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Not happy with transplant - need advice

JoeTillman

JoeTillman

Valued member
To be fair, this isn't forcing you to do anything except to evaluate what the doctor's time is worth to you. The idea that a doctor should provide their time for free, in order for a patient to make a life changing decision, is contrary to how the elective surgical market operates in general. The only reason why doctors offer their time for free is because other doctors do, and it all got started 40 plus years ago by Bosley Medical. They did this in order to drive sales because typical sales strategies push for getting "leads in the door" above all else as the idea is that once they're in the door, high pressure sales tactics will win the day, which is contrary to the medical ethic. While his fee is on the high end of what some doctors charge, I support the idea of requiring payment for consultation. And consider his position on this. He's smack in the middle of the most competitive market on the planet and most of his immediate competition is less expensive so he's used to having people take his input and then going to a lower cost competitor. This strategy reduces the "tire kicker" factor significantly.
 
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jaimepn

member
Right, so you're 37, you've already used 3300 grafts via FUE and you want to lower your hairline and address the crown again but you're not doing anything to prevent further loss.

Your dermatologist is an idiot for suggesting surgery after learning that you don't want to/can't tolerate the sides.

She is an idiot indeed.
She deemed that I was intolerant to Minoxidil due to intense redness of the scalp after application. And suggested hair transplant as a solution for me.

However I've been researching (google) and experimenting... It turns out I tolerate Minoxidil quite well on PG free / Alcohol free formulas.
Minoxidilmax and Freshmen formulas are good for me.

I am now 1 month into treatment with Monixidil and Finasteride (topical).

My hair transplant was potentially unnecessary and I am pissed off!

You know when drs say "you cant refute my degree with a google search?" - Yeah, you can!

I'll post updated pics tomorrow.
 
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J

jaimepn

member
I will post new
The idea that a doctor should provide their time for free, in order for a patient to make a life changing decision, is contrary to how the elective surgical market operates in general.

Not free. I'm willing to pay for a consultation to get unbiased advice on what's best for me, given the current situation, room for improvement, donor area, etc.
Unbiased = without feeling pressured into surgery. Which has been my experience so far, pressure into booking a surgery date even before looking into my hair.
 
J

jaimepn

member
Updated pics. Im combing to front to conceal the strong implanted hairline, it looks really unnatural.
Really disappointed with the work done by NHT - Natural Hair Turkey.

Im applying minoxidil and finasteride in the front in hopes it grows stronger hair that blends in a bit better with the transplanted area. I don't know how realistic that is.

Surgery wise, id still like to bring the implated area 1cm down (if that is a responsible thing to do), potentially by reusing some of those implanted hairs. But this is where I need impartial advice for a good experienced surgeon.
 

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Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Could you add a clearer picture of your hairline with the hair pulled back gently or lifted up slightly? It does not look bad going by the pictures you`ve posted, however, in the cold light of day, it may look different

Is it Topical Finasteride you`re applying? Crowns often respond well to Finasteride.
 
S

sasahi

member
Those types of clinics those people's should go in jail, never go to a turkey clinic or where these people's are
 
M

mazalov_an

member
"Please don't imply that I "don't want" to tolerate side effects of medication."

I didn't imply anything which is why I separated "don't want to" and "can't" with a slash. This is used to indicate uncertainty. You didn't specify so I did the exact opposite of implying by not assuming one specific position on your behalf.

"Again, thank you for spending time writing this comment. Really appreciate
Right, so you're 37, you've already used 3300 grafts via FUE and you want to lower your hairline and address the crown again but you're not doing anything to prevent further loss.

Your dermatologist is an idiot for suggesting surgery after learning that you don't want to/can't tolerate the sides.

It will take at least 1000 grafts to lower your hairline 1cm, potentially 1300 to 1500 grafts in order to blend it properly into the your existing hairline and to achieve a density you'll be ok with. Also, this might need to be broken up into two smaller sessions as most doctors aren't skilled enough to achieve good density on one pass without cheating by using multi-grafts throughout the area. The crown will take another 1000 to get any semblance of density and even then it will not be completely full in appearance so you'll potentially be in the hole for 5500 grafts with more loss to come. Not to mention that your hair color to scalp contrast ratio makes the appearance of density and coverage more challenging. Further, Dr. K (if you're referring to Dr. Karadeniz) will recommend FUT so you have to come to grips with that, which would be potentially the better option to prevent your donor from being carpet bombed with FUE scars and permanent donor depletion but then you'll have the strip scar to content with which you most likely won't want to do.

Based on your most recent photos, you look fine and you should pull back and try PRP and/or a laser cap of some sort since you're not into the proven medical options. You might also want to reconsider the finasteride option by going topical. I'd count myself lucky if I were you. You could be sporting an unnatural appearance and a depleted donor with no further options for surgery. You look natural enough now, hairline height considered, and you don't have a pluggy appearance. Slow down and count your blessings, then do everything except surgery to stop your loss, since, you know... more surgery doesn't stop your loss.
If his dermatologist is an idiot, so is Dr Rassman, Dr Feller, and other well respected surgeons who have argued that with the right planning / characteristics that 37 is not an age at which non-usage of Finasteride is a deal breaker for surgery. Dr Rassman even said that he often doesn’t push Finasteride on patients post 40 years old. It’s a complex, case dependent issue, so nobody is automatically an idiot without all the facts on the table.
 
JoeTillman

JoeTillman

Valued member
His derm told him to use medication, which is the first line of defense but when he said he couldn't tolerate either, and she confirmed with a visual examination indicating inflammation and redness, she suggested surgery to make up for these shortcomings. She isn't a hair transplant specialist, and it was a casual suggestion (per the OP's words), which lead him to get a hair transplant when he wasn't considering one in the first place. It isn't a complex issue, it is one of situational awareness in that the derm didn't understand what she was suggesting, ergo the OP is now in a miserable position. So yes, she was an idiot.
 
J

jaimepn

member
Could you add a clearer picture of your hairline with the hair pulled back gently or lifted up slightly? It does not look bad going by the pictures you`ve posted, however, in the cold light of day, it may look different

Is it Topical Finasteride you`re applying? Crowns often respond well to Finasteride.

Different room, with diff lighting. The idea promised by NHT was that the transplanted hair would blend with my natural hair and produce a natural look... which really doesn't.

You can see some crystalised minixidil/finasteride below the transplanted area. I'm hoping it could help produce stronger hair that will blend in better with the transplanted pluggy hairs. But I don't know if thats realistic. As you said (and I also keep hearing that) crown area responds better to treatment.
 

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jaimepn

member
Yesterday with COVID restrictions easing and me starting to go out, a recent acquaintance just noticed I had a hair transplant and made comments about it. The hairline is very unnatural.
This is reinforcing my urge to fix this.

Just sharing my frustration...
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
You probably have to arrange some consultations to see what is recommended by doctors. Once you know, you`ll be in a better position to choose a clinic.
 
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