Considering Hair Transplant for my Norwood 6/7. Age: 29. Appreciate your inputs. Request for comments.

[quantumhair]

I have been researching for a couple of weeks. Although I can't rule out there may be good doctors in India that are not necessarily popular in this forum, I still need a way to know for sure. So I'm mainly considering the doctors/clinics that are referenced in this forum. In the process I consulted many clinics with varying prices and confidence.

History of hair loss:

My hair loss started almost 10 years ago(late teens) and in the current stage now. It's genetic from my maternal grand mother's side. All her brothers are bald and many examples in their families with people having history of losing hair when they were young. I have been unlucky.

 

Some are not talked in this forum such as some clinics like:

 1. redefineu

 2. sriroop

 3. microsurge

 

Some are referenced in this forum due to their popularity in foreign nationals(?) and good results(?):

1. Eugenix (I got to know this first from a friend whose colleague has done the procedure here.)

2. DermaClinix

3. MediSpa

4. DHI India

5. Dr. Madhu (I don't see recent posts though in this forum)

What do you think about DermaClinix if I get my surgery by their main doctors? I can't afford top packages in Eugenix that are done by Dr. Arika or Dr. Pradeep. To be honest even their comprehensive package is a bit high to me.

My question is, is it better to have surgery performed by:

1. The main surgeons of DermaClinix (AIIMS alumini just like Dr Arika and Sethi)

2. (or) The Comprehensive Package of Eugenix where they mentioned that the procedure will be done by Eugenix trained doctor and technicians. (Not Senior Doctors, Senior doctors is a different package).

 

Note: Most clinics told it's grade 6 except DermaClinix.

 

Eugenix Proposal: (They told it's grade 6)

As per Eugenix my graft requirement is 5500: (3500 to 4000 from scalp, and 1500 from beard). This is the density proposed by them:

1. Frontal Scalp: 2200 to 2500

2. Mid Scalp: 1500

3. Crown: 1500

Single session(2 days procedure).

Medi Spa:

I got a reply from Medi Spa via email. They proposed 4000 grafts from donor scalp area using their FUT+FUE technique. This will be a single day procedure. They told another session will be needed later on to cover crown area but didn't specify number of grafts. I asked them a follow up question whether they can use my beard hair to increase number of grafts and coverage on crown area in the first session. They told that is possible but they can only tell a day before the surgery in personal consultation about that and how many grafts they can do(500-1000 easily if possible). The charge varies for beard grafts(not a problem for me given that I have limited options now).

Update from Medi Spa: 1000 grafts can be taken easily from beard but they still wouldn't touch crown area. That will be done only after 12 months in a different session.

Derma Clinix Proposal: (They told it's grade 7)

1. 7000 grafts.

2. Session 1: About 4500 grafts covering frontal and mid area.

3. Session 2(For crown. After 3 months after donor is healed and evaluation of the prior session): Remaining 2500 grafts.

4. Slightly different pricing if I choose BIO FUE.

(Both Scalp and Beard hair will be used similar to Eugenix)

 

DHI India

DHI was conservative in giving their estimated they just told 5000 hairs will be planted. Note that these are hairs/follicles not grafts which I obviously felt wouldn't be sufficient.

Appreciate your comments on pictures and my situation.

(PS: I'm from India. The perception of pricing may differ from a western view due to Socio Economic Factors.)

Off topic: I feel it's better to enable the Follow Topic check box by default for question posters as they most probably would like to see the replies. I'm guessing this is the reason some are not coming back to forum after their hair transplant even if we comment on their post to post their current status as they wouldn't receive an email. Just a thought.

Edited January 23, 2022 by quantumhair
Added Medi Spa Evaluation. Added history of baldness.

[Melvin- Admin]

Can you post pictures of the sides? That is what separates a 6 from a 7. I have never heard of the derma clinix, but Eugenix is internationally known as one of the best clinics in the world specifically for Norwood 6/7s if you’re already in India, it really is a no-brainer. That said, medispa does great work as well. Doing a combination of FUT+FUE may be a good option, I’d be interested to hear their suggestion. 

