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Seeking Suggestions, Insight, and Recommendations for FUE in India


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Hello Fellow Members,

I intend this to be the first post of my HT journey in 2020.  My sincere thanks to this community and every person online who has shared knowledge, perspectives, opinions, results, etc. This has equipped me to make an informed decision. I know at least 14 relations and friends who have expressed sincere desire to get a HT, but remain at the periphery due to fear of high assumed costs, side effects, etc. resulting from lack of research and not personally knowing anyone who underwent the procedure. This documentation of my experience will be a first hand example to motivate them and other new people on this forum (assuming all goes well). As such, this is my contribution to equip future patients with information and confidence.

About me - Male; 29.5 years old; Indian immigrant currently studying in Canada.

Why HT? - While I have never visited a doctor for a proper diagnosis, I assume I am suffering from Androgenic alopecia inherited from my mother's side. I have been experiencing hair loss since 17-18 years of age. Finally I am at that stage where the hair loss has become very evident and troubling when I look in the mirror or at my photos, and I would like to do something about it sooner rather than later. I am not interested in non-surgical restoration methods like wigs/hairpieces, etc., but open to medication.

Why India? - I really wish I could get it done here in Canada for convenience. I first visited Dr. Rahal for a consultation. He is local to me. I have no doubts in his ability, but his services will cost me about 3-4 times of what I will pay in India for the services of a highly skilled doctor. For an affordable HT, I chose India over Turkey to avoid language barriers and for the comfort of homeland. Also, most IAHRS members and other globally recognized surgeons are more affordable in India than Turkey (except Dr. Resul Yaman and Dr. Ekrem Civas I think).

FUE or FUT? - Last year I got super excited and emailed Dr. Suneet Soni (Medispa) that I was interested in getting FUT done from him and he gave me a quote for 3500 FUT grafts. Unfortunately, my limited financial resources were urgently required somewhere else and I had to delay. I let Medispa know that I was going to delay. This gave me more time to think and research. I read about FUE with Dr. Bhatti (Darling Buds) and DHT with Eugenix Clinic, and saw many cases of scar stretching from FUT. Finally I decided that I did not want to take that risk regardless of which closure/stitching technique is used, and also I wanted a quicker and less painful healing. So I am interested in FUE or DHT only.

Who in India? I am nearing the end of the process of identifying potential options, and until now I have shortlisted the following surgeons. My photos are posted at the end of text.    

a. Dr. Tejinder Bhatti of Darling Buds. He suggested 2800-3000 FUE grafts and answered all my questions satisfactorily and seems very professional. I thought his consultant Shera would contact me when I first emailed, but I believe I have been chatting with the Dr. directly. The fact that he doesn't perform FUT at all and his entire practice is based around aggressively promoting FUE, along with the fantastic FAQ on his website promotes confidence in his skills as a trustworthy FUE surgeon. He is a member of pretty much all prestigious global associations and was also featured in some publication's 'Top 20 global surgeons for HT' ranking. His website has transparent pricing.   Cons: I came across some posts on this forum where the results were far from satisfactory and the post-operation response and support those patients received from the clinic seemed disappointing for a clinic of such high reputation.

b. Eugenix (will probably select the comprehensive pkg. which has partial involvement of Dr. Bansal and Dr. Sethi). I was in touch with their consultant Nelson a couple of months ago and he offered a Skype session with a doctor (don't know which doctor). I postponed it due to personal reasons, but have resumed the conversation. Regardless, Nelson had mentioned that the doctor suggested 2000 grafts through DHT. I don't know which doctor since there are 5 at the clinic, and was a little surprised by the qty. of suggested grafts, but will bring up this question in the Skype session. Also, it would be good to know what percent (approx.) of total slits are done by Dr. Bansal or Dr. Sethi in comprehensive pkg. I chose Eugenix because Dr. Bansal and Dr. Sethi are highly reputed surgeons, inventors, authors of books and publications, and members of prestigious societies. They are also listed on Joe Tillman's recommended surgeons list. Their website has transparent pricing.  Cons: I can't afford full services of Dr. Sethi or Dr. Bansal and will have to place my trust in the young doctors trained by them for majority of the procedure.

