Newcomer looking for advice

[rs525]

Hello everyone, I'm a new user with male pattern baldness that has been seeking treatments and advice for my worsening hair loss.

A little bit about me. I'm 29 years old, lived in Florida pretty much my whole life and have had a receding hairline most of my life. I definitely think it is genetic because my father has it and his late father (my grandfather) had it as well. If you looked at photos of all three of us you would be shocked to see how similar we all look. I have attached some photos of me today after I got my haircut and shaved. I think I am about a Norwood 3 and as you can see my hair does not look good no matter how I style it. 

As far as treatments go, the only thing I'm currently using is Hims Finasteride/Minoxidil Topical Spray which I've been using for nearly a year now. I don't know how much of a difference it has made personally. 

My big question is about possibly getting a hair transplant obviously. You guys seem to have expert knowledge on what to do. I should state I earn what you would call a "living wage" which is not a minimum wage thankfully but still I don't have a lot of money. Doctors say you should not travel to other countries to get hair transplants. Is this actually true or is this just them trying to gaslight you into staying and paying an entire mortgage just to get some hair back. My parents also do not believe I should get a hair transplant as they think they're still doing those awful doll like hair plugs (they're in their 60s cut them some slack).

I've been doing a bit of research and know some things for sure. I definitely do not want to fly to Turkey to get a hair transplant as it's way too far away and of course most of these clinics only have technicians perform the procedures. Based on my supposed Norwood 3 hairline I would estimate that I need about 2500 grafts to get a good hairline. I have also not gotten any consultation yet.

I have had my eyes set however on possibly going to Mexico for treatment as it is nearly as cheap as Turkey but much closer and easier to get to. Though of course I have no clue where to go. I have the following clinics and doctors in both the US and Mexico in mind:

• Tijuana
  • Hair Medical Restoration (has some good reviews, but have heard it can be hit and miss)
  • Neopel (heard good things, Dr. Ana Hernandez Amaya is a member of the ISHRS)
  • Capilea (good reviews on Google but can't find anything else about them)
  • TJ Hair Clinic (the only BBB certified hair clinic in Tijuana, but again seems hit and miss and don't know if an actual doctor performs surgery)
• Reynosa: Nader Medical (Dr. Luis Nader is a ISHRS fellow and he seems highly recommended on this forum and others, but Reynosa does not seem particularly safe while Tijuana seems a little safer and Dr. Nader is apparently booked solid until the end of next year)
• USA Florida
  • Tempus Hair Restoration (Dr. Marco Barusco is a ISHRS fellow, seems highly regarded and knowledgeable and has an office in my city, but of course probably expensive and forum user @nemack85 had an awful experience with him)
  • Dr. Glenn Charles (highly rated, ISHRS fellow)
  • Dr. Bernard Nusbaum (same as above)
  • Dr. Jeffrey Epstein (same as above)
  • Dr. Maxim Chumak (ISHRS member) 
• Georgia, USA
  • North Atlanta Hair Restoration (Dr. Daniel Danyo is a member)
  • Anderson Center for Hair (Dr. Ken Anderson is a ISHRS fellow and Dr. Daniel Lee is a member)

I've got more to discuss if possible but for now I wanted to give you guys an idea of where I'm at currently. I greatly appreciate any feedback.

Edited August 20, 2023 by rs525

[rs525]

I also wanted to add that apparently a man's hairline should be roughly 2.5 inches above their eyebrows. Would that possibly be good for me? 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by rs525

[gtyler]

I didnt have the best consultation experience with Dr Danyo (I'm in the Atlanta area). Just didnt feel confident in talking through what I needed, the price (which is going to be high in the US), lack of before and afters, the consultation with Dr Danyo himself (was unprofessional), and the lack of info on this page (which admittedly isnt his fault).

I ended up booking with Dr Nader. I'm heading down to Reynosa , MX in 3 weeks. I have zero concerns with safety. Been to Mexico many times (not just to tourist destinations). Also, he is praised in here which definitely make me more confident.

