advice regarding Dr. Armani

[CountOfMonteCristo]

Hi,

 

This is my first post on here. I am really glad I found this website -- it has a wealth of helpful information. I have been reading a lot about Dr. Armani on this forum and wanted to get some advice because I am considering having a HT.

 

From reading the posts about Dr. A, it seems to me that his artistic and technical skills are highly regarded by most posters on here, and it is his ethical practices that are questioned. Specifically, the main argument against Dr. A is that his aggressive, dense hairlines on younger people (20 somethings) are very risky. Since future hair loss is a possibility (and perhaps likely in many cases for younger people) "using up" the donor area for dense hairlines may be problematic down the road.

 

This is my question, and I would like to get some advice, if possible. I am almost 25 and started losing my hair around 18/19. I am a NW 6, Pattern 1. I've been told I've lost over 95% of the hair I am going to lose. So, the hair loss has stabilized and there's not much hair left to lose. Just a few strands...lol.

 

Going by the pictures on his website, I like Dr. A's work. Being younger, I guess I do like the more agressive hair lines, and that makes him stand out in my mind.

 

Since I don't have any hair to lose should I be concerned about his "ethical practices?" in terms of being aggressive on the hairline? Any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Also, approximately how much would other doctors cost for 5800 grafts using the strip method? Could somebody recommend other doctors that have good reputation in creating a dense hairline? What is the most number of grafts that can be transplanted in one session using the strip method?

 

Again, thank you in advance for the advice...I look forward to hearing your opinions.

[CountOfMonteCristo]

Hi,

 

This is my first post on here. I am really glad I found this website -- it has a wealth of helpful information. I have been reading a lot about Dr. Armani on this forum and wanted to get some advice because I am considering having a HT.

 

From reading the posts about Dr. A, it seems to me that his artistic and technical skills are highly regarded by most posters on here, and it is his ethical practices that are questioned. Specifically, the main argument against Dr. A is that his aggressive, dense hairlines on younger people (20 somethings) are very risky. Since future hair loss is a possibility (and perhaps likely in many cases for younger people) "using up" the donor area for dense hairlines may be problematic down the road.

 

This is my question, and I would like to get some advice, if possible. I am almost 25 and started losing my hair around 18/19. I am a NW 6, Pattern 1. I've been told I've lost over 95% of the hair I am going to lose. So, the hair loss has stabilized and there's not much hair left to lose. Just a few strands...lol.

 

Going by the pictures on his website, I like Dr. A's work. Being younger, I guess I do like the more agressive hair lines, and that makes him stand out in my mind.

 

Since I don't have any hair to lose should I be concerned about his "ethical practices?" in terms of being aggressive on the hairline? Any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Also, approximately how much would other doctors cost for 5800 grafts using the strip method? Could somebody recommend other doctors that have good reputation in creating a dense hairline? What is the most number of grafts that can be transplanted in one session using the strip method?

 

Again, thank you in advance for the advice...I look forward to hearing your opinions.

[Bill - Seemiller]

CountofMonteCristo,

 

I think you already covered it.

 

A few things to keep in mind...

 

Dr. Armani does have excellent skills, but yes, I believe there are ethical issues. Personally, because of the ethical issues, I wouldn't go to him.

 

Dr. Armani ONLY does FUE now, from what I understand and you will end up paying about $14 per graft which is above average.

 

Dr. Armani typically estimates a larger donor supply than ANY other elite and ethical physician, which is why he often creates lower hairlines.

 

Dr. Armani also advertises FUE as a non-surgical technique....which is completely false.

 

Dr. Armani's estimate for available donor supply via FUE is about 10,000-14,000 grafts, whereas most others estimate between 6000-8000. 10,000 is extremely rare.

 

So we have to ask...why is it that Dr. Armani feels that he can get that many while other elite physicians cannot?

 

IMO, do NOT start out with a conservative hairline if you are a NW6. Start with a conservative hairline and go for as much coverage and density as possible.

 

If you have the donor supply, you can always go back to lower your hairline.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[MrJobi]

Bill is spot on

 

My main concern here are the two words

 

NW6 & Agressive hairline

 

These two are not very synonomous with each other.

