Absolute Hair Clinic | Dr. Kongkiat Laorwong | FUE 4128 | 45M | NW6 | October 2023

[rja]

Hi everyone,

First of all, I'd like to extend my gratitude for the huge amount of details and information I've gathered here while reading posts and comments on this forum from all of you who were so kind to share your personal experiences.

I'd like to give back to the community from my experience as well so I'm sitting here now to write this one up and hopefully help someone else make a decision (one way or another). It's probably gonna be a long one, so apologies in advance - I'll try to add sub-topics here for those who wish to skip chapters

History

I'm 45 (almost 46 actually) and have started balding in my mid-twenties. My father is bald and so is my brother, although my uncles and cousins aren't. It was always obvious to me that baldness was just one of those things that I can "look forward to" as I age, and while not being too happy about it, I learned to accept it in some way.

I started entertaining the idea of getting a hair transplant about 10 years ago, but never had the conviction to actually go and do it - I think it was mainly because I didn't understand how putting new hairs in a place that makes them fall would have any kind of success and I never really found the time to research more and understand how the mechanisms work.

Initial Consultation

The decision to finally go about and try to get it done was prompted by a Facebook ad I saw about a Hair Clinic in Australia that does Robotic Hair Transplants, I decided to go and check it out thinking "Hey if it's robotic, it's probably quite advanced so maybe there's a good chance of this working".

I scheduled a consultation with them and was told almost instantly when I came in that I was not a good candidate as I didn't have enough hair left as I was never on meds. The consultant suggested I get other family members I might have in the same situation on meds as early as possible to help them avoid reaching my situation at a later age and also gave me the name of a good SMP clinic they recommended 🤦‍♂️

I left the place quite shocked as this was not what I expected to hear. I kept thinking- "was hair transplant only relevant for people who already have hair?" That didn't make any sense, but I left it as is and went on with my life.

Coming back to it

A month or so later, while still having these thoughts in my head (and Facebook ads about clinics in Turkey popping up all the time), I decided to look for more information on the internet and found this site.

I started reading about everything I could - posts about people's experiences, questions (and answers) about medications, technical info regarding how the transplants actually work, the differences between the techniques, industry buzzwords etc. I was especially happy and impressed to see people posting their photos pre and post-surgery and the follow-ups that came afterwards. People who were in a similar situation to mine (at least from my unprofessional evaluation of their pre-surgery photos) and what results they were getting. It gave me hope and determination that this is something that might actually work for me too!

With that information at hand, the decision was a no-brainer for me - I knew I was going to go through with it - it was just a matter of deciding where and when.

Searching for a Clinic

I started reaching out to clinics - mainly in Turkey at first, as they are the most "famous" ones in terms of how many clinics operate there and how many people go to them, but I wasn't shy from looking into other places.

After researching for a few months here, I basically ended up with the following short list of clinics to consider:

• Turkey: Dr. Resul Yaman
• Cypress: Dr. Christina (HDC)
• Thailand: Dr. Laorwong (Absolute Hair Clinic)
• India: Dr. Das (Eugenix)
• Brazil: Dr. Pitella

In the end, my decision wasn't based just on price. I was looking at recommendations from other people who went through with the procedures at those clinics, the distance I'd need to travel (I live in Australia) and also what was included in the package deal.

Another big factor was that I would certainly need a lot of grafts to be able to cover my bald head (I'm a NW6) and depending on the clinic and doctor, it would require multiple sessions, which might or might not be done in a mega-session.

Choosing a Clinic

I'll start with the "easy" choices.

Dr. Yaman's clinic was the first one I spoke with and they were certainly the cheapest option (even including travel, accommodation, etc) but I did not get satisfactory results from their representative (can't recall his name right now) when I asked about the procedure, how many grafts I would need, how this was calculated, who performed the actual procedure etc.

I had a couple of video calls with that person and the general responses I got were on the line of "Don't worry, we're very experienced, we've helped many people in your situation, etc".

They also promised some kind of satisfaction guarantee certificate which I couldn't figure out how it would help me in case of a problem. The only response I got (and a somewhat annoyed one) was that the certificate testified to their quality and that everything would be alright.

So Dr. Yaman was also ruled out.

I reached out to Portella's clinic and the response I got was so laconic that it immediately threw me off. I got an estimate of about 8000 to 10,000 grafts without a lot of details about the procedure and everything I tried asking was answered by saying I'd need to go through a paid consultation with the Dr.

I didn't feel like paying just to get simple answers and there was no one to actually talk to so I moved on.

I reached out to HDC and got a response back from one of their representatives @Doron Haratiand had great, informative and lengthy conversations with him. He was very patient, explained everything and shared his personal story (which you can find on these forums) and I was already planning to get the procedure done with HDC.

