Post: #151

Looking forward to hearing how it works out, rottenapple! Will there be a scar or anything noticeable on the back of your head now? Have you got a photo of someone with similar hair when you started? I googled 3000 grafts and these came up: https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=3000+...36&bih=870

Post: #152

(11-09-2017 06:00 AM)the-dream Wrote:  Looking forward to hearing how it works out, rottenapple! Will there be a scar or anything noticeable on the back of your head now? Have you got a photo of someone with similar hair when you started? I googled 3000 grafts and these came up: https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=3000+...36&bih=870

No, no scar since its with FUE technique. Scars are only visible when using the older FUT technique. I do wonder if my hair on the back will be less dense, since its a lot of hair grafts that were sacked there. For me the balding was mostly in the 4,5,6 areas when speaking technically for surgeons, which means the whole top of the head untill and with a part of the crown. I was definitly not completely bald though, just thinning hair. When I have a result I'll be happy to send out before and after pics.

Post: #153

I've had two FUE's. Selecting the right doctor is paramount. You'll want to make sure you're getting a yield of 90+% otherwise your results will be lacking density.

For those that have problems with Fin. Hasson and Wong in Canada have topical Fin which uses special silicone particles which have reduced most of the systemic issues.

That said, there is also a company called Tsuji which is the best hope for hairloss sufferers. Essentially they are relying on stem-cell technology to remove one follicle, multiply however many are needed, then implant back into the scalp as per a normal transplant.

This would essentially cure hairloss if one had the funds. So far they have hit every timeline, and project a release in 2020, but this industry has been notorious for delays since forever, so I'd bank on some long delays.

Post: #154

I’m actually looking at Hasson and Wong now. I don’t think I had done enough research when I went to Unger. I like to wear my hair very short on the back and sides, this is only possible with FUE instead of the strip. I’ve been looking at hairlosstalk and baldtruthtalk, and also the IAHRS recommended list of doctors. I still hve what most people tell me is a full head of hair, but when it’s wet or not styled I can tell there is some definite thinning I’d like to get knocked out. Cost is not an issue. I considered Path in Bangkok, he is quite cheap, but it seems like a Hasson and Wong are the best of the best. One thing I don’t like is that they haven’t done FUE specifically for that long, but it seems they use all the recommended methods for harvesting (small, manual punch) and their placement in the recipient area is second to none and will be the same with FUE or strip. Despite the fact they appear to be the best, they cost half as much as Unger quoted, and that’s for FUE vs strip. I also heard excellent things about Rahal.

Anyone have any ideas for what the hell to do in a hotel room in Vancouver for 5 days?

Post: #155

Rottenapple, how is your hair transplant coming along? You must be past the six month mark now, so things should be growing in well. Anything to report?

Post: #156

I had my HT two months back in Istanbul. Cost was 2k euro and had 4K grafts (thats what they say at least). I cannt comment on the results yet, too early for now.

Post: #157

Congrats to everyone who had their life and self esteem changed from hair transplant! My head is slightly balding, but I think it's fine.


Good thing about being black, we rock the clean shaven head well

Post: #158

(06-21-2018 04:05 PM)Horus Wrote:  Rottenapple, how is your hair transplant coming along? You must be past the six month mark now, so things should be growing in well. Anything to report?

Yes indeed. I am at the 9 months mark now.

First off, let me detail the beginning.

1. The procedure

I chose a very cheap hair transplant in South America with a high level of grafts. The surgeon said it was about 3000 grafts, but in all honesty, I don't see how that is more than an educated guess. Could've been off by 500 easily. Nobody is counting. I paid 2500$, which is very cheap. I got a discount also because of knowing (and fucking ;-) ) someone that worked there. That girl hooked me up, which is also why I decided to finally go through with it. I think the normal price there would have been 3000-3500 or about a 1$ a graft.

During the surgery, I quickly noticed the downside of being a cheap ass. The thing is, this procedure is not complicated at all for surgeons, its just very labor intensive. They have to take the hair roots out and then re-insert them one by one. So that's an arm movement 3000 times in one day. What they do in more efficient countries like India and Turkey is that they put 3 or more people to work at the same time. That way in half a day it's done. It was also what I somewhat expected when I came in at 8 in the morning. They had told me that it could take a complete work day, so I figured until around 5 pm or so.

