Regular Member RubenH Posted November 21, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted November 21, 2020 Hello everyone, Around seven years ago I had a 4,100 grafts FUT procedure with Dr. Rahal, in which he mostly worked on the front/mid scalp. Overall, I was very satisfied with the hairline he created, and the obtained results. However, during these years -most likely- I have lost the remaining native hair I had by that time, and hence overall density, so lately my hair had a more thin appearance. For that reason, after thinking about it, I tried to schedule a new appointment with Dr. Rahal. Due to COVID restrictions it wasn't easy, so I started to make a new Dr. research. I contacted Dr. Konior, Dr. Saphiro, and Dr. Gabel, among some others. After consideration, and based on the personal approach and confidence during this process, I scheduled the surgery with Dr. Gabel. It was carried out past Monday/Tuesday so, here, I want to share my recent experience with Dr. Gabel and his team. Many on this site have already said positive things in other posts about him and I don't want to repeat, however, now that I had my own personal experience, I can tell you all the positive things you can hear/read about him are true. It exceeded my expectations. I am not just saying that my experience with Dr. Rahal wasn't good (indeed, it was good), but the level of care and detail that I experienced with Dr. Gabel through all the procedure (and following days) was truly remarkable. The surgery was divided in two days: first day 2,435 grafts FUT lasted around 12 hours, and second day 1,066 grafts FUE lasted around 10 hours. Here is te final graft count: Day 1- FUT (2,435 grafts) to reinforce front-mid scalp and gain density 1-hair 444 (18.2%) 2-hair 1,296 (53.2%) 3-hair 539 (22.1%) 4-hair 156 (16.4%) Day 2- FUE (1,066 grafts) to gain density in the crown 1-hair 94 (8.8%) 2-hair 537 (50.4%) 3-hair 379 (35.6%) 4-hair 56 (5.3%) Special mention as well to his staff; from the desk to the surgery room. All perform their duties smoothly, always in synchronization, skillful, friendly, and nice, which makes everything easier. At the technical level, Dr. Gabel was very meticulous in every aspect of the surgery, he has the confidence that puts a patient right at ease, and I felt very comfortable through out. Dr. Gabel performed all the extractions and created all the slits both days. He and his technician placed the grafts both days as well. After all was complete, Dr Gabel did a final walkthrough, moving things around, perfecting the work, that was followed during next 3 days I stayed in Oregon. I did not wrote a review from my previous HT but this time had to do it. If you are thinking about getting a hair transplant, my opinion is: talk to different doctors, and take advantage of the valuable information you can get from the internet. If finally decided to move on with Dr. Gabel, I am pretty sure you won't regret. I'm on my 4th day of post op: 5 first pics are pre op, 4 last pics post op. I will try to keep you guys updated. Best I thought I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member js2020 Posted November 23, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted November 23, 2020 Wow you had two FUTs? Donor area looks great post OP. If you don't mind me asking what was the costs and timeline of scheduling appointments and the surgery with Dr. Gabel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Britanium Posted November 23, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted November 23, 2020 Love these combo cases, and this was a very sensible one! Thanks for the detailed write up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted November 23, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 23, 2020 (edited) Thanks guys, 45 minutes ago, js2020 said: Wow you had two FUTs? Donor area looks great post OP. If you don't mind me asking what was the costs and timeline of scheduling appointments and the surgery with Dr. Gabel? You are correct, I have had 2 FUTs! The first one around 7 years ago with Dr. Rahal and this is my second FUT (along with FUE next day). Regarding your question, I'm not sure about the policy about sharing prices but I think he would be fine with that. Dr. Gabel cost/graft (at least in my case) was $5 strip graft (beyond 2,500 I know it's $4/graft) and $7 FUE graft. Also, not sure if this is the normal practise but he gave me a discount every day. The communication was very efficient and fast during the whole process. After my first e-mail, I had a video consultation that week on Saturday. As I mentioned, I had consultations with another surgeons, but once I decided for Gabel, I had my surgery exactly 3 months later. Hope this helps ! 