c. Dr. Suneet Soni of Medispa He suggested 3500 FUT grafts (because I started a conversation advocating FUT). I have read that Dr. Soni is the best for FUT, but not necessarily FUE. All his successful results are also FUT + FUE. I emailed him recently (after many months) with new photos and requesting quote for FUE. He has not responded since a week. Not sure if he is still interested. Regardless, I chose him for his results, excellent website (though no transparent pricing), prestigious memberships, and artistic reputation.

 My recent photos are attached. Please share your opinions, ideas, insight, suggestions regarding my surgeon choices above and the photos below. I will be very grateful for your time and help. Tagging some fellow members who also posted similar questions recently and seemed undecided on their search. @Alphabeta @Dalveer @skallig  @givemehair2019

 

 

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Edited by Indian_Canadian
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Bhaaji option b seems to be the most credible of all.

Offtopic- Many of my friends have also immigrated to your country. Sometimes I wonder that if healthcare and other stuff is so expensive then why do people leave their country for a country like yours currently?

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Hi,

 

I recently got my HT done with Dr. Bhatti after personally visiting both Darling Buds and Eugenix. Both are good options. Eugenix is a bit expensive if you go for the package with Dr. Bansal and / or Dr. Sethi. With Dr. Bhatti there is only one option with him doing the extractions and slits; technicians doing the rest. I am however quite impressed with the recent results Eugenix can come up with. 

Approx 3000 seems like a good estimate for you and your donor area seems strong. You seem to be great candidate for a HT.

 

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6 hours ago, tesla007 said:

Bhaaji option b seems to be the most credible of all.

Offtopic- Many of my friends have also immigrated to your country. Sometimes I wonder that if healthcare and other stuff is so expensive then why do people leave their country for a country like yours currently?

Thanks you for your suggestion @tesla007 . I can answer your questions about immigration on Private Message. Some immigrants are temporary and some permanent. BTW, healthcare is free in Canada, but cosmetic surgery does not qualify (and should not) under free healthcare, because it is not fair to the tax payers. Regardless, lets reserve this thread for my HT. Cheers!

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5 hours ago, watterot said:

Hi,

 

I recently got my HT done with Dr. Bhatti after personally visiting both Darling Buds and Eugenix. Both are good options. Eugenix is a bit expensive if you go for the package with Dr. Bansal and / or Dr. Sethi. With Dr. Bhatti there is only one option with him doing the extractions and slits; technicians doing the rest. I am however quite impressed with the recent results Eugenix can come up with. 

Approx 3000 seems like a good estimate for you and your donor area seems strong. You seem to be great candidate for a HT.

 

Thank you @watterot for the insight. I look forward to your post documenting the results of your HT with Dr. Bhatti. Good Luck! Cheers!  

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You should keep an open mind to both procedures. The ultimate goal is to get more hair on your head. 
 

to get the most out of your Donor the smartest thing to do is start fut

if your not destined for a high nw# (which none of us know) then fue could achieve what you want.

goodluck

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Here are the reasons for choosing FUE over FUT. This list is more for reminding myself because every now and then I get carried away by the thought of an initial FUT with subsequent FUEs. When there is no clarity in mind, decisions become complicated.

a. Less pain, easier sleep, and faster recovery.

b. No possibility of scar stretching and requiring subsequent repair with FUE or pigmentation.

c. No possibility of bleeding or damaging stitches after surgery due to any reason whatsoever.

d. How to commit to FUT when the doctor has not checked the flexibility of my scalp.

e. All other topics are debatable and non-conclusive OR depend on the skill of the surgeon - like expanding of crown area due to FUT, benefit of illusion of similar density in front and back after FUE,  harvesting outside safe donor in FUE, higher availability of donor grafts through FUT, lack of continuity in hair thickness in donor after FUT, etc.