It was going to be a long and costly flight (3 flights in each direction actually), plus 3 consecutive days of surgery and a total of 5k to 6k grafts planned for transplantation.

At the last moment, though, due to some logistic and personal reasons, I have decided to look somewhere else.

HDC was out but not because of any fault of their own.

I was left with 2 options - India and Thailand. I reached out to both clinics to enquire about my case - get an evaluation, understand my options, check dates, etc.

Eugenix has many surgeons, some of them are considered among the best in their field (search the forums to find out more) and I was impressed with their results for high NW cases. But they were very expensive for the options I wanted to pursue with them (specific doctor, doctor's involvement in the process, etc).

Eugenix rep told me I'd need 2 sessions in total, spread at least 3 months apart to allow the donor area to heal. They estimated around 4k grafts for the first session for front + mid-scalp and TBD for the second one.

Luckily for me, the situation was perfect with Dr. @Kongkiat Laorwong.

I reached out and it was him who replied - not a representative. I've had a short conversation with him, got an evaluation, and a price that suited my budget, asked some questions and got answers and was doing it all directly with the Dr. himself!

I was also impressed by previously reading different accounts of people who went through surgery with him and testified to his humbleness, professionalism and great results. They also mentioned his involvement in all stages of the procedure and not just supervising. One of the accounts was from someone who had a problem with his procedure and the Dr. offered to fix it for free.

All of these factors combined were the deal breaker for me. I was dealing with the actual surgeon who was going to treat me, who was going to be involved at all stages of the procedure, who was showing a high level of personal accountability, who gave me a price that fit well within my budget, was located in a not-too-far region for me and had not-too-far-away availability.

I paid the booking fee and reserved a date with him shortly after and then went on to secure a flight.

Post booking

After I've booked the date and bought the tickets, there was very little I had to do. I decided not to shave my head until the procedure so that the Dr would have a better view of my hair type and donor area, but that was my decision - not something I was requested to do.

I should also mention I did not take any medications. I actually asked him specifically if I should take Fin/Min in the period prior to the operation but was told that the meds wouldn't help me grow any hairs so there was no need for me to take anything.

Arriving in Bangkok

I arrived in Bangkok on a Saturday night on a direct flight with Jetstar (never ever going to make that mistake again!) and went to the White Ivory Bed & Breakfast hotel I booked. I decided to stay there as I read about it in one of the posts I mentioned earlier and was happy with the reviews I saw of it on booking.com. It is a nice place, the room was small but cozy, the air conditioning was working well and the bed was comfy. It is located about a 7-minute walk from the clinic. Just perfect.

Pre-op Consultation

I arrived at the clinic at 3 p.m. the next day to have my pre-op consultation in person with Dr. Laorwong. When I arrived, I filled in a health questionnaire and waited. I guess the consultation was just standard procedure - he checked my hair, and my donor area, discussed the proposed hairline with me, explained how far he can go, how many grafts, and answered some of my questions.

When it finished, I was tested for HIV and given some special shampoo with instructions to wash my hair twice that evening and twice the next morning.

Surgery day

I went down to have breakfast at 7:30 and met @Ake who was sitting there to have breakfast as well, started talking and discovered we were both here for the same reason and he was going to have his procedure the next day. I didn't have much time, but we exchanged contacts and I went to the clinic.

I arrived at 8 a.m. at the clinic and got prepped for the surgery - marking the hairline and other lines, shaving my hair, taking blood for PRP, giving me some meds and then straight to the OR where anaesthesia was applied.

I was scared of that part. I've heard that it was the painful part of the procedure and was a bit stressed out about it, but it ended up being around 4/10 in terms of pain. The pain's all in your head (pun not intended but happily accepted ).

I was a little dizzy most of the time they were puncturing me and taking grafts out and only got up for lunch for maybe 20 or 30 minutes once they finished. The procedure continued afterwards with the implantation part. There was another anaesthesia applied above the eyebrows first, then slits were opened and the transplant began. I got up maybe 2 or 3 times to go to the toilet and to stretch, but I don't really remember most of what was happening.

It took longer than I imagined. I recall asking at some point why this was taking so long and was told there were a few grafts that were coming out. Half drowsy as I was, this scared me, but Dr. Laorwong was there to sort that out in person, so I relaxed.

It was after 11 p.m. when I left the clinic, with bandages, medications and a head pillow and went to the hotel to try to sleep.

Post-Op days

I was still jet-legged and I am a lousy sleeper in general so I didn't get much sleep. Sleeping with the neck pillow I was given without the ability to roll to the sides wasn't helping me too much either, but I managed to get a few hours eventually.

I got up early, met @Ake for breakfast and went to the clinic to get my first wash and laser treatment. 

The package includes 5 such days post-op and I was more than happy for it. Laorwong's team was extremely nice and professional and was very gentle with the care they were giving. I was (and am) very grateful for that.

