FUE with Rahal - 30 Days

[GPS3]

Hi all!

 

Well I am finally doing it. After years of quietly reading the message boards and gradually losing my hair, I'm taking the plunge with Rahal for an FUE procedure at the end of Sept 2015.

 

I am 30 years old, and about a Norwood 5v (diffuse across the top)

 

Why FUE? I want the option of being able to buzz my head or cut t fairly short in the future, and with FUE allowing me to create a framed face again with no large scarring it is the best route for me.

 

Spoke with Rahals representative in Toronto and was quoted with 2500 grafts for a first surgery to address the hairline, front and part of the mid-scalp. And another 2500 for a second surgery down the line if i want to address the the rest of the top and crown. The crown isnt as much of a concern for me though - i dont see it and it doesnt bother me for now!

 

It is my hope that Rahal can get about 3000 grafts this time around (instead of the quoted 2500) and if I want another surgery in 5 years I may go back for the back. I was told he wouldnt know if he can get that much until the day of the surgery - does that sound correct?

 

I will put up some pictures tonight and tomorrow of my hairline now, what it was

 

Any thoughts and comments are appreciated!

[Shadow of the EMpire State]

I haven't seen your pictures, but I can't help but wonder whether you'll get the result you want if you're a NW 5 at age 30.

 

Of course, Rahal is a fine surgeon, so the problem isn't with him; it's with the limitations of modern medicine. And from what I've seen over the course of 12+ years on these forums, it's exceedingly difficult to get a good result if you're beyond the NW 3-4 range. There simply isn't enough hair to go around.

 

Yes, there are outliers like some of the early H&W patients who managed acceptable results despite advanced baldness. But they are the exception, not the rule. The rule is that hair transplants look best on people with limited hair loss, and the reason for that is obvious.

 

I wish you good luck.

[Melvin- Admin]

Everybody's definition of good results is different, a Norwood 2 guy will never be satisfied with even the best Norwood 6 results, but that doesn't mean YOU as an individual won't be happy, most important thing before entering hair restoration is having realistic expectations, with that being said wish you good growth ??

[GPS3]

Hey guys! Thanks for the responses this far )

 

I should have mentioned that the rep said im "on my way to a norwood 5v" so not entirely at it now. So maybe that should clear that up, but Nevertheless pictures are attached for you to see for yourself and let me know!

 

Hoping to frame my face and thicken the hairline and front much like the before pic. Also added current pics (was having some fun while shaving it but gives you a good idea how thick the back of my head and neck is so hoping thats good for FUE.

 

Like i said I just want to frame the face, thicken up the front and part of the top. The back doesnt bother me much as i dont see it and its been like that for awhile.

Edited October 18, 2016 by David - Moderator

[mav23100gunther]

The first pic seems out of sync with the others? Don't think you can go wrong with Dr Rahal, although if going with FUE, you may want to consider Erdogan. He will prob be able to hit the 5,000 grafts in one pass over 2 days rather than you having 2 procedures a year apart.

[GPS3]

The first pic is from two years ago and the ideal framing and density (or illusion of !) that I would like

[mav23100gunther]

Owch, that a lot of recession in 2 years, sorry mate. Are you on Fin?

[Sethticles]

d if I want another surgery in 5 years I may go back for the back!

 

18months between procedures would be enough.

[GPS3]

No meds at all - I did rogaine thing 3 years back and I am

Convinced that it destroyed my hairline and sped up the loss everywhere else. I've been off everything for two years. Don't want to do propecia due to side effects

 

Sethticles - I don't want to go back right away for a couple reasons. One being the crown doesn't bother me much and 2 that I probably couldn't afford another surgery in a year ! Lol but that's why I'm hoping to get 3000 grafts now as i think that will give me the best result for the next 3-5 years or so !

[win200]

I'm gonna to at Rahal's starting 10/6. How long are you sticking around for?

