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2000 FUE - Dr. Bisanga - My Experience

M

martinvain

Valued member
Hi everyone,

I am 26 and from the UK. On the 14th and 15th of September, I had an FUE procedure for 2000 grafts with Dr Bisanga at the BHR Clinic in Belgium. Hair loss has bothered me for years despite it being minimal compared to a lot of peoples situations.

This was not my first attempt to cure my hair loss. Aged 20 I went to well known high street hair replacement company and embarked on their Minoxidil and low level laser therapy treatment for 6 months with zero results except for pockets which weighed £2500 less. I discontinued Minoxidil shortly after this program due to a lack of results and slight scalp irritation which I believe increased my loss in the area's it was applied. The experience left me sceptical of the hair loss industry and a scepticism I don't think will fully leave me until I have more hair at the front of my head.

Six years later I went to Belgium to meet Dr Bisanga and his staff during a consultation. The first thing he said to me is "I see you sitting in front of me with a lot of hair. What is it you want me to do for you?". He was right. I concealed my loss with slightly longer hair and Dermmatch which worked well for me. I explained this and he had a look. We then discussed what I wanted and what he could do for me. Any recommendation was conditional that my donor hair was of a certain calibre. He measured my donor density to be 80/70/80 (side/back/side I think?) and said I had good calibre medium coarse hair with good follicular groupings. We then drew on a possible hairline and how far back into miniaturising existing hair any transplant would need to go. I was happy with what we discussed (and drew) and I went back home to think things over. A few months after I went ahead and booked. Why?

A good reputation, a lot of posted cases similar to my loss and the fact there was no hard sell or promises of juvenile hairlines. I know I will bald further as I get older and I know I have a finite number of grafts to mask this and this point was hammered home to me. In case I was in any doubt. I am on Finasteride and will continue indefinitely.

The surgery itself is in my opinion nothing to be scared of though anxiety is inevitable I guess. The anaesthesia did nip a little in certain areas. I personally found it worse in the forehead areas and at the nape of the neck but it really is nothing major and is in no way worth losing sleep over. Count to 10 in your head or picture playing with your new kitten as I did. If the results are what I and the clinic expect at 12 months and I ever need a hair transplant to cover future loss the thought of going through another procedure will not make me nervous in the slightest as discomfort is minimal.
The staff at the clinic were great. The nurse, the technicians and of course Dr Bisanga. The UK patient adviser Stephen was and is a great help. I owe a big thanks to him for making my trip as comfortable and pleasant as possible. From sorting out an issue with the hotel to booking me a taxi to take me to the airport and always responding to my emails promptly pre-op and post-op even when to be honest I am a pest.

Post op sleeping was fine the first couple of nights as I think there was still some anaesthetic in my system. I slept with the aid of mounted pillows and a travel pillow however my donor area was uncomfortable up to a week post op. When lying on it felt like it does when pressure applied to a bruise. Anyway, this is par for the course and has now subsided no issues. The swelling was not too bad either but did eventually trickle down my face around day 3 to the bridge of my nose then under my eyes. At night I would sit in my hotel room watching football on my laptop taking unopened near frozen cans of beer, coke etc. from the minibar and holding them to my head and I think this helped. Sounds silly, looked silly but it worked.
There were no issues going through customs at the airport post op with a bandana or the 100ml bottle of saline solution spray but just in case the clinic provided me with a letter explaining my situation and asking for my bandana to be removed in private if necessary.

So here I am 8 days post op. The pictures below are pre-op, which include the designed hairline and show the areas to be targeted in the transplant i.e. the hairline and going back into the frontal 3[sup]rd[/sup], 5 days post op with the crusts and 8 days post op without. There is pinkness in the recipient but nothing too bad. My donor looks pretty good I feel and my hair at a number 1 basically camouflages it already.

