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Everyone and their mother has tried to persuade me out of getting a hair transplant in Mexico, but it’s affordable and I read/write/speak Spanish. Even folks on The Bald Truth and other popular Youtubers warn about going to Mexico for cosmetic surgeries and they all repeatedly recite, “you get what you pay for”. Although I find it odd that none of their surgeons are board certified, I’ve seen some life changing results from Dr. Nader and Dr. Gaston De La Garza. Honestly if I could afford a $20,000 hairline from Dr. Craig Ziering in Hollywood, I wouldn’t think twice.

So, is there some kind of prejudice within the hairloss community or are there more instances of botched FUT surgeries that I just haven’t seen?

Edited by chillgazer
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There is definitely prejudice surgeons in third world countries, but imo neither of those surgeons do world standard work.There no recent results from Gaston  (who is also a plastic surgeon, not a dedicated hair transplant surgeon so shouldn't be considered) and none that are particularly impressive, I also see more bad than good work from Nader. There is only a single Nader result that is ever held up by those advocating him and people never mention that it was two procedures to get it to that point, not a one and done.

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Ive seen good results from Nader, with the price being very affordable compared to the states.  There are a few guys on here who just recently had one done by him I’m curious how they are doing now. 

I’ve been seriously considering him in the next year or two, just haven’t taken the leap and watching my hairloss closely to see if it’s slowing down.

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11 hours ago, chillgazer said:

Everyone and their mother has tried to persuade me out of getting a hair transplant in Mexico, but it’s affordable and I read/write/speak Spanish. Even folks on The Bald Truth and other popular Youtubers warn about going to Mexico for cosmetic surgeries and they all repeatedly recite, “you get what you pay for”. Although I find it odd that none of their surgeons are board certified, I’ve seen some life changing results from Dr. Nader and Dr. Gaston De La Garza. Honestly if I could afford a $20,000 hairline from Dr. Craig Ziering in Hollywood, I wouldn’t think twice.

So, is there some kind of prejudice within the hairloss community or are there more instances of botched FUT surgeries that I just haven’t seen?

4

You should think twice, he's not a top-tier doctor, but a well-advertised hair mill.

He's a sexy Bosely, please never consider such a place, he has a hair mill pedigree.

 

 

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Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A.

Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010

Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011

Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016

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The main concern with going for medical tourism outside of the west is accountability of doctors to medical boards and the ability to pursue legal action if something goes awry and needs rectifying.

Something to consider.

Edited by Speegs
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Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A.

Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010

Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011

Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016

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I don’t  believe there is any particular hate on Mexico or any other surgical tourism destination. However, there isn’t many top tier doctors in that area that are well known, with the exception of Dr. Nader. 

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I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

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Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

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4 hours ago, Recedinggenes said:

Ive seen good results from Nader, with the price being very affordable compared to the states.  There are a few guys on here who just recently had one done by him I’m curious how they are doing now. 

I’ve been seriously considering him in the next year or two, just haven’t taken the leap and watching my hairloss closely to see if it’s slowing down.

Yeah, I’ve had my eyes glued to forums for a while now and I am anxiously hoping for more Nader patient testimonials. He never bothered to respond to my inquiry (typical for him) and I’m still no where near my financing goal, but I guess we’ll see what happens. There’s got to be some reputable hair surgeons down there!

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3 hours ago, Recedinggenes said:

I know most have seen this success story from Nader, I know it’s just one story but damn I’d kill to have this transplant.

 

876C1736-C26B-4CD1-9199-34C3471E8F74.jpeg

Sh*t man, same here. Seeing his slow transformation and how confident he was by the end definitely inspired me to take steps in the right direction and start consults in the states. None of which I can afford ?

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5 hours ago, Speegs said:

The main concern with going for medical tourism outside of the west is accountability of doctors to medical boards and the ability to pursue legal action if something goes awry and needs rectifying.

Something to consider.

Isn’t there some kind of plastic surgery insurance coverage you can buy just in case the surgeon slips the scalpel? Or are you screwed once you sign the patient consent forms?

