelmed at the progress so far and had expected better results by month 6. The right temple looks better than the left. Both are patchy but the right is much more filled out. In terms of other areas I don’t notice too much change. I understand that as you move up the head it takes longer to see growth (with the crown taking the longest) so I wasn’t expecting to see much growth there yet. Part of my disappointment in the result so far stems from seeing much better results at month 6 on the forums here. I think I am overly focussing on the temples though and I should be realistic that with the 20cm2 target it is going to not be amazing like other HTs who were able to go all in on the temples (mine will be thinning at best but with combing it over I don’t think it will matter). I’m hoping that I am a late grower and that over the next two months it really starts to develop. That said, I’d like honest feedback from this group on the progress so far. My biggest concern is how patchy the right side is. There were two techs and I worry that I may be seeing tech bias here (the one on the right was less skilled than the one on the left?). Is it normal to have an asymmetric response? I realize that I should probably just relax and let it play out since I can’t do anything about it but I can’t help but wonder. Thanks in advance for the honest feedback. -
Don’t know how to delete post. Found out he does. -
Howdy everyone. Been lurking for a bit and finally got the procedure done myself. 28 years old been on finasteride for 2 years and minoxidil 18 months with some regrowth, but it wasn't going to bring it all back so I decided to get a transplant to take me the rest of the way. How do you guys think it's progressing? Personally, I'm extremely impressed with how quick everything is healing. I like the hairline design as well. I attached a picture of my regrowth, pre op pics, immediate post op pics and pics from today (day 6). Let me know what you guys think and if you need more details! The plan originally was to repair the frontal band and the temple points, but we decided to wait on the temple points, except for addressing the weaker one, because that's where I had the most regrowth and it could be liable to recede again. I hope to wait until about 35 to see how everything is stabilizing and address the temple points at that time if my hair is holding up well. If not I'll address the midscalp and crown or what is needed at that time. Let me know what you think of my plan as well. Thanks!
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Hi everyone! I've been a long time lurker and beneficiary of all the great content and advice on this community. Documenting my journey every step of the way feels like the right way to give back! My FUE is scheduled for a couple weeks from now (March 2022) with Dr. Hasson of H&W. They've quoted ~3,000 grafts at ~$22-25k all-in. Money was not the primary factor for me, and I was choosing between Dr. Konior, Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Hasson. Based on all the great reviews here and patient results, it was extremely difficult to differentiate between these top docs. The final decision mainly came down to timing logistics. Btw, if anyone thinks I'm making a mistake here (i.e., thinks based on my situation I'd be a fool to pick Hasson over Konior or Shapiro given budget isn't an issue), please let me know! I've scheduled the procedure for mid-March, have paid the deposit, and have booked my flights, hotels, etc.! I'm definitely excited, and also pretty nervous. I'm less nervous about the surgery itself (I don't think it'll be very painful), but more about whether I've picked the right doc, how long it'll take for me to be able to get back to work (i.e., join zoom calls with video on and without a hat), whether people will be able to tell I've had an HT, and whether FUE over FUT was the right choice (Konior, for example, recommended FUT to preserve donor region for later). Since the goal here is to document the journey, I'm attaching a detailed set of before pics! These pics show my current hairline (dry), my super super rough approximate sketch of a potential new hairline (I'm going to rely very heavily on the Dr for the design as I am not good at this kind of thing), current hairline (wet), and side view. Let me know if there are other things I can share that'd be helpful to the community! *PS - I do have one question that I'd really like some input on! I know some docs don't require shaving the recipient region. H&W wants to shave the whole head, but I've seen patients of theirs keep the adjacent hairline hair longish. I understand that I'll have to shave the donor area and am cool with that. Does anyone have experience not shaving the recipient area? Since I work mainly over zoom and need to show my face, it'd be awesome if I could preserve as much of the existing hairline hair as possible. Tbh: I look horrendous with buzzed hair. and it would be awesome if I could preserve as much of the existing top/front hair as possible... Anyone not shave their recipient area?
