How to choose between elite doctors?

[Grouse]

Hi all!

Long time lurker that is finally getting serious about a HT and decided to make an account 

 

I've read hundreds of forum posts, and have come up with a short list of Dr.'s that seem to consistently put out fantastic work. However, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to decide between this list for my specific situation. For reference, I think I'm headed to a NW6, have fine dirty brown hair, am OK with beard hair, and am interested in FUE (OK with some donor depletion).

• Dr. Sethi - Eugenix
• Hasson & Wong
• Dr. Mwamba (although I don't know if he does good hairlines?)
• Dr. Ferreira
• Dr. Cuoto
• Dr. Zarev (although he seems impossible to find!)
• Dr. Freitas
• Dr. Knoior

I'd be interested in doing a consult with all of them, but I know some like Cuoto or Ferreira will take 3 - 6 months just to evaluate pictures (let alone getting a procedure booked!). I'm interested in going to the best surgeon I possibly can even if it means waiting a long time. 

 

Any advice on how others have narrowed their list down? Is this something the community could help with if I post pictures, or would you recommend consulting with all the above folks? 

 

Thanks a bunch. Looking forward to sharing my journey with you all.

[Britanium]

What can I say, your list is pretty, pretty pretty good 😝 Right now that’s out of way…. 
You could add on much more time for Couto most likely, yes even just to see your pics. Wouldn’t consider he’s the best choice for a higher Norwood level.
If your headed for a Norwood 6 then consider Eugenix, H&W (mega FUT session), Hattingen ok so I just added on to your list 😀

Edited January 3, 2022 by JC71

[Britanium]

@HugoXCan most likely help you get hold of Dr Zarev If asked 🙏

[JoeMan]

I would post some pictures. I'm rather new to this but I chose Dr. Ferreira. He does have a Fast Track option for about 50€ I believe where he replies in a day or two. I'm not sure he's the best option for NW6 though. I keep hearing Eugenix is but other can add input on this. I would suggest doing lots of research and narrow down to 2 or 3, then get consultations. 

[Britanium]

Yeh when it comes to Norwood 6 then Eugenix, Fuegenix, H&W, @DrTBarghouthi(Vertex), HDC, @Dr. Felipe Pittella, Hattingen, Dr Bisanga (BHR), Zarev spring to mind.. consult with many ! You will get a feel on who might suit your needs. 
Please do post some pics here 👍🏽

[Grouse]

Thanks guys! I'll definitely add the doctors above to my list @JC71 - haven't heard of Hattingen, HDC, or DRTBarghouthi.

I'm not a NW6 yet, so was wondering if it would make sense to visit a hairline expert first, and then do someone like Eugenix later. Thoughts? I'll post pictures below.

Appreciate everyone's time

[Grouse]

Here's a few pictures. Hair typically looks a bit worse than this, think I'm a NW4 right now? No idea if my donor is good or not... definitely do have fine hair though, seems very similar to @Rolandas

[Britanium]

10 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Thanks guys! I'll definitely add the doctors above to my list @JC71 - haven't heard of Hattingen, HDC, or DRTBarghouthi.

I'm not a NW6 yet, so was wondering if it would make sense to visit a hairline expert first, and then do someone like Eugenix later. Thoughts? I'll post pictures below.

Appreciate everyone's time

Are you on Fin ? Also what age ? Your going to need to plan carefully if you are noticeably heading to a Norwood 6.

[Grouse]

6 minutes ago, JC71 said:

Are you on Fin ? Also what age ? Your going to need to plan carefully if you are noticeably heading to a Norwood 6.

I'm 30. I tried topical fin 2 years ago and got bad side effects that lasted 2 - 3 months after quitting. I'm on minoxidil and doing microneedling.

 

I'd be open to trying fin again at a lower dosage (used Minoxidil Max @ a 1mg equivalent) if absolutely needed, but am definitely scared of bad sides  Have also considered trying RU, CB, or other experimental alternatives. Hoping Kintor comes out soon with good results!