They started working at 9 but basically, it was the surgeon and her assistant and during the whole day it was more one person working than two as the surgeon had many other appointments. Not very professional if you ask me, but this is why it was cheap off course. It was very slow and although it didn't hurt that much, what really annoyed me was the uncomfortable chair position I was in. This combined with the lack of correct time assessments they were giving me (goddamn latinos), made that at several points, I thought I was in for another hour or so of a certain segment and it ended up being more than double the time.

The issue then is that you mentally prepare yourself to be uncomfortable for let's say two hours and when that time passes, you think you will be able to go for lunch, but instead you have to endure the process another hour or two longer even, increasing your stress levels a lot. In the early afternoon, I got so uncomfortable with this that it became noticeable and they gave me some anti-inflammation injection to make me relax more. Directly after, I vomited out my small lunch. Since the surgeon was absent during half the day, it took a lot-lot longer than expected. I was out of there at 10 pm. Trust me, during an uncomfortable procedure like that, you are not laughing with an "oops it took 5 hours longer than expected error because I'm a dumb surgeon and I was busy with other stuff besides my patient". They also used a shitton of anesthesia locally since it was necessary for the pain and due to the many grafts insertions. When I left there I was pissed off and feeling like shit to have been treated like that. A horrible day it was, but in the end I felt like, well that's done, now we just wait to see the results.

2. The days after

I was supposed to sleep in a sitting position the first night, but they didn't really explain in detail why that was so important. All the local anesthesia needed to go from my head to the rest of my body and apparently that can take a while. I slept only in semi sitting position after the surgery. The next day I woke up and I basically fine. Looking fairly normal even. The problem was, the anesthesia was still all on the top of my head and during that day and the next days it was gonna go down really slow, inflating massively my face and making me look like absolute shit. One day my eyelids would be swollen, the next day my jaws as it got lower and then finally my chin. I mean, these days, it was really impossible to go out and do anything normal. I looked like I had been beaten up by 50 whiteknights at the club. From my perspective, the surgeon was once again in the fault for having said the inflammation would last maybe 1-2 days when in reality it lasted up to 5 days. Luckily I didn't plan any work those days. I was taking anti-inflammation meds continuously as well and spraying my head with topical antibiotics etc.

3. First weeks-months

So it took about 5 days for the inflammation to disappear. It took about, if I recall correctly, 10 days to two weeks for the crusts of the graft wounds to come off. During this period, I still advise you not to plan anything for which you have to be out in the open. You are bald and your head looks like shit (at least when it's a high number of grafts). After about two weeks, you will have some hair and its ok to see friends and proceed with life. If you are light skinned like me, with a sensitive skin, expect to have a red top of the head for several months even. I'd say it was only about 2 to 3 months after the transplant that the redness would disappear and along with that also the itching. The redness makes you look a bit different and some people might think you had something done, others will just think you're head got burned a bit in the sun. The itching was quite annoying. Online people say it can itch a bit but for me it was definitely more than that. Take into account that I have a very sensitive skin (blonde-gingerish type), I live in third world country with high humidity and too much sun and without access to the best skin care products. During these months, the grafts are still settling, so you will look equally bald as before (except for the first weeks when the implanted grafts are still there and they need to fall off after being implanted). So you will look better 2 weeks after the transplant and then become worse for a few months. I also think that a good amount of the hairs that I still had left on my head pre-transplant fell out due to the shock and trauma of the skin during the procedure. Some people talk about this online.

4. The results

About 4 months after, I started noticing really that I was getting a good amount more hairs than before. The biggest increases will be until about 6 months in and from there to where I am now (9 months), perhaps another 5% got added, with hairs getting thicker. Thay say it can get better until about 12 months, so hopefully another 5% there. The result is definitely really good. I've sent pics to some members I know and they confirm that I look a lot better. The hairs are mostly concentrated in the front, so first impression is that I have a good amount of hair with people now, while on top it's still less populated, but people don't notice it as much. Based on what I have now, I'd say yes, I suffered a lot, partly my own fault for choosing a cheap surgeon, but the results are there and its gonna be worth it. I was severely balding, so for me it's a big difference. I'd say I went from severely balding to lightly balding with thinning hair. Girls are also noticing and asking me what changed and that I am looking good these days. Nevertheless, if you go for many grafts and have a white sensitive skin, then don't think this is gonna be a walk in the park like some people make it seem to be online (probably those that had 500 grafts and were not really visibly balding).

