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Stretched FUT scar. Looking for advice on what to do next

L

Lockdown-Locks!

member
Hi @Bigmac ! Thanks for checking in.

I’ve been on Finasteride (1mg) and Minoxidil foam (1 cap full) daily for about 7 months now. Although there might be some minor improvements (my hair sometimes seems darker, so perhaps some miniaturized hairs have strengthened?), my hair is definitely still a mess so I’m planning on having another procedure here in the near-ish future.

Originally, I was thinking of going back to Dr. Boden, but after seeing he uses ARTAS for FUE, which turns me off a lot, I decided he is not the surgeon for me, so I spent some time doing some research on clinics all over the world.

After a couple months kicking the idea of taking the plunge a third time around, I decided if I was gonna do it, I wanted to go to the best of the best.

Then I decided, what the heck, may as well just get this thing done! :)

I’m currently booked with Eugenix in India for March 3rd, however, I highly doubt this will end up being the surgery date. As of now, I can’t even acquire a visa due to COVID restrictions.

Eugenix has a game plan I really like, so I’m excited to have chosen them and to get this done eventually. For the top of my head, they want to bring back the hairline a bit (by plucking out and reusing my previously transplanted hairline grafts), then adding density to the new hairline and to the rest of the frontal 2/3. Based on my photos, I was told 2500 grafts would be enough for this, but that seemed a bit too conservative for me, so tentatively, until we meet in person, we are planning 3,000 grafts in total for the scalp.

For the FUT scar, they think I’ll need 300-500 grafts.

The plan is, to take 2,500-3,000 grafts from the back of my head, and 500-1,000 grafts from my beard, depending, to reach our final number.

I’m hesitant to take grafts from my beard for this if we don’t have to, but we’ll see what Dr. Bansal thinks once we meet in person.

I’ll attach some new photos so you guys can see how the meds have worked. I hope everyone here is doing well! Stay safe.
Hi Parasol,

Are you still scheduled for your HT at Eugenix in March?

Just incase you are not aware; there are massive protests happening in and around New Dehli. Farmers in their millions have descended upon the capital to protest on some issues and the whole city of New Dehli is practically cut off as a result. Check out the latest details to ensure your safety and if the timing of your HT is viable right now.

Regards
 
Parasol

Parasol

member
@Lockdown-Locks! Thanks for the heads up! That’s very kind of you to pass this along to me!

At the moment, I can’t actually get a travel visa to India anyway. Due to COVID, they are not processing them at all (at least not in my case, applying for a travel visa from the US).

So needless to say, surgery won’t be happening for me in March.

I did consult with other clinics that I also thought were top-tier, and it looks like I can probably get in with Dr. Maras at HDC in Cyprus at the beginning of April. So surgery may still be on the horizon.

Based on the online consult, HDC wants to use a similar amount of grafts as Eugenix (2500-3000 for the top, and a TBD amount of grafts upon in person inspection on the scar). However, they want to leave my current hairline in-tact, so no punching out any grafts, and it also seems, at least based on my photos, that we can accomplish this without pulling grafts from my beard. Finger’s crossed.

Both of which would be ideal for me, because I was worried about potential scarring on my hairline and the prospect of using grafts from my face in general.

I’ll keep you all posted and post my journey here regardless of where I end up. Thanks all for the support, it means a lot.
 
L

Lockdown-Locks!

member
@Lockdown-Locks! Thanks for the heads up! That’s very kind of you to pass this along to me!

At the moment, I can’t actually get a travel visa to India anyway. Due to COVID, they are not processing them at all (at least not in my case, applying for a travel visa from the US).

So needless to say, surgery won’t be happening for me in March.

I did consult with other clinics that I also thought were top-tier, and it looks like I can probably get in with Dr. Maras at HDC in Cyprus at the beginning of April. So surgery may still be on the horizon.

Based on the online consult, HDC wants to use a similar amount of grafts as Eugenix (2500-3000 for the top, and a TBD amount of grafts upon in person inspection on the scar). However, they want to leave my current hairline in-tact, so no punching out any grafts, and it also seems, at least based on my photos, that we can accomplish this without pulling grafts from my beard. Finger’s crossed.