Edited January 3, 2022 by Grouse

[DrTBarghouthi]

Thanks for the mention. Yes you do seem like a NW4 to me based on photos. Donor does seem favourable and with a decent surface area. Is the crown something of concern to you? Would a low dose finasteride be something that you would consider?

 

 

[JoeMan]

I agree it looks similar to Rowlandas. Maybe do the fast track for Dr. Ferreira. The cost is minimal and it's a fairly detailed analysis. I think that you will require 2 surgeries but at 30 years old, stabilization of your hair will need to take place first. 

Edited January 3, 2022 by JoeMan

[Britanium]

What does it look like shorter ? I’m asking as I think the length could be masking a lot of your current loss. You do have a lot of hair to save at present. Absolutely worth trying fin again, or your just going to have to prepare for the eventuality you will continue to lose. At what rate nobody would be able to say for sure. Have you noticed much loss over the last year for example ? 

Edited January 3, 2022 by JC71

[HappyMan2021]

Fairly significant hair loss for 30 years old. I wouldn't even touch the crown with Hair Transplant #1. Your crown loss is likely to get worse in the near future, so no point on operating on it yet. Plus with a first surgery anyway you want to focus on the hairline. 

No comment on any of the doctors listed except to broadly plan on a 1 yr or so waitlist with all of them. 

I also envision you needing 2 HT's total to get a desired NW1 look for the hairline. 

Edited January 3, 2022 by SadMan2021

[Grouse]

1 hour ago, DrTBarghouthi said:

Thanks for the mention. Yes you do seem like a NW4 to me based on photos. Donor does seem favourable and with a decent surface area. Is the crown something of concern to you? Would a low dose finasteride be something that you would consider?

 

 

Hi DrT! Crown I’d be ok mostly ignoring or addressing in a future session. I’m open to a low dose topical fin, albeit a bit scared 😳 

1 hour ago, JoeMan said:

I agree it looks similar to Rowlandas. Maybe do the fast track for Dr. Ferreira. The cost is minimal and it's a fairly detailed analysis. I think that you will require 2 surgeries but at 30 years old, stabilization of your hair will need to take place first. 

I’ve tried! He’s so busy they are no longer allowing fast tracks. On the waiting list, but not too hopeful. I’ll report back if it opens up. 

1 hour ago, JC71 said:

What does it look like shorter ? I’m asking as I think the length could be masking a lot of your current loss. You do have a lot of hair to save at present. Absolutely worth trying fin again, or your just going to have to prepare for the eventuality you will continue to lose. At what rate nobody would be able to say for sure. Have you noticed much loss over the last year for example ? 

Yeah length is hiding a lot. I’ll shave it in a week or two and share (want to see if bald is as bad as I think before I commit 100% to surgery). 

I’ll order a 0.25mg or less equivalent topical maybe. 

I’ve lost pretty steadily since my early 20s I’d say. 

49 minutes ago, SadMan2021 said:

Fairly significant hair loss for 30 years old. I wouldn't even touch the crown with Hair Transplant #1. Your crown loss is likely to get worse in the near future, so no point on operating on it yet. Plus with a first surgery anyway you want to focus on the hairline. 

No comment on any of the doctors listed except to broadly plan on a 1 yr or so waitlist with all of them. 

I also envision you needing 2 HT's total to get a desired NW1 look for the hairline. 

Yep, ok with leaving crown alone for #1. No issues with multiple surgeries either. 
 

I don’t think a NW1 is feasible with my level of loss. I’d be estatic with a strong NW2, probably could live with a NW3 if dense enough up front. 

[JoeMan]

24 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I’ve tried! He’s so busy they are no longer allowing fast tracks. On the waiting list, but not too hopeful. I’ll report back if it opens up. 

Actually I just looked it up. On his website it seems like I can select fast track, it is 50€. Click consultation then you'll see a button for fast track. I would just post a link but I'm not sure if it is acceptable here. Either way it's easy enough to find. 

