Konior or Hasson for first HT

[NYCFUE]

I’ll start by saying that I absolutely love this forum, it’s been super helpful in my journey.

I decided I am getting a HT this year and I narrowed down my list to Victor Hasson and Raymond Konior. I am in my 30s and need ~2k grafts (FUE) in the hairline and temple points. I feel like I have a solid donor area (but it hasn’t been measured so I don’t really know) and I’ve been on finasteride for half a year.

I know I can’t go wrong with either surgeon, but I wanted to share my impressions of each, and hope you could share your opinion as well.

I want to minimize the risk of a bad/mediocre result and find impressive how Hasson consistently puts out so many great results, especially when the clinic uses techs for extractions. Konior has much fewer results posted, but they seem excellent and he does the extractions, incisions and placement, which I would think minimizes variability.

I like Hasson’s hairline design better (might be in the minority here), but I like Konior’s temple work better. Both seem to create extremely natural hairlines, but I think Hasson can dense-pack more a bit more aggressively than Konior (I want good density since it will be the front of the hairline).

I was impressed by a few cases where Konior managed to get so much more coverage than you would think possible for the amount of grafts he used. Hasson performs very clean work, but Konior’s is on another level - his postop pics are almost hard to believe. I know stick and place explains the recipient area, but the donor areas also looks immaculate - I wonder if this actually increases the grafts available for future procedures (less scarring etc).

Travel/money are not restrictions for me at this time.

Which parts of the above do you agree/disagree or what other elements should I consider? Finally, who would you choose in my situation?

I hope you guys are staying safe and sane in these crazy times!

 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by NYCFUE

[Melvin- Admin]

The appearance of the donor post-operatively holds no bearing on the actual scarring. It's simple mathematics, if you have a 7,000 graft capacity, and you remove 2,000 grafts, you will only have 5,000 grafts left regardless of how the donor appears after surgery. Have you consulted with both of these surgeons? I suggest speaking with both via Skype, once you speak with them you will be in a better position to make a decision moving forward.

[TrixGlendevon]

2 hours ago, NYCFUE said:

I’ll start by saying that I absolutely love this forum, it’s been super helpful in my journey.

I decided I am getting a HT this year and I narrowed down my list to Victor Hasson and Raymond Konior. I am in my 30s and need ~2k grafts (FUE) in the hairline and temple points. I feel like I have a solid donor area (but it hasn’t been measured so I don’t really know) and I’ve been on finasteride for half a year.

I know I can’t go wrong with either surgeon, but I wanted to share my impressions of each, and hope you can share your opinion as well.

I want to minimize the risk of a bad/mediocre result and find impressive how Hasson consistently put outs so many great results, especially when the clinic uses techs for extractions. Konior has much fewer results posted, but they seem excellent and he does the extractions, incisions and placement, which I would think minimizes variability.

I like Hasson’s hairline design better (might be in the minority here), but I like Konior’s temple work better. 

Both seem to create extremely natural hairlines, but I think Hasson can dense-pack more a bit more aggressively than Konior (I want good density since it will be the front of the hairline).

I was impressed by a few cases where Konior managed to get so much more coverage than you would think possible for the amount of grafts he used. Hasson performs very clean work, but Konior’s is on another level - his postop pics are almost hard to believe. I know stick and place explains the recipient area, but the donor areas also looks immaculate - I wonder if this actually increases the grafts available for future procedures (less scarring etc).

Travel/money are not restrictions for me at this time.

Which parts of the above do you agree/disagree or what other elements should I consider? Finally, who would you choose in my situation?

I hope you guys are staying safe and sane in these crazy times!

 

 

Hasson. Konior's work is great but H&W are on pretty much every forum and have been consistently banging out great results for years with plenty of patient posted cases. Konior is only really mentioned on this forum and there are not really that many cases. As you say, you can't go wrong with either but as H&W have greater presence, it is easier to do due diligence. Without photos, it is difficult to say what else you are missing.

[Sean]

Hasson and Wong may and most likely are the best in Canada.  I haven’t spoken to Dr Hasson yet/ hopefully ill get to talk to him.  Dr Wong seems like an ethical person, he is classy.  They have a lot of results across forums.  Talk to them directly at their company email.  See how much they will do it for.  Best of luck with everything.

[Pedro1982]

Hello NYCFUE

I did one hair transplant with Dr. Konior to repair a previous bad HT and i couldn´t choose better.

It was FUT. In the recipient area after 3 days nobody could tell i had a HT. The scar is minimal, i use a 2 guard and is undetectable.

He is very professional and makes a long term plan to the patient. We never know what we will need in the future...