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5 hours ago, Speegs said:

You should think twice, he's not a top-tier doctor, but a well-advertised hair mill.

He's a sexy Bosely, please never consider such a place, he has a hair mill pedigree.

 

 

Wait, what??? I’ve talked with him several times and he didn’t seem like a scam artist. Is it because he has a chain of surgery centers across the U.S.?

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5 hours ago, Speegs said:

You should think twice, he's not a top-tier doctor, but a well-advertised hair mill.

He's a sexy Bosely, please never consider such a place, he has a hair mill pedigree.

 

 

I also wanted Dr. Gabel to provide my first FUT since I live here in Portland Oregon, but $13,000 for one time just isn’t reasonable. How was your experience? Did you have to get a credit line or did you just have the means to save up?

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24 minutes ago, chillgazer said:

Wait, what??? I’ve talked with him several times and he didn’t seem like a scam artist. Is it because he has a chain of surgery centers across the U.S.?

He has a shady hair mill background, uses a glitzy ad campaign and celebrity endorsements to sex up his appeal.

He also employs that horrid ARTAS robot any FUE surgeon worth their salt has abandoned even if they tried it out.

 

Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A.

Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010

Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011

Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016

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23 minutes ago, chillgazer said:

I also wanted Dr. Gabel to provide my first FUT since I live here in Portland Oregon, but $13,000 for one time just isn’t reasonable. How was your experience? Did you have to get a credit line or did you just have the means to save up?

I don't know how large your case was. Budgets are always a factor,  I understand that. I traveled from Austin to him, so envy you had him local.

I financed my first procedure and paid outright for my second.

I think Dr. Gabel used to employ a sliding scale for the price, based on case size, but because his demand became so high altered his price structure to $4 a graft, which is still pretty competitive for a top tier doctor.

 

 

Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A.

Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010

Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011

Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016

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32 minutes ago, chillgazer said:

Isn’t there some kind of plastic surgery insurance coverage you can buy just in case the surgeon slips the scalpel? Or are you screwed once you sign the patient consent forms?

I don't know how enforceable that stuff is outside of American jurisdiction.

Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A.

Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010

Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011

Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016

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7 hours ago, Recedinggenes said:

I know most have seen this success story from Nader, I know it’s just one story but damn I’d kill to have this transplant.

 

876C1736-C26B-4CD1-9199-34C3471E8F74.jpeg

The hair is angled up and long for coverage, but even then you can clearly see that the density is very poor at the front. He has video showing weak density and gaps also. His final result people bring up to act as if Nader a great surgeon is after a SECOND procedure, people falsely assume it was a single pass, and after the first run through the result was below average. It still looks somewhat pluggy also. There is no issue with having to have multiple procedures to achieve ideal density, but this is hailed as the best case scenario Nader result and it still isn't top-tier. I guarantee that if you had to live with the low density result he had after his first surgery you wouldn't be happy, especially if expense is a major issue for you even for a single procedure.

 

If Gabel's prices were even remotely a possibility, I would strongly consider saving for him rather than going for Nader. And yes Ziering is not a top surgeon, any who use the ARTAS for FUE are below par. Dr. Acar and Cinik in Turkey do far more consistent and more aesthetic work than Nader and are still well below his price even. There are more Cinik than Nader results on this forum, and a lot on the international forum also worth looking at.

Edited by JeanLDD
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Avoid commercial chain clinics in North America, because these clinics rely heavily on advertising and marketing to gain their clientele rather than their reputation and results. Furthermore, these clinics are numbers driven and not patient focused, so essentially you're just a number in the chair, it's heavily technician focused and who knows if the doctor on site is even a specialist in hair restoration. Technically, a clinic just requires that a physician be on site, so the doctor on site could be an orthopedic surgeon with no history or knowledge of hair restoration. For the price, you are better off going to a clinic like Erdogan, who is heavily tech based, but a third of the price.

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I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

View my thread

Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.

