HELP! thinking about FUE Transplant

[Garysayshi]

Hello

 

I am considering having a hair transplant.

 

I have been losing my hair now for 10+ years. I noticed my hair receding since the age of 16 and it gradually got worse and worse. I decided to shave my head and have been doing so now for 5 years. I kind of suit it but I only recently started looking into hair transplant preferable FUE.

 

I'm only 27, but it does affect my confidence having no hair, even though I come to accept it now.

 

Any advice? I have found a place called Vinci Hair In Belfast that does FUE. Has anyone dealt with them before?

 

Here are some pictures of my current condition.

[SKYLAR]

where do u live?

[Garysayshi]

where do u live?

 

I am based in Belfast

[Melvin- Admin]

Do you have any pictures of your donor? Since you've been shaving your head and have admitted that it suits you, why not try SMP? If you're not happy with the results the ink will fade and you can decide from there. If you're mind is made about FUE we'll need some better pictures to really asses you, from the looks of it you're probably headed to Norwood 7 based on your current state and age. Restoration is not impossible but very limited a good strategy will have to be executed perfectly and you'll have to be realistic with your expectations.

[Garysayshi]

Do you have any pictures of your donor? Since you've been shaving your head and have admitted that it suits you, why not try SMP? If you're not happy with the results the ink will fade and you can decide from there. If you're mind is made about FUE we'll need some better pictures to really asses you, from the looks of it you're probably headed to Norwood 7 based on your current state and age. Restoration is not impossible but very limited a good strategy will have to be executed perfectly and you'll have to be realistic with your expectations.

 

 

I'm not sure about SMP, so does it need topping up? How often?

 

Yes see pic attached on donor area.

 

I think my expectation is quite high, I'd love a full head of hair again. Reason for wanting it done is that shaving my head makes me look older than I am.

[leindub]

I am based in Belfast

 

 

Are you open to travel further into europe to have your procedure?

 

If not, Dr Collins is in Dublin, he costs an arm and a leg.

Reddy is in England, slightly less expensive.

Or even Dr Nel in Dublin, he is about 5 euro per graft.

[Garysayshi]

Are you open to travel further into europe to have your procedure?

 

If not, Dr Collins is in Dublin, he costs an arm and a leg.

Reddy is in England, slightly less expensive.

Or even Dr Nel in Dublin, he is about 5 euro per graft.

 

 

Hello

 

Is it cheaper to go into Europe to get it done?

 

I don't mind going into Dublin. How much does dr Collins charge?

 

Have you had any experience with them?

[biolizard]

Do you have any pictures of your donor? Since you've been shaving your head and have admitted that it suits you, why not try SMP? If you're not happy with the results the ink will fade and you can decide from there. If you're mind is made about FUE we'll need some better pictures to really asses you, from the looks of it you're probably headed to Norwood 7 based on your current state and age. Restoration is not impossible but very limited a good strategy will have to be executed perfectly and you'll have to be realistic with your expectations.

 

Listen to HTsoon, he knows his stuff.

 

At 44 I had a 2000 FUE HT, and it's been a rough go ever since. Things are just now starting to improve a bit. But damn the Doctor where I went did a terrible shit job of preparing me for the reality of what I was entering into by deciding to follow through with a HT. The recovery is not easy. It's a BIG F* N deal and don't let anyone try and pursuade you otherwise.

 

With the amount of hair loss you have already experienced, I'm inclined to think you would have to go the FUT route. Are you ok with a strip scar on the back of your head? Educated yourself fully! Do NOT rush into a HT. I generally recommend to most people not to do it. Your only 27, my advice... Just don't do it, and thank me later. Happiness doesn't come from how you look, what you own, or what other people think of you. Trying to base your happiness off those things will lead to frequent discontentment and misery.

Learn to accept yourself and you will be happy. As Seneca wisely points out "A man is as unhappy as he has convinced himself he is"

 

Here is a clip of Joe Rogan discussing his thoughts on his HT (it may prove useful to you)

 

 

[leindub]

Hello

 

Is it cheaper to go into Europe to get it done?

 

I don't mind going into Dublin. How much does dr Collins charge?

 

Have you had any experience with them?

 

Dr Collins did Louis Walsh, Marty Whelan (Irish presenter) the actor James Nesbitt's transplants. Most of the celebrities here get their surgery at the Blackrock clinic (Dr Collins)

I did have a consultation with him a few years ago, very thorough but charges 10 euro per graft.

