Painful decade long journey. 34 yo | 3x HT

[RTC]

@track_ratsorry I may have missed this, but what did Konior do with the extracted grafts?

[Etownone]

Curious... 

Couldnt you use the nape hair for the crown?  I'm sure you can get a good amount.   

I had a repair surgery with Dr Mwamba,  and he used a lot of nape hair for my hairline and I it left zero scarring.    

 

[mrmane85]

On 10/19/2022 at 4:06 PM, track_rat said:

Hey man, thanks for checking on me. No material updates. Just one day at a time right now.

I’m scheduled to meet with Konior for a discussion/consult/advice in a couple weeks. I’m hoping to get in front of more experts for advice in the coming months as well. Wish me luck.

I was very encouraged by what Feriduni did with a botched hairline. Thank you and Berba for sharing that case. I’m confident that any of my hairline concerns can be fixed. Same with my beard/mandible. Not too concerned about those.

My issue right now isn’t just removing beard hairs from the crown, it’s figuring out how to construct a natural male crown. There are 250-300 some odd scalp hairs that are implanted directly in the center of my crown where the whorls initiate their direction. Removing beard hairs would leave the surrounding region weak, and the central area unnaturally strong. Some expert surgeon is going to need to find a way to construct an inverse of this (strengthening the weak outer ring of the crown that Eugenix didn’t implant into, removing beard hairs and reinforcing with scalp hairs, and removing or purposefully weakening the dead center of the crown to more closely resemble a naturally thinning male in his mid 30’s).

What you see on my head right now is the result of cursory planning and what I’m coming to believe was an unethical procedure as each day passes. It looks terrible, and I wish I could go back to my preop state everyday.

I’ll report back after some consults and after I learn what’s possible / realistic. Doing my best to stay optimistic here. Just want to get back to my old life, regain confidence, dating, going out in public without a hat regularly, etc. 

Here’s a quick refresher of my preop pic in India:

And what I was left with (these are pre Konior extraction of the few hundred grafts). This is a terrible result.

Good to hear that you have another consultation with Konior in a few weeks. I'm sure your keen to find out what he has to say and any strategies he feels will work well moving forward.

I agree 100% regarding your surgery. It was poorly planned and executed. It was such a poor decision to place so many beard grafts in your crown instead of carefully blending them along with scalp hair.

What's done is done though and now you are moving on with a solution mindset which is great. As I said previously, you'll be able to help many others in the future through this experience.

Dr Feriduni IMO is the number one surgeon in the world when it comes to raising a hairline without scarring and making it look natural. I also think he's top 5 in the world when it comes to repairs in general. 

I have a consultation with him in January to raise my own hairline which was made too low with poorly angled hairs throughout.

Another repair surgeon I was looking at was Dr Shapiro. I've read that he's also an exceptional repair surgeon. I would have looked into Konior as he's exceptional and my top choice overall but he's out of my price range. 

Please let us know how you go with Konior. We are here to support you throughout this journey and are praying for an outcome you can be proud of so you can burn that hat once and for all!

[track_rat]

On 10/19/2022 at 4:00 AM, Gatsby said:

@track_rat have you thought of straight perming your scalp hair?

Hey Gatsby. I’ve considered this, and agree that this would certainly fix the beard texture issue in the crown. It would help the hair to lay flat without significant firm holding product, but a few key issues would remain. The outer ring and lower crown would still be empty where Eugenix didn’t implant into. So the implanted region of the crown would still look like it’s on an island by itself. Additionally, the beard hairs would still not follow the directionality needed for a double cowlick. There’s so much angulation needed for a double whirl, and converging points etc. Beard hairs can’t do this, at least not without being blended with scalp hairs.

Anyways, you make a great suggestion. Other surgeons have suggested the same as a temporary measure. I have some holiday work events coming up soon that I cannot hide from in a ball cap. So I may try this for the holiday season with a lot of concealer and just pray for the best.  

[track_rat]

On 10/19/2022 at 5:36 AM, RTC said:

@track_ratsorry I may have missed this, but what did Konior do with the extracted grafts?