The rest of the days were very similar - wash and laser in the morning and have the rest of the day to figure out what to do around Bangkok. I was told I didn't need to stay indoors, was given a surgical headband (bandana) and was just asked to be careful not to touch and scratch the donor and transplanted areas.

I met with Dr. Laorwong 3 times during these 5 post-op days - on the first, 4th and 5th days. He took a look at my head and seemed to be satisfied.

Next steps

In my case, I already knew my journey was not over. I needed to come again to do the second part for my mid-scalp to crown and so I took advantage of my last day to speak with Dr. Laorwong and book myself in for 6 months ahead.

I've had a great experience and I know the hardest part is ahead of me (not just the second surgery but the year-long wait for results of the first), but I'm trying to stay optimistic.

I'll post some photos below and keep the follow-ups every now and then to show progress. Hopefully, all will go as expected.

Thanks for reading!

Photos

Immediate post-op:

Next day - donor area:

Fifth day post-op:

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by rja

[Ake]

Great write up @rja. Was really great meeting you. You helped me make scary medical trip into a holiday. Was such a great experience to share it with someone going through the same thing. To all you guys out there reading this. Traveling overseas to get a medical procedure is a scary thought. And you hesitant to pull the trigger. (I know I did) We are community here with all the same goals (we want more hair). Reach out in the group and ask who’s going when and where and you might be able to turn a scary experience (it’s not by the way) into a good little holiday. Hope this made sense. 

[hairman4321]

awesome guys. anyone going to Dr Laorwong mid nov?

[Hairwolf]

Good write up mate and the first pic shows dense packing and hairline irregularities. Any pre- procedure pics you could share?

Edited October 22, 2023 by streethawk

[DavidSheer]

really interesting research, you’ve deffo took your time. we’ll done this should be a good result…

[rja]

On 10/22/2023 at 8:36 PM, streethawk said:

Good write up mate and the first pic shows dense packing and hairline irregularities. Any pre- procedure pics you could share?

Sorry about the delay.

Here are some pre-procedure photos from about 2 months prior.

 

[Hairwolf]

Thanks for uploading. The Dr has a good track record with higher Norwood's.  6 months seems a little early to go for the second however. I’m thinking about when I could go for my 2nd. I’m 3 an’ a half post op now.

[rja]

On 11/2/2023 at 12:16 AM, streethawk said:

Thanks for uploading. The Dr has a good track record with higher Norwood's.  6 months seems a little early to go for the second however. I’m thinking about when I could go for my 2nd. I’m 3 an’ a half post op now.

I am aware 6 months is a little early as there won't be enough growth from the current transplant to get an idea of results, but I am hopeful it will be enough time for the donor to heal to enable doing the mid-to-crown part.

[trazman58]

@rja great post. Excited to see your progress. I'm also based in Melbourne and I'm interested in a procedure (the second for me) with Dr Laorwong. Just wondering what you found the best way of contacting him was?

[rja]

9 hours ago, trazman58 said:

@rja great post. Excited to see your progress. I'm also based in Melbourne and I'm interested in a procedure (the second for me) with Dr Laorwong. Just wondering what you found the best way of contacting him was?

Thanks @trazman58. I initially contacted him via FB and after his first reply switched over to WhatsApp. All comms after that were exclusively over WhatsApp. He usually responded within a day or 2 in my case.

[rja]

Hi everyone,

This is my 3 weeks update. Today is exactly 3 weeks post-op for me and I've taken a few photos to show the current state I'm in.

Some things to note:

• My sculp is still numb, although I think slightly less numb now (maybe I'm imagining, not sure)
• I do not perceive any growth in the recipient area. Things seems to be rather static (no shedding and no growth) - not sure again if I'm just blind or if there's any significance here.
• My donor is stil a little red, especially on the back side
• I can also clearly see the difference in growth in the donor where grafts have been taken

[Gatsby]

Things will get worse before they get better @rja. I found personally that keeping myself busy with work was the best thing for me to keep my focus off my post op period. You've gone to a seriously good surgeon. 💯👌

[Coffee_bean]

Damn - looking like you may not have a very aggressive shed. Really looks solid so far 🙏

[trazman58]

On 11/6/2023 at 6:51 AM, rja said:

Thanks @trazman58. I initially contacted him via FB and after his first reply switched over to WhatsApp. All comms after that were exclusively over WhatsApp. He usually responded within a day or 2 in my case.

Thanks for the insight @rja. Any tips for corresponding with Dr Laorwong? I’ve been in very sporadic contact with him via WhatsApp for a few days but haven’t been able to progress to a quote or consultation call despite sending photos and asking for a quote. Assume he’s very busy. Just wondering how you found it was best to speak with him. 

