3 month Review: Eugenix Hair Sciences (India). 3500 grafts. NW6.

[kirkland]

Intro

In October, 2021, I had surgery with Eugenix Hair Sciences in New Delhi, India with Dr. Arika Bansal and her team. She designed the hairline, pre-made the recipient slits and performed the initial extractions, plus monitored the rest of the procedure. I had just over 3500 grafts implanted across the hairline and mid-scalp. You can see the first few days and weeks of progress here:

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/61276-my-upcoming-surgery-with-eugenix-of-india-and-dr-arika-bansal/

Background

54 years, Caucasian, NW 6. Hair loss started at age 20 and progressed steadily.

Here I am at age 40. 

Past and current Interventions

Up until 7 years ago, I did nothing to stop or reverse the hair loss. In 2014, I started microneedling along with daily applications of minoxidil. In 2015, I went for scalp micropigmentation. Second photo is just after 2 passes. In 2018, I started finasteride (2.5 mg per day) to stabilize any further loss. Switched to dutasteride (0.5 mg every other day) in 2019. In February, 2022, added oral minoxidil (2.5 mg per day). RU was recently added as a topical for crown area only (0.25 ml every day). 

Here is my final SMP treatment in the summer of 2015. It did not look natural and so I had it removed by laser in 2018.

 

Why Eugenix?

I almost pulled the trigger on local Canadian HT docs a few times before contacting Eugenix. I had consultations with the following clinics: Hasson & Wong (Vancouver), Rahal (Ottawa), Huber (Toronto). For various reasons, it did not work out with any of them. I had seen the Eugenix clinic pop-up numerous times in my research on this site but did not seriously consider them because they were only doing FUE. With my severity of hair loss, I thought FUT would be my only option. That was certainly still the majority opinion just a few years ago. However, as I did more research, I was finding that large FUE mega sessions were possible with minimal aesthetic impact on the donor area. I explored Eugenix more since they were doing large FUE sessions with great outcomes and I really loved what I was seeing! Finally, a clinic doing FUE mega sessions without leaving the donor area looking completely depleted.

In late 2019, I contacted Eugenix and submitted my photos. 3500 grafts were suggested. I booked surgery for early 2020 and then... COVID. I had to change my surgery dates multiple times given ongoing travel restrictions. The staff at Eugenix were really wonderful in helping with all of these changes. Finally, was able to settle on October 11 and 12 of 2021. 

Here is a pic the day prior to leaving for surgery at Eugenix:

 

The surgery

I arrived in New Delhi on October 10 - one day prior to surgery. I met with Anil and Maudit at the clinic that evening to get additional blood work completed. I was really impressed that at 8 pm on a Sunday night, the clinic was in full swing with one operation in progress. 

The morning of my first day of surgery, after doing some preliminary videos for promotional materials, I met with Dr. Bansal who designed my hairline. She’s very professional and I was immediately comfortable with her as my surgeon. Dr. Bansal performed all of the premade slits and then made some initial extractions from my donor area in order to assess the quality of my grafts. Then the rest of the surgery that day was performed by other doctors and technicians. Over 2000 grafts were harvested and placed in the frontal third. Surgery time for that first day was over 9 hours. There was some discomfort in having to stay in one position for long periods of time but that is to be expected. The staff were very accommodating throughout the process, always asking how I was feeling.

At the end of Day 1:

The second day of surgery was not as long (about 7 hours). The remaining grafts were placed in the mid-scalp for a grand total of just over 3500 grafts. Dr. Bansal came in periodically throughout both days to check in on the surgery. At the end of the second day, she gave a final inspection. 

At the end of Day 2:

 

First 3 days post-op

As those first few days post-op are critical for the vascularization of the grafts, I made sure to stay in India for checkups each day of postop surgery. Eugenix arranged my hotel accommodations and travel back and forth to the clinic.  There was some swelling around the forehead and back of head which was mostly gone by day 4. As to be expected, there was some discomfort in the donor area from all the extractions. I slept on my back with my travel pillow to keep the back of my head from making contact with any surface. I made visits to the clinic each day for a check-up and cleaning of the donor area.