Konior implanted into the upper fringe of my donor area. Basically just above my donor, the rationale being that this hair is cut short, and at the very least, would serve to aesthetically make it look like my donor doesn’t dip as much. It was only a few hundred grafts, so nothing material. What is material, though, is how he reduced the b volume of the birds nest that was on my head. 

Edited October 20, 2022 by track_rat

[mrmane85]

Hey @track_rat, hope all is well mate. 

Did you end up meeting with Konior? 

[track_rat]

On 11/21/2022 at 1:56 AM, mrmane85 said:

Hey @track_rat, hope all is well mate. 

Did you end up meeting with Konior? 

 

Hey brother, thank you for checking on me. I did have my meeting with Konior. He proposed a small session to fill in the outer rim of where Eugenix implanted. This would include corners and the lower horseshoe where no grafts were placed. As you’ve seen from photos, Eugenix implanted densely on an island with weak hairs surrounding, so it was really a recipe for disaster. 

I’ve not been well emotionally, so apologies on the delay. This ordeal has cost me the most valuable commodity in life - time. And it’s been unbelievably depressing to try to come out from. Nothing will humble you like a life altering mistake like this. 

Anyways, I’ll update you guys when I can. Further along the line the approach would be to begin removing the beard hairs from the center of my crown, once the outer rim is solidified with a natural look to render a natural MPB as opposed to the brillo pad I have up there now.

I’m gunshy to do anything right now, so I’m still traveling and doing consults. 

Hope you’re all well.

[drawdownfx]

So sorry you went through this mate. I am praying for a good conclusion to your hairloss story 🙏

[Dr. Guncel Ozturk]

It's obvious that you have the courage to share your journey with hair transplantation and the emotional toll it has taken on you. Your story serves as a cautionary tale for others to be well informed and prepared before undergoing any hair transplant procedure. It's understandable that you had to endure many challenges and setbacks, but it's inspiring to see how you have overcome them and have continued to grow and build yourself up in other areas of your life. I hope that sharing your journey will bring you some comfort and support, and I wish you the best of luck with your future hair transplant procedure at Eugenix!

[RTC]

Any updated @track_rat

[blackpink]

On 2/12/2023 at 4:05 PM, track_rat said:

I’ve not been well emotionally, so apologies on the delay. This ordeal has cost me the most valuable commodity in life - time. And it’s been unbelievably depressing to try to come out from. Nothing will humble you like a life altering mistake like this. 

I completely empathize with this and I wanted to make a post so I could commiserate with @track_rat, maybe bump this thread for an update, and to share my story so that hopefully he won't feel so alone. 

 

I attempted a necklift in late 2022 and ultimately it seems like the operation "failed", or at least I don't look any different. This left a very large linear incision scar in my beard where my hair won't grow anymore. It's very embarrassing and even growing out my beard barely hides it. I'm looking into a beard transplant myself, but just like what track_rat said, I'm a bit gunshy after the ordeal. So I completely understand how much this can push you into a poor emotional state. All we can do is keep pushing forward and try to make the best decisions with what we've got.

 

Hopefully track_rat could offer an update eventually, but I'd also be curious to hear about his experience with Dr. K. I'm interested in working with him on my case and I hope he offered you a lot of help with your case too.

[mrmane85]

I hope he is doing well too. He seems like the type of person who will make calculated moves and work his way through to a good result. 

Can't see him giving up before he reaches a good outcome. 

Dr K is excellent so if you have the $ he is one of the men to see for any complex case. 

[Bert]

On 10/19/2022 at 4:06 PM, Etownone said:

Curious... 

Couldnt you use the nape hair for the crown?  I'm sure you can get a good amount.   

I had a repair surgery with Dr Mwamba,  and he used a lot of nape hair for my hairline and I it left zero scarring.    

 

I wonder if anyone can help with this ^

is nape hair any good?