[Gatsby]

By researching on this forum from patient results. 👍

[Britanium]

Just now, Gatsby said:

By researching on this forum from patient results. 👍

Pretty much this 😌

[MachoVato]

You have an all-star list, for sure! There are many others. Looking at your pictures, your best approach is the same that I took... 2 procedures. First procedure for hairline and mid-scalp. Then 9-12 months later go get your crown filled in... and maybe touch up temples and add hairline density as desired.

I've had success at HLC in Turkey, but you would be smart to shortlist De Freitas (Spain) and Ferriera (Portugal). They are also very good at refined, natural hairlines. 

Best of luck!

[deeznuts]

is couto even open for consultations? i emailed him last year and i believe his rep said they were reopening consultations starting this year. I do recommend reaching out ASAP if that is the case. 

anyway, you've got a great list of doctors.

looking at your hair loss, I strongly suspect that you will be told to go on fin for the crown. So you're basically looking at a hairline transplant and you might want a doctor that knows how to deal with diffuse loss if you have that. Based on that, I think you should be looking at doctors who can give you a great hairline and maybe add some density throughout your midscalp

i didn't have the huge list you have. I had a good idea for the most part of which doctor was my preferred doctor (usually between one or two the entire time) and I continued to do research until I finally booked a date.

My list was pretty much H&W, Rahal and De Freitas. Rahals reps were quite pushy like they were getting paid commission so I axed Rahal pretty quick. It left a bad taste in my mouth even though I really liked some of the results, he was located near me, and my case (hairline only) would have been right down his alley. It didn't really matter all that much anyway since I preferred Dr. De Freitas' results more. 

Then with Hasson and Wong, they're fantastic. Their patient coordinator James was fantastic. I loved the results especially some of the crazy ones where they dense pack like 3k/4k grafts into the hairline and the patient looks better than many guys at 20.

With De Freitas, I was similarly impressed with his results. He seemed like a hairline magician and I had a similar sense of awe seeing his work. Especially going through the Spanish forums (recuperarelpelo) and being wowed by some of his patient results as well. What really was the tiebreaker for me, was the cost. I love Hasson & Wong and feel like they consistently hit home runs or at the very least a triple but I De Freitas also puts out some incredible results for half the price. If price were not a factor, I would have had an extremely hard time picking between the two but with price, it made my life a lot easier. But with Dr. De Freitas I felt like I was getting the best price and quality so it was a pretty straightforward decision.

I would have liked to go with Couto but I didn't want to wait 3 years for a transplant though not entirely a deal breaker I guess.

In you case, if you need to use BHT (which I don't think you need just yet), you'd have to pick a BHT doctor. Though I suspect most of them won't recommend BHT just yet since you've still got a solid head of hair. They'll probably put you on fin though.

You can also eliminate a couple doctors if you feel like excessive wait list or excessive cost are not something you're willing to deal with. While it's not a great reason to pick a doctor, it could be a decent enough reason when used as a tiebreaker. If it's something like 50-50, then you pick the one that's cheaper. And the reality is that some doctors are just prohibitively expensive enough that you can't afford them. 

Next, you can do some consultations. See whether the doctors proposals agree with you. For example some doctors might recommend you put some grafts into the crown while others might suggest you use fin and see if it regrows. (Though I think most will suggest fin for the crown at this point). Some might offer temple peak reconstructions. Others might offer 3500 grafts while another might suggest 2500. 

You can also reference patients with a similar situation to you and figure out if you like it.

Edited January 4, 2022 by deeznuts

[Melvin- Admin]

Most on your list are recommended by our forum. I suggest sending virtual consultations. To get a consensus. Some great names, always do your research here through real reviews and experiences.

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-transplant-surgeons.asp?sr=HRN-MOB

[Spaceguy]

11 hours ago, Grouse said:

Hi DrT! Crown I’d be ok mostly ignoring or addressing in a future session. I’m open to a low dose topical fin, albeit a bit scared 😳 

I’ve tried! He’s so busy they are no longer allowing fast tracks. On the waiting list, but not too hopeful. I’ll report back if it opens up. 

