High density doctors?

[Mickey85]

Hey there. I'm currently deciding which Dr to consult with on having a minor HT(probably via FUE). I only want to level out my hairline, as it has always been naturally skewed toward one side, there has been no balding that I have noticed. One important thing is that it must be densely packed. I know Dr. Rahal packs densely but are there any other options? I won't be going with Dr. Armani. I like H&W's results but am a bit scared of where they get the donor hair from(looks a bit high). Does Dr. Path pack densely? I have seen Dr. Pong's website and the results look great, but I need more feedback on him(plus he doesn't do FUE...). Any others worth recommending? Pics would be good too.

 

Edit, please move to the Q&A, sorry for that.

Edited May 31, 2011 by Mickey85
Move to Q&A section.

[HARIRI]

So far as I know. The best 2 doctors that packs densely in North America are Dr. Rahal and Dr. Feller. Internationally its Dr. Bisanga. But the best is Dr. Rahal as he can go really dense. He is very talented in this matter.

[Dutch]

Rahal does FUE and he's great.

Bisanga and Feriduni in Belgium.

Hasson and Wong only do FUT. The scar is not high even though it looks it but they're taking hair from the safe zone.

[corvettester]

Hey there. I'm currently deciding which Dr to consult with on having a minor HT(probably via FUE). I only want to level out my hairline, as it has always been naturally skewed toward one side, there has been no balding that I have noticed. One important thing is that it must be densely packed. I know Dr. Rahal packs densely but are there any other options? I won't be going with Dr. Armani. I like H&W's results but am a bit scared of where they get the donor hair from(looks a bit high). Does Dr. Path pack densely? I have seen Dr. Pong's website and the results look great, but I need more feedback on him(plus he doesn't do FUE...). Any others worth recommending? Pics would be good too.

 

Edit, please move to the Q&A, sorry for that.

 

Mickey,

 

In my opinion, the top three docs in North America for dense packing are Hasson, Wong and Rahal. If dense packing were my goal, those three would be my only choices in the world!

 

H&W only do FUT. I wouldn't worry too much about their scars being too high. I'm sure they know exactly what they're doing. To date, I have not seen any patient complaints regarding their scars being too high, only a few posters (not patients) questioning it.

 

Once I see a patient of H&W complaining, then I'll revisit the topic, but until then, all I can say is that they do things their own way and have an amazing track record to back it up.

 

Of course, Bisanga produces outstanding results and has a huge following here on the HTN. If you only wanted FUE and dense packing, then it'd be Dr. Rahal or Dr. Bisanga, in my opinion. I think traveling to Ottawa or Brussles would be equally boring.

 

 

Corvettester

[hairthere]

If you're looking for dense packing, and fue, then you should absolutely consult with Dr. Feller. He is at the top of the strip and fue list, imo, and has a ton of experience with both. For someone not to recommend him is a gross oversight. Rahal dense packs, but he's just started fue again after not offering it for a few years, so I'd see as many results from him as possible. Other fue docs you can check out are Shapiro (also relatively new to fue but I've seen some nice results) and Lindsey (not sure how long he has been offering it). Dr. Harris looks like he has some nice fue results too, though I don't know much about him. If you're looking for strip I would not rule out H&W simply because you have seen some high scars from them. They do amazing work and are one of the best strip clinics out there. Do your homework, and best of luck.

Edited June 1, 2011 by hairthere

[Sigildark]

I think traveling to Ottawa or Brussles would be equally boring.

 

 

Corvettester

 

LOL now now! Ottawa is a beautiful city and so is Brussels! Both are capitals and nice places to visit, i've been to both so i should know. Of course it's not a Paris or a London or an NYC but really they are quite worthy of visits HT or not While the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_quality_of_living doesn't necessarily consist the best place to visit, both these cities rank in the top 15 worldwide so they are hardly backwater destinations and are world class cities in every respect.

Edited June 1, 2011 by Sigildark

[Mickey85]

Thanks for the info guys I would love to go with Dr Rahal, but I was declined, too young and the hairline I desired was too agressive

[corvettester]

Thanks for the info guys I would love to go with Dr Rahal, but I was declined, too young and the hairline I desired was too agressive

 

Mickey,

 

Your post made me laugh out loud!

 

If Rahal rejected you then I'd hate to see what the other docs are going to say!

 

Rahal is considered to be one of the most aggressive doctors out there, in a good way. If he declines to take your case then that definitively means that you really are too young and your goals really are too aggressive or unrealistic.

 

He is an ethical doctor. Take his rejection as a blessing and a warning. Something tells me that the only doc that will take you would be Armani or Larry Shapiro... yikes!!! :eek:

 

No offense, but something tells me that you haven't done enough research. Spend a couple more weeks or months on the forums and hair loss websites, have a few more consultations with other docs, and then get back to us with your newfound wisdom my friend. We're only here to help.

