I
intland
Valued member
Many stories have been writted on FUE and how it has changed the life of an individual. Sorry about the length of my post. I will try to explain my motivation behind doing a hair transplantation. Questions answered: Why did I do FUE and not FUT (strip)? I will also make some recommendations, which are not new, but I think they can be repeated.
I ve had gradual hairloss from the age of 19-20. I ve used Rogaine and Finasteride (Proscar) on and off, since then. I ve unfortunatley not used Rogaine regularly and I began with Rogaine foam in 2008. It s better than the oily consitency which makes your hair look dirty. Toppik was used to cover the miniaturisation of hair follicles, at the region towards my temples and the top of my head. It became increasingly difficult to cover, even with Toppik.
Too much time in the morning went to different products I needed to apply after shower. It had a negative impact on my daily energy. I did realise the importance of preventing further hair loss. Nevertheless, there s too much to think about when one has a lot of other things to consider.
Hair transplantation is not something one take into consideration after a weekend. One should research several months before deciding. I plan purchases a long time in advance. It s even more important with something to do with your health, physical and mental. A hair transplantation is definitely not a spontaneous decision.
It s also important that the hair behind and towards the sides of the recipient may fall off a few years from now. I m against hair clinics that seek to create an exaggerated, mature, V-shaped hairline. I m not cynical but still suspicious that some hair clinics want to have returning customers. That could look unnatural as well, equally so with the other extreme, those hair clinics that make the person look like a male doll.
I couldn t have a proper haircut the last few years before my first FUE in late 2008. My mistake was simple and common, that I didn t keep my hair very short. It was mostly that I couldn t bother cutting my hair so often. I basically couldn t have the haircut that I wanted, which is not the end of the world, but it bothered me and I rather think of more important matters, such as planning my social life, want events to attend, what books and films to read and watch, career strategies, finding the right girl, get married, and so forth. You know, the things that are often important to an outgoing 25-35 year old guy. I cannot speak for everyone else, but I do think it s fairly universal. I m trying to say my hair transplantation was not only because of appearance, although I m far from indifferent, and is definitely concerned beyond my hair. It s something that had to be done, and why not when it s available. I would have probably learnt to deal with it if it had been 50-100 years ago.
I knew my very dense donor area was very good for FUE. I know that FUT can give amazing results, but I just don t want such a big scar.
To make a long story short, as it doesn t apply much internationally, I did my research. Ilter Clinic is probably good as well, but they are way too expensive. It just isn t reasonable, and I m not willing to pay extra for a fancy clinic and expensive supporting staff. Sweden is an expensive country and it doesn t mean it s better in private healthcare, probably the other way around, as it was and is still quite Social Democratic with not much health competition. I could care less about the politics behind price and certain countries and hair clinics are cheaper than others. Dr. De Reys said himself, that he learnt FUE from Dr. Ilter, so the latter should be as competent. I researched other hair clinics as well, but Belgium is close to my country of residence, Sweden, and their mentality is similar, perhaps a bit more laid-back but equally serious, at least in Flanders, where you have the Prohairclinic staff. I also like that Prohairclinic have specialised on FUE. I paid 6500 Euro for 3000 FUE, of which 10 % was paid in advance. It s very difficult to expose yourself as Bart does, and I got the same impression from him in private correspondence, as well as reading him online. Their website is http://www.prohairclinic.com/en
I had Norwood 3 (almost no hair left towards the temples, with some hair, enough to create a few hairstyles, in the middle and backwards, on the top of my head) in 2009, before my operation. Some slight hairloss could be seen behind the transplantation area, in the upper part of the vertex area. I was 27, almost 28 years old, when I did my first FUE.
3336 grafts were transplanted in the beginning of December 2008 at Prohairclinic, in Mechelen, Belgium. Dr. De Reys and his team did the FUE.
I was supposed to have a greater density than I got after my first FUE. They supposedly put 60 cm2 towards the templs and 45 cm2 in the rest of the recipient area. Some of the hair might not have been retained, and a great deal, if not all of the natural hair in the middle towards the hairline, probably fell off from 2009 to 2012.
It s possible that a second FUE is often needed, or that some of the hairs were not retained after the hair transplantation. I had probably also lost some or all of the natural hairs in the front towards the hairline. So here we are and I ve just made a second FUE, also at Prohairclinic.
I was not satisfied with my density and I had lost some hair in the donor area. It was more visible in strong sunlight and I didn t get enough volume for medium length haircuts, which I prefer and think looks best on me. I m still young, 31, and have plenty of hair in the donor area, which I know is highly individual. Bart said I ve got way beyond average to take from the donor area.
