Looking for FUE Clinic advice..

[Kingthin]

Hi, long term lurker over the years on this forum and thanks so much to all who contribute to make it that little bit easier for myself and everyone else.

 

Finally decided to sign up due to wanting some degree of closure(not possible!) on my hairloss situation. I wet shaved my head for the first time a month ago to see if I could live with it and I dont like it. Its grown in slightly now and ive sort of shaved what i have into a Mohawk!...also known as the balding guys go to hairstyle!  I have been considering SMP recently but for a good number of years now I have wanted to go the FUE route and like most have spent, hours/days/weeks researching all procedures/surgeons/methods/costs/locations etc etc. Im trying to whittle it down and have contacted a good number of places and would be really grateful for any advice given my stipulations/situation below: -

 

I have diffuse thinning on top but still have coverage with fibers involved. Hairline and mid is fairly ravaged and theres a bit more mid to back.

 

My donor area is not overly strong. Would be quite happy to rebuild the hairline and if lucky a bit of mid scalp.

 

Ive tried minox but it irritates my scalp. Tried fin about 10 years ago for a few years but got the fear and came off. Is Fin/Minox mix topical a good solution? Or am I just as likely to get irritation? I used Spectral DNC-N and Redensyl but not sure it done much. 

 

Would prefer Stick and place type incision method. Love HLC’s work but the two flights(Im in the UK) and being away for about 5 nights doesn’t sit well with me.

 

Was thinking more recently of Brussels and Pro Hair Clinic due to being closer to home and limiting time away but still not convinced on their method. If only HLC were in Brussels! Ha. Would anyone have any recommendations given the above? I would potentially travel to Istanbul at a push but I think Ankara is just too much of a stretch. Price wise I would be looking at no more than 2.70 euro – 3 at most.

Apologies for the long windedness!

[Fozzie]

To be honest, if HLC is the clinic that your are leaning towards after your research and fits in with your budget, I really wouldn't let a short flight from Istanbul to Ankara and a 5 night stay put you off. At your budget of 2.70-3 euro, kinda of limited as to who you can go to. Most of the well renowned Belgian clinics will be outside your budget.

You could possibly consider Bruno Ferreira in Portugal who I believe charges at 2.5 Euro per graft but apart from that, think Turkey is where your main options are going to be at your budget. In Istanbul, you may want to look at ASMED seeing as you have advanced balding going on or maybe Dr Demirsoy but to be honest, if you are liking what you are seeing from HLC, I'd bite the bullet and go with them and not let a short flight and 5 night stay put you off. Kind of stuck with a HT once it's done so an additional flight and extended stay shouldn't really swing your decision imo.

[paddyirishman]

@Kingthin. I researched a lot before my own HT and realised their are better surgeons elsewhere than Turkey. 

I was willing to travel anywhere to get the best result  . I had my HT with Dr.Pradeep Sethi and Dr.Arika Bansal @Eugenix Hair Science  India. They are recommended on this forum, and have shown great results.

Surgery led by Dr.Arika is about €1.80 a graft ,  Or for you about £1.50 a graft . Eugenix use their own DHT technique where grafts are extracted and implanted simultaneously,  and when not , out of body time for them is kept to a minimun increasing survival rate.

You get picked up from the airport. They have a really nice facility where you can stay for a few nights. Getting flights to India from the UK is as easy as Turkey.

Paddy

 

 

[Kingthin]

Thanks for the replies. The reason I would prefer not to spend a long time away is due to having a young family(2nd child just 3 weeks old). My wife is supportive and would probably be ok with it but not sure it sits right with me leaving her to it while I go away but maybe it’s just what will have to be if I don’t find a comparative clinic closer to home. I was looking at closer to the end of this year. 

[Kingthin]

@paddyirishman do you have a thread on your FUE at Eugenix? How long did it take you to get there and how long were you there? How many grafts etc? Thanks.

[mayerr90]

Hi, You should investigate in detail and do not rush to decide. Good luck 👍

[Abi28]

If you are leaning towards HLC I would say go for it

If you are looking for a clinic in Brusel have you considered Bisanga? he has a lot of great results on the forum, 

If you want to travel and just finish everything in 1 day I would consider Demirsoy in Istanbul.

[paddyirishman]

On 3/6/2020 at 1:17 PM, Kingthin said:

@paddyirishman do you have a thread on your FUE at Eugenix? How long did it take you to get there and how long were you there? How many grafts etc? Thanks.

