Narrowed it down to 3 clinic choices; Rahal, Hasson, Bisanga. Any other insight on who I should chose?

[Savemyhairline]

Over the last year I have done quite a bit of research. I have seen many impressive results from all 3 of these Doctors. Now that I have been on fin/min for about a year, I am ready to plan the HT. I have looked at and consulted with quite a few clinics and currently I feel these 3 are the best for my situation. I am 26, really looking to solidify the frontal third. I am a diffuse thinner though the meds have really helped with my crown and mid scalp, so at this time I am just focusing on the frontal third for the procedure. i believe FUE in the ballpark of 2.5k-3k grafts is what I am looking for. Some pros/cons I am seeing with each:

 

 

Hasson:

+Extremely reputable, puts out consistently great results

+Very competent team

+Been in the industry for a long time

-I have seen some concerns with him using more grafts than necessary and doing what other doctors can achieve with less grafts

-expensive/far travel but this is really the least of my concerns 

Rahal:

+I really like his hairline designs, he really seems to have earned the hairline king nickname.

+also very reputable and has been producing excellent results for many years

+price seems quite reasonable for the quality you are getting, though again this is a lower consideration for a permanent surgery. Also I can potentially drive/be driven to the clinic (I’m east USA) instead of flying which may be nice on the way home after the surgery.

+so far the consulting reps/customer service has been the best to me, the work/result is obviously way more important though I appreciate his process for consultations and his rep has been very helpful and responsive.

-some people have had concerns of less people posting results from him lately, though this seems to have been rectified as I have seen them post results on this very forum multiple times within the past 6 months/year. Some people have also had concerns that his FUE isn’t at the level that his, now discontinued FUT was, though I am not seeing this to be the case. His FUE results look fantastic.

Bisanga:

+Awesome work, seems to have earned an amazing reputation in recent years

+A lot of recent patient reviews/postings that backup his reputation 

-furthest travel/different continent though this isn’t a huge deal for me

-I haven’t heard back yet from my virtual consultation that I did on here, it’s only been like a week and a half but still, H&W and Rahal were on that very quickly. Maybe I should send the pics through his site directly? 
 

If you think I can’t go wrong with any of the 3 then that is a great answer. Please do share any insights or considerations I am maybe not thinking of. I will be sure to post my progress from start to finish on here once I get the procedure done. Here is what I am looking like currently:

 

[shiba1985]

tough call. all of them can hit a home run, and all of them can occasionally strike out. I would go with H or B though. 

[Savemyhairline]

26 minutes ago, shiba1985 said:

tough call. all of them can hit a home run, and all of them can occasionally strike out. I would go with H or B though. 

Any particular reason? Or just personal preference? Originally I was leaning Hasson but so far after the virtual consultation I am leaning Rahal. Subject to change when/if I hear back from Bisanga.

[shiba1985]

I have heard that lately he is not involved in the process as much, multiple cases and there have been few dissatisfied patients .

having said that I never looked into it at a microscopic level. I wouldn’t be swayed by “customer service” though. 

[Savemyhairline]

3 minutes ago, shiba1985 said:

I have heard that lately he is not involved in the process as much, multiple cases and there have been few dissatisfied patients .

having said that I never looked into it at a microscopic level. I wouldn’t be swayed by “customer service” though. 

It wasn’t really the “customer service” it was more the plan outlined in the consultation seemed a bit more solid to me, plus I don’t know the wait time for Hasson since they haven’t answered me, whereas I know I can get into Rahal in the next few months. I’d rather not wait 1+ years though I don’t think that is the case with Hasson, hopefully.

[nicoandgello]

Bisanga and his clinic is better than the other two IMO

[Melvin- Admin]

You have three excellent surgeons. I would suggest to research each of these doctors on the forum. Reach out to past patients, consult with all three, preferably over a video call. Take your time, no need to rush. Best wishes.

