Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 19, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 19, 2009 Hello All, I'm happy to say I finally took the plunge and did something about my hairloss. After lots of research I decided to go with Dr. Umar. Although, I do think a strip procedure can produce excellent results, my preference was for no scar and Umar was doing that with excellent results. After the recent debacle with Armani, he wasn't even an option. I preface this by saying I'm very happy with the overall experience, but I do want to point out everything that I experienced so potential future patients will know what to expect. Dr. Umar runs a rather small office. He has typically one or two techs and himself. He also has a dermatology clinic downstairs. He does the extraction and slits while the techs do most of the placement. However, he checks in regularly and makes suggestions, etc. Dr. Umar is a very friendly guy. And its obvious he cares about his work. After deciding on a hairline I was given an injection (sedative) and a cup full of pills to swallow. I then laid face down on a massage type table and the injections began. I am not afraid of needles and nor am I extremely adverse to pain. But these scalp injections HURT! Especially around the nape area (yes he used nape hair for the hairline). After the injections I heard a buzzing sounds like that of hair clippers. I figured he must be buzzing my hair down farther than he already did. It turns out that this is the tool he uses for extraction. He wouldn't let me see it or answer any questions about it. He said this was proprietary and was nice about it. And I understood that. The first day went well and the hairline was placed. Second day went well and the rest was filled in. I had some swelling by day 3 and now on day 4 my face is a tad more swollen. Quick rundown of my likes: 1.) He's hard working, works long hours to get things just perfect. 2.) He does much of the work himself. 3.) His tech has over 7 years experience (she used to work for Ochs). 4.) The hairline and work looks perfect and the pain is minimal. Dislikes: 1.) He didn't answer too many questions about his technique or extraction. 2.) He didn't fully explain the procedure to me before hand (even though I knew what it entailed), it would have been nice. 4.) His receptionist doesn't know enough about the procedure to be answering questions about it. He needs a patient consultant. 5.) He only takes cash or credit and with credit he charges a 3% surcharge (on a 20k procedure that is about $600.00) I wanted to give you an as unbiased opinion as best as I could. I think he is an excellent doc and I would recommend him to anyone looking for FUE. Please feel free to comment. I will be uploading my pics later today. Abe Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 19, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 19, 2009 Hello All, I'm happy to say I finally took the plunge and did something about my hairloss. After lots of research I decided to go with Dr. Umar. Although, I do think a strip procedure can produce excellent results, my preference was for no scar and Umar was doing that with excellent results. After the recent debacle with Armani, he wasn't even an option. I preface this by saying I'm very happy with the overall experience, but I do want to point out everything that I experienced so potential future patients will know what to expect. Dr. Umar runs a rather small office. He has typically one or two techs and himself. He also has a dermatology clinic downstairs. He does the extraction and slits while the techs do most of the placement. However, he checks in regularly and makes suggestions, etc. Dr. Umar is a very friendly guy. And its obvious he cares about his work. After deciding on a hairline I was given an injection (sedative) and a cup full of pills to swallow. I then laid face down on a massage type table and the injections began. I am not afraid of needles and nor am I extremely adverse to pain. But these scalp injections HURT! Especially around the nape area (yes he used nape hair for the hairline). After the injections I heard a buzzing sounds like that of hair clippers. I figured he must be buzzing my hair down farther than he already did. It turns out that this is the tool he uses for extraction. He wouldn't let me see it or answer any questions about it. He said this was proprietary and was nice about it. And I understood that. The first day went well and the hairline was placed. Second day went well and the rest was filled in. I had some swelling by day 3 and now on day 4 my face is a tad more swollen. Quick rundown of my likes: 1.) He's hard working, works long hours to get things just perfect. 2.) He does much of the work himself. 3.) His tech has over 7 years experience (she used to work for Ochs). 4.) The hairline and work looks perfect and the pain is minimal. Dislikes: 1.) He didn't answer too many questions about his technique or extraction. 2.) He didn't fully explain the procedure to me before hand (even though I knew what it entailed), it would have been nice. 4.) His receptionist doesn't know enough about the procedure to be answering questions about it. He needs a patient consultant. 