My thread is located in the section on the home page ;

HAIR RESTORATION RESULTS POSTED BY PATIENTS

                          Then

EXPERIENCE OF AN IRISHMAN AFTER 6 YEARS RESEARCHING PUTS HIS TRUST IN DR. PRADEEP SETHI AND DR.ARIKA BANSAL @ EUGENIX 

Everything is on the thread, there is some great tips and advice for anybody considering a Hair Transplant.

Paddy.

 

[LonelyGraft]

Imo hlc does great work. At your price range you can look at bruno Ferreira and also ximena villa (also worked with Lorenzo for many years and now has her own clinic) in Madrid. Last I heard both are 2.5 euros/graft

[Kingthin]

On 3/6/2020 at 3:09 PM, Abi28 said:

If you are leaning towards HLC I would say go for it

If you are looking for a clinic in Brusel have you considered Bisanga? he has a lot of great results on the forum, 

If you want to travel and just finish everything in 1 day I would consider Demirsoy in Istanbul.

Yeah he’s just outwith my price range.

[Kingthin]

2 hours ago, LonelyGraft said:

Imo hlc does great work. At your price range you can look at bruno Ferreira and also ximena villa (also worked with Lorenzo for many years and now has her own clinic) in Madrid. Last I heard both are 2.5 euros/graft

Waiting on BF getting back, thanks for the heads up on Villa, will check her out.

[Portugal25]

@Kingthin if you are in the UK I wouldn’t hesitate on booking @Dr. Bruno Ferreira as you won’t find any other Doctor so close to you doing his elite level surgery  at a more affordable price. 
Dr. Ximena also charges 2.5€/graft and has great results on the Spanish forum. The only reason why I don’t recommend her more often is because she does surgery on 2 patients per day and I prefer Doctors like Dr. Ferreira that only do surgery on 1 patient per day. 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Portugal25

[Kingthin]

1 hour ago, Portugal25 said:

@Kingthin if you are in the UK I wouldn’t hesitate on booking @Dr. Bruno Ferreira as you won’t find any other Doctor so close to you doing his elite level surgery  at a more affordable price. 
Dr. Ximena also charges 2.5€/graft and has great results on the Spanish forum. The only reason why I don’t recommend her more often is because she does surgery on 2 patients per day and I prefer Doctors like Dr. Ferreira that only do surgery on 1 patient per day. 

Thanks for the info. Do you know what method BF uses in terms of duration of time from extraction to insertion of grafts? 

[Portugal25]

@Kingthin he extracts using motorized FUE so he can do up to 2000 grafts per day and implants using DHI with Lion Implantor Pens so the grafts are placed in the pens and the hole/slit is opened at the same time the graft is inserted (similar to stick&place but with less handling of the graft). 

Its best you ask @Rolandas about the duration of time between extraction and implantation. 

[Rolandas]

Dr. Bruno Ferreira is taking approach according to situation. I had 2 day surgery and on the first day he did "standart" procedure. Extracting all grafts of the day (~1500), get a lunch break and then implant. Overall time off body was around 3-5 hours.

Because I had some complications on first day (excessive bleeding and popping), Dr. Ferreira changed approach. He extracted ~400-500 grafts and then implanted them immediately. In this case there was much much less popping.

Look up my thread on this forum or check out my YouTube channel for more info on my surgery.

[Kingthin]

Just an update and a thanks again to all for the help and advice....So I had a very professional consultation put together by Dr Bruno Ferreira and was all set to put down my deposit back in March and then COVID hit! And obviously it’s still here!
 

First world problems here given the horribleness that’s happening out there but I was desperate to go through with it this year. There comes a point when you’re just ready. I could still travel to Portugal in December but I weighed it up and it’s just too much of a risk that close to Xmas. 

I had been keeping an eye on the Hair Dr in Leeds and the results by Dr Ashad are becoming more and more impressive. After much thought I decided to pull the plug and book in for December. Excited!! 

[Runner]

Kingthin - I'm in the exact same boat as you with regards based in Uk, young family and not wanting to be away for too long (all I have the mrs blessing....but like you it doesnt feel right).

So your going to Portugal for yours? 

 

With regards how many grafts you need - from the consultation do they advise this or will they only fully confirm once they have physically see you??

 

Regard mate.

[Kingthin]

Hi Runner, you will get an idea of how many grafts etc through an online consultation but can really only be fully confirmed when seen in person by the surgeon. 
 

Im having mine done by the Hair Dr in Leeds. 

[Runner]

On 10/11/2020 at 8:20 AM, Kingthin said:

Hi Runner, you will get an idea of how many grafts etc through an online consultation but can really only be fully confirmed when seen in person by the surgeon. 
 

