Dr Laorwong | Absolute Hair Clinic | Bangkok |3644 Grafts

[Cooper48]

Hi All,

 

I got my first HT with Dr. Laorwong yesterday.  Thanks to @A_4_Archan for helping me make the final decision with his well thought out plan, detailed review and good results.  I then looked at the hundreds of results from Dr Laorwong and it seemed he was doing as good of job as the others I was looking at for ¼ of the price.  He currently charges 80 baht per graft.   A little over 2 USD.  

 

History

I’m almost 49 and I’ve been losing my hair fairly slowly for the past 20 years.  My moms dad is the only one I know in the family line with hair loss.  However, I don’t totally remember what it was like since he passed when I was 16.  He definitely still had hair on top in his 70s though, just thinner.  I have been able to mostly cover it up but it keeps getting harder and harder.  I think I am lucky because my hair is thicker and wavy/curly, so kind of wild. I have been using topical Min for 5 or so years but just once per day.  I started taking Fin 2 months ago.  No side effects to note.    I was looking for a conservative approach because at my age I think it looks ok to have some recession.  I was hoping for a no shave recipient so I could return to work faster without people noticing.  This wasn’t a deal breaker but Dr Laorwong offered without me even asking.   My own insecurity but I think I have covered it up pretty well all these years, with the exception of the crown.  

 

I’ll provide some detail below but my experience is very similar to @A_4_Archan, @HatMaster , @Jamos1982 and others that have been through the process.  

 

Pre consult

I had a consultation at 3pm the day before where we agreed on a hairline and he answered my questions.  Gave me some antibacterial soap to use on twice before the procedure.  He said he will be using a 95mm punch size due to the thickness of my hair. 

 

Arrival

I arrived at my scheduled time of 830.  One of the support staff had me change into scrubs and gave me medicine (Antibiotic, valium and pain pill).  

 

Dr L did my hairline again and put micro imperfections.  They looked good so no real adjustments needed to be made to make me happy.  He personally shaved my head with a nice taper (left the top long) so it should grow out pretty good and I won’t need a haircut for quite a while.  I did let him know that density in the front was the most important but to use as many grafts as needed to get both the front and back.  

 

Donor Work

They had me go to the procedure room where I laid on my back and they started the numbing process.  This was pretty painful but didn’t last that long.  They seemed to have dug into my jaw muscles above my ears because they are very sore today.  They spent about 5 hours on me in these positions.  It was not comfortable to be in the same position for so long so by the end I was kind of squirting my legs to try and relieve some of the pressure on my back.  Unfortunately the Valium didn’t work well on me so I was awake the entire time. This made for a very long day.

 

Lunch

When I checked in they asked me what food I wanted.  Others had the phad thai so I went with that.  It was very good.  Had about a 20 minute break and then back to the procedure.

 

Recipient Work

For this part I was mostly on my back.  This was a better position but after 5 more hours I was also very uncomfortable.  THey did some more numbing shots.  Again the most painful part of the surgery.  After they were mostly complete Dr L said they were going to do some more on my crown so I flipped over.  I don’t think Dr L was always there but he was there a lot until the end.  Amazing to have him so involved.  At the end they did a 15 minute light therapy.  They put a shower cap over my head and bandage and a bandana.  

 

Total Hair Graft/Hairs

 

Total Grafts/Hairs  = 3644/8334

Single Grafts = 216

1.5 Grafts = 180 (not sure what that means)

2 Grafts = 1709

3 Grafts = 1540

 

Night

They did give me a ham sandwich thing but I wasn’t into it.  I ordered some pizza at my hotel room when I got back.  Then I went to sleep using two pillows and a neck pillow.  Worked just fine but woke up after 5 hours.  Mostly I think it's because of jet lag.  Not much pain.

 

Following day

I took the pain pill (non narcotic) and antibiotic as directed.  I then toured for 6 hours until my 1pm follow up appointment for washing and light therapy.  My head was slightly sore throughout the day but the most painful part was the followup visit.  Not sure why this was so painful but the washing, light and antibacterial ointment hurt quite badly.  There was also one spot on my donor area that wou;dnt stop bleeding. Took about 15 minutes to get it to stop.  Dr. L stopped by and looked at everything.  Said it looked good and answered a few questions.  He said I should expect a pretty thick result since I had a large volume of 3 heir grafts.  I don;t have anything to compare to but it made me feel good.  I will be headed back for 3 more days for cleaning and light therapy.  I am skipping the last because I am leaving.  I have been instructed to not wear a hat for 5 or so days, not drink or smoke for 48 hours and not work out for 7 days.  The US recommendations seem to be way more conservative.  I will probably go somewhere in between.  I did also have Dr laorwong prescribe a year supply of both oral Min and Fin. Prices were a lot cheaper than at home.  