 

 

Corvettester

Edited June 1, 2011 by corvettester

[Mickey85]

Mickey,

 

Your post made me laugh out loud!

 

If Rahal rejected you then I'd hate to see what the other docs are going to say!

 

Rahal is considered to be one of the most aggressive doctors out there, in a good way. If he declines to take your case then that definitively means that you really are too young and your goals really are too aggressive or unrealistic.

 

He is an ethical doctor. Take his rejection as a blessing and a warning. Something tells me that the only doc that will take you would be Armani or Larry Shapiro... yikes!!! :eek:

 

No offense, but something tells me that you haven't done enough research. Spend a couple more weeks or months on the forums and hair loss websites, have a few more consultations with other docs, and then get back to us with your newfound wisdom my friend. We're only here to help.

 

 

Corvettester

 

I know What can I do...

[Mickey85]

Spex I was hoping you would chime in, I actually sent Dr Feller an email today inquiring about it. I'm 25 years of age, no signs of any balding that I have noticed. My father has lost his hair, however my most of the males in my mother's family have kept the majority of their hair. Not on any meds at the moment as there have been no signs of balding.

 

I only require a small amount of grafts(probably 1,000). Originally before this research, I thought FUT was the way to go, but have now found out that FUE would be best, saving the majority of the donor area when and if needed. I will forward pictures to the email that I was given

[mattj]

Nice result there, spex. How many grafts?

[Dr. Alan Feller]

You bring up two major topics: FUE and Density.

Let me address the FUE issue in this post:

 

FUE may be the way for your to go. Below find a photo series for a patient who just had some small hairline recession. We did 1,000 grafts using the FUE technique and it worked out beautifully for him.

 

With that said, I want to make it clear that while some patients have awesome results with FUE, some do NOT. Why? Because the amount of trauma an FUE graft goes through compared to strip is much much greater. In the end it comes down to the "toughness" of your physiology. So just keep that in mind as you mull over which technique you want to do. Be it strip or FUE there are some EXCELLENT doctors out there, but do keep in mind the limitations of FUE.

 

Here are pics of one of my FUE guys who really had a stellar result. Some photos show the hair wet and combed backward for critical evaluation.

He had a single sitting of 1000 FUE grafts.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

...And as for Density, you have to get VERY dense, particularly on a hairline, HOWEVER, ALL singles must be used or you can wind up with a "sparse" "stalky" look.

 

Here is a photo of a patient who had an HT about a year before he visited me. Notice the stalky look. It looks that way for two reasons:

1. There was alot of space left between grafts

2. 2 and 3 hair grafts were used on the hairline

 

These two combine to make a very unahppy patient.

 

Now look at how I fixed him. By filling inbetween his old grafts with single hair follicular units were able "soften" the hairline AND make it look more dense. We happened to do this one with FUE technique, but it could have been done just as easily with strip technique.

 

There are a number of doctors who routinely perform dense packing of hairlines. I'm sure it won't be hard to find one near you.

 

All the best,

Dr. F

[Mickey85]

You bring up two major topics: FUE and Density.

Let me address the FUE issue in this post:

 

FUE may be the way for your to go. Below find a photo series for a patient who just had some small hairline recession. We did 1,000 grafts using the FUE technique and it worked out beautifully for him.

 

With that said, I want to make it clear that while some patients have awesome results with FUE, some do NOT. Why? Because the amount of trauma an FUE graft goes through compared to strip is much much greater. In the end it comes down to the "toughness" of your physiology. So just keep that in mind as you mull over which technique you want to do. Be it strip or FUE there are some EXCELLENT doctors out there, but do keep in mind the limitations of FUE.

 

Here are pics of one of my FUE guys who really had a stellar result. Some photos show the hair wet and combed backward for critical evaluation.

He had a single sitting of 1000 FUE grafts.

 

Thank you for personally replying to my thread Dr. Feller, I feel almost starstruck

 

Impressive results indeed. I will be forwarding photos to the email I was given by your office soon. Just out of curiosity, how exactly would a 1,000 graft FUT procedure work(if I choose that avenue), is done just by using a shorter length of donor area(from say, mid ear to the mid-point of the rear of the head), or by using a slimmer size(but still ear to ear)?? I'm just asking as I've mostly seen FUT done on big sessions where the scar/donor area is from ear to ear. Sorry if it's a silly question.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Not a silly question at all.

 

I doubt we would be going "ear to ear" for a small case like 1000 or so grafts, but I do like to go a bit longer than the average to make the strip that much thinner. This usually results in a smaller scar and an easier time in the future if you should need more hair transplant work. No promises until I actually see your case in the flesh, but that's the general gist.

