My story- questions related to Hassong & Wong, concealers, surgery

[vanseb]

Hello, thank you for taking time to read my thread.

 

I discovered this forum a few weeks ago and have tried to read as much information as I can.

 

Some general background I recently turned 29 and have been suffering hair loss for the last 3 years. For the last 2 years I've been using a concealer (cabooki) to mask and deal with hair loss. Lately with the right side of my head thinning it's been harder and harder to deal with thus I am looking at my options for HT.

 

As I reside in Vancouver, Hasson and Wong were obviously one of first clinics I looked into.

 

I met with Dr. Wong a few weeks ago along with Doug. They were pleasant and said that I could see results with 4000-45000 grafts. I have attached some pictures but would estimate I am NW 4?

 

Some general questions;

 

 

1.)Before my consultation with H&W I was never on any medication. I have now started 5mg dose of Proscar taking 1/4 tablet 3 days weekly. I've seen a lot of talk of waiting for hair to stabilize. Is it okay if I move foward with HT while starting proscar?

 

 

2.)Who is the better doctor between Dr. Wong or Hasson? I noted in results and postings on this forum Hasson seems to be involved in more procedures posted. For my condition- loss in crown/top along with need to rebuild hairline is there someone better equipped?

 

3.) I work in a job with daily interaction with staff. If I'm able to take 6 weeks off (working from home) do you think that should be suffice to hide any effects of having a HT?

 

 

4.) I saw a posting today about H&W buying a ARTAS System. What does this mean for a prospective FUT client like myself?

 

I've read many horror stories about hair transplant run a muck and am mortified about getting a hair transplant and it not working out and being out a large chunk of change.

 

Any information you can share would be helpful. I have attached some pics for reference

 

Thank you

[home1212]

I'm 45 yrs old male and just underwent an FUE procedure with Dr. Rahal in Ottawa. I had a much more severe case of hair loss than you and only opted to address the hair line and my mid scalp, and did not even touch the crown. H&W is one of the best. I live in the USA (NJ) and they were on the top of my list except they did not do FUE at the time. They did just purchase the ARTAS system which I just read here on the forums as well and that probably has absolutely no effect on your situation if you're doing FUT. My advice to you as an older guy - I would give the medication and use of Rogaine or minoxidil some time before you take the plunge with surgery. Wait a year and see how you respond to the meds, minoxidil and some good shampoos out there like Regenepure DR or Revivogen. You seem like you have a decent hairline and are loosing mostly in your crown. Also, really think about whether you want to have a linear scar on the bad of your head for the rest of your life. Have you considered FUE surgery, although more expensive per graft, you will be able to cut your hair short and not have the noticeable scar that will inevitably be there from FUT surgery. Both methods have their pros and cons, but it is highly based on personal preference and your particular situation. Just some things to consider before you take the plunge with surgery because it is permanent. The good news is you've chosen one of the best, if not the best in the HT industry.

[vanseb]

Hello home,

 

Thank you for your reply. While I agree in part to see what results I can get from Proscar, from the advice I was given by Doug and Dr. Wong they said they would see no wrong with my starting treatment and getting HT at the same time. If I understand correctly Proscar will only help me with the existing hair I have and unlikely to see much growth in my balding areas.

 

I have attached another picture. My hair line on either side of my temples especially right side is quickly loosing hair and I am unable to cover this successfully increasingly with cabooki.

 

For a 4500 grafts what would a FUE cost likely be? I am concerned about scar but I am hoping the HT will be successful and I wouldn't have to have my hair short.

 

Your feedback is appreciated.

[home1212]

Vanseb, I beg to differ with you about the medications. With someone your age, Propeicia/Finesteride/Proscar along with Minoxidil is proven to regrow hair. It will stimulate dormant follicles and streghten follicles that are starting their miniaturization process. Yes, they will also help maintain your current hair, but they do have an additional regrowth benefit for the majority of men who use them properly. So I would not summarily discard that option especially at your age. Check youtube for several time lapse videos of people on the meds - you will see some positive improvement. As to your question regarding FUE pricing, each doctor/clinic charges different prices. Overseas seems to have the cheaper pricing. There aren't that many doctors in North America that do FUE, at least with consistent positive results. And as you can see, H&W only recently got in the game, probably because they've lost tons of perspective clients to other doctors doing that method. Generally, FUE could cost as much as double FUT surgery, because it is so time consuming as opposed to strip surgery. So you could be looking at $8 to $10 per graft as opposed to $4 per graft with FUT. But you'd have to check exact pricing with the doctor/clinic you're interested in having your surgery with. Another consideration is that some clinics can not do a 4,500 graft FUE procedure all in one sitting. It may need to be done over the span of 2 days or over 2 separate surgeries. And the last thing I would leave with you is that you need to remember that your hair loss is a continuous & progressive condition. So even if you have a hair transplant tomorrow, you will continue to loose your native hair and will always be chasing to play "catch up" and you only have a "limited" donor supply - it is not endless. So be careful about where you play your hairline. Aim for conservative because as you continue to loose hair behind that transplanted hair, it will look un-natural if you don't have the donor supply to fill in behind it or through your crown. I just caution you to do all your homework and take all steps necessary to be fully informed before you take the plunge with a HT procedure because you are unsatisfied with your current condition. Take care and feel free to ask anything else you may be thinking about.