[Rawkerboi]

Rahal is top doctor no doubt he is great in FUT but in FUE Erdogan is at top!

Do consult him once!

[mav23100gunther]

No meds at all - I did rogaine thing 3 years back and I am

Convinced that it destroyed my hairline and sped up the loss everywhere else. I've been off everything for two years. Don't want to do propecia due to side effects

 

Sethticles - I don't want to go back right away for a couple reasons. One being the crown doesn't bother me much and 2 that I probably couldn't afford another surgery in a year ! Lol but that's why I'm hoping to get 3000 grafts now as i think that will give me the best result for the next 3-5 years or so !

 

Hate to be harsh about it, and not trying to kick you when you are down, but based on how your hair receded in only 2 years, if you don't get on Propecia, your existing hair will continue to recede and thin, and you'll be lucky if the procedure can hold you for even 3 years. I am sure Rahal has lectured you on this, but you've gotta give Propecia a try mate. You really are wasting your money on the HT without it. Once again, please don't take this the wrong way.

[matt1164]

were you taking any kind of anabolic steroid or testosterone boosting supplement? I agree with others that you have to take something to slow down future baldness.

[mav23100gunther]

Rahal is top doctor no doubt he is great in FUT but in FUE Erdogan is at top!

Do consult him once!

 

I completely agree with Rawkerboi, I think Erdogan would be a much better (and cheaper) choice for your situation, especially if you are looking at a large number of FUE grafts in a single pass. Rahal can most likely only perform up to a certain number of FUE grafts in a single day, and would be limited in getting more than that. Rahal is the best in the world when it comes to hairlines though (my opinion).

[GPS3]

Not at all guys, I'm thankful for the feedback so far!!

 

Nope never took any steroid. Like i said, once i stopped the rogaine, all the hairs that were probably gonna fall out eventually did so, and only the strong survived ! haha

 

Truth be told and now that I think of it, the time between my before and current pics shown is about 3 years. The picture is Winter 2012 so coming on about 3 years. I should mention that even in the pic with my full hairline, i was thinning BIG TIME in the front, you just cant tell because the sun isnt shining dead on it! So its been a gradual loss since 25 y.o.

 

No doubt Erdogan is a great doc but I cant make the trip to Turkey for sure. And Rahal is the King of hairlines (so i think) and what i want most is a nice frame face and top.

 

I was hoping to similar results to adamo (adamo) We have similar (if not exact) hair traits and loss. I think he turned out fantastic!

 

Its foolish to think that I (or anyone) will get the entire density of my natural hair back all across my scalp - and its definitely not my expectation. My expectation is a restored hairline, more desnity on the top...and I can live with some baldness in the back And again, with a nice framed face and hairline, paired with FUE, i can buzz it in the future and it wont look all that bad. Is that not possible??

 

Propecia I will think about but like i said, the side effects scare the shit out of me, dont want to have kids (one day) while im on it, and lastly Ive lost most my hair in the front anyways which is what I want replaced....the back not so much!

 

Thoughts?

[mav23100gunther]

Not at all guys, I'm thankful for the feedback so far!!

 

Nope never took any steroid. Like i said, once i stopped the rogaine, all the hairs that were probably gonna fall out eventually did so, and only the strong survived ! haha

 

Truth be told and now that I think of it, the time between my before and current pics shown is about 3 years. The picture is Winter 2012 so coming on about 3 years. I should mention that even in the pic with my full hairline, i was thinning BIG TIME in the front, you just cant tell because the sun isnt shining dead on it! So its been a gradual loss since 25 y.o.

 

No doubt Erdogan is a great doc but I cant make the trip to Turkey for sure. And Rahal is the King of hairlines (so i think) and what i want most is a nice frame face and top.

 

I was hoping to similar results to adamo (adamo) We have similar (if not exact) hair traits and loss. I think he turned out fantastic!

