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Pyrat

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Hi All, 

Long time lurker here. I have to say that I really appreciate all the value and information this forum provides. I am a little OCD and have been doing a lot of research on different hair transplant options and the pros and cons. I think I am at a stage where transplant is really the only option and I am looking for recommendations and options regarding it.

A little bit about myself: I am 31 years old and have been losing hair since I was 19. I was able to pull off the receded hairline till about 3.5 years ago when it became very evident and I did not like what I was looking at in the mirror. I have consulted with 4 doctors so far and all have advised that a FUE between 2500 to 3000 grafts is what is required to remedy my hairline and provide a good result. 
 

I have not been able to take the plunge (been thinking about it for 3 years now) because I get too worried about a bad or unnatural result and things such as permanent scarring and so on. I was hoping that some of the long time members here can point me in the direction of some bad results and chime in on any data points regarding how often someone might get bad results or the main causes for bad results.


Also, I think I’ve narrowed down my options to 3 doctors so far ( Cinik, Tejinder Bhatti and Dr Bhansal/ Sethi). I think that these doctors have had really impressive results for the most part and I have had very little luck finding bad reviews/results coming out of their clinics specially Dr Bhatti and Dr Bhansal/Sethi. It would be very helpful if someone on this forum can point me to any results from these doctors where the patients have not been satisfied with and the reasons for the bad results.
 

I have also attached some pictures that show my hair loss. Please do provide some input on how many grafts you think I might need as well.

CEE3054E-3611-40E1-A2B5-560EBD6D0AD1.jpeg

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4ECAB18F-2941-4556-B82B-030A59505D9D.jpeg

AF9DFFEE-4CBE-4B3F-859D-1F9ECE67D75D.jpeg

EAB3E8EA-E939-434D-A510-545C2EE5F340.jpeg

59C4C220-C13F-4419-82EA-5A12FECD7D7A.jpeg

9479FC6B-F077-4FB0-90CE-ABDA2AF39775.jpeg

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Your hair is too short.  Let it grow about a 10 days and post another set of photos. Many doctors will err on the side of caution because they're truly are out to protect you.  If the "see-through" has anything to do with thinning, you'll thank them down the road.  If it's just because of contrast and the length of the hair. the only thing we did was waste 10 days.

You are developing into an advanced pattern and, if you've shown the propensity to lose, it is likely this will continue.  Are you doing any type of medical therapy?  That should be your main priority at this time.

Your hairline has receded considerably - and appropriately for the pattern that you have.  It is important to keep in mind you want to be pattern appropriate.  If you are adamant, for example, to have a hairline in the middle of the forehead you will not only look ridiculous, but everyone will know something is up. 

Pls make sure to take a photo of your donor.

More to come.....

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2 hours ago, LaserCap said:

Your hair is too short.  Let it grow about a 10 days and post another set of photos. Many doctors will err on the side of caution because they're truly are out to protect you.  If the "see-through" has anything to do with thinning, you'll thank them down the road.  If it's just because of contrast and the length of the hair. the only thing we did was waste 10 days.

You are developing into an advanced pattern and, if you've shown the propensity to lose, it is likely this will continue.  Are you doing any type of medical therapy?  That should be your main priority at this time.

Your hairline has receded considerably - and appropriately for the pattern that you have.  It is important to keep in mind you want to be pattern appropriate.  If you are adamant, for example, to have a hairline in the middle of the forehead you will not only look ridiculous, but everyone will know something is up. 

Pls make sure to take a photo of your donor.

More to come.....

Thank you for the response. I had a haircut about 2 weeks ago and will definitely post pictures after 10 days. The hair on the top is now probably 2 cm long and there is definitely thinning in the areas that I do have hair. My hair loss has reduced quite a bit in the last 12 to 18 months but I still am losing hair and this is evident when I shower or dry/ brush my hair.

I absolutely do not want to have a very low hairline and maybe want to lower it just half an inch for a mature hairline as that actually goes well with the shape of my head.
 

Also, when you say the doctors are erring on the side of caution, do you mean they are providing a lower graft estimate or higher graft estimate. 