--

and @track_rat , thanks for your insightful posts.. how did your beard and sidelocks recover? are there any ingrown hairs or acne? or redness on your neck or face?

[AGL77]

On 9/15/2023 at 2:59 AM, Bert said:

I wonder if anyone can help with this ^

is nape hair any good?

--

and @track_rat , thanks for your insightful posts.. how did your beard and sidelocks recover? are there any ingrown hairs or acne? or redness on your neck or face?

I’m 2 weeks out and only had 300 come from my beard. It has healed well but I am getting a bumps around my neck which I assume are ingrowns.

[Bert]

7 hours ago, AGL77 said:

I’m 2 weeks out and only had 300 come from my beard. It has healed well but I am getting a bumps around my neck which I assume are ingrowns.

in the front or the back?

[AGL77]

8 hours ago, Bert said:

in the front or the back?

In the front of my neck underneath the jawline. It was implanted into and around my FUT scar. 

[consequence]

@track_rat Did you keep seeing Konior to reverse Eugenix's work? How is everything?

[track_rat]

On 2/13/2023 at 8:32 AM, Dr. Guncel Ozturk said:

It's obvious that you have the courage to share your journey with hair transplantation and the emotional toll it has taken on you. Your story serves as a cautionary tale for others to be well informed and prepared before undergoing any hair transplant procedure. It's understandable that you had to endure many challenges and setbacks, but it's inspiring to see how you have overcome them and have continued to grow and build yourself up in other areas of your life. I hope that sharing your journey will bring you some comfort and support, and I wish you the best of luck with your future hair transplant procedure at Eugenix!

Thank you, Dr. Ozturk. I do unfortunately wear a hat on a daily basis, and have made some adjustments in my life (like finding a remote job) to live within my comfort zone after the surgery at Eugenix. I’m still going to the gym and find a lot of therapy in lifting weights. Appreciate your kind words and encouragement. I will hope to share good news here some day.

On 6/20/2023 at 5:49 AM, RTC said:

Any updated @track_rat

Will provide a thorough update soon mate. I was treading lightly and not posting recently as I was still pleading with Eugenix to try to make things right. I was finally able to get a few minutes with the clinic last month but Sethi suggested I look elsewhere for care. 

On 9/1/2023 at 4:37 PM, blackpink said:

I completely empathize with this and I wanted to make a post so I could commiserate with @track_rat, maybe bump this thread for an update, and to share my story so that hopefully he won't feel so alone. 

 

I attempted a necklift in late 2022 and ultimately it seems like the operation "failed", or at least I don't look any different. This left a very large linear incision scar in my beard where my hair won't grow anymore. It's very embarrassing and even growing out my beard barely hides it. I'm looking into a beard transplant myself, but just like what track_rat said, I'm a bit gunshy after the ordeal. So I completely understand how much this can push you into a poor emotional state. All we can do is keep pushing forward and try to make the best decisions with what we've got.

 

Hopefully track_rat could offer an update eventually, but I'd also be curious to hear about his experience with Dr. K. I'm interested in working with him on my case and I hope he offered you a lot of help with your case too.

Wishing you all the best man. I will update you all eventually. I had a stellar experience with Dr. Konior. He is a brilliant man and did as good of a job as he could given the canvas I had. He described my crown as a birds nest and made every effort to get me as close to normalcy as he could in one session. This required expertly selecting grafts that were at certain offensive angles and then placing them in a way that would add visual strength to the back of my head. He also had my instruction that I had to be back in the office (my prior job) in 3-4 days, so to try make this look as clean and without evidence of significant trauma as he could. It was a tall order, but he understood what I’d been through and did his best. 

On 9/4/2023 at 7:52 AM, mrmane85 said:

I hope he is doing well too. He seems like the type of person who will make calculated moves and work his way through to a good result. 

Can't see him giving up before he reaches a good outcome. 

Dr K is excellent so if you have the $ he is one of the men to see for any complex case. 

