3 months on proscar - seeking hair transplant

[Falconny]

Hello again,

 

Thought I would share after my last post in September 2007. I had my consultation with Dr. Russel Knudson and he recommended around 2500 grafts for hair line through to mid scalp. He classified me as 5a which mortified me! He prescribed Proscar 5mg to be taken quarterly on a daily basis and said my crown may be able to have some regrowth. I normally have a buzz #1 but have been growing my hair over the last 5 weeks to access any growth. Very happy with the results so far ( see attached pics ). Dr. Knudson said forget the front hair as it is lost forever! He was right, no regrowth. Decision time - probably wait another 4-6 months for any further crown regrowth, then decide on a surgeon. Have been looking at Martinick/ Knudson/ Hasson-Wong/ Shapiro/ Farjo

 

Any advice?

[Falconny]

Photo taken on 14th Dec

[Falconny]

Sorry, do not know how to upload multiple pics?

[Falconny]

last one!

[Falconny]

Sorry, last photo was a duplicate

[Bill - Seemiller]

Billonny,

 

Be sure to do extensive research when deciding on a hair transplant surgeon. Consult with those you are considering, look at real patient before/after photos, and even meet some in person if you have a chance.

 

I'm glad to hear that Proscar is helping you regrow some hair. Due to the extensive loss in the front, I would agree with Dr. Knudson that you will most likely not regrow the hair lost in the front.

 

At this time, I do not have enough faith in Dr. Martinick to recommend her to you. I am not too familiar with Dr. Knudson at this point.

 

In my opinion, Drs. Farjo(s), Shapiro, Hasson, and Wong are all excellent surgeons and produce state of the art results.

 

Best of luck,

 

Bill

[chucky]

hi mate looking at your last picture 2500 grafts is not going to give you great density.

what are you wanting to achieve with a ht,a thin coverage all over or a new hairline to frame your face with thinner coverage behind.

[notgoing2gobald]

that proscar did wonders for your crown. Thats fantastic, maybe Ill have to give it a shot. Did you have any side effects? I would go with Hasson and Wong, never even heard of two of the other docs you mentioned.

 

Chucky is right 2500 grafts will really not do much for you. I think 5K grafts would give you pretty good coverage on the top and you can leave the crown alone as it appears to have responded so well from proscar.

 

are these type of results typical with proscar or propecia?...

[Falconny]

I am disappointed that I need 5000 grafts. I was working on the theory that I only need 40/45 Follicle units per cm2. After looking at other HT Blogs I may be selling myself short. 5000 grafts is also double the cost? Meaning double the wait as I need to save more money or sell my car.

 

Was not too optimistic when I started on the Proscar but the results are definitely there. The lighting in the pictures is quite complementary but the difference over 3 months is better than I realistically expected. I have (so far) had no side effects from taking Proscar. Doctor warned me of depression, head aches, loss of sex drive, ect. All standard stuff you find on most prescription drugs. If there are no improvements after 12 months then it is not likely it will work for you. Not sure on the statistic on the drugs effectiveness, but the website is quite useful

 

I will be sending my pictures to Hasson and Wong on their on line facility.

 

Expectations from HT - Front hair line that looks natural and reasonable density, I am 35 and realistic.

 

Looked at hundreds of picture of HT surgeries, but yet to actual meet someone in person. Until I do I think I will not be able to commit myself to HT. And there is the real problem; I live in New Zealand, (arse end of the world).

[jojojo1]

Hello there Billonny.

 

have to say that proscar did some awesome work for you.

 

I am from Australia and i just recently had a little work done by Dr Knudsen on the hairline a few days ago and i will keep everyone posted.

 

Let me know if you wanna ask me about anything of Dr Kndusen cause it was so easy and comfortable with all his friendly staff who walked and talked me through everything and entertained me during the procedure.

 

Its probably true that you need at least 5000 grafts on the top to cover the whole area.

 

Have a look at Bill who is sitting on about 7500 grafts and he had a bit more had that you do before his HTs

 

Jojo

[Guest josh - b]

Hi Billonny,

 

While its true you do need a lot of grafts for the frontal half proscar is working very well for u on the crown.