Edited by Indian_Canadian
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Update:

a. Shera from Darling Buds got in touch with me after reading the post so that I can share any queries and concerns with him, and offered to connect with existing patients from Canada.

b. Had a consultation with Dr. Bansal from Eugenix over phone. She looked at the new photos and mentioned that the grafts may vary between 2000-3000. She answered all questions in detail and was very welcoming. Came across as a very genuine and honest doctor. Fun fact - Prices at Eugenix took a jump last night and the package descriptions have changed. They have eliminated any confusion and liability regarding the partial involvement of Dr. Bansal and Dr. Sethi. Now its either them entirely or the surgeons trained by them entirely who will lead the process. Regardless, over phone, Dr. Bansal noted that she and Dr. Sethi are always involved and present to a certain degree and responsible for the procedure irrespective of which doctor is leading it and which package is selected. 

Edited by Indian_Canadian
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Hello @Indian_Canadian, thank you for tagging me and your points mentioned above is a valid concern. I was also looking at a FUT + FUE, or just FUT with trichophytic closure, since with FUT I can get dense coverage. But then, there is scar stretching issue. As far as I have read different skin work differently. Since most of us are looking at doctors online and considering (and paying the fees) with just online consultations, we may not (or even the surgeon) may not get a full picture of our skin for FUT. I am still thinking of an FUT first, but I am not convinced with results. The scar stretching is a real thing, and it can happen over time. I even spotted the scar in one of the videos  (at 3:33)

 I wish clinics showed their results up close and stretch marks as a close up photo, instead of combing video. 

 

Based on your pictures however, it seems like you are a good candidate for FUE alone. You have a good donour area, and you don't have any signs of hairloss on the neck. You could proceed with Eugenix in my opinion. They have comprehensive and few other packages too. I had spoken to many clinics in India - MedLinks, Medispa, AKClinics, Eugenix, to name a few. So far AKClinics and Eugenix were the most professional in responding. It took me 3-4 times to push to Medispa to get any reply. I guess they are too busy :)) I even spoke to Dr. Suradej Pong in Thailand. His response was really good, and his website have quite too many results (before and after), but he is pricier than any Indian clinics.

Anyways, I hope you'll get to decide soon. By the way are you taking any medicines now? I am on Dutasteride and Minoxidil since 3 months, but planning to switch to Finasteride, Biotin, Minoxidil, etc by this month. I think by taking medicines I can see if I get any results, which would eventually be the way to keep the hair after transplant as well.

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I never really got a proper response from Darling Buds. There's one thing about their "suceessfull cases". Every doctor will have good results and bad results. I was so convinced with Dr. Suneet, but then I found a really unfortunate rsults by @thappa. Do share your feedback on your experience with Darling Buds @Indian_Canadian

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2 hours ago, skallig said:

Response to @skallig

Thank you @skallig for your response. I completely agree with you. Why not show the photos of the scars an how thin they are over time by actually focusing on them in addition to the combing video. That scar is the biggest thing standing between prospective patients and FUT, so why not clear it out if its no big deal. Its probably because the combing video is good enough for most patients who are desperate for hair. It's almost magical the first time you see those videos. 

Please tell me this - after Eugenix revised their pricing last night, how does AKClinics compare in cost? I have not approached them yet and was not intending to, but Dr. Dua is indeed a big name in the industry. I checked their website, but there are no prices. It seems like Eugenix is the way to go. 

Regarding Medispa, Dr. Soni indeed appears to be on a vacation or very busy. He hasn't responded to my recent messages either (he did initially respond in early 2019). 

I am not taking any medicines except occasional vitamins. I read on Darling Buds FAQ to not use any medicines before HT or at least stop them 4 months before HT if you are already taking. Dr. Arika Bansal also confirmed this. I use a derma roller followed by coconut oil twice a week. Leave it overnight and wash in morning using a sulfate and paraben free shampoo. I eat nutritious food (nuts, greens, fruits, etc.), exercise daily, and perform sirsasana and halasana yoga everyday for 5 min. Also I drink lots of water and meditate twice a day.