 

Being a NW6 donor supply becomes even move valuble as every hair needs to be maximized to create density..

 

In visiting Dr. A's website I do not recall many NW6's photo's , rather 2's -4's or so ..

 

This certainly doesn't mean he cannot do this but in my opinion a strip would be more in line to allow a MEGASESSION

 

Do some research and good luck

[Guest]

I agree with B spot & Bill.

 

CountofMonticristo, Thats a long handle!

 

Dr. Armani does seem to specialize in younger men.

However, if you are a NW6, that takes age out of the factor.

All the pics I have seen from armani patients have been an NW2...maybe.

 

If you can post a photo that would help.

 

If you are a true NW6 you need FUS vs FUE.

 

And as Bill stated. armani only does FUE.

And at a high cost!

 

There are many qualified Doctors here that would probably suit you better than armani.

 

If I were you I would start reading post on this forum & check out all of the coalition doctors that might interest you.

 

And don't just hone in on one doctor until you have had at least two or three actual consultations.

 

Research & knowledge are King!

[Jotronic]

Count,

 

Welcome to the forum. You pose a great question but I'd like to chime in with my .02 worth.

 

You stated that you are 24 years of age and already a NW6 pattern. I fear that at this stage you are clearly on the path to being a NW7. What is the difference? A NW6 still has a manageable recipient area that is focused on the top of his scalp. The parietal humps lateral to the top of the scalp are still well defined and do not need to be addressed with grafts. What are the parietal humps? They are the triangular points that are evident directly above either ear. They disrupt the horseshoe pattern on the top of the scalp with two indentations of hair. A NW7 not only has lost these humps but the lateral hairline as also receded down toward the ears making the loss obvious on the top of the scalp and the sides of the scalp. In order to rebuild any semblance of normalcy one has to have these lateral hairlines rebuilt and brought back up to the top of the scalp. This takes up valuable grafts from a very finite supply of donor hair.

 

You are unfortunately not a candidate for the low, dense hairlines that you may see online. In my opinion very few patients actually are. It is a simple matter of supply and demand. If we take the average adult male with progressive loss like you have described as having yourself you may have up to 8500 grafts in total availability (on the high end) if your characteristics are average. This is not enough to have even a high hairline with healthy density and even density into the crown much less a low dense hairline like that of a typical male in his teens. Take my case as an example. I have more grafts than most patients on the planet and I too was a NW6. Actually, I was halfway to being a NW7 at the age of 32. I have a hairline that is considered to be conservative in height (roughly 7.5cm in height) with what would be considered the low end of high density (55 per cm2). The rest of my scalp has progressively lower density as you move back to my crown. My crown is thin and see through. This is a best case scenario for anyone with anything remotely resembling our shared NW pattern. Is my distribution obviously thin and make me look like I'm bald or trying to hide my baldness? Absolutely not.

 

Low and dense hairlines certainly are appealing. That is not in question. However, say you pull the trigger and get such a hairline rebuilt for yourself. What happens next? The hair will start to grow in, you'll get excited about the prospect of being able to regain your youth, then, you'll start to wonder about the back. How do you think a hairline that is low and dense will look with the top of your scalp and the crown being very thin? Do you see low dense hairlines that look like not a single hair has succumbed to recession followed by a thin and/or balding top and crown on anyone on the street? Absolutely not.These types of hairlines are only seen on those that have not lost any hair. There are rare examples of these types of people in the world like Ronald Reagan. Those hairlines that you are lusting after would look lopsided on someone like you or me without an equal amount of volume and density throughout the areas behind the hairline. Look at this from the front, it looks great. Look at it from the side however and you look front heavy and lopsided.

 

I've had some argue that there are people in this world of ours that do have these hairlines and have experienced thinning on the top and the crown so they do not look unnatural. This is a valid argument until you look at the hairlines on these individuals. Personalities such as Al Gore and Prince Charles have been used as examples because their hairlines still have their youthfull shape with minimal recession and they have thinning or bald crowns. Have you ever looked at their hairlines in detail? While they retain some of their original shape, they are in fact sporting a bevy of miniaturized hairs and lower density than what was present in their youth. Their hairlines are not nearly as strong has they used to be. The hairlines that are placed like this via transplantation however will not thin in the same way and the shape and density will be evident far into your golden years.