 

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16 hours ago, Speegs said:

He has a shady hair mill background, uses a glitzy ad campaign and celebrity endorsements to sex up his appeal.

He also employs that horrid ARTAS robot any FUE surgeon worth their salt has abandoned even if they tried it out.

 

Damn, I guess I was delusional for thinking he was legitimate because of his Hollywood reputation. I figured ARTAS is a state of the art robot that is more efficient than the standard FUE hand punch. Oops! 

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12 hours ago, JeanLDD said:

The hair is angled up and long for coverage, but even then you can clearly see that the density is very poor at the front. He has video showing weak density and gaps also. His final result people bring up to act as if Nader a great surgeon is after a SECOND procedure, people falsely assume it was a single pass, and after the first run through the result was below average. It still looks somewhat pluggy also. There is no issue with having to have multiple procedures to achieve ideal density, but this is hailed as the best case scenario Nader result and it still isn't top-tier. I guarantee that if you had to live with the low density result he had after his first surgery you wouldn't be happy, especially if expense is a major issue for you even for a single procedure.

 

If Gabel's prices were even remotely a possibility, I would strongly consider saving for him rather than going for Nader. And yes Ziering is not a top surgeon, any who use the ARTAS for FUE are below par. Dr. Acar and Cinik in Turkey do far more consistent and more aesthetic work than Nader and are still well below his price even. There are more Cinik than Nader results on this forum, and a lot on the international forum also worth looking at.

Oh, I know dude had multiple procedures considering how little he had prior. Photos like this only make uninformed baldies believe that they can achieve great density in one surgery. If only that were the reality. :(

I considered Turkey based on the results I’ve seen, but I still can’t seem to shake off my irrational fear of flying. 

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16 hours ago, Speegs said:

I don't know how large your case was. Budgets are always a factor,  I understand that. I traveled from Austin to him, so envy you had him local.

I financed my first procedure and paid outright for my second.

I think Dr. Gabel used to employ a sliding scale for the price, based on case size, but because his demand became so high altered his price structure to $4 a graft, which is still pretty competitive for a top tier doctor.

 

 

If $4 is competitive, how much are top tier surgeons charging per graft? $10 a pop?

 

Ok, here’s my current predicament. I’ve got lots of square footage to fill up, so I know it’s going to be a debt sentence. Do you have pictures of your final results from Gabel?

98A17F6C-2BB0-4A44-A8C1-6E4659D5F997.jpeg

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8 minutes ago, chillgazer said:

If $4 is competitive, how much are top tier surgeons charging per graft? $10 a pop?

 

Ok, here’s my current predicament. I’ve got lots of square footage to fill up, so I know it’s going to be a debt sentence. Do you have pictures of your final results from Gabel?

98A17F6C-2BB0-4A44-A8C1-6E4659D5F997.jpeg

4 to 6 is pretty normal, depends on the doc.

Lesser docs are usually asking 4 as if they were elite, so when a good doc asks 4 it's competitive.

Hair restoration is pricey, that's why it's important you do your homework and get the right physician.

Please PM me and I'll share pics, for privacy reasons I tend not to post them.

 

Edited by Speegs

Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A.

Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010

Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011

Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016

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22 minutes ago, chillgazer said:

Damn, I guess I was delusional for thinking he was legitimate because of his Hollywood reputation. I figured ARTAS is a state of the art robot that is more efficient than the standard FUE hand punch. Oops! 

ARTAS is an expensive gimmick robot that has encouraged a lot of hacks to get into HT because you don't have to have any skill to own one.

A true surgeon does it delicately by hand because every scalp is too nuanced to calibrate with a robot.

ARTAS is a red flag all the way, and any other robot or automation machine for that matter, such as Neo Graft.

As for celebs, their money doesn't make them all smart, they get duped by their ignorance or else given free surgery for an endorsement.

Not all of them may end up butchered, I'm sure they're given special attention, but they aren't going to the best if they're actually going to Ziering.

 

Edited by Speegs

Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A.

Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010

Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011

Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016

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Honestly. I think you might be too bald to really be an ideal patient. Looking at the donor area you could maybe get light coverage with a high hairline, or have a huge bald spot on top and some passable thin hairline at the front. But in my opinion none would really be a good look and truthfully you would look better just embracing your baldness rather than a week hairline that just detracts from someone overall look.  Now if you have a lot of body hair and money. Dr. U could probably get you some passible looking results. But no hair is better looking than some sickly looking thin fuzz or awkward looking things. Look honestly at what you have...we all kind of have trouble seeing reality when we look at ourselves. Then look at norwood 6-7 results. It is pretty impossible unless you have a superb donor supply and thick diameter hair. I honestly see some of these hairlines they put on guys...you know, with the hairline staring way far back because of too much loss. Why the patient my like it, 90% of the time in the eyes of the rest of the world, these results look silly and he poor guy would be 20k richer and look so much better if he just buzzed it off. Please don't be one of those guys who end up as roadkill on the HT superhighway.  I hate to sound harsh, but the good looking results are usually restoring at worst a Norwood 5 to a 2/3. I have learned anyone here can find a surgeon willing to take his money. From the early 20's fool who blows thorough his donor supply to have a goofy looking hairline so low it makes him look feminine to the baldy who ends up wit a fuzzy widows peak 3 inches back from where it might have looked decent. Tread lightly and do your research. Donor, density, caliber, graft survival. Then when you know what is possible,,,,pick a surgeon who might be a good fit.

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I agree with Speegs to a degree. MOST of the top transplant surgeons do not use the robot. It usually is a sign of a clinic that is not as skillful IMHO. It is a tool to keep labor costs down and allow surgeons with limited skill to do a decent harvesting job. Usually the top guys use smaller punches than the robot as well. I for sure don't think it is something to be looking for when picking who does your transplant. In fact, it is a bit of a red flag unless you fall for the marketing hype. 

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15 hours ago, back2clas said:

Honestly. I think you might be too bald to really be an ideal patient. Looking at the donor area you could maybe get light coverage with a high hairline, or have a huge bald spot on top and some passable thin hairline at the front. But in my opinion none would really be a good look and truthfully you would look better just embracing your baldness rather than a week hairline that just detracts from someone overall look.  Now if you have a lot of body hair and money. Dr. U could probably get you some passible looking results. But no hair is better looking than some sickly looking thin fuzz or awkward looking things. Look honestly at what you have...we all kind of have trouble seeing reality when we look at ourselves. Then look at norwood 6-7 results. It is pretty impossible unless you have a superb donor supply and thick diameter hair. I honestly see some of these hairlines they put on guys...you know, with the hairline staring way far back because of too much loss. Why the patient my like it, 90% of the time in the eyes of the rest of the world, these results look silly and he poor guy would be 20k richer and look so much better if he just buzzed it off. Please don't be one of those guys who end up as roadkill on the HT superhighway.  I hate to sound harsh, but the good looking results are usually restoring at worst a Norwood 5 to a 2/3. I have learned anyone here can find a surgeon willing to take his money. From the early 20's fool who blows thorough his donor supply to have a goofy looking hairline so low it makes him look feminine to the baldy who ends up wit a fuzzy widows peak 3 inches back from where it might have looked decent. Tread lightly and do your research. Donor, density, caliber, graft survival. Then when you know what is possible,,,,pick a surgeon who might be a good fit.

Gee, thanks for making me feel better about my current situation. If I could truly accept myself as bald and finally like what I see in the mirror, I wouldn’t have registered or posted on here. It’s not completely unrealistic to have these surgery goals because I’ve seen Gabel transform Norwood 6/7 folks. I’m already well aware I won’t have the crown I had at 18.

It might be easy for the majority of men to let nature take it’s course and accept your losses, but as a transgender man, it’s a different experience. I’ve hid behind glasses and ball caps, shave my head every three days- yet I still feel disgusted with my appearance.

Edited by chillgazer
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