Eugenix, NW3 5200 + grafts / MazAB's 2nd procedure on 10/8/2022 by Dr Pradeep Sethi

[MazAB]

This incredible forum has taught me so much and has finally gotten me to the perfect position of choosing the right clinic in Eugenix to perform my first hair transplant procedure. I’ve learned so much from so many and it is now time to pay it forward and document my journey as well. I was originally scheduled for March of next year but my Medical Visa was approved early to my surprise and Dr Arika (aka, The Hairline Queen) 🙂 had availability end of August so I’m extremely excited to be in this fortunate position of making this long awaited dream a reality. 

Background:

I’m 49 years old and have suffered from hair loss since I was 17. At around 18 years of age I started taking Minoxidil, which I believe was a new medication at that time (DAMN I feel old!;-) Having a father and 2 grandfathers that were slick bald before the age of 35, I knew I was in for substantial hair loss in the coming years and continued to measure my decline, noticing after 5 years that Minoxidil was only slowing it down. Less shedding, yes, but further miniaturization and further recession. My mission was to stop it completely and after some research and discussions with doctors, I learned of Propecia which again was a very very new drug to help stop hair loss by blocking DHT. Had my doctor write up a prescription for Proscar, and since it was 5mg, I would cut the pills into 4’s saving myself a ton of cash as it was pretty expensive back then.. Once again, I feel so old having taken this drug well before it was ever called Finasteride:-) ! 

Combining Minoxidil and Proscar (Finasteride) ultimately stopped my hair loss at age 24. The thickness and dexterity of the hair, of course, has slightly declined since I was 24, but no further recession. Beyond just the drugs, I’ve always practiced a very healthy lifestyle, with a plant based diet, intermittent fasting, high intensity exercise and a supplement stack that first and foremost helps with well being, but many times what’s good for the body, mind and spirit is also good for the hair!

Because my hair was stablized, I never thought it was worth the risk of getting a hair transplant. So I’ve gone multiple decades with just accepting my NW3 status and trying to look at my situation from an optimistic perspective of how blessed I was to have had options at the most critical time to save me from losing all my hair. My father and grandfathers never had that luxury.

Over the years and especially the early years, hair transplant procedures were risky. I never felt comfortable with getting FUT done, and it wasn’t until FUE that I started to pay close attention and had the desire to do it. What eventually sealed the deal for me was a Hyperpigmentation issue that I have so perfectly and conveniently located across my hairline. I've had it for close to 10 years and it is luckily not spreading further. My dermatologist told me that it’s easily treatable, but that it would always come back since the sun is directly hitting it. Unless I always wore a hat outside, I would need skin peels and other laser treatments done throughout the course of my life to keep it from darkening further. Since my dermatologist is also involved with hair transplant procedures, he told me that this condition could serve to my benefit, essentially reducing the color contrast ratio between my hair and scalp thus helping to aid in the illusion of density. While I like my dermatologist ONLY for my skin and not my hair, I did think he was spot on with his assessment which got me to research, find this forum, and go thru consults with probably over 20 clinics both in the states and internationally before settling on Eugenix. Bottom line, love Eugenix's approach, the invention, the science, the artistry, and their focus on treating you like a real person that's part of the family. @Abhinay Singh and other members of his team have been amazing to work with so far. Early approval of the Visa definitely would not have been achieved without their help. 

Here is a breakdown of my Daily Regimen:

Treating Androgenic Alopecia (hereditary baldness)

Finasteride - 1mg daily

Minoxidil 5% drops - nightly

 

Treating Involutional Alopecia (Natural thinning of hair as we age):

Instead of a Multivitamin, I take supplements individually where I know based on my diet, exactly where my deficiencies lie and what doses are best suited for me. It’s a lot more work to do it this way as my doctor needs to draw blood to determine those deficiencies, but well worth it in my opinion.

With that, I take more supplements than I would ever want to list out on this forum, but here are the ones I take daily that are specifically tied to anti-aging of the hair and overall well being.

