Doctor and Graft Recommendations

[AlteredEg0l]

Hello all! I've been looking into FUE for a few months now, and recently got a consultation from Hair Center Mexico. They recommended 2200-2400 grafts for my crown and another 2300-2500 to restore my hairline and add density across the top.

1. Do these numbers sound accurate? (Refer to my photo album for more historical pictures.)
2. They said they can't do it all in one go; I'd have to come back after the first procedure had time to heal up before addressing whatever is left. What's the max number of grafts people can get in one procedure?
3. Is quality as necessary with less prominent areas like the crown or simply restoring density? (I'm basically wondering if I can save some money on the less obvious areas, in order to splurge a bit on the ever-important hairline.)
4. I live in midwest US (Ohio), so I'm thinking around September is a good time of year to get this done: truly cold hat-wearing weather doesn't set it for a few months, but it's not the absolute middle of summer when sweat and sun will be at their worst. What do y'all think?
5. My budget is around $6000, all-inclusive. I'm in the US, but expecting to travel outside the country to get the work done. Doctor recommendations?

Thanks everyone!

[JoeMan]

I wouldn't limit yourself to 1 clinic. Get several consultations. Most really good Dr's have a year waiting list so maybe saving money over this period will put you with a better Dr. 

I really like Dr. Pinto in Portugal for 2.6€ per graft. 

Dr. Ferreira in Portugal for 3€ and

Dr. De Freitas in Spain in 3.5€ for the 1st 1k grafts then 2.5€ afterwards. 

These are not the only options but definitely a few I'd look into. Do more research and get several consultations before moving forward. I think the graft count sounds close to me though. How much was the quote you received? 

[AlteredEg0l]

1 minute ago, JoeMan said:

How much was the quote you received? 

$5750 all-inclusive (minus airfare)

[JoeMan]

Yeah, Dr. Pinto would be a little more money but might be worth it in my opinion. Honestly I don't have knowledge about this clinic but I believe I've heard @Melvin- Moderator talk about it before?

Did you search real patient reviews from this clinic? 

[AlteredEg0l]

1 minute ago, JoeMan said:

Did you search real patient reviews from this clinic? 

For Hair Center Mexico? Yes. That's what led me to seek a consultation. Like you said, though, it's definitely worth shopping around and getting other doctors' opinions! I figured the fine folks here could help point me towards _which_ doctors to seek out. Bicer is also a name I see come up a lot, and I know Turkey's HT industry is one of the best, so I plan to consult with her next. Wondering where/who else to talk to.

[JoeMan]

4 minutes ago, AlteredEg0l said:

I know Turkey's HT industry is one of the best

Actually this is completely false. Turkey is mostly a scam. Dr. Biçer and HLC are decent and maybe a few others but personally I'd pick Spain and Portugal way before Turkey. 

How old are you? 

Are you on medication for HL?

[AlteredEg0l]

31 minutes ago, JoeMan said:

Actually this is completely false. Turkey is mostly a scam. Dr. Biçer and HLC are decent and maybe a few others but personally I'd pick Spain and Portugal way before Turkey. 

How old are you? 

Are you on medication for HL?

Sadly, I can't afford the $10k+ that some countries would cost me. I'm hoping that by staying away from my hairline, I can get by with a slightly cheaper doctor instead of the "premiere" level people mentioned here. In my price range, Turkey and Mexico seem to have the most options available - but I fully admit I don't know much about this at all!

I'm 42, been taking Dutasteride for about a year now and topical Minoxidil for about 5.

[ITA]

@AlteredEg0lI agree with @JoeMan, in Turkey only a few clinics / surgeons can be trusted, all the others, hair mills or fake clinics.

[Britanium]

Both Dr Cortez + Dr Nader are good choices in Mexico, since you have already got a quote from HMR I would also get one for Dr Nader.

Dr Bicer is €2 per graft, Dr Demirsoy is €1.50, both are within your budget. Although it can be worth saving up more to get to the price point of the other European Drs mentioned. 

[JoeMan]

54 minutes ago, AlteredEg0l said:

I'm hoping that by staying away from my hairline

Are you not doing your hairline? I'm confused by this because you said that you were doing your front and crown.

[Britanium]

59 minutes ago, AlteredEg0l said:

but I fully admit I don't know much about this at all!

Spend as long as possible doing some research here on the forum, it will really pay off… 

[JoeMan]

1 minute ago, J.A.C said:

Both Dr Cortez + Dr Nader are good choices in Mexico, since you have already got a quote from HMR I would also get one for Dr Nader.

Dr Bicer is €2 per graft, Dr Demirsoy is €1.50, both are within your budget. Although it can be worth saving up more to get to the price point of the other European Drs mentioned. 

Dr. Nader seems decent too. If it was me, I'd save a bit more for Dr. Pinto and you'll have a year to save. If not then maybe pick between HMR, Dr. Nader and Dr. Biçer but there is a reason why the other Dr's cost more in my opinion. 

