TOTAL newbie. So many questions.

[SixHouse]

I'm 46 and in excellent health and physical shape. I have what I guess is classic male pattern balding. Over the years my hair line has receded and thinned, and I have a very thin spot on top. I live in NYC and after a quick Google search I went to Bosley for a consultation. To be clear I had no intention of blindly using the first guy I saw, so this was more of a learning exercise. From what I read on this forum I should definitely not use Bosley (someone can explain why if you have time).

They told me that my "permanent donor area" was thick and healthy, but that the strip was on the narrow side, and for that reason they would recommend FUT over FUE for me, and that I would require somewhere in the range of 2,500 to 3,000 grafts. And then later on I could decide if I wanted another procedure based on how happy I was with the volume I had achieved. They said the plus sides of FUT are that it would be less expensive, and that there's actually a slightly higher success rate at the follicle level. I guess I don't really care much about the scar since I wear my hair in a way that it would be hidden.

So my first question is, does that all sound about right so far?

I plan to get another opinion, probably from Feller since I live close to his office. Assuming he says something similar, my next question really comes down to cost.

I have a close friend who flew to India to have his FUE done by A r v i n d  P o s w a l. To be honest when I first heard this I thought he was out of his mind. But after some research I guess the guy is like one of the top guys in the world and does a bunch of celebrity-types in India. So the question is... Is that a good idea? I don't want to say money isn't a concern, but I *could* afford the NYC prices if I had to. Obviously if I can fly to India and save 10k I'd probably do it as long as enough educated and experienced people say it's a safe, good idea.

Your comments are appreciated.

 

Edited February 25, 2019 by SixHouse

[hairlossPA]

everything seems accurate. I don’t necessarily understand this part though “but that the strip was on the narrow side, and for that reason they would recommend FUT over FUE for me,”

what surgeon did he go to in india? picking anyone that is recommended on this site is leaps and bounds better than going to Bosley. The advice you’ll get from this forum is that you shouldn’t base your decision off of money, but for many on this forum, money is definitely a factor. There are a number of surgeons in various countries who can provide great results at a low cost. 

[SixHouse]

9 minutes ago, hairlossPA said:

everything seems accurate. I don’t necessarily understand this part though “but that the strip was on the narrow side, and for that reason they would recommend FUT over FUE for me,”

I probably didn't explain correctly. So from what I understand the permanent donor area is that strip of hair that wraps around the back of your head in the classic bald guy look and will probably always be there.That area on me isn't very "tall" I guess is a better word. They said if it was taller then FUE might be a better choice.

The guy in India was A r v i n d  P o s w a l.

Edited February 25, 2019 by SixHouse

[hairlossPA]

okay makes sense now. It will be hard to give much more advice without any pictures. With that being said, the donor area is genetically resistant to DHT (the culprit for hair loss) and that is the horseshoe shape of hair on the side of your head that wraps from ear to ear.

 

Does your hair loss creep far down your scalp in the back of your head? that seems to be what they are suggesting. This will in fact limit the number of grafts they can safely extract using FUE. 

[home1212]

4 hours ago, SixHouse said:

I'm 46 and in excellent health and physical shape. I have what I guess is classic male pattern balding. Over the years my hair line has receded and thinned, and I have a very thin spot on top. I live in NYC and after a quick Google search I went to Bosley for a consultation. To be clear I had no intention of blindly using the first guy I saw, so this was more of a learning exercise. From what I read on this forum I should definitely not use Bosley (someone can explain why if you have time).

They told me that my "permanent donor area" was thick and healthy, but that the strip was on the narrow side, and for that reason they would recommend FUT over FUE for me, and that I would require somewhere in the range of 2,500 to 3,000 grafts. And then later on I could decide if I wanted another procedure based on how happy I was with the volume I had achieved. They said the plus sides of FUT are that it would be less expensive, and that there's actually a slightly higher success rate at the follicle level. I guess I don't really care much about the scar since I wear my hair in a way that it would be hidden.

So my first question is, does that all sound about right so far?

I plan to get another opinion, probably from Feller since I live close to his office. Assuming he says something similar, my next question really comes down to cost.

I have a close friend who flew to India to have his FUE done by A r v i n d  P o s w a l. To be honest when I first heard this I thought he was out of his mind. But after some research I guess the guy is like one of the top guys in the world and does a bunch of celebrity-types in India. So the question is... Is that a good idea? I don't want to say money isn't a concern, but I *could* afford the NYC prices if I had to. Obviously if I can fly to India and save 10k I'd probably do it as long as enough educated and experienced people say it's a safe, good idea.

Your comments are appreciated.

 

no one can give you an honest opinion without photos depicting the degree of your hair loss and state of your donor - but most importantly I think everyone on this forum would advise you against going with Bosley. Don't limit yourself to NY doctors, although Feller & Bloxham are great doctors and by all means go for a consultation. Do some research on this site of other doctors' work. YOu may not be limited to FUT or strip surgery - maybe you are a good candidate for the less invasive procedure of FUE, even if you have to travel. I'm from NJ and I flew to Ottawa (less than 2 hour flight) to have surgery with Dr. Rahal because I wanted FUE and he is a world-renowned surgeon. Good luck to you.

[Spaceman]

No point in getting a consultation from a bad clinic. You can’t trust what they say. Bosley says your safe zone is too small for 2500 FUE grafts. That’s a really small safe zone and it doesn’t match the level of loss you describe. Or they could be wrong. 

[LaserCap]

So many things about this post....First the consultation.  I'll bet, if you go to different offices, you will get many points of view. Many factors involved.....The Doctor, the staff, have they had any work on that particular month, they prefer FUT over FUE because they have no experience?  You can actually question EVERYTHING.....

The donor is the donor.  It's common sense.  If you have a small head, small donor.  Larger head, larger donor....but larger pattern as well.  It is all relative.  The one thing that was not mentioned was elasticity.  Most believe the donor is very specific but, if you consider FUE, (look at photos of various clinics), you'll notice that they will typically harvest from top to bottom and from side to side.  So, to say that your donor is only in the area within the strip they are considering harvesting, its questionable.