 

Logistics

I stayed at the Marriott because I have points there.  It was a little farther away than some of the other locations.  It wasn’t bad but you have to account for traffic.  It can be brutal.  Rides were about 175 Baht each way using Grab App.  

 

I’ve included some pictures below.

Lunch

2 pre op

4 post op - As always, his work looks very clean!

 

These were just quickly taken from my iphone. I will ask Dr L to send the pro ones they take.  

 

Overall this was a great experience. Dr Laorwong and all his staff are very friendly and helpful. I am glad I am done because there is stress leading up to it and wondering if you are making the right decision.  So far I feel really good about it but the results will be the proof.  

 

Thanks again for all the valuable information on this site!

[Melvin- Admin]

I remember your thread. Fantastic write-up. $2 per graft is a steal for his quality. How many grafts did you end up getting in the crown?

[Cooper48]

6 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

I remember your thread. Fantastic write-up. $2 per graft is a steal for his quality. How many grafts did you end up getting in the crown?

Great question.  I have that on my list to ask him when I go back today. 

[Jackdaniels]

Happy growing. Looking good.
Which parts of the procedure did dr laorwong did ?? Who did extractions of grafts and implantation of them?

[Jamos1982]

Hey work looks clean as always. I’ll be getting a non shave also on my second op with him in Feb next year! All the best with your recovery and look forward to your updates! 

[Cooper48]

1 hour ago, Jamos1982 said:

Hey work looks clean as always. I’ll be getting a non shave also on my second op with him in Feb next year! All the best with your recovery and look forward to your updates! 

Thanks for sharing your progress, it made it a lot easier decision.  The no shave recipient seemed to work great and I think I will be semi normal looking in a couple weeks. 

[Cooper48]

1 hour ago, Jackdaniels said:

Happy growing. Looking good.
Which parts of the procedure did dr laorwong did ?? Who did extractions of grafts and implantation of them?

Hi Jackdaniels,

While I couldn't see much, he was doing most of it.  He was the one talking by my head.  At the end he left and the staff did more filling in of the crown.  It was interesting because while he was there it was all business but when he left (maybe last hour) there was a lot more discussion and laughing.  It was all in Thai so no idea what they were saying.  I think Dr. Laorwong did the extractions and most of the placements.  The stuff at the end was more fill in where I had quite a bit of hair.  This was one of the reasons I chose him.  

[Jamos1982]

57 minutes ago, Cooper48 said:

Thanks for sharing your progress, it made it a lot easier decision.  The no shave recipient seemed to work great and I think I will be semi normal looking in a couple weeks. 

Your write was much more detailed then mine thanks for that I enjoyed reading it. Will be following your progress 😊

[Gatsby]

Congratulations @Cooper48. Excellent write up and I look forward to your updates. 💯

[hairman4321]

thanks for sharing @Cooper48, what sort of sleep set up did you have? two pillows and a neck pillow - i'm having trouble visualising this

[Spring15]

Should turn out well

[Cooper48]

4 hours ago, hairman4321 said:

thanks for sharing @Cooper48, what sort of sleep set up did you have? two pillows and a neck pillow - i'm having trouble visualising this

I use the two pillows to elevate my upper body. The neck pillow keeps me from turning into my side. Works pretty well. 

[HatMaster]

It looks like excellent work. Wishing you a comfortable recovery and early growth 🙏.

[Cooper48]

On 9/23/2023 at 8:00 AM, Melvin- Moderator said:

I remember your thread. Fantastic write-up. $2 per graft is a steal for his quality. How many grafts did you end up getting in the crown?

@Melvin- Moderator Dr Laorwong said he put about 2000 in the front and 1600 in the back.  He said he used about 1000 of the 3 hair grafts in the back so he thinks it will be pretty full.  Just a waiting game now. Definitely a good deal for the quality and attention from the clinic. 

[Cooper48]

23 hours ago, HatMaster said:

It looks like excellent work. Wishing you a comfortable recovery and early growth 🙏.

Thanks!

[Cooper48]

Hi everyone. It's day 7 for me. I’ve been touring Thailand so not much posting. I got the pro pictures from Dr Laorwong and will try to post later tonight. I’ve added some from today from the donor and the front.   Scabbing a little bit doesn’t look too bad.  I’ve washed my own hair twice with baby shampoo but am still not able to get the antibacterial ointment out so my hair is really greasy. 
 

I generally feel pretty good. Strange feelings all the time in my scalp. Sometimes dull ache and sometimes sharper pain. Nothing lasts that long and it is all bearable. Like others have mentioned, it feels like I have a helmet on. My head is still very numb. When I lie on my back it feels like I am putting my head on something hard. From what I’ve read this will go away in the next few weeks. 
 

I’ve started wearing normal baseball and bucket hats that don’t really touch recipient or put pressure there. Seems just fine. 
 

Anyway, all seems good for now. Thanks for reading. 