[rja]

1 hour ago, trazman58 said:

Thanks for the insight @rja. Any tips for corresponding with Dr Laorwong? I’ve been in very sporadic contact with him via WhatsApp for a few days but haven’t been able to progress to a quote or consultation call despite sending photos and asking for a quote. Assume he’s very busy. Just wondering how you found it was best to speak with him. 

I got the initial quote from him practically in the first message I sent him, which was accompanied by my photos. From there, he answered a few questions but we progressed mainly to scheduling a date for the procedure.

If you don't get an answer within a few days, perhaps just try to send him a reminder. Like you, I assume he is busy and keeps his replies to a minimum (unfortunately for us).

[rja]

My 4-week update:

• I am seeing shedding, not sure if a little or a lot and only if I intentionally look for it - ie, brush my hand over the recipient while bending over the sink. I didn't notice any shedding otherwise.
• My recipient is still numb (I'm assuming it's still expected). I sometimes have "ghost-sensations" in it, which I hope means it's healing well, but effectively - it's numb.
• Depending on the light settings, I seem to have some dry skin in my recipient area. I don't think it shows in the pictures below, but I noticed it a few days ago. When I asked the Dr he said there were still some scabs and recommended I soak it in baby oil and shampoo it afterwards (which I did), but honestly, it just looked like dry skin to me.
• My scalp has been slightly itchier lately. It is still red without any noticeable change.
• I continue on with the daily oral min + vitamins regime I was prescribed, but not sure if it makes any difference.

I guess in general, I'm not really sure what to expect or think of my progress. I don't care about going through the shedding/ugly duckling phase, to be honest. I just want to be sure that I don't have any issues that might affect the end result and that I'm progressing as expected.

I keep reading and comparing my progress to other people who post here and, being the pessimistic and competitive person I am, always seem to feel like there might be something wrong with my progress (not shedding enough, not enough growth, scalp too red, donor not healed enough, etc).

Any thoughts? Thanks guys!

 

P.S. Sorry for the different lighting of the photos. I took them inside my apartment and the different angles resulted in not being very favourable. I'll try to take new ones outdoors next time - hopefully better quality.

 

 

[toon_toon]

Looking forward seeing your results in 4-5 months. Remember, be patient 

[Cooper48]

It all seems normal to me.  I had about the same experience at about 4 weeks.  Shedding was heavy, my scalp was red and my head was still very numb.  I'm at 8 weeks tomorrow and I've lost pretty much all the recipient hair and some other shockloss.  I finished most shedding by 6 weeks.  My head is still numb but getting slightly better I think.  I think these are the hard weeks/months because nothing much good happens and its very slow.  We just have to be patient. 

[rja]

Hey guys,

Here's my 8 weeks update:

• My scalp is itchy rather often. Not too itchy, but more than usual. I can brush my hand over my head and calm it down, but it does strike me as rather unusual since I thought the itchiness was supposed to disappear by now.
• I have no itchiness in my donor areas, which is good, but I think I'm suffering from shock loss there (at the very least on the right side).
• I can see a lot more white hairs in my donor area on the sides and even more so on the right side (fairly visible in the photo below) compared to the left and back.
• My scalp seems less red to me, or perhaps it's my imagination, but still very pinkish.
• I am still taking daily the vitamins and oral minoxidil I was prescribed.
• I can see a little growth in the length of hairs in the transplanted area, but nothing in density.

 

[Ake]

It’s looking good. You have so many hairs that didn’t shed. I’m jealous 

[rja]

My 3-months update:

• No more itchiness in the recipient area.
• The redness is either gone or almost gone (I guess it depends on the lighting).
• I am still taking the oral minoxidil I was prescribed. I should have another month's supply left. Not sure if I should continue afterwards or not.
• Like in the previous month - I can see some growth in the length of hairs in the transplanted area, but not really in density.

Frontal Top:

Front:

Back:

Sides:

 

 

[Cooper48]

You made it past the hardest months!  You should really start to notice things this month.  Your donor is starting to fill back in nicely.  Happy growing!

[rja]

1 hour ago, Cooper48 said:

You made it past the hardest months!  You should really start to notice things this month.  Your donor is starting to fill back in nicely.  Happy growing!

Thanks mate. I'm starting to feel like something might be wrong when I see such long strands of hair but almost no density, so I really hope you're right 🤞

[hairman4321]

9 hours ago, rja said:

Thanks mate. I'm starting to feel like something might be wrong when I see such long strands of hair but almost no density, so I really hope you're right 🤞

i've got the same in mine although i'm only at 2 months. i'm thinking those long hairs are the ones that just didn't shed, and wont. theres no density because the vast majority of hairs do shed then only start regrowing 3+ months later. looks that way for every other thread i've seen, so i don't think we need to worry any time soon

[Gatsby]

You can see your donor slowly bouncing back even at only 8 weeks. Wishing you all the best @rja 👌