42 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said: Love these combo cases, and this was a very sensible one! Thanks for the detailed write up. You are welcome! I agree, It is a good way to maximize the number of grafts for particular cases. Edited November 23, 2020 by RubenH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted November 24, 2020 Administrators Share Posted November 24, 2020 Fantastic write-up, I actually think doing an FUT and FUE combo is the way to go, eager to see your results flourish. Dr. Gabel is top-notch 👍🏼 1 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted November 24, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Melvin-Moderator said: Fantastic write-up, I actually think doing an FUT and FUE combo is the way to go, eager to see your results flourish. Dr. Gabel is top-notch 👍🏼 Thank you Melvin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member aaron1234 Posted November 24, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted November 24, 2020 Awesome, good luck these coming months! Dr. Gabel does great work! Have you been on Fin at all since you had your first HT with Dr. Rahal? Dr. G: 1,000 grafts (FUT) 2008 Dr. Paul Shapiro: 2,348 grafts (FUT) 2009 ~ 1,999 grafts (FUT) 2011 ~ 300 grafts (Scar Reduction) 2013 Dr. Konior: 771 grafts (FUT) 2015 ~ 558 grafts (FUT) 2017 ~ 1,124 grafts (FUE) 2020 My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted November 24, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted November 24, 2020 14 minutes ago, aaron1234 said: Awesome, good luck these coming months! Dr. Gabel does great work! Have you been on Fin at all since you had your first HT with Dr. Rahal? Thanks! Not really, only minoxidil - I was on finasteride several years before my first procedure with Dr Rahal, then I stopped. I actually started again one week ago using 0.33mg/day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted December 19, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 19, 2020 Hi guys, Just wanted to do a brief update after (almost) 5 weeks since the procedure. Not much surprises at this point - everything looks fine to me; shedding wasn't very hard, but it was constant during the last 2 weeks although now it seems to be decreasing. The hair transplanted during my first surgery around 7 years ago seems to be growing nicely also. I guess this is one common concern for people who is thinking about performing a HT to gain density in an area with native hair. Fortunately, I have not experience drawbacks, in my opinion, in that sense. I have been doing 0.33 mg finasteride / day and 5% minoxidil, twice / day since the surgery. Happy holidays to all ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Britanium Posted December 19, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted December 19, 2020 Looks like your totally on track 👏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member deitel130 Posted December 19, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted December 19, 2020 You seem to have excellent donor hair characteristics. This should probably be the icing on the cake as you already had pretty good coverage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted January 10, 2021 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 10, 2021 Happy new year to everyone, A new brief update after (almost) 8 weeks since my FUT/FUE procedure performed on November 16/17 by Dr.Gabel and his team. From the last update (week 5), shedding kept hitting slowly, specially in the back/crown. Now, it seems to be pretty much stopped. At this point, I have noticed some new hair sprouting, as you may see in some pictures. During these 8 weeks after the surgery, I have been using J&J baby shampoo. Now I am considering the use of a regular, mild shampoo. However, I have never actually done a deep research in this regard. I would like to ask if you guys have some recommendation in this sense. I tend to create some crusts in some regions of the donor area, specially around the scar, but also in the temples and sides. Happy Sunday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member deitel130 Posted January 10, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2021 You are almost past the toughest period. Looks good for 8 weeks. As for shampoo you should now be able to use any shampoo. I have been alternating between baby shampoo and Aveeno which is sulfate and paraben free also. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member pkipling Posted January 10, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2021 It looks really great for 8 weeks, and you're getting close to turning the corner where real results start to show. Exciting times. Like Deitel said, you can use any shampoo you want at this point, though I also tend to use shampoos that don't have sulfates and parabens. Avoiding anything with harsh chemicals will just be easier on your scalp should it be sensitive - but you don't have to worry about the grafts being damaged regardless. The crusts can also be normal, and you may be being too gentle and precious with your scalp when your washing it. Remember that it's impossible to dislodge any grafts at this stage, so I would suggest letting the shampoo suds soak on your scalp for a few minutes and soften everything up, and then give your scalp a thorough, firm scrub with the tips of your fingers to loosen anything up. 1 I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff. Check out my hair loss website for photos FUE surgery by Dr. Mohebi on 7/31/14 2,001 grafts - Ones: 607; Twos: 925; Threes: 413; Fours: 56 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted January 11, 2021 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 11, 2021 Awesome! Thank you for the advices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Britanium Posted January 11, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted January 11, 2021 Looks really good for this point in your journey! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted January 11, 2021 Administrators Share Posted January 11, 2021 Happy new year’s, great to see you update us with your progress 👏🏼 1 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member deitel130 Posted January 12, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted January 12, 2021 Your mid scalp and crown looks quite good still. Do you feel some grafts didn't shed in comparison to the front? Your hair texture also seems coarse which should give you a great result. Looking forward to future updates. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted January 12, 2021 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 12, 2021 54 minutes ago, deitel130 said: Your mid scalp and crown looks quite good still. Do you feel some grafts didn't shed in comparison to the front? Your hair texture also seems coarse which should give you a great result. Looking forward to future updates. It's difficult to say. The shedding in the crown/mid scalp was extended for some additional days actually. But overall, I would say that I suffered a similar shedding in all the recipient areas. Still, I think I conserved around (maybe) 30% of the transplanted grafts. But again, this is totally speculation. Thanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member aaron1234 Posted January 13, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2021 The ugly duckling stage is less bad in round 2, huh? I think you're poised for exciting times in the months ahead. Regarding shampoo, with my first procedures I did baby shampoo for a few weeks post-op. My last round I just used an Aveda (organic) shampoo immediately after the procedure and it really didn't seem to make any difference. 1 Dr. G: 1,000 grafts (FUT) 2008 Dr. Paul Shapiro: 2,348 grafts (FUT) 2009 ~ 1,999 grafts (FUT) 2011 ~ 300 grafts (Scar Reduction) 2013 Dr. Konior: 771 grafts (FUT) 2015 ~ 558 grafts (FUT) 2017 ~ 1,124 grafts (FUE) 2020 My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted January 13, 2021 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 13, 2021 7 minutes ago, aaron1234 said: The ugly duckling stage is less bad in round 2, huh? I think you're poised for exciting times in the months ahead. Regarding shampoo, with my first procedures I did baby shampoo for a few weeks post-op. My last round I just used an Aveda (organic) shampoo immediately after the procedure and it really didn't seem to make any difference. You're totally right! The second round is much better in terms of ugly ducking stage. So glad for that Thanks sharing with me your experience with shampoos! R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted February 14, 2021 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 14, 2021 Hello everyone, I am about to hit the 3-months mark (in 3-4 days to be accurate) since I got my FUT/FUE procedure. Everything seems to be on the right track to me. The hair from my previous transplant is growing well and, at this point, I have new hair sprouting -definitely I can feel it if I touch my scalp-. Since I haven't had any noticeable side effects, I had increased fin from 0.33 to 0.5 mg/day. In my first HT with Dr. Rahal in 2014, I experienced a very good growth from 3-6 months, that kept improving until month 9 or so. Now, the hardest part of the travel seems to be over, so I hope to experience a nice growing in the following months. Happy weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Britanium Posted February 14, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 14, 2021 Growing in nicely ! Thanks for the update 👏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member deitel130 Posted February 14, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 14, 2021 Looks good, the previous transplanted hair has grown in nicely and it seems the new transplanted hairs should start growing in nicely as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RubenH Posted March 19, 2021 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 19, 2021 Hi guys, Hope my message finds you all well. Yesterday, I reached the 4th month since my procedure. At month 3, I started noticing some new growing. This growing has been constant ( or exponential, to be more accurate) for the next weeks until today. I try not to pay much attention to the growing, but looking at my previous pictures, it's pretty awesome how everything evolves since the process was triggered. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with how is everything looking so far at this early stage. I keep taking twice minox/day and 0.5 mg finasteride per day as well. I will keep you updated next month! Stay safe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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