I have attached photos of the donor area. The hair in the back is under a cm long and feels quite thick.

5274D07B-FE97-400B-9E01-7A49D946A586.jpeg

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E84B61A0-3DA0-4EBC-8822-5BFFDBFE06C5.jpeg

Edited by Pyrat
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Use this forum it is an invaluable resource, look at real patient results, and send private messages to patients, get unbiased information. Dr. Bhatti and Sethi put out solid results, I’ve seen good work from cinik as well.
 

But I would expand your pool and consult with as many surgeons as possible. Take advantage of our virtual consultations they’re free

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-transplant-surgeons.asp


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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Certainly do your homework on this website.  This website is essential for researching a good doctor.  Regarding your concern for scarring, If your doctor uses an appropriately small "punch size" 0.8mm for example, you will be just fine.  I had my head shaved prior to my second surgery and there was, in my opinion, no discernible scarring.  I apologize to many of you who have seen this photo posted many times but its still relevant today when someone asks about scarring.  The area marked on my head produced about 1,750 grafts in 2012.  This picture was taken about 2 years later minutes before my second surgery.  You can see more pictures on my website. Best of luck to you.

 

Left+Donor+Pre.JPG

I am an online representative for Carolina Hair Surgery & Dr. Mike Vories (Recommended on the Hair Transplant Network).

View John's before/after photos and videos:  http://www.MyFUEhairtransplant.com

You can email me at johncasper99@gmail.com

I am not a medical professional and my opinions should not be taken as medical advice.

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@Pyrat there are quite a few bad results from Dr. Bhatti and Dr. Cinik in this forum. 

Talk with @Egy that had a bad result with Dr. Cinik and check his results thread. 

You are mentioning low cost clinics that rely on young technicians to do the hair transplant (you get want you pay for).

I strongly recommend you to chose a Doctor that does the whole surgery himself and has patients posting great results.

My search lead me to Dr. Kaan Pekiner (2.15€/graft) and Dr. Bruno Ferreira (2.5€/graft at his clinic in Porto and he is also the Medical assistant of one the best FUE docs in the world Jose Lorenzo). 

Trust me you won’t find any doctors with great results that are doing the whole surgery with direct hair implantation or stick&place at a cheaper price.

Good luck!

Edited by Portugal25
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3 hours ago, Portugal25 said:

@Pyrat there are quite a few bad results from Dr. Bhatti and Dr. Cinik in this forum. 

Talk with @Egy that had a bad result with Dr. Cinik and check his results thread. 

You are mentioning low cost clinics that rely on young technicians to do the hair transplant (you get want you pay for).

I strongly recommend you to chose a Doctor that does the whole surgery himself and has patients posting great results.

My search lead me to Dr. Kaan Pekiner (2.15€/graft) and Dr. Bruno Ferreira (2.5€/graft at his clinic in Porto and he is also the Medical assistant of one the best FUE docs in the world Jose Lorenzo). 

Trust me you won’t find any doctors with great results that are doing the whole surgery with direct hair implantation or stick&place at a cheaper price.

Good luck!

Thank you for your response. I will get in touch with @Egy I do not want to travel to Turkey and would prefer India due to home comfort.

Are there any bad results coming out of Eugenix as well. I believe that their top option is where the doctors will be doing the whole procedure. The prices have gone up in the new year but looking at the results that have been documented here, I do not see any negative results so far.

Also, can you or someone else chime in on any dermatological conditions or other patient specific issues that might cause a bad result. I would like to get tested for these before I commit to getting the surgery done.

 

Tagging a few more knowledgeable members here. @Melvin-Moderator, @paddyirishman, @Niko1, @Egy.

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5 hours ago, Portugal25 said:

@Pyrat there are quite a few bad results from Dr. Bhatti and Dr. Cinik in this forum. 

Talk with @Egy that had a bad result with Dr. Cinik and check his results thread. 

You are mentioning low cost clinics that rely on young technicians to do the hair transplant (you get want you pay for).

I strongly recommend you to chose a Doctor that does the whole surgery himself and has patients posting great results.