So conclusion, it's a great option that can make a good improvement for men that are balding. Don't underestimate the operation and how long it will take to look better though. Try to plan it in months where you won't need to be seeing a lot of people. If you have good cash flow then go to a reputed surgeon. If you don't, then try to go to Turkey or India where they are experts. Only choose for other countries like Colombia/Ecuador etc. when it's really more convenient like it was in my case.

Ps. I am still taking minoxidil, but have no idea if this is still doing anything at all now, since I'm not sure how many of the hairs are implanted and are permanent and how many are from before and are being maintained possibly through the minoxidil. I'll probably stop after I'm done with my already bought supplies.

If there are more questions, feel free to ask.

Post: #159

Great info rottenapple! What about scarring?

Post: #160

The hair transplant stuff seems pretty brutal, and taking drugs for the rest of your life is a no-go for me. My dad's in his 80's and has a full head of hair, like 70% of it is actually still black, which is pretty uncommon, but on my mom's side, they go bald early. I'm 35 and holding strong, but I can tell it's coming, I started noticeably thinning on the crown a bit in the last year or two.

I've actually shaved my head before several times in my teens and 20's, and I think I look pretty good even if my hair ever falls out, so I'm not too keen on a hair transplant or medication, but I just thought I'd mention braces, lasik, and minor plastic surgery as an alternative, say rhinoplasty or some ear work, for example.

Think about Ronaldo, he's had braces and some plastic surgery done, and both are not even that expensive, they're comparable to the hair transplant, up front, but they're much cheaper over the long term because you don't need to keep taking drugs. More importantly, your dick won't be affected. I like to have sex 2 or 3 times a day, so I just wouldn't even consider those medications at all, not even to test them to see if I'm one of the people that doesn't get side effects, no way.

I'm not talking lion-lady plastic surgery, but just minor stuff to maybe give you a +1, like lasik to get rid of glasses, or braces if you need them, or a nose job or working on your ears, etc., to balance out your face once the hair is gone and you shave or start cutting it down to a zero.

The thing is, long hair is very impractical, but women wear their hair long because it diffuses the face, it detracts from abnormalities. Think about it, only the most beautiful women can actually still look good with no hair. I'm not saying they'll look gorgeous, long hair is better, but some women actually still look attractive with no hair, but it's very rare, their faces have to be in the top percentile to pull it off. Most women, if they were to shave, would look pretty ugly, because every imperfection would be laid bare instead of being diffused by their hair. Men in every culture generally wear their hair short, as our value is less based on our beauty, so the impracticality of maintaining long hair outweighs the benefit we would get from it. That said, long hair can also make a man be more attractive, it can also diffuse our own imperfections.

This is why going bald is an issue, some guys simply don't have the facial aesthetics to pull it off. What happens when Jeremy Meeks goes bald? Nothing, his face can pull it's own weight without the need for hair. Many guys can't. But if your face can, then losing your hair really doesn't matter. And maybe you're right at the edge where braces/lasik/or rhinoplasty could get you to a good spot.

So let's say you're a guy with a giant nose, having long hair diffuses that feature, but once you lose your hair, you can lose a full point or more in attractiveness. A person like that could benefit from rhinoplasty. Let's say you have crooked teeth or wear glasses, with hair, those features are also diffused, without hair, they become magnified, and that guy can look horrible. For that guy, braces and lasik could be key to maintaining his SMV as far as looks are concerned.

In any case, for men, looks are only one factor in attractiveness, but for those of you guys considering doing a hair transplant and taking medications that can affect your libido and give you side effects for the rest of your life, if plastic surgery/braces/lasik are an option, I'd say consider them as well.

I mean, you could get the transplant AND do all those things, but for those of us not keen on medications, these other options, which don't require permanent drug use, may provide the same boost in attractiveness, and are something to consider.

If your facial/skull aesthetics are just too far off for plastic surgery/braces/lasik to do much, then so be it, do everything you can to keep that hair. I've seen some bald guys that look like they have two spheres in their skull instead of one, or have very small skulls, or weak/odd jawlines, etc., if you fall in that category, do what you can, but if your aesthetics are on point, and maybe could use just a small tweak here or there, the drug-free option of braces/lasik/minor plastic surgery could be a better bet.

So I got lasik and braces myself, and I'm feeling pretty good about the future, I'm not keen on medications or surgeries, I'm going the Jeremy Meeks/Bruce Willis/Jason Statham route. I'm already pretty fit, but when the time comes to take the hair off in however many years, I'll have to make a point of adding regular workouts to my life, so overall, it'll actually end up being a net positive for my overall health and well-being. I'm actually starting already, since I'll be moving abroad soon, so I want to go back to looking and feeling my best.

