My hair transplant experience with Eugenix, India. NW Grade 3, 1500 grafts. 1st Oct 2021

[xpressabhi]

Hi All, First of all i would like to thank all the incredible members on this forum who have been constantly providing such immensely valuable advice for all people who are affected by hair loss and sharing their stories. I would be adding my experience and journey here as a way of giving back to the community from which i have learnt so much.

To share my story, i am 35 years old, living in India, have been losing hair continuously since last 8-10 years and my hair thinned out a lot recently. I am probably a NW IIIB. After having gone through consultation with a lot of clinics, i came across this forum couple of years back and have been studying real cases and the advice of the members here. After many years of research, i shortlisted down to 2 clinics in Delhi, India - Eugenix and Medlinks. I met both Dr Gaurang and Dr Sethi sometime in 2019 and 2020 respectively and was pretty satisfied with my consultation with both of them. I personally know a couple of my friends who have got really good results from Dr Gaurang but then i came across a few posts here citing concerns around poor donor management at Medlinks (Dr Gaurang) and so decided to wait. After going through cases and cases of good transplant story by Eugenix, i slowly started tilting more towards this clinic. I am little skeptical by nature so i got the last mile of confidence when i saw the legends in this forum who have been constantly praising Eugenix decide to put skin in the game and get their own transplant booked with them

I booked the 120 rs exclusive package with Dr Arika Bansal  I was in touch with Aditya Ganguli from Eugenix regarding all my pre operation formalities etc. He was extremely professional and responsive. I landed up a day prior in Gurgaon and was given accomodation in Double tree by Hilton which is just 10 mins from the clinic. On surgery day, they took my blood for PRP, tested anesthesia reaction and gave me some meds prior to surgery. Then Dr Arika came and drew my hairline based on the 1500 graft estimate that was provided to me earlier. I asked her to draw a little conservative hairline because of the receding pattern of my brother and i seem to be on the same path  I asked doctor if i should also add a bit of temple but she suggested against it as i have some temple and i agreed. Also i have small patches of less density in my exisiting hair which i asked if it could be filled, but doctor suggested me against it citing it might affect my exisiting hair. Post hairline design, i was taken to the OT where i was administered anesthesia and then Dr Arika did all my incisions in the recipient area. Dr Arika also cracked a few jokes and made the atmosphere light, so i started feeling at ease. Post the incisions, Dr Arika left and the technicians started with the extraction and implantation process. The work on my left scalp continued for around 3 hours post which i was given lunch. Post lunch, the technicians started operating on the right side of my scalp. During the entire process, i was a little nervous in between and kept asking the technicians if they can call the doctor to make sure everything was going ok but i got the same response that Dr Arika/Dr. Shishir would visit towards the end for the final touch up. Towards the end of my surgery, Dr Shishir finally came to make sure everything was ok and did a few touch ups in the end post which my surgery was over. The technicians seemed to be really experts in their task, however i would have really preferred if everything happened under the supervision of a doctor (even though a junior doctor would have been fine). This is one thing i was little dissapointed about my entire experience at Eugenix and would really request the representatives here to put across as a suggestion to the senior team. Apart from this everything was planned and executed really well and specially the warmth of everyone around was something you dont get to see very often. The entire process was almost close to painless and the technicians performing the surgery kept asking me about my comfort level from time to time which was really nice. Also the hygiene was top class. 10/10.

Post my surgery, i was given the post op kit and medications for next seven day and Dr Shishir explained me all post op care in detail. They added me to a whatsapp group to provide clear day to day instructions on everyday care. Yugbir and Viswanath have been really helpful regarding this.

Today i have completed 9 days post my hair transplant and had my 2nd headwash. I will share my pictures soon once i edit them( hopefully today or tomorrow) and will be updating my progress every month or earlier if there is anything specific to post about. I am really really excited to see how this entire thing turns out on me after years of looking at other people's transformation. Hoping for the best guys and first of all thanks to Eugenix (Dr Arika, Dr Shishir and the entire team) for performing this life changing surgery on me and thanks again everyone in this forum who have been sharing their abundant knowledge with us, can't thank you all enough!

P.S.: Happy to add more info if anyone wants and i might have skipped.