My search lead me to Dr. Kaan Pekiner (2.15€/graft) and Dr. Bruno Ferreira (2.5€/graft at his clinic in Porto and he is also the Medical assistant of one the best FUE docs in the world Jose Lorenzo). 

Trust me you won’t find any doctors with great results that are doing the whole surgery with direct hair implantation or stick&place at a cheaper price.

Good luck!

@Pyrat, I wish you all the best. You seem to be on the right track. No sense in rushing. The more you research your HT Surgeon, the better decision you will be able to make. I just wanted to jump in here to set the record straight on one thing......the statement "low cost clinics that rely on young technicians to do the hair transplant" does NOT apply to Dr. Bhatti/ Darling Buds. Dr. Bhatti does all his procedures (pre-op consulting, anesthesia, extraction, slit making, plantation supervision etc.) himself. He has no franchise clinics, no junior doctors and/or technicians doing what the HT Surgeon should be doing.

All the best to you.

Regards,

California

 

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North America Representative and Patient Advisor for:
Dr. Tejinder Bhatti, Darling Buds Hair Transplant Center, Chandigarh, India.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own.

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6 hours ago, Portugal25 said:

Talk with @Egy that had a bad result with Dr. Cinik and check his results thread. 

No no @Portugal25 you probably got confused in reading my thread, my first transplant went wrong, I did it in a pseudo-clinic, the Estetistanbul of two unknown doctors Hamid Aydin and Ziya Yavuz,  I didn't know the HRN forum at that time, the second transplant done in Dr. Cinik's clinic almost three months ago, I still can't say how it will go because it's still early.

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@Egy I was under the impression you were also not to happy with your second hair transplant at Cinik. 
Anywway, there several bad cases for Cinik in this forum and in others as it a tech run surgery with all inclusive low prices. 

@Pyrat you are doing the right going to a Dermatologist first to check your scalp and skin conditions but the most important thing to rule out is if you have DUPA/BUPA (minitiuarization of grafts).
If you have this condition a good Doctor will stop your surgery after he spots you have this issue.

Clinics that only want your money will not tell you anything and continue to the surgery but you will get a bad result if you have DUPA/BUPA.

I have been told that the only way to be sure if a patient has this condition is to actually remove some grafts and check under microscope.

Dont worry too much because DUPA affects just 2-4% of the male population.

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31 minutes ago, Portugal25 said:

 

@Egy I was under the impression you were also not to happy with your second hair transplant at Cinik. 
Anywway, there several bad cases for Cinik in this forum and in others as it a tech run surgery with all inclusive low prices. 

 

@Portugal25I still cannot express a judgment on my procedure in Dr. Cinik's clinic, I know, as you say that it has negative results but I have also personally seen positive ones, patients who came back to him for a second procedure, if they were not satisfied, they were not satisfied.  I believe they would.  Anyway I couldn't afford a top surgeon and I had to choose a low cost clinic that seemed the best with some risks I know .... now I will see ... I cross my fingers and let you know

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@Pyrat Eugenix now costs 1.75€/graft of you want Dr. Arika to do some crucial extractions and supervise the surgery (Dr Seethi is even more expensive) so basically Eugenix is still a surgery that is mostly done by technicians even with the more expensive packages that include the supervision of the reputed Doctors. 

Dr. Kaan Pekiner charges 2.15€/graft for a surgery performed 100% by him with Stick&Place technique at a clinic that only has 1 patient per day. So for just 30 cents more per graft you can have a totally different level of surgery. 

If you really want a low price Doctor and don’t mind having technicians do some or most of the surgery then I advise you to go to Dr. Demirsoy because he only has 1 patient per day and charges 1.25€/graft with several nice results on this forum (he has techs do some of the surgery though).

Edited by Portugal25
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@Portugal25 

I know you’re happy with your surgeon, but you’re coming off a little salesman like. Most of the surgeons mentioned have a long reputation of producing solid results on this forum. 

I will contend that Dr. Ferreira and Pekiner seem like a good surgeons, all good names to research, but lets not try and bring other surgeons down by building yours up. 