5.) He only takes cash or credit and with credit he charges a 3% surcharge (on a 20k procedure that is about $600.00) I wanted to give you an as unbiased opinion as best as I could. I think he is an excellent doc and I would recommend him to anyone looking for FUE. Please feel free to comment. I will be uploading my pics later today. Abe Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Glenn Posted February 19, 2009 Regular Member Share Posted February 19, 2009 Originally posted by Abedogg: After the injections I heard a buzzing sounds like that of hair clippers. I figured he must be buzzing my hair down farther than he already did. It turns out that this is the tool he uses for extraction. He wouldn't let me see it or answer any questions about it. He said this was proprietary and was nice about it. And I understood that. Any others on this forum heard a noise like that while getting FUE from other Doctors? I thought doing extractions by hand would be the best way??...other then using some kinda power tool. Iam sure he did a great job and the work I have seen of his looks top notch...but I would like to know what tools they are using if I were to use him for my repair. PLEASE ANY DOCTOR READING THIS THREAD...PLEASE CHIME IN AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK. My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member thanatopsis_awry Posted February 19, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 19, 2009 The power-tools have been rather common in doctors doing MEGA-fue; most notably, Armani, with putrid results. As with the others, they have been shrouded in mystery, though, and transparency has always been trumped by talk of "proprietary safety". IMO, such a tool could very well represent the breakthrough in giving high-yield, higher-# FUE, but I would want such a technique made not just somewhat transparent to myself as a patient, but to the greater (knowledgeable) community of doctors, as well. Anyways, look forward to the pics Abe -- sounds like the procedure went smoothly! ----------- *A Follicles Dying Wish To Clinics* 1 top-down, 1 portrait, 1 side-shot, 1 hairline....4 photos. No flash. Follicles have asked for centuries, in ten languages, as many times so as to confuse a mathematician. Enough is enough! Give me documentation or give me death! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Mr. GQ Posted February 19, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 19, 2009 glad to here everything went well for you on monday. i'm looking forward to seeing your "fresh" pictures. thana i agree with you 100% on the power tool mystery nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 20, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2009 Pics have been added. Let me know your honest opinions. I wanted something fairly conservative and not something perfectly symmetrical. As for the tool for extraction, I can't say 100% that the noise I heard was from the tool he used for extraction, but I'm pretty sure it was. Shortly after the extraction started I dozed off. This was a 2 day procedure. About 1800 FUE's on the first day, 7:30 until about 9pm and then 1200ish on the second day, 7:30 until about 7pm. Your feedback and questions are welcome. Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Mr. GQ Posted February 20, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2009 thanks for the pics Abe! looks really good and looks like it's really densely packed too. i would love to see the shot of the back of your head just to see how much hair was extracted from there. what cream do you use for the donor area and how often do you apply it? i look forward to your monthly progress and i wish you speedy recovery and happy growing. GQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 20, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2009 GQ, I've added a pic of the back donor. Some of the donor was taken from the sides and nape as you can see in the pics. His instructions for post op care are pretty straightforward. Distilled water sprayed on new grafts as often as possible and bacitracin (an antibiotic) on donor areas twice per day). Abe Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Mr. GQ Posted February 20, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2009 thanks Abe!!! cheers one more thing Abe, did he mention to you what size that electric drill was 0.8mm,0.9mm, or 1.0mm... thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 20, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2009 No he didn't. It didn't even seem like a drill though. I was able to feel it and it felt like a very fast spinning small wheel - I first thought he was taking a small layer of skin off to expose the follicle better. But again, I was on meds and it certainly could have been a drill. Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Eman Posted February 22, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 22, 2009 Looks similar to other post op pics I have seen from Dr. Umar. And I have seen some really good results from him. I understand his rationale for using nape hair as it is softer and more natural for the hairline, but have always been concerned about it not being safe zone hair and not being as resistant to DHT. Maybe you have spoken to him or could get an answer from him about this. And I also wish he had been more transparent about his technique...why not share it?? (not really a question for you, sorry) Anyway, thank you for posting your pics and look forward to following your progress. Happy Healing! My initial HT thread: done and done!! Check it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 22, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 22, 2009 Thanks Eman, I can't make any statements about the nape hair. I was definitely aware of the risk and at one point I read a post on here where he addressed it - although it didn't make much sense to me. I can understand wanting to hide your secrets of the trade if they are giving you better results. So I didn't probe him on his extraction tool. Anyway, now I'm at the hard part of waiting for the scabs to fall off and I'm hoping to look normal soon. I'll take some 2 week pics next. Abe Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member wylie Posted February 22, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 22, 2009 Thanks for sharing your experiences, I always like balanced views and knowing both the likes, and dislikes, of peoples