Surgery: only for the weathy??

[Sparky]

"Now if a patient has dark, coarse donor hair on very pale skin then Slaps is right that the grafts can look "pluggy" and too thick, even when done by a top doc. I've seen a few of these, and though most people would never be able to tell anything was done, it would not satisfy me. If I had donor hair like that and pale skin I would just have avoided getting a HT."

 

All true if done by strip, however if you do it via fue you can cherry pick the finer hairs on the sides of the head.

[Slaps]

My biggest problem is the temple points, Norton put minigrafts in them! I wanted these cored out, instead they were dense packed, apparently they could'nt be removed, they now look terrible and impossible to disguise.

[Sparky]

I had pluggy grafts removed from my temple points, who dense packed your points and told you the bad ones couldnt be removed? Any of them can be removed, any.

[Danielkiwi]

Hi sceptic

 

I see your viewpoint..i selected my doctor based on pure reputation on this forum and have already given the deposit..but i should ask them to give me references so that i can see for myself instead of running around the bushes..

[EpilepticSceptic]

Dan,

 

I never bothered asking for references from my doc. He has done over 7000 of these surgeries, so it wasn't too hard finding people on my own without him knowing about it. I wanted to see the "average joe" outcomes, not just the cherry picked best case scenario results that most docs will give to you on a list.

 

That was my big problem with FUE! I couldn't find any average joe outcomes on my own with the clinic not knowing about it. The only patients to meet were the few ones they recommended which to me (a hardcore skeptic) was of little value.

 

At the end I did meet a star patient of the clinic, and the result was unbelievable. But I got to see the average joe results first, and those were still good enough to satisfy my doubts.

[Slaps]

That's what I thought, I planned to get the temple point plugs removed, some kind of scar repair and perhaps a few FU's to soften the minigrafts at the temples, what I got was an 1800 graft strip, totally not what i'd originally planned for.

[Sparky]

how did you end up getting that then?

[Sparky]

and is the scar revised to a better standard now? Whos your doc?

[swayzedo]

Sorry for being a it late to the game here, but I have to say I half agree with Thunderball and half agree with everyone else.

 

HT's are a luxury pure and simple (though I still fail to see why given the proven trauma it causes) and it should cost money, that much is a given, but even as a luxury it is grossly overpriced.

 

A luxury to me is something that is normally well out of my price range but is still attainable. These prices completely cut out anyone on a lower income and are set that way for the simple fact that they can be.

 

I myself estimate my potential cost of a HT for me at about 5 and a half to ?6000. I barely have ?600 spare most of the time never mind ?6000 and no matter how hard I think about it one days work does not justify that amount of money.

 

Like I say I don't think they should be cheap, you still want to pay a good amount for quality but even then high prices are no guarantee of good work as is shown by all the butchers out there so that is that argument shot down.

 

For my needs (Around 1500 grafts FUE) I would happily pay around ?2-3000 which is still a tremendous amount of money for a days work, but on the other hand I would be extremely dubious if someone offered me the surgery for ?500.

 

Like I say, I truly do get both sides of the argument and I wouldn't want it to be totally cheap because it would feel less special then but I think the prices are going to have to come down a fair amount before some people believe they are getting value for money but as it stands with unattainable prices for probably more people than can afford it, it's not really a luxury, it's more on the side of exclusive.

[Baldietwo]

This is an interesting discussion.

 

You don't need a hair transplant to carry on with life. That's the harsh reality.

 

Is it expensive? Yes it is. If you're on a low wage it's not going to work. Do not get a loan or use a credit card to pay for a HT, being in debt sucks. People who say get a loan to fund a HT is giving bad advice! It's much better to be debt and hair free!!

 

I'm by no means a rich man. I don't live in a big house with lots of cars. I'm in an average house and have an average car. I probably earn slightly above average wages, but believe me when I say that I have to watch what I spend every month the same as everyone else. I I funded my HT by saving up for many years. Whilst saving I spent time researching my options.

 

Do Clinics charge too much? Some probably do. I don't think the good clinics do. I did some calculations.

 

My HT took 11 hours in total. I had 4700 grafts and the price for that was just under ?10k. For the 11 hours I had 6 people working together to make it all happen. (hope I counted right!).

 

They didn't all work the full 11 hours as some finished once the grafts were cut and moved on to another patient. But I do remember there were 2 of them who were there all the time (with some breaks of course). So lets do some assumptions:

 

The doctor probably spent 3 hours with me I think. 2 hours for the strip and the slits and then he came back for some crown work for an hour or so in the afternoon as well as constantly popping in to check everything was ok.

 

So

 

Doctor 3 hours

2 Technicians - 22 hours (11 each)

4 Technicians - 20 hours (5 hours each)

So I paid an average ?222 per hour (British Pounds) for the team doing the work on me. Of course, they don't all make the same amount so the doctor makes more of course.

