Need advice...

[Hairnutter123]

Hello.

 

Even though I have been reading various forums over the past year I have never posted before.

 

I have read loads of information and done many hours of research on Hair Transplants. I think though I have reached the point where some direct advice for my situation would be great.

 

I know that some pictures would help but I do not have a digital camera at the moment but will get one soon.

 

I am 43 years old and 5 years ago had a transplant with a clinic that promised a wonderful thing called FUE, I have since found out that I was given mini grafts. The work does not look good but is behind my existing hairline, my donor scar is quite good and hard to find.

 

I was wondering about medications but am and have been very sensitive to anything.

 

I hope I am making sense and maybe someone could point me in the right direction or maybe ask me some relevent questions.

 

My life is becoming more depressing as my HT is showing more... one of my friends even called me Elton John in front of lots of people and then told them why !! Who needs friend like that !!

 

Any help would be a god send.

 

Thank you

 

(sorry about the silly name "Hairnutter"... but my hair is driving me nuts )

[Hairnutter123]

Hello.

 

Even though I have been reading various forums over the past year I have never posted before.

 

I have read loads of information and done many hours of research on Hair Transplants. I think though I have reached the point where some direct advice for my situation would be great.

 

I know that some pictures would help but I do not have a digital camera at the moment but will get one soon.

 

I am 43 years old and 5 years ago had a transplant with a clinic that promised a wonderful thing called FUE, I have since found out that I was given mini grafts. The work does not look good but is behind my existing hairline, my donor scar is quite good and hard to find.

 

I was wondering about medications but am and have been very sensitive to anything.

 

I hope I am making sense and maybe someone could point me in the right direction or maybe ask me some relevent questions.

 

My life is becoming more depressing as my HT is showing more... one of my friends even called me Elton John in front of lots of people and then told them why !! Who needs friend like that !!

 

Any help would be a god send.

 

Thank you

 

(sorry about the silly name "Hairnutter"... but my hair is driving me nuts )

[Hairnutter123]

Sorry I forgot to ask

 

Who is the best HT surgeon... is there one that stands out.

 

I have not seen anything I think is great in the United Kingdom.. all the good ones seem to be in the USA.. Like Dr Feller, just to name one.

 

Are there any clinics in the Uk that do good work.. or closer to the Uk than the USA.

 

I did meet someone awhile ago who had an HT in the Uk.. by Doctor Rogers.. it looked ok but I do not think I would be 100% happy, even though it is 100% better than what I have.

 

Thank you

[balody]

hi hairnutter,surely if you have been reading the forums for a year you must know the lowdowns on the best dr,s out there?

if you seriously dont then the usual suspects are...u.s and canada

hasson and wong

shapiro

rahal

feller

epstein

to name but a few.

if you are seriously looking at the uk(which i doubt you are)then farjo is the only clinic producing top notch results.as for europe there are a couple in belgium youve probably read about.

good luck.

[Hairnutter123]

Hello balody.

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

I suppose I am just asking what I have seen so many people ask, is there somewhere close to home that carries out good HT's.

It worries me having to travel so far to have surgery.. and then the journey back.

I suppose if something is worth doing and to get what we want then I think it would be worth it.

I do not think that I could have been doing my research that well as I did not realise Farjo was in the UK.

I know it seems crazy but I am just so embarrased about my hair, but then I suppose at a consult I do not have a unique situation and the surgeon would have seen worse.

Thank you

[Hairnutter123]

Hello balody (again)..

 

You probably think that I am a bit stupid... I will be the first to admit that my research has been a bit limited..

 

I often see results and think how can they be real... they look so good. I am afraid that my only experience was a UK transplant 5 years ago.. I saw an advert in a Sunday magazine, contacted them and they promised me so much. Only 2 weeks later and ??4000 pounds worse off I thought all my problems were over..

 

Its an emotional subject for me... sorry I come across as an idiot but my life is such a mess.

 

Thank you..

[dakota3]

hairnutter,

 

Man dont be so hard on yourself! Know that you are not alone. I have the same issue except my scar is 10 inches long ,no hair grew, and just the opposite happenend actually. I lost more hair and now shave all the way down. I tell people I was wrestling alligators in Australia w/ Steve Irwin and one tried bite my head off. LOL J.K Of course now he's dead so that wont fly.

 

Have you ever heard of toppik? Its a concealer that works the balls. "the balls means 'great' here in Boston". This will buy you some time my friend.

 

Im not sure about HT docs in the UK but Balody gave you some excellent names to start with. Look if we're gonna do this lets do it right this time right? So if it requires travel then do it. Most docs reimburse for travel anyways. Keep us up to date and try to be positive.

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Hairnutter123,

 

I can certainly understand your anxiety about you hair loss and doing another transplant. You were apparently oversold by a "doctor" on results that proved to be underwhelming. Then your "friend" calls you Elton John and then explains his poor "joke" to the crowd.

 

Frankly, you would only be an "idiot" if you weren't concerned.

 

But since you have been on this forum you must know that real people are achieving real life improving results from doctors who actually deliver.

 

The UK has had a very sorry history of lousy hair transplant results - even worse than in North America.

