FUT best for me? Need large graphs, fast surgery, minimal scaring, not exhaust donor area

[Dally6]

41 years old with significant receding and thinning. Been classified as a NW5 based on pictures submitted.

Been told I need 4500 graphs. If I can get more done now and not have to come back (for many years or ever) that would be great. I don't want to get multiple surgeries. I also don't want to exhaust my donor area in case I do need to come back. As such FUE concerns me. 

I want the procedure to be as quick as possible (without jeopardising quality) and I want minimal scaring. I keep my hair short and often have the back of my head shaved by a 3 blade (sometimes 2 or 4) 

I'm guessing as such an FUT (in the hands of an experienced FUT surgeon) would be better for me? That way the procedure is fast, the scaring is minimal (thin line perhaps), I can cover a large area, and I wont exhaust my donor area.

Also, is the DHI method quicker then FUE? Does it leave less scaring?

Edit: I am not taking medication and don't intend on doing so. Just my personal preference.  Also money isn't a significant factor in choosing a clinic (however time, location, discomfort is).

Thanks.

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2022 by Dally6

[NARMAK]

Firstly, are you on medication like Finasteride? 

Also, FUT isn't necessarily the way to go for you. Look at Eugenix and the great work they're managing with the FUE technique for higher grades of baldness as an example and even Hasson & Wong famed as Elites in the hair transplant industry have begun to switch over from FUT to almost exclusively FUE for patients to achieve great results. 

What i think you should do is always start with medication like Finasteride to preserve what you have. Depending on your actual hair loss, maybe Minoxidil and Microneedling could be used too. You spend a year on that treatment to get an idea of if your hair loss has stabilised and whether you might have even benefited from regrowth which could help reduce the amount of grafts you need even. 

Plus, that 12 months gives you ample time to save, research and book with the right clinic for your hair transplant goals. 

[Britanium]

Can you share some pics? No easy way round this, FUT scarring can be a issue, absolutely no guarantee it will end up pencil like thin, and it can take a certain length for it to be covered. FUE will scar, but it’s thousands of small dots. Again you won’t be able to go too short, but some guys do fades no problem. 
It’s a lot of grafts either way, if you decide FUT then you would want a large session from either H&W or Hattingen, if you go FUE then you definitely don’t want a huge amount of grafts done in one day, it would need to be multiple days. You wouldn’t want anybody doing it quickly, it’s going to be a long day/multiple days.. 

[Britanium]

Maybe you would consider someone that can do a combo Ht, Dr Bisnaga does some great FUT/FUE work.. Who have you consulted with so far.? 

[Britanium]

15 minutes ago, Dally6 said:

Also, is the DHI method quicker then FUE? Does it leave less scaring?

Edit: I am not taking medication and don't intend on doing so. Just my personal preference. 

DHI is mostly used as Marketing for hair mills, along with “scarless”, it’s a legit method of FUE but it’s Drs/Clinics results you need to be focusing on. Anything “quicker” is likely going to be someone just wanting to give you a higher graft, and they won’t have your best interests in mind. 

[Britanium]

I respect the decision you have made as regards to meds, You have obviously already considered it.. 

[Dally6]

11 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

Firstly, are you on medication like Finasteride? 

Also, FUT isn't necessarily the way to go for you. Look at Eugenix and the great work they're managing with the FUE technique for higher grades of baldness as an example and even Hasson & Wong famed as Elites in the hair transplant industry have begun to switch over from FUT to almost exclusively FUE for patients to achieve great results. 

What i think you should do is always start with medication like Finasteride to preserve what you have. Depending on your actual hair loss, maybe Minoxidil and Microneedling could be used too. You spend a year on that treatment to get an idea of if your hair loss has stabilised and whether you might have even benefited from regrowth which could help reduce the amount of grafts you need even. 

Plus, that 12 months gives you ample time to save, research and book with the right clinic for your hair transplant goals. 

Thanks for the reply. I am not taking medication and I don't wish to do so. Id prefer to go bald then take a daily pill. Just my personal preference. 

Ill look into Eugenix, I understand they are based in India. I was hoping to get treatment in Europe if you can recommend a clinic there.

[Dally6]

3 minutes ago, J.A.C said:

DHI is mostly used as Marketing for hair mills, along with “scarless”, it’s a legit method of FUE but it’s Drs/Clinics results you need to be focusing on. Anything “quicker” is likely going to be someone just wanting to give you a higher graft, and they won’t have your best interests in mind. 