[Wingtsun]

Do you have an update?

thanks

@Cooper48

[Cooper48]

Hi Everyone,

Here is a little update.  I'm at 24 days.  I think its all going according to plan but below are the few things that I am noticing.  Hope they are normal.  

Numbness - My head is still numb.  Not quite as bad as the first few weeks but it feels like I have a helmet one.  I have read this can last a couple months.  Hope it goes away faster. 

Shedding - I'm starting into the heavy shedding phase.  Lots of hairs in my hands during shower, in the sink, etc.  I'm losing it from my donor and recipient areas.  This started about 4-5 days ago so around the 3 week mark.

Donor patchiness - I do seem to be losing some of my donor area hair.  It does look patchy to me. I have a few spots that seem to not have any hair.  The most noticeable one that never grew back is behind and below my left ear.  It is right at the point were I was having a lot of bleeding and was very tender the longest.  I'm hoping all of this is just shock loss. (see first picture)

Covering - I did go to a family event this weekend.  Lots of people and not appropriate to wear a hat.  Since they didn't shave the donor area I was able to cover it up nicely.  No one even commented on my shorter than usual haircut.  My kids saw me about 10 days after and definitely noticed the sides being so short but have gotten used to it.  I'm able to easily participate in zoom meeting with normal looking hair.  We will see as the shedding progresses.  Mostly people haven't noticed or said anything.   I wear a hat most of the time when out. 

Medicine - I started taking 1mg fin about 2 months before the procedure.  I added 1mg oral min after the procedure as recommended by Dr. Laorwong.  Unfortunately, I started to realize I am having side effects from the fin.  They started a couple weeks before I traveled to Thailand but didn't really identify it until a week after the procedure.  I seem to get them all.  Tingling feet, swollen ankles, lack of sex drive and erection firmness.  All of these are not really worth it to me so I have been starting to ramp it down and following micro dosing.  Right now I'm at .25mg daily.  I notice it a little but not as bad.  I may go down to this three time per week and see how I do. 

es per week. 

[A_4_Archan]

It's unfortunate to hear that you are getting side effects of medication ...its good that you have cut down the dosage..micro dosing can be helpful in cutting down those side effects..

Numbness takes time but will gradually fade away...i have crossed 5 months but i still have 5-10 % of numbness and there are some patches on head and donor which feels odd when touched.. Actually this happens as the scalp isn't completely healed..it takes more time to recover 100% 

Month 2 is the harshest month when it comes shedding so get ready to see the worst of it...you will be at baseline at around 3 months and from 4th month the growth will start to kick in..

I can understand your concern regarding the patchy appearance of your donor but there can be a shockloss which is why it is looking like as such so don't and give more time and it will be fine. You may use topical minoxidil on that specific area which may help you with this.

It's a long waiting game my friend and patience is the key.

[Cooper48]

Thanks @A_4_Archan  I appreciate the response and the feedback. I’m definitely staying positive. I think I will have a good outcome. I’ll give the topical min a try on the donor. 

[Hairwolf]

15 hours ago, Cooper48 said:

Thanks @A_4_Archan  I appreciate the response and the feedback. I’m definitely staying positive. I think I will have a good outcome. I’ll give the topical min a try on the donor. 

Hey Cooper 

If topical worked ok have you thought about switching up to Oral Minox?

Edited October 16, 2023 by streethawk

[Cooper48]

Hey Streethawk,

 

I am currently on oral min.  Dr Laorwong prescribed and sold me a year of it (way cheaper than US).  I'm actually not sure if topical really worked all these years.  I seem to have a pretty slow but steady progression of hair loss.  Maybe it slowed it down though.  We will see how the oral works. 

[Hairwolf]

Cool,  good luck with that. I just bought some multivitamin and biotin supplements from the clinic. 

22 minutes ago, Cooper48 said:

Hey Streethawk,

 

I am currently on oral min.  Dr Laorwong prescribed and sold me a year of it (way cheaper than US).  I'm actually not sure if topical really worked all these years.  I seem to have a pretty slow but steady progression of hair loss.  Maybe it slowed it down though.  We will see how the oral works. 

Cool,  good luck with that. I just bought some biotin and multi vitamin supplements from the clinic. 

[Cooper48]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm a little over 1 month (33 days).  Over the past week there has been significant shedding.  Since I didn't get a full shave I can tell there are a lot of transplanted and native hairs coming out.  I also have quite a bit of patchiness in the donor area. Again, while I don't like the look, I think this is just shock loss.  It seems to have slowed down over the last few days.  Not a lot of hair left in transplant region so maybe I am nearing the end of the phase.  Definitely duckling phase here.  The redness seems to be fading a bit.  I have a few ingrown hairs or bumps on the front region.  I don't think these are of concern. 

[Hairwolf]

You are right in the thick of it now. Quite a bit of shock-loss indeed. Hang in there