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

[Fight-hair-loss]

12 hours ago, raik783 said:

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. 

I would have chosen Pinto over Eugenix for hairline and probably Eugenix for a higher norwood where a lot of beard work was also needed,atleast that's what my research tells me,but the holiday season does makes sense if you wish to get it done now.

May i ask which package did you opt for at Eugenix?

[raik783]

1 hour ago, Fight-hair-loss said:

I would have chosen Pinto over Eugenix for hairline and probably Eugenix for a higher norwood where a lot of beard work was also needed,atleast that's what my research tells me,but the holiday season does makes sense if you wish to get it done now.

May i ask which package did you opt for at Eugenix?

I got a package that they don't normally offer. Higher than the super premium package but it means that I get both Dr. Pradeep and Dr. Arika working on my surgery. We can PM if you want more details about that. Dr. Pinto has amazing hairline work but I'm of asian descent so I thought a lot of Eugenix's results are closer to my hair type so I felt comfortable picking them.

[Fight-hair-loss]

2 hours ago, raik783 said:

I got a package that they don't normally offer. Higher than the super premium package but it means that I get both Dr. Pradeep and Dr. Arika working on my surgery. We can PM if you want more details about that. Dr. Pinto has amazing hairline work but I'm of asian descent so I thought a lot of Eugenix's results are closer to my hair type so I felt comfortable picking them.

Thanks man,i guess super premium package is out of my budget but i am glad you will have both of them working on your surgery and sure you would get an amazing result.

 

[raik783]

19 hours ago, Fight-hair-loss said:

Thanks man,i guess super premium package is out of my budget but i am glad you will have both of them working on your surgery and sure you would get an amazing result.

 

@Fight-hair-loss you should contact them if you want an in-between package. They might be able to customize one for you. Which doctor are leaning towards most right now?

[xpressabhi]

Hello Everyone,

Following up on my last post. I was able to get an appointment with Dr Shishir after many follow ups (it was not as easy to schedule call with Doctor as i have read in most posts. I think Eugenix is in a rapid expansion phase and they are operating at their full capacity and it has been difficult to get time with Doctors.) But anyways, Dr Shishir patiently listened to my concerns and suggested me to wait for 4 months before revaluation. I felt he wanted to reserve his comment about the gaps and angles at such early stage which probably makes sense. He mentioned that even if there are some concerns with the angles, it should mix up once hair grows long and should not be an issue. But yeah, we can only evaluate this post 4 months.

Ok now posting my 1 month and 4 days update. I shed almost 80% of my transplanted hair within the first month itself, not sure if that's a good thing. Right now almost 90% of my transplanted hair is gone and the recipient area has lot of redness which intensifies sometimes depending on sunlight exposure and my activities. I am having a lot of dandruff issues which was always a problem with my scalp. I am finding it really difficult to avoid scratching my head and removing the thick dry layers of skin which keeps getting deposited on the scalp. Any suggestions regarding how to manage this would be hugely appreciated. I have started applying ketozanole shampoo on alternate days for this and will continue for 2 weeks.

Also I have started with the hairfact routine for proper supplements and started applying minoxidil on crown area to increase growth (in my pictures you can see a lot of thinning in crown). Also i am taking 1mg finasteride on alternate days. Donor looks fine now and is covered with the hair that has grown in 1 month.

Here are my latest scalp pictures

Edited November 5, 2021 by xpressabhi

[xpressabhi]

For reference and to get better perspective of above 1 month pics, below is my scalp picture probably couple of weeks post transplant when no shedding had happened.

[Captain Haddock]

On 10/11/2021 at 6:07 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: 

How's it going now? The work as usual looks stellar from Dr. Arika (I think she's one of the best when it comes to hairline design), and the right side of head has come out well, but the tech who operated on your left side may have gotten the direction of the follicles wrong. Atleast, that's what it looks like from the picture you've posted. 

@MazAB is right when he says that the Dr. who's making the incisions can't get it wrong, and the techs simply have to place the grafts in, but they STILL need to get the direction of the curl right. 