Both of which would be ideal for me, because I was worried about potential scarring on my hairline and the prospect of using grafts from my face in general.

I’ll keep you all posted and post my journey here regardless of where I end up. Thanks all for the support, it means a lot.
@Parasol No need to thank at all, it’s better to be safe so wanted to just let you know.

Great to hear that you have an alternative in the pipeline so hopefully things won’t be thrown behind schedule too much.

I’m curious to know if you came across any other top-quality clinics in India that you would recommend?
 
R

reddwarf

member
Looking at all the Eugenix results I think you have made a very wise decision. I wish you all the look in the world getting sorted.
 
Parasol

Parasol

member
@Parasol No need to thank at all, it’s better to be safe so wanted to just let you know.

Great to hear that you have an alternative in the pipeline so hopefully things won’t be thrown behind schedule too much.

I’m curious to know if you came across any other top-quality clinics in India that you would recommend?
In India, no.

My goal from the beginning was to find clinics that excel in repair, and also frontal half density and naturalness in the $3 per graft-ish range (I realize price should never be an issue. You have to live with your results for life. But researching, lots of great clinics come up in this price range, which is doable for the disposable income I have).

Anywhere in the world was fine with me. This time it just mattered to me a lot to not go to just an ok surgeon again, but a great world class surgeon.

My top two from the beginning were Eugenix and HDC, so I haven’t had any consults aside from them. If you’re curious about other names on my radar, I personally also like the work Dr. Arshad and Dr. Bicer have been putting out, along with Dr. Ferreira and more recently Dr De Freitas. There are other excellent clinics out there as well.

All in all, Dr. Maras at HDC has been putting out excellent work for a really long time. So assuming I can get entry into Cyprus, which so far seems will happen, I think I’ll be in an optimal position to succeed. If not, I’ll see when entry to India is possible, and if that fails too, I’ll have to reassess and decide exactly how long I’m willing to wait to get this done.
 
JoeTillman

JoeTillman

Valued member
I've read your entire thread here and I think two things are painfully obvious. If one is not seeing gains from a common hair loss medication or treatment, it doesn't mean you should stop. The way to look at it is if you've continued to lose hair or not. In this case, I think it is obvious that the medication was working, and working quite well at that. This isn't directed to the OP but rather to anyone else reading this thread. The second take away is not to rush into anything if you're down about your hair loss. The OP took the correct route in researching options and taken some time and not rushing into the first slot available with the first clinic that has pretty pictures. I will say that if the OP is set on a clinic, there is a reason for it, and not to let Covid or other delays get in the way of the decision that was already made. If you have to wait a bit longer, so be it. This Covid thing isn't going to last forever.

A note about Dr. Boden and ARTAS. I have no financial affiliation with the man but I know he does good work, and I've seen his work using the robot, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. In fact, I would challenge anyone to distinguish between his ARTAS results vs. results from any other technique with regards to naturalness and the appearance of healthy graft survival. Remember, the tool is only as good as the hand that wields it.

Regarding what to do for FUT scars, I just uploaded a video that discusses the three sole methods for dealing with FUT scars and some caveats that go with each option.

 
L

Lockdown-Locks!

member
In India, no.

My goal from the beginning was to find clinics that excel in repair, and also frontal half density and naturalness in the $3 per graft-ish range (I realize price should never be an issue. You have to live with your results for life. But researching, lots of great clinics come up in this price range, which is doable for the disposable income I have).

Anywhere in the world was fine with me. This time it just mattered to me a lot to not go to just an ok surgeon again, but a great world class surgeon.

My top two from the beginning were Eugenix and HDC, so I haven’t had any consults aside from them. If you’re curious about other names on my radar, I personally also like the work Dr. Arshad and Dr. Bicer have been putting out, along with Dr. Ferreira and more recently Dr De Freitas. There are other excellent clinics out there as well.

