FUE with Dr. Woessner at Gulf Coast Hair Restoration in New Orleans

[louisianatransplant]

1 minute ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Never put a time limit on something that will affect your appearance for the rest of your life TRUST me! 

I appreciate you all for talking some sense into me. Any recommendations for how to deal with the hair system right now? I would love to get it off. What about SMP? And have that until I get through this period at work, conduct all of the research for a transplant, etc.?

[Melvin- Admin]

Just now, louisianatransplant said:

I appreciate you all for talking some sense into me. Any recommendations for how to deal with the hair system right now? I would love to get it off. What about SMP? And have that until I get through this period at work, conduct all of the research for a transplant, etc.?

Smp is an option, but again, it requires research. There are good and bad smp clinics just like surgeons. 

[Britanium]

2 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

I appreciate you all for talking some sense into me. Any recommendations for how to deal with the hair system right now? I would love to get it off. What about SMP? And have that until I get through this period at work, conduct all of the research for a transplant, etc.?

@GatsbyIs someone who can help with the hair system process. Don’t jump in to SMP. Carry on with the hair transplant research 👍🏽

Edited December 14, 2021 by JC71

[louisianatransplant]

@Gatsby - I could continue to wear this piece. It does do the trick. I just don't feel authentic anymore. For awhile I was ecstatic to have it. Recently, I feel like it's hiding a piece of myself, which is why I initially looked into hair transplants. I could just... take it off. Or leave it on. I'm just sick of paying for it. It's like paying rent when you can pay mortgage.

[Melvin- Admin]

4 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

@Gatsby - I could continue to wear this piece. It does do the trick. I just don't feel authentic anymore. For awhile I was ecstatic to have it. Recently, I feel like it's hiding a piece of myself, which is why I initially looked into hair transplants. I could just... take it off. Or leave it on. I'm just sick of paying for it. It's like paying rent when you can pay mortgage.

Have you tried shaving? 

[louisianatransplant]

12 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Have you tried shaving? 

I have not. I do not think I would pull it off. Lol.

[Melvin- Admin]

16 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

I have not. I do not think I would pull it off. Lol.

Definitely worth trying before committing to surgery. Smp is basically a shaved look anyway, so if you don’t like a shaved head, you probably wont like smp. 

[louisianatransplant]

1 minute ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Definitely worth trying before committing to surgery. Smp is basically a shaved look anyway, so if you don’t like a shaved head, you probably wont like smp. 

Lmao you think I should try it?? I will look horrible. Can't do facial hair.

[Melvin- Admin]

Just now, louisianatransplant said:

Lmao you think I should try it?? I will look horrible. Can't do facial hair.

Absolutely, you would be shocked the number of men who shave years after wearing systems and surgery. Kevin James is a prime example 

hair piece/ surgery 

Shaved 

[Melvin- Admin]

At least, after you shave you’ll know okay, smp not an option. Then you can really research slowly because HTs and hair systems will be the only alternatives left.

[louisianatransplant]

3 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

At least, after you shave you’ll know okay, smp not an option. Then you can really research slowly because HTs and hair systems will be the only alternatives left.

Right, but what if I want to put the hair system back on, lmao. I'm so lost.

[Melvin- Admin]

2 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

Right, but what if I want to put the hair system back on, lmao. I'm so lost.

There are full systems, you can also just get a system that blends to a shave. Pretty simple to do when you use a system

[Gatsby]

@louisianatransplant As I said I wore a hair piece for 25 years. Then I shaved my head and had SMP to hide many previous scars from previous transplants/repairs, etc. Everybody said that I looked 10 years young (both old friends and new people who I met). You can always grow it back. All the best.

[asterix0]

Hi OP, I'll give you my two cents, I only mean to help you as I was also a young, aggressive hair loss sufferer like yourself. 

I understand your desire for convenience and finding a surgeon to fit around your work and life schedule. Why travel potentially to the other side of the world when you can stay close to where you are, where people speak your language, and you feel comfortable? I get your mindset, but as @Melvin- Moderator explained to you, right now you are not thinking rationally, but emotionally. You want a quick fix to a problem that will continue for your entire life (your hair loss), unless there is some major scientific breakthrough for a cure.

