Regular Member citizenkage Posted June 25, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hi everyone, I just signed up today, so forgive my inexperience, hopefully I'm posting this in the right place. I've been losing my hair since I was 19, I'm now 33, I've tried Rogaine and Propecia over the years and didn't really get any results. My hair loss has gotten much worse over the past 2 years and I really want to get a hair transplant. I live in South Florida and I was hoping maybe some of you guys could recommend me a good doctor. I had a consultation with a doctor today in Boca Raton and I really wasn't pleased as he said I would need 6,000 grafts and it would cost me $60,000. LOL, there's no way I could afford $60,000 for a hair transplant. I was really shocked, sad and felt hopeless all day today after hearing that. I realize he isn;t the only show in town and I'm hoping someone could recommend me a good doctor that isn't going to charge me an arm and a leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TakingThePlunge Posted June 25, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 25, 2015 citizenkage, Welcome! First, you may not be aware that our community pre-screens and recommend surgeons all over the world. You can view our interactive map to find all the surgeons we recommend in Florida and beyond. You can read bout our criteria for recommending physicians here. If you want to consult with surgeons beyond Florida, you can always schedule free online consultations with the surgeons of your choosing. The price you were quoted is most certainly at the top of the spectrum. In the US, follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) runs between $4 and $6 per graft while follicular unit extraction (FUE) runs between $6 and $10 per graft. Patients on a budget can travel abroad to find world-class surgery at considerably lower prices without compromising on quality. 6,000 grafts is a lot. Your hair loss must be quite advanced. Can you provide some photos and details regarding the plan the surgoen proposed for you? The best advice you'll get when first starting to research hair transplant surgeons is to not allow cost and proximity to rule your decision making. Your first priority is to identify surgeons that are consistently producing excellent results on patients that match your degree of hair loss and meet your hair restoration goals. This forum is a great place to start researching. I also suggest viewing our Hair Restoration Websites. These are created by actual patients and are searchable by physician. David - Former Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice. View my Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ontop Posted June 25, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hi & welcome, My advice would be .. Research, research & more research... Don't be in a rush to have surgery & keep a open mind if you have to travel as you Only have one scalp & limited donor so your choice of Dr would have to be spot on for Your situation & only your situation. Ask a lot of questions even if you feel there dumb , there is some good people on here Who can help guide you through the pros & cons. Your not alone! Best wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member darlinglocks Posted June 25, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 25, 2015 Well citizencage, if the US is too expensive why don't you check for some best surgeons out of the US? You could make it a holiday at the same time! I had a FUE 1528 grafts in India with Dr. Tejinder Bhatti. He does large procedure too over 2 days. Check his website, the cost is indicated and much lower than in the US. Check his pictures, feel free to send yours and ask for an online consultation darlingbudsindia.com Good luck in your search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member citizenkage Posted June 28, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 28, 2015 Thank you guys for the responses, sorry for my late response but just been really busy. I'm just trying to do my best in finding a good surgeon for a good price. $60,000 is def out of my price range right now. I'm not totally opposed to traveling but if I can find what I'm looking for locally that would be great. So far I had a consultation with the first doctor, DR. Bauman, he's the one who quoted me $60,000. I also had a consultation with Dr. Mejia yesterday, he's one of the recommended doctors from this site, I thought that went pretty well, his price was within my range. Do any of you have any experience with him beyond him being a recommended doctor. Also, I have a consultation scheduled for this Tuesday with Dr Charles who is also on the recommended list. I'm just wondering, should I go with one of them or should I travel out of state or country, I really wouldn't want to do that unless it was worth it. Who out there is worth traveling to? Also, would you recommend one procedure over the other, meaning FUE vs FUT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member citizenkage Posted June 28, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 28, 2015 ^ I might of got my acronyms wrong there, I meant strip vs extraction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ontop Posted June 28, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 28, 2015 First of all your doing the right thing by seeking out Drs this would give You a feel for what is what & your needs. When you mentioned the state & location who priced you 60K i had A feeling who you was talking about which that Dr is known for using a tool called the neo graft Which is FUE & you soon find out that on this site anyways is not very well taken for a number of reasons if you do your research. Not knocking this Dr by any means as he is well respected in this Business & proberly IMO the best Dr using such a tool. I must say I'm kinda miffed still with his price he gave you though. IMO... If somebody like yourself been told you would need 6K grafts maybe its worth looking into FUT which Is the way to go to move so many grafts & still be better done in 2 passes than all in one go. It seems to me that you still got a lot of reading up to do & like I said that seeking out Drs one by one will be good for you to make a better choice for your needs only. I see your in the state of CA so maybe touch base with Dr deip who does both FUE & FUT & I think he runs about $6 a graft for FUE & a cheaper for FUT. But as we say don't make money or travel be the factor when you choose. I wish you well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member citizenkage Posted June 28, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 28, 2015 Thanks for your input ontop, I'm trying to do my due diligence to make a good decision. I'm in Florida though, where does it say I'm in CA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ontop Posted June 28, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 28, 2015 Oh my bad, ljust looking at another profile & got mixed up. Okay yep Dr charles in Fl is a top Dr also i. Understand he does both FUE & FUT Again each & everyone will be different & what methods are best for each of us. Your doing well there ask a bunch of Qs nomatter how dumb you may feel they are We all do it & still....if you don't ask you never know huh? Have a good read up & take your time there is no rush. Good luck , your not alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member KO Posted June 28, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 28, 2015 You need to take propecia. Not getting results is not result isn't a reason to stop taking it. 3382 FUE Lupanzula http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185463-3382-grafts-lupanzula.