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After a lengthy search, I decided to use Shapiro Medical Group for my FUE procedure. I'm going to keep this short, but wanted to share my experience. I am a surgeon myself, and am quite familiar with what constitutes a great experience when undergoing a procedure. An old question comes to mind which was polled in our local newspaper years ago: If you were to need a surgery and you had the choice of the highest skilled surgeon with a below average bedside manner, or an average skilled surgeon with the best bedside manner, which would you pick? To my surprise, many people chose the surgeon with average skills. 8 days a week and on Saturday and Sunday I would pick the highest skilled surgeon and could care less about bedside manner. When I originally heard this question, my first thought was "Wouldn't it be ideal to have both?" Well, that is exactly the experience I had with Dr. Ron and Dr. Joe, and actually the entire staff at Shapiro Medical Group. Initially, I spoke with Matt (patient care coordinator). Matt answered all of my questions via phone calls and emails. He is extremely knowledgeable, and has worked there for 25 years. By the way, most of the staff has been there for many years as well. Next, I scheduled a phone call with Dr. Ron, who thoroughly answered all of my questions and gave his recommendations. He spent as much time as was necessary, and never felt rushed. My actual procedure was completed over 2 days. On the first day, I met with Dr. Ron and he again answered my questions as well as made his suggestions on how to best proceed. We discussed my hairline and desired results. The rest of the day he made most of the initial incisions. The entire day took around 4 hours in total. On day two, Dr. Joe and staff first did the harvesting of the grafts. For those wondering about the pain level, my experience was extremely comfortable. Injection of the local anesthesia was done with the aid of vibration, which almost completely masks any pain from the injections. If I had to quantify it, I would say 1/10, with a rare 2/10. It was much less than what I though it would be. The grafts were then placed into the existing incisions. Along the way, Dr. Ron was watching the procedure, and he made new incisions as needed. I asked him to make my hairline just slightly lower than what we initially decided. At this time, we decided to not do any work on the crown area but rather to try meds first and see how it goes from there. My procedure was done on a Monday and Tuesday. I ended up staying in Minneapolis from Sunday - Saturday, though there was no need to stay that long. I could have returned on Wednesday. For those of you from out of town, I highly recommend staying at the Four Seasons. It is a brand new hotel (opened last summer). There are many hotels closer to the facility, but this hotel was phenomenal. Many people from the local area stay there as a stay-cation. Whole Foods is directly across the street, and Uber was always accessible in under 10 minutes. The clinic was around 20 min away via Uber. Although expensive, the hotel offered 3 nights for the price of 2. So even though I stayed 6 nights, I only paid for 4. Lastly, please go to Martina restaurant (or have Doordash deliver). Trust me on that one. My experience was excellent from start to finish. Technical skills of the highest level, combined with the best bedside manner make this a world-class clinic worth traveling to from any location. Coming from a fellow surgeon, I cannot speak highly enough of Dr. Ron, Dr. Joe and the entire staff. Cheers -
I watched this video, but I still didn't get a clear picture as to why the transplanted hair thins. To me it seems: Some of the donor would have thinned out anyway even if it wasn't transplanted - and with some hair transplants we therefore see the transplanted hair thinning. -
Journey & Decision After thorough research, I decided to pull the trigger and get a HT at Shapiro Medical Group with Ron Shapiro and Dr. Josephitis/Dr. Joe. SMG spent many hours over the phone with me and answered all my questions. I emailed Ron Shapiro directly and Matt Zupan (Patient Educator), and they always addressed all of my concerns/follow-ups. Matt called me very frequently to check up on me and has pretty much become a friend at this point. The front office staff, Matt Zupan (Patient Educator), and everyone involved wanted to make sure that I had the best care. They did not care about making money or getting the "sale" as they honestly wanted what was best for me. They even recommended other great clinics if I decided not to go through with SMG. SMG was the only clinic out of the 5 places I contacted who actually walked me through the concept of