[Mike10]

26 is young and if you're diffuse you are not the best candidate. I think you consult with Bisanga first

[Savemyhairline]

8 minutes ago, Mike10 said:

26 is young and if you're diffuse you are not the best candidate. I think you consult with Bisanga first

Well I’m on meds that have helped a lot, my temples are completely gone and the thinning is mostly in the frontal third. H&W and Rahal have said I’m a good candidate, I believe I am.

[HappyMan2021]

26 is pretty young for a HT. I would say wait till you are 30 if possible but I know that is pointless advice because you aren't going to follow it. 🤣

-Bisanga is on fire right now. He would be my top choice. But logistically and communication-wise that could be the most challenging

-A few suspect H&W cases on the forum lately, but I wouldn't let a few bad apples scare you off. As long as you have a thick, plentiful and luscious donor, and your hairloss isnt too bad, I wouldnt be concerned with the bad cases. (again though, you are only 26.....so your future hairloss is still really uncertain)

-Rahal has a fantastic reputation but I haven't seen many reviews from his clinic lately. But you can still find a bunch online. 

 

[Savemyhairline]

17 minutes ago, HappyMan2021 said:

26 is pretty young for a HT. I would say wait till you are 30 if possible but I know that is pointless advice because you aren't going to follow it. 🤣

-Bisanga is on fire right now. He would be my top choice. But logistically and communication-wise that could be the most challenging

-A few suspect H&W cases on the forum lately, but I wouldn't let a few bad apples scare you off. As long as you have a thick, plentiful and luscious donor, and your hairloss isnt too bad, I wouldnt be concerned with the bad cases. (again though, you are only 26.....so your future hairloss is still really uncertain)

-Rahal has a fantastic reputation but I haven't seen many reviews from his clinic lately. But you can still find a bunch online. 

 

I’ll be 27 in November so waiting till 30 wouldn’t be the end of the world, but I do feel the time value of hair is very high so the extra 3 years with a better hairline would be worth a lot to me. I was initially pretty much set on H&W but some of the recent H&W cases on this forum made me think twice, not steering me away just making me consider a couple other top tier surgeons. Do you (or anyone reading this) have any idea how long Bisanga takes to answer online consultations/how far out he is scheduling? 

[THE TRUTH]

Bisanga does really really solid work.

He is one of the best for sure. 

Never seen a bad result from him after years of browsing those forums. Some people say the forum is biased towards Bisanga because he is one of the sponsors. Well maybe. I don't know but I have to admit he hits homeruns more than any other surgeon  and people get extremely fast growth with him ! By the 5-month mark  most of his patients already have a fully-matured 12 months results...

 Bisanga is really worldclass. 

 

[A Fue Good Men]

All doctors put out great results, for me however, bisanga is the winner.

 

looks like you need strictly hairline work. Freitas would be killer as well

[Buck Naked]

From what I have seen, H&W use too many grafts. There was actually a recent result posted showing this and I've seen other results too from them. Out of Rahal and Bisanga, I'm not sure who is "better." Both are excellent. 

[deeznuts]

I like H&W. If you want them to use less grafts, just ask them.

But lots of people get 2+ hair transplants to get extra density. I'd rather just get it in one from Dr. Hasson

[Eugenix Hair Sciences]

23 hours ago, Savemyhairline said:

Over the last year I have done quite a bit of research. I have seen many impressive results from all 3 of these Doctors. Now that I have been on fin/min for about a year, I am ready to plan the HT. I have looked at and consulted with quite a few clinics and currently I feel these 3 are the best for my situation. I am 26, really looking to solidify the frontal third. I am a diffuse thinner though the meds have really helped with my crown and mid scalp, so at this time I am just focusing on the frontal third for the procedure. i believe FUE in the ballpark of 2.5k-3k grafts is what I am looking for. Some pros/cons I am seeing with each:

 

 

Hasson:

+Extremely reputable, puts out consistently great results

+Very competent team

+Been in the industry for a long time

-I have seen some concerns with him using more grafts than necessary and doing what other doctors can achieve with less grafts

-expensive/far travel but this is really the least of my concerns 

Rahal:

+I really like his hairline designs, he really seems to have earned the hairline king nickname.