Oh by the way, a friend of mine and I were having a conversation, he's going seriously bald, started losing his hair in his 20's:

Him: "I found the cure for baldness."

Me: "Oh yeah?"

Him: "Yeah man, get this, all you have to do is buy a collection of Bruce Willis and Jason Statham movies, then on weekends, watch them on repeat. I'm cured already."

So that's another option as well.

Full disclosure though, he ended up getting a hair transplant recently.

Best of luck to those of you that go the transplant route, I'm rooting for it to come out well and for the drugs to have no side effects!

Post: #161

Hey guys. This is something I've researched extensively for over a decade. Some comments:

Hairdoctor.co.nz is a great site with lots of good, free information.

I was on low dose finasteride for years (one third the dose, which still gives 90% of the effect). Had libido side effects - horrible shit. It's something you don't notice that it's gone until it's gone... 4 of the 5 people I know personally that have tried it also had some kind of sexual problem. I have been off it for many years now, and believe only this year I'm back to full strength wood-wise. I wouldn't touch this stuff. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones, maybe not. I can honestly understand why some guys would suicide from PFS.

I've decided topical minoxidil is too much of a pain in the ass to apply every day and I just wouldn't keep it up.

I've decided to use Toppix for now (which is awesome) and wait until I'm more 'far gone' and then go a transplant. I've seen a few doctors in Australia, the two best being Andrew Wood (the inventor of FUE) and Russel Knusden.

My brother (who was far balder than me) went with Dr Path in Thailand and absolutely swears by him. Even though it's Thailand, given his reputation, it's international price but also globally one of the best jobs you can have. He had 4,050 grafts for $15k AUD (~$11.5k USD) in total. This was what I was quoted in Australia for my 2,500 grafts (strip) from these top doctors (1,400 with FUE).

Dr Path is has a special way of doing the strip (he cuts the skin on an angle) and it's 100% unnoticeable even on very close inspection.

My brother now takes a new pill form of minoxidil to maintain. Personally, I'm not as bad as him (and am not a fan of meds after my finasteride experience) so I'll just have the HT and ride it out for life.

Question - if you're not that far gone, and you get a 'preemptive' procedure done, is there a chance the procedure would damage your pre-existing, healthy hair? i.e. I'm just a II on the Norwood scale. I'm 40 now, and figured (like my Lasik) if I'm going to have it done I may as well enjoy it earlier/longer. I won't give much of a fuck about my hair at 65.

I've heard mixed opinions on this.

Post: #162

(07-30-2018 11:53 PM)PixelFree Wrote:  My brother (who was far balder than me) went with Dr Path in Thailand and absolutely swears by him. Even though it's Thailand, given his reputation, it's international price but also globally one of the best jobs you can have. He had 4,050 grafts for $15k AUD (~$11.5k USD) in total. This was what I was quoted in Australia for my 2,500 grafts (strip) from these top doctors (1,400 with FUE).

Dr Path is has a special way of doing the strip (he cuts the skin on an angle) and it's 100% unnoticeable even on very close inspection.
[b]

Thanks for sharing Pixelfree.

I'm interested in the longevity of these transplants. Is it a matter of forking out 15k and turning your scalp into a pin cushion every few years? They've been around for years now so I would have thought they would mention this in surgical consultations. There is little by way of data that I have come across online, couldn't see it mentioned in this thread.

Kaizen, Rottenapple – any updates?

Post: #163

After strip in 2011 & FUE 2015, im certain my hair (& thereby overall appearance) are much better had I not done these 2 things.

For my strip scar, I've occasionally gotten SMP to hide it as I keep the back short. I have a small 'step' that is barely noticeable.

Sometimes I focus on the transplanted hairs over temples and feel the angle is bit off compared to originals...ive shown friends who have all said Im just focused on it.

As for maintenance, Ive purchased one of those laser helmets but honestly haven't used it.

Overall, the procedure can do wonders for someone. Of course, do your homework regarding who to trust.

Post: #164

The transplanted hair comes from the sides or back of your head and hence is DHT resistant, so it should stay till old age.

And yes, the transplant can damage your existing hair if the trauma of the operation causes these hairs to fall out. That's why most surgeons prescribe finasteride and minoxidil at least for the first weeks of the operation I think to prevent this from happening. As stated in this thread many times, finasteride can have strong negative side effects. I opted not to take it and I do believe I lost a good amount of the hairs I still had due to the operation. I conclude this based on the fact that my top of scalp hair was lighter compared to my sides and now my top of scalp transplanted hair is of a darker color, indicating that the original lighter hairs have fallen out due to the operation. These risks will be minimized by going to an expert, but more expensive, surgeon I imagine.

