Realistic Cost, Risk & Recovery

[Taken4Granted]

Hey Folks,

I’m considering a HT but it’s been a long time since I looked into this. I could use some informed opinions. I’m 34 and I live in SoCal. I’ve been off finasteride for several years, never taking it again. My questions:

What is achievable? 

How many grafts? What cost?

Who are the best surgeons these days? I know there’s a list of recommended doctors here, but it has a number of docs I know to avoid; so, with respect, I’m looking for something more specific than “see the list”. 

Thanks, guys.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Taken4Granted
because

[Melvin- Admin]

Lists are just starting points for research, if you’re in So Cal, I think Dr. Mohebi is an excellent choice. That said, never limit yourself to geographic location. What are your goals? Are you aware that you will eventually need more HT’s are you okay with that? 

[Taken4Granted]

Hey @Melvin-Moderator, thanks your help. I’m hoping to get back to a NW I-II in the front and cover the back as much as possible with the leftover donor supply. I do expect at least two procedures, one large one addressing the front, another one addressing the back in 5-10 years, and likely a supplementary one to address density and so on. I have no interest in taking finasteride ever again, as I would rather be totally bald. I’ve been off of it for several years and have been fairly stable with a good sense of where this is going.

I actually visited Mohebi ca. 2010, as he’s very nearby. I saw Meshkin, too. It felt too risky and premature then. I will mention that while Mohebi didn’t hesitate to recommend surgery, Meshkin (much to his credit) advised me to wait. He was sure I’d lose more than I’d gain and that I’d be back soon after. Both have done pretty good and pretty bad work, as I remember.

Anyway, trying to understand what I can realistically expect to pay and to gain with a top surgeon. It still seems like a very risky gamble.

 

[Melvin- Admin]

NW1 forget about that, with no fin, you’ll end up chasing hair loss and run out of donor supply quickly. You need to keep a mature hairline, to ensure you have enough grafts for the midscalp and crown which WILL go in time. 

Cost depends whether you want to stay close to home. I would say anywhere from 14-20k depending on whether you choose FUE. 

Now, can you restore your hair to a NW1? Yes, but should you? No, especially without fin. Plan long term, it’s a marathon not a race. You want to look good and natural for as long as you live. 

[Gasthoerer]

I say: We need more pics. Especially from side and back of the head to assess your donor. Probably you have to grow your hair a little out too. 

[Taken4Granted]

@Gasthoerer @Melvin-Moderator

Here are some more angles for you. Yes, NW2 sounds about right. I was thinking I’d get about 3500 grafts in the front, grow my hair about 4-6x as long as it is now, which will cover up the back and top pretty well. It’s definitely thinning there, but it looks worse than it is because I cut the back and top shorter than the sides and front because I have a weird-shaped head. I’m adding one looking directly down from the top with concealer in to show you what I’d want it to look like when it’s restored, though I realize I’d have to grow it up a lot more to achieve decent coverage.

When I looked into this last, I felt Konior was the way to go. I remember his yield was really consistent.

Edited June 12, 2020 by Taken4Granted

[Melvin- Admin]

This is the hairline I think you should follow. Don’t lower your hairline that would be a mistake. You have some thinning in the crown. You need to be very smart, how you use your donor supply.
 

[Taken4Granted]

Thanks @Melvin-Moderator, def agree about being cautious. Your suggested hairline is a bit more aggressive than I planned precisely bc I know I’m going to need more work. Do you think 3500 grafts by the strip method is gonna cut it for the front?

I was thinking for good density with the limited donor grafts, I would need to go with something like below. The yellow would be a thinner fringe and the thicker density would be inside the red.

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Taken4Granted

[Melvin- Admin]

1 hour ago, Taken4Granted said:

Thanks @Melvin-Moderator, def agree about being cautious. Your suggested hairline is a bit more aggressive than I planned precisely bc I know I’m going to need more work. Do you think 3500 grafts by the strip method is gonna cut it for the front?

I was thinking for good density with the limited donor grafts, I would need to go with something like below. The yellow would be a thinner fringe and the thicker density would be inside the red.

 

That’s a good hairline height, my impression was you wanted to be aggressive since you mentioned NW1 hairline. The one you’ve proposed is definitely NW2 1/2 which is perfect IMO.