 

Its foolish to think that I (or anyone) will get the entire density of my natural hair back all across my scalp - and its definitely not my expectation. My expectation is a restored hairline, more desnity on the top...and I can live with some baldness in the back And again, with a nice framed face and hairline, paired with FUE, i can buzz it in the future and it wont look all that bad. Is that not possible??

 

Propecia I will think about but like i said, the side effects scare the shit out of me, dont want to have kids (one day) while im on it, and lastly Ive lost most my hair in the front anyways which is what I want replaced....the back not so much!

 

Thoughts?

 

If you don't get on Propecia you will lose most of the hair in the back too. Do yourself a huge favour and at least give it a try. If you start to get sides, then just stop. Trust us on this - get on medication.

[Melvin- Admin]

You definitely want to get on something that slows down hair loss, why'd you stop minoxidil? Did you ever try lipogaine? it contains some minor DHT inhibitors in it too, if you're scared about the sides of fin which aren't fun I know firsthand experience, try RU58841 it's topical and doesn't carry the chance of permanent sides. I was impressed with adamo result also, but he was on propecia and this was robotic FUE, he doesn't offer robotic FUE anymore cause it's not as good. I agree with others, it's best to go to an FUE specialist, if you dot wanna travel far, have you considered Dr. Umar? He charges about the same.

[GPS3]

I stopped Minox because it made me pretty bloated in the face, and I also notices i had a decrease in my libido. Not to mention it i thought it ate away at my hairline. Maybe because i was using it all over my head (including my hairline) was too much? I guess i could try using it JUST on the crown when I get an FUE?

 

Adamo ended proscar in 2011 as he didnt want to take it forever by the sounds of it (from what i read on his blog) I cant find it anywhere that he continued to use after his transplant

 

Im headed to Rahal for his great results in hairlines and first 1/3 of the scalp. Thats all i really want for now Based on what i have seen im pretty confident he can do that. Definitely wouldnt be going to him if it was still done robotically. Seems like his manual work is the way to go.

[mav23100gunther]

I stopped Minox because it made me pretty bloated in the face, and I also notices i had a decrease in my libido. Not to mention it i thought it ate away at my hairline. Maybe because i was using it all over my head (including my hairline) was too much? I guess i could try using it JUST on the crown when I get an FUE?

 

Adamo ended proscar in 2011 as he didnt want to take it forever by the sounds of it (from what i read on his blog) I cant find it anywhere that he continued to use after his transplant

 

Im headed to Rahal for his great results in hairlines and first 1/3 of the scalp. Thats all i really want for now Based on what i have seen im pretty confident he can do that. Definitely wouldnt be going to him if it was still done robotically. Seems like his manual work is the way to go.

 

Are you sure it was the Minox eating away at the hairline and not just the natural progression of your hairloss? I definitely appriciate why you want to go with Dr Rahal for the hairline. His hairlines really are outstanding, and he dense packs them as well. I think he will do a great job for you and you will be happy with it. Just remember though that you would be sacraficing coverage (over your lifetime) for the densly packed hairline. There is also SMP into your crown that you can do. My only caution is that although he is the hairline king, most of his "wow" results are from FUT. Not so sure about his FUE, which is why folks are giving you great advice to look at Erdogan. He also does solid densly packed hairlines, and FUE is his thing. Look at Sean's FUE result from Rahal.

[GPS3]

With the Minox - it sure seemed that way on the hairline. Regardless once I stopped it everything sped up a bit to the point where it may have been if i didn't use it at all.

 

I have to say though, the foam seemed to work better then the liquid during my time on it - i think i gave each a shot for 6 months a piece - the foam kind of worked at the back (at least kept it thicker - anyone have the same experience??

 

SMP is def a good option later on the crown. But I like mentioned, I dont plan on trying to completely fill my head back with hair by the time im 40 anyways. Balding at the back I can live happy with - but little to no hairline and frontal coverage just sucks on me !

[mav23100gunther]

With the Minox - it sure seemed that way on the hairline. Regardless once I stopped it everything sped up a bit to the point where it may have been if i didn't use it at all.