+also very reputable and has been producing excellent results for many years

+price seems quite reasonable for the quality you are getting, though again this is a lower consideration for a permanent surgery. Also I can potentially drive/be driven to the clinic (I’m east USA) instead of flying which may be nice on the way home after the surgery.

+so far the consulting reps/customer service has been the best to me, the work/result is obviously way more important though I appreciate his process for consultations and his rep has been very helpful and responsive.

-some people have had concerns of less people posting results from him lately, though this seems to have been rectified as I have seen them post results on this very forum multiple times within the past 6 months/year. Some people have also had concerns that his FUE isn’t at the level that his, now discontinued FUT was, though I am not seeing this to be the case. His FUE results look fantastic.

Bisanga:

+Awesome work, seems to have earned an amazing reputation in recent years

+A lot of recent patient reviews/postings that backup his reputation 

-furthest travel/different continent though this isn’t a huge deal for me

-I haven’t heard back yet from my virtual consultation that I did on here, it’s only been like a week and a half but still, H&W and Rahal were on that very quickly. Maybe I should send the pics through his site directly? 
 

If you think I can’t go wrong with any of the 3 then that is a great answer. Please do share any insights or considerations I am maybe not thinking of. I will be sure to post my progress from start to finish on here once I get the procedure done. Here is what I am looking like currently:

 

You are grade II on the Norwood Hamilton scale of baldness.

You shall require:

Frontal zone: 1500 grafts approximately for a complete restoration.

Your donor area is good.

You can also take finasteride to prolong baldness. You can take finasteride for a couple of months and observe its results and side effects (if any) in your case. Accordingly you can decide whether to take it or not.

[Savemyhairline]

9 hours ago, deeznuts said:

I like H&W. If you want them to use less grafts, just ask them.

But lots of people get 2+ hair transplants to get extra density. I'd rather just get it in one from Dr. Hasson

I totally agree that I’d rather get 1 procedure over two if possible. I wouldn’t ask for less grafts, though I have seen other people feel that they use more than necessary to achieve similar results to other top tier surgeons.   I can always make more money in the future, unless hair cloning actually comes into fruition one day, I can’t make more donor hair. 

[Savemyhairline]

14 minutes ago, Eugenix Hair Sciences said:

You are grade II on the Norwood Hamilton scale of baldness.

You shall require:

Frontal zone: 1500 grafts approximately for a complete restoration.

Your donor area is good.

You can also take finasteride to prolong baldness. You can take finasteride for a couple of months and observe its results and side effects (if any) in your case. Accordingly you can decide whether to take it or not.

Thank you, though I believe currently I am more in the NW3-3.5 range when you factor in the thinning. My hair is clean in these photos, when it is oily/sweaty you can see even more thinning in the frontal third. I do have fine hair so sometimes it is hard to tell what is diffuse thinning and what is just the result of my fine hair. For example Tom Hardy is supposedly not balding, yet sometimes I see his scalp and think it looks thinner than mine. His hairline is way lower though. I’ve been on fin for a little over a year with no sides so I will continue.

[Eugenix Hair Sciences]

10 minutes ago, Savemyhairline said:

Thank you, though I believe currently I am more in the NW3-3.5 range when you factor in the thinning. My hair is clean in these photos, when it is oily/sweaty you can see even more thinning in the frontal third. I do have fine hair so sometimes it is hard to tell what is diffuse thinning and what is just the result of my fine hair. For example Tom Hardy is supposedly not balding, yet sometimes I see his scalp and think it looks thinner than mine. His hairline is way lower though. I’ve been on fin for a little over a year with no sides so I will continue.

Please may we request you to share some pictures with wet hair too?