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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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View my thread

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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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@Melvin-Moderator I don’t know yet if I’m happy with my surgery because I’m still waiting for the results. 
Also, I’m not affiliated with any of these Doctors and in the case of Dr. Bruno Ferreira, Dr. Ximena and Dr. Demirsoy (not a fan but he is cheap) I’m not even their patient and recommend them solely based on price/technique vs results here in this forum.

I think there better Doctors than the ones I’m recommending here but I just don’t think there are better Doctors charging less.
Please correct me if I am wrong as myself and a lot of people surely will appreciate knowing about other best value Doctors. 

In 2008 when I had surgery with Dr. Rahal I spent years recommending him and Hasson&Wong constantly because they had the best results in this forum and were cheaper than many US Doctors, in those days no moderator said I was coming off as salesman. I guess things have changed since those days but I will stand by my comments until I am proven wrong and hope you can allow me to continue to recommend best value Doctors that I believe can achieve a great results and not make us pay an arm and a leg for them. 

If you or any one else disagrees with me, that’s great, so let me know which Doctors you guys think is doing amazing surgeries with great results at 2.5€/grafts or less because while knowing who’s the Elite is important it’s also important to know who does the surgery like the Elite with results on the same level of the Elite but charging us much less.

I would really appreciate it if you and more members could contribute with the prices and the techniques of the Doctors you think can achieve good results at more affordable prices (minimum wage in Portugal is 600USD/month so here we are all very much geared towards value for money). 

Edited by Portugal25
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8 hours ago, Egy said:

@Portugal25I still cannot express a judgment on my procedure in Dr. Cinik's clinic, I know, as you say that it has negative results but I have also personally seen positive ones, patients who came back to him for a second procedure, if they were not satisfied, they were not satisfied.  I believe they would.  Anyway I couldn't afford a top surgeon and I had to choose a low cost clinic that seemed the best with some risks I know .... now I will see ... I cross my fingers and let you know

@Egy you are right there are nice results from Cinik in this forum but after watching @Melvin-Moderator video warning us against clinics that provide “all inclusive” no limit grafts like Dr. Cinik clinic, I just can’t find myself recommending him to anyone while he continue this type of approach at 2090€ all inclusive rate per surgery. 

Edited by Portugal25
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I’m rotting for you @Egy hope we both get great results 💪

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4 hours ago, Portugal25 said:

@Melvin-Moderator I don’t know yet if I’m happy with my surgery because I’m still waiting for the results. 
Also, I’m not affiliated with any of these Doctors and in the case of Dr. Bruno Ferreira, Dr. Ximena and Dr. Demirsoy (not a fan but he is cheap) I’m not even their patient and recommend them solely based on price/technique vs results here in this forum.

I think there better Doctors than the ones I’m recommending here but I just don’t think there are better Doctors charging less.
Please correct me if I am wrong as myself and a lot of people surely will appreciate knowing about other best value Doctors. 

In 2008 when I had surgery with Dr. Rahal I spent years recommending him and Hasson&Wong constantly because they had the best results in this forum and were cheaper than many US Doctors, in those days no moderator said I was coming off as salesman. I guess things have changed since those days but I will stand by my comments until I am proven wrong and hope you can allow me to continue to recommend best value Doctors that I believe can achieve a great results and not make us pay an arm and a leg for them. 

If you or any one else disagrees with me, that’s great, so let me know which Doctors you guys think is doing amazing surgeries with great results at 2.5€/grafts or less because while knowing who’s the Elite is important it’s also important to know who does the surgery like the Elite with results on the same level of the Elite but charging us much less.

I would really appreciate it if you and more members could contribute with the prices and the techniques of the Doctors you think can achieve good results at more affordable prices (minimum wage in Portugal is 600USD/month so here we are all very much geared towards value for money). 

That’s fine, it’s not a problem, but I’m just letting you know how it’s being perceived. Your post history shows constant mention of these doctors with prices and contact information. Typically, in the past this was a sign of undercover reps. I’m not saying that’s you, but that’s how some members may view it, especially if they’re new.

Instead, if you’re happy and want to highlight your doctor you could add your thread to your signature, so everyone can see the results, after all that’s what matters most. 
 