[Garageland]

Vanseb,

 

Thanks for the interest in our clinic and glad you had a good meeting with Dr Wong and Doug. For the vast majority of guys propecia will work in stabilizing the loss for the luckier ones they will get some regrowth or thickening of the miniaturized hair. As home states this tends to happen to guys in their 20's more so.

 

I started taking Propecia/proscar 3 months after my surgery in 2006 and I don't think I have seen any regrowth as I was too far gone to save the native hair that I had but it has kept the hair in the lower dip of my crown. Experiences from taking the medication vary but it is very good that you have started taking it.

 

If you bank on an improvement you might be disappointed but you are in the category of patients that might see some upside from the drug. It is fine to move forward with the HT at this stage but the choice is yours down to when works best for you.

 

Both Doctors are very capable and have vast experience and there are numerous examples of patient results and testimonials on this website from both Dr Wong and Dr Hasson. Take some time to browse through the results.

 

6 weeks away from work in the office is excessive. You need to bear in mind that the recipient area will be shaved before the surgery and that is where the only difference will be in terms of the length of hair. By two weeks all the small scabs that form in the recipient area should be removed and no signs of surgery should be evident. In some cases where guys have pale skin a lingering pinkness can be evident at this stage but can be covered effectively with a bit of foundation.

 

Most patients that work in an office environment go back at the two week stage. The recipient hair will be shorter but taking supplements like msm can help the native hair to grow quicker.

 

Our purchase of the ARTAS machine has not changed our continued commitment and belief in our FUT results moving forward.

 

Doug posted up a donor scar video a few days ago and you should check this out.

[FUE2014]

Nice balanced reply Garageland.

[Raj Jayukdht]

Can I make a point that 6 weeks wont be enough if your having FUT, H & W scar goes from ear to ear and you will have shock loss around your scar aswell meaning you wont be able to hide the scar unless your wearing a beanie hat or some kind of hat that covers the back of your head.

[KO]

Thanks Garageland, what are HW's plans regarding FUE?

[Shampoo]

Personally I think Dr. Wong does some of the best crown work and Dr. Hasson is one of the best with frontal hairlines. Both are elite hair transplant surgeons. I could have chosen any surgeon in the world and I chose Dr. Wong.

 

My Hasson/Wong experience was excellent from start to finish.

The staff, the doctors, and the clinic facility are extremely top-notch.

 

Hasson/Wong purchasing an ARTAS machine should not have any effect on your FUT. I would have to believe they are buying that because some consumers are asking for FUE, but I bet Dr. Wong and Dr. Hasson still see FUT as the gold standard and best over-all choice for most patients needing large transplants.

 

Every patient is different, but I was VERY CONCERNED about post-op stares and dealing with friends and co-workers. It turned out to be a non-issue. I was up front with everyone and 99.9% were supportive and positive. In today's world pretty much everyone has something they'd like to change, so when they see someone else making a change, they are not as negative as in the past beacuse they are thinking "hey I'd like to change my teeth, or my belly, my nose, or the wrinkles on my face". If you plan six weeks off from work I betcha you go back to work much sooner. Trust me you get braver post-up and dont really care what people think....and you will be shocked how quickly people move on...their lives are busy...and they just really dont care what you did.

[KO]

Personally, I prefer Dr Hasson's work, especially on larger cases, but that's just my opinion. I don't necessarily think you need to wait a year, but you can if you want to...if you see growth from meds, the end result can be very dramatic. But it is important to test it out to make sure you don't get sides, and if you do...perhaps lower dosage.

 

Regarding FUT vs FUE....I'm not a fan of this debate...but FWIW, I think you would do well with either technique. Although in your case I think FUT will solve with one session what FUE will need two for.

[Garageland]

Thanks FUE2014 I appreciate your comment here and elsewhere that I saw you made about me.

 

Shock loss does occur in some patients in the donor area but not all. Our scars do extend ear to ear if it is a large session over 4000 grafts say. As we do a high number of large sessions you tend to see a high proportion of long scars as a result but this is not the case for patients who need less than 4000 grafts.

 

Most patients tend to have slightly reduced density into the sides of their scalp in comparison to the back and where the density is too low the Doctors will not extend into the sides. In these cases if the laxity is sufficient a wider strip can be taken at the back of the scalp to harvest the number of grafts required.