 

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by xpressabhi

[Hairtroubles]

Are you on Fin mate or planning on taking it?

[xpressabhi]

11 hours ago, Hairtroubles said:

Are you on Fin mate or planning on taking it?

Not yet. I started finasteride 4 days a week a month prior to my surgery. Planning to start on alternate days again after i complete 14 days post surgery.

Edited October 11, 2021 by xpressabhi

[xpressabhi]

As promised here's my pre and post op surgery pic.

[xpressabhi]

I did my 2nd head-wash today. Everything seems to be fine till now but i am getting really concerned about the hair implanted on my left scalp. The hair on the right looks much more neatly placed, well spaced and in correct angles. The left side relatively doesn't look as clean and well spaced. Also the angles dont look as good as the right side. Attaching high definition pictures for your reference. Really looking forward to expert comments from members of this forum and if there is anything to be concerned about yet.

@Melvin- Moderator @JohnAC71@paddyirishman @MazAB @Gatsby

 

Left side:

Right side: 

Edited October 11, 2021 by xpressabhi

[Fight-hair-loss]

6 hours ago, xpressabhi said:

I did my 2nd head-wash today. Everything seems to be fine till now but i am getting really concerned about the hair implanted on my left scalp. The hair on the right looks much more neatly placed, well spaced and in correct angles. The left side relatively doesn't look as clean and well spaced. Also the angles dont look as good as the right side. Attaching high definition pictures for your reference. Really looking forward to expert comments from members of this forum and if there is anything to be concerned about yet.

@Melvin- Moderator @JohnAC71@paddyirishman @MazAB @Gatsby

 

Left side:

Right side: 

Hey man,i don't know about the angles as i have no idea pr knowledge about them but you shouldn't be too concerned about it now and stop thinking about it and hope everything has been done the best,in the worst case scenario if there is some issue few months down the line when your hair grows you can always go back to them and ask it to be corrected,but i feel in the hairline part everything looks ok to my eyes.

[MazAB]

@xpressabhi I would try not to get too hung up on the angles and placement of the grafts at this stage. The direction of the transplanted hairs for the most part are not an accurate representation of the final result. The grafts need to shed and regrow to follow the direction of how the slits were created originally. With that, I'd be very surprised if Dr Arika got the placement and direction of the slits wrong on that side. 

My right temple point, for example, looks better than my left. I have some hairs that are growing straight out, instead of backward and downward, but I know for a fact that the slits were not created that way, and have seen many examples of other procedures that had initially implanted grafts misdirectionally grow. Once they shed and regrow, then and only then will you get a true representation of the angle it will follow.

Otherwise, you look great man! Just be careful with that one larger scab you have. Avoid touching as much as possible and make sure you do you head washes frequently. 

1500 grafts, although not much, will go such a long way with how Eugenix performs these procedures. I'll be following you progress closely.  

[xpressabhi]

@Fight-hair-loss@MazAB Thank you, i know i should not be worrying too much now but it is still stressing me out. Most cases i have seen generally tend to have decently good angles after head wash. Some hairs looking ill placed would have been fine but its looking quite random on the right at the moment. I have asked the team to arrange a call with Dr Shishir/Dr Arika tomorrow. I will update here once i have a call with and get to hear what the doctor has to say.

@MazAB Thanks, i've been following your journey too. Hoping for really great results.

[Fight-hair-loss]

52 minutes ago, xpressabhi said:

@Fight-hair-loss@MazAB Thank you, i know i should not be worrying too much now but it is still stressing me out. Most cases i have seen generally tend to have decently good angles after head wash. Some hairs looking ill placed would have been fine but its looking quite random on the right at the moment. I have asked the team to arrange a call with Dr Shishir/Dr Arika tomorrow. I will update here once i have a call with and get to hear what the doctor has to say.

@MazAB Thanks, i've been following your journey too. Hoping for really great results.

Maz might be right,don't worry too much about it but yes your idea to give them a call is a good one just to make sure everything is on track if this is giving you stress,if you live close to the clinic you could go there and clear your doubts with the doctor,do update us on what the doctors tells you.

 

[Fight-hair-loss]

@xpressabhiany updates? i hope all is good with you.