[quantumhair]

5 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Can you post pictures of the sides? That is what separates a 6 from a 7. I have never heard of the derma clinix, but Eugenix is internationally known as one of the best clinics in the world specifically for Norwood 6/7s if you’re already in India, it really is a no-brainer. That said, medispa does great work as well. Doing a combination of FUT+FUE may be a good option, I’d be interested to hear their suggestion. 

Thank you @Melvin- Moderator. I now added sides pictures to the original post. I'm a bit worried whether 5000+ grafts could give good results or not from the coverage point of view from crown to front line. I'm already realistic in my expectations. Mine is straight hair, if the coverage is shallow enough that the scalp is seen even after combing, It's probably not worth it.

I'm also exploring at SMP after transplanted hair is grown. Thanks again.

[Melvin- Admin]

1 minute ago, quantumhair said:

Thank you @Melvin- Moderator. I now added sides pictures to the original post. I'm a bit worried whether 5000+ grafts could give good results or not from the coverage point of view from crown to front line. I'm already realistic in my expectations. Mine is straight hair, if the coverage is shallow enough that the scalp is seen even after combing, It's probably not worth it.

I'm also exploring at SMP after transplanted hair is grown. Thanks again.

You will need multiple hair transplants. You need at least 10k grafts. And you may not have the grafts available. It’s best to concentrate on the front and middle first. You are a Norwood 7 the sides are dropping. Your case is extremely difficult. You will need to rebuild the lateral humps to connect the top to your donor. If you have elastic skin, you could get one or two large strips. Maybe 5000 grafts in one strip and another 3000 in the other. After that FUE and body hair. It will be costly. Dr. Soni is good at strip, but I don’t know if he does megasession strips. You may want to ask him.

 

[quantumhair]

Thank you for taking time to reply@Melvin- Moderator. I have some follow up questions.

Quote

You are a Norwood 7 the sides are dropping. Your case is extremely difficult.

That's disheartening to know but thanks for pointing out. This lets me understand whether it's worth having HT or not and set my expectations better. This is difficult because of the further receding hair am I right?

Quote

You will need multiple hair transplants. You need at least 10k grafts. And you may not have the grafts available. It’s best to concentrate on the front and middle first. You are a Norwood 7 the sides are dropping. Your case is extremely difficult. You will need to rebuild the lateral humps to connect the top to your donor. If you have elastic skin, you could get one or two large strips. Maybe 5000 grafts in one strip and another 3000 in the other. After that FUE and body hair. It will be costly.

Clinics that I spoke to including Eugenix only proposed around 4000-5500 grafts. Some proposed only frontal and mid and suggested 2nd session for crown. Eugenix proposed crown coverage as well. This is no where near 10k. Do you think 5500 grafts will practically give reasonable enough coverage for aesthetics. I saw many videos showing 5000 grafts for grade 6 but I guess they don't show top view in the videos. If the top view is shallow I can get SMP afterwards.

Quote

Dr. Soni is good at strip, but I don’t know if he does megasession strips. You may want to ask him.

I got a reply from Medi Spa via email. They proposed 4000 grafts from donor scalp area using their FUT+FUE technique. This will be a single day procedure. They told another session will be needed later on to cover crown area but didn't specify number of grafts. I asked them a follow up question whether they can use my beard hair to increase number of grafts and coverage on crown area in the first session. They told that is possible but they can only tell a day before the surgery in personal consultation about that and how many grafts they can do(500-1000 easily if possible). The charge varies for beard grafts(not a problem for me given that I have limited options now).

What do you think about Eugenix proposal in my case(Basic Package)? I have given details in the original post above.

Eugenix also told me that the extractable grafts may be lower than what they proposed at the time of the surgery based on personal evaluation of donor area on the date of the surgery. However, I'm wondering if extracting that many grafts(3000-3500) using FUE could make matters worse down the line in the years to come.