Edited by Indian_Canadian
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I am not aware of Eugenix's new pricing. They told me their estimate by end of December and asked me to book before end of December. I have made a google sheet comparing prices. I could share it with you over PM. AKClinics was cheaper than Eugenix, but I wasn't really impressed with the results. Sure, Dr. Dua is a big name, but if you need to get it done with him the price is quite high. I had a one hour call with Dr. Dua. He is a very nice person and talked about the transplant facts. He was very patient and willing to answer all my questions. I got to talk to Dr. Soni over voice call, and it was a bit rushed. 

There are different answers from different doctors. Most doctors have asked me to stop Finasteride 10-15 days before HT, and strictly no other medicines 1 month prior to HT

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52 minutes ago, skallig said:

I never really got a proper response from Darling Buds. There's one thing about their "suceessfull cases". Every doctor will have good results and bad results. I was so convinced with Dr. Suneet, but then I found a really unfortunate rsults by @thappa. Do share your feedback on your experience with Darling Buds @Indian_Canadian

Dr. Bhatti answered all of my questions (though in one word or one liners), but I wasn't expecting much more from email consultation. When I sent my new photos after haircut to him, he assessed them and increased the grafts from 2500 to range of 2800-3000. He has a discounted price in the summer months of April to June which in my opinion is unbeatable in India for a surgeon of his caliber. Personally, I don't judge the doctor if 2-3 bad cases pop up. What I will judge is how the doctor handled the case that went bad. Was he understanding and cooperative? Did he offer a free repair or refund? How did he communicate and how seriously did he take it? When you chose a HT technique, you as a patient also assume a certain risk. If you want to go the FUT route, there is no better value for money than Dr. Soni I would think.

Edited by Indian_Canadian
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Yes, I too don't have a problem if the surgery goes wrong, or if I don't get the expected results. But I also don't want to be over harvested, with no more grafts for future HTs. That's why I was considering FUT first, then another FUT or FUEs in the future. I do feel I'll need many more transplants in the future - referring to how I inherited from my dad. Most of the "bad transplants" here are addressed differently by clinics. Some don't respond, some gets a response after a moderator intervenes. In this case I think Eugenix will be much reliable as they are quite active all the time in this forum. I cannot be very sure about Medispa because they mostly respond on good results

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1 hour ago, skallig said:

Yes, I too don't have a problem if the surgery goes wrong, or if I don't get the expected results. But I also don't want to be over harvested, with no more grafts for future HTs. That's why I was considering FUT first, then another FUT or FUEs in the future. I do feel I'll need many more transplants in the future - referring to how I inherited from my dad. Most of the "bad transplants" here are addressed differently by clinics. Some don't respond, some gets a response after a moderator intervenes. In this case I think Eugenix will be much reliable as they are quite active all the time in this forum. I cannot be very sure about Medispa because they mostly respond on good results

No doubt about that. Over the phone call, Dr. Bansal gave a lot of emphasis to patient care after the operation and said that they are in the process of developing an app which will monitor results for all of their patients after the surgery. You can look at their NW6 and 7 cases. They used beard grafts to compensate for the graft requirement. Eugenix and Darling Buds don't perform FUT anymore (in rare cases they might). So you only have a limited options for that in India. Did you check Dr. Arvind (Dr. A's clinic)? He is IAHRS member and highly reputed. I have seen his name come up in my conversations with other doctors for excellent FUT results. I think his rate for FUT is $1 per graft (as per his website). If you are apprehensive about Medispa, this seems like a good option.

Edited by Indian_Canadian
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Hello @Indian_Canadian . I understand your concern as I was in your position not very long ago.

So many questions to ask , you are doing the correct procedure in talking to many doctors and clinics. 