Month 1 post-op

My scabs all separated from the scalp by day 9. By the end of month 1, my grafts were starting to fall out. The only discomfort I experienced during this time was a lot of itchiness around the donor area. The recipient area was still very numb and I did not have any sensation on the top of my scalp for weeks. 

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4:

Month 2 post-op

Psychologically, this was the hardest month as most of the grafts shed and all that is left is a red and bare scalp. Sensation was returning in the mid scalp but there was still no sensation in the frontal third.

Month 3 post-op

Rolling through month 3, more of the transplants were starting to reappear. I was surprised to see how much growth was appearing already. As soon as I got back to Canada 4 days after surgery, I applied Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) with red and infrared wavelengths for 30 minutes per session (one session per day). I can’t objectively state that the light therapy has been beneficial for my growth but I am seeing a lot of growth earlier than expected. Most of the sensation in my scalp has returned. The redness in my recipient area is still pronounced but, as I discovered with my SMP treatment, my skin is prone to redness so I don’t anticipate that it will fade any time soon. 

In the following pics, taken yesterday,  I have clipped my hair short so that the donor area really shows how homogeneously the grafts were extracted across the entire region and the recipient area really shows growth to date.  

3 month Review

Although 3 months into a hair transplant is still too early to review the final outcome, it is a reasonable time to reflect on the experience to date. In my case, my experience with Eugenix has been absolutely wonderful and has exceeded my expectations. From the disruption of COVID and the constant changing of surgery dates, to the surgery itself and then onto post-op care, Eugenix has really been a top-notch clinic in how they have conducted their business. Need to change my surgery dates? Not a problem. Need help with medical visa documents? Absolutely accommodating. Airport pick-up and drop-off, COVID testing, hotel booking, clear and constant communications - Eugenix has a big team that helps with all of those details necessary to ensure a good experience. And it is a wonderful team, all of them committed to their jobs. Throughout the surgery, they ensured that I was comfortable and relaxed and well taken care of. The clinic and surgical rooms are state-of-the-art, everything is properly sterilized, proper grafts counts are posted on a white board in the surgical room and daily post-op checkups are arranged meticulously. Everyone is on top of each detail and you never feel like it is anything but a well-run operation. And when one of the founding doctors, in my case Dr. Sethi, takes you and other patients out for dinner, you really feel that they go the extra distance to make sure you feel special in their care. They perform hair restoration surgeries for some of the biggest sports and media stars in India but every patient is treated with the same level of care regardless of status.

I have been fortunate to still stay in touch with Dr. Sethi and I am touched by his enthusiasm and generosity of time. He demonstrates the epitome of quality patient care and really wants you to have the best outcome possible. Let me be clear: Eugenix is not a hair mill. Far from it. They have years of experience working with high Norwoods and have pushed the boundaries as to what is possible with FUE, including the supplemental use of body grafts for really challenging cases. When I was there, they were doing a 3-day surgery for a Norwood 7 case. The patient was also staying in my hotel. I was amazed that this level of hair loss can now be effectively treated with FUE. I am thankful that Eugenix has really pioneered FUE hair restoration for higher Norwoods like myself. 

If you are considering Eugenix, I give them my full endorsement. They provide a high-quality hair restoration experience at exceptional value. I'm really excited about my 6-month and 1-year updates, given that my month 3 results are very positive. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by kirkland
Tightening up spacing in review.

[SLA]

What a write up @kirkland! Looking forward to seeing your continued progress!

[SLA]

donor looks immaculate...

[Britanium]

Excellent, very detailed account of your journey so far 👍🏽

[kirkland]

24 minutes ago, SLA said:

donor looks immaculate...

Thanks. I was really happy that I could cut my hair short and, while the region of extraction is obvious, the pattern of extraction is not. I plan to have SMP work done in the donor region and it should blend quite nicely. 

