2500 grafts enough for front 1/3?

[TheEmperor]

Reptile,

 

You want to keep the # of surgeries as small as possible! It is surgery and there may be complications. Also, the healing period is difficult and you will look awkward or 4+ months until the new hair grows in. You will not want to go through this twice if you dont have to.

 

There are some clinics that get 4000+ grafts on a fairly routine basis. If you accept that you will not have enough hair to cover the crown (which I believe is true in your case if you are only 30yo), then you might as well seek as large a first procedure as possible which will give good coverage in the front/top and connect with the sides.

 

Its a numbers game. You need as many grafts as possible with as few sessions as possible.

 

If your surgeon only gets 2500 in the first session, and then only 2500 in the second in an attempt tp cover your whole head, you will need a third procedure! If you get 4000 in the first, you will have the option to stop with a bald crown, or proceed for another 2500 to complete the crown.

 

I have seen some bad results where a doctor attempts to stretch a small graft count over too large an area. The patiet still looks bald and only after the second fill in procedure does the result start to look acceptable. OTH, with your large area, if the doctor only plants 2500 in the front, it may look OK from the front, but not be well connected to the side hair and as a result look unnatural.

 

I recognize that most doctors cannot perform these mega-mega-sessions, and they are not indicated for all patients, but you owe it to yourself to seek out one of the 5-ish docs who can routinely perform these large sessios.

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by Reptile:

Hi guys,

yeah I started both Minoxidil 5% and Proscar last week. So I guess 2500 grafts should not be the best to go for, perhaps I should try another doctor who said around 3500-4000 grafts, the only thing I'm afraid is that they will take the same 2500 grafts and just split it up into some 2's and 3's but mostly 1's for coverage. Would that be the best way?

Thanks!

 

I'd call Jotronic and have him let Dr. Hassan look at your photos. Maybe one session of 4,000 and then another one of 2500 or so in a year or two.

[Reptile]

Thanks for the info, just one more question for my understanding, some doctors say 2500 grafts (or Follicular Units) while some say 4000+ grafts or (Follicular Units), now my question is when a strip is taken out from the back then the same should amount of grafts should come out from the strip no? The doctor taking out 2500 grafts told me that no one can really give 4000+ FU's in one sitting. So does that mean the doctors that are saying they can take out 4000+ FU's in one sitting are actually taking 2500 or so and splitting them up in a lot of 1 hair grafts to increase the graft size? I'm not too knowledgeable in this area so please share what you know.

 

Thanks!

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by Reptile:

Thanks for the info, just one more question for my understanding, some doctors say 2500 grafts (or Follicular Units) while some say 4000+ grafts or (Follicular Units), now my question is when a strip is taken out from the back then the same should amount of grafts should come out from the strip no? The doctor taking out 2500 grafts told me that no one can really give 4000+ FU's in one sitting. So does that mean the doctors that are saying they can take out 4000+ FU's in one sitting are actually taking 2500 or so and splitting them up in a lot of 1 hair grafts to increase the graft size? I'm not too knowledgeable in this area so please share what you know.

 

Thanks!

 

I actually know something about this, as your post sounds like what I was going through about eight months ago. I've read and studied this, and here is my opinion based on what I've read:

 

1. Your doctor is not being completely honest if he says nobody is getting 4000. Drs. Wong and Hassan do. I don't doubt at all that some clinics cut them up, but there are clinics who do true mega sessions. Dr. Feller, Dr. Cooley, and several others I'm sure do megas. H&W probably do the most and thus have become experts.

 

2. There are definitely differing philosohies on the effective yields in a 2500 graft session vs. a 4500 graft session. Some clinics estimate the yields on a 'mega' session might be 97% or so vs. 99% on the 'standard' 2500 graft session.

 

3. Some good clinics just aren't staffed for mega sessions. I mean, if you only do one a month why keep doing them and keeping an extra two or three technicians around?

 

4. Some good clinics think it is safer, and actually better to do two 2500 graft sessions over a year or more period than to try for one session at 4500 or 5000.

 

It is not simply better, no matter what, to get one surgery. If you're interested in that, I would study this issue on here and the other sites and then decide if it's for you.