The only incident of note so far has been a slight panic on my part about the crusts healing. A lot joined together leaving large pink areas of hairless skin which I had never seen documented in anyone else s hair transplant experiences. True to Stephens word it turns out it is just how I heal. Since the crusts have left I have no hairless areas and I can only guess that the crusts had stretched areas of the scalp leaving more exposed skin? The pictures below illustrate this I hope when you compare 5 days post op to 8.

Procedure

BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant1.jpg
BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant2.jpg
BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant3.jpg



5 days Post Op

BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant4.jpg
BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant5.jpg
BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant6.jpg


8 days Post Op

BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant7.jpg
BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant8.jpg
BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant9.jpg


Donor 8 Days Post Op

BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant10.jpg



It is now a waiting game for me to see how this all turns out and as I said to Stephen prior to leaving it will ultimately be the results in terms of growth that define how good an experience this has been for me. I am highly sceptical about the hair loss industry and this has not changed but what I can say just now is that the beginning has went better and easier than I had imagined. Going forward the next few months will be nervous times for me as firstly the newly transplanted hairs shed and then hopefully return somewhere from 3-6 months on.

Anyway, if anyone has any questions at all please ask. I know how hair loss has, and continues, to make me feel and if I can be of assistance to anyone then I would like to help. As for this page I intend to update it weekly for the first month and monthly thereafter.

Thanks for reading.



P.S. Stephen if you have any bigger images of my procedure shots feel free to upload them. If you could blank out my face first though please.
 
timuk

timuk

My member is cooler than NN's
Martinvain...

Nice write up... I am sure all will be good... you have chosen a good surgeon with a good reputation..

I look forward to following your progress...

Tim
 
Last edited:
Masher

Masher

Member
Great write up,work as one would expect with Basinga looks very clean and top notch,along with Feller and Ulma he was on my top 4 shortlist.
That amount of grafts in such a small frontal area will make a massive difference in density.no more forward combing and concealing products for you matey! lol
Heal well.

Mash
 
Last edited:
sl

sl

BHR Clinic Patient Advisor
Hi Martinvain

Thanks for the candid write up.

With regard to your questions, we usually take density readings in 3 areas at least to get an average, the side, where one would expect to find the finer hairs, then behind the ear the mastoid area and finally the occipital area.

Healing is looking good and I can see you are washing well.

We will put the pics up and of course make them anonymous.

Speak soon.
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Martinvain.

I`m pleased you`ve had a positive experience with BHR.At 8 days post op the area looks nice and clean.I`ll look forward to following your progress.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

Heal and grow well.
 
Stingray76

Stingray76

Can't re member
Thanks for sharing your experience. You made a wise choice of doctor. I know it is hard but just try and sit back, relax and wait for a few months. You are gonna have a great result.
 
M

martinvain

Valued member
Before I start the update I feel I should add the graft breakdown which was omitted by accident from my original post.


1 Hair 2 Hair 3 Hair 4 Hair

465 1102 438 0


I asked Dr. Bisanga why no 4 hair FU's were transplanted and he confirmed that it was because the work was being carried out at the hairline and frontal 3rd as opposed to not having any.

I'm at day 15 post op now. The only news is that the recipient redness has faded further and is only really visible under strong artificial light. The grafts have also definitely been growing.

The shedding has begun and started around day 12. This seems to be consistent with what is expected and I am unconcerned. I imagine I will look significantly balder this time next week.

The picture is from my phone so the quality isn't as good as it should be. I will find a better solution next time.

Here's my pic anyway.

Dr. Bisanga hair transplant.jpg


As a side point, the angle I take the pictures from makes the hairline look more recessed than it actually is.
 
P

Pacman

Valued member
Hi Martinvain

Great write up will be very interesting to follow your developments. Will look fantastic grown out im sure.

Just a quick Question for you how has the reception been from Friends, family, work colleagues etc? How have you handled that aspect of having a HT.

Regards,

Pacman
 
M

martinvain

Valued member
Hi Pacman,

Firstly I opted to shave my head down to a number one guard around 4 months ago. I did this for two reasons. One, I knew post HT I would have shaved hair and by doing this early people would be used to me with short hair by the time the op came making facing people easier. The second reason was because I was sick of putting on concealer to style my hair.