 

But in recent times, two clinics in particular in the UK, have been demonstrating that they get it. They have gotten on track with their leading North American collegues and left their UK colleauges to playing the "corn row shuffle".

 

These two clinics in my opinion are the Farjos (the husband and wife team of Bessam and Nilofer) and Dr. Rogers.

 

Given the lousy history of hair transplants in the UK, it has become virtual gospel that you have to leave the UK to get a state of the art hair transplant.

 

Last Spring I flew to the UK to find out the truth for myself. I came away genuinely impressed by the state of the art work I saw the Farjos doing. I also thought that Dr. Rogers was on track and with a few enhancements could be world class. To view the highlights from my visit to the UK and Europe, click here .

 

While the Farjos were certainly not performing hair transplant surgery at the ultra refined level in the past. They are now. And I think that's what should matter most to those in the UK today.

[Dewayne]

Hairnutter,

 

I'm with you brother, as I had a similar situation. Check out my weblog and you'll see where Dr. Cooley removed a lot of my old plugs and recycled them. Farjo can do the same for you, plus keep your scar minimal while getting more grafts.

[balody]

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/256...031045133#3031045133

 

hairnutter,an example or what dr farjo can do with old plug work.

[balody]

here is another example,slightly more extreme but shows what can be acheived repairwise.

 

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/256...861012553#4861012553

[Hairnutter123]

Wow..

 

cheers guys... I feel a little awkard now having come across like a wimp..

 

Pat, great info thankyou. So Dr Rogers is a good bet, maybe even if its just for a consultation..? I had met someone ages ago.. his HT was ok and had been by Dr Rogers... it was about 1000% better than mine but I could still see it was an HT.. but that was awhile ago..

 

Dakota... I have just ordered some toppik on line.. will give it a go.. cheers mate.

 

Dewayne... thank you

 

Balody.. these look great.... given me so much to think about.. all I can say is wow..cheered my up so much, sorry for sounding like a pratt... just a little down last night.

 

Thank you all... Support like this is fantastic.

[balody]

no problem mate,and no need to apologise.

dont worry your in safe hands here,try and get some pics taken so we can see where your at and then can advise you a little better.

as always plenty of research is a must.

good luck.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Hairnutter,

 

Dr. Rogers is not recommended on this site given that he only just recently started adopting the regular use of microscopes into his practice. Pat did visit with him and was generally impressed, but he didn't meet our high level of recommendation standards at the time of Pat's visit.

 

I have recently sent Dr. Rogers and Dr. Stevenson an email to learn how his practice has evolved since adopting microscopes into his practice but have not heard back from him to date.

 

In the UK, the Farjo clinic is the one to go to in my opinion.

 

Good luck in your continued research.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Hairnutter123]

Hello balody.

 

Managed to pick up a digital camera today so pics will be on here asap.

Thanks for your kind words.

I did post on another topic about scars on the back of my head (the donor). Even though my HT is bad the scar is ok, can easily hide it when I keep my hair down to a grade 5. I have been reading about scars and know that they can be very good now. I am sure from photos I have seen I could find a surgeon who can fix the problem I have with my hairline.. but I am concerned about then having a problem with my donor... sort of moving the problem from one area to another.

Is it possible to combine an HT on the hairline with an HT in my old scar.. or would this have to be done on seperate operations ?

 

I know photos would help... am going to work on those now.

 

Thank you

[richie48]

hey hairnutter

 

I'm from the UK and after several years of research and several consults with top clinics I traveled to the United States to have hair surgery with Dr feller in nov 2007 .

 

More infomation on scars and repairs can be found here

 

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/746...861/m/1951080673/p/2

 

Dr Feller goes into exteame detail with good clear explanations and photos to demonstate his point .

 

I hope you find the courage to step back into the HT areana after the damage you have spoke about and remember do as much detailed research as you can , this will help you make an educated and informed desision .

 

RESEARCH =TOP DOC = TOP RESULT

 

It really is that simple my friend

Good luck

richie

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by Hairnutter123:

Hello balody.

 

Managed to pick up a digital camera today so pics will be on here asap.

Thanks for your kind words.

I did post on another topic about scars on the back of my head (the donor). Even though my HT is bad the scar is ok, can easily hide it when I keep my hair down to a grade 5. I have been reading about scars and know that they can be very good now. I am sure from photos I have seen I could find a surgeon who can fix the problem I have with my hairline.. but I am concerned about then having a problem with my donor... sort of moving the problem from one area to another.

Is it possible to combine an HT on the hairline with an HT in my old scar.. or would this have to be done on seperate operations ?

 

I know photos would help... am going to work on those now.

 

Thank you

 

Hairnutter,

 

I think guys are going down to a grade 2 nowadays and still are able to hide the scar. I haven't seen yours, but I'd bet it would be improved as well.

 

I, too, thought my scar was ok but when I started researching I realized it was raised and still tender after 15 years - which is not normal.

 

There's a new technique that I can never spell called Trichoptic (?) that allows hairs to actually grow through the scar; which further hide it.