All in all, Dr. Maras at HDC has been putting out excellent work for a really long time. So assuming I can get entry into Cyprus, which so far seems will happen, I think I’ll be in an optimal position to succeed. If not, I’ll see when entry to India is possible, and if that fails too, I’ll have to reassess and decide exactly how long I’m willing to wait to get this done.
Hi Parasol,

Thanks for detailing these surgeons; I strongly agree with you - it is better to go with a world-class expert, especially considering that we will be living with the results for the rest of our lives.

Have you had any luck with getting a booking with your preferred surgeon since your last post?

I’ll be looking into these names you suggest, though right now, I am currently edging towards staying in the UK and just taking the extra cost on; Because of Covid, I personally don’t feel comfortable with the thought of being abroad without being vaccinated yet.
 
Parasol

Parasol

member
Hi everyone! I just wanted to check in and say that I just completed my surgery with Dr. Maras at HDC in Cyprus. I’ll post a proper thread (and link it here for those following my case) sometime this week after I get the detailed graft breakdown along with all the clinic photos (etc).

Over two days, they extracted approximately 3600+ grafts, applying roughly 300 of them to my scar.

Here’s some candid shots I just took until I can get the professional ones from the clinic.

E85652A5-0D52-490C-8737-FD12504B68D6.jpeg


BE64252B-6371-4E66-8410-D87547E995E8.jpeg


E13CEB85-1E4F-483E-B95F-C21FAC105320.jpeg
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hey Parasol, good to hear you managed to get the surgery booked and were able to travel. Those 3600 grafts will make a big difference to your appearance and the 300 into the scar should really help to camouflage it.
I`ll look forward to reading your thread.
Time to sit back and rest now.
All the best.
Bm.
 
bullitnut

bullitnut

4 awesome repairs with SMG
Pleased you were able to make the travel and get this second transplant. The work looks good....How were the flights from USA to Cyprus?
 
Parasol

Parasol

member
Pleased you were able to make the travel and get this second transplant. The work looks good....How were the flights from USA to Cyprus?
The flights here weren’t too bad. About 18 hours total. The only real issue I had was Germany passing a new law requiring anyone who enters, even just connecting to another flight, to have a negative COVID test 48 hours before entry.

I’m from Vermont, USA, and here the state sponsored tests take around 3 days to get results. So it was literally impossible for me to meet the requirements. After spending a few days calling around, I finally found a private lab (right next to the airport. Good business for them lol) that promised PCR results within 1-2 hours.

So $250 later the day of my flight, I was good to go. :)

My return flight is another story and is kind of worrying me though. Getting home will take me 40 hours due to all the layovers. Dr. Maras said I should be ok, and that by Sunday, thanks to their daily washes and post op care, that between now and then, I should be in good enough shape to travel. He just wants me to be careful in general and not to let the cold airplane air vents blow on directly my grafts. I don’t doubt he’s right, but it just feels like such a long journey so soon after surgery. I hope it doesn’t effect my result.
 
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Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
It was a good job you were able to get the PCR test near the airport. 48 hours to get home, I don't envy you there. How many flights will that be and what is the longest layover?
By Sunday I think you will have healed plenty enough to not put your transplant in any jeopardy. The grafts will be secure and the daily washes will help your whole scalp look clean.
How are you passing your time in Cyprus?
 
Parasol

Parasol

member
It was a good job you were able to get the PCR test near the airport. 48 hours to get home, I don't envy you there. How many flights will that be and what is the longest layover?
By Sunday I think you will have healed plenty enough to not put your transplant in any jeopardy. The grafts will be secure and the daily washes will help your whole scalp look clean.
How are you passing your time in Cyprus?
I have 3 flights to get back home, which is the same as it took to get to Cyprus. The difference being I have a 14 hour layover between my flight from New Jersey to Vermont. I can drive it in like 5 hours lol. Debating on just renting a car when I get to NJ, but I hate to spend even more money on this trip at this point when the plane ticket is already paid for. :)

Decisions, decisions.

As for how I’m spending my time in Cyprus, I have to say, I’m not doing much at all. I somehow managed to lose a graft last night when I was washing my face before bed (I ever so slightly bumped my head against the sink bending over) so now I’m just laying low, resting, occasionally sitting on the balcony at the HDC apartment enjoying the view of Nicosia.