D3 (4000IU) - When vitamin D3 is metabolized in the skin a protein called Keratin is formed and this helps with regulating hair growth and shedding. 

MSM (1000mg) - Works extremely well when combined with D3 as it ultimately helps with the process of donating sulfur to Keratin to fuel it and super charge D3 to do its job more effectively (in other words, taking the follicle out of its rest phase and beginning the growth cycle earlier.)

Collagen (6g) - Our bodies are able to use the amino acids in collagen to build hair proteins, strengthen the skin around your hair roots, and lengthen the time to shedding. Works especially well when combined with Hyaluronic Acid.

Hyaluronic Acid (200mg) - Hydrates the hair and scalp. I found that it helps reduce dry scalp and frizzy hair as the binding properties of Hyaluronic Acid helps the hair follicles and scalp to retain more moisture thus allowing Collagen to bond to it and do its job more efficiently as well.

Vitamin K2 (100mcg) - Another factor that could contribute to hair loss is scalp calcification. So if you have huge deposits of calcium in your scalp it will eventually reduce the blood supply to the vessels of the scalp which inevitably leads to miniaturization of the hair over the course of a lifetime. K2 helps with the regulation of calcium so those large deposits are likely not to form on your scalp. 

Zinc (9mg of Elemental Zinc from 20mg of Sucrosomial Zinc) This is a tough one, because not enough Zinc could lead to hair loss but too much zinc could increase hair loss. That is why I air on the side of caution and go very low dose on this one. It helps with hair tissue growth and repair by keeping your oil glands around the follicles healthy and working optimally. 

Vitamin E (200iu) - This one helps with reducing the amount of oxidative stress / free radicals that over a lifetime cause the hair follicle cells to break down. 

Vitamin C, Iron, and Biotin - All work together synergistically and are important for hair loss prevention. I found I get enough in my diet, and don’t need to supplement with any of these individually. Although I should also add that I do get added Vitamin C from my Collagen powder and I use a shampoo that is loaded with Biotin as well. 

Sorry for the long explanation on my daily regimen, but I thought it was important to paint the full picture of not just what I’ve been taking over the last many years, but exactly why I’ve been taking it. That said, as much as I like to be consultative, please do your own research and only take what makes sense for you after assessing diet, current supplement stack and the advice from a licensed nutritionist or doctor. This has worked for me, but it may not work for everyone.

I wanted to post some before shots prior to my surgery on the 31st. The first one is a shot of me at 25 years old after everything stabilized being on Finasteride for over a year . You’ll notice that the right side looks less bald, but it’s actually just as bald as the left, I just grew it out and combed it over to cover that spot and combed it down to give the illusion of a lower hairline. The rest are current day, 24 years later so you can compare the difference over the years. I’d be interested in getting everyone’s input, advice, especially on the Hyperpigmentation condition if you think that would help or hurt my outcome of a transplant. Full disclosure, regardless of having a skin disorder at the top of my head, a transplant is something I've always wanted to do at some point in my life. This just gave me the kick in the ass to finally doing it!😎🤞

Counting down the days😁 Thanks all! 

Maz

[GaryStruthers]

Really great and detailed intro brother. I look forward to following your progress closely!

[Parasol]

Awesome! I’m so happy for you buddy. I appreciate all the support you’ve given me throughout my journey and I look forward to following yours!!!

I know you’ve done a ton of research and I believe you are in the right hands. I’m thrilled that you were able to arrange getting this done sooner than planned. Wow, it’s right around the corner. So cool.
 

[Rbs]

Great write up! Looks like you checked most of the prep boxes; took your time, did the research, stabilized hair and picked the right doctor! Now it's all about trust and patience

Looking forward to a fellow Eugenixian's progress! I got mine done July 18th

[A Fue Good Men]

Great writeup maz. It really looks like you did stop your recession right in its tracks for a 1/4 century! Your skin also looks great for your age. Any tips in that regard?

 

what’s your opinion on certain shampoos for hair loss and do you use any specific ones?

 

Have you had to deal with any scalp issues like dermatitis?