[Savemyhairline]

43 minutes ago, Eugenix Hair Sciences said:

Please may we request you to share some pictures with wet hair too?

Sure. First is what I would look like as if I just came out of the shower and it was pushing my hair forward. Then if I REALLY want to make it look bad, I pull/move it apart with my fingers when wet. I assume I would be headed for NW6 or at the least NW5 if I just did nothing at all. The only question is when as MPB typically has effected the men in my family later in life, 60s and beyond, whereas it seems to be hitting me earlier, other than maybe my paternal grandfather who also had significant recession though I only have pictures of him in his late 30s and I’m only 26.

[NARMAK]

Can somebody please explain what they mean by "uses too many grafts" for Dr Hasson? 

I thought people would be extremely happy having a really high dense packing in a single pass. Saving them feeling their first pass wasn't good enough and needing a top up for density sooner rather than later. 

[civic]

33 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

Can somebody please explain what they mean by "uses too many grafts" for Dr Hasson? 

I thought people would be extremely happy having a really high dense packing in a single pass. Saving them feeling their first pass wasn't good enough and needing a top up for density sooner rather than later. 

There is dense packing & then there is overpacking. Why would you want a 5 mile worth of forest planted on 5 inches of land? More is not better, overpacking can in fact be detrimental for optimal  graft  survival rate as they will fight for blood supply & by looking at what other top clinics achieve with less  is where the disagreement comes in.

Edited June 26, 2022 by civic

[NARMAK]

13 minutes ago, civic said:

There is dense packing & then there is overpacking. Why would you want a 5 mile worth of forest planted on 5 inches of land? More is not better, overpacking can in fact be detrimental for optimal  graft  survival rate as they will fight for blood supply & by looking at what other top clinics achieve with less  is where the disagreement comes in.

Your analogy imo doesn't quite resonate. 

Let's say there's 1cm/2 of space for grafts to be placed, most go and place it seems around half or less the native density. So 100cm/2 native is reduced to 50cm/2 or below. If Dr Hasson is dense packing let's even say 65cm/2, then that's higher but i've almost never heard many people complain of H&W having poor growth and yield rates. 

They're world class and whilst i may agree, other clinics may perhaps be cherry picking in some eyes better and placing in a different way to create an equivalent illusion of density, this is still imo a difference of methodology. Not necessarily to say Dr Hasson is doing it "wrong" per se. 

Again, it's difficult to come to a conclusion of "overpacking" if you can't show cases under Dr Hasson regularly yielding poor survival rates and growth. 

[civic]

17 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

Your analogy imo doesn't quite resonate. 

Let's say there's 1cm/2 of space for grafts to be placed, most go and place it seems around half or less the native density. So 100cm/2 native is reduced to 50cm/2 or below. If Dr Hasson is dense packing let's even say 65cm/2, then that's higher but i've almost never heard many people complain of H&W having poor growth and yield rates. 

They're world class and whilst i may agree, other clinics may perhaps be cherry picking in some eyes better and placing in a different way to create an equivalent illusion of density, this is still imo a difference of methodology. Not necessarily to say Dr Hasson is doing it "wrong" per se. 

Again, it's difficult to come to a conclusion of "overpacking" if you can't show cases under Dr Hasson regularly yielding poor survival rates and growth. 

I am not by any means impying he is bad, h&w are one of the best, i just don't agree with their philosophy, is all, which i mentioned earlier somewhere in this thread.

[deeznuts]

3 hours ago, Savemyhairline said:

I totally agree that I’d rather get 1 procedure over two if possible. I wouldn’t ask for less grafts, though I have seen other people feel that they use more than necessary to achieve similar results to other top tier surgeons.   I can always make more money in the future, unless hair cloning actually comes into fruition one day, I can’t make more donor hair. 

Imo they use more hair to achieve better results than other surgeons. H&W have great results using a limited number of grafts. But they can give you hair that's dense packed