 

On top of that they have to pay the reception staff, finance staff, the equipment, the rent for the building etc etc....When you add it all up it really isn't expensive! Yes, it's expensive for you to pay, but it's not an inflated price. It's a price that reflects what the true cost it.

 

Can you get it cheaper? Of course you can. Go to a low cost country and you can get it much cheaper (and still maintain the same quality if you go with a recommended surgeon).

 

That's my two cents

[swayzedo]

Baldietwo I'm in complete agreement with you on the credit aspect . Debt is an evil thing that will gnaw away at you and probably make you lose more hair from stress.

 

I have never once been in debt and I don't plan to either. Debt is only ok when you have a lot of money or a steady income which, in the UK isn't that readily available any more and takes us back to square one of this discussion.

 

I still think that ?222 an hour is overpriced, especially as other business and other kinds of clinics manage to pay receptionists and staff without charging that much but I see you went with Dr Bisanga who is my front runner right now, and even though my opinion on price includes the BHR clinic he is much much more affordable than most others and a better reputation to boot, but it's still out of the stretch for the majority of people.

[Baldietwo]

I just wanted to point out that my calculations are purely hypothetical, not based on anything other than my some guesswork. They are most likely very very wrong!

 

Don't take that as a genuine price! It was just a simple way to illustrate the value (just want to cover my butt:) )

 

On a side note...my wife had a knee MRI scan and a consultation 1:1 with a doctor for 45 minutes..Price.. ?250 (British pounds)!!!! That was paid by the insurance company but it proves my point

[swayzedo]

Indeed, x-rays and blood tests can cost up to ?750 in a private hospital, but cosmetic surgery and private medicine is just that and there will be a good chunk of the cost for any procedure which is pure profit.

 

It's this added on chunk that is probably the inflated part which makes it hard to afford.

 

Don't get me wrong if I had ?6000 handy I would probably pay it eventually but I would certainly be humming and hawing about it as it may just be the price of a car or a holiday to some people but to others (like me who is self employed) that is a small fortune.

[gillenator]

Most of the individuals that I know who had HT procedures are common everyday people like you and me.

 

For the wealthy, the only other difficult thing other than making more money is "parting with it" :confused:

[Wes310]

The worst thing that a doctor can do is make a patient think that most cases are a one and done case. Many people who have had successful experiences with hair transplants end up putting a great deal of money into multiple transplants, medication, and other related products.

 

Do not think that you can just go get a hair transplant as if it is as easy as changing your tires on your car. It is a life style and it does cost a good chunk of change.

 

Don't believe me? Look at those on this site that are big advocates of HTs. How many have they had? Some are in double digits. But most have had 3-5. Of course with the more modern HTs it is not as likely that people will have to go under the knife as much, but it is still very likely. If money is something that seems to be a constant concern in your life then DO NOT go down this road. Unfortunately, and as elitist as it sounds, it is for the wealthy.

 

I feel bad for young men that get a HT and can't pay for it out right because little do they know sometimes, the financial cost does not stop there.

[swayzedo]

I keep hearing that cost shouldn't be an issue but it is and it's a big one.

 

The term 'everyday people' is so subjective it's far too broad a term to use. I can pretty much guarantee that the price is what stops most people going through with surgery.

 

Myself for example. I am self employed, I don't earn much but I absolutely love what I do and don't really want for anything. I'm 36, a NW 2 with a strong frontal third and have been since I was about 22, nothing has budged and the rest of my head has really thick wavy hair so I am a prime candidate for FUE and it would be a one time deal for me. I've already chosen my doctor (Bisanga) and even worked out travel.

 

But I can't afford the procedure as I just can't justify spending that amount of money and I bet there are more people in this situation of everything is right but the cost is stopping them than those who can afford it and I'm not bottom rung either.

 

No one is wanting doctors to starve, a HT should be expensive but not prohibitively so and unfortunately for a lot of people it is.

 

Until the price comes down a bit more it will remain an exclusive procedure.

[Cant decide]

I keep hearing that cost shouldn't be an issue but it is and it's a big one.

 

The term 'everyday people' is so subjective it's far too broad a term to use. I can pretty much guarantee that the price is what stops most people going through with surgery.

 

Myself for example. I am self employed, I don't earn much but I absolutely love what I do and don't really want for anything. I'm 36, a NW 2 with a strong frontal third and have been since I was about 22, nothing has budged and the rest of my head has really thick wavy hair so I am a prime candidate for FUE and it would be a one time deal for me. I've already chosen my doctor (Bisanga) and even worked out travel.