I do hope someday to be able to tour Cyprus properly someday though. The country side is beautiful, with lush green meadows and Greek styled architecture (at least what I could see on the drive from the airport to the clinic).

Here’s a photo of the lost graft. The clinic reassured me it won’t have any impact on my result (I knew this anyway from doing my research) but man it’s still a bummer to see.

A14766BD-4C4E-4B13-8E4A-A3F7AE10E683.jpeg
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
That's a shame the layover is that long on the last leg of your journey. I'd be tempted to drive or at least contact the airline just I case they can switch your flight to an earlier one. Maybe look at the last leg as though you're booking that now to see if there is availability on earlier flights. You might get lucky.

Cyprus is a great place to spend a vacation. I've been there a few times and always enjoyed it. Internal flights are cheap plus lots of boat destinations. There's a lot of Greek islands and architectural places to visit.
What is the apartment like?

Losing one graft won't make a difference to the result. Still annoying but it does happen. I've done it myself getting into the taxi after the op. My HT turned out fine.
Hopefully, the time passes quickly for you until your journey home.
 
Parasol

Parasol

member
@Bigmac good idea on seeing if any earlier flights are available! I’d have to imagine there must be. None of the 3 flights I took to get here were full. In fact, on all 3 I sat in the aisle all alone.

The apartment is fantastic. It’s literally right across the street from the clinic and comes as part of the surgery package (2 days of surgery and 5 days of post op care). In the one they assigned me, the bed can even tilt up, which is obviously ideal after a transplant.

My understanding is there is always a chance if you stay in the HDC apartments, you may need to share it with another HDC guest (I think each apartment has two bedrooms). But for me, that didn’t happen as I’ve had it all to myself

I’ll post some photos.

I will say, none of this stuff really much matters if the results aren’t good, but having 5 days post op to just chill and let the clinic take care of my washes has alleviated some of that typical post transplant stress.

23EC2DF8-BDFD-4D9C-87FD-5923A7DAD84F.jpeg
E82DE55B-2D19-4715-AB24-56432AE770B5.jpeg
CEC463DD-52AA-4703-A803-7A92629BE2E4.jpeg
89AC479B-13B8-4D2A-9E5D-E58DCB3DFB65.jpeg
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
It would be nice if you can change your flight.

The apartment looks nice and will allow privacy if any patient doesn`t wish to be in a hotel. If you had to share, then at least you have someone to talk to and things in common. Having a bed that tilts like a hospital bed is good and should help with elevated sleeping during the first few nights.

I think your result will be good. My friend Dazzster who posts on here went to HDC 3 times and his results are great. The reassurance by the clinic during your hair washes will help as well. When you see everything looking clean, it helps to alleviate the stress.
 
L

Lockdown-Locks!

member
Hi Parasol,

Congratulations! Great to see this happen so soon (during our last few messages, it sounded like getting out abroad wasn’t going to happen in the short-term). Great to hear.

Generally speaking, how long post-op do clinics advise you to wait before washing your hair? The thought of jumping on a flight within a few days post-op kind of scares me!?
 
Parasol

Parasol

member
Hi Parasol,

Congratulations! Great to see this happen so soon (during our last few messages, it sounded like getting out abroad wasn’t going to happen in the short-term). Great to hear.

Generally speaking, how long post-op do clinics advise you to wait before washing your hair? The thought of jumping on a flight within a few days post-op kind of scares me!?
Scares me too!

They said I should be ready and able to fly Sunday without having to worry. Doesn’t mean I won’t worry, just means they said I don’t need to :)

HDC has a very set process for washing. You don’t do it yourself, they wash your head for you. Surgeries are 2 days (so let’s say Monday and Tuesday). On Wednesday, they apply ointment to the donor area and don’t touch the recipient at all. On Thursday, they begin a process where you get your hair washed twice daily, both donor and recipient, while also applying ointment on the donor, and they do this every day from there on out until the scabs are gone and the grafts are secure.

I do find comfort in this as it removes more variables.

On a bad note, I just checked and there are no other flights from NJ to VT. :( Guess I’ll see how I feel when I get there and make a judgement call whether I should drive it or sit the 14 hours and wait it out.
 
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