My choice was based in the fact that Dr. Konior can achieve good results with less grafts, he does only one patient per day and he is with you the entire surgery.

Dr. Hasson is also one of the best surgeons in the world, so you will be in good hands and have a great result...

If you have any question about my surgery just say.

[1978matt]

I obviously prefer the Konior hairline as I think it fits my skull shape better.  Some Hasson ones are very similar but the ones he sometimes does that are 'convex shaped' (if you get what I mean) aren't to my personal taste.

I think Dr K balances certainty of growth over density and looks to preserve the donor area.  Mine could be a little bit denser for sure (if I chose to hit the area again) but it's reassuring to still have lots of donor left in the bank.

There are of course a number of other pros: responds personally to emails; does all the extractions himself; does a bespoke incision for every single graft (although a tech inserts the graft) - that results in the clean post operative appearance and minimal scalp blood loss; also a board certified facial plastic surgeon so very skilled with scars etc.

You cant really go wrong with either and I'd say go Hasson if you prefer his hairlines.

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by 1978matt

[JayLDD]

8 hours ago, NYCFUE said:

I’ll start by saying that I absolutely love this forum, it’s been super helpful in my journey.

I decided I am getting a HT this year and I narrowed down my list to Victor Hasson and Raymond Konior. I am in my 30s and need ~2k grafts (FUE) in the hairline and temple points. I feel like I have a solid donor area (but it hasn’t been measured so I don’t really know) and I’ve been on finasteride for half a year.

I know I can’t go wrong with either surgeon, but I wanted to share my impressions of each, and hope you can share your opinion as well.

I want to minimize the risk of a bad/mediocre result and find impressive how Hasson consistently put outs so many great results, especially when the clinic uses techs for extractions. Konior has much fewer results posted, but they seem excellent and he does the extractions, incisions and placement, which I would think minimizes variability.

I like Hasson’s hairline design better (might be in the minority here), but I like Konior’s temple work better. 

Both seem to create extremely natural hairlines, but I think Hasson can dense-pack more a bit more aggressively than Konior (I want good density since it will be the front of the hairline).

I was impressed by a few cases where Konior managed to get so much more coverage than you would think possible for the amount of grafts he used. Hasson performs very clean work, but Konior’s is on another level - his postop pics are almost hard to believe. I know stick and place explains the recipient area, but the donor areas also looks immaculate - I wonder if this actually increases the grafts available for future procedures (less scarring etc).

Travel/money are not restrictions for me at this time.

Which parts of the above do you agree/disagree or what other elements should I consider? Finally, who would you choose in my situation?

I hope you guys are staying safe and sane in these crazy times!

 

 

All of your analysis seems on point and I would agree with everything here. From that though I suspect you would already know ultimately which route you'd prefer then, it also really depends on what your current hair situation is. Best to post photos.

Personally, I would opt for Hasson at your age and with the amount of grafts it sounds like you need. I think his hairlines are slightly more aesthetic in general also. Konior would be my number one choice for anyone that is beyond a NW3.

[makehairgreatagain]

As having 2 transplants with Konior, I would say 100% him. He has a meticulous attention to detail and produces amazing natural results. The healing process has been very quick with minimal pain. Feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions

[Edward926]

4 hours ago, JayLDD said:

Hasson consistently put outs so many great results, especially when the clinic uses techs for extractions.

Is this true?

[NYCFUE]

16 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

The appearance of the donor post-operatively holds no bearing on the actual scarring. It's simple mathematics, if you have a 7,000 graft capacity, and you remove 2,000 grafts, you will only have 5,000 grafts left regardless of how the donor appears after surgery. Have you consulted with both of these surgeons? I suggest speaking with both via Skype, once you speak with them you will be in a better position to make a decision moving forward.

I have sent them pictures and gotten their feedback via email, but I haven't talked to the over the phone - skype consultations is a great idea, I will request it. The reason I mentioned scarring in the donor is because I remember reading a clinic rep saying that was the reason doing FUT before FUE results in more available grafts than the other way around. I have also read Hasson says their FUE yield is comparable to their FUT yield and I would think that (in a good clinic) a bit more hairs are transected when cutting a strip than the amount transected during the FUE extractions, so I wondered if donor scarring was the reason FUT is known to result in more available grafts. Anyways don't mean to start a FUE/FUT debate, I know we have too many of those.

[NYCFUE]

3 hours ago, Edward926 said:

Is this true?

