4,000 fue with Dr. Bisanga

[Levrais]

Hi all, just a quick update to show where I am at 8.5 months out from my second procedure with Dr. Bisanga. I've included my original consult pics for a before/after comparison. Let me know what you think.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Levrais

[Jazzy]

Very nice result. Is that your second op with Dr Bisanga?

[chrisdav]

Coming on nicely Levrais.

 

Pics are bit blurred, any pics from outdoors?

[England]

Hi Levrais, looks like an excellent result.

 

All the after pics seem a bit blurry, have you got any better quality ones?

 

Cheers

[Modenese]

Hi Levrais

 

Thanks for posting.

 

After visiting Belgium for 2 consultations, I've pretty much settled on Bisanga for my strip procedure.

 

Can I ask you:

 

- has your experience been positive? The results you've got look great btw.

- did Bisanga do your first procedure and what prompted you to go back again?

 

Cheers,

[BadBeat]

Looks fantastic. I love to see good larger FUE results. Congrats!

[aaron1234]

From what I call tell it looks good. It's just the lighting and length are different. But definitely looks good now!

[bonkerstonker]

I don't get it! Wasn't your front sorted out on your first op and the crown with your second op? If so do you have crown photos now? Or did you wait 7 months for your front to grow from ht1 then had your crown done which would mean your crown ht 2 is only a month and half old?

[Levrais]

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback and questions. To calrify, I had the hairline done in the first op about 16 months ago with about 1500 grafts. but it was just the hairline and it was quite seethrough behind it. I went back 8 months later to complete the frontal third and temple points with with 1500 more grafts and a few grafts (about 1,000) in the crown. Total for the second op was 2,511 grafts. So Im now 8.5 months out from the second op and 16 months out from the first. The original plan was to do all that in one op but I chickened out to be honest and decided to break it up into two sessions. The crown is a bit seethrough still but not bare like before. I still may add a little more there at some point but I need to wait a few more months for the final result. I knew initially that I wasnt going to have desnse coverage in the crown. I am told I have enough donor for a third procedure if I wanted but Im in no rush.

 

As for the pics, I had been taking hidef close ups for my updates as you can see by clicking on the link below. This time I decided to take some at a little more distance with my iphone which is at slightly less resolution in hopes that its more representative of what I would look like if you were standing at a normal distance from me. Here is another one taken the same way but with a camera which is hopefully clearer and a couple of the crown, one with flash and one without, along with a preop crown pic.

 

As for the length, I now have more styling options and can let it grow longer so I'm experimentting with lengh and style to try to find that sweet spot. Before, I had to keep the sides short like that or I would look even balder because the front could not be long.

 

@Modenese, my experinece at BHR was great. Most top clinics will treat you well so it isnt that unusual. But I have to say that the after care was and is exceptional. There is so much anxiety and insecurity that most of us seem to go through in the weeks after a ht. If your clinic is there for you, it is much easier. The patient rep was very good at responding to my questions as was the doc. Dr. Bisanga travels a lot and will sometimes check in on a patient if he's near by. Out of the blue one day he called me and said he would be in town on vacation with his family and invited me out for a drink. I met him sort of expecting it to be like a formal follow up checkup but it was mostly just to hang out and have a beer which was a nice gesture.

 

@Chrisdav, I haven't taken any pics outdoors recently but Im sure eventually someone will snap one of me and I will post it.

 

@badbeat, I also love to see the larger fue updates as hopefully it shows that fue is a viable option with the right clinic.

 

Again thanks to all for the responses and please let me know if there are any questions.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Levrais
typos

[Jazzy]

Really good result.

 

Do you have more grafts in the bank?

[Levrais]

Thanks Jazzy, the doc said he could get another 2,000 fue without a problem.

[Jazzy]

Excellent.

 

Thanks for your reply

[Capelli11]

wow...what a nice difference...you must be sooo thrilled!!! Congrats!!!!

[bonkerstonker]

Looks good mate thanks for explaining. It's particully good because you can go really short at the sides giving a less is more illusion I'd go right down to a one.

 

Is there a reason why you didn't want strip and would it still be possible to have strip?

