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Dr. Kongkiat Laorwong in Bangkok - 2500 grafts [August 11, 2017]


junior

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Dr Kongkiat does fantastic work. I have actually ENJOYED having my previous 2 transplants done by him.

I probably wouldn't have needed the 2nd if i had got on Dutasteride earlier but i spent 14 months on Propecia which didn't halt my hairloss at all. 

Within a couple of months on Dutasteride my shedding stopped and my hair has been gradually growing thicker ever since.

I am now only 3.5 months post op and am satisfied with my results already. 

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No lasting side effects. When i first started it i would get dizzy if i stood up quickly but it soon resolved and was only slight. It may not have even been related. 

I started with 3 x 0.5mg per week and then increased to 0.5mg every day. I use the genuine Avodart as my doc will prescribe it and it's less than $1 per day here in Australia. If you get on the PBS it's much less than that but i think they only do that for prostate problems. 

I know propecia works for 85% of people and that statistic was what kept me on it for so long but it seemed to have absolutely no effect for me whereas dutasteride has been extremely effective.

I could probably even taper back down to 3 or 4 times a week and i feel it would still be effective in stopping loss. 

It won't perform miracles though and regrow a lot of lost hair but i have had a few vellus gradually turn longer and darker. 

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 Dense dream, 

 Everybody is different however, if you are familiar with the side effects from Propecia/finasteride, then understand that the side effects from Avodart/dutasteride Are nearly identical except stronger. Now, side effects are not a given, they don’t affect everybody and they  are only supposed to affect a small percentage of people. As for whether or not they last, I think some people would disagree with Freddy.   There is something called post finasteride syndrome where on going, lasting side effects of a sexual nature exist long beyond stopping the medication. This is allegedly exceptionally rare but do understand that if it’s a risk with finasteride it’s a risk with dutasteride

 Personally, I took Propecia for years and not experience any side effects. But just know everybody is different so it’s important you know the risks before taking it. 

Best wishes,

Bill

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Thanks Bill.  I'm gonna highly consider it.  I've been on Finasteride before my first hair transplant.  And back then my hair wasn't even that bad.  It continued to get worse over the 7 years... so much that I now have over 10K grafts transplanted.  I running out of donor in the bank so I need to hold on to what I got with guns a blazing.  I just want to get my scar fixed as best as possible just in case nothing works and I end up shaving my head to a 1/2 guard.  I got enough on top to shape my face so that and some combined SMP will be my fall back plan.  

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Yes i agree Bill,  just because i haven't had any side effects doesn't mean others won't and it is also important to talk to your doctor and research your decision. And by "research" i mean having a look at proper scientific studies and clinical trials not anecdotes.

There does seem to be some emerging evidence that Duta may have some long term negative effects on our glucose levels and blood make up and for that reason i will taper down my dose over the next year.

It's one of those things that you think to yourself " i will try it for a while until they come up with something new" and then they don't. 

Anyway this thread has become more about Duta then Dr Kongkiat, sorry to hijack it.

When i get time soon i will write up my experiences from 3 transplants and medication etc with photo's.

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  • 6 months later...
On 7/14/2018 at 6:54 AM, Freddy0 said:

Yes i agree Bill,  just because i haven't had any side effects doesn't mean others won't and it is also important to talk to your doctor and research your decision. And by "research" i mean having a look at proper scientific studies and clinical trials not anecdotes.

There does seem to be some emerging evidence that Duta may have some long term negative effects on our glucose levels and blood make up and for that reason i will taper down my dose over the next year.

It's one of those things that you think to yourself " i will try it for a while until they come up with something new" and then they don't. 

 Anyway this thread has become more about Duta then Dr Kongkiat, sorry to hijack it.

When i get time soon i will write up my experiences from 3 transplants and medication etc with photo's.

Hi,

I look forward to see and read your documented experience :)

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  • 5 months later...

Thought i would finally post an update. So it has been around 15 months since my 3rd (and final) procedure.

I have to say that i don't regret a thing and would do it all again if i could. The expense is worth it in my opinion and every time i look in the mirror i am glad i had the procedures done.

A little about my hair loss history. I slowly started receding in my early 20's and it continued into my 30's at a really slow rate. I have never had any crown loss, just receding. I think if my crown had thinned i would leave it and concentrate on just the hairline. You only have an infinite amount of grafts and i am 6'5 so not too many people would see my crown anyway! 

So the first one was in July 2015 with Dr Martinick in Perth W.A . I had 3000 grafts by FUT . I have attached the before photos from their office. The procedure was $12500 AUD and went pretty smoothly. I never really had any pain but a lot of swelling and a bit of discomfort after the procedure. She really bags out FUE and doesn't offer it. All in all i would give the procedure a 7/10 . The scar that i was left with is pencil thin.

A year after the procedure i decided the density wasn't what i had hoped and i decided to go to Dr Kongkiat and have another 1000 grafts done. When i went there he inspected my hair and said he could see an area between the implanted grafts and my native hair and advised me to start on propecia which i did straight away. 