My hair loss started almost 10 years ago(late teens) and in the current stage now. It's genetic from my maternal grand mother's side. All her brothers are bald and many examples in their families with people having history of losing hair when they were young. I have been unlucky.

 

Another update from Medi Spa: 1000 beard grafts can be easily taken but they still won't touch crown area and crown area will only be done after 12 months. I'm not sure about the reason. Your opinion is appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance @Melvin- Moderator. I'm really glad that I found this forum and your inputs will be much appreciated.

Edited January 23, 2022 by quantumhair
be precise

[quantumhair]

Hi @Melvin- Moderator, could you take a look at my reply above and let me know your thoughts. Sorry for bugging you 🙂.

[TEXAN35]

Hi @quantumhair, not sure if you have seen this thread but maybe useful for you.

 

 

 

[quantumhair]

Thank you @TEXAN35. I had already seen it. In consulted Medi Spa. The only apprehension is about FUT scar and a second session for crown where as Eugenix proposed 5500 grafts in single sitting. That apart, what do you think of donor area from the above pictures and my overall situation? Thank you.

[TEXAN35]

7 minutes ago, quantumhair said:

Thank you @TEXAN35. I had already seen it. In consulted Medi Spa. The only apprehension is about FUT scar and a second session for crown where as Eugenix proposed 5500 grafts in single sitting. That apart, what do you think of donor area from the above pictures and my overall situation? Thank you.

I guess you are now down to two choices a

1) Eugenix with 5000 graft

2) Medispa with 4000 FUE +FUT and a  second session. I think two session reduces huge shock to the scalp.

I personally think FUT+FUE gives access to more grafts overall  but with possibility of scar which needs longer hair on the back. Dr Soni has done good work in past to minimize the scar but again nothing is 100% guarentetd . If you have good beard to use then probably you can just go with the FUE route.

If you hair thickness is good and surgery done with correct graft placement 5000-6000 should provide you good coverage. As for crown scalp visibilioty is concerned a little bit of concealer use is common specially when going to events.

I think you can go with the transplant. Its a difficult decision and not to rush into until you are fully confortable. I guess others can give you more input.

 

[quantumhair]

Thank you for your inputs@TEXAN35. You have given some good ideas. I do have good beard hence Eugenix proposed 1400 grafts from beard. But with Eugenix, I can only go with their starter package with normal doc, I can't afford their more expensive packages. Not sure if that drastically changes results.

Is it okay to have a second session after 3 months gap? I had an interesting proposal from one clinic called Derma Clinix. It has only a few references in this forum from some members. But what they proposed to me is this in two sessions:

1. Session 1:  4500 grafts with 45-50 density but only front and mid scalp. (3500 scalp donor, 1000 beard donor)

2. Session 2 after 3 months after session 1 for crown area. They will evaluate healing of donor area and then decide grafts.

When asked they told 3 months period is fine since the crown area is un touched in the first session.

This proposal is making me greedy though I'm holding back as I didn't see any recommendation for this clinic in this forum. Also, Medi Spa didn't propose beard grafts at all. When asked they told they can use beard as well but still wouldn't touch crown area in the first session. It seems to me they are avoiding crown placement for some reason may be to avoid some risk or something.

But Medi Spa and Derma Clinix's two session approach might give more density on frontal and mid scalp perhaps compared to Eugenix?. Thank you again for your response.

Edited January 24, 2022 by quantumhair

[TEXAN35]

Hi,
I have not heard of Derma clinic, Unless you personally know few people who have got procedure done there with good result , it may be a risk. Since I dont know them I cannot say for sure they are bad .

About two sessions. Its is common for some doctors to recommend two seperarte session with a healing gap rather than a mega session so I wouldnt count that as soemthing negative. But yes it maybe an inconvinience to go through two seperate process. I would recommend at least the second package where the top doctors are involved  but financial limitations are understandable. I havent heard anything bad about the starter package at Eugenix but I think you can do more research and get feedback from people who chose that package before. Good luck.