The new clinic is in Wilrijk, close to Antwerp, which is a beautiful city, for those of you interested in architecture. The operation is done in two days. Both times I arrived the day before my first day of operation, and left after day 2. A simple but good enough 3 star hotel costs 50-70 EURO per night. Some places are more central than others, but Belgium is very densely populated, so nowhere is really far compared to many other larger countries. Taxi is also cheap, again I compare to Sweden, where it s very expensive. I had a great deal of pain, much more the first time. Either they have become more competent or I ve got used to the procedure. I walked more and drank plenty of water this second time, to keep the swelling down, and I do think that it has helped.
I suggest going back the next day because the head (more correctly, the forehead) has not become bulging from the anesthesia, which will occur in day 3-6. The forehead will become bulging, and finally, the nasal root will look a little wide. It s not a pretty sight but it doesn t last more than a few day after the hair transplantation. First time it took almost two weeks before all the crusts were gone, but all were gone after day 7, this second time. I had a great deal of pain the first time and had a difficult time falling asleep. The pain from the donor area was annoying, and I couldn t think of anything else at times. I still had some pain day 7-10 but much less. This second time, as I m writing this, it s day 9 after the first day of operation, and the pain is much less. I ve got some itches in the donor area but not much. It felt like a needle sometimes after my first FUE, but I don t have that feeling now, or very little of it. I ve got also much more hair so the red colour is not as visible. The recipient area will feel numb up to 2 weeks after the FUE, at least it did for me. It s also the time I would give, or more towards 3 weeks, that you can have a working social life.
Those close to me thought the hairline may have been a bit too conservative, but we looked at older photos, and the hairline is similar to what I had as a 21 year old with very limited hairloss. That s more natural for a 31 year old, than the very full hair I had when I was 15. It s important to look like a man and not a teenager. Besides, I ve got a long and wide oval towards square (maybe rectangular, not sure) facial shape with a high and broad forehead. My hairline has never been straight, and it would have looked out creating something that never existed, when when I was a small kid. But not having enough density and covering a large area, where it looks thin to medium overall, does also look as if you had a hair transplant, becuase people rarely lose hair like that, so I just felt I need a second FUE to increase the density to medium, or even high.
It has been easy to get in touch with Prohairclinic. They answer questions quickly. Their administration is limited but they find the time. Above everything else, they are professional. Bart and Sabine are key persons, and Dr. De Reys is no longer with them, but I think the job this time was equally good, if not better. I think FUE is very much a team work and although it s important to have a good doctor behind the scenes, I really don t think that is the most important. It s common knowledge these days that the best are women with small hands. You may ask several hair clinics and I think they will all tell you the same. They all speak fairly good English are Prohairclinic so it s easy to communicate with them. Prohairclinic has also improved from 2008-2009 to 2012 with giving information material of what to think before, during and after the FUE.
I will copy and paste what Bart wrote recently in an e-mail about my second FUE:
Total grafts : 3011 ¨ ¨1 hair grafts : 805 ¨2 hair grafts : 1817 ¨3 hair grafts : 378 ¨4 hair grafts : 11 ¨ ¨Area implant : ¨Day 1 (top area) : 50 cm2 average of 30 gr/cm2 was added to existing. ¨Day 2 (Frontal area) 44 cm2 : average of 34 r/cm2 was added to existing.
¨That should mean I didn t have enough density after the first FUE.
Check out in http://www.hshairclinic.co.uk/hair-loss/graft-calculator/
I ve transplanted to the areas 1, 2, 3, and also some of 4, 5 and maybe about the half of the upper of 6. Not the sides, but more towards the middle, of 4 and 5. That calculator on the website might also be good to use.
I m satisifed with Prohairclinic. I will wait before making a final judgement. It should take 12 to 18 months.
FUE is probably good for those in the beginning to the middle of their hairloss, Norwood 2-4, often men in the age of 25-35, although I think it can be suitable to those younger and much older, depending on hairloss, donor area, genetics, and a number of other factors. Medical treatments have a lot to do with expectations. It s highly individual. Donor density is important for a good FUE result, and you need to consider future hairloss. I would say don t expect the illusion of full hair after the first FUE, especially if the area is large. FUT (strip) might be better in that case, but I rather be patient and good FUE will look natural. I prefer the least invasive method, when I have a choice, therefore FUE.
Although I write here to help others wanting to do a hair transplantation, I value my privacy (the Internet is full of traps) and have not decided yet to add photos or not. I may in 6 months or a year from now. Most who are happy want to go ahead with their lives anyway and don t look back, from what I ve have observed reading many others, those that are uncertain look for a second opinion or reassurance, and it s hardly the best thing to do on anonymous forums. Having said that, a lot of valuable information, as well as disinformation, is available on Internet discussion boards. I don t trust anyone fully besides family and maybe a few close friends, but Bart, who is of course a businessman and obviously good at marketing, does give an honest impression, so I can vouch that he cares about Prohairclinic and definitely seek to make his patients happy. I cannot say whether other clinics would have been better or worse, as it's simply impossible to make such a comparison.