[JoeMan]

1 minute ago, J.A.C said:

Spend as long as possible doing some research here on the forum, it will really pay off… 

This☝️☝️☝️

Do research and get plenty of consultations. Read patient reviews and only proceed when you feel comfortable with the clinic. Not saying price shouldn't be a factor but do more research before you jump into this. 

[AlteredEg0l]

8 hours ago, JoeMan said:

Are you not doing your hairline? I'm confused by this because you said that you were doing your front and crown.

Oh! Sorry, I should've been more clear: unless I can do it all in a single procedure, I'll do my crown first and hairline later. My hairline receded in sometime in my twenties and I didn't even notice. The bald spot and asymmetry of the hair loss up top bother me way more.

[AlteredEg0l]

8 hours ago, JoeMan said:

Read patient reviews and only proceed when you feel comfortable with the clinic.

I'm having a really hard time finding bad reviews. Obviously doctors' websites will only show their best work, but the overwhelming majority of positive results on here has me thinking the success rate is really high and there's maybe not much to worry about. Am I missing something?

[JoeMan]

That's a rather unusual tactic for a HT. The hairline is what people see 1st and frames your face. It's also easier to conceal your crown with topik and other products. I'd rethink this strategy and go for the hairline 1st. 

[JoeMan]

Looked at your pictures better and I can see your point of going crown 1st.

[Melvin- Admin]

If you can’t afford a good surgeon don’t get surgery. We’re talking about your head here, not some inanimate object. 

Save some more money, or do nothing. Doing nothing is never a bad choice. 

[LaserCaps]

11 hours ago, AlteredEg0l said:

Hello all! I've been looking into FUE for a few months now, and recently got a consultation from Hair Center Mexico. They recommended 2200-2400 grafts for my crown and another 2300-2500 to restore my hairline and add density across the top.

1. Do these numbers sound accurate? (Refer to my photo album for more historical pictures.)
2. They said they can't do it all in one go; I'd have to come back after the first procedure had time to heal up before addressing whatever is left. What's the max number of grafts people can get in one procedure?
3. Is quality as necessary with less prominent areas like the crown or simply restoring density? (I'm basically wondering if I can save some money on the less obvious areas, in order to splurge a bit on the ever-important hairline.)
4. I live in midwest US (Ohio), so I'm thinking around September is a good time of year to get this done: truly cold hat-wearing weather doesn't set it for a few months, but it's not the absolute middle of summer when sweat and sun will be at their worst. What do y'all think?
5. My budget is around $6000, all-inclusive. I'm in the US, but expecting to travel outside the country to get the work done. Doctor recommendations?

Thanks everyone!

Forget the money aspect for a minute.  Unrealistic expectations? Perhaps. Let's return to basics.

If you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing hair.  The photo you've shown of the top of your head shows diffused thinning. All that hair is at risk and it's likely you'll lose it if you don't do something about it.  Are you doing anything to help you with retention of the native hair?  Propecia, Rogaine, PRP and Laser are the modalities we typically refer to when dealing with this debilitating condition.  

You've drawn a hairline in a very aggressive position.  This only increases the size of the canvas.  Not only will you create a hairline of a teenager, you'll be limiting your donor and the amount of hair that can be placed farther back in the pattern - which seems to be important to you.  The farther back you work the farther back the doctor can take the grafts.  This would help to minimize the size of the crown.  

Donor limitation.  No one with an advanced pattern has enough donor to allow for a full set of hair in the front, middle and back.  So, if there is a limitation, where do we want to put it so that it makes the most benefit for the patient?  The front.  It is the area you see when looking at yourself.  It is also the area others see when they interact with you. And, what about the crown? You might ask.

We all share the whirl.  There is a point in the crown area from which the hair stems.  No hair is coming into the area. Rather, the hair grows outwards from the point.  It's a sphere and it can take all your donor. So, say you fill the crown and you have no donor left.  You will then be asking "why did you put all my hair in the crown? Now I have nothing left for the front." You will always look bald.

Now the money.  You may want to consider getting on all modalities and give then a year.  Who is not to say a lot of the miniaturized hair you have can be reversed with the PRP and the Laser.  If much of what you have is improved, including the crown, would then open up many more options.  

Finally, as part of your research, find out where the doctors you are considering learned to do hair.  Do they have a Fellowship in hair?

 

[AlteredEg0l]

37 minutes ago, LaserCaps said:

Forget the money aspect for a minute.  Unrealistic expectations? Perhaps. Let's return to basics.

If you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing hair.  The photo you've shown of the top of your head shows diffused thinning. All that hair is at risk and it's likely you'll lose it if you don't do something about it.  Are you doing anything to help you with retention of the native hair?  Propecia, Rogaine, PRP and Laser are the modalities we typically refer to when dealing with this debilitating condition.  

You've drawn a hairline in a very aggressive position.  This only increases the size of the canvas.  Not only will you create a hairline of a teenager, you'll be limiting your donor and the amount of hair that can be placed farther back in the pattern - which seems to be important to you.  The farther back you work the farther back the doctor can take the grafts.  This would help to minimize the size of the crown.  