Dr Resul Yaman does DHI. He is recommended on this forum. I was planning on visiting his clinic for an in person appraisal. My concern with the DHI method is exhausting the donor area. I will continue to lose hair as I wont take meds.

[Britanium]

Check out the forums recommended list:

https://hairtransplantnetwork.com/best-hair-transplant-surgeons
 

 

[Dally6]

10 minutes ago, J.A.C said:

Maybe you would consider someone that can do a combo Ht, Dr Bisnaga does some great FUT/FUE work.. Who have you consulted with so far.? 

I submitted an online application. I hope to hear from him soon. Id like a surgeon that provides both methods so we can objectively discuss the best option.

[Dally6]

1 minute ago, J.A.C said:

Check out the forums recommended list:

https://hairtransplantnetwork.com/best-hair-transplant-surgeons
 

 

Ive already consulted that list and contacted the surgeons closest to me. Thanks

[Britanium]

Just now, Dally6 said:

Dr Resul Yaman does DHI. He is recommended on this forum. I was planning on visiting his clinic for an in person appraisal. My concern with the DHI method is exhausting the donor area. I will continue to lose hair as I wont take meds.

He is indeed, nothing wrong with the DHI technique, it’s one of many for FUE, Look through the forum for results for the higher Norwoods for both Eugenix + Dr Yaman, no comparison really.. Eugenix is much more proficient. 

[Britanium]

1 minute ago, Dally6 said:

Ive already consulted that list and contacted the surgeons closest to me. Thanks

Excellent 👌 Glad to see someone being so proactive 👍🏽 Some may take a while to respond, this is quite usual..

 

[NARMAK]

11 minutes ago, Dally6 said:

Thanks for the reply. I am not taking medication and I don't wish to do so. Id prefer to go bald then take a daily pill. Just my personal preference. 

Ill look into Eugenix, I understand they are based in India. I was hoping to get treatment in Europe if you can recommend a clinic there.

There's a forum recommended list which you can use to reach out to places for a consultation. Your age is probably somewhat more favourable to thinking your hair loss is probably a bit more stable where it is. 

However, i would say you will definitely be needing to keep a higher mature hairline and depending on your beard and body hair situation, you could potentially use that too if necessary 

I think Hattingen is probably something that might suit you if your budget allows. They do great FUT work and FUE. They're based in Switzerland. 

[John1991]

10 minutes ago, Dally6 said:

Thanks for the reply. I am not taking medication and I don't wish to do so. Id prefer to go bald then take a daily pill. Just my personal preference. 

Ill look into Eugenix, I understand they are based in India. I was hoping to get treatment in Europe if you can recommend a clinic there.

Fair enough, but there are things outside of Fin that you can do to try to preserve your hair (minimally) or at least thicken what you have.  Such as nizoral and minoxidil.  If you care enough to consider an extensive transplant, I'd imagine those two things would be worth your while.  Also, to avoid potential side effects from fin (because it seems unlikely the actual taking of the pill is the real issue), you could try taking it twice a week...  That would at least prevent loss to some degree and reduce chances of side effects. 

As far as which procedure is preferable, it depends upon whether you want one (likely) small scar that prevents you from cutting your hair very short, or whether you want thousands of miniature scars that allow you (generally) to keep your hair shorter than the one, long scar.  Even with a less than ideal FUT scar, you'll be able to wear your hair reasonably short, just not very, very short.  Some think graft quality and yield rate are higher for FUT, though many here will say otherwise and very few are disinterested (on either side), but I don't think it's crazy to suggest that starting with FUT gives you a greater quantity of lifetime grafts.  

The duration of your recovery will be longer with FUT, but the immediate noticeability of the transplant will be greater with FUE.  And even with FUT, the increased tension in your scalp that results from the removal of the strip should recede around 3-4 weeks after the procedure.  Numbness can last several months more (generally to a significantly smaller degree than you'll find immediately post-op), but FUE isn't without donor numbness or discomfort either.

[Dally6]

1 hour ago, John1991 said:

Fair enough, but there are things outside of Fin that you can do to try to preserve your hair (minimally) or at least thicken what you have.  Such as nizoral and minoxidil.  If you care enough to consider an extensive transplant, I'd imagine those two things would be worth your while.  Also, to avoid potential side effects from fin (because it seems unlikely the actual taking of the pill is the real issue), you could try taking it twice a week...  That would at least prevent loss to some degree and reduce chances of side effects. 