Post: #165

(07-30-2018 11:53 PM)PixelFree Wrote:  Question[/b] - if you're not that far gone, and you get a 'preemptive' procedure done, is there a chance the procedure would damage your pre-existing, healthy hair? i.e. I'm just a II on the Norwood scale. I'm 40 now, and figured (like my Lasik) if I'm going to have it done I may as well enjoy it earlier/longer. I won't give much of a fuck about my hair at 65.

I've heard mixed opinions on this.

My understanding is that most hair loss occurs before the age of 40, and from then on it progresses very slowly towards old age, so 40 is e perfect time to get it done. Some guys make the mistake of getting it done too early and they continue to lose native hair after the procedure, leaving "islands" of transplanted dht resististant hair, necessitating further surgery. If hair is transplanted in thinning areas between native hair, there is the possibility of shock loss, but in the hands of a skilled surgeon this grows back in almost all cases.

Post: #166

Anyone watch arrested Development? Tobias got hair plus... and they were bad. It was quite the funny stint in the show. This lasted a few episodes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI2xJHzuVG4

Post: #167

Just watched this. Interesting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-45415071/...g-hairline

Post: #168

(09-04-2018 02:48 PM)Alpha_Romeo Wrote:  Just watched this. Interesting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-45415071/...g-hairline

The BBC is dramatic and has a soy agenda. Not credible enough to make sappy claims.

Expensive? In Turkey? Yeah right. It's a dream come true. Thousands of people do it every year and come out as winners. I know a handful of family members who've done it and are satisfied, to say the least.

Sounds like the idiot who argues that he can't grow his hair anymore had it done in India. That's not an authority country on hair transplants. Of course there are lot of gimmicks and failed surgeries. You have to know who to go to. I'll be hitting Turkey in a couple of months and update you guys with more.

Post: #169

From Where you got this..?

Post: #170

Could you have a look on the hairstyles as mentioned here
https://www.africanamericanmag.com/seneg...airstyles/
i also have same hairs so can it be transplanted is a good way or not..?

Post: #171

The ultimate solution to balding.

Lift weights
Eat A Lot
Shave Your Head
Grow a beard

Then you're welcome in here

Post: #172

(09-08-2018 10:22 AM)realologist Wrote:  The ultimate solution to balding.

Lift weights
Eat A Lot
Shave Your Head
Grow a beard

Then you're welcome in here

Not really the best idea. Some people just can't sport a shaved head ie light skin people blonde / red hair. I have a buddy who shaves his head and he has deep eye sockets, so he looks like Deadpool and like he's been in chemotherapy for 10 years. The ultimate solution is a transplant.

Post: #173

(09-08-2018 10:22 AM)realologist Wrote:  The ultimate solution to balding.

Lift weights
Eat A Lot
Shave Your Head
Grow a beard

Then you're welcome in here

That's a fine solution for some people. For others, an even better solution is to skip number three, get a transplant, and enjoy the other three steps with a full head of hair.

Post: #174

(12-04-2012 11:30 PM)Kaizen Wrote:  

(11-29-2012 01:55 AM)Expert Commander Wrote:  Bigxxx,

Thanks for sharing. I am wondering about the recovery time and how to disguise having anything done. You said nobody noticed. Could any girls tell if they touch your hair maybe 3 weeks after the procedure? I would like to keep this decision to myself if possible.

I don't believe anyone noticed anything. Keep in mind it was my temples and front which was receding and that was transplanted. I combed my hair down for a little while to cover the front. I was worried my temples would be noticed but the few people I did tell assured my they barely noticed anything. 3 weeks after the procedure no worries

If your very bald at the top, I think people would notice something is up for the first couple weeks. If someone called you out or asked a ballsy option would be to casually say you had something done. When you really think about it, who cares.

Post: #175

I'm considering one - i'm a nw3 and I am 32 year old. My hair loss is stabilized I think due to propecia and minoxidil.

Its a hard decision to make. I have about 6 or 7 thousands dollars spare each year so if I do get one it will be my entire years worth of savings (which means no holidays or extras). Just trying to justify doing that and not sure if its worth it.

Also - I wish there was a way to have it in secret instead of looking like a weirdo for 4 or 5 months.