 

 

Dr Nel, as far as I recall was considered here for recommendation but is not yet. I've seen a couple of people showcase their surgery on here. He charges 5 euro per graft. I also had a consultation with him, he is thorough too.

 

I'm in Dublin and had surgery before Christmas, went with a recommended Dr on this site.

In Turkey, one euro per graft. But he only does FUE.

 

It might be recommended that you do a combination of FUE/FUT, so do some in person consultations. Dublin is only down the road from Belfast. You could consider getting a couple of consultations here, you're not obliged to elect to have your surgery here..

[Garysayshi]

Listen to HTsoon, he knows his stuff.

 

At 44 I had a 2000 FUE HT, and it's been a rough go ever since. Things are just now starting to improve a bit. But damn the Doctor where I went did a terrible shit job of preparing me for the reality of what I was entering into by deciding to follow through with a HT. The recovery is not easy. It's a BIG F* N deal and don't let anyone try and pursuade you otherwise.

 

With the amount of hair loss you have already experienced, I'm inclined to think you would have to go the FUT route. Are you ok with a strip scar on the back of your head? Educated yourself fully! Do NOT rush into a HT. I generally recommend to most people not to do it. Your only 27, my advice... Just don't do it, and thank me later. Happiness doesn't come from how you look, what you own, or what other people think of you. Trying to base your happiness off those things will lead to frequent discontentment and misery.

Learn to accept yourself and you will be happy. As Seneca wisely points out "A man is as unhappy as he has convinced himself he is"

 

 

Here is a clip of Joe Rogan discussing his thoughts on his HT (it may prove useful to you)

 

 

[/quote

 

Thank you for your response and advice.

 

I have high expectations and I have been thinking about it but I'm not sure. I have been shaving my head for a few years and have learnt to cope with my hair loss. It sometimes does bother me having no hair as it affects my confidence.

 

I'm just worried if I did go ahead with It I will regret it if my expectations aren't met. I'm not sure about doing the FUT as I seen some horrible botch jobs and scars.

 

Might consider Scalp micropigmentation.

[Garysayshi]

Dr Collins did Louis Walsh, Marty Whelan (Irish presenter) the actor James Nesbitt's transplants. Most of the celebrities here get their surgery at the Blackrock clinic (Dr Collins)

I did have a consultation with him a few years ago, very thorough but charges 10 euro per graft.

 

 

Dr Nel, as far as I recall was considered here for recommendation but is not yet. I've seen a couple of people showcase their surgery on here. He charges 5 euro per graft. I also had a consultation with him, he is thorough too.

 

I'm in Dublin and had surgery before Christmas, went with a recommended Dr on this site.

In Turkey, one euro per graft. But he only does FUE.

 

It might be recommended that you do a combination of FUE/FUT, so do some in person consultations. Dublin is only down the road from Belfast. You could consider getting a couple of consultations here, you're not obliged to elect to have your surgery here..

 

Thank you for your response.

 

I had a look at Dr Nel and he seems good. Dr Collins might be a bit too expensive, as my hair loss is quite severe I think.

 

Who is the doctors in turkey that did your transplant? Are you happy with the FUE procedure that you receive?

 

Also do you have to fly back and forth for check ups?

[biolizard]

 

I think my expectation is quite high, I'd love a full head of hair again. Reason for wanting it done is that shaving my head makes me look older than I am.

 

Honestly your expectations may be a tad unrealistic. Even the best HT in the world will not be able to accomplish a "full head of hair" look. It will still look thin, possibly uneven, maybe some redness and scarring permanently to the scalp; and it definitely will not give you your youth back, trust me on that. I had my HT as a result of a 'mid-life crisis'.

 

Have you tried Finasteride yet? Can you tolerate its side effects? It have been known to cause very long lasting permanent impotence in some unfortunate people. Many experience a significant reduction in libido, often times accompanied by serious depression.

 

Try the big 3 medications for a while first and see how you respond to them. (Finasteride, minoxidil, ketoconazole)

[leindub]

Thank you for your response.

 

I had a look at Dr Nel and he seems good. Dr Collins might be a bit too expensive, as my hair loss is quite severe I think.

 

Who is the doctors in turkey that did your transplant? Are you happy with the FUE procedure that you receive?