Hair transplants are quite expensive and by the sounds of it u can't quite afford a very large procedure. Why not go for 2500 grafts now and the rest at a later date. You will have limited density but thats not to say you won't have a very pleasing cosmetic result.

If you look at Bills blog his first procedure was only 1600 grafts and while it was thin it still looked good.

My other tip to you considering your location and financial situation is to check out dr pathomvanich in Thailand. He's highly regarded and a lot cheaper than aussie docs. He has a 3 month waiting list so you have to book ahead.

I live in sydney and have researched heavily and would not use any australian doctor.

 

pm me if you need any more info.

[Falconny]

Cheers Guys for the great advice.

 

I have just been quoted 4000 grafts by Hasson and Wong. Think the option of going for a first procedure of 2000/2500 graft is my best option financially at this stage. Saying that H & W offer a reimbursement for travel and accommodation. Still looking, not going to rush into it, took 18 years to lose my hair so I think I can wait another year for a good result. Very interested in your hair line procedure JoJo, please keep us posted as Dr.Knudsen is my most viable option and after meeting the guy he seems real genuine. Seems to be a lot of mixed reports on all of the Australian surgeons, none of them are in the coalition except Martinick. Josh, have you had a procedure carried out by an Australian Doc?

[notgoing2gobald]

as you say..."took 18 years to lose my hair so I think I cn wait anothe year for a good result"...

 

I'm personally a huge fan of H&W. I would wait, as you say its worth it, and go with a mega-session and get the biggest improvement possible...

[Guest josh - b]

Billonney,

No i haven't. I'm going to dr pathomvanich in a couple of months.

I researched all of them and really wouldn't feel confident with any of them. (b.t.w, Dr Martinik isn't recommended on this forum anymore due to questionable work)

 

I will say that i couldn't find much on dr knudson good or bad but what put me off him is that, according to his website, he is still performing scalp reductions, a very outdate and barbaric procedure. However, thats not to say he's not doing good fut work...like i say i just couldn't find anything on him.

 

However i do think that if your finances allow it then hasson and wong is fantastic choice.

 

best of luck

[chucky]

hi josh

how much per graft have you been quoted by the stough clinic and what are you having done,strip or fue

thanks

[Guest josh - b]

hey chucky,

 

Its strip and the cost per graft starts at 100 baht which in us dollars according to my online currency convertor is $3.30. Like most clinics it then reduces on a sliding scale.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Billonny,

 

Just to clarify, Dr. Martinick isn't and never was a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Surgeons. Do to recent events, Pat and I have lost confidence in her ability to perform quality follicular unit hair transplantation and she is no longer recommended on our network until she can prove that she performs quality work.

 

To date, I haven't seen much of Dr. Knusden's work, but there does seem to be some potential there from what I have heard. Please do not take those words as a recommendation.

 

Hasson and Wong would be a great choice as they do impressive ultra refined work.

 

Continue to take your time and research. In my opinion however, if you are not financially prepared, don't get a hair transplant until you are. Keep in mind that smaller sessions may leave you wanting subsequent hair transplants and in my opinion, it's better to have the money ahead of time, regardless of which strategy you choose (larger or smaller sessions).

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Janna]

Billonny,

 

Since you're seeing great results with Proscar, I think you should also try minoxidil at the same time. It's one more way of retaining your existing hairs and perhaps a chance at getting hairs back non surgically while you're making your decision. It can be effective for your whole top of your head and not just for the crown. If Dr. Knudsen is your most viable option, you should ask to see some of his patients in person. He also has a clinic in New Zealand, right? I know Dr. Knudsen to be a great person, however, I have not seen results from any of his patients. Good luck!

[NervousNelly]

Billonny,

 

I would concur with some others that I would not go with an Australian doc. You are going to need to travel to get world class results. Never settle as this is something that you will have to live with forever.

 

Ofcourse it is challenging for us to tell you what you'll be happy with, but I really believe that 3500 FU in the frontal to mid zone and you would be pleased as long as you accept somewhat of thin density. In my opinion, if I were you and given your hairloss pattern, I would not venture into the world of HT's unless you are OK with spending $15-20,000 US minimum. Hope that helps.