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member mav23100gunther Posted June 28, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 28, 2015 If you need that many grafts, I highly recommend consulting with either Dr a Victor Hasson of Hasson & Wong fror FUT in Vancuaver, or if you want yo go with FUE, then Dr Erdogan in Turkey, those would be your best for large mega-sessions, and I bet you Dr Hasson can get close in one session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member citizenkage Posted June 29, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2015 I've been hearing so much about hasson and wong, I'm going to check their website out and see if I can get an online consultation. I wouldn't be opposed to going to Canada to get this done, if it's really worth it you know. I mean is that necessary? Can I not get something just as good locally? As far as Turkey, I never imagined myself ever traveling there but it's something I'll look into. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. I appreciate everyone sharing their input, thanks all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member voxman Posted June 29, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 29, 2015 There are a lot of options both in the U.S. of A. and abroad. If Turkey is now a consideration, then India should be also. A lot of members (even the moderator) here have had good success with Dr. Bhatti in India. He is FUE only. Dr. Mohebi in Ca is a FUT guy and top notch also. The point is...stop, breathe, research. I'm serious. Just look at my face. My Hair Regimen: Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member mav23100gunther Posted June 29, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 29, 2015 I've been hearing so much about hasson and wong, I'm going to check their website out and see if I can get an online consultation. I wouldn't be opposed to going to Canada to get this done, if it's really worth it you know. I mean is that necessary? Can I not get something just as good locally? As far as Turkey, I never imagined myself ever traveling there but it's something I'll look into. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. I appreciate everyone sharing their input, thanks all Hey buddy, H&W is the the gold standard for mega-sessions. The moderators of this site will kill me for saying this, but the top FUT surgeons are not local to you. I made a huge mistake myself by choosing a local surgeon in NY who was close to where I lived & worked. It was really unnecessary to limit myself like that. Was he a solid surgeon, yes, but he could not get as many grafts as was necessary, and I ended up paying in excess of $6 a graft. Now, 1 year later I need a 2nd procedure to add density. I absolute wish I had gone with H&W for my 1st surgery, as they would have gotten more grafts, done the job I expected, and saved me money. As I said, go with a top surgeon for FUt and FUE. For FUT, the top surgeons are Dr Hasson, Dr Rahal, & Dr Ron Shapiro. For FUE, you need to leave the U.S.. And go to Turkey or Belgium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member mav23100gunther Posted June 29, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 29, 2015 Btw - I am chosing between Ron Shapiro or Dr Hasson for my 2nd procedure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member citizenkage Posted June 29, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2015 Ok, I just submitted my story and photos and everything to Hasson and Wong for online consultation. I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to say. I have a consultation tomorrow with Dr Charles too. I know everyone says take your time but I can't lie that I want to do this adapt. I'm tired of living this way! I'm so depressed, I wear a hat all the time, I've missed out on awesome opportunities and events and I just can't take it anymore. I want my confidence back, I want to be happy. For instance, I just recently started talking to an ex who was the love of my life and I screwed the relationship up. This was 10 years ago. Our lives crossed paths again and we've been talking about meeting up. I keep pushing it off though cause I don't want her to see my hair or lack thereof. I want to see her so badly though but I just can't, not without a hat anyways. That's how I feel and I just don't want to live like this anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member citizenkage Posted June 29, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 29, 2015 *asap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member mav23100gunther Posted June 29, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 29, 2015 I hear you man. H&W should get back to you fairly quickly. Seems like you have a lot of scalp to cover, so definitely try go with a place that will give you the most grafts in one session. You want the results will be "wow factor". Whilst you are waiting for the evaluation, just research research research so when they get back to you - you are ready to pull the trigger and don't have to regret it. I believe H&W may have a couple of months waiting list, but if you are flexible you never know. You will also need a couple of months so you can start doing daily scalp laxity exercises. This will help get a very high number of grafts in 1 session. Trust me on this, you don't want to rush into a procedure in the next few weeks, not get the expected number of grafts, and then have to come back for a 2nd procedure in a year. Also wanted to point out, that once you have the procedure, you will go through an ugly duckling period where your head looks worse than currently, and only after 3/4 months do you start seeing growth and the aesthetic effect becomes more visible. So, unfortunately, you may have to wait half a year before you feel comfortable meeting up with the women. I feel your pain man, because I don't