Need help regarding transplant M23 India.

[keratin_matters]

Hello guys, Let me begin from the start. I have diffuse thinning hair loss ever since I was 18. At least that was when I first noticed it. Ever since I have been battling this curse. I have bad diffuse thinning on the hairline, moderate thinning on the midscalp and significant thinning on the crown. Attaching all the images here...

 

These are the medications that I am on:

Minoxidil 5% - Since 4 Years

Topical Finasteride 0.1% - 11 months

Oral Finasteride (Finax) (Added this recently) - 1 month (No sides so far)

Ketoconazole 2% 2 times a week - 11 months

Dermarolling 1.5mm once a week - 11 months

 

Minoxidil alone was not enough to stop the baldness for 4 years, but I did manage to save a lot until I could safely hop on finasteride. 

Lately, I've begun to feel like I don't want to deal with this shit anymore, and as I'm graduating out I'm going to be making good money. I think I should go the transplant route. But there's a plethora of questions that I have.

 

So I contacted Dr Bhatti from Darling Buds and he recommended staying on finasteride and avoiding transplant till I'm 25. But I think it's just one life we got and I don't want to loose my 20s any further, so I then contacted Eugenix with these photographs and I was recommended to be on finasteride (which I already am) for midscalp and crown improvement , and a 1500 graft procedure for the hairline. Although, when I asked for my lifetime donor capacity, I got a response that it's different for every patient which I found to be a fleeting answer. I expected a clearer answer but it's ok i guess... I wish to make a masterplan for myself so I don't end up in more trouble later.

I was confused about these things:

1) Am I a good candidate at all?

2) Should I wait longer on meds? How long? 

3) Which procedure should I go for FUT or FUE? And more importantly where?

4) What's my lifetime donor capacity? Attaching beard photos too.

Thanks in advance !!

 

[Melvin- Admin]

You should stay on finasteride for at least a year before considering surgery.

[Gatsby]

I would wait until your 25 (which is not your whole life ahead of you but two years). Stay on finasteride as Melvin recommened. It takes up to two years to see the full benefit. You have no clear pattern at 23 and you need to always assume that you will end up a Norwood 6 and plan accordingly. You have no idea what your donor is going to look like in two years, let alone 20! So you have no game plan if you pull the trigger now on surgery. Trust me from experience. The horrible pain you are going through now is nothing compared to the life long pain of having surgery when you are too young.

[Britanium]

First you need to stabilese your loss. Starting Fin/Minox now and then review in 2 years time when your actually 25. If you still want to go ahead then I would choose Eugenix. Darling Buds (Bhatti) is no longer a good choice. 
 This is the forums recommended list in India:

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/surgeon-list/IND/India

[keratin_matters]

2 hours ago, Gatsby said:

I would wait until your 25 (which is not your whole life ahead of you but two years). Stay on finasteride as Melvin recommened. It takes up to two years to see the full benefit. You have no clear pattern at 23 and you need to always assume that you will end up a Norwood 6 and plan accordingly. You have no idea what your donor is going to look like in two years, let alone 20! So you have no game plan if you pull the trigger now on surgery. Trust me from experience. The horrible pain you are going through now is nothing compared to the life long pain of having surgery when you are too young.

Thanks for the reply!

The thing is, I'm planning on going for my masters to the US in 1 1/2 years. And I certainly don't want to get a transplant done in the middle of a degree that too in a foreign country. I'm thinking that I'd wait another complete year on finasteride. And get it done when I'm 24. Because if I wait any longer, I'd be delaying it by 2 more years. So essentially when I'd be 27 or something. This seems like chasing a Mirage that'd never come. 

1 hour ago, JohnAC71 said:

First you need to stabilese your loss. Starting Fin/Minox now and then review in 2 years time when your actually 25. If you still want to go ahead then I would choose Eugenix. Darling Buds (Bhatti) is no longer a good choice. 
 This is the forums recommended list in India:

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/surgeon-list/IND/India

Yes you're right, if I'm getting it done here in india, it's definitely going to be eugenix's premium package. Can't play with cosmetic surgery, we got only one life lol.

[Gatsby]

Quote

The thing is, I'm planning on going for my masters to the US in 1 1/2 years. And I certainly don't want to get a transplant done in the middle of a degree that too in a foreign country. I'm thinking that I'd wait another complete year on finasteride. And get it done when I'm 24. Because if I wait any longer, I'd be delaying it by 2 more years. So essentially when I'd be 27 or something. This seems like chasing a Mirage that'd never come. 