Thanks for taking the time to read.
I ve had gradual hairloss from the age of 19-20. I ve used Rogaine and Finasteride (Proscar) on and off, since then. I ve unfortunatley not used Rogaine regularly and I began with Rogaine foam in 2008. It s better than the oily consitency which makes your hair look dirty. Toppik was used to cover the miniaturisation of hair follicles, at the region towards my temples and the top of my head. It became increasingly difficult to cover, even with Toppik.
Too much time in the morning went to different products I needed to apply after shower. It had a negative impact on my daily energy. I did realise the importance of preventing further hair loss. Nevertheless, there s too much to think about when one has a lot of other things to consider.
Hair transplantation is not something one take into consideration after a weekend. One should research several months before deciding. I plan purchases a long time in advance. It s even more important with something to do with your health, physical and mental. A hair transplantation is definitely not a spontaneous decision.
It s also important that the hair behind and towards the sides of the recipient may fall off a few years from now. I m against hair clinics that seek to create an exaggerated, mature, V-shaped hairline. I m not cynical but still suspicious that some hair clinics want to have returning customers. That could look unnatural as well, equally so with the other extreme, those hair clinics that make the person look like a male doll.
I couldn t have a proper haircut the last few years before my first FUE in late 2008. My mistake was simple and common, that I didn t keep my hair very short. It was mostly that I couldn t bother cutting my hair so often. I basically couldn t have the haircut that I wanted, which is not the end of the world, but it bothered me and I rather think of more important matters, such as planning my social life, want events to attend, what books and films to read and watch, career strategies, finding the right girl, get married, and so forth. You know, the things that are often important to an outgoing 25-35 year old guy. I cannot speak for everyone else, but I do think it s fairly universal. I m trying to say my hair transplantation was not only because of appearance, although I m far from indifferent, and is definitely concerned beyond my hair. It s something that had to be done, and why not when it s available. I would have probably learnt to deal with it if it had been 50-100 years ago.
I knew my very dense donor area was very good for FUE. I know that FUT can give amazing results, but I just don t want such a big scar.
To make a long story short, as it doesn t apply much internationally, I did my research. Ilter Clinic is probably good as well, but they are way too expensive. It just isn t reasonable, and I m not willing to pay extra for a fancy clinic and expensive supporting staff. Sweden is an expensive country and it doesn t mean it s better in private healthcare, probably the other way around, as it was and is still quite Social Democratic with not much health competition. I could care less about the politics behind price and certain countries and hair clinics are cheaper than others. Dr. De Reys said himself, that he learnt FUE from Dr. Ilter, so the latter should be as competent. I researched other hair clinics as well, but Belgium is close to my country of residence, Sweden, and their mentality is similar, perhaps a bit more laid-back but equally serious, at least in Flanders, where you have the Prohairclinic staff. I also like that Prohairclinic have specialised on FUE. I paid 6500 Euro for 3000 FUE, of which 10 % was paid in advance. It s very difficult to expose yourself as Bart does, and I got the same impression from him in private correspondence, as well as reading him online. Their website is http://www.prohairclinic.com/en
I had Norwood 3 (almost no hair left towards the temples, with some hair, enough to create a few hairstyles, in the middle and backwards, on the top of my head) in 2009, before my operation. Some slight hairloss could be seen behind the transplantation area, in the upper part of the vertex area. I was 27, almost 28 years old, when I did my first FUE.
3336 grafts were transplanted in the beginning of December 2008 at Prohairclinic, in Mechelen, Belgium. Dr. De Reys and his team did the FUE.
I was supposed to have a greater density than I got after my first FUE. They supposedly put 60 cm2 towards the templs and 45 cm2 in the rest of the recipient area. Some of the hair might not have been retained, and a great deal, if not all of the natural hair in the middle towards the hairline, probably fell off from 2009 to 2012.
It s possible that a second FUE is often needed, or that some of the hairs were not retained after the hair transplantation. I had probably also lost some or all of the natural hairs in the front towards the hairline. So here we are and I ve just made a second FUE, also at Prohairclinic.
I was not satisfied with my density and I had lost some hair in the donor area. It was more visible in strong sunlight and I didn t get enough volume for medium length haircuts, which I prefer and think looks best on me. I m still young, 31, and have plenty of hair in the donor area, which I know is highly individual. Bart said I ve got way beyond average to take from the donor area.
The new clinic is in Wilrijk, close to Antwerp, which is a beautiful city, for those of you interested in architecture. The operation is done in two days. Both times I arrived the day before my first day of operation, and left after day 2. A simple but good enough 3 star hotel costs 50-70 EURO per night. Some places are more central than others, but Belgium is very densely populated, so nowhere is really far compared to many other larger countries. Taxi is also cheap, again I compare to Sweden, where it s very expensive. I had a great deal of pain, much more the first time. Either they have become more competent or I ve got used to the procedure. I walked more and drank plenty of water this second time, to keep the swelling down, and I do think that it has helped.
