Thinking of flying to Portland for treatment with Dr. Steven Gabel

[hairlossinSF]

Hi all. I'm new to posting on this forum but have spent some time in the past few months reading and appreciating all of the posts, so thank you to everyone who has contributed.

 

So, I'm a 33 year old guy, enjoying an active and healthy lifestyle in SF, but can't seem to shake my desire to do something about my receding hair line. Ever since graduate school (part of me still blames all of those late nights) I've noticed a significant loss of hair at my temples and a general thinning on top of my head. I've been using Rogaine off and on for the past few years but wasn't really getting the results I was hoping for. I considered Finasteride for a short period, but kept getting hung up on the side effects and generally don't like the idea of being on daily medication, so ultimately didn't feel good about that option.

 

All that said, I've been exploring the transplant approach and thinking more and more that this could be the right solution for me. I went in and had a consult at the Bosley Center here in town but left with pretty mixed feelings. On the one hand, they seemed to be accommodating with scheduling and seemed open to making a "deal" for the $/graft price, but on the other hand, I felt unsure if I was going to get the transplant that I "needed" or if it would just be the transplant that I could afford. Also, I have to admit, they've been pretty aggressive in following up with me which has gotten to be a little annoying and invasive.

 

Anyways, I was about to scrap this whole idea, but was just referred to Dr. Gabel up in Portland by someone who said that his practice was very personal and discreet and that Dr. Gabel was upfront and helped manage expectations in an honest way. I've had one Skype call with the doctor (hadn't known this was even a possibility until his office manager suggested it...) and got a really good feeling from him. He said that he can't diagnose over Skype exactly how many grafts I would need, but he did help in laying out possible approaches and options, which was great. Curious to hear if anyone has any experience with his office and/or could offer feedback. I'm starting to think that flying a few hundred miles up to Portland might not be so crazy after all...

[nathaniel]

I think a hair transplant is potentially far more dangerous than any temporary side effects from Finasteride.

 

My understanding is that none of the side effects of Finasteride are permanent, and the temporary side effects are not very dangerous. Finasteride has a very short half life in the body I believe (24 hours???) - though I am no medical professional.

 

I really think you should consult with your primary care physician about Finasteride - and even a hair transplant - before you go all out on a permanent procedure that may have permanently horrible results. I have never heard anything good about Bosely, btw...

[greatjob]

Run away from Bosley as fast as possible!! Dr. Gabel is a great doctor and I really don't think you could go wrong with him. Check out the results from the poster here with the screen name OtherSyde:

 

Hair Restoration Site for OtherSyde

 

I have only ever heard postive things in regard to Dr. Gabel

[TakingThePlunge]

hairlossinSF,

 

Welcome! First, let me say that Dr. Steven Gabel is world class. He is recommended here and is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. You can learn about Coalition membership standards here.

 

Click here to see more of his results presented by real patients. I also recommend using our forum's search feature for even more.

 

Next, it's important to know before going under the knife that hair restoration is not generally a choice between medical and surgical solutions but rather a marriage of the two. Most surgeons will highly recommend that patients stabilize their hair loss with Propecia. This may preserve existing hair as well as regrow hair that has already been lost.

 

Best of luck!

[Spanker]

I have seen some great work from Dr. Gabel. I think you are making a good decision consulting him.

[hairlossinSF]

Thanks everyone for your comments and thoughts. It's been helpful to know that there is a community out there as a think through the options. After another conversation with Dr.Gabel, and a few weeks of reflection, I've decided to go ahead with the procedure. I've booked an appointment for this coming Tuesday and will be flying up to Portland on Monday! I'm feeling really excited but of course a little nervous, but the more I read and spoke with Dr.Gabel, the more comfortable I felt. I think we'll be doing somewhere between 2000-2500 grafts, but will have a better sense once I'm up there and we can discuss in person. And yes, it sounds like ultimately I will have to incorporate some other non-surgical treatments as well as I move forward, but I feel good about jump starting the process by doing the procedure.

 

I'll be sure to keep you all posted after my big day on Tuesday. Also, here's a photo that shows where my existing hairline and roughly what I'm going for.

 

Thanks again.

[Spanker]

That looks like a very appropriate plan.

[greatjob]

Good luck man!! You're in very good hands

[SADbutTRUE]

dr gabel is a top doc, your in good hands, good luck on your surgery and welcome to the forums

[DV8]

I too have heard great things about Gabel. I actually almost went with him myself, but after researching more and having three of my very close friends who had all gone to H&W that is who I decided upon ultimately. Bosley can suck a nut man, stay the hell away from them.