 

I have to say though, the foam seemed to work better then the liquid during my time on it - i think i gave each a shot for 6 months a piece - the foam kind of worked at the back (at least kept it thicker - anyone have the same experience??

 

SMP is def a good option later on the crown. But I like mentioned, I dont plan on trying to completely fill my head back with hair by the time im 40 anyways. Balding at the back I can live happy with - but little to no hairline and frontal coverage just sucks on me !

 

I use the foam in the am and the liquid at night - rather safe than sorry

[the80swasfun]

So I had FUT with Dr Rahal in December 2014 so I am now on month 8 leading into month 9 and the progress is great. I have very very fine hair and according Dr Rahal a low supply. So he was a little more conservative with my density at 32 hairs per sq CM. Add the fact that I am 45 and I was at NW 4-5. You should be pleased with the results but with that much to cover expect a conservative hairline the first time around. Further you might want to over budget incase day of he suggests for go with a higher extraction count. From what I read its pretty common for Dr's to bump up the count day of and there are many legit reasons for it as well. in my case my hair loss has accelerated in the 6 months between consult and procedure.

 

I cant recommend Propecia (fin) enough. Not only did it halt my hair loss, by the time I hit months six my hair line had recovered 1/4 inch from where it was day of the procedure.

 

I unfortunately am one of the ones who did see side effects from fin. It was mild and not that bad but I did notice a difference when I went off it when my 6 month prescription expired and a dragged ass on getting a new one. For me, it is worth the small price. If anything it let's me make better decisions when it comes to women.

 

 

Hope it helps and good luck with your procedure!

[Melvin- Admin]

I stopped Minox because it made me pretty bloated in the face, and I also notices i had a decrease in my libido. Not to mention it i thought it ate away at my hairline. Maybe because i was using it all over my head (including my hairline) was too much? I guess i could try using it JUST on the crown when I get an FUE?

 

Adamo ended proscar in 2011 as he didnt want to take it forever by the sounds of it (from what i read on his blog) I cant find it anywhere that he continued to use after his transplant

 

Im headed to Rahal for his great results in hairlines and first 1/3 of the scalp. Thats all i really want for now Based on what i have seen im pretty confident he can do that. Definitely wouldnt be going to him if it was still done robotically. Seems like his manual work is the way to go.

 

Decreased libido on minoxidil?? That's the first time ever heard of this, minoxidil doesn't reduce or eliminate DHT in the body. I wouldn't recommend Finasteride in your case, because mentally you may experience side effects.

[GPS3]

Thanks for the replies thus far it is super helpful when taking into consideration all the facts!

 

I feel like (and have been told) my donor area is pretty good and hair type is very thick (as you could see in the pictures) I also attached a picture from yesterday so you can see the coverage and thickness i have.in the back

 

What is the true definition of a framed face?? i may be mistaken but not asking for the hair of a teenager again, Just looking to follow my receding hairline (not lower it at all) with moderate thickness on the first 1/3 of my head (again not my entire head).

 

Would consider minox foam to halt further loss in the back as well!

Edited October 18, 2016 by David - Moderator

[Hairgoesnothing]

Hello GPS3

I just finished reading your posts. First time on line in a while now. I had three procedures with Dr Rahal ( two big FUTs and one small FUE touch procedure to add a little more density to the crown). Just wanted to take a moment to let you know that you are in good hands. I started out at the Norwood 6 level. I am very happy with the results. It has been 5 years now since my first procedure. Since then I have let my hair grow long, I've cut it really short and worn it everywhere in between. Personally speaking, I am extremely happy with my choice in Dr,s for my hair transplant. And yes, there are other wonderful dr,s out there but you can feel totally confident with your choice of docs for your upcoming procedure with dr Rahal.

If you have any questions for me, you could also send me a PM and I will do my best to answer you as fast as I can.

Cheers!