The procedure was professional and he is meticulous although a man of few words. I would give it 9/10

After 1 year my hairline still seemed to be marching back quite quickly. I could see the new grafts coming through but my recession seemed to be keeping pace with it. I found it strange that it had been super slow for so many years and then accelerated big time after i had my first transplant. Propecia seemed to have absolutely no affect on me whatsoever so i jumped on Dutasteride which halted the loss almost instantly. I have never had any side effects from it but 6 months ago i backed it off to one every other day and it still works just the same. 

I then had another small procedure of 850 grafts done by Dr Kongkiat, he put some grafts into the FUT scar too so i can keep my hair at number 3 and the scar isn't visible. 

I have typed this up in a rush so have probably forgot a lot of good points but just wanted to let you guys know if you are considering having a HT, you should probably go for it.

P.S - Growth times - for me it has always been a 90% result within 7 months and the other 10% over the next year. 

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  • 2 years later...
  • Regular Member
On 8/17/2017 at 8:10 AM, junior said:

On August 11 I had an FUE HT with Dr. Kongkiat Laorwong. It was suggested that 2500 grafts were needed to cover my crown and hairline a few weeks ago through some photos I have sent him and the assessment didn't change on the actual day. There were only three main factors I chose this doctor: a) he has an archive of his work showing good results, b) he has 10 years of experience and does the surgery himself and c) he is a Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS) he was a well-trained hair transplant surgeon by fellowship training program certified by ISHRS and he is a Fellow Member of ISHRS ( FISHRS).

 

In my experience, things were very professional. Dr. Laorwong doesn't ask a lot of questions nor does he talk a lot but all the information he needed were in the form I filled up. After taking photos and deciding the hairline height, the procedure was done without incident (I noticed the assisstants massaged my legs before the injection which was probably a diversion). I was given a free PRP injection and was half awake (even noticed myself snoring) and was happy that everyone was very professional.

 

After the surgery, I was given medication and a post op pamphlet which I followed. I never took the sleeping pills nor the pain killers as I didn't really feel any discomfort after surgery (except for recurring hiccups) and was able to sleep well at the hotel. The next day, the doctor himself washed my hair and gave me extra ointments for acne, in case it developed, and to reduce the redness in the area for free. As I wanted to go around Bangkok (which is a beautiful place by the way), I asked for an extra bandana and shower cap.

 

Everyday I sprayed my head, applied petroleum jelly, wore a shower cap and a bandana, and went around. The bandana was black so people didn't really think anything about it. When I started working 3 days ago, I couldn't spray my head constantly anymore so I just applied vaseline petroleum jelly on it (the clinic gave me one as well but I used it all when I was in Bangkok), wore a shower cap, then a loose summer beanie. Nobody asked questions as the beanie was fashionable. Although, I stood out wearing a suit with a beanie.

 

Today is the the 6th day and I took these photos after shower (I am still waiting for the doctor to send me my pre op and post op photos) and removal of the petroleum jelly from last night. To remove the jelly, I use a disposable kitchen towel because it is absorbent and stronger than a tissue. Moreover, the petroleum jelly sticks to it. I tap my head lightly with the kitchen towel and then reapply the jelly. I do this twice a day as I shower before work and before sleeping.

 

A small information about me. I started taking propecia a month ago because I thought that getting a hair transplant was pointless if I don't take the medication. The non transplanted hairs would thin out and I would look bald again. I have been all around, as most balding guys probably do, getting information about HT, etc. in my case, I didn't experience any side effects. ED is scary but I didn't really give much thought about it as the scientific evidence doesn't really lead directly to the medication (as far as I have read). Brain fog was a big concern as my job requires intense intellectual energy all day. I didn't experience any so I was quite happy.

 

So far, I can say that the current results are pretty good. I am just thankful and excited to see how it would look like in a few months.

 

Thank you for reading and I am looking forward to any comments if there are any.

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On 7/11/2018 at 10:57 AM, junior said:

Thank you guys for the great comments. Indeed, it has been 11 months and I am really impressed by the result. I have attached some photos with my now thicker hairs (photos were taken while my hair was wet inside my room). I have been taking finasteride and minoxidyl for the past 12 months and 8 months, respectively, without any side effects. I am very happy with my hair and no longer worry about strong winds, going to the beach or the pool. 

I hope you guys have a successful surgery and great result as well. The new hair really gives me more confidence and I hope you guys will feel the same way too. 

I highly recommend Dr. Kongkiat Laorwong. 

Cheers!!

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Congratulations Junior - your procedure looks very impressive.

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  • 1 year later...
  • Regular Member

@wouldLikeMoreHair Dr. Laorwong used a .9 punch with me in September.  We discussed the punch size and he said it all has to do with the thickness of your hair.  I think he has used .8 for some others here.  Obviously smaller would be better for scars but you don't want the punch damaging the graft because it is too small.  I'm only at a little over two months so not sure what my scars will look like with short hair.  I'll post pictures once I get a haircut. 

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