As far as which procedure is preferable, it depends upon whether you want one (likely) small scar that prevents you from cutting your hair very short, or whether you want thousands of miniature scars that allow you (generally) to keep your hair shorter than the one, long scar.  Even with a less than ideal FUT scar, you'll be able to wear your hair reasonably short, just not very, very short.  Some think graft quality and yield rate are higher for FUT, though many here will say otherwise and very few are disinterested (on either side), but I don't think it's crazy to suggest that starting with FUT gives you a greater quantity of lifetime grafts.  

The duration of your recovery will be longer with FUT, but the immediate noticeability of the transplant will be greater with FUE.  And even with FUT, the increased tension in your scalp that results from the removal of the strip should recede around 3-4 weeks after the procedure.  Numbness can last several months more (generally to a significantly smaller degree than you'll find immediately post-op), but FUE isn't without donor numbness or discomfort either.

Very interesting. A lot of pros and cons for each procedure. Is there a pro/con chart I can refer to?

I understood FUT was a quicker procedure but if recovery is significantly longer than its not really quicker. This is definitely something I need to consider. I want to bounce back quickly. Is DHI the same as FUE in this regard?

I dont want to have my hair very, very short. I know its popular with kids these days but its not my style. I dont think the FUT scar will be an issue based on what I read on the Hattingen website (assuming its reliable info): "The area is closed using the latest plastic surgery techniques leaving a very narrow linear scar. Using the latest technique, Tricophytic Closure, it is possible for hair to regrow back through the thin scar helping to camouflage it even further. The result is a barely noticeable scar with long or shorter hair."

They also seem to recommend FUT for larger, singular procedures which require significant donor hair (my requirement): "The Follicular Unit Extraction is a very suitable method of donor hair extraction when the patient has a low demand for donor hair, smaller sessions. However if there is the need for higher graft numbers and with follicular unit extraction by calculation the donor cannot provide safely then FUT would be the much preferred method of harvesting. An advantage of this harvesting technique is the effectiveness and efficiency to remove a large number of FU´s in a single day as well as a high % of intact follicular units in optimum quality".

Thanks for the tips re preservation substances. Maybe its contradictory that I would get a HT but not take chemicals, but that's where I am. "If you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin" is the mantra : ) Id rather be bald than engage a daily chemical regime (shampoo or otherwise).

[Dally6]

1 hour ago, NARMAK said:

I think Hattingen is probably something that might suit you if your budget allows. They do great FUT work and FUE. They're based in Switzerland. 

I noticed Hattingen getting recommended on here a lot. Is there a reason they are not officially recommended by the forum?

Also, I would assume they would charge a significant premium based on the overheads in Switzerland being higher; is that what makes them more expensive or are they also more expensive because they offer a superior product? 

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Dally6

[NARMAK]

Just now, Dally6 said:

I noticed Hattingen getting recommended on here a lot. Is there a reason they are not officially recommended by the forum?

Basically the bottom line is that the forum recommended list is clinics that have to apply to be vetted and pay a fee to be recommended. 

If a clinic isn't on there, they could still have a great reputation but not wish to perhaps apply to certain organisations or have to pay the fee. They may feel their work being shown and the recommendations via word of mouth are enough to give them the business they require. 

I generally think if you stick around here long enough, you'll begin to see like me that things aren't always as they seem. By that i mean in the hair transplant industry in general, not just specifically talking about this forum. There's a ton of great genuine people on here who have had hair transplants and share their experiences etc. 

[Britanium]

Just now, Dally6 said:

I noticed Hattingen getting recommended on here a lot. Is there a reason they are not officially recommended by the forum?

It’s not a exhaustive list, not all the elite or decent choices are on it. It’s more than possible they would be considered in the future, They already are on other forums  such as Alopezie.de, you could find more results elsewhere too. 
A lot of the time people want to post in their native language, so we won’t always see a abundance of results from some Drs/Clinics. 

[Britanium]

Some Drs you will see being mentioned a lot and also not forum recommended are Dr Couto, Dr Zarev, Fuegenix and @Dr. Felipe Pittellathey are doing fantastic work, who knows when and if they might be considered, but they are all still excellent choices in their own right. 