 

On the other hand, a one and done hair transplant would definitely be a plus. I got a quote from H&W for 4000, but opted for the 2500 for a couple of reasons; one, at the time I worried about going from real thin to normal in eight months and be known all over town as the guy who magically appeared with hair. I'm in a business where I do a lot of photo stuff and advertising so I was a little worried about that. Secondly, $9500 is not as much as $16000. I wanted to pay cash, and I couldn't make myself commit that much so that's how I compromised with myself. Plus, I had to get my wife an eye job, and promise her a boob job just to get my transplant.

 

But, your case is all that matters. And, judging from your head you will need a lot of grafts so I'd go for about 3500 in the first round if you can afford it. Go to someone good, like the ones I've mentioned and some others, if you can afford it. It'll be about $12,000 - 14,000 to get that many.

[Reptile]

Thanks Dewayne that was informative. Tomorrow I'll be going over to see Dr. Robert Jones in Oakville just outside of Toronto. I spoke to him briefly a couple of weeks ago and he told me he can do around 3500-4000 in one session and charges around $10000+Tax. Dr. Jones was recommended on this website until he himself took his name off for some reason. But I'm just going to go for consultation in person. I've already consulted Dr. Rahal and H&W online and they quoted me: $14000 (4000 grafts) and $16000(4200 grafts) respectively. That is a little high for me as I didn't want to go over $10000 in my first pass.

[Eman]

If you don't want to spend that kind of money on the first pass, wait some time, save up and go for your first pass when you can and want to spend that much.

 

A HT is not like buying a car or a house, saying you only want to spend x amount of money. You only have so many chances to get a HT right. If you cannot afford or do not want to spend over a certain amount to do it right the first time...WAIT then! Going to a doctor based on price will cost you more in the long term, not only monetarily but also mentally.

 

If you want to stay in Canada for a HT, H&W and Rahal are the best and in my opinion the only options there. And they top my list of top docs in the world.

 

Don't sell yourself short in terms of the clinic you pic, it is simply not worth it.

[Hair to Style]

Originally posted by Reptile:

I asked one of the HT surgeons and he was saying that mega sessions of 4000+ usually are possible only when splitting up 2 and 3 hair grafts into 1 hair grafts, so if there are 2500 grafts to give, surgeons usually would split these up these into a majority 1 hair grafts to give more grafts (4000+) for more coverage but with less density, is this right? This is what he said:

 

"It is also well know that the average head has about 10-15% one hair grafts. Therefore in a person who gets a 4326 grafts transplant, they should get about 436 to 649 single hair grafts. They quote a total of 2129 single hair grafts!! The only way to do this is to cut the two and three hair grafts into one hair grafts. Most doctors think that this is not a good way to go since you will lose density. Single hair grafts produce less density than doubles or triples. However, some doctors claim that at least the patient has some hair there even if it is only a one hair graft. Furthermore, most doctors charge by the graft so the cost is significantly higher. For example, typically 2500 follicular units will have about 250 singles and about 2250 double and triples in equal ratios. If we cut up all the doubles and triple into singles we will get about 3375 ( 2250x0.5x3) + 2250(2250x0.5x2) + 250= 5875 single hair grafts. YOU do not have 4326 real follicular units to give in one sitting ??“ no one does"

 

Please comment, thanks!

very interesting you should make a whole post of this as I think you maybe right least it makes sence as you donor strip can only be so big and yield only so much. So how can they

do 6000 grafts at once without spliting them?

[Byehair]

Have you contacted Dr. Rahal in Ottawa?

 

He would see to be much more up for the task. I would assume he would recommend 4,000+/- on the first round.

[Reptile]

Originally posted by Byehair:

Have you contacted Dr. Rahal in Ottawa?

 

He would see to be much more up for the task. I would assume he would recommend 4,000+/- on the first round.

Hi I did contact Dr. Rahal and he did quote me 4000 grafts from front to back, I think he would leave the crown. But I was hoping if he can put some grafts in the crown for a very thin crown so I can at least use some toppik or some other concealer to thicken it for now.

[wantego]

Reptile I'm far from an expert but I think it will take a lot more than 2500 grafts. I was told I had 4300 grafts and I think I had less area to cover than you starting out. Please take a look at my before pictures. As a previous poster said it may be better to wait. No matter what direction you take I wish you the best of luck.