 

 

[Domino]

1 hour ago, kirkland said:

 

while the region of extraction is obvious, the patternof extraction is not.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Domino

[Domino]

Very well put. But do you plan on letting it grow out? I know us bald guys can be addicted to the clippers. It could be a hard habit to break with new hair. 

[Gatsby]

Brilliant write up @kirkland 👌 This is going to be a stellar result! 🙏

[kirkland]

50 minutes ago, Domino said:

But do you plan on letting it grow out?

It's hard to let go of the short hair style - I have had it for so long. Suits my features and lifestyle. But if you've been gifted a Ferrari, you might as well take it out for a spin once in a while.

[Melvin- Admin]

Wow I can definitely see some growth already, the donor looks untouched as well. I echo many of your own sentiments about the quality and care. Thank you for the awesome write-up.

[mmokin]

 

8 hours ago, kirkland said:

Thanks. I was really happy that I could cut my hair short and, while the region of extraction is obvious, the pattern of extraction is not. I plan to have SMP work done in the donor region and it should blend quite nicely. 

 

 

thats true, but your hair blends quite well with it already, maybe the back was thicker than the temples?

[Viney]

Awesome write up. Based on your experience and knowledge how many days would stay in India post op before the long flight home?

[MazAB]

Wow @kirkland! Looks amazing for only 3 months. Pretty even growth all around as far as I can see. I would have to agree to let it grow out. If you got it, flaunt it baby!😎💪

[Zoomster]

Great write up and progress so far ..I predict you won't need SMP for donor..

The donor recovery  will end up amazing you almost as much as your recipient growth !

 

[kirkland]

10 hours ago, Viney said:

Based on your experience and knowledge how many days would stay in India post op before the long flight home?

I suggest staying near the clinic a minimum of three days after surgery for a few reasons: first, the vascularization process (reconnecting of the blood supply) of the new grafts takes about that long so if you bump, scratch or otherwise compromise the recipient area, it can be addressed during this crucial period of healing; second, the clinic can properly clean and dress the donor area and make sure the healing process is well underway; third, swelling is to be expected but it goes down about day 3 or 4 and travelling long distances is more comfortable when your head isn't the size of a watermelon.

If you are travelling by air long distances to and from the clinic, that added time post-surgery is more comfortable spent in a hotel rather than on a plane or in an airport.

 

 

[WhatComesNext]

Fantastic write up @kirkland.

Your 3 month post photos are looking really good. I am right at the 2 month mark with the same redness and bare scalp, so your post and progress is very encouraging!

[kirkland]

43 minutes ago, WhatComesNext said:

so your post and progress is very encouraging!

Thanks! The recent pics don't really do justice to amount of growth I see in the mirror. It's incredible that it has thickened so much in the last couple of weeks alone. 

 

[H3ri]

Nice review @kirkland. Great progress so far and looking good. Watching intently to your future gains and updates!

[maxamill]

Thanks for the detailed post - I'm currently month 1 and looking like your month 2, so helping me through the ugly duckling phase!

[Ryan Daniel]

On 1/5/2022 at 8:17 PM, kirkland said:

Intro

In October, 2021, I had surgery with Eugenix Hair Sciences in New Delhi, India with Dr. Arika Bansal and her team. She designed the hairline, pre-made the recipient slits and performed the initial extractions, plus monitored the rest of the procedure. I had just over 3500 grafts implanted across the hairline and mid-scalp. You can see the first few days and weeks of progress here:

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/61276-my-upcoming-surgery-with-eugenix-of-india-and-dr-arika-bansal/

Background

54 years, Caucasian, NW 6. Hair loss started at age 20 and progressed steadily.

Here I am at age 40. 

Past and current Interventions

Up until 7 years ago, I did nothing to stop or reverse the hair loss. In 2014, I started microneedling along with daily applications of minoxidil. In 2015, I went for scalp micropigmentation. Second photo is just after 2 passes. In 2018, I started finasteride (2.5 mg per day) to stabilize any further loss. Switched to dutasteride (0.5 mg every other day) in 2019. In February, 2022, added oral minoxidil (2.5 mg per day). RU was recently added as a topical for crown area only (0.25 ml every day). 