Appreciate that brother. I have some travel coming up to see more specialists and I have not given up. I can’t afford to give up, and I want to live a normal life. I know it can be done; but I need to take the absolute correct steps. I’m not so concerned about my hairline or midscalp or weakened chin/mandible, many Drs can fix this. It’s the crown that’s going to be difficult. Removing all 1500 beard grafts from a crown is probably not possible, but I recall a time approximately 3-4 months after this surgery where the early growth (which is a fraction of all that was implanted) actually harmonized slightly with my existing vellus hair. It was only after all the beard hairs matured and grew in the crown did it become unsightly, overpowering, and unmanageable. The goal would be to find a surgeon that will be able to balance the area out to achieve a more natural look. Unfortunately, it’s costing me time. I wasted my prime.

On 9/15/2023 at 2:59 AM, Bert said:

I wonder if anyone can help with this ^

is nape hair any good?

--

and @track_rat , thanks for your insightful posts.. how did your beard and sidelocks recover? are there any ingrown hairs or acne? or redness on your neck or face?

Skin recovery was fine. No ingrown hairs really. No acne. No lasting redness on face or neck. But my chin/mandible was over harvested. I’m sure there’s photos in this thread. 

On 11/10/2023 at 10:51 AM, consequence said:

@track_rat Did you keep seeing Konior to reverse Eugenix's work? How is everything?

I didn’t keep seeing Konior. We are on great terms and I had one successful session that I owe him a great deal of thanks for. I have some more consults with other Drs coming up. If I determine Konior is the one to keep seeing, I will reach out to him.

- - -
Thanks all for caring and being supportive. I will detail more soon.

Edited November 18, 2023 by track_rat

[Berba11]

3 hours ago, track_rat said:

but I recall a time approximately 3-4 months after this surgery where the early growth (which is a fraction of all that was implanted) actually harmonized slightly with my existing vellus hair.

Hey mate, good to hear from you. Have you tried buzzing down to shorter lengths for the time being to mask the “birds nest” and have a more homogenous look overall (until you’ve gotten a permanent fix)? 
 

I hate to hear that you’re still living under hats and working remotely and it seems there must be a better temporary solution that doesn’t affect your daily life. 
 

 

[A Fue Good Men]

Hi @track_rat, thanks for keeping us updated. Unfortunately, some of us have longer journeys with bumps along the way. Just know, you’re not alone in this. Unfortunately, when we try to better ourselves by taking on a procedure such as a hair transplant, sometimes things can go askew. However, I’ve seen enough repair cases here to know that your scenario is not impossible to repair. Just take small steps whatever you choose.
 

If you’d ever like to chat feel free to PM me.

Edited November 20, 2023 by A Fue Good Men

[Grouse]

Man, really appreciate you posting your journey @track_rat. I admire your mental toughness to get through this with such a great attitude to boot! I think the post-op pictures from Konior look pretty darn good. Have you thought about SMP to help enhance (if you're concerned about density / scalp see through)? Wouldn't help with the hair direction of course, but could make things less noticeable.

 

For what it's worth, I wouldn't give you a second look walking by or in an office setting as-is.

 

This is the second poor result / communication I've seen from Eugenix now. Seems like their default is to say "just wait for more regrowth" forever... Will definitely not be choosing them - appreciate your candidness.

 

Please keep us updated! Look forward to seeing where you go from here.

[mrmane85]

@track_rat have you had a consultation with Dr Sever from Hattingen? 

He has known to be pretty open when it comes to extracting grafts and re distributing.

Would be a lot cheaper than Dr K and they are pretty easy to arrange zoom consultations with. 

All the best mate 

[Berba11]

Hi @track_rat, hope you're well mate. How are you doing?

[FailedFUE]

Hi @track_rat along with others I would also like some updates on how you are doing?

[track_rat]

On 3/8/2024 at 3:11 PM, Berba11 said:

Hi @track_rat, hope you're well mate. How are you doing?

 

56 minutes ago, FailedFUE said:

Hi @track_rat along with others I would also like some updates on how you are doing?

Hey my friends, I will carve out some time this week to get you an update. Thank you for checking on me.