donor supply, how to look at the future for when my hair loss progresses and what I can do to prevent more hair loss (medication, exercise, etc.) They have a concept to not blow your entire "wad" with a mega session and see how the first procedure goes to ensure you can make revisions later on and assess where you are. This approach makes perfect sense and gives the patient more donor supply to fine tune their hair in the future. I originally booked with Dr. Diep but decided to back out due to a lot of recent negative reviews and concerns about his ethics. Please review my other thread here and post here about the situation. I want to give a major shout out to aaron1234 for coaching me through the whole process and recommending me to go through SMG/Ron Shapiro. This is the best decision I have ever made and I would not have gotten this far without him. Aaron, thank you for everything, I owe you. Also, notable mention to jimcraig152 for giving me some solid advice regarding my surgeon decision. Shapiro Medical Group (SMG) Review This clinic is hands down one of the most professional clinics I have been to. It was an amazing experience and I felt right at home at SMG. The staff/technicians/doctors are so genuine, caring, and love what they do. Ron Shapiro took his time with me to explain the process and decisions behind the HT and hairline. The staff and technicians were very friendly and we got along well. They introduced themselves and wanted to know more about me. They cared about my personal life, we joked/laughed together and we were all just having a great time during the procedure. This made everything so much easier. Oh, and everyone is super organized which is a huge plus. The office itself is super clean and everyone followed COVID procedures to a t. Great atmosphere and I felt 150% comfortable being there. Pre-Surgery Appointment Mattt Zupan (Sales Consultant) took my before photos in their studio. Pamela (receptionist) took my food order for the procedure day. I got to meet with Dr. Ron Shapiro and go over our game plan. He let me ask as many questions as I wanted and was very patient with me. He also showed me many photos going over this donor supply philosophy and why he likes his conservative approach versus mega sessions. Before Photos Surgery Day 1 Got in at 7:30 AM and was greeted by Pamela (receptionist). Dr. Josephitis/Dr. Joe greeted me and had me change into their provided shirt. He asked if I had breakfast and I had not. He immediately got me some breakfast/energy bars and apple juice so that I was not hungry. Dr. Joe cut my hair (in their barber room) short enough, but left enough hair so that Dr. Shapiro could see how to properly blend my grafts with my hair loss appropriately. Went into the surgery room and my vitals were taken. Everyone introduced themselves and I hit it off with the staff immediately. They got me blankets, water and let me pick out a movie on the Apple TV. The technician (Vicky) numbed my head so we could make the incisions. They used massagers/vibrator on my face to distract me. Ron Shapiro came out and began to make the incisions on my head. He did roughly 2000 incisions. Hole sizes were predominantly meant for 2s and 3s. Some 1s for hairline. Ron took his time and did not rush the incisions which was awesome to see. He did them with intent and purpose. I got numbed in the back of my head for extractions and received a back massage + face massage for a distraction. SCORE! Dr. Josephitis came in to perform my extractions and got roughly 1620 Grafts from the middle section of the back of my head: 674 3's | 782 2's | 164 1's Dr. Ron came back out with the technicians and supervised for a bit while they began to implant the grafts. He also made some additional incisions for 1's that Dr. Joe extracted PS: Lunch was amazing! Lunch Break Photos End of Day 1 Surgery Photos Surgery Day 2 Front staff fed me again, provided blankets, movies, etc. Technicians numbed me again for procedure Dr. Ron made an additional 1000 incisions in anticipation of harvesting a total of 3000 grafts. Ron took his time and did not rush the incisions. Dr. Joe finished my extractions on the sides of my head and was able to extract a total of 1600/1700 grafts and exceeded my expectations. Dr. Ron and I were pleasantly surprised here. This surpassed our planned 3,000 graft count and hit 3332. Dr. Ron came back and added more incisions to cover the new grafts. He finished my hairline and advised his technicians on where to place the 1s, 2s and 3s. EDIT: Ron injected 5cc's of exosomes into my scalp which are derived from stem cells. This is supposed to be better than PRP and has major benefits from a single session. SMG has seen great results with hair growth from this treatment, and