Just had FUT, FUE and topical treatment consults. What to do?

[Rome]

Hi all. I'm Rome.

I am in my mid 30s and looking into hair treatment options. I have had receeding hairline for the past 10 years or so. Used to wear my hair very long, mid back and miss it dearly. Cut it short because it looks terrible if I don't. I want to grow it long again. My crown and midscalp all seems thick and normal still.

I recently had a FUE consult from Dr Wisiorek at HRA Buffalo, a FUT consult from Dr Slaughter at Saratoga Hair, and a topical Finasteride+minoxodil consult from Hims.

I was all gung ho about the FUE because the price is right, it's close to home, recovery is easy, and quoted number of grafts sounds great (3000). But they don't really have any before and after work publically available anywhere. They showed me pictures in office from their patient hairlines which looked good, but there is one particular horror story I found on this site from their practice of patchy work and multi hair grafts being used in the front hairline etc. Scared me a good deal and is partly why I decided to ask this here. They really sold me in their HAARTs machine touting it as the safest and best results system, but it appears they are part owners of the company that makes it and it isn't widely used.

The FUT consult is with a facial plastic surgeon by training doctor. He has a handful of before and afters on his Instagram and company website. The price is a couple thousand dollars more and with a smaller number of estimated grafts (2000). He also only does FUT and sold me on the higher quality grafts that FUT produces. He does it all by hand with the slit incisions for recipient sites etc. Cost more, lower number of grafts, 6 hours away, FUT scar and healing stuff. But his before and afters look pretty amazing for the number of grafts.

I also just completed my screening from Hims for their new topical finasteride and minoxidil spray. I ordered it and it should come next week I guess. I have many little baby hairs in my bald spots. Would the topicals really turn these into normal hair over time and help fill this back in?

I'm really stuck thinking of which route to go. I will be working from home for the next couple of months so now is the time to make the leap on some options.

 

[Bigmac]

Hi Rome.
Do you have a top down picture showing how far your hair has receded?
Hair loss medications. I`m not sure how many baby/miniaturised hairs you have but meds could potentially help them regrow and prevent or slow down any further progression. If I were in your shoes, I would try the meds for 6 months while doing more research into HT clinics.

An FUE device is only as good as the person who uses it. Your first FUE consult is with a doctor that allegedly told his patient that multi grafts are supposed to be placed in the hairline to add density. This is incorrect. The first few rows should be single hairs.
They have some images on Facebook that show them placing multi`s in the hairline.

I`ve not heard of the 2nd doctor you mention.

Do not let distance be a factor in your decision making. You have quite a few well known doctors with proven track records and hundreds of results to view who are a short flight away.

 

[Rome]

Hi Rome.
Do you have a top down picture showing how far your hair has receded?
Hair loss medications. I`m not sure how many baby/miniaturised hairs you have but meds could potentially help them regrow and prevent or slow down any further progression. If I were in your shoes, I would try the meds for 6 months while doing more research into HT clinics.

An FUE device is only as good as the person who uses it. Your first FUE consult is with a doctor that allegedly told his patient that multi grafts are supposed to be placed in the hairline to add density. This is incorrect. The first few rows should be single hairs.
They have some images on Facebook that show them placing multi`s in the hairline.

I`ve not heard of the 2nd doctor you mention.

Do not let distance be a factor in your decision making. You have quite a few well known doctors with proven track records and hundreds of results to view who are a short flight away.

Thanks for the reply. Yes that Buffalo case on this forum is pretty scary. It's from early 2020 I think and supposedly they do 2-3 procedures a week so they would have a lot more experience since then. I believe they were a very new practice in early 2020.

For what it's worth, they quoted me 3000 grafts for $8500 which I can swing. Other FUE places quoted 2500 grafts for like 15k, which is literally never going to happen financially for me.

The other place is Saratogahair dot com which has many nice before and afters compared to some places I've seen. They are in the middle cost wise between the Buffalo place and the NYC place that wanted 15k

The meds make sense to try, but I'll likely never have this "golden opportunity" of working form home like this again where I could get a procedure with so little inconvenience. By the time I find out if the meds help at all or cause side effects I will be back in office.

Speaking of more research on transplants, is it weird for a younger doctor to exclusively do FUT procedures? They seem to be out of style but the saratoga place only does them and swears by them being superior if you don't mind the linear scar and extra recovery time.

 

[Rome]

Here's a top down picture. My hair seems as thick as it ever has from my ears back. Like if I drew a line from war to war right over the top of my head, from that line back is thick. No crown issues either.

 

[Bigmac]

According to Facebook, they`ve been performing hair transplants from at least 2017, and their website claim many years of experience in the industry.
It`s your choice if you use them. Ask them about multi grafts in the hairline, then search for hairline design to see if any other clinic agrees that multi`s should be used.

Your picture looks like you have thin hair with it combed over to cover.

 

[Rome]

According to Facebook, they`ve been performing hair transplants from at least 2017, and their website claim many years of experience in the industry.
It`s your choice if you use them. Ask them about multi grafts in the hairline, then search for hairline design to see if any other clinic agrees that multi`s should be used.

Your picture looks like you have thin hair with it combed over to cover.

They told me they harvest 1, 2, 3 and 4 hair grafts and "only use 1 hair grafts in the hairline, then 2, then 3s and 4 for fullness behind the initial hairline band"

So they definitely told me something different than what they told the other guy on this forum. I was legit ready to book the procedure for July and secure the funding, and then I found this forum and am scared of that place now. Crazy.

As to the top of my head, I can see how the photo makes it look that way. it's just the "style" I have in the moment in the photo. The top of head and crown are not thinned. According to both surgeon consults and my barber lol.