[deadman]

@quantumhairwhat's this BIO FUE from Dermaclinix, it's marketing gimmick? Everyone is doing BIO FUE now I guess

[quantumhair]

@deadmanProbably. The same techniques multiple clinics are using by different terms making their own. I finally decided on Eugenix.

[Melvin- Admin]

@ADil chose the lowest package. Excellent results. You can’t go wrong at Eugenix IMO. 

[quantumhair]

@Melvin- ModeratorThank you for the affirmation. Hopefully, my case also will reinforce the trust that is shown in this forum on @Eugenix Hair Sciences and going to be a good case for lower packages at @Eugenix Hair Sciences. Waiting for Feb 28th.

Edited January 29, 2022 by quantumhair

[InTheSix]

On 1/22/2022 at 10:14 AM, quantumhair said:

I have been researching for a couple of weeks. Although I can't rule out there may be good doctors in India that are not necessarily popular in this forum, I still need a way to know for sure. So I'm mainly considering the doctors/clinics that are referenced in this forum. In the process I consulted many clinics with varying prices and confidence.

History of hair loss:

My hair loss started almost 10 years ago(late teens) and in the current stage now. It's genetic from my maternal grand mother's side. All her brothers are bald and many examples in their families with people having history of losing hair when they were young. I have been unlucky.

 

Some are not talked in this forum such as some clinics like:

 1. redefineu

 2. sriroop

 3. microsurge

 

Some are referenced in this forum due to their popularity in foreign nationals(?) and good results(?):

1. Eugenix (I got to know this first from a friend whose colleague has done the procedure here.)

2. DermaClinix

3. MediSpa

4. DHI India

5. Dr. Madhu (I don't see recent posts though in this forum)

What do you think about DermaClinix if I get my surgery by their main doctors? I can't afford top packages in Eugenix that are done by Dr. Arika or Dr. Pradeep. To be honest even their comprehensive package is a bit high to me.

My question is, is it better to have surgery performed by:

1. The main surgeons of DermaClinix (AIIMS alumini just like Dr Arika and Sethi)

2. (or) The Comprehensive Package of Eugenix where they mentioned that the procedure will be done by Eugenix trained doctor and technicians. (Not Senior Doctors, Senior doctors is a different package).

 

Note: Most clinics told it's grade 6 except DermaClinix.

 

Eugenix Proposal: (They told it's grade 6)

As per Eugenix my graft requirement is 5500: (3500 to 4000 from scalp, and 1500 from beard). This is the density proposed by them:

1. Frontal Scalp: 2200 to 2500

2. Mid Scalp: 1500

3. Crown: 1500

Single session(2 days procedure).

Medi Spa:

I got a reply from Medi Spa via email. They proposed 4000 grafts from donor scalp area using their FUT+FUE technique. This will be a single day procedure. They told another session will be needed later on to cover crown area but didn't specify number of grafts. I asked them a follow up question whether they can use my beard hair to increase number of grafts and coverage on crown area in the first session. They told that is possible but they can only tell a day before the surgery in personal consultation about that and how many grafts they can do(500-1000 easily if possible). The charge varies for beard grafts(not a problem for me given that I have limited options now).

Update from Medi Spa: 1000 grafts can be taken easily from beard but they still wouldn't touch crown area. That will be done only after 12 months in a different session.

Derma Clinix Proposal: (They told it's grade 7)

1. 7000 grafts.

2. Session 1: About 4500 grafts covering frontal and mid area.

3. Session 2(For crown. After 3 months after donor is healed and evaluation of the prior session): Remaining 2500 grafts.

4. Slightly different pricing if I choose BIO FUE.

(Both Scalp and Beard hair will be used similar to Eugenix)

 

DHI India

DHI was conservative in giving their estimated they just told 5000 hairs will be planted. Note that these are hairs/follicles not grafts which I obviously felt wouldn't be sufficient.

Appreciate your comments on pictures and my situation.

(PS: I'm from India. The perception of pricing may differ from a western view due to Socio Economic Factors.)