[giegnosiganoe]

Ah, so it was you on the the bald truth!

No offense, but I would say your recession is more of a NW3. Still, you're an excellent candidate and you should expect a wonderful result.

[Britanium]

Absolutely fantastic and detailed write up ! Enjoyable read. Eugenix are a very good choice. Really look forward to reading your subsequent journey. Thanks for posting your current daily regimen also 🙏

[MazAB]

9 hours ago, 5BetaReductase said:

Great writeup maz. It really looks like you did stop your recession right in its tracks for a 1/4 century! Your skin also looks great for your age. Any tips in that regard?

 

what’s your opinion on certain shampoos for hair loss and do you use any specific ones?

 

Have you had to deal with any scalp issues like dermatitis?

Thanks 5Beta! No major scalp disorders or dermatitis thank God. Minoxidil causes itchiness and could dry out the scalp at times, but otherwise all good. 

As far as skin care, healthy diet and exercise, and limited sun exposure is key. I've been doing both intermittent and extended fasting for over 5 years and have definitely seen a difference in my skin with the daily detoxing effects it has on the body. As mentioned above, taking Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid together yields amazing results. I've been taking both for over 10 years and am convinced it is the fountain of youth for the skin. I would focus your research on both of those!

Here is the shampoo and conditioner that I currently take as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Biotin-Anti-Hair-Loss-Shampoo/dp/B07K4S4J66/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=biotin+shampoo&qid=1627995749&sr=8-8

 

[MazAB]

8 hours ago, giegnosiganoe said:

Ah, so it was you on the the bald truth!

No offense, but I would say your recession is more of a NW3. Still, you're an excellent candidate and you should expect a wonderful result.

BUSTED!!! HAHA! 🤣 First time calling in, but love there insight. My main question around both oral minoxidil and LLLT post hair transplant was confirmed. Don't try and introduce something new when your body is going thru the recovery phase. Good advice that I'll stick by.

Funny thing about half the clinics I went to classified me at NW2A and the other half NW3. They were video consults, so I guess it's hard to tell half the time. None of that matters of course come September 1st, when Eugenix converts me to a NW Zero😎

[Zoomster]

Delighted to hear you’ve made the step to go ahead and book Maz 

I’ve just booked in myself today for my 2nd procedure 4 September with Dr Arika 

Really looking forward to it ..

might see you over there 👍

 

 

[MazAB]

5 hours ago, Zoomster said:

Delighted to hear you’ve made the step to go ahead and book Maz 

I’ve just booked in myself today for my 2nd procedure 4 September with Dr Arika 

Really looking forward to it ..

might see you over there 👍

 

 

For sure man! I know you'll be on a tight schedule, but we'll definitely work out a quick meetup if possible. Looking forward to meeting you brother!

[SLA]

This is awesome! Thanks for giving back to the community.

Looking forward to your journey.

[Hair Gossip]

All the best MAZB...you are on right track

[MazAB]

I know this exercise is best left for the professionals, but I just couldn't help myself. With the countless amounts of hairline/temple reconstruction cases I've seen in my years of research, I have a pretty good idea of I want from a design perspective. To help the design part of the day at Eugenix go a little more smoothly, I drew out my hairline and temples as a reference point for them to refine and build from. I freehanded it with a double mirror so by no means would I want them to replicate this exact design as the symmetry is off. Some of the lines, especially at the end of the hairline and rounding off into the temples, lack the arc and flare that would make it more aesthetically appealing, so I'm leaning on Dr Arika's creativity and expertise first and foremost in this process, but would love to get your opinions as well before my surgery on the 31st.

One little trick I learned with temple points is to bite down hard, feel where the temples are, and make that your center point to build from. Seems to look a lot more natural than the original one I drew not following that method. Looking at pictures of myself when I was a mid teen, It's almost exactly the same placement, but just slightly receded to make it more age appropriate. I might go more conservative than this, but definitely not more aggressive.  Again would love to poll my HRN friends and see what you think of the v-shape design and if you think it works overall with the shape of my face. 