Here is my final SMP treatment in the summer of 2015. It did not look natural and so I had it removed by laser in 2018.

 

Why Eugenix?

I almost pulled the trigger on local Canadian HT docs a few times before contacting Eugenix. I had consultations with the following clinics: Hasson & Wong (Vancouver), Rahal (Ottawa), Huber (Toronto). For various reasons, it did not work out with any of them. I had seen the Eugenix clinic pop-up numerous times in my research on this site but did not seriously consider them because they were only doing FUE. With my severity of hair loss, I thought FUT would be my only option. That was certainly still the majority opinion just a few years ago. However, as I did more research, I was finding that large FUE mega sessions were possible with minimal aesthetic impact on the donor area. I explored Eugenix more since they were doing large FUE sessions with great outcomes and I really loved what I was seeing! Finally, a clinic doing FUE mega sessions without leaving the donor area looking completely depleted.

In late 2019, I contacted Eugenix and submitted my photos. 3500 grafts were suggested. I booked surgery for early 2020 and then... COVID. I had to change my surgery dates multiple times given ongoing travel restrictions. The staff at Eugenix were really wonderful in helping with all of these changes. Finally, was able to settle on October 11 and 12 of 2021. 

Here is a pic the day prior to leaving for surgery at Eugenix:

 

The surgery

I arrived in New Delhi on October 10 - one day prior to surgery. I met with Anil and Maudit at the clinic that evening to get additional blood work completed. I was really impressed that at 8 pm on a Sunday night, the clinic was in full swing with one operation in progress. 

The morning of my first day of surgery, after doing some preliminary videos for promotional materials, I met with Dr. Bansal who designed my hairline. She’s very professional and I was immediately comfortable with her as my surgeon. Dr. Bansal performed all of the premade slits and then made some initial extractions from my donor area in order to assess the quality of my grafts. Then the rest of the surgery that day was performed by other doctors and technicians. Over 2000 grafts were harvested and placed in the frontal third. Surgery time for that first day was over 9 hours. There was some discomfort in having to stay in one position for long periods of time but that is to be expected. The staff were very accommodating throughout the process, always asking how I was feeling.

At the end of Day 1:

The second day of surgery was not as long (about 7 hours). The remaining grafts were placed in the mid-scalp for a grand total of just over 3500 grafts. Dr. Bansal came in periodically throughout both days to check in on the surgery. At the end of the second day, she gave a final inspection. 

At the end of Day 2:

 

First 3 days post-op

As those first few days post-op are critical for the vascularization of the grafts, I made sure to stay in India for checkups each day of postop surgery. Eugenix arranged my hotel accommodations and travel back and forth to the clinic.  There was some swelling around the forehead and back of head which was mostly gone by day 4. As to be expected, there was some discomfort in the donor area from all the extractions. I slept on my back with my travel pillow to keep the back of my head from making contact with any surface. I made visits to the clinic each day for a check-up and cleaning of the donor area.

Month 1 post-op

My scabs all separated from the scalp by day 9. By the end of month 1, my grafts were starting to fall out. The only discomfort I experienced during this time was a lot of itchiness around the donor area. The recipient area was still very numb and I did not have any sensation on the top of my scalp for weeks. 

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4:

Month 2 post-op

Psychologically, this was the hardest month as most of the grafts shed and all that is left is a red and bare scalp. Sensation was returning in the mid scalp but there was still no sensation in the frontal third.

Month 3 post-op

Rolling through month 3, more of the transplants were starting to reappear. I was surprised to see how much growth was appearing already. As soon as I got back to Canada 4 days after surgery, I applied Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) with red and infrared wavelengths for 30 minutes per session (one session per day). I can’t objectively state that the light therapy has been beneficial for my growth but I am seeing a lot of growth earlier than expected. Most of the sensation in my scalp has returned. The redness in my recipient area is still pronounced but, as I discovered with my SMP treatment, my skin is prone to redness so I don’t anticipate that it will fade any time soon. 

