Eugenix Upcoming Procedure!

[Kariminho]

Hi guys first time posting on here but been a long time follower of the forum and it is actually how I came across the clinic I am scheduled for a transplant with in December- Eugenix, so thank you very much!

Won’t make this one too long as it was more of an introductory post but I’m 26 from the UK with diffuse thinning across the scalp which has got a lot worst over the last 2 years.

I consulted with Eugenix about a week ago and after sharing pictures as well as a video call with Dr Arika and team, they said they can schedule me in for December.

I didn’t think I was even a good candidate for a procedure as my donor isn’t the best and my thinning is advanced, so I was extremely happy when I was told I can be operated on, as well as Eugenix doing the procedure made it all the better as their results are off the scale amazing from what I’ve seen!

I hadn’t been on any medication as I was one of those who was very concerned about taking Finasteride, so I asked Dr Arika if I could start micro-dosing and she kindly said I can start with 1mg 3 days per week.  I’m still very scared to take it but I think it’s worth a try at least, no risk no reward!  I will be starting to take it in a couple of days time as I am awaiting my prescription still.

I will keep you guys updated on my journey but if you have any additional questions I’m happy to answer, glad to finally be posting on the forum! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fego]

Which package you selected at Eugenix 

[Kariminho]

@Fego I selected the Super Premium package, don’t mind spending more at all for a lifelong procedure like this hence why I chose this one. 

[raik783]

@Kariminho Good luck to you! I'm also going to Eugenix in December. When are you going? Maybe we'll overlap there.

I think you made a great decision with Eugenix and I'm looking forward to seeing your result. Did they say how many grafts they think you might need?

[Kariminho]

@raik783 Good to hear from you and thank you for your kind words, I wish you all the best with your procedure too!  If your dates match mine, would be great to also see you out there!

I’m scheduled in for first week December but as I am desperate to get out of the gloomy London weather, I think I’ll head out mid-end November to catch some sun and heat and see a bit of Delhi.  

In terms of grafts, Dr Arika wanted to get pictures of my hair when it was a bit longer in order to properly assess how many grafts to perform, as I used to just shave my head every week, therefore, as it’s been a week since I last shaved my head, Dr Arika has said I will need anywhere between 3000-3500 grafts.

The focus will be on the crown mainly: (approximately 2500 grafts) with an additional 1000 grafts to restore density in the mid scalp region.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Kariminho

[kirkland]

Good luck @Kariminho

Definitely made a great decision with Eugenix.

[Gatsby]

You have placed yourself in great hands @Kariminho. It's so nice to see a post like yours. Sadly all too often we see a post from a 26 year old who has gone to a hair mill and the damage has been done. Wishing you all the best and I look forward to following your journey!

[Kariminho]

54 minutes ago, kirkland said:

Good luck @Kariminho

Definitely made a great decision with Eugenix.

Thank you so much.   Your result is looking awesome so far by the way! 

[Kariminho]

26 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

You have placed yourself in great hands @Kariminho. It's so nice to see a post like yours. Sadly all too often we see a post from a 26 year old who has gone to a hair mill and the damage has been done. Wishing you all the best and I look forward to following your journey!

Thank you very much  🙏.  Had a lot of time to do my homework in this pandemic! 

[MazAB]

@Kariminhojust hit the big blue "Following" button at the top of your thread! You are in the most capable, safest of all hands clinic worldwide brother! Would love to see a before picture as something to compare it to prior to your procedure end of year. Would you mind posting a few? Also regarding Finasteride, Dr Arika's advice on 1mg 3x a week is good advice, however many men have a hybrid approach with oral and topical finasteride alternating between the two, but taking at least one form daily.  Those same men did not experience any sexual side effect when approaching it this way, and they also ensured that they don't have even minimal Alpha5 Reductase slipping thru their system and causing further miniaturization of the hair. Thing to keep in mind is that Finasteride has a half life of around 7 to 8 hours in your system, so at your young age I'd hate to see your hair slowly thin over the years because of skipping days. Eugenix sells topical Finasteride as well so definitely something to discuss with them. 

Looking forward to following your journey!

Follow my Journey with Eugenix and Dr Arika Bansal!

[Berba11]

12 hours ago, Kariminho said:

@raik783 Good to hear from you and thank you for your kind words, I wish you all the best with your procedure too!  If your dates match mine, would be great to also see you out there!

I’m scheduled in for first week December but as I am desperate to get out of the gloomy London weather, I think I’ll head out mid-end November to catch some sun and heat and see a bit of Delhi.  