Also, my surgery was booked for October of 2024 but I got on his cancellation list and kept following up. Which allowed me to get in 13 months earlier! Cant hurt to go ahead and book it!

Edited August 23, 2023 by gtyler
grammar

[rs525]

10 hours ago, gtyler said:

I ended up booking with Dr Nader. I'm heading down to Reynosa , MX in 3 weeks. I have zero concerns with safety. Been to Mexico many times (not just to tourist destinations). Also, he is praised in here which definitely make me more confident.

I'm a little more concerned with Dr. Nader despite his good reputation mostly with the clinic. The building it's in looks like a strip mall and the area looks like a dump. Also, the US State Dept. has an advisory not to travel to Reynosa due to crime. They also said you shouldn't travel to Tijuana as well but that it wasn't as bad as Reynosa.

[rs525]

As an update I should point out I longer slick back my hair as it looked awful on me. I now style my hair in a side part as it seems my hair naturally wants to go that way.

[gtyler]

So did you make a decision on which doctor?

I'm not worried about the Reynosa area at all. I'll be with their team the whole time and lodging in the US.

Istanbul, New Delhi, and Tijuana all have their own issues as well.

[rs525]

7 hours ago, gtyler said:

So did you make a decision on which doctor?

I'm not worried about the Reynosa area at all. I'll be with their team the whole time and lodging in the US.

Istanbul, New Delhi, and Tijuana all have their own issues as well.

No I have not. I've got other things in my life more important right now.

[rs525]

Another update: I've stopped using the Hims topical spray as it was $50 a month and I felt like it wasn't doing much for me. I've since switched to the Musely Hair Bloom pill which has dutasteride, minoxidil, biotin, zinc and Vitamins C and D. Now only paying $28 a month. Will see how it turns out.

[rs525]

Yet another update: I do not wish to ever fly to Turkey or anywhere far outside the US to get a hair transplant as I'm currently in Rome, Italy on vacation with my parents and I got jet lag bad. I couldn't really sleep on the flight over and now I'm feeling the effects. Try to never fly coach when traveling internationally. If I do ever travel abroad again, I will definitely try and get business class seats.

[Turkhair]

14 minutes ago, rs525 said:

Yet another update: I do not wish to ever fly to Turkey or anywhere far outside the US to get a hair transplant as I'm currently in Rome, Italy on vacation with my parents and I got jet lag bad. I couldn't really sleep on the flight over and now I'm feeling the effects. Try to never fly coach when traveling internationally. If I do ever travel abroad again, I will definitely try and get business class seats.

You’re restricting your options then. 

 

[rs525]

20 hours ago, Turkhair said:

You’re restricting your options then. 

 

That's fine. If I traveled business or first class just to get a hair transplant halfway across the world, I could just spend that money and get it done in the US or even Mexico because at least it's much easier to get to.

[Melvin- Admin]

Dr. Nader is an excellent choice, Glenn Charles is a solid choice local in Florida. My advice is to look at reviews on this forum. This will help you, if you don’t see any reviews of a surgeon, I’d cross them off.

[Berba11]

On 8/20/2023 at 6:21 PM, rs525 said:

I also wanted to add that apparently a man's hairline should be roughly 2.5 inches above their eyebrows. Would that possibly be good for me? 

 

No & Maybe.

Firstly, there's no set number of inches/centimetres that a hairline should be from the glabella. Secondly, the most appropriate height for the hairline is unique to each patient.

There's a rough 'rule of thirds', meaning the distance between the tip of the nose and chin, mouth and glabella and glabella and mid-frontal point of the hairline should be roughly the same for aesthetic purposes. But the word "rule" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Most white dudes will have a forehead larger than the distance between the tip of the nose and the chin. Ultimately it comes down to where your frontalis muscle sits, where your hairline is naturally, how much hair loss you have, how good your donor area is and what best suits your facial proportions.