My immediate family knew I was having this done and have supported me unanimously however they insist if it does not work then I must move on with my life - which is correct. I told my friends who I see regularly and they have been excellent with me as well. The reception therefore has been good so far amongst those who matter. There are three main reactions I feel in addition to everyone thinking it looks good at this stage and "you could never tell it wasn't natural".

1. Some people think it is excessive and hair loss should not bother me (males with full hair or female who say this).
2. Some people think if it bothered me so much I was correct to go and have it done.
3. Some people who quite frankly want to turn round in 12 months time and tell me "I told you it was all a big con" particularly when you tell them it all falls out again by a month post op before regrowing.

I am desperate to prove group 3 wrong.

As for my work colleagues some of them know I was going to have it done and others don't. I go back to work tomorrow and will be able to tell you their reaction come Monday as I will have met everyone by then.

I believe a degree of honesty is the best option although I understand this approach is not for everyone. In my opinion most people do not really care all that much about your life and the detect ability of a hair transplant is of higher priority in your head than it is in theirs. I believe honesty brings with it a degree of freedom and the removal of anxiety but there is the chance you will get a response that you don't like. I am comfortable with the choice to be open so far.

I feel ashamed of being bald but proud of having a nice head of hair - transplanted or not. The last week or so I have felt really liberated and hope that it will all grow back in 6 months and I feel like this again.

I hope that answers your question.

Martinvain.
 
P

Pacman

Valued member
Fantastic response to my question and possibly the best outlook to have very refreshing fair play to you, the reason i asked obviously is because of the stigma involved and i know personally it would be a part that would concern me hugely.

Well done i look forward to your updates as the months progress. Heres hoping your sceptism is laid to rest.

Cheers,

Pacman
 
sl

sl

BHR Clinic Patient Advisor
Dear Martinvain

Thanks again for your updates and open candid approach.

Certainly for those who've never lost a hair on their heads it's easy to say it is trivial. But you are only re-placing what you had years ago so it's not like you are asking for something unnatural and that you never had, unlike a lot of cosmetic surgery.

It is still a field that many don't understand at all and you are certainly not the norm in telling friends and work colleagues.

But the pics are looking good, more hair will fall, you might have some that will stay in, this is not a problem either. Happy continued healing and speak soon.
 
F

flynny

Valued member
martinvain wrote:
Hi everyone,

I am 26 and from the UK. On the 14th and 15th of September I had an FUE procedure for 2000 grafts with Dr Bisanga at the BHR Clinic in Belgium. Hair loss has bothered me for years despite it being minimal compared to a lot of peoples situations.

This was not my first attempt to cure my hair loss. Aged 20 I went to well known high street hair replacement company and embarked on their Minoxidil and low lever laser therapy treatment for 6 months with zero results except pockets which weighed £2500 less. I discontinued Minoxidil shortly after this program due to a lack of results and slight scalp irritation which I believe increased my loss in the area's it was applied. The experience left me sceptical of the hair loss industry and a scepticism I don't think will fully leave me until I have more hair at the front of my head.

Six years later I went to Belgium to meet Dr Bisanga and his staff during a consultation. The first thing he said to me is "I see you sitting in front of me with a lot of hair. What is it you want me to do for you?". He was right. I concealed my loss with slightly longer hair and Dermmatch which worked well for me. I explained this and he had a look. We then discussed what I wanted and what he could do for me. Any recommendation was conditional that my donor hair was of a certain calibre. He measured my donor density to be 80/70/80 (side/back/side I think?) and said I had good calibre medium coarse hair with good follicular groupings. We then drew on a possible hairline and how far back into miniaturising existing hair any transplant would need to go. I was happy with what we discussed (and drew) and I went back home to think things over. A few months after I went ahead and booked. Why?

A good reputation, a lot of posted cases similar to my loss and the fact there was no hard sell or promises of juvenile hairlines. I know I will bald further as I get older and I know I have a finite number of grafts to mask this and this point was hammered home to me. In case I was in any doubt. I am on Finasteride and will continue indefinitely.