In the following pics, taken yesterday,  I have clipped my hair short so that the donor area really shows how homogeneously the grafts were extracted across the entire region and the recipient area really shows growth to date.  

3 month Review

Although 3 months into a hair transplant is still too early to review the final outcome, it is a reasonable time to reflect on the experience to date. In my case, my experience with Eugenix has been absolutely wonderful and has exceeded my expectations. From the disruption of COVID and the constant changing of surgery dates, to the surgery itself and then onto post-op care, Eugenix has really been a top-notch clinic in how they have conducted their business. Need to change my surgery dates? Not a problem. Need help with medical visa documents? Absolutely accommodating. Airport pick-up and drop-off, COVID testing, hotel booking, clear and constant communications - Eugenix has a big team that helps with all of those details necessary to ensure a good experience. And it is a wonderful team, all of them committed to their jobs. Throughout the surgery, they ensured that I was comfortable and relaxed and well taken care of. The clinic and surgical rooms are state-of-the-art, everything is properly sterilized, proper grafts counts are posted on a white board in the surgical room and daily post-op checkups are arranged meticulously. Everyone is on top of each detail and you never feel like it is anything but a well-run operation. And when one of the founding doctors, in my case Dr. Sethi, takes you and other patients out for dinner, you really feel that they go the extra distance to make sure you feel special in their care. They perform hair restoration surgeries for some of the biggest sports and media stars in India but every patient is treated with the same level of care regardless of status.

I have been fortunate to still stay in touch with Dr. Sethi and I am touched by his enthusiasm and generosity of time. He demonstrates the epitome of quality patient care and really wants you to have the best outcome possible. Let me be clear: Eugenix is not a hair mill. Far from it. They have years of experience working with high Norwoods and have pushed the boundaries as to what is possible with FUE, including the supplemental use of body grafts for really challenging cases. When I was there, they were doing a 3-day surgery for a Norwood 7 case. The patient was also staying in my hotel. I was amazed that this level of hair loss can now be effectively treated with FUE. I am thankful that Eugenix has really pioneered FUE hair restoration for higher Norwoods like myself. 

If you are considering Eugenix, I give them my full endorsement. They provide a high-quality hair restoration experience at exceptional value. I'm really excited about my 6-month and 1-year updates, given that my month 3 results are very positive. 

Hello Ian,  may I ask why you didn't get temple points done to frame the face ? and if so what did Dr Arika say when you asked her to do them

[kirkland]

31 minutes ago, Ryan Daniel said:

Hello Ian,  may I ask why you didn't get temple points done to frame the face ? and if so what did Dr Arika say when you asked her to do them

I'm just happy to have hair on the top of my head. Going from where I was to where I am now is such a big difference for me that, even if I had my crown and temple points done, they would be of secondary interest. I told Dr. Bansal as much so her focus was just on the hairline and mid-scalp.

My plan is to assess what I have at the 1-year mark and decide where I want to go from there. I don't have much beard hair to use so I have to be judicious with what I've got. 

[Ryan Daniel]

4 minutes ago, kirkland said:

I'm just happy to have hair on the top of my head. Going from where I was to where I am now is such a big difference for me that, even if I had my crown and temple points done, they would be of secondary interest. I told Dr. Bansal as much so her focus was just on the hairline and mid-scalp.

My plan is to assess what I have at the 1-year mark and decide where I want to go from there. I don't have much beard hair to use so I have to be judicious with what I've got. 

Thanks for the honest reply. Since ill be getting my procedure done by Dr.Arika herself, its good to know such things when having conversations. 

For now, I wish you happy growth Ian 😁

[kirkland]

No problem. When is your surgery booked?

[kirkland]

Coming up on week 15 post op. Growth is fantastic.

[kirkland]

From this:

To this:

In less than 4 months!!!!!