I suggest going back the next day because the head (more correctly, the forehead) has not become bulging from the anesthesia, which will occur in day 3-6. The forehead will become bulging, and finally, the nasal root will look a little wide. It s not a pretty sight but it doesn t last more than a few day after the hair transplantation. First time it took almost two weeks before all the crusts were gone, but all were gone after day 7, this second time. I had a great deal of pain the first time and had a difficult time falling asleep. The pain from the donor area was annoying, and I couldn t think of anything else at times. I still had some pain day 7-10 but much less. This second time, as I m writing this, it s day 9 after the first day of operation, and the pain is much less. I ve got some itches in the donor area but not much. It felt like a needle sometimes after my first FUE, but I don t have that feeling now, or very little of it. I ve got also much more hair so the red colour is not as visible. The recipient area will feel numb up to 2 weeks after the FUE, at least it did for me. It s also the time I would give, or more towards 3 weeks, that you can have a working social life.
Those close to me thought the hairline may have been a bit too conservative, but we looked at older photos, and the hairline is similar to what I had as a 21 year old with very limited hairloss. That s more natural for a 31 year old, than the very full hair I had when I was 15. It s important to look like a man and not a teenager. Besides, I ve got a long and wide oval towards square (maybe rectangular, not sure) facial shape with a high and broad forehead. My hairline has never been straight, and it would have looked out creating something that never existed, when when I was a small kid. But not having enough density and covering a large area, where it looks thin to medium overall, does also look as if you had a hair transplant, becuase people rarely lose hair like that, so I just felt I need a second FUE to increase the density to medium, or even high.
It has been easy to get in touch with Prohairclinic. They answer questions quickly. Their administration is limited but they find the time. Above everything else, they are professional. Bart and Sabine are key persons, and Dr. De Reys is no longer with them, but I think the job this time was equally good, if not better. I think FUE is very much a team work and although it s important to have a good doctor behind the scenes, I really don t think that is the most important. It s common knowledge these days that the best are women with small hands. You may ask several hair clinics and I think they will all tell you the same. They all speak fairly good English are Prohairclinic so it s easy to communicate with them. Prohairclinic has also improved from 2008-2009 to 2012 with giving information material of what to think before, during and after the FUE.
I will copy and paste what Bart wrote recently in an e-mail about my second FUE:
Total grafts : 3011 ¨ ¨1 hair grafts : 805 ¨2 hair grafts : 1817 ¨3 hair grafts : 378 ¨4 hair grafts : 11 ¨ ¨Area implant : ¨Day 1 (top area) : 50 cm2 average of 30 gr/cm2 was added to existing. ¨Day 2 (Frontal area) 44 cm2 : average of 34 r/cm2 was added to existing.
¨That should mean I didn t have enough density after the first FUE.
Check out in http://www.hshairclinic.co.uk/hair-loss/graft-calculator/
I ve transplanted to the areas 1, 2, 3, and also some of 4, 5 and maybe about the half of the upper of 6. Not the sides, but more towards the middle, of 4 and 5. That calculator on the website might also be good to use.
I m satisifed with Prohairclinic. I will wait before making a final judgement. It should take 12 to 18 months.
FUE is probably good for those in the beginning to the middle of their hairloss, Norwood 2-4, often men in the age of 25-35, although I think it can be suitable to those younger and much older, depending on hairloss, donor area, genetics, and a number of other factors. Medical treatments have a lot to do with expectations. It s highly individual. Donor density is important for a good FUE result, and you need to consider future hairloss. I would say don t expect the illusion of full hair after the first FUE, especially if the area is large. FUT (strip) might be better in that case, but I rather be patient and good FUE will look natural. I prefer the least invasive method, when I have a choice, therefore FUE.
Although I write here to help others wanting to do a hair transplantation, I value my privacy (the Internet is full of traps) and have not decided yet to add photos or not. I may in 6 months or a year from now. Most who are happy want to go ahead with their lives anyway and don t look back, from what I ve have observed reading many others, those that are uncertain look for a second opinion or reassurance, and it s hardly the best thing to do on anonymous forums. Having said that, a lot of valuable information, as well as disinformation, is available on Internet discussion boards. I don t trust anyone fully besides family and maybe a few close friends, but Bart, who is of course a businessman and obviously good at marketing, does give an honest impression, so I can vouch that he cares about Prohairclinic and definitely seek to make his patients happy. I cannot say whether other clinics would have been better or worse, as it's simply impossible to make such a comparison.
Thanks for taking the time to read.
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