In terms of grafts, Dr Arika wanted to get pictures of my hair when it was a bit longer in order to properly assess how many grafts to perform, as I used to just shave my head every week, therefore, as it’s been a week since I last shaved my head, Dr Arika has said I will need anywhere between 3000-3500 grafts.

The focus will be on the crown mainly: (approximately 2500 grafts) with an additional 1000 grafts to restore density in the mid scalp region.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm booked on the 27th Nov and also travelling from the UK. If you're planning to go mid(ish) November, you need to sort your medical visa asap. I applied in person on the 30th September and still haven't had my passport back, an as a result will almost certainly not now be going on my partner & I's anniversary trip to Paris on Sunday, which I'm pretty livid about. Also once you've handed your passport & documentation over, it seems the VFS consular services can do nothing more as it then gets passed onto the High Commission of India. The HCI don't reply to emails nor answer the phone. They're impossible to speak with. So I'd get moving right away if you haven't already!

[raik783]

16 hours ago, Kariminho said:

@raik783 Good to hear from you and thank you for your kind words, I wish you all the best with your procedure too!  If your dates match mine, would be great to also see you out there!

I’m scheduled in for first week December but as I am desperate to get out of the gloomy London weather, I think I’ll head out mid-end November to catch some sun and heat and see a bit of Delhi.  

In terms of grafts, Dr Arika wanted to get pictures of my hair when it was a bit longer in order to properly assess how many grafts to perform, as I used to just shave my head every week, therefore, as it’s been a week since I last shaved my head, Dr Arika has said I will need anywhere between 3000-3500 grafts.

The focus will be on the crown mainly: (approximately 2500 grafts) with an additional 1000 grafts to restore density in the mid scalp region.

 

 

 

 

 

ah you're going much earlier than I am. My procedure is planned for December 27 so I will be spending the week of Christmas in Delhi. How long are you planning to stay in India post op? I was originally planning to stay 7 days post op so I could go to Eugenix for my first hair wash but that does not seem necessary so I'm leaving 3 days post op.

I think it's a great idea that you picked the Super Premium package. Eugenix's donor management seems to be really good so you're in great hands with them.

[Kariminho]

Hi guys quick update procedure has been pushed back:

 

@Berba11 You were totally right! I missed the mark on this one in terms of thinking it would be quick to get a medical visa and fly out.  The next available appointment I can get with VFS is the end of November now, hence this pushes back my procedure date with Eugenix as I was scheduled in for 1st December.   Bit of a nightmare in terms of the process but it’s my fault, i should  have been more diligent!   Eugenix have been very supportive and said once I obtain the visa, to contact them right away so they can book me in and I will continue to be in touch with them.  Good luck on your procedure though and I wish you all the best! 
 

@MazAB great to hear from you bud and your post made me very happy to read so thank you for your words!  I knew I was missing something with the Finasteride in my first post!  So Dr Arika, as well as saying take the oral Finasteride 1mg 3 days per week pre transplant, also said that post transplant I should also use the topical Finasteride everyday in conjunction with the oral just to make sure I don’t lose more hair and to make sure I’m taking something on a consistent basis.  I will start to take the oral finasteride tomorrow so I hope I handle it well! I think given my age it makes sense to at least try it and see how I go, plus I now have more time to see how I get on with it.  Will update the forum on this as I know there are anxious people like me on here when it comes to Finasteride.  In terms of pictures of my scalp, my hair is very short still as I shaved it only 8 days ago so I will post pictures in a week when it’s a bit longer so you can get a better idea.   P.s i was a huge fan of your write up and your hair  is looking awesome so far brother, long may it continue and I’ll be following your updates

Even though the procedure is pushed back, I will still keep you guys updated on certain things such as meds etc, I remain positive.  Plus Dr Sethi will be in London soon so it would cool to potentially see some of you there, I plan on going to see him if I can get a slot. 🙏

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2021 by Kariminho

[Kariminho]

2 hours ago, raik783 said:

ah you're going much earlier than I am. My procedure is planned for December 27 so I will be spending the week of Christmas in Delhi. How long are you planning to stay in India post op? I was originally planning to stay 7 days post op so I could go to Eugenix for my first hair wash but that does not seem necessary so I'm leaving 3 days post op.

I think it's a great idea that you picked the Super Premium package. Eugenix's donor management seems to be really good so you're in great hands with them.

It’s a good question and one I haven’t decided on as of yet, but as of now I think I’ll stay for the week as I’ll have the time so may as well!  It’s subject to change though depending on what the clinic advise nearer the time.   