You can easily see that the implanted hair on your right side all curl downwards, perfectly. Not so the case on the left side. Some of those grafts curl upwards away from the skin in erratic manner and don't follow the pattern of your native hair. That's because you had two different techs working on you at the same time and there's obviously a difference in skill. Or maybe one of them was just having a bad day.

Unfortunately, there's always that sort of risk associated with transplants. 

The hair would obviously grow out and you can mask it with existing hair but there would be limitations on how you'd be able to style it. You'd have to style it one particular way.

There's no point in worrying about it now and you've obviously moved on! I hope your shedding phase is over

Edited December 15, 2021 by Captain Haddock

[xpressabhi]

@Captain Haddock Thanks for your comment. I kind of agree with your analysis regarding getting the curl right after the incisions. I also read somewhere that with time hair can be tamed to grow in a particular direction, not sure if that's true. And yes i have kind of moved on over my fears, can't control the uncontrollables.

One question, for you and all the experts is that I have noticed that Eugenix generally tends to shy away from operating on areas where there is already less dense native hair citing that it might damage them. I have seen other clinics take much more liberty to operate on places of existing hair to make them more dense. For example, i have a lot of sparseness in between my native hair but Eugenix suggested that its best not to operate on these small gaps given the risk of damaging existing hair follicle. Any idea what's the best policy in such cases?

On my updates, I have completed 2.5 months now and starting to see really thin and small hairs popping out. To my naked eyes It looks like there's lot of new hairs that have germinated but in camera it still looks completely empty. I will post lastest pictures in sometime.

 

 

 

[xpressabhi]

2.5 months update. Hairs of hope have started sprouting.

 

[xpressabhi]

Adding couple of more pics in outside light

 

 

[Eugenix Hair Sciences]

On 12/18/2021 at 10:10 AM, xpressabhi said:

@Captain Haddock Thanks for your comment. I kind of agree with your analysis regarding getting the curl right after the incisions. I also read somewhere that with time hair can be tamed to grow in a particular direction, not sure if that's true. And yes i have kind of moved on over my fears, can't control the uncontrollables.

One question, for you and all the experts is that I have noticed that Eugenix generally tends to shy away from operating on areas where there is already less dense native hair citing that it might damage them. I have seen other clinics take much more liberty to operate on places of existing hair to make them more dense. For example, i have a lot of sparseness in between my native hair but Eugenix suggested that its best not to operate on these small gaps given the risk of damaging existing hair follicle. Any idea what's the best policy in such cases?

On my updates, I have completed 2.5 months now and starting to see really thin and small hairs popping out. To my naked eyes It looks like there's lot of new hairs that have germinated but in camera it still looks completely empty. I will post lastest pictures in sometime.

 

 

 

Dear @xpressabhi

Although implanting grafts in a thinning or non-bald zone is surgically doable and within the prowess of any experienced surgeon, it is absolutely necessary to take into consideration the disproportionately high probability of such implantation causing severe, and in some cases,  permanent shock loss of both the newly implanted as well as pre-existing hair in the transplanted zone. Such an outcome would clearly defeat the purpose of getting a hair restoration procedure done in the first place. 
For a successful hair transplant outcome, when we're implanting between the pre-existing hair, the gap between the pre-existing hair should be 2 mm or more. Implanting grafts at a lesser distance, as might be the case in a sparse area, is therefore not advisable. A good hair restoration result, as you would agree, should be sustainable, which requires a good amount of foresight on part of the operating surgeon apart from the skill, artistry and experience.

[xpressabhi]

Thanks @Eugenix Hair Sciences. Sounds like a fair explanation. My question came from the point of concern that once my natural hair starts depleting, i will have to plan another surgery soon and it might look weird in the interim with transplanted hair intact and natural hair density gone.

[MazAB]

Looks like very nice even growth at just 2.5 months! I feel like the process launches itself out of canon at the 3.5 month mark, so standby just a little longer before the big BOOM!!! 😎👊

[Britanium]

@xpressabhiHey 👋how’s it looking now ? 