The surgeon(s) you are looking at may give you a good result, but what evidence do you have to be confident in this? Because someone told you they have experience is not evidence. Pictures, in high definition, clear pre and post operative, where you can see the details of the surgeon's work, are evidence. At different stages of the patient's recovery. 

There is a saying, trust but verify. How can you verify what the doctor is telling you is true?

When we are young, we naturally think we are invincible and nothing bad can happen to us. I can tell you from experience that this is not true, but again, only with age and life experience does a person realize this.

What is your plan if your transplant fails? What if your scarring from this particular doctor is bad, or if your donor gets depleted, and now you are in trouble regarding how to potentially repair a failed transplant. 

All I am saying is, you can go ahead with this doctor if you wish, it is all about your risk tolerance. For me personally, my risk tolerance is low, that is why I am willing to travel and pay more, or wait a year or more if needed, for a doctor with clear, well documented pictures of their work, because this is a very critical procedure on your head. 

Meaning, something you can't cover up that will be visible to everyone, and crucial to your life and how people perceive you. Think about all of this before you proceed with whatever decision. 

And yes, I would 100% recommend buzzing/shaving your head first and seeing what you think about it before proceeding with a transplant. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by asterix0

[Britanium]

@asterix0well said 👌

[JoeMan]

I just wanted to chime in here because I too live in the New Orleans area. You are young and probably don't realize the importance of selecting a good surgeon, so I'm going to tell you an ankle story that I'll hopefully tie into HT 😆.

6 years ago I broke my ankle. I had emergency surgery in a New Orleans area hospital. My surgeon messed up and put a screw in wrong, placing it into my tendon,  instead of hitting bone. Long story short, I went to almost every ankle surgeon in our area, including Baton Rouge. Had 2 additional surgeries and everyone told me that nothing was wrong. I could barely walk almost 2 years later and i was losing my mind because every Dr dismissed me. Finally, I researched the best Ankle Dr's I could find in the US.

Luckily, I found one, located in Houston. This Dr gave me my life back when he found and repaired the problem in what was my 4th surgery. 

6 weeks ago I needed Achilles repair on my other Ankle. I drove to Houston again, without hesitation, to see the best Dr knew. Most people would have this surgery done locally without a second thought. Most people wouldn't have much of an issue either. But ask yourself what an elite athlete would do? I'd be willing to bet that they would pick a top Dr to provide them with the best chance of success. They wouldn't trust a random Dr that nobody has heard of, because their career is on the line. Elite Dr's have more time performing the surgery, likely teach others, and have seen more cases. This experience is critical. A trip to see a top Dr is not always easy, I'll give you that. But in any field, a select few are considered the best at what they do. If you want the best chance at a great result, I'd look elsewhere. 

 

Now for HT, which I know is not the same as ankle surgery. I went on the same vigorous search for the right Dr, and I chose Dr. Bruno Ferreira. My surgery is in a few weeks so I can't recommend him yet(lots of others to choosefromas well). In my search, I found that most Dr's in the US will lowball the graft # to keep the price down. Early on I looked at Turkey for price/quality. Then I realized that Europe would cost more, but hopefully I'd have an even better Dr. This is not to say Europe is the only place to go. The US has some good Dr's as well but the ones I looked at were 20-25k. 

Staying close is easy, but if you are honest with yourself, this guy is likely not a top HT Dr. I'd bet he's not that cheap either. Can you provide the quote he gave you? Just curious. 

New Orleans isn't a great medical area so I'd question if any Dr in our area is in the top of their field. 

My advice is to continue your search. You are young and will have to live with the results for a long time. Why not treat this surgery like an athlete would, and search for the best Dr you can afford. 

 

Sorry if this was too long but I thought it might be helpful. Whatever you decide, I pray you have great results 🙏 

WHO DAT!!