[raik783]

2 hours ago, Kariminho said:

It’s a good question and one I haven’t decided on as of yet, but as of now I think I’ll stay for the week as I’ll have the time so may as well!  It’s subject to change though depending on what the clinic advise nearer the time.   

Sorry you had to move your procedure, I hope you get your visa to India soon. Maybe we'll end up in India around the same time then!

[Ronnie]

10 hours ago, raik783 said:

ah you're going much earlier than I am. My procedure is planned for December 27 so I will be spending the week of Christmas in Delhi. How long are you planning to stay in India post op? I was originally planning to stay 7 days post op so I could go to Eugenix for my first hair wash but that does not seem necessary so I'm leaving 3 days post op.

I think it's a great idea that you picked the Super Premium package. Eugenix's donor management seems to be really good so you're in great hands with them.

Hi .. My procedure is on the 21st and I'm staying for 2 weeks, there's a possibility we'll cross paths. I'll be spending Xmas and New years in Delhi. Should be interesting being my first time out of the U.S. 

I'm very curious if there's any subsequent advantage with the different packages ? I personally choose the 2nd one, which they say is the most popular. 

Edited October 28, 2021 by Ronnie

[raik783]

12 hours ago, Ronnie said:

Hi .. My procedure is on the 21st and I'm staying for 2 weeks, there's a possibility we'll cross paths. I'll be spending Xmas and New years in Delhi. Should be interesting being my first time out of the U.S. 

I'm very curious if there's any subsequent advantage with the different packages ? I personally choose the 2nd one, which they say is the most popular. 

@Ronnie yeah we'll definitely overlap if you're staying for 2 weeks. I arrive in Delhi on the 21st and will be leaving on the 31st. Let's PM, would be great to meet in person at the clinic. Maybe @Kariminho will end up going around the same time too.

[Ronnie]

25 minutes ago, raik783 said:

@Ronnie yeah we'll definitely overlap if you're staying for 2 weeks. I arrive in Delhi on the 21st and will be leaving on the 31st. Let's PM, would be great to meet in person at the clinic. Maybe @Kariminho will end up going around the same time too.

Sure, Sounds good. I enjoy meeting people from different countries and cultures. It will be good to share the experience, especially being my first HT. 

I'll be starting a post of my HT journey as soon as I have some free time. 

[Berba11]

On 10/27/2021 at 6:22 PM, Kariminho said:

Hi guys quick update procedure has been pushed back:

 

@Berba11 You were totally right! I missed the mark on this one in terms of thinking it would be quick to get a medical visa and fly out.  The next available appointment I can get with VFS is the end of November now, hence this pushes back my procedure date with Eugenix as I was scheduled in for 1st December.   Bit of a nightmare in terms of the process but it’s my fault, i should  have been more diligent!   Eugenix have been very supportive and said once I obtain the visa, to contact them right away so they can book me in and I will continue to be in touch with them.  Good luck on your procedure though and I wish you all the best! 
 

@MazAB great to hear from you bud and your post made me very happy to read so thank you for your words!  I knew I was missing something with the Finasteride in my first post!  So Dr Arika, as well as saying take the oral Finasteride 1mg 3 days per week pre transplant, also said that post transplant I should also use the topical Finasteride everyday in conjunction with the oral just to make sure I don’t lose more hair and to make sure I’m taking something on a consistent basis.  I will start to take the oral finasteride tomorrow so I hope I handle it well! I think given my age it makes sense to at least try it and see how I go, plus I now have more time to see how I get on with it.  Will update the forum on this as I know there are anxious people like me on here when it comes to Finasteride.  In terms of pictures of my scalp, my hair is very short still as I shaved it only 8 days ago so I will post pictures in a week when it’s a bit longer so you can get a better idea.   P.s i was a huge fan of your write up and your hair  is looking awesome so far brother, long may it continue and I’ll be following your updates

Even though the procedure is pushed back, I will still keep you guys updated on certain things such as meds etc, I remain positive.  Plus Dr Sethi will be in London soon so it would cool to potentially see some of you there, I plan on going to see him if I can get a slot. 🙏

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Kariminho

So after over 50 calls and 20 emails to the High Commission over the past two weeks, to my total amazement... Someone answered the phone today! They gave me an email address that is not listed anywhere else: visa.london@mea.gov.in

I emailed them explaining that my application had been with them now for a month and that I needed my passport for a trip abroad this weekend. I didn't expect a response to that email. However, I got one... my visa was granted and returned to the consular service ready for collection/courier. I've also now tracked my passport using the courier tracking number given to me a month ago and it's due to arrive sometime on Friday (today, technically). I'll believe it when I see it of course, but it's looking promising!