Im having mine done by the Hair Dr in Leeds. 

Hi mate, sorry didnt see your reply.

Are the costs considerably higher staying in UK for your procedure compared to your initial plan of Portugal?

[Richie888]

1 hour ago, Runner said:

Hi mate, sorry didnt see your reply.

Are the costs considerably higher staying in UK for your procedure compared to your initial plan of Portugal?

Costs for the Hair Dr is £3 per graft. Bruno Ferreira charges €2.50 which is roughly £2.25 so for me:

2000 grafts

Bruno £4,500 Vs Hair Dr £6000.

So for some people £1500 would be a deal breaker but for me by the time I factor in flights, accom, food, airport parking etc etc it would leave £1k. I'm a slight hypochondriac so it's a small premium to pay for the peace of mind that if anything does go wrong I will be on English soil and going home to my own bed plus Dr Arshad has proven results so for me it's not a compromise. 

Hope this helps 

[Portugal25]

47 minutes ago, Richie888 said:

Costs for the Hair Dr is £3 per graft. Bruno Ferreira charges €2.50 which is roughly £2.25 so for me:

2000 grafts

Bruno £4,500 Vs Hair Dr £6000.

So for some people £1500 would be a deal breaker but for me by the time I factor in flights, accom, food, airport parking etc etc it would leave £1k. I'm a slight hypochondriac so it's a small premium to pay for the peace of mind that if anything does go wrong I will be on English soil and going home to my own bed plus Dr Arshad has proven results so for me it's not a compromise. 

Hope this helps 

Your math is incorrect.

A ryanair return flight from the UK to Porto costs 50£, a decent Airbnb in Espinho will cost you 40£/night and Uber Eats won’t be more than 30£/day so for 4 nights you are looking at 230£ for your flight plus room and board. 

Also, you can’t compare Dr. BF with Dr. Arshad because he’s in a whole other league.

I understand that with Covid19 you don’t want to travel but I would advise you to wait and get a better quality HT at a lower price with Dr. BF.

[Melvin- Admin]

2 minutes ago, Portugal25 said:

Your math is incorrect.

A ryanair return flight from the UK to Porto costs 50£, a decent Airbnb in Espinho will cost you 40£/night and Uber Eats won’t be more than 30£/day so for 4 nights you are looking at 230£ for your flight plus room and board. 

Also, you can’t compare Dr. BF with Dr. Arshad because he’s in a whole other league.

I understand that with Covid19 you don’t want to travel but I would advise you to wait and get a better quality HT at a lower price with Dr. BF.

I don't believe that, we have no affiliation with either, but this forum has double the amount of reviews from Dr. Arshad as they do from Dr. BF. In my opinion, they're comparable. Now, if you're in the UK I think it's a no-brainer to choose Dr. Arshad, you will spend 1,500 in flights, hotels, plus the inconvenience of traveling. That said, if you're in southern Europe, i'd choose Dr. BF for the same reasons.

[Portugal25]

8 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I don't believe that, we have no affiliation with either, but this forum has double the amount of reviews from Dr. Arshad as they do from Dr. BF. In my opinion, they're comparable. Now, if you're in the UK I think it's a no-brainer to choose Dr. Arshad, you will spend 1,500 in flights, hotels, plus the inconvenience of traveling. That said, if you're in southern Europe, i'd choose Dr. BF for the same reasons.

Melvin the prices I informed for flights and accommodation are accurate as you can see below a Airbnb for 28€/night and a return flight from the UK for 53.99€.

Edited November 17, 2020 by Portugal25

[Curious25]

I think when he said he didn’t believe that, he was referring to your comment in regards to Dr BF being in a completely different league to Dr Arshad.  
 

I’m not saying he’s on par with Lorenzo and BF, because I’m not sure how many years experience he has in comparison . . but the results I have seen from Dr A on here don’t categorically put him in a completely different league IMO - a lot of them are patient posted Aswell, which also hold a lot more weight. 

[Portugal25]

1 hour ago, Curious25 said:

I think when he said he didn’t believe that, he was referring to your comment in regards to Dr BF being in a completely different league to Dr Arshad.  
 

I’m not saying he’s on par with Lorenzo and BF, because I’m not sure how many years experience he has in comparison . . but the results I have seen from Dr A on here don’t categorically put him in a completely different league IMO - a lot of them are patient posted Aswell, which also hold a lot more weight. 

I consider Dr. BF to be on a different league because besides the 8 years of experience he has in this field he has been working alongside Dr. Lorenzo for the past 2 years developing his skills.