care what women say about hair loss not mattering - physical attractiveness does matter to most of them. Its a tough one, because you don't want to risk her meeting someone else in that period. I say take a leap of faith and go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member mav23100gunther Posted June 29, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted June 29, 2015 Ok, I just submitted my story and photos and everything to Hasson and Wong for online consultation. I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to say. I have a consultation tomorrow with Dr Charles too. I know everyone says take your time but I can't lie that I want to do this adapt. I'm tired of living this way! I'm so depressed, I wear a hat all the time, I've missed out on awesome opportunities and events and I just can't take it anymore. I want my confidence back, I want to be happy. For instance, I just recently started talking to an ex who was the love of my life and I screwed the relationship up. This was 10 years ago. Our lives crossed paths again and we've been talking about meeting up. I keep pushing it off though cause I don't want her to see my hair or lack thereof. I want to see her so badly though but I just can't, not without a hat anyways. That's how I feel and I just don't want to live like this anymore. Also btw - I would follow up with H&W and specify that you want Dr Hasson as your surgeon - just my own opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member darlinglocks Posted July 1, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted July 1, 2015 Hello citizencage, Take the time to choose the right surgeon and do multiple online consultations. I agree with voxman on travelling to India and choosing Dr. Bhatti. You will have an expert in big FUE procedure at a great cost and enjoy discovering India for the same price. Maybe you should just talk to the love of your life and take her with you on this FUE holiday trip. You have nothing to loose. Check the cost on his website: darlingbudsindia.com I am a patient of Dr Bhatti FUE : 1528 grafts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member citizenkage Posted July 2, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks again everyone for the advice.I'm a little confused and kind of at a stand still. I've so far been to 3 in person consultations. The first doctor said he would do 6000 FUE grafts and that would give me back pretty much complete coverage, but the price tag on that was just too high. The second doctor said I would need about 8000 fut grafts to give me complete dense coverage. He said he'd do about 3500 the first session, and another 3500 in 6-12 months after that, and if I felt it wasn't enough we'd do another 1000-2000. The third doctor said I was not a good candidate for FUE that I'd pretty much have to do FUT to reach my desired results. He also said, looking at my hair that he feels I only have 6000 maybe 7000 grafts tops to work with and that wouldn't be enough to give me the full complete dense coverage I'm looking for. He said he could build a nice natural hairline and fill in what he could going back but that he probably wouldn't be able to fill the crown area in with dense hair. I'm waiting on the results of my online consultation with Hasson and Wong. I'm anxious to hear what they say as from my research they seem to be the best in the biz at FUT. I am a little upset and confused with the different info I've received with my consultations so far. I don't know if I'd want to commit to a surgery that's gonna leave a big scar on my head if I'll never have complete coverage. I'm starting to wonder If I should just shave my head instead. I don't think I have the right look for that though. I'm pale, have a big head and not the best looking guy in the world. I don't think that look would suit me. I just don't know what to do, this is all just very depressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member voxman Posted July 2, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted July 2, 2015 citizenkage, what is your goal? You are 33 now but you'll eventually be 40 or 60. 6000-8000 grafts means you have a lot of area to cover. Given the consultations you have had, it's time to decide what the end game would look like. It doesn't sound like you are going to be able to recapture that youthful dense head of hair, but you can still have a good attractive outcome if you find that sweet spot in your mind. How about sharing some pics with us? I'm serious. Just look at my face. My Hair Regimen: Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ontop Posted July 2, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted July 2, 2015 citizenkage, what is your goal? You are 33 now but you'll eventually be 40 or 60. 6000-8000 grafts means you have a lot of area to cover. Given the consultations you have had, it's time to decide what the end game would look like. It doesn't sound like you are going to be able to recapture that youthful dense head of hair, but you can still have a good attractive outcome if you find that sweet spot in your mind. How about sharing some pics with us? 100% agree Are you taking any Meds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member citizenkage Posted July 12, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 12, 2015 I attached some pics below, tell me what you guys think and be honest, I can take it...I think lol!! BTW I did my online consultation with Hasson & Wong and got some good feedback. They can squeeze me in on the 23rd of this month if I can get the time off work, which hopefully I will. I am still a little apprehensive though. I keep thinking what if I don't like it or what if I never get the coverage or density I'm looking for, I would never really be able to shave my head because of the scar. I don't think I'd look good with a shaved head though. Really what I'd like is a nice conservative hairline and more dense towards the front and i don't care if it's not as dense in the back but I really dont want a big glaring bald spot on the back of my head. I feel like if I end up with that I might as well just shave the old noggin!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ontop Posted July 12, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted July 12, 2015 (edited) Hi, For somebody with MPB like you & I guess your what a NW high 5 or 6? I would say H&W for FUT is a good clinic to give you a decent coverage, how dense it will end up I haven't a clue. How many grafts did H&W say you would need & how many HTs or did they say they would go for a mega HT over 1 or 2 days? Oh yep I see you was on Meds prior....get back on them as it was proberly holding onto what you had left. Edited July 12, 2015 by ontop edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now