Donor limitation.  No one with an advanced pattern has enough donor to allow for a full set of hair in the front, middle and back.  So, if there is a limitation, where do we want to put it so that it makes the most benefit for the patient?  The front.  It is the area you see when looking at yourself.  It is also the area others see when they interact with you. And, what about the crown? You might ask.

We all share the whirl.  There is a point in the crown area from which the hair stems.  No hair is coming into the area. Rather, the hair grows outwards from the point.  It's a sphere and it can take all your donor. So, say you fill the crown and you have no donor left.  You will then be asking "why did you put all my hair in the crown? Now I have nothing left for the front." You will always look bald.

Now the money.  You may want to consider getting on all modalities and give then a year.  Who is not to say a lot of the miniaturized hair you have can be reversed with the PRP and the Laser.  If much of what you have is improved, including the crown, would then open up many more options.  

Finally, as part of your research, find out where the doctors you are considering learned to do hair.  Do they have a Fellowship in hair?

 

What a great post! Thank you for all of this information; I was unaware of many of these factors.

I've been using minoxidil for about 7 years now, tried coupling that with finasteride for 2 years recently, and then switched that out for dutasteride for the past 2 years. I believe the minoxidil is doing the most to prevent further hair loss; it seemed to accelerate when I stopped using it. (Nothing is resulting in new hair growth, unfortunately.)

As for the location of the HT, I'm good with my appearance. I have a high hairline, but it's decent and I'm used to it. Nearly all of my hair loss is invisible to me; it makes me way more paranoid thinking others are seeing a problem that I can't. Like I'm "lying" to them in some way by appearing to have a full head of hair until they see me from an alternate angle. This ties in with cost, too: I won't feel it's money well spent unless I no longer have a bald spot.

Regarding doctors, this forum is my primary resource. If the doctor has been vetted by users on here and recommended, what more information should I be gathering?

[JoeMan]

2 minutes ago, AlteredEg0l said:

Regarding doctors, this forum is my primary resource. If the doctor has been vetted by users on here and recommended, what more information should I be gathering?

Dr's pay to be recommended here so it's a form of advertising. Pick your surgeon from real patient reviews. The recommended list is not perfect in my opinion as they have Dr's that aren't the best and likewise some better Dr's are not listed. Research is key. 

[RTC]

30 minutes ago, JoeMan said:

Dr's pay to be recommended here so it's a form of advertising. Pick your surgeon from real patient reviews. The recommended list is not perfect in my opinion as they have Dr's that aren't the best and likewise some better Dr's are not listed. Research is key. 

Recommended in what way? To be put on the approved list?

[JoeMan]

Yes, the approved list. Any site or forum is similar I believe as this is a business. That's not to say that some of those Dr's aren't good because likely most are. But make no mistake, it's a form of advertising. If a Dr doesn't want to pay, he will not be recommending here. 

This is why it's important to read the real patient reviews listed on this or other forums. 

[Melvin- Admin]

1 hour ago, AlteredEg0l said:

What a great post! Thank you for all of this information; I was unaware of many of these factors.

I've been using minoxidil for about 7 years now, tried coupling that with finasteride for 2 years recently, and then switched that out for dutasteride for the past 2 years. I believe the minoxidil is doing the most to prevent further hair loss; it seemed to accelerate when I stopped using it. (Nothing is resulting in new hair growth, unfortunately.)

As for the location of the HT, I'm good with my appearance. I have a high hairline, but it's decent and I'm used to it. Nearly all of my hair loss is invisible to me; it makes me way more paranoid thinking others are seeing a problem that I can't. Like I'm "lying" to them in some way by appearing to have a full head of hair until they see me from an alternate angle. This ties in with cost, too: I won't feel it's money well spent unless I no longer have a bald spot.

Regarding doctors, this forum is my primary resource. If the doctor has been vetted by users on here and recommended, what more information should I be gathering?

Lists are starting points for research, make sure you do your due diligence by researching and using this forum as a resource. That said, given your limited budget, high degree of hair loss, it’s probably not feasible to get surgery. You need at least 4,000 grafts, vast majority of decent surgeons charge $2 per graft which is around $8,000. Shaving is free, surgery should always be last resort, especially if you have financial constraints. Remember this is a lifelong commitment. One and done hair transplants don’t exist. 

[ITA]

I think you are in the right place to find the right clinic / surgeon for you.  Even though as it says @JoeMan. the recommended surgeons / clinics pay a fee to stay here, HRN will never delete a thread of an unhappy patient operated on in one of these clinics as it happens in the other forums, which compromise and give in to the temptation of money. .  On the European forums, especially the Italian ones, surgeons who have been eliminated from the recommended list here, are instead advertised as top surgeons, there you will find only excellent results, and when some discontented patient tries to let others know his misadventure with the clinic, the administrator (who also comes here to take threads and publishes them on his forum by changing the name so as not to advertise to HRN) promptly blocks user comments with the excuse of keeping it in moderation, and then making it end up in oblivion, and this is not fair.  Many of these clinics invest their money in forums like that rather than advertising.  Forget Trustpilot, Google, Istagram and YouTube as well.