 

Also do you have to fly back and forth for check ups?

 

Just to point out, make sure you do lot's of research and then more, and even more.

There are doctors in Belgium doing cracking work, about 6 euro per graft. Lorenzo in Spain, similar price.

 

I decided I wanted to do only FUE. Also for peace of mind, decided I would opt for a Dr recommended on here. I'm 4.5 months post op and I am happy thus far with my progress.

 

I went with Dr Resul Yaman. The whole trip went smoothly. You don't fly back and forth for checkups, just follow all the instructions and take the medication given to you.

Initially I was very sceptical about Turkey but for the amount of grafts, it suited by budget.

 

Flew direct to Istanbul on a Thursday, , consultation on the Friday, surgery on the Saturday, and flew home Sunday. Again, went smoothly.

 

But do lot's of research before chosing a surgeon and think long and hard if it is what you really want to do. And do some in person consultations first. I did five.

[Garysayshi]

Honestly your expectations may be a tad unrealistic. Even the best HT in the world will not be able to accomplish a "full head of hair" look. It will still look thin, possibly uneven, maybe some redness and scarring permanently to the scalp; and it definitely will not give you your youth back, trust me on that. I had my HT as a result of a 'mid-life crisis'.

 

Have you tried Finasteride yet? Can you tolerate its side effects? It have been known to cause very long lasting permanent impotence in some unfortunate people. Many experience a significant reduction in libido, often times accompanied by serious depression.

 

Try the big 3 medications for a while first and see how you respond to them. (Finasteride, minoxidil, ketoconazole)

 

Yeah maybe be a bit unrealistic. As I have dark black hair, it might look I have thinning hair if it's not full.

 

No never tried any of them. Maybe no point as there is no hair on the top of my head.

[Garysayshi]

Just to point out, make sure you do lot's of research and then more, and even more.

There are doctors in Belgium doing cracking work, about 6 euro per graft. Lorenzo in Spain, similar price.

 

I decided I wanted to do only FUE. Also for peace of mind, decided I would opt for a Dr recommend on here. I'm 4.5 months post op and I am happy thus far with my progress.

 

I went with Dr Resul Yaman. The whole trip went smoothly. You don't fly back and forth for checkups, just follow all the instructions and take the medication given to you.

Initially I was very sceptical about Turkey but for the amount of grafts, it suited by budget.

 

Flew direct to Istanbul on a Thursday, , consultation on the Friday, surgery on the Saturday, and flew home Sunday. Again, went smoothly.

 

But do lot's of research before chosing a surgeon and think long and hard if it is what you really want to do. And do some in person consultations first. I did five.

 

 

Thank you again for your response and advice.

 

I haven't decided anything yet and not completely 100% sure if I will do it. I might go for a consultation at Vinci Hair just to see what they say and maybe pay a visit to Dr Nel, but he charges 200 euros for a consultation.

[leindub]

Thank you again for your response and advice.

 

I haven't decided anything yet and not completely 100% sure if I will do it. I might go for a consultation at Vinci Hair just to see what they say and maybe pay a visit to Dr Nel, but he charges 200 euros for a consultation.

 

Consultations in Dublin are costly. Not sure if you're on Finasteride, but you'll get a years prescription at your consultation. Some people don't like asking their GP or some GP's are not fond prescribing it. Again that's also something to think about.

 

Anyhow, good luck with things. Just don't rush into anything.

[Garysayshi]

Consultations in Dublin are costly. Not sure if you're on Finasteride, but you'll get a years prescription at your consultation. Some people don't like asking their GP or some GP's are not fond prescribing it. Again that's also something to think about.

 

Anyhow, good luck with things. Just don't rush into anything.

 

Thank you.

 

Don't worry I won't rush into it.

 

Don't I need to have some hair on the top of my head to take finasteride? I don't have any hair on the top apart from a few follicles.

[leindub]

Thank you.

 

Don't worry I won't rush into it.

 

Don't I need to have some hair on the top of my head to take finasteride? I don't have any hair on the top apart from a few follicles.

 

Finasteride for many should halt their hair loss. So your crown should not drop further while on it. Others might chime in here.. Again taking Finasteride is something you decide weighing up the pros and cons. You might get some regrowth too, again others might chime in to advice either way.