[Britanium]

13 minutes ago, Dally6 said:

Also, I would assume they would charge a significant premium based on the overheads in Switzerland being higher; is that what makes them more expensive or are they also more expensive because they offer a superior product? 

Actually they are not that expensive, Dr Heitmann (Zurich) is someone else who I think is doing very good work. 

[Dally6]

1 hour ago, J.A.C said:

Actually they are not that expensive, Dr Heitmann (Zurich) is someone else who I think is doing very good work. 

Thats interesting. He charges 6 CHF per graph. Is there a reason for him being 30% more expensive even though they are both in Zurich? I also noticed Dr Zarev in Bulgaria charges 4 Eur per graph and I would assume his overheads would be considerably less than Hattingen yet his prices are only 11% less. I guess my question is: do these prices reflect the quality of service or dis the variance in price based more so on administrative costs (marketing, decoration etc)

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Melvin- Moderator
Removed link

[Britanium]

You will find Drs/clinics prices vary on many things. I will post a chart which although is now out of date, it will give you a ideas on the variations.

It’s best to judge on results, not prices. Some have increased (Like Eugenix) as they expand in to new premises etc, others increase their price the more popular they become. So many factors at play, a lot don’t even need to really do any marketing as such they are that in demand/well known. 

[John1991]

1 hour ago, Dally6 said:

Very interesting. A lot of pros and cons for each procedure. Is there a pro/con chart I can refer to?

I understood FUT was a quicker procedure but if recovery is significantly longer than its not really quicker. This is definitely something I need to consider. I want to bounce back quickly. Is DHI the same as FUE in this regard?

I dont want to have my hair very, very short. I know its popular with kids these days but its not my style. I dont think the FUT scar will be an issue based on what I read on the Hattingen website (assuming its reliable info): "The area is closed using the latest plastic surgery techniques leaving a very narrow linear scar. Using the latest technique, Tricophytic Closure, it is possible for hair to regrow back through the thin scar helping to camouflage it even further. The result is a barely noticeable scar with long or shorter hair."

They also seem to recommend FUT for larger, singular procedures which require significant donor hair (my requirement): "The Follicular Unit Extraction is a very suitable method of donor hair extraction when the patient has a low demand for donor hair, smaller sessions. However if there is the need for higher graft numbers and with follicular unit extraction by calculation the donor cannot provide safely then FUT would be the much preferred method of harvesting. An advantage of this harvesting technique is the effectiveness and efficiency to remove a large number of FU´s in a single day as well as a high % of intact follicular units in optimum quality".

Thanks for the tips re preservation substances. Maybe its contradictory that I would get a HT but not take chemicals, but that's where I am. "If you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin" is the mantra : ) Id rather be bald than engage a daily chemical regime (shampoo or otherwise).

Cosmetically, the FUT procedure is a quicker "recovery" because of no visual change to the donor area (if your hair isn't short).    What particular part of the recovery is most important to you?  If you want to be physically active quickest, FUE is best.  A few extra weeks out of the gym shouldn't sway you to doing FUE if you think FUT is a better procedure results-wise, though.  

As far as the "if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin" line, respectfully, that makes very little sense.  What about sunscreen?  Or moisturizer?  Or chapstick?  Or shampoos other than Nizoral?  It's a shampoo - I'd imagine you already use shampoo for your hair, what difference does using a kind that might actually help thicken your hair make? It simply doesn't seem logical to being willing to undergo a surgical procedure, but not use a different type of shampoo or apply a foam to your hair.

Edited May 6, 2022 by John1991

[Dally6]

22 hours ago, J.A.C said:

You will find Drs/clinics prices vary on many things. I will post a chart which although is now out of date, it will give you a ideas on the variations.

It’s best to judge on results, not prices. Some have increased (Like Eugenix) as they expand in to new premises etc, others increase their price the more popular they become. So many factors at play, a lot don’t even need to really do any marketing as such they are that in demand/well known. 

 

Great advice and thanks for the table! Very helpful. Should all of those surgeons listed be considered viable candidates worth exploriing? (ie. they have been vetted for providing excellent work). There are so many clinics to choose from its difficult to make a decision..

I dont want to travel to India but d like to get a HT in Portugal so perhaps Ill investigate Dr Ferrier. 

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Melvin- Moderator
Removed link