The surgery itself is in my opinion nothing to be scared of though anxiety is inevitable I guess. The anaesthesia did nip a little in certain areas. I personally found it worse in the forehead areas and at the nape of the neck but it really is nothing major and is in no way worth losing sleep over. Count to 10 in your head or picture playing with your new kitten like I did. If the results are what I and the clinic expect at 12 months and I ever need a hair transplant to cover future loss the thought of a going through another procedure will not make me nervous in the slightest as discomfort is minimal.
The staff at the clinic were great. The nurse, the technicians and of course Dr Bisanga. The UK patient adviser Stephen was and is a great help. I owe a big thanks to him for making my trip as comfortable and pleasant as possible. From sorting out an issue with the hotel to booking me a taxi to take me to the airport and always responding to my emails promptly pre-op and post-op even when to be honest I am a pest.

Post op sleeping was fine the first couple of nights as I think there was still some anaesthetic in my system. I slept with the aid of mounted pillows and a travel pillow however my donor area was uncomfortable up to a week post op. When lying on it felt like it does when pressure applied to a bruise. Anyway this is par for the course and has now subsided €“ no issues. The swelling was not too bad either but did eventually trickle down my face around day 3 to the bridge of my nose then under my eyes. At night I would sit in my hotel room watching football on my laptop taking unopened near frozen cans of beer, coke etc. from the mini bar and holding them to my head and I think this helped. Sounds silly, looked silly but it worked.
There were no issues going through customs at the airport post op with a bandana or the 100ml bottle of saline solution spray but just in case the clinic provided me with a letter explaining my situation and asking for my bandana to be removed in private if necessary.

So here I am 8 days post op. The pictures below are pre-op, which include the designed hairline and show the areas to be targeted in the transplant i.e. the hairline and going back into the frontal 3[suP]rd[/suP], 5 days post op with the crusts and 8 days post op without. There is pinkness in the recipient but nothing too bad. My donor looks pretty good I feel and my hair at a number 1 basically camouflages it already.

The only incident of note so far has been a slight panic on my part about the crusts healing. A lot joined together leaving large pink areas of hairless skin which I had never seen documented in anyone else €™s hair transplant experiences. True to Stephens word it turns out it is just how I heal. Since the crusts have left I have no hairless areas and I can only guess that the crusts had stretched areas of scalp leaving more exposed skin? The pictures below illustrate this I hope when you compare 5 days post op to 8.

Procedure

hlhpostop.jpg
hlhpostopdonor-1.jpg
procedurehlh.jpg



5 days Post Op

front5dayshlh.jpg


right5dayshlh.jpg


left5dayshlh.jpg


8 days Post Op

Front8dayspostophlh.jpg

Right8dayspostophlh.jpg

Left8dayspostophlh.jpg


Donor 8 Days Post Op

Donor48daysposthlh.jpg



It is now a waiting game for me to see how this all turns out and as I said to Stephen prior to leaving it will ultimately be the results in terms of growth that define how good an experience this has been for me. I am highly sceptical about the hair loss industry and this has not changed but what I can say just now is that the beginning has went better and easier than I had imagined. Going forward the next few months will be nervous times for me as firstly the newly transplanted hairs shed and then hopefully return somewhere from 3-6 months on.

Anyway, if anyone has any questions at all please ask. I know how hair loss has, and continues, to make me feel and if I can be of assistance to anyone then I would like to help. As for this page I intend to update it weekly for the first month and monthly thereafter.

Thanks for reading.



P.S. Stephen if you have any bigger images of my procedure shots feel free to upload them. If you could blank out my face first though please.
how much did they charge may i ask looks good so far
 
M

martinvain

Valued member
Hi mate,

I don't know if there are any forum rules about posting prices or costs so instead I have given you the link for the clinics costing.

http://bhrclinic.com/html/faq_cost_cond.htm

My procedure was FUE.