 

I can't recall if Gabel uses staples or sutures, but from my research staples are the way to go (and my head can attest to the very minimal scar). Also H&W have pioneered using little blades rather than the hole-punch method and get 80 hairs per sq inch vs 30 or so that other docs get.

 

I'd highly recommend H&W, especially if you have to fly to someone anyways, they'll put you up in a hotel and pay your flight up to $400. Plus the tax in canada is 5% !

 

Read my very detailed blog for my experience so far (3 months in)

Hair Restoration Social Network - Hair Loss Patient Blogs

[hairlossinSF]

Well, I made it through! Tuesday was definitely a long day...

In the end, Dr. Gabel did about 2900 grafts, so I'm really happy about the density. Here are a couple photos I took to give a sense of how things look a couple days post-op. Pretty swollen now, which isn't so fun.

 

All in all, I'm feeling really happy that I decided to go through with this and to fly up to Portland for Dr.Gabel. Yes, I was nervous and anxious, but once I got to the office, and we drew out my new hairline, and walked through the whole procedure step by step, it was really exciting. I hadn't known what to expect with Dr.Gabel and his office, and was really pleasantly surprised by how nice personable and discrete they all were. First off, the office space is really nice and the surgical suite felt very comfortable and private. I hadn't realized that this would be the case, but I was actually the only patient there so had the complete attention of the entire staff for the whole day - including Dr.Gabel, who was there placing the grafts for the entire process. I've heard that this is pretty rare, and that many doctors "supervise" rather than place, so it was a real comfort to have him involved for the entire procedure. I'm not going to lie, the removal of the donor area was not fun, but fortunately, its a relatively short part of the whole experience...

 

I've found these before and after posts to be pretty helpful, so will be sure to keep you posted in the coming weeks. Thanks again for your support. Feeling very happy to have done this and am so looking forward to seeing this grow in! Happy to answer any questions.

 

Thanks

[DV8]

Holy cow. 2900 in just those little side receeding areas? jeesh. My whole top of my head with Hasson was 3,262 and I was told that is pretty dense.

 

Well looks good so far man. You're pretty lucky you didn't have to buzzcut your existing hair, so your process will blend pretty quickly I think.

[Nick153452]

That's going to look great when it's all said and done. Happy growing!

[Spanker]

that looks like it is going to be very dense. I hope you keep on updating. If you get a chance, I'd like to see a frontal forehead shot.

[hairlossinSF]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm really happy with the density. I know 2900 seems like a lot, but Dr.Gabel did about 1000 on each side in the areas where I was receding and then about 1000 in the middle area, which is less visible because of my hair. His concern was that the donor hair was thicker than the hair on top of my head so he wanted to blend that hair throughout for a more natural appearance. Really looking forward to seeing how this grows in - I'll keep you posted with progress shots. Also, here's more of a frontal view.

[Nick153452]

That's going to be a great result. Your hair charactaristics are great.... Wavy/curly. That does wonders for density. However, that's why I'm wondering why he didn't go for less grafts.. Usually you can get more for less with your hair.

[hairlossinSF]

Sorry for the long delay, I had meant to post more photos as my hair grew in but alas I've just been so busy enjoying it! Again, I appreciate all the support I got from this forum as I was considering my treatment options. At this point, I'm several months post procedure and couldn't be happier with the result. I feel like the hair line that Dr. Gabel gave me looks incredibly natural and still age appropriate. To be honest, it's come to feel so natural and familiar that I really have to look at old photos to remember where I was just 6-7 months ago. I felt a little shy about going through with this procedure so didn't tell all that many people about it, which left me nervous about how people might react. That said, I've had so many people tell me in the past few months that I'm looking really good or healthy and happy, which I take as a positive sign.

 

For anyone considering this sort of procedure, I totally understand if you are feeling nervous about going through with it - I know I was. While I'm sure every doctor is different, I can't speak highly enough of Dr. Gabel and his work. It has really surpassed all of my expectations and I am so grateful for having given this to myself and feel so fortunate to have had such great care. I would recommend him wholeheartedly to anyone interested in hair restoration. I know it sounds sort of crazy, (and maybe a little shallow,) but having a full head of hair again has really energized me in almost every avenue and given me so much more confidence. Definitely no regrets here!

 

I'll continue to post photos as my hair thickens in the coming months. Until then, good luck to you all and thanks again for the kind words and support.