[orlhair1]

Looks great......very nice improvement. Congrats!

[Levrais]

Thanks Cap and Orlhair, I'm definitely feeling good about my decision to have done this.

 

@Bonker, thanks for the comment. To answer your question, I was told that it is still possible to do a strip procedure after my 2 fue's. I still keep that in mind in case I ever need to do it due to additional loss for example. The initial reason I didn't go with a strip is that I felt it was too invasive for me. I saw a strip procedure being done on tv once and just didn't think I could go through with the strip removal after seeing what was involved. I was discouraged for a while. Ultimately I learned about fue and was comfortable with it because I knew I could manage it. I was somewhat discouraged during my initial fue research because of claims of low yield. Then I consulted with a few docs who advised that they were getting within a few % the same yield with strip or fue. So decided to go that route. I will say though that I was quite tempted to get strip with H&W because of their amazing results. I did an online consult with them and was really trying to convince myself to do it. Btw, you're going to be making them look even better once your latest results grow out!

[bonkerstonker]

Very interesting case yours mate I wish there was more like this. I started on the fue train I started with 800 fue from a dr who's known as a bit of a butcher in the uk but strangely even though I have curly hair he still managed to give imo 90% growth I was extremely happy and must of been very lucky with all that against me he did however push a fue graft into my skull and left it there to infect but I'd rather that than no growth like most of his other customers got lol. Dr Hasson removed it from my skull last year so that's fine now.

 

Thanks for that mate yes I'm hoping for this transplant to be my last, I'm quite a seasoned baldy and patient now after all these years so I don't really think about it so much anymore even though I'm in the doldrums stage.

Edited April 7, 2012 by bonkerstonker

[Levrais]

Thanks Bonker, I am looking forward to seeing your pics around month 6.

[Levrais]

I decided to take a few more high def pics and put together a couple more side by sides. I think these pretty much capture how I look in person.

[orlhair1]

The side by side photos are great.....just a fantastic result.....I can definitely see why you do feel so good with the outcome.

[Levrais]

Thanks Orlhair, now lets hope it stays this way, fingers crossed. I had hair once before and look what happened, lol. Have you decided on your next op yet?

Edited April 9, 2012 by Levrais
typo

[orlhair1]

I am working on scheduling it now. I might be able to get worked in in June due to a cancellation, otherwise it will be July. I am hoping to confirm this week.

[Levrais]

Hi All,

I decided to go back for my 3rd fue with Dr. Bisanga. The goal this time was to fill in a few weak areas in the frontal third and temple points and to add some density to the crown. I had a few people tell me that I didn't need to do it as I had plenty of hair as is but since I came this far, I decided to put the finishing touches on. The main thing I wanted was to hit the crown again. Even though there was coverage there, it was more see through than I wanted. As expected all went fine. I got a total of 1656 grafts.

Below are some pics taken at the clinic before and after. Please let me know if there are any questions about my procedure or my experience at BHR.

[Cant decide]

Levrais - Thanks for updating. I went back and looked at your website and it was very helpful to me. Your results looks great so far and this last procedure will put you over the top.

 

Question: In the pics you just posted here today, when looking at the back of your head at the plan drawn out by Dr. B, there is a circle with lines where grafts will be placed. How many grafts went into this circle alone? I think this area on both sides is SO critical in completing the overall look and making the side profiles solid. The very top center crown to me is not a priority. I need to get these areas worked on in my next procedure and was wondering how many grafts were used in your case in this area.

 

Thanks and again, great results and happy growing

[stinger99]

levrais, thanks for sharing and congrats on your excellent results. i too have been contemplating strip but just cant seem to bring myself to do it given the invasive nature of a strip surgery and the scar. just cant handle the scar. i started researching fue alot and was discouraged as well seeing bad yield and max possible grafts of 3000-4000. its great to see you having such good results and also getting close to 6000 grafts. it just shows that it is possible to get almost as much grafts via fue compared to fut, with good yield and great results. did dr bisanga say if u have anymore donor left for a 4th fue?

 

how short can u cut ur donor area without anything being visible.

 

what size punch did he use?

 

thx.