I understand your frustrations but you only have one chance to get this right! I'm 54 and I have been waiting now for nearly two years to go to Eugenix to have surgery due to Covid. If it means waiting another year for travel to open so be it. You have no concept of how time passes at 23. Like I said you want to get it done right for the 'rest of your life' (not for the rest of the decade). Planning a surgery is as important as the surgery itself. You want a surgeon who you have excellent communication with where you are both on the same page over the life span. All the best!

[keratin_matters]

10 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

I understand your frustrations but you only have one chance to get this right! I'm 54 and I have been waiting now for nearly two years to go to Eugenix to have surgery due to Covid. If it means waiting another year for travel to open so be it. You have no concept of how time passes at 23. Like I said you want to get it done right for the 'rest of your life' (not for the rest of the decade). Planning a surgery is as important as the surgery itself. You want a surgeon who you have excellent communication with where you are both on the same page over the life span. All the best!

Perhaps you're right, I'm too haphazard and eager now. I'll dwell over this and try to convince myself. Thanks.

[Britanium]

Yes I agree with @Gatsbyhere. You should not be making any rash decisions. The meds need at least a year to work. 

[keratin_matters]

Yes, I'm delaying any decision about transplant for now. Will stick to the big 3 and add oral castor oil and stuff to see how it goes.

[Berba11]

3 hours ago, keratin_matters said:

Yes, I'm delaying any decision about transplant for now. Will stick to the big 3 and add oral castor oil and stuff to see how it goes.

Sensible. Also, no one can tell you what your 'life time donor' amount is based on photos. It's need a proper in person inspection by a surgeon, plus, it will always be harder to say for sure when you're younger, as a lot can change very quickly when it comes to hair loss.

[keratin_matters]

45 minutes ago, Berba11 said:

Sensible. Also, no one can tell you what your 'life time donor' amount is based on photos. It's need a proper in person inspection by a surgeon, plus, it will always be harder to say for sure when you're younger, as a lot can change very quickly when it comes to hair loss.

I'd heard from Dr Rassman that one should evaluate your donor capacity and create a 'masterplan' while being on meds. Most clinics just revert back with number grafts required now and not talk about your long term goals. That was my chain of thought when asking if more grafts can be extracted further in my life. 

[Berba11]

1 hour ago, keratin_matters said:

I'd heard from Dr Rassman that one should evaluate your donor capacity and create a 'masterplan' while being on meds. Most clinics just revert back with number grafts required now and not talk about your long term goals. That was my chain of thought when asking if more grafts can be extracted further in my life. 

Yea I completely understand why you'd ask - it's the right question to ask for sure! But you won't get any good answers from photos alone. Your scalp needs to be inspected in person, and that's probably why you only received a generic answer from Eugenix.

[keratin_matters]

12 minutes ago, Berba11 said:

Yea I completely understand why you'd ask - it's the right question to ask for sure! But you won't get any good answers from photos alone. Your scalp needs to be inspected in person, and that's probably why you only received a generic answer from Eugenix.

Yeah you're right. I'd get an in person assessment done in the coming months for sure. Thanks!

[keratin_matters]

Hello.. Funnily enough it's exactly an year today since I made this post! I've been on finasteride (and minoxidil) for an year as discussed over here. There is some modest improvement in the hair thickness but no dramatic regain of hair. 

 

I have an in-person appointment with Dr arika from @Eugenix Hair Science on 21st August Sunday. I'll take further decisions based on the appointment. Will keep you guys updated.

 

Also, any suggestions on what are the correct questions I should be asking Dr arika would be welcome. 

[Dillpickle123]

4 hours ago, keratin_matters said:

Hello.. Funnily enough it's exactly an year today since I made this post! I've been on finasteride (and minoxidil) for an year as discussed over here. There is some modest improvement in the hair thickness but no dramatic regain of hair. 

 

I have an in-person appointment with Dr arika from @Eugenix Hair Science on 21st August Sunday. I'll take further decisions based on the appointment. Will keep you guys updated.

 

Also, any suggestions on what are the correct questions I should be asking Dr arika would be welcome. 

Are they still saying 1500 grafts for the hairline?

[keratin_matters]

4 hours ago, Dillpickle123 said:

Are they still saying 1500 grafts for the hairline?

Will confirm that on Sunday...

[Dillpickle123]

37 minutes ago, keratin_matters said:

Will confirm that on Sunday...

I would do the hairline if I was you 1500 grafts should cost around 5k US for premium package there’s a super premium package as well but it’s like double the cost I consulted with them as well but decided to stay in the US

[keratin_matters]

35 minutes ago, Dillpickle123 said:

I would do the hairline if I was you 1500 grafts should cost around 5k US for premium package there’s a super premium package as well but it’s like double the cost I consulted with them as well but decided to stay in the US

Yeah I might go for premium or exclusive with Dr Priyadarshini. Will keep updated here.