experiences. I've not had surgery with Dr. Umar but have consulted with him and visited there and share almost identical views as you do about him. I believe that he is often reluctant to offer his plan for people when discussing the intricate details. I realize he is very skilled but a more thorough explanation of his plans (I found personally) would have been more helpful to me. It's almost like "Don't worry, I'll handle the details" but I wish the details were better explained. However, I also realize he is inundated with requests and that he must be extremely busy. And that's because of the quality of his work. He is one of the best in the business and I cant wait to see how you turn out, you should be excited. And smart move on the FUE, its a better option for those low on the Norwood scale, like you were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 22, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 22, 2009 Wylie, I agree with you 100%. If I hadn't done my research and found his results to be excellent I would have thought he was hiding something. But I think its part of his personality too. He's one of those, don't worry it will look great type docs - which i would normally be scared of. Another case in point is post-op care. I asked him about Vitamin E oil, Emu Oil, MSM, etc. and he basically said do not worry there is a post op regiment you will get. Which I got and its fine, but I still would have liked to know his thoughts on MSM, etc. I think he might not be aware that some of these patients are coming to him well educated on the procedure. I think he did a great job and I'm hopefull for good results. Abe Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member aWidowsPeek Posted February 23, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 23, 2009 Thanks for the detailed account. I think it's gonna look great in a few months. How much did the 3000 cost you from Umar? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 23, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 23, 2009 $6 per graft. Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member JJ09 Posted February 24, 2009 Regular Member Share Posted February 24, 2009 Looking good Abedogg, look forward to updates as I am in need of a repair and Dr Umar seems to be one of the best in this regard. BTW what is MSM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Mr. GQ Posted February 24, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 24, 2009 BTW what is MSM? "MSM, methylsulfonylmethane (METH-?™l-sul-FON-il-METH-ane) provides sulfur, a vital building block of joints, cartilage, skin, hair and nails, and methyl groups, which support many vital biochemical processes in the body, including energy production. MSM is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in small amounts of many foods. As a dietary supplement, MSM is synthesized. When made correctly, it is identical to that found in nature. MSM can be taken alone or in combination with other joint health supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin. Published, peer-reviewed clinical research in the U.S. has shown MSM is safe and effective in increasing joint comfort and supporting a normal range of motion." from http://www.msmguide.com/ google makes me so smart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member JJ09 Posted February 24, 2009 Regular Member Share Posted February 24, 2009 Cheers! Mr GQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member sjd12 Posted February 26, 2009 Regular Member Share Posted February 26, 2009 Abedogg, I'm curious and excited to watch your growth as I've been contemplating getting an HT with Dr. Umar for the past year or so. Did you meet any of Dr. Umar's patients? Are you local to so cal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 26, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 26, 2009 sjd, I didn't personally see any of his patients. I've been lingering on these forums for years and I decided I wanted FUE. For the price and results I thought Umar was the way to go. I'm very happy with the way it looks and my scabs all pretty much came off yesterday. I'll take pics tomorrow and update. I think he did a great job. But his practice is lacking in some of the small 'touches' that other practices, like Shapiro and Alexander do (i.e. calling cab for you, calling to follow-up, etc.) Abe Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 26, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 26, 2009 I'm not local to So Cal. I live in Texas now, but I used to live in No Cal. Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Abedogg Posted February 26, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 26, 2009 Hey Guys, I updated my pics with Day 9 results. Let me know what you think. I think my right side is a little bit weaker but I'm not super concerned at this point. I think its dense enought to look decent. Thoughts? Had 3k With Umar on Feb 16, 2009 My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Eman Posted February 27, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 27, 2009 abe- you had a lot of grafts in a small area, so it should be dense. I wouldn't be concerned as I thought the same about my right side and it is coming in well although a bit slower. My initial HT thread: done and done!! Check it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Mr. GQ Posted February 27, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted February 27, 2009 looks good Abe! soon most of that will fall off and you will look same like pre-op or even worse plus redness. you'll have to forget about the hair for about 3-4 months.... you know the drill. what's you regimen now? any vitamins? will you be using nizoral? msm? fin? minox? cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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