Thanks for your support guys ~ Maz

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by MazAB
*

[Gasthoerer]

In my humble opinion it might be worth a try to bring the tip of the temple triangles a little further back, making your corners look less receded. I know it is typical to chose  the end of the eyebrow as a reference, but this makes a quite sharp angle for the temple in your case. 

Same for the hairline IMO. The middle peak is to far down and for my personal taste are more concave hairline would be more appropriate too. But this is really a matter of taste. 

[Melvin- Admin]

On 8/3/2021 at 11:48 AM, Zoomster said:

Delighted to hear you’ve made the step to go ahead and book Maz 

I’ve just booked in myself today for my 2nd procedure 4 September with Dr Arika 

Really looking forward to it ..

might see you over there 👍

 

 

When are you going? I’m planning in December 😁

@MazAB

You’ve made an excellent choice I look forward to seeing your progress 

[MazAB]

1 hour ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

When are you going? I’m planning in December 😁

@MazAB

You’ve made an excellent choice I look forward to seeing your progress 

Hey Melvin, my surgery is scheduled for the 31st. My goal is to come out with a great head of hair, and a selfie with @Zoomster😁

Thanks so much for the support Melvin!

Edited August 25, 2021 by MazAB

[deeznuts]

wow fin doing some serious work. looks like you would've been full blown NW5 or NW6 without it

[MazAB]

1 hour ago, Gasthoerer said:

In my humble opinion it might be worth a try to bring the tip of the temple triangles a little further back, making your corners look less receded. I know it is typical to chose  the end of the eyebrow as a reference, but this makes a quite sharp angle for the temple in your case. 

Same for the hairline IMO. The middle peak is to far down and for my personal taste are more concave hairline would be more appropriate too. But this is really a matter of taste. 

@GasthoererI agree with you on being too aggressive with the center point of the hairline. I'm likely to keep the side endpoints where they are and bring up just the center point slightly. I also agree that I could probably come in a little on the temple points. Not too much, but even a little will make a difference. Solid advice, thanks man!

[Parasol]

7 hours ago, Gasthoerer said:

In my humble opinion it might be worth a try to bring the tip of the temple triangles a little further back, making your corners look less receded. I know it is typical to chose  the end of the eyebrow as a reference, but this makes a quite sharp angle for the temple in your case. 

Same for the hairline IMO. The middle peak is to far down and for my personal taste are more concave hairline would be more appropriate too. But this is really a matter of taste. 

I think @Gasthoerer has some really sound advice here. 

The entire design is very good, and aesthetically pleasing, but it seems a bit too aggressive to me. I’d bring the center of the hairline back a bit so it’s rounded a bit more and doesn’t come down as far, then bring everything back from there slightly too.

Bald scalp requires a ton of densely packed grafts. With your current design, if it only comes out so-so, you’ll likely have to go back into the same area in the future. You can always lower it if this op takes well.

Personally I think you should take a more conservative approach, but you’re in good hands regardless of whatever design you decide you’re happy with. 

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by Parasol

[MazAB]

Thanks Parasol, your opinion I hold in high regard, and do also believe a more conservative approach is the way to go. I think the important thing is to let Dr. Arika work her magic and artistry and let her lead me instead of the other way around. 

[Berba11]

Following with great interest! Good luck mate

[GaryStruthers]

Really looking forward to this unfolding. I think it'll be a great result!!

[MazAB]

On 8/26/2021 at 6:41 PM, GaryStruthers said:

Really looking forward to this unfolding. I think it'll be a great result!!

Thanks @GaryStruthers! My flight is scheduled for tomorrow evening. Getting a little nervous, but have the confidence that it'll all fall into place. 

[SLA]

Best of luck @MazAB! Your story reminds me of @Fluffhead. NW3ish who started finasteride early and responded well.

I would opt for a more conservative approach as others have suggested for a variety of reasons. Good to save grafts for down the road should you lose more in the mid-scalp and crown.

You are in good hands with Dr. Arika!