[Taken4Granted]

@Melvin-Moderator

Awesome, glad to hear it. So I’ve talked to one surgeon so far who recommended 2000 grafts FUE and quoted $12/graft. It’s out of my budget. I’m aiming for 3000 grafts and $6/graft (strip). I realize FUE is more expensive, but I’m starting to worry I don’t have the budget to go to a good doctor, and I’m not taking a chance. I may have to postpone this.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Taken4Granted

[Melvin- Admin]

11 minutes ago, Taken4Granted said:

@Melvin-Moderator

Awesome, glad to hear it. So I’ve talked to one surgeon so far who recommended 2000 grafts FUE and quoted $12/graft. It’s out of my budget. I’m aiming for 3000 grafts and $6/graft (strip). I realize FUE is more expensive, but I’m starting to worry I don’t have the budget to go to a good doctor, and I’m not taking a chance. I may have to postpone this.

$6 is on the lower end, I know Dr. Gabel, who was trained by Konior, and like Konior he does everything himself, including graft placement.

Last time I met with him in 2016 he was around $6 per graft. Definitely consult with him, he’s highly skilled, ethical, and in your price range. He just recently opened up as well.
 

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/physician/Oregon/Steven-Gabel/633

[Taken4Granted]

Thanks, @Melvin-Moderator. I just requested a consultation. 

[Taken4Granted]

Hey @Melvin-Moderator, I’m looking at a couple different surgeons right now, trying to figure out what the total cost will be with travel and everything included. Do you know what’s typically included when a surgeon quotes the cost/graft? If it’s just the surgeon’s fee and not facilities, labor (tech team), supplies etc., that could be a big problem for me.

Edited June 12, 2020 by Taken4Granted

[Taken4Granted]

Btw, I found some old photos from Jan 2011, about 4 years into my hair loss. Boy, I should have appreciated my hair more than I did. 

I’ve added one recent one (9.5 years later) for comparison. Young gentlemen take note.

[Melvin- Admin]

3 hours ago, Taken4Granted said:

Hey @Melvin-Moderator, I’m looking at a couple different surgeons right now, trying to figure out what the total cost will be with travel and everything included. Do you know what’s typically included when a surgeon quotes the cost/graft? If it’s just the surgeon’s fee and not facilities, labor (tech team), supplies etc., that could be a big problem for me.

The price they provide is everything, including their technicians and operating room. They also include lunch. The only additional expense is your hotel and flight, should you wish to travel outside of California. However, most physicians give a travel rebate, the amount can vary, but usually it’s around $500. 

[Taken4Granted]

@Melvin-Moderator Thanks. I was worried. The price has really gone up in the past 10 years.

[Tony k]

On 6/10/2020 at 11:15 AM, Melvin-Moderator said:

$6 is on the lower end, I know Dr. Gabel, who was trained by Konior, and like Konior he does everything himself, including graft placement.

Last time I met with him in 2016 he was around $6 per graft. Definitely consult with him, he’s highly skilled, ethical, and in your price range. He just recently opened up as well.
 

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/physician/Oregon/Steven-Gabel/633

Some of Gabels results on here don’t look so hot. I dunno

[Mycroft]

On 6/8/2020 at 1:33 PM, Melvin-Moderator said:

NW1 forget about that, with no fin, you’ll end up chasing hair loss and run out of donor supply quickly. You need to keep a mature hairline, to ensure you have enough grafts for the midscalp and crown which WILL go in time. 

Cost depends whether you want to stay close to home. I would say anywhere from 14-20k depending on whether you choose FUE. 

Now, can you restore your hair to a NW1? Yes, but should you? No, especially without fin. Plan long term, it’s a marathon not a race. You want to look good and natural for as long as you live. 

If price is a concern I'd definitely look outside of California. Everything is more expensive there and cosmetic surgery in particular will be at a premium. I'd seriously consider flexing on your willingness to travel if your on a tighter budget.

As Melvin said, you're also going to be looking at a cheaper price by opting for FUT over FUE, so that's worth considering as well. This choice might even impact which clinics you look at. Some surgeons do nice FUE and FUT, some seem to do better work with one or the other, and some clinics exclusively offer FUE.