That is what the clinic said, but they are highly trained and been with the clinic many years so it makes sense they would be very consistently great at what they do. Personally I am perfectly fine with this, but it would suck if I get there and they had hired a new tech that would work on my scalp

[Melvin- Admin]

4 minutes ago, NYCFUE said:

I have sent them pictures and gotten their feedback via email, but I haven't talked to the over the phone - skype consultations is a great idea, I will request it. The reason I mentioned scarring in the donor is because I remember reading a clinic rep saying that was the reason doing FUT before FUE results in more available grafts than the other way around. I have also read Hasson says their FUE yield is comparable to their FUT yield and I would think that (in a good clinic) a bit more hairs are transected when cutting a strip than the amount transected during the FUE extractions, so I wondered if donor scarring was the reason FUT is known to result in more available grafts. Anyways don't mean to start a FUE/FUT debate, I know we have too many of those.

The reason why it’s best to have FUT first is because with FUE grafts are cherry picked. Once you go and have FUT, the best grafts are no longer available in the strip.  I’ve gone ahead and posted a link so you can submit virtual consultations with both and request a skype visit. 
 

 

 

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/physician/Illinois/Raymond-Konior/54

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/physician/British-Columbia/Victor-Hasson/9

[paddyirishman]

@NYCFUE 

19 hours ago, NYCFUE said:

 I decided I am getting a HT this year and I narrowed down my list to Victor Hasson and Raymond Konior

I would be surprised if Dr. Konier has availability as he generally has a long waiting list. If you want to have your HT sooner rather than later you could be really down to 1 choice regardless . This would prompt the first question to ask is what is your availability for 2020 Docs ? Not to mention restrictions and rescheduling of HTs due to Covid-19.  

All the best 

Paddy

Edited April 20, 2020 by paddyirishman
Missing word

[BDK081522]

The fact that you narrowed it down to these two surgeons shows that you've done a significant amount of research. They are both fantastic and are honestly the two best clinics in the world in my opinion. You will get a great result with either so it comes down to the details that you value. Hasson uses techs for much of the procedure. Is that a negative? Not necessarily. If the clinic gets outstanding results doing that on a consistent basis then the argument is null. If you have a strong opinion about the surgeon doing most of the work then the choice is easier as Konior is one of the few that do. I think the argument about one clinic (H&W) achieving more density or going more aggressive is also shortsighted. Do a thorough search of Konior's results and you'll find some extremely dense and aggressive hairlines. The reality is he bases every case off the individual patient's desires, donor capacity, and propensity to lose in the future. If you want dense and aggressive, have the donor to do it, and aren't heading to a NW6, he can deliver aggressiveness. All while managing the donor immaculately and giving a soft naturalness to the hairline. I have no doubt Hasson can get you a result you'll be happy with but my experience with Dr Konior was unmatched and I can only speak to his character as a surgeon and a caring medical provider. His attention to detail and meticulousness is really unbelievable. He genuinely cares about his patients and wants the best for them. In addition, I wouldn't hold value in the comment about not going with Konior because of his waitlist. Yes, it is over a year but this will affect your appearance for the rest of your life so there's merit in waiting if you want it done right. I'm saying all this about him without even having my result yet. That's how high a regard I hold for his character and how I was treated throughout my whole experience. I have 2 other differing experiences to compare it to as well. If you need additional information don't hesitate to reach out. 

Edited April 21, 2020 by ruca2

[Sam818]

This is like asking would you rather have a Lamborghini or a Ferrari? I mean I’ll take either.

In all seriousness though you can’t go wrong with either doctor. They both are known for attention to detail. I will say though, that Dr. Konior is extremely detail oriented and is a perfectionist which is obvious when you look at his immaculate post op photos. He also is one of the few doctors who can create softness in the front of the hairlines because he takes his time to selectively target those finer hairs for extraction during FUE procedures. You can see it when you look closely at photos of his results. This is where it’s critical with FUE procedures that the doctor or tech extracting the grafts can select those finer hairs for placement in the front of the hairline. That’s the main difference I see between the two but they’re both excellent.

[Melvin- Admin]

Good advice given by members, I hope you’ve been able to set up Skype consultations with both.

[RecessionProof]

Lots of good info here, and I’d basically echo everything that ruca2 already said. 

I would ultimately go with whomever makes you feel more comfortable during a Skype consultation, along with whose hairline style you generally prefer. 

Ask each surgeon about how dense they would go...Dr. K tends to go more conservative, but depending on your family history and other factors maybe he’d do a really dense pack. 

Both surgeons have as good a track record as you can really hope for. I’m sure you’ll be very happy with whichever path you take. 

[gilgamesh]

On 4/20/2020 at 1:42 PM, NYCFUE said:

I would think that (in a good clinic) a bit more hairs are transected when cutting a strip than the amount transected during the FUE extractions,

Opposite

[razzy]

Both are great surgeons, you can't go wrong.