[DrTBarghouthi]

Hi @louisianatransplant

I read your thread with great interest and I do have few concerns. I am personally not familiar with your desired doctor, but I’m not here to discuss a specific doctor, but rather to discuss the decision to go ahead with surgery. 
I do believe that you should hold off for now. First of all, you are 24 and your pattern looks like it will be advancing further. I would suggest doing maintenance meds as much as you can and give yourself sometime before going ahead. You do wear a hair system and therefore you are practical enough about it. Therefore delaying a procedure for sometime would be ideal.
I personally think 2800 is a small number for what you might need- although I am only basing that on photos. 
My main concern however is the fact that you wear a hair system. Hair systems give densities that can be unmatched by surgery at times. Therefore, replacing that with a transplant would technically mean multiple SUCCESSFUL procedures in most cases. The reason being, is that you will always have a mental image of the density of the hair system and any transplant not at par with that will be easily seen as unsatisfactory by yourself. 
I would consider all of this before going ahead with surgery. 

[louisianatransplant]

9 minutes ago, DrTBarghouthi said:

Hi @louisianatransplant

I read your thread with great interest and I do have few concerns. I am personally not familiar with your desired doctor, but I’m not here to discuss a specific doctor, but rather to discuss the decision to go ahead with surgery. 
I do believe that you should hold off for now. First of all, you are 24 and your pattern looks like it will be advancing further. I would suggest doing maintenance meds as much as you can and give yourself sometime before going ahead. You do wear a hair system and therefore you are practical enough about it. Therefore delaying a procedure for sometime would be ideal.
I personally think 2800 is a small number for what you might need- although I am only basing that on photos. 
My main concern however is the fact that you wear a hair system. Hair systems give densities that can be unmatched by surgery at times. Therefore, replacing that with a transplant would technically mean multiple SUCCESSFUL procedures in most cases. The reason being, is that you will always have a mental image of the density of the hair system and any transplant not at par with that will be easily seen as unsatisfactory by yourself. 
I would consider all of this before going ahead with surgery. 

Thank you for your input. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

 

I have since removed my hair system and have completely shaved my head. Rocking the bald head look for awhile! Will debate if I need a transplant or not in the future.

[louisianatransplant]

Hi all,

 

I wanted to update this thread. Having a shaved head sent me into a horrible depression and mental spiral. I didn’t leave my house for a while and eventually went back to my stylist and got a bald fade system cut in and transitioned back to normal hair system wearing. I have since moved to Texas. But, again, I find myself eyeing hair transplants. The system works but I want my own hair, and I want it to be age appropriate for me in the future. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I feel stuck with this system - can’t take it off unless I go through with a procedure. Perhaps I will get back into the research part of this process. I wish I could’ve enjoyed life bald, but it really destroyed me.

[Dillpickle123]

57 minutes ago, louisianatransplant said:

Hi all,

 

I wanted to update this thread. Having a shaved head sent me into a horrible depression and mental spiral. I didn’t leave my house for a while and eventually went back to my stylist and got a bald fade system cut in and transitioned back to normal hair system wearing. I have since moved to Texas. But, again, I find myself eyeing hair transplants. The system works but I want my own hair, and I want it to be age appropriate for me in the future. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I feel stuck with this system - can’t take it off unless I go through with a procedure. Perhaps I will get back into the research part of this process. I wish I could’ve enjoyed life bald, but it really destroyed me.

Look into dr Nader he’s really close and has very good prices if your on finasteride and stabilized 

[Melvin- Admin]

1 hour ago, louisianatransplant said:

Hi all,

 

I wanted to update this thread. Having a shaved head sent me into a horrible depression and mental spiral. I didn’t leave my house for a while and eventually went back to my stylist and got a bald fade system cut in and transitioned back to normal hair system wearing. I have since moved to Texas. But, again, I find myself eyeing hair transplants. The system works but I want my own hair, and I want it to be age appropriate for me in the future. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I feel stuck with this system - can’t take it off unless I go through with a procedure. Perhaps I will get back into the research part of this process. I wish I could’ve enjoyed life bald, but it really destroyed me.

Can you share some recent pictures of what your hair looks like and your donor?

[louisianatransplant]

On 9/26/2022 at 8:15 PM, Melvin- Moderator said:

Can you share some recent pictures of what your hair looks like and your donor?

Hey Melvin,

 

I just made a new thread with pictures.