A good doctor will be able to guide you on the height. I'd say two things: 1. the height of the hairline isn't as important as you'd think aesthetically - a good, conservative hairline will frame your face as good as any other. 2. As someone who wishes he'd gone about 1-1.5cm higher with their own hairline, a conservative approach will stand you in the best possible stead both short & long term.

[Berba11]

On 8/24/2023 at 12:03 AM, rs525 said:

I'm a little more concerned with Dr. Nader despite his good reputation mostly with the clinic. The building it's in looks like a strip mall and the area looks like a dump. Also, the US State Dept. has an advisory not to travel to Reynosa due to crime. They also said you shouldn't travel to Tijuana as well but that it wasn't as bad as Reynosa.

The local crimes rates or aesthetic qualities of the area bear no resemblance and have no impact on the quality of a given clinic. Many, many people on this forum, myself included, have travelled to India for a HT.

I'm not sure how much crime you'd expect to run into at the clinic or sat in your hotel room recovering, or in the taxi getting between the hotel and the local airport. You're best off focusing your energies on the quality of the surgeon.

[rs525]

I have an update for this post in that some of my choices for a possible hair transplant have changed after narrowing it down. The US options are still the same but now I have the following:

USA FLORIDA

Dr. Marco Barrusco

Dr. Glenn Charles

Dr. Bernard Nusbaum

GEORGIA

North Atlanta Hair Restoration

Anderson Center for Hair

NORTH CAROLINA

Dr. Jerry Cooley

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Dr. Resul Yaman

Dr. Ozlem Bicer

Fuecapilar (Drs. Dogan Turan and Gokhan Gur)

Dr. Erkan Demirsoy

Dr. Kayihan Sahinoglu

TIJUANA, MEXICO

HMR Dr. Jorge K. Cortez

Capilar Dr. Jorge J. Cortez

REYNOSA, MEXICO

Dr. Luis Nader

Edited April 2 by rs525

[TrixGlendevon]

I would do what I did for the first transplant and save money and go to your first choice based on result rather than cost or geographical location. 

[rs525]

I just sent out my very first hair transplant consultation form ever to Dr. Luis Nader since he's close to me and considered one of the best when it comes to hair restoration so here's hoping.

Update: I just sent consultation requests with photos to Dr. Ana Hernandez of Neopel Hair Clinic in Tijuana (she's an ISHRS member) and the following

Glenn Charles, Jerry Cooley, Bernard Nusbaum in the US,

Ozlem Bicer, Resul Yaman, Dogan Turan/Gokhan Gur, Erkan Demirsoy, Ilhan Serdaroglu and Kayihan Sahinoglu in Turkey.

 

Edited March 31 by rs525
More consultations sent

[rs525]

I just heard back from Dr. Ana Hernandez from Neopel Hair Clinic. She said she felt I did not need a hair transplant as it was normal for me to lose 1 to 2 centimeters. She also added that people my age (I turn 30 in May) wish to lower their hairline and that's a personal decision. That's all fine and good. Still waiting to hear back from others and see what they think.

Edit: I heard back from Doga Oksuzoglu who works for Dr. Resul Yaman. He said I should get 2500 grafts for $3250 with a package including the following:

* Pre and post consultations with doctor

* Blood analysis and PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)

* DHI Operation

* Post operative control and cure

* Post operative medicines

* Special shampoo and lotion for the first 10 washing

* First washing by a specialist

* 3 nights 5* hotel (double room-breakfast inc.)

* Transfers (airport-hotel-clinic-airport) 

Edited March 31 by rs525

[Bucky O Hair]

9 hours ago, rs525 said:

I just heard back from Dr. Ana Hernandez from Neopel Hair Clinic. She said she felt I did not need a hair transplant as it was normal for me to lose 1 to 2 centimeters. She also added that people my age (I turn 30 in May) wish to lower their hairline and that's a personal decision. That's all fine and good. Still waiting to hear back from others and see what they think.