Cheers.
 
M

martinvain

Valued member
Hi guys,

Here are my 3 week post op pics as promised. I got my digital camera working so the picture quality is better and with the flash on (no flash on my Blackberry), things are more clear including the post op redness. The shedding and harsh light both serve to show the redness as more obvious than the 1 week and 2 week post op shots and I feel the camera exaggerates it.

A lot of the transplanted grafts have fallen now though quite a few remain - a lot of which lie flat against my scalp which I've read tends to be what happens prior to falling. The hair that has shed has some black ends, some ends with a 90-degree kink and others are just plain straight hairs.

In response to a question as to how my workmates responded I would like to say none have noticed any real difference. Those who knew I was getting the procedure done said I just looked like myself due to the shaved head I adopted beforehand and the others who I told on my return to work weren't bothered and only noticed when pointed out to them. At this point, honesty has still been the best policy for me.

I started back light jogging about 18 days post op and everything was fine. I am keeping to a lower mileage of 3.5 before building back up again as I want to take things easy as much for my legs sake as my hairs.

Anyway here are the 3 week post op pics and as usual, if there are any questions please ask.

22dayspostop Dr Bisanga.jpg


22dayspostop Dr Bisanga.jpg 1.jpg
 
M

MrPotatoeHead

Member
Hi,

I'm receiding a little and I think it would be good for my carreer to thing about HT... but I was skeptical and now I can see the results, I'm totally amazed ! I just wonder if it is painful and how it costs for a HT like yours, in total ? Does it takes a lot of time ? And are you satisfied with your doctor ? I live in Canada so I don't know if the prices are the same here nor if the docters are as good as they are in the US.

Anyways, nice hair man ;)
 
M

martinvain

Valued member
Hi Mr PotatoeHead,

In answer to your questions remember the pictures in post one are only a few days post operation and the grafts have not shed at that point so it is not the final result. Yes, it does look very good at that stage and if all the transplanted hair grows back and looks like it does in the first pictures I will be delighted. The clinic were great and operation was not sore other than the nip of the jags to numb your head - but its fine.

Since the link above to costing does not work as BHR have updated their site my procedure was 8000 Euro's with the first 1000 grafts charged at 5 Euro's per grafts and 3 Euro's per graft for any over that i.e. the last 1000. Due to having a consultation with the clinic in Brussels months before surgery I was also given a 200 Euro reduction which was a nice gesture. The final cost was 7800 Euro's.

Thanks
 
M

martinvain

Valued member
Hi guys,

I am now a month post op and will now continue to update monthly as opposed to weekly from now on.

Shedding has continued and I would reckon I have lost around 80% of the transplanted grafts. I now only lose grafts that are kinked at the end as opposed to the earlier shedding which contained straight hairs, hairs that kinked at the bottom and hairs with black bulbs at the end as described in a previous update.

The redness is subsiding and I am not concerned about it, though under strong artificial light it is more noticeable and some of my workmates have commented. I expected this would happen as the transplanted grafts falling obviously mean they can't camouflage the pinkness anymore. In any case, it's no problem and doesn't bother me. Other than the redness I basically look at how I did pre operation and currently have only suffered minimal shock loss which I hope remains the case.

My hair is somewhere between a number 1 and 2 and I think the donor looks very good. here are the pictures.

As ever, if there are any questions please feel free to ask as I want prospective transplant patients to be able to take as much from this thread as they possibly can come to its conclusion.

BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant1.jpg


BHR Clinic FUE Hair Transplant - Donor area post-op.jpg
 
sl

sl

BHR Clinic Patient Advisor
Hi Martinvain

Redness is always exacerbated in flourescent type light, this is normal, especially at four weeks. You may add aloe vera to your regime on the recipient if need be, the pinkness will continue to fade with time for sure.

Looking nice and clean, you've obviously followed the post-op well.

Thanks for the update.
 
Z

Zombikiller

Member
Hi mate, im in the same boat as you and am hopefully going to go with Dr Bisanga.

Pics look great!
 
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