[Fight-hair-loss]

@Melvin- Moderator , @JC71, @Gatsby do you feel anything wrong with the implantation here? 

my knowledge is fairly limited but it doesn't look very clean to me but i could be wrong,some information from you people might help.

Edited October 26, 2021 by Fight-hair-loss

[MazAB]

My guess, no news is good news. I'm sure Eugenix sorted thru his concerns. 

[Fight-hair-loss]

18 hours ago, MazAB said:

My guess, no news is good news. I'm sure Eugenix sorted thru his concerns. 

I guess so,or maybe he was asked not to post anything else anymore,i have heard many Indian clinics do that in the past from Darling buds to Medlinks,they don't want you to post anything negative about them on the forums,i would rather appreciate if a clinic can come ahead and take responsibility if and which something goes wrong as no one can be perfect 100 out of 100 times,not even God,i would rather trust such clinics more and was waiting for his update to schedule my appointment with Eugenix.

I hope you are doing well and seeing good progress.

[NOTORIOUS]

which package did he opt for?

 

[raik783]

Just now, NOTORIOUS said:

which package did he opt for?

 

He mentioned that he went for the Exclusive Package which is Rs 120 per graft. I think for that package the slits are done by Dr. Arika but 100% of extractions and implantations are done by the techs. 

[NOTORIOUS]

did team responded?

[Fight-hair-loss]

34 minutes ago, raik783 said:

He mentioned that he went for the Exclusive Package which is Rs 120 per graft. I think for that package the slits are done by Dr. Arika but 100% of extractions and implantations are done by the techs. 

@NOTORIOUSYes that's right,implantation is said to be a very non technical thing and the hair takes the direction of the slits made,he had opted for the exclusive package in which Dr arika makes the slits,that's exactly what makes me wonder about this particular case,no clarification from either Eugenix or any expert on this forum as yet not even from the post creator himself for over 2 weeks now

Edited October 27, 2021 by Fight-hair-loss

[Fego]

On 10/11/2021 at 7:07 AM, xpressabhi said:

I did my 2nd head-wash today. Everything seems to be fine till now but i am getting really concerned about the hair implanted on my left scalp. The hair on the right looks much more neatly placed, well spaced and in correct angles. The left side relatively doesn't look as clean and well spaced. Also the angles dont look as good as the right side. Attaching high definition pictures for your reference. Really looking forward to expert comments from members of this forum and if there is anything to be concerned about yet.

@Melvin- Moderator @JohnAC71@paddyirishman @MazAB @Gatsby

 

Left side:

Right side: 

I agree with your notes the left side does not look normal in terms of angels and space between hairs. Please do not hesitate to contact Eugenix to help you. do you think these issues come from choosing exclusive package where the Techs. Perform the extrection and implantation. Because i plan to go to Eugenix and select Exclusive package due to my budget can not afford the premium package for 4000 graft and i am scared of the result obtained by those Techs. 

Edited October 27, 2021 by Fego

[Fight-hair-loss]

3 minutes ago, Fego said:

I agree with your notes the left side does not look normal in terms of angels and space between hairs. Please do not hesitate to contact Eugenix to help you. do you think these issues come from choosing exclusive package where the Techs. Perform the extrection and implantation. Because i plan to go to Eugenix and select Exclusive package duo to my budget can not afford the premium package for 4000 graft and i am scared of the result obtained by those Techs. 

I was about to go to Eugenix for the same and then i saw this post and stopped,the point is that the slits are made by Dr Arika in this package and technicians just have to implant the grafts into the already made slits,and the left side really doesn't look like clean to me and scared now to pay so much and still not get a good result

[raik783]

6 minutes ago, Fight-hair-loss said:

I was about to go to Eugenix for the same and then i saw this post and stopped,the point is that the slits are made by Dr Arika in this package and technicians just have to implant the grafts into the already made slits,and the left side really doesn't look like clean to me and scared now to pay so much and still not get a good result

@Fight-hair-loss have you had a video consultation with Dr. Arika yet? Might be good to get one so you can discuss your concerns with them. It might be that @xpressabhijust needed a few more days for it to look more normal.