Off topic: I feel it's better to enable the Follow Topic check box by default for question posters as they most probably would like to see the replies. I'm guessing this is the reason some are not coming back to forum after their hair transplant even if we comment on their post to post their current status as they wouldn't receive an email. Just a thought.

I have a similar loss like yours.. IMO the 2 most important things you need to decide are a) what is the final result.you will be satisfied with b) what.sort of time and money you want to spend on it.. your hair loss is extensive...5000k will barely jus take you close to (decent) coverage. You need 8k-9k graft.. that will be a ton of money and several HTs and heck lot of patience (assuming each HT is relatively successful).. make sure you are ready for that longgg journey.. if you want to have the option of wearing your hair extremely buzzed after HT, avoid FUT.. otherwise, it "may" yeild more.graft overall..

Personally I avoided mega sessions (one and done).. instead went with a 3.1k 1st HT to address frontal and lateral humps and then will do mid/crown in the 2nf HT (have a booking at Eugenix later in the year) and then probably a 3rd HT to address anything left/possible...all in all almost 3 to 4 years by the time i will be at where i hope to be at if at least most of things go in my favor..

You will need to build ur lateral humps, your occipital area looks like the best donor (mine is too), probably avoid using grafts making temporal peaks (they are nice to have but you probably have more imp use for your limited grafts)

its a game of grafts, patience, luck and money... plan accordingly 

[Gatsby]

@quantumhair what are your hair restoration goals? Are you expecting full coverage? Frontal third and mid scalp? You really want to be very specific with your goals with whatever clinic you choose. Also unless you have already had an in person consultation be prepared on the day for the surgeon to state that your donor (be it scalp, beard, etc) that your donor is less than they first thought. If you have realistic goals then this can make your procedure more successful for yourself. Full coverage may be achievable. But it's something to bare in mind. All the best!

[deadman]

@quantumhairAnother clinic you could have consulted in person instead of Dermaclinix, Dr. Gaurang Krishna from Medlinks. he's also specialist in FUE, graduated from AIIMS. He's doing it at same price as Eugenix starting package, however he will do the HT personally, that should be great. I know that because I consulted over the phone but I will visit him in person next time.

 

[quantumhair]

@InTheSix@Gatsby@deadmanThank you all for your inputs. Each of your input is valuable and unique in its own way. But in the end I had to chose one and stick with it good or bad. I had completed my surgery at Eugenix this week. As specified in this thread I have well communicated my expectation of maximum coverage and they proposed 5500 grafts for full coverage. I'm going to create a separate thread about my experience and how many grafts I was implanted with. I'm sorry for not replying you earlier as I had faced mental fatigue with HT research.

[Al - Moderator]

Good choice. Eugenix does very well with cases such as yours. Good luck with your hair growth over the next 12 months.

 

[quantumhair]

Thank you @BeHappy. I created a thread of my experience. It says "Your content needs to be approved by Moderator". This is the first time I"m seeing that message. Is it common?
 

[Al - Moderator]

8 minutes ago, quantumhair said:

Thank you @BeHappy. I created a thread of my experience. It says "Your content needs to be approved by Moderator". This is the first time I"m seeing that message. Is it common?
 

@Melvin- Moderator can you help him with this?

 

[quantumhair]

It's now approved:
 

 

[Toubey]

Maybe I won't be popular with this comment, but if you're that young and already have lost that much hair, then I'm not sure an HT would work in the long run.. You are going to lose more hair, and eventually I doubt there would be enough hair left to make it look good.. Just something to consider..

[Britanium]

It’s going to take a couple of procedures at least, and as long as you have realistic expectations than it is possible to have reasonable coverage.

Eugenix/Medispa are the 2 Indian clinics that are worthy considerations, but both as you have noticed have different approaches. 
I actually like the combo HTs that Medispa do, the triple ones of FUT/FUE/BHT are particularly impressive. But as you mentioned that’s of you don’t mind the FUT scar.