Yeah length is hiding a lot. I’ll shave it in a week or two and share (want to see if bald is as bad as I think before I commit 100% to surgery). 

I’ll order a 0.25mg or less equivalent topical maybe. 

I’ve lost pretty steadily since my early 20s I’d say. 

Yep, ok with leaving crown alone for #1. No issues with multiple surgeries either. 
 

I don’t think a NW1 is feasible with my level of loss. I’d be estatic with a strong NW2, probably could live with a NW3 if dense enough up front. 

Before shaving consult with some of the doc's from the list, dr.Ferreira is quite good in estimation and prognosis, just wet your hair and comb it backwards, situation should be quite clear from there.....for experienced doctor, so shaving might not be necessary!

 

[Gasthoerer]

For me there are 4-steps to chose a clinic:

1. Do your homework and search for top clinics via patient reports - you checked this box already. 

2. Shorten your list. Check which of the clinics address your personal (!) needs - FUT, FUE, Mega-session, hairline touch-up etc. but also budget (if this is a concern)

3. Visit 3 clinics from your short-list and have them come up with a plan (e. g. hairline drawn). Also check with whom you relate personally.

4. Review the plan by looking at the pics at home e. g. which hairline is the one you wanna live with for the rest of your life. 

Good luck 🙂

[deeznuts]

20 minutes ago, Gasthoerer said:

For me there are 4-steps to chose a clinic:

1. Do your homework and search for top clinics via patient reports - you checked this box already. 

2. Shorten your list. Check which of the clinics address your personal (!) needs - FUT, FUE, Mega-session, hairline touch-up etc. but also budget (if this is a concern)

3. Visit 3 clinics from your short-list and have them come up with a plan (e. g. hairline drawn). Also check with whom you relate personally.

4. Review the plan by looking at the pics at home e. g. which hairline is the one you wanna live with for the rest of your life. 

Good luck 🙂

Hairline can be negotiated which is nice but some doctors also wont do certain things like temple peaks

[Melvin- Admin]

25 minutes ago, deeznuts said:

Hairline can be negotiated which is nice but some doctors also wont do certain things like temple peaks

This is true, temple peaks are a specialty. You want to make sure you go to a specialist that is confident in getting a natural result.

[Grouse]

22 hours ago, JoeMan said:

Actually I just looked it up. On his website it seems like I can select fast track, it is 50€. Click consultation then you'll see a button for fast track. I would just post a link but I'm not sure if it is acceptable here. Either way it's easy enough to find. 

When you add the "Fast Track" to your cart, it says "item is out of stock". Emailed them and a rep said Ferriera not accepting any new consultations now, including fast track! Was put on a waiting list for a consultation. 

 

10 hours ago, Gasthoerer said:

For me there are 4-steps to chose a clinic:

1. Do your homework and search for top clinics via patient reports - you checked this box already. 

2. Shorten your list. Check which of the clinics address your personal (!) needs - FUT, FUE, Mega-session, hairline touch-up etc. but also budget (if this is a concern)

3. Visit 3 clinics from your short-list and have them come up with a plan (e. g. hairline drawn). Also check with whom you relate personally.

4. Review the plan by looking at the pics at home e. g. which hairline is the one you wanna live with for the rest of your life. 

Good luck 🙂

 

Thanks Gasthoerer! When you say visit 3 clinics - do you suggest visiting in person? Some, like Eugenix, I'm not able to visit easily as they're a 12hr+ flight away... But I'd also hate to book an appointment and then find out I'm not a candidate when I actually fly in. Any suggestions?

 

10 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

This is true, temple peaks are a specialty. You want to make sure you go to a specialist that is confident in getting a natural result.

 

Thanks Melvin! Temple peaks definitely would be nice, good to know not everyone does them. Thinking I'd like to visit a surgeon that specializes in hairlines first, and then go to one that specializes in graft yield / illusion of density for the back 2/3's kind of like how you appeared to have done yours. I'll keep this thread updated on where I end up.