 

Having said all this, you are most likely in a position for a large procedure because of all the hair that you have already lost. The key is to consider your case as that of an older patient that demands conservative placement due to age. You are still quite young but you will not be forever. Following this ideology will help to insure that you have enough hair for all areas of thinning and still have some left in reserve just in case. A proper hairline for your case may be higher than what you are after however it will still take years off of your appearance as it may stand today. You are 24 now, but you will not be forever. It would make more sense to have a hairline that you can grow into instead of a hairline that you wish you could grow out of. Does it suck having this much hairloss at a young age? No question, but having been in your shoes myself I cannot thank my lucky stars enough that I had a doctor that had enough foresight to plan my procedure for my life as opposed to planning for my age at the time.

 

Understand that the clinic I work for performs the largest sessions in the industry on a regular basis. I see big cases all the time on all sorts of patients and I'm here to tell you that you are NOT a candidate for this type of hairline because it all comes down to supply and demand. Because of your age and your relative hair loss you have very few options for overall success. You should start Propecia if you have not already, plan conservatively with regards to hairline placement, and manage the donor area for future need. Read this site, consult with doctors, ask questions till you are blue in the face. You're in the right spot so good luck.

[L'Anonyme]

If you've already lost 95% of the hair you're going to lose and are nearly entirely bald, then the aggressive Armani hairline approach is definitely not for you. I believe what Bill meant to say was, "Do NOT start out with an aggressive hairline if you are a NW6."

 

And take anything Armani tells you about total donor reserves with a massive grain of salt. It's my opinion that that clinic is basically bullshitting its way to all FUE, top-dollar surgeries now, and by the time people run out of their real (rather than promised) donor reserves, Armani will be retired and untouchable. You realize that this is someone who legally changed his name to "Armani" in Canada pretty much for marketing purposes? And is opening a new clinic in Dubai in a building that has a (Giorgio) Armani hotel on the top floor, hoping, I guess, that people will associate or confuse the two? Don't believe everything that's presented to you as scientific fact unless you can corroborate it with the experiences and testimony of other leading clinics.

[calvinmd]

That prediction about Armani (get all the cash he can get right now, and then get out before the lack of real donor hair shows itself) sounds terrible. But unfortunately I don't see how it could be anything else.

 

Armani seems to be a new animal in the HT world: As time goes by, he's creating more and more of a Bosley-style hair mill. But this is one that actually delivers top-notch results from the individual session. It's the long-term recklessness that he shares with the HT butcher chains.

 

 

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[jase_norwood]

Hey Count...

 

I feel you man. I am in the same boat, at 23 (going on 46 in hair appearance), I know how much it sucks to be thinning so young. From what I've gathered about the Armani clinic, he is definitely gouging young men based on their desire to keep zee hairs. FUE would give minimal results at best, and be far more expensive. Getting on proscar right away might yield some results for you, and hopefully halt your loss. I'd like to see some pics of your situation, you can search my posts to see some of my own status.

Everyone tells us to be patient, but I know how hard that is. It's crippling sometimes to be the odd man out... Good luck in your search and be sure not to rush into anything with one particular clinic before doing your homework.

[Guest wanthairs]

Count...

 

Do yourself a favour and go to Hasson And wong.......I should have gone there to start with, I think I am going to have my second procedure there.........

[Guest]

Do yourself a favour and go to Hasson And wong

 

That would be a little narrow minded to just focus on one doctor.

 

H & W do fine work, however there are to many vaeiables that come into play when choosing a doctor.

 

Some people want an aggressive approach while others prefer a more conservative approach.

 

Hairtransplants are unique to each individual & one doctors style/techniques is not the answer to every individual's hairloss.

 

It is Always a good idea to get at least 3 or 4

consultations to find a Doctor that will suit your needs.

That is also a good rule with any medical procedure, get a second & third opinion!

[the B spot]

I would suggest a visit to H&W, Shapiro Medical, and perhaps a few other docs that catch your eye.