Edit: I heard back from Doga Oksuzoglu who works for Dr. Resul Yaman. He said I should get 2500 grafts for $3250 with a package including the following:

* Pre and post consultations with doctor

* Blood analysis and PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)

* DHI Operation

* Post operative control and cure

* Post operative medicines

* Special shampoo and lotion for the first 10 washing

* First washing by a specialist

* 3 nights 5* hotel (double room-breakfast inc.)

* Transfers (airport-hotel-clinic-airport) 

 

I agree with Dr. Ana. 

Looking at your photos, you seem to be blessed with thick hair but a mature hairline.

This can easily be managed with a new hairstyle (don't slick it back, rather just to the side and/or forward) and going for a dry look (using hair paste instead of gels). 

 

 

[rs525]

9 minutes ago, Bucky O Hair said:

 

I agree with Dr. Ana. 

Looking at your photos, you seem to be blessed with thick hair but a mature hairline.

This can easily be managed with a new hairstyle (don't slick it back, rather just to the side and/or forward) and going for a dry look (using hair paste instead of gels). 

 

 

Thanks. I actually don't style it that way anymore, I do a side part now because my hair seems to naturally want to do that. I sent her some new photos.

Edited April 1 by rs525

[rs525]

An update to this based on the consultations I've had, I've decided if I need a transplant in the future, my first choice is Bogota Hairlines in Colombia. The prices are a little high but plane tickets are cheaper than Turkey and there is no jet lag since they're only an hour back. Dr. Luis Nader is still being considered if I I ever hear back from them and the price is fair. If I DID have to fly all the way to Turkey and pay roughly $1500 for a roundtrip ticket, I would go with either Resul Yaman or FUECapilar (Dr Turan or Dr Gur) since they are cheaper, include all hotel and transfers and still provide generally good results, a good balance.

Erkan Demirsoy and Ozlem Bicer seem to give excellent results but the base prices for surgery are way more expensive, plus transfers and accommodations are extra.

[Dobranich]

3 hours ago, rs525 said:

An update to this based on the consultations I've had, I've decided if I need a transplant in the future, my first choice is Bogota Hairlines in Colombia. The prices are a little high but plane tickets are cheaper than Turkey and there is no jet lag since they're only an hour back. Dr. Luis Nader is still being considered if I I ever hear back from them and the price is fair. If I DID have to fly all the way to Turkey and pay roughly $1500 for a roundtrip ticket, I would go with either Resul Yaman or FUECapilar (Dr Turan or Dr Gur) since they are cheaper, include all hotel and transfers and still provide generally good results, a good balance.

Erkan Demirsoy and Ozlem Bicer seem to give excellent results but the base prices for surgery are way more expensive, plus transfers and accommodations are extra.

Hey, I think Bogotá Hairlines is a great choice. Now they have 3 doctors, personally I’d go with Dr. Pareja if price is a factor. I’ve read patient reviews and they’ve said when they chose the Dr. Camacho package, sometimes he wasn’t even in the room operating. Not to say he isn’t a great doctor, he has shown very good results. If you choose Dr. Camacho, you have Dr. Pareja or Dr Carranza working along side him. Dr. Pareja is on maternity leave and is back in early July. I was in Colombia 6 months ago and had an in person consult with Dr. Pareja. She’s very ethical as she told me what other ethical doctors have such as Nader. 
 

In regards to Nader, his prices have gone up. 2000 grafts are now $7453 USD and 2500 grafts are at $8750 USD. He does offer a reimbursement of $300USD for hotel and 10% discount if you pay half cash half credit card. My appointment with Nader is in 10 days, super excited. A little over my budget but it’s the convenience of not having to fly to Turkey or Thailand. Bogotá Hairlines is a good option though as you won’t have jet lag. The clinic itself is located in a safe area, I walked around the neighborhood for an hour with earphones in lol. Hope this helps!