 

If you've just been looking at mega sessions, those strips often go from almost forehead to forehead and I'm sure you're not even near that catagory. But don't worry, in 18 years I've NEVER had a patient who lost so much donor area due to male pattern baldness nor general thinning that the scar was revealed. Of course, that doesn't mean you won't be the first, but I HIGHLY doubt it.

 

I've had strip surgery myself in the past and easily wear my hair as low between a 2-3 buzz with no detection. That may help you.

 

All the best,

Dr. F

[Guest Ian512017155]

Dr. Feller

 

Do you thing in the future FUE will fully take the place of strip or do you think the FUE will just be used as added alternative to hairloss sugery.

[Cant decide]

Ian - See Dr. Feller's video interviews on this site. I believe he explains his opinion on this subject.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Ian,

I never thought that FUE could replace strip becuase of the trauma associated with FUE compared to strip.

 

FUE grafts undergo three detrimental forces that strip grafts just don't:

1. Torsion- Twisting to the point of graft fracture

2. Compression- crushing

3. Traction- pulling apart.

 

Unfortunately, to date, there is no way to obtain a graft via FUE without experiencing these three forces. Some of the instruments I've developed minimize the forces, but don't eliminate them. Some devices made by other doctors also minimize, but don't eliminate.

 

Also, even if one could completely eradicate the three detrimental forces, the havoc large or multiple FUE sessions play on the donor area can be considerable.

After, say, 1500 grafts, the holes begin to coalese together to form one massive subdermal scar. Even though it may not be very noticable to the eye, the damage is done and it can and will limit the ability to obtain more grafts in the future-even if strip is then utilized.

 

FUE definitely has it's place, but only for small procedures or as an adjunct to strip surgery. I felt that way back in 2004 when that video was made, and I still believe the same today. Nothing since has convinced me to change this view.

Sure, there are some GREAT FUE results out there, and I'm proud to have contributed to that number, but percentage wise FUE doesn't hold a candle to the consistency of strip results.

 

The gold standard is, and remains, quality strip surgery performed by an experienced team with a great track record. And nowadays there are plenty such clinics dotting the globe.

Edited June 1, 2011 by Dr. Alan Feller

[recedingboy]

Dr. Feller:

 

I left a message on your office's machine yesterday but did not get a response. I'm PM'ng you my contact details, if you could please get in touch with me I would appreciate that.

 

What kind of extraction tool are you currently using? Is it motorized or manual? I know you have your own labeled tool but am not sure which one you are currently using.

 

Would you recommend someone in their early 30's who probably needs an approx 2,500 graft procedure to consider FUE?

 

What would you say your avg regrowth rate is in your FUE vs. your FUT procedures?

 

Thanks

[Sean]

Those were some awesome results. The hairline and the additional temple work go great together. Very nice hairlines. They look great.

[Shadow of the EMpire State]

The problem with strip is that so many people don't want it. They don't want the scar, and they don't want a piece of their scalp missing. The market for HTs is growing, but it's still nowhere near as large as the potential market for a less invasive, equally efficacious procedure.

 

Strip may well result in greater yield than FUE on average, but I think it's too invasive to continue too far into the future. It remains the only corrective cosmetic procedure that often requires a corrective cosmetic procedure. People can equivocate all they like and try to argue that FUE also causes "scarring," but the next patient I see claiming that his life was ruined by FUE scars will be the first, whereas, the next patient saying that same about a strip scar will be about the 500th.

 

Ultimately, the market will drive invention, and we'll have a less-invasive, similarly priced, and equally--or more--effective option. Maybe it will be a refined form of FUE. Or maybe something else. But the days of strip are numbered and dwindling.

Edited June 4, 2011 by Shadow of the EMpire State

[mattj]

 

Ultimately, the market will drive invention, and we'll have a less-invasive, similarly priced, and equally--or more--effective option. Maybe it will be a refined form of FUE. Or maybe something else. But the days of strip are numbered and dwindling.

Thing is, I don't see how FUE can get any more refined. The extraction tools already cut very close to the follicle. Close enough that damage can occur effecting yield, as we all know.

[hairthere]

How many more ways can you extract a follicle? I'm not saying it can't be done some other way, or that the current methods can't be refined, but it seems like cloning will likely be the next trend in hair restoration.

[Shadow of the EMpire State]

I still think progress is possible in the FUE extraction process. Some people have tougher skin, making follicles difficult to extract. If there were some drug or technique whereby to soften the extraction site and make the skin temporarily more pliable, that would help immensely.

 

But cloning is the real advance that's coming. Cloning solves every problem there is. It makes the procedure far less invasive and removes density as a obstacle. At this point, cloning is really a fait accompli. The questions is when.