Point being... They are more than able to turn this around very fast if you can make contact with them (*if* being the operative word!). My best advice would be to email the address I've posted above and to explain you require an urgent appointment to submit your documentation (attached any documentation you already have, such as your application forms, letter from Eugenix etc). The 15 minute time slots they give you are a fiction anyway. I was at the visa centre for two hours in total and only managed to get into the building at the end of my 15 minute slot due to the queues outside. I missed my train back to Bristol and had to pay an extra £66 to get home as a result.

So give it a go and see if they can set you up with an emergency appointment to submit your documents. Once submitted, be sure to email again reminding them of the urgency of your application and that seems to force things through. Worth a go if you want an earlier procedure! If not, at the very least this info might come in handy if your application is taking a while or you need to make contact with the HCI.

One final tip... When you're getting your letter confirmation from Eugenix, make sure Dr Arika or Sethi adds a hand-written signature. They'll stamp it, but this won't be enough. I had a right shocker at the visa centre. I'd been there nearly two hours. Travelled from Bristol. Had everything ready. Or so I thought... Eugenix had made a letter for me, added some fancy stamps for verification and scanned it to me and then I'd printed off the scan. The lady at the counter acknowledged the stamps but said it would almost certainly be refused without a hand signature. It's was 3pm here so about 8.30pm in India. "Could you get it signed?" ask the lady at the counter... Ha!

So I Whatsapp'd Rishab explaining the situation and to my utter amazement, I received the new scanned letter with Dr Arika's signature about 30 minutes later! Incredible!! Naturally this meant I was at the visa centre even longer than the two hours it took for me to be seen at the counter on the first pass. So to avoid that, make sure it's hand signed! Had it not been dealt with so amazingly by Rishab/Dr Arika, I'd have had to go home empty handed, get the new letter and re-book the appointment (travelling to London for a second time), at even greater cost.

[MazAB]

Awesome to hear man! Progress finally! 

[kirkland]

1 hour ago, Berba11 said:

The lady at the counter acknowledged the stamps but said it would almost certainly be refused without a hand signature.

Haha - it seems that every country has a different rule for a medical visa to India. My Eugenix letter only had the stamps - no signature - and they accepted my application here in Canada.

[Berba11]

5 hours ago, kirkland said:

Haha - it seems that every country has a different rule for a medical visa to India. My Eugenix letter only had the stamps - no signature - and they accepted my application here in Canada.

It makes more sense that the stamps are enough. Presumably the High Commission validate the letter by placing a call to Eugenix, so if they’re doing their due diligence, a signature should be redundant anyway. That probably means that the UK HCI aren’t bothering with that level of diligence so more requirement for a signature. 
 

On that note, my passport arrived at 8.30am this morning (20 minutes ago!). I’m all set for India AND my holiday this weekend. Phew!

[raik783]

6 hours ago, Berba11 said:

It makes more sense that the stamps are enough. Presumably the High Commission validate the letter by placing a call to Eugenix, so if they’re doing their due diligence, a signature should be redundant anyway. That probably means that the UK HCI aren’t bothering with that level of diligence so more requirement for a signature. 
 

On that note, my passport arrived at 8.30am this morning (20 minutes ago!). I’m all set for India AND my holiday this weekend. Phew!

@Berba11 congrats! Glad it all worked out for you and you're able to not only go to India but also make it to your anniversary trip to Paris! Thanks for providing a comprehensive account of how you got your visa figured out.

BTW @Kariminho and everyone who is trying to get their visas to India. India just recently started issuing Tourists Visas again and the Tourist Visa is free of charge until March 2022. You might want to see if you can apply for a Tourist visa instead since there are less requirements, usually just your passport and the 2x2 photos are needed. I believe the medical visa is either $80 or $100 depending on your nationality.

I was able to apply for an eTourist Visa free of charge and the visa was approved in less than 24 hours. The eVisas (both eTourist or eMedical) are not available for Brits and Canadians, unfortunately, but should be available for Americans, Europeans, and most other nationalities. But either way, eVisa or the traditional visa, tourist visas should be free of charge right now.

Edited October 29, 2021 by raik783

[kirkland]

Congrats@Berba11

Hope it all goes smoothly from this point forward.

And thanks @raik783for the heads up. Just a matter of time before tourist visas open up to everyone else.

[Ryan Daniel]

@Kariminho any updates please sir?