 

Shampoo makes some very good points. Which Doctor whether we are talking Dr Hasson or Dr Wong or any of the Doctors on this site will come down to personal opinion from viewing results or experience of having surgery with them. It should be down to who you feel is best for your situation.

 

KO- without derailing this thread. We have been using FUE in a small way for sometime. The purchase of the ARTAS machine has not been taken lightly it is something that the Doctors have been following, it is evolving. As soon as we take delivery of the machine and are set up to use it I will know more on how we will be moving forward with it. I will keep you posted.

[vanseb]

Hello all,

 

I'm sorry for late reply. The last few weeks I've been inundated with research, planning my options and thinking about my next steps. Thank you for those that posted and provided their opinions.

 

I did go back to the clinic and decided after reviewing results I wanted to meet Dr. Hasson and get his opinion. He discussed potentially a slightly higher yield especially with regards to hairline. He has a very different personality and I appreciated his candor and his confidence in his abilities, which has been demonstrated countless times with great results. I felt we were able to communicate more clearly (It also helped I had done a lot more research prior to this meeting than my first visit_

 

I've been trying to keep my expectations in check but realize this is something I do want to move forward with. I put deposit towards a surgery scheduled for December 4th.

 

Reading this thread has made me extremely concerned, especially with regards to not getting individualized care and attention from the Doctor. Now I've read dozens, and dozens of positive experiences with the clinic but I am a little concerned that because my surgery is relatively large 4500-5000 target I don't get the doctors full attention. When I was there last I understood there was 3 surgeries going on (Not sure if that was simultaneously) can someone give me an idea on what the process will be like?

 

I think I will create a seperate thread as I approach the dates. I am a bundle of emotions, excited, scared, worried, and unsure of the eventual outcome. I can't imagine how I will be during the healing process.

 

As always thoughts and feedback are welcome.

[KO]

I think you will be in good hands with Hasson. He has a good portfolio of results and I think you are a good candidate with favorable characteristics. Make sure to take your fin!

[hairweare]

The thread you referenced suffers from a dearth of objective information. HT surgery can be an emotional experience and decisions are often made in haste and without the help of a non biased advisor. Using a forum such as this one can be very helpful but one must still use the information selectively and not get too caught up in subjective discussions and advice that may not apply specifically to your situation. Opinions are for the most part from lay people and based on their own unique personal experience. Otoh, opinions put forth from professionals or their agents may have an inherent bias. When patients used to ask me whether they should undergo a major invasive surgery or the procedure that I performed, I always prefaced my answer by admitting my own personal bias. I don't expect the same from cosmetic surgeons but it would be welcome. A plastic surgeon colleague was commented to me that if he told the patient that the surgery wasn't necessary they would just go to someone else who would do it anyway. Sad to say there is truth to that statement and I am afraid the same applies frequently in the HT industry.

 

That said don't go to a clinic that specializes in FUT and expect them to recommend FUE or vice versa. Do your own research, run it by a uninvolved trusted friend, spouse or relative and then choose the surgeon you are most comfortable with after a comprehensive consultation. I met with one of the most experienced NA FUE specialists twice but just didn't feel the right connection even though it would have been immensely more convenient to have it done here rather that travel to Europe where I eventually went.

Edited October 27, 2014 by hairweare

[Garageland]

Vanseb,

 

I would like to address your concerns regarding your surgery with Dr Hasson. You said it yourself that you have seen dozens and dozens of positive reviews for the clinic. Every now and then and it happens for all clinics they will have an unhappy patient it is unavoidable. Hair restoration surgery is a very emotive thing to go through and that will be experienced by yourself now and the lead up to your surgery and throughout the months following it.

 

It is common practice for most surgeons to operate on more than one patient in a day the policy at our clinic depends on the size of the proposed session. If the sessions are smaller then two surgeries might be booked for the same Doctor on the same day. This has been the policy of the clinic going back to the start. However if the sessions are larger like yours this is rarely the case. I have checked the diary and you are the only patient booked on that day with Dr Hasson because of the size of your session. That will remain so.

 

Like every other surgery Dr Hasson has the lead role. He will remove and close the donor strip and make every recipient area incision. You will then have two technicians implanting the trimmed grafts into the scalp. Dr Hasson will come back and check for progress and to make further recipient incisions as required, but he will leave the room as there is nothing he can do when you have two techs implanting on each side of scalp . It is the same way we have been successfully doing things for many years now and like the numerous reviews you have seen.

 

As you are a local patient then it will be easy to return to the clinic for post op care such as progress check ups and hair washes you can also have a trim up if required of your donor hair and staples removed.

 

Feel feel to contact me or Doug directly if you have any questions or concerns before and after the surgery.