[Mattk494]

On 10/10/2021 at 7:22 AM, xpressabhi said:

can we get an update ?

 

[Berba11]

On 1/12/2022 at 9:05 PM, JC71 said:

@xpressabhiHey 👋how’s it looking now ? 

+1

[xpressabhi]

Hello All - First of all, I would like to apologise to all members who asked/were looking for an update from me. The last month has been one of the most busy months for me work-wise in last few years and I was so short of time that it was just eat and work for me (ended up gaining a few kilos of belly fat as well). Sorry again for the late update. So, firstly good thing is that the growth has really picked up between month 3 and 4 and the transplanted area looks much fuller now (also attributable to the length of my hair). I am extremely satisfied with the result that is slowly coming up and I guess would still be okayish happy if my growth were not to exceed from here on. I would also like to mention that i used to get very very anxious on seeing myself on the mirror everyday and would try to hide my bald spots as much as i can. That anxiousness is all gone. Thank you so much Eugenix!!! Life changing for sure.....I just hope i can maintain the state by continuously taking medicines etc. I haven't taken any PRP yet, just on the hairfact medicine+minox+finasteride (alternate days)

Coming to the critical bit - It turns out that my left area has grown much fuller and better than my right side, completely opposite of what I complained about in my thread earlier. The transplanted area does look thin and see through under light but it is still very manageable and hopefully in few months it will become better. One of things i am a little disappointed about is my hairline design. I remember Dr. Arika drawing a more straighter hairline and I specifically mentioned to her that I do like a receded kind of look and she pushed back my hairline half a inch. I definitely feel I should have gone with her initial suggestion. Also I don't like the design on the right side compared to the left. The right one doesn't look very appropriate. I am not able to figure out if it's because of the hairline design or if it's because my temples on the right have receded more than left (may be if someone can point out). Also some of frontal hair looks a bit like separate line, a bit unnatural may be (does someone else feel the same from my last pic?). Attaching some pictures for reference. Looking forward to your honest comments, good or bad

Before Transplant:

On Surgery Day

 

Few months before surgery:

 

Day before surgery in hotel.

 

Post transplant (After 4.5 months):

In Outside light

 

Left Hairline:

 

Right hairline (not happy with the design on right side). Feels a bit baldy and i think it needs a correction.

 

Frontal 1:

 

Frontal 2

(Look at the line like or wavy like pattern clearly visible on the frontal hairline). Looks a bit unreal to me, someone also pointed out that it looks like a black line. Comments?

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by xpressabhi

[Britanium]

For only 4 something months, this is really coming along nicely ! You have at least 8 months to go. It’s very common for one side to play “catch up” 

[Ryan Daniel]

This is serious growth! so full already.  

Good look for continuous growth sir!  

[Melvin- Admin]

Wow looking amazing already 👏🏼

[MazAB]

@xpressabhiso far so great this early on! Don't sweat the weird unpredictable growth patterns. It is par for the course at this stage. The line growing straight across in many cases is just that. Can you see any hairs growing in front of that line, or does the line represent the 1st row in the hairline?

[SLA]

Amazing!

[qwop123]

Had a very similar procedure to yours from the same clinic even around the same time, excited to see our growth and how they compare. 

[xpressabhi]

9 hours ago, MazAB said:

@xpressabhiso far so great this early on! Don't sweat the weird unpredictable growth patterns. It is par for the course at this stage. The line growing straight across in many cases is just that. Can you see any hairs growing in front of that line, or does the line represent the 1st row in the hairline?

That's mostly the first couple of rows and the hair length is still much smaller compared to the rest of hair. May be once it grows appropriate length to mix with the hair behind, it will feel normal.

[xpressabhi]

4 hours ago, qwop123 said:

Had a very similar procedure to yours from the same clinic even around the same time, excited to see our growth and how they compare. 

Following your journey. To me it looks like it has taken a great shape and may be just needs around 20-30% more density. Would you mind posting your pre ops pics as well? As for the density, under direct lights my density would not look as good as i have posted in above pics. There would definitely be some difference in density compared to native sites.