I made the big decision to have a HT not so long ago after a lot of research. I travelled from Ireland to India and had surgery @Eugenix Hair Science

I have created a thread of my whole experience to date with lots of information for anyone who is considering having a HT.

All the best

....Paddy...

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I am planning my transplant with Eugenix in March 2020. So far they have been great to deal with. @Abhinay Singh gets things done and is genuine.

There are three Irish guys that just got it done with them in the last 4 weeks and have said good things (see their respective posts)

I also contacte Dr Bhatti in my early research but chose Eugenix - his reviews are also very good with very few bad cases. I also spoke to @Niko1 who had his first procedure with Dr Bhatti then subsequent procedures with Eugenix. He recommended Eugenix but at the time the price between Eugenix and Dr Bhatti was <20% difference.

Cost is always a difficult factor (and these newly increased prices from Eugenix do not help your decision). My only suggestion is, and this is hard to rationalise with the higher cost, but try not to think about the cost and save up the extra if you can. Eugenix comprehensive package seems pretty comparable to Dr Bhatti I think.

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6 hours ago, Indian_Canadian said:

Dr. Bhatti answered all of my questions (though in one word or one liners), but I wasn't expecting much more from email consultation. When I sent my new photos after haircut to him, he assessed them and increased the grafts from 2500 to range of 2800-3000. He has a discounted price in the summer months of April to June which in my opinion is unbeatable in India for a surgeon of his caliber. Personally, I don't judge the doctor if 2-3 bad cases pop up. What I will judge is how the doctor handled the case that went bad. Was he understanding and cooperative? Did he offer a free repair or refund? How did he communicate and how seriously did he take it? When you chose a HT technique, you as a patient also assume a certain risk. If you want to go the FUT route, there is no better value for money than Dr. Soni I would think.

Hi Indian_Canadian,

Please note that you have the option of connecting with Dr. Bhatti via Skype. That way, you can have a virtual face to face conversation with the Doctor and make sure that you get all your questions answered in detail. 

We wish you all the best.

 

Regards,

California

 

DarlingBuds FUE's profile photo 
 
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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Thank you @California for sharing the skype option. Shera is also in touch with me over PM and I think between the two of you and the skype option with Dr. Bhatti, I will have all my doubts answered in time. 

I am kind of in a fix between selecting Dr. Bhatti's FUE or Dr. Bansal's DHT. There are no other criteria's left to compare. I think I will look at the results from Darling Buds and Eugenix again next weekend and hopefully be able to decide this month.

I think I just need to clear my head a little bit before I take up more time of others.

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@Alphabeta - The other surgeons at Eugenix are @Dr Abhinav Kumar , Dr. Priyadarshini Das, and Dr. Alok Sahoo. I understand that Dr. Kumar doesn't like being represented as a surgeon of Eugenix on this forum. His role on this forum is more of an FUE expert, dermat, and a hair loss patient who has undergone FUE surgeries. I had a bunch of questions that I sent to Nelson and Abhinay last week, about the new 'Complete Pkg.' My budget also calls for the same pkg. as you. I can share those questions and answers with you over PM when they reply back. I also had a call with Dr. Bansal and she cleared some doubts that I had at that time.

You could also look into the discounted summer (April to June) HT rate that Dr. Bhatti offers.

Edited by Indian_Canadian
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I have my transplant scheduled on the 17th with medispa. I wanted to go with FUE myself but ended up not having a choice because of high grade of baldness and not having the strongest donor. I’ll create a thread with my personal experience soon! I do hope I don’t have the stretching scar issue but in my opinion I would rather take the risk at this point and have a scar than be bald as I am haha 

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On 1/8/2020 at 10:35 AM, Alphabeta said:

How many grafts bro? How much are medispa guys charging? Please tell me in PM. Hope ur transplant is super successful. 

Hey man! From the email consultation they said 4000 grafts but i have my blood sample and in person pre-op consultation I will create a thread with my experience. price wise it was close to 5k USD 

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