I decided to give it a shot. This exosomes were diluted to 10ccs and injected all over my scalp. You can learn more about exosomes here. End of Day 2 Surgery Photos FINAL GRAFT INFORMATION COMING SOON Summary All in all, I am super IMPRESSED by the professionalism at SMG. Ron Shapiro did all the incisions in the recipient area while Dr. Joe (Very experienced surgeon) did all the extractions. Dr. Ron supervised and helped the technicians with the implantation. Ron came to the surgery room frequently when the techs were implanting and always made sure I was taken care of. Always took his time to re-asses the hairline and make sure it looked good. Dr Ron & Joe took their time to ensure that the incisions made sense and that the extractions were super clean and spread out. Dr Ron & Joe answered all my questions during the procedure as well and you can tell they are both super passionate about what they do. I got thorough answers and learned a lot in the surgery room. The staff was super friendly and we talked about our lives, kids, family, interests and etc. Made the experience really fun. I would definitely recommend everyone who is looking for a US surgeon to go to SMG as this is a world-class clinic which provided an experience I will never forget. They made my first Hair Transplant an amazing experience and I look forward to returning if I am going to get another procedure. I left the clinic thrilled and ready for my next steps in life. The final graft count is as follows: 1’s - 663 2’s - 1912 3’s - 757
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Just received my FUE procedure from Shapiro Medical Group in Bloomington, MN. I have had a ton of thinning from front to crown area beginning at 28 years old, and currently I am 35. I have always still maintained a decent hairline so that made the doctors job a bit easier since they did not need to recreate a hairline, but I suppose the natural hairline will eventually go as well, but hope not! I was on the waiting list for the procedure for a year, and they still currently have a one year wait. I flew in from out of state for the procedure. Matt Zupan was my advisor the entire time prior to surgery and my primary contact, and he was amazing and answered all my questions. It seems like I could call/text/email anytime and I'd get a response within an hour. The office staff was as nice as can be, and both Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Joe were amazing and welcoming. I primarily worked with Dr. Shapiro as he made all the incisions and Dr. Joe worked on the FUE extraction. The nurses were great and I had 2-3 nurses working on me to place the grafts with Dr. Shapiro supervising the procedure. Dr. Shapiro asked if I wanted to also have Exosome injections which I had not heard about prior to arriving at the clinic, so I did some research back at the hotel after the first day and didn't see convincing evidence of it helping so I opted to not have the Exosome injections done. The first day was about a 3 hour day where Dr. Shapiro made about 2,400 incisions. He indicated that this was so growth hormones can start entering into the wounds and so the hair will transplant more firmly and quickly. The second day was an 8 hour day, and consisted of the FUE extraction, 600 more incisions to clean up gaps and edges, and the implantation of the grafts. For both the 1st and 2nd day they numbed the entire scalp and above the eyebrows so I literally did not feel a thing. Just lie back, relax, and watched movies on their Apple TV. They ordered me a lunch the 2nd day as well. The following are my 2,904 Graft breakdowns: 1 Hair's - 296 2 Hair's - 1631 3 Hair's - 977 For a total of 6,489 Hairs. See below for my before photos and my photos 2 hours after surgery. I will post the Before photos that they took in the office when they send them to me, and I will also post updates regularly to show progress. Let me know if you have questions and I will try to respond. BEFORE: AFTER SURGERY:
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I got lucky with scheduling Shapiro as he tends to be always booked, and Matt helped out a little since I was a returning patient. Shapiro also did my first procedure, so it was nice for continuity purposes. Dr. Joe is an excellent FUE surgeon as well. That is correct and also is why he teams up with Shapiro on these surgeries.
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How old is the video of Dr Josephitis? I recall in a podcast this year Dr. Shapiro said beard grows just as well. I’m paraphrasing though and may have misunderstood -
Dr. Joe does all the FUE extractions at the clinic, regardless of whether it's his or Dr. Shapiro's case.
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