@Fegoalmost all the results that I see from Eugenix, even the lowest package, has been good (although who knows, maybe there are some botched job that we never see). I'm sure that if there are any issues, Dr. Arika and Dr. Pradeep will do all they can to fix it. You might also want to chat with @MazAB, I think he got a customized package in between the Exclusive and Premium. Maybe that price point might be doable for you?

[Fego]

21 minutes ago, Fight-hair-loss said:

I was about to go to Eugenix for the same and then i saw this post and stopped,the point is that the slits are made by Dr Arika in this package and technicians just have to implant the grafts into the already made slits,and the left side really doesn't look like clean to me and scared now to pay so much and still not get a good result

What  other options we have regardless of Eugenix. The people here recommend Pinto ferriera Vila Freitas HLC pekiner and Bicer for tight budget.  What do you think from your search

[raik783]

10 minutes ago, Fego said:

What  other options we have regardless of Eugenix. The people here recommend Pinto ferriera Vila Freitas HLC pekiner and Bicer for tight budget.  What do you think from your search

Pinto is a good option too and about the same price as the premium package at Eugenix. I had been chatting pretty recently with their awesome patient coordinator Emilio and they might have some openings / cancellations in November, December, or early January. You should consult with them soon though since those slots get filled quickly. I really wanted to go to Pinto but the dates doesn't line up with my availability so I decided to go to Eugenix instead.

I think either way, whether you go to Eugenix (even the lower packages), Pinto or some other doctors you have mentioned, these are all great options. Just heads up, depending on when you want to get your HT done, a lot of the doctors you mentioned have long wait times. Vila and Freitas are pretty much fully booked until 2023, HLC and Bicer are fully booked until March 2022.

Edited October 27, 2021 by raik783

[Fego]

Thank you for these informations now I can exclude freitas and Vila and think between those Pinto pekiner Eugenix and Bicer. As you know pekiner Pinto and Eugenix with premium package are in range of 2.5 /2.7 euro how you can rank them  as  the first best then the second best.... etc. and how you compare between Eugenix with exclusive package and Bicer as both in the range of 1.5 /1.6 euro. And do you think bicer are in the same quality level as the three above so one can book with her and save may be half the money. Finally which package you choosed with Eugenix. 

[Fego]

58 minutes ago, raik783 said:

Pinto is a good option too and about the same price as the premium package at Eugenix. I had been chatting pretty recently with their awesome patient coordinator Emilio and they might have some openings / cancellations in November, December, or early January. You should consult with them soon though since those slots get filled quickly. I really wanted to go to Pinto but the dates doesn't line up with my availability so I decided to go to Eugenix instead.

I think either way, whether you go to Eugenix (even the lower packages), Pinto or some other doctors you have mentioned, these are all great options. Just heads up, depending on when you want to get your HT done, a lot of the doctors you mentioned have long wait times. Vila and Freitas are pretty much fully booked until 2023, HLC and Bicer are fully booked until March 2022.

Thank you for these informations now I can exclude freitas and Vila and think between those Pinto pekiner Eugenix and Bicer. As you know pekiner Pinto and Eugenix with premium package are in range of 2.5 /2.7 euro how you can rank them  as  the first best then the second best.... etc. and how you compare between Eugenix with exclusive package and Bicer as both in the range of 1.5 /1.6 euro. And do you think bicer are in the same quality level as the three above so one can book with her and save may be half the money. Finally which package you choosed with Eugenix. 

[raik783]

5 hours ago, Fego said:

Thank you for these informations now I can exclude freitas and Vila and think between those Pinto pekiner Eugenix and Bicer. As you know pekiner Pinto and Eugenix with premium package are in range of 2.5 /2.7 euro how you can rank them  as  the first best then the second best.... etc. and how you compare between Eugenix with exclusive package and Bicer as both in the range of 1.5 /1.6 euro. And do you think bicer are in the same quality level as the three above so one can book with her and save may be half the money. Finally which package you choosed with Eugenix. 

Hey @Fego. I won't be able to rank them for you since I have not gone to either yet. From my research, both Dr. Pinto and Eugenix are great options. They both have fantastic results and are both recommended by this board. To me it came down to availability. I wanted to do my HT over the Christmas holidays so I ended up picking Eugenix since they can do it at that time. Otherwise, I would've gone to Dr. Pinto since it's a closer flight to me than India.