 

[Bigmac]

I just took a look at the Saratoga website. I see it`s Dr Beehner`s clinic. I`ve met him at a few ISHRS conferences. His work seems decent. I`ve no idea about Dr Slaughter, he must be someone that he has trained up.

 

[Bigmac]

They told me they harvest 1, 2, 3 and 4 hair grafts and "only use 1 hair grafts in the hairline, then 2, then 3s and 4 for fullness behind the initial hairline band"

So they definitely told me something different than what they told the other guy on this forum. I was legit ready to book the procedure for July and secure the funding, and then I found this forum and am scared of that place now. Crazy.

As to the top of my head, I can see how the photo makes it look that way. it's just the "style" I have in the moment in the photo. The top of head and crown are not thinned. According to both surgeon consults and my barber lol.

As for multi grafts in the hairline, they clearly planted them in the patient's hairline on here and this example from their Facebook page

Maybe they`ve changed their technique.

 

[Rome]

I just took a look at the Saratoga website. I see it`s Dr Beehner`s clinic. I`ve met him at a few ISHRS conferences. His work seems decent. I`ve no idea about Dr Slaughter, he must be someone that he has trained up.

Yes. I was told slaughter trained under Beehner for hair but that slaughter has more surgical training overall as a head and neck surgeon and facial plastic surgeon. Slaughter does all the procedures there now except for select clients that Beehner in his semi-retired state decides to see for smaller procedures.

I have read some thing about it being "crazy that a guy would get an FUT in modern times with FUE so available". Is that a consensus on boards like this? I assume since FUT has a worse scar, longer recovery, sutures and such, the only reason someone would opt for FUT anymore is because it allegedly produces a better finished product in the recipient site. Or cost reduction I guess. Curious what the consensus is here. If any. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Rome]

As for multi grafts in the hairline, they clearly planted them in the patient's hairline on here and this example from their Facebook page

Maybe they`ve changed their technique.

View attachment 23867

Isnt that the same guy that posted here too? If not the hairline in those photos is eerily similar to the horror story on this forum.

 

[Rome]

Extra photo, top of head without hair combed to side. I have a crazy double spiral cowlick thing at my crown since I was a little kid.

 

[Bigmac]

Yes. I was told slaughter trained under Beehner for hair but that slaughter has more surgical training overall as a head and neck surgeon and facial plastic surgeon. Slaughter does all the procedures there now except for select clients that Beehner in his semi-retired state decides to see for smaller procedures.

I have read some thing about it being "crazy that a guy would get an FUT in modern times with FUE so available". Is that a consensus on boards like this? I assume since FUT has a worse scar, longer recovery, sutures and such, the only reason someone would opt for FUT anymore is because it allegedly produces a better finished product in the recipient site. Or cost reduction I guess. Curious what the consensus is here. If any. Thanks for the replies.

You may find that FUT is more expensive or the same cost as FUE these days. More staff are usually required to perform FUT surgery. But prices do vary.
FUT does have a longer recovery period for the donor area. My FUT procedures from 2008 onwards were a breeze. It’s all down to personal choice.
The end result from either surgery should be about the same providing you go to a clinic who are skilled in what they do.

 

[Bigmac]

Isnt that the same guy that posted here too? If not the hairline in those photos is eerily similar to the horror story on this forum.

It does look similar but I don’t think it’s the same person. I could be wrong.
You could ask the member on his thread.

First FUE - 5 days post-op Disappointed

I had an FUE done with a surgeon who did a lot of talking I will say, in the New York arena. There is a lot I wish I knew before I jumped in with this guy. I was not put on Fin for stabilizing hair loss, I had been using Minox for the better part of 1.5 years. A long story short I walked away...

www.hairlossexperiences.com

 

[bullitnut]

I would have a few more consultations before deciding anything.

 

[Rome]

I had another consultation, this time with Dr Haber in Cleveland. He seems well regarded on this forum. He recommended 2000 graft FUT and starting Fin. Debating the cost in general and the strip scar for FUT, but it seems most reputable surgeons within driving distance of me prefer FUT.

 

[Bigmac]

Don’t let distance be a factor in choosing the right clinic you’re comfortable with.
It is great if you have someone close you’re happy with.

 

[Rome]

Don’t let distance be a factor in choosing the right clinic you’re comfortable with.
It is great if you have someone close you’re happy with.

I can appreciate that in theory, but this procedure is very expensive to me, so tacking on airfare and a hotel to the cost is a bit untenable, not to mention lost time at work since I don't have any paid days to use. And I hate flying anyways. The clinics around me (buffalo pittsburgh Cleveland area) tend to be about 10k procedures. I don't know how that compares with other locales in the USA but but that is a higher cost than the vehicles I drive for reference lol.

Are there clinics of higher repute in that area that are known to anyone here?

I debated just using the topical stuff for a year and seeing what happens, but after a few days I was already tired of rubbing that into my scalp and thusly my hair, and having crunchy hair. And since my goal is very long hair, it would be a mess to use that stuff every day for the rest of my life even if it actually worked for me.

that combined with current working from home made this a uniquely nice time to get a procedure if I can stomach the cost.

 

[Kevboy]

I’ve had great success with Finasteride.

 

[Rome]

I’ve had great success with Finasteride.

That's good to hear! How do you define success? Stopping loss, regrowth? I did start the oral fin.

 

[Bigmac]

In my opinion great success would be preventing/slowing down further progression and strengthening miniaturised hairs. You may be better off seeing how you progress with the oral Finasteride over the next 12 months, possibly look into oral minoxidil too.

Dr Carlos Wesley has a location listed in Pennsylvania. He is worth contacting to see if they offer surgery there.