[balody]

hn thats good news,get some photos up so we can see what were dealing with.

as for the scar the doctor would lose the first scar when he takes the second strip for your new transplant.

i too was worried that my 2nd scar would not live up to my first but dr farjo came through again and i currently have a pencil thin scar with plenty of hair growing through it.

this btw is known as a trichophytic closure.

as with all things you cannot 100% guarantee a perfect scar no matter how good your doctor is.

anyway get some pics done and go from there.

[balody]

sorry dewayne,you posted as i was still typing

[Hairnutter123]

Thank you balody, Richie48 and Dewayne..

 

Camera up and running but very difficult to take photos of the back that are clear.

My sister is coming round tomorrow to take some pics and is also much better on a PC than me. So pics should be here late tomorrow.

 

Great news about the scar situation. I do understand that no surgery can have 100% guarantee.

 

To be able to buzz to a grade 2 would be fantastic.

 

 

I have noticed that the names of 2 clinics keeps appearing time and time again.. Fajoe and Feller.. I guess these must be the favourite choices for people here. I do not want to start a debate on which one is best and I have also seen other Clinics mentioned on here that do amazing work.. but are these two the most popular with you guys. Maybe due to location also.

 

Thank you all again

 

 

 

Thank you

[Dewayne]

Hairnutter,

 

If you want the absolute best, without regard to location, then it's Cooley in North Carolina...

 

Seriously, there are several #1's and the two you mentioned are certainly part of that group. For my money, if I had a 5* physician right there in my back yard, I'd certainly consider him strongly.

 

Though you'd probably never have a need to return to the doc, in that event it's more convenient to go local in my opinion. I got down to thinking of Cooley, Charles and even considered going to Arizona for Alexander, but in the end I stayed relatively close (in the Southern United States), because I felt they were all relatively equal.

 

Farjo and Feller are probably about the same as the ones I mentioned above, but I couldn't see enough of a difference to go to the U.K. or NYC.

 

But, that's just me. You won't go wrong with either.

[Hairnutter123]

Thank you again all.

 

Bill.

 

Sorry I think I must have not read your post properly. The bit about Dr Rogers, I thought he was recommended here. This did confuse me as I have seen one of his patients, who was happy but I still did not think it looked 100% natural, by that I mean compared with some photos on here that I have seen. So that is one point cleared up.

 

This is why I realise I should have joined a forum sooner and not just sat on the side lines, much better info this way,

 

I think I can see that a good natural result can be got by choosing the right surgeon. My only issue now would be cost, my problem I know. The recovery time is not an issue as I do not see many people anyway. But am going to have to start a serious overhaul of my finances.

 

Thank you again

[Dewayne]

I would certainly recommend a good, solid monthly savings plan to help reach your goal. One other thing I think is important is to look at what you have.

 

In my opinion, some people (self included) automatically think "no way I can spend $10k on a hair transplant." Yet, these same people (self included) might not blink at the prospect of buying a $30k, $20k whatever priced vehicle.

In my humble opinion, your money is well spent buying a nice $7,000 car and doing something about your hair, if it's depressing.

 

This is a general example and I know it might not apply to you. But I'm the same way. My wife drives a Volvo SUV ($40k) and I drive a Nissan Frontier ($24k), both are within a year of manufacture, but I really was having a hard time coming to grips with spending $9k on myself for such a thing, that subconsciously I think we assume it's just for vanity purposes. But I think it's more than that.

 

Anyway, it's a hell of an investment and to do it again I'd sell my truck, my $1k bicycle I never ride, the 4-wheeler, whatever. I'm not recommending getting swamped in debt, but it's also bad walking around depressed all the time.

[balody]

thats the way i see it too dewayne.

as for the rogers thing,i too thought he was recommended until a while back.the reason he is not at this moment is that when pat visited him last year although he was performing good work he was not using microscopes.this is part of the criteria for recommendation on this site.

apparently he has started using them now and pat/Bill will be reviewing his case shortly.

[Hairnutter123]

Hello

 

Dewayne, you are very right in what you say. I have often heard and read that you cannot put a price on happiness. I would sacrafice my car to be able to walk outside and know that people are not going to talk to my hairline, unfortunately I had to give up my nice car when I changed my work, I now drive something that would not even pay for my bus fare to a clinic if I sold it.

Most of my work is on the telephone from home, I even took a lower paid job so I have less contact with people as I am sick to death of people talking to my hairline, if someone notices my plugs then that is all they seem to stare at !

 

But I know I have to kick myself and get on with life, there does now seem to be an answer, have now increased the number of hours I will work and also going to do a 6 day week. I know that this will be worth it as I know I need to be fixed, with this will I am sure my old confidence will return and then I can return to my profession and get my old life back.

 

Maybe I have my calculations wrong but it does seem that for someone in the UK it is a little cheaper to go to America and have an HT, because of the dollar rate at the moment ? With the added bonus of a mini holiday. But it still worries me about going so far for surgery. Having to come back through customs having just been operated on, but saying that I have not anything that says this has been a problem for any guys.

 

Never been further than France or Spain. Could be the start of a world wide adventure.

 

Balody

 

Yes, like I mentioned I did get a confused by the Doctor Rogers issue. Do you know when those guys will review him.

 

Thank you