[Garysayshi]

Finasteride for many should halt their hair loss. So you're crown should not drop further. Others might chime in. Again taking Finasteride is something you decide weighing up the pros and cons. You might get some regrowth, again others might chime in to advice either way.

 

Ok thank you for your help and advice.

[leindub]

Ok thank you for your help and advice.

 

You're welcome. No worries!

[Melvin- Admin]

I'm not sure about SMP, so does it need topping up? How often?

 

Yes see pic attached on donor area.

 

I think my expectation is quite high, I'd love a full head of hair again. Reason for wanting it done is that shaving my head makes me look older than I am.

 

I'm going to be 100% straight up with you a full head of hair with the level of loss you have and at the age of 27 is impossible. You have not finished losing your hair either, you will continue to lose more and you simply don't have enough donor to ever have a full head of hair. You can make improvements but since your expectations are high I doubt you'll be happy. I think SMP is a better alternative since it creates the illusion of a full head of hair, you have to get touch ups every two years, have you also considered a hair system? Typically for guys with high expectations that's another great alternative.

 

Unfortunately, hair restoration is limited, imagine you have a gallon of paint to paint one wall, now imagine you have to paint two walls with the same amount of paint, you can do it if the other wall is small, but imagine the other wall keeps getting larger and larger, you'll be faced with a dilemma of not having enough paint for either walls. I hope this analogy makes sense.

[Garysayshi]

I'm going to be 100% straight up with you a full head of hair with the level of loss you have and at the age of 27 is impossible. You have not finished losing your hair either, you will continue to lose more and you simply don't have enough donor to ever have a full head of hair. You can make improvements but since your expectations are high I doubt you'll be happy. I think SMP is a better alternative since it creates the illusion of a full head of hair, you have to get touch ups every two years, have you also considered a hair system? Typically for guys with high expectations that's another great alternative.

 

Unfortunately, hair restoration is limited, imagine you have a gallon of paint to paint one wall, now imagine you have to paint two walls with the same amount of paint, you can do it if the other wall is small, but imagine the other wall keeps getting larger and larger, you'll be faced with a dilemma of not having enough paint for either walls. I hope this analogy makes sense.

 

 

Yeah I agree. I might consider SMP but I haven't decided yet. I lived with a shaved head for about 5 years now and I coped fine with it.

 

How long does SMP last? Do you know? I read that it can cost Upto 3k and touch ups are about 300? each time. Might be a costly thing to maintain.

 

Do you know anyone who got it done?

[Melvin- Admin]

Yeah I agree. I might consider SMP but I haven't decided yet. I lived with a shaved head for about 5 years now and I coped fine with it.

 

How long does SMP last? Do you know? I read that it can cost Upto 3k and touch ups are about 300? each time. Might be a costly thing to maintain.

 

Do you know anyone who got it done?

 

I'm not sure about the cost but 3k sounds about right, it typically lasts for about two years, yea it's costly to maintain, the good thing is you can try it out and if it's not worth the cost just let it fade. You can Private message nicole007 or hairthere they are both experts on SMP and they'll be able to answer your questions better than me. If you can live with a shaved head that's te best route to be honest. Once you embark on a hair restoration journey there's no turning back. You have s good head shape too so that's a plus.

[1978matt]

SMP could look good. I'm not sure but I think you get about 18-24months life out of it before it fades. No idea on cost but there's a guy on here who runs an SMP business in NYC.

 

Have you any pictures of your hair grown out?

 

I would suggest growing it out a bit and sending a good range of clear photos to as many doctors as you can.

 

If it is really thick you might be able to get a conservative hairline and some decent coverage on the top.

 

Someone like Lorenzo would insist you take fin before taking on your case.

[Garysayshi]

SMP could look good. I'm not sure but I think you get about 18-24months life out of it before it fades. No idea on cost but there's a guy on here who runs an SMP business in NYC.

 

Have you any pictures of your hair grown out?

 

I would suggest growing it out a bit and sending a good range of clear photos to as many doctors as you can.

 

If it is really thick you might be able to get a conservative hairline and some decent coverage on the top.

 

Someone like Lorenzo would insist you take fin before taking on your case.

 

Hello thanks for your response.

 

I haven't grown my hair out for years. I shave close to the skin as possible, I prefer not to have stubble, I shave every morning.

 

I'm coming round to the idea of a SMP procedure but not sure yet.