Best wishes, 

Melvin


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.

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1 hour ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

That’s fine, it’s not a problem, but I’m just letting you know how it’s being perceived. Your post history shows constant mention of these doctors with prices and contact information. Typically, in the past this was a sign of undercover reps. I’m not saying that’s you, but that’s how some members may view it, especially if they’re new.

Instead, if you’re happy and want to highlight your doctor you could add your thread to your signature, so everyone can see the results, after all that’s what matters most. 
 

Best wishes, 

Melvin

@Melvin-Moderator maybe you’re right and since I don’t work for any of the these Doctors I don’t want anyone to think otherwise.
I do think more members should post prices for the Doctors or Clinics they talk about so we can know if it’s worth spending our time talking with them. Sometimes it seems like some people are afraid to tell the prices they received (I’m not and nobody asked me the keep it a secret).

Don’t know yet if I am happy with my results for my second HT because I’m 11 days post surgery. Would really appreciate your feedback on my results thread. 

Edited by Portugal25
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Hello @Pyrat .  Looking at your pictures 2750 grafts approx would make a nice improvement,  if the hairline was not brought down very low and it was on the slightly conservative side. You have a large forehead and the temptation to come down low to combat that could use up a lot of precious grafts, that you will need for later as you will receed further.

Remember you can always add to the hairline later, only if need be. You cant take away.

Be conservative with your doner and don't take any risks to take grafts outside the Safe DONER Area . Establish as much as practially possible what your progression of baldness will likely be , and plan accordingly with a long term plan. As its all about supply and demand.

Get as much information as you can by contacting different doctors. Results are the most important thing at the end of the day as you know. 

As you have shortlisted Dr Arika @Eugenix Hair Science  and tagged myself in this thread for my input as you must know I have been at EUGENIX for my HT , I have no hesitation in recommending Dr.Arika.  You can read my thread and see my experience to date. Eugenix have shown excellent results , particularly with high norwood cases, thats why I was drawn to them. As I have seen first hand myself ,the clinic and facilities are state of the art, and the doctors and technicans are highly trained and have worked there for many years, and everybody knows their job to perfection, to work together as a team to give the patient the best possible result. As we all know thats  what matters.....Results...

I wish you the very best @Pyrat 

..........Paddy........

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@paddyirishman, @Portugal25, @Egy, @Melvin-Moderator, @California: I really appreciate all the input. I think I will be talking to Dr Arika in the coming few days and ask her a few questions. I also really want to see some bad results from that clinic and understand the cause for it so I can know what the worst case was and also prepare for it. 

I looked some more online but just cannot find a bad result for Eugenix. I will also ask about how many more hair transplants I will need in the future and base my decision accordingly.

I’ll post here what I learn from the doctor.

Edited by Pyrat
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8 hours ago, Pyrat said:

@paddyirishman, @Portugal25, @Egy, @Melvin-Moderator, @California: I really appreciate all the input. I think I will be talking to Dr Arika in the coming few days and ask her a few questions. I also really want to see some bad results from that clinic and understand the cause for it so I can know what the worst case was and also prepare for it. 

I looked some more online but just cannot find a bad result for Eugenix. I will also ask about how many more hair transplants I will need in the future and base my decision accordingly.

I’ll post here what I learn from the doctor.

Every clinic has bad results, what you should ask the clinic, is how they would handle your result, if it turns out bad. 


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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@kmgrafix DUPA is a condition that can worsen over time and will affect the outcome of the surgery. A patient with DUPA will not achieve the same results as a patient without DUPA.  For this reason several Doctors may refuse to operate because they either feel they don’t have the know-how to satisfy their patient or don’t want to risk getting a bad result and damage their reputation.
So to answer your question I do think that if the Doctor feels he is not equipped to provide a good result to a DUPA patient then the ethical thing to do is to not proceed with the surgery and referring the patient to a Doctor that is more equipped to treat patients with this condition (this is a standard practice with Doctors in all medical fields). 
You can see in the link below how Dr. Jose Lorenzo approaches patients with this condition:

 

Edited by Portugal25
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