 

H&W have the most dramatic before and afters of nw5-6 patients we have seen on the web.

 

I know from personal experience that Shapiro Medical has many nw5-6 patient pics that are not shown on the net.

 

These two clinics represent the best of the best, and approach patients with a slightly different philosophy, but still achieve the best results IMO.

 

I would start here and move forward.

(I would still do an Armani consult just to be able to compare and contrast)

 

Good Luck Bro'---we feel your pain!!!!!!

J

[CountOfMonteCristo]

Thank you so much for all of your insightful comments. I really appreciate all of your input. You have made really good points and made me think a lot about this.

 

I wanted go give some more information and post a picture as well. I actually did a consulation with Dr. A and the price that I was quoted for FUSS seemed very reasonable to me. In fact, it was a lot less than some other places charged. I was wondering if somebody could tell me what is the cost per graft for other doctors like H & W, Shapiro, etc. What is the average cost/per graft for these kinds of doctors?

 

I did check out the websites for H & W, Shapiro, and others, and it seems they do good work. I did not see a lot of pictures of younger people on the H & W site. Should I be concerned about that? Also, what is the most # of grafts that can be transplanted in one session? Has anybody personally had a HT with H & W who is a NW6?

 

Is it simply unrealistic to expect a dense hairline for me being a NW 6? When they say that you can bring a picture of yourself from younger days and they can make you look like that, is that just a marketing ploy?

 

I am attaching a picture of myself. I'm in the process of scanning much more recent pictures of myself. But, unfortunately, this digital pic is all I have right now. It is just over a year old. I have considerably less hair now, but you can see the outline. I will post new pics as soon as I can scan them (I do not have a scanner).

 

Again, thank you for all of your comments.

[Jotronic]

Count,

 

"I did not see a lot of pictures of younger people on the H & W site. Should I be concerned about that? Also, what is the most # of grafts that can be transplanted in one session? Has anybody personally had a HT with H & W who is a NW6?"

 

There is no reason to be concerned at all. We haven't built our practice on catering to only young patients that have recently lost their hair. We take on all kinds of patients from their early twenties to as old as eighty (yes it will still bother you when you're old). We do have some younger patients in our gallery, but with 72 overall patients, they are not the majority.

 

As far as how many can be moved in one session, well, that depends on the patient's characteristics. The average patient has between 6500 and 8500 grafts total in their donor bank. Remember what "average" means. There are those with less than 6500 and of course those with more than 8500. An average sized session will be between 3500 and 4500 grafts (when going for the max that one session can allow for) but there are many cases of 1000 to 2500 grafts and many that are 5000 to 5500 with the rare case exceeding 6000 or even 7000 grafts. These higher numbers are exceptionally rare so don't expect the same for yourself.

 

As far as anyone that was a NW6 that had a surgery with us, you can see my site, www.hairtransplantmentor.com. I was beyond a NW6 moving towards a NW7. Here are a few more to look at that had varying degrees of aggressive loss...

 

Bobman

 

Shuffle

 

London Lad

 

Hairbank

 

Zauriel

 

Slim73

 

Rugger

 

Nicnitro

[Hairfree]

H & W does incredible work. I don't know why anyone at NW 4 thru 7 would not want to go to Hasson and Wong. They provide consistent results and give great coverage over large areas. I don't see that from many other HT doctors.

 

Count - After studying this forum in the past year I reccomend that you do your research and don't go agressive with the hairline.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Joe,

 

I'm not good enough to be included in your list? What gives bro?

 

Bill

[Guest]

Joe,

 

I'm not good enough to be included in your list? What gives bro?

 

 

LOL Bill! I think your to good to be on the list!

 

He probably has seen your thread with your full photo spread, so he figures no need.

[Jotronic]

Folica,

 

"He probably has seen your thread with your full photo spread, so he figures no need."

 

Indeed.

 

Bill,

 

Sorry my friend. You're all over this board so it's kinda hard to miss you. Those that I posted are not so visible anymore so they're just additional pieces of work that Count may not have been so aware of. I shant make this mistake again

[Bill - Seemiller]