 

But I can't afford the procedure as I just can't justify spending that amount of money and I bet there are more people in this situation of everything is right but the cost is stopping them than those who can afford it and I'm not bottom rung either.

 

No one is wanting doctors to starve, a HT should be expensive but not prohibitively so and unfortunately for a lot of people it is.

 

Until the price comes down a bit more it will remain an exclusive procedure.

 

I know its a personal decision and only matters what you think but if your a stable true NW 2, be thankful, save your money, and avoid going down the HT road which as we all know can have risks even in the most capable of hands.

 

As far as I am concerned, a true NW 2 is a full head of hair.

[swayzedo]

Oh believe me, I am eternally grateful for the hair I have at this age and am likely to keep but my receding goes narrow and deep upward into my brow (I'm prob more a nw 3 TBH) and I can only really have one hairstyle because of it which doesn't really suit me.

 

I could very well just not get the surgery and still look ok, but have you ever had that one thing that you notice every day that gnaws at you like a disease and you know it would make you look infinitely better if it was fixed?

 

The point being here is that I wouldn't need a lot of grafts to sort my problem but it's still too expensive for me.

 

I honestly pity the people who have more loss than me because I would dread to think of the cost then.

[Cant decide]

Oh believe me, I am eternally grateful for the hair I have at this age and am likely to keep but my receding goes narrow and deep upward into my brow (I'm prob more a nw 3 TBH) and I can only really have one hairstyle because of it which doesn't really suit me.

 

I could very well just not get the surgery and still look ok, but have you ever had that one thing that you notice every day that gnaws at you like a disease and you know it would make you look infinitely better if it was fixed?

 

The point being here is that I wouldn't need a lot of grafts to sort my problem but it's still too expensive for me.

 

I honestly pity the people who have more loss than me because I would dread to think of the cost then.

 

I certainly do..

[Calgacus]

Threads like these make me glad that I haven't rushed into surgery.

 

Not that I can afford it just yet anyway.

 

I make less that $9 an hour, and in just over a year I've managed to save up $4000 so far.

[Shampoo]

I make less that $9 an hour, and in just over a year I've managed to save up $4000 so far.

 

Congrats man.... you are living proof that people of assorted income brackets can get a hair transplant if it becomes a real priority.

[bunnyman]

I certainly do not believe that HT surgery is only for the wealthy any longer.

 

On this forum there are many examples of good work now being performed by fairly new or relatively unknown clinics in countries in like Turkey or Cyprus where living costs are on the whole much lower than in countries like the USA and the UK.

 

One noticeable clinic that I have seen on this forum over the past few months which has produced very good FUE results is the Maral Clinic in Istanbul, Turkey. I am currently seeing adverts on the net by Dr Maral for his FUE surgery for only EUR 1,700 for between 3,500 to 4,500 grafts. I believe his prices even start from as low as EUR 1,500 including transport and hotel. This is a price range that opens up HT surgery to many people who could not otherwise consider HTs from many of the more well known clinics that are heavily discussed on this forum.

 

What I believe would be very useful for many potential HT patients on this forum who are looking for FUE/FUT options is to have either a section or a thread where standard or guide prices of HTs are published. I am sure this would be a great help to people. This information would help people to filter out those clinics/surgeons that are "only for the wealthy" and could save everyone involved a lot of wasted time and effort. For example, if someone has a budget of say $3.00 or EUR2.50 per FU, they would not bother contacting Dr Wong or Dr Umar. I personally find it very frustrating having to send emails or filling in forms to various clinics for guidance/quotes on HT pricing, only to find that their quotes are complete out of my price league. Surely I am not the only one that would like to see at a glance those clinics that are in my price range, and those are outside of it.

 

I am sure there are people who would say that the price of a HT is between the patient and the clinics. That may be so for individuals, but what I am suggesting is guidance on pricing only, after all many people on this forum openly state what they have paid per FU. For example, the prices per FU of Drs Doganay, Demirsoy and Erdogan in Turkey are openly and regularly discussed on this forum. To those clinics who would not want their standard prices to be publicly known, I simply ask what do they have to hide? Are they embarrassed by their pricing policy?

 

 

Anyway, it’s just an idea that I thought relevant for this “only for the wealthy” topic.

[greatjob]

For example, if someone has a budget of say $3.00 or EUR2.50 per FU, they would not bother contacting Dr Wong or Dr Umar.

Last time I checked Hasson & Wong were right around $3.50/graft which works out to about 2.6 euro/graft which would be in the budget you stated.

[bunnyman]

Last time I checked Hasson & Wong were right around $3.50/graft which works out to about 2.6 euro/graft which would be in the budget you stated.

 

Well there you go. Another piece of very interesting information for those seeking a HT and were wondering what the FU ballpark price was for surgery with Hasson and Wong.