HELP: Hair Transplant - pro's and con's

[thinontop]

I am seriously considering getting an FUE hair transplant at the end of the year but don't really know the pro's and con's and whether it would be the right thing for me to do.

I am thinning on top and receeding at the front. I have just started taking AVODART and have been on them for about 5 days, to deal with the thinning on top. I was advised to take this by an (FUE clinics) representative. To deal with the reseeding I would need a hair transplant.

My first problem is having a consultation with a hair clinic it feels like a sales pitch rather than medical information.

Secondly i am trying to find information on a number of questions I have - is there anyone here that can help me from previous experience?

1/ What are the risks associated with the the FUE proceedure
2/ Can 1000 grafs be done in 1 session?
3/ How quick is the recovery period - can i go on holiday 1 week later? Will they still be sweeling, scabbing and brusing? As for having a shaved head I can wear a hat to cover this but I am worried about having the front of my head covered in scabs from the insertion of the hair folicles.
4/ Are they any long term side effects from having this proceedure done?
5/ how long does this last - can the donated hair fall out again?
6/ How quickly does the hair grow back after the proceedure?
7/ I keep reading that to have a good hair transplant you need a good surgeon - how do I find out who is a good surgeon?
8/ anyone used Nuhart for their proceedure? Any feedback on them would be great.
9/ What is longest period that the scabbing will stay around for - does this heal pretty quickly or can it take a week or weeks?
10/ does the new planted hair grow back at the same rate as you normal hair?

[Spex]

Hi there, i dont know who your consult was with however DUT is some strong juice my man, have you considered Propecia initially to see how you roll with that?
My advice is DONT get anything done by anyone till you are confident your loss is under control. Stabilising loss is VITAL when considering the HT road. Rushing into a HT can be disastrous! Wait a minimum of 8-12 months.

Any pics to share as this will help us help you . How many grafts were you recommend? If you feel you were being sold something..step back and get informed! Well done for coming here and voicing you concerns.

1/ What are the risks associated with the the FUE proceedure

FUE is notoriously known to be a very difficult procedure to perform well. Even in the right skillful hands yield can be somewhat lower than strip for example.
2/ Can 1000 grafs be done in 1 session?
Yes, 1000 grafts is about the standard daily session size by consistent FUE surgeons
3/ How quick is the recovery period - can i go on holiday 1 week later? Will they still be sweeling, scabbing and brusing?
There will still be evidence of surgery yes, with FUE especially as a large area is shaved down to perform the extractions. The swelling if any will have pasted by redness will still be lingering.
As for having a shaved head I can wear a hat to cover this but I am worried about having the front of my head covered in scabs from the insertion of the hair folicles.
if you respect the HT you can wear a hat.
4/ Are they any long term side effects from having this proceedure done?
Potential scaring, HT hair in recipient area, donor hair removed from the backof your head.
5/ how long does this last - can the donated hair fall out again?
HT hair is coded to last a life time as is DHT resistant, however we have no crystal ball - ht hair can thin out. Taking meds can help prevent this.
6/ How quickly does the hair grow back after the proceedure?
3- 4 months on average post op. Can take longer.
7/ I keep reading that to have a good hair transplant you need a good surgeon - how do I find out who is a good surgeon?
research and get a feel for the clinics providing consistent results.
8/ anyone used Nuhart for their proceedure? Any feedback on them would be great.
Best run a deep search on any clinic you are looking into via the forum search engine.
9/ What is longest period that the scabbing will stay around for - does this heal pretty quickly or can it take a week or weeks?
all depends on the individual, we all heal differently - however approx 10 - 2 weeks all scabs have gone if not before.
10/ does the new planted hair grow back at the same rate as you normal hair?
It will do after the rest phase of 3-4 months

Regards
spex

[thinontop]

Sorry what is DUT? rushing into HT can be disastrous? this is what i mean, i hear one thing here another there? why does there have to be so much confusion with hair transplants? how can it be disastrous? why? what exactly do you mean?

I was recommended 1000 grafts, and i dont want to wait much longer, i need to do something now before it gets worse

what does this mean?
if you respect the HT you can wear a hat.
what does this mean?
Potential scaring, HT hair in recipient area, donor hair removed from the backof your head.

Thanks for your reply by the way

[dgman21]

Dutasteride(DUT)=avodart thats the medication your taking.
Hair transplants can be disastrous if you don't goto the right dr and have the wrong expectations...I don't see why anyone would rush into a hair transplant w/o researching.
You get scars in the back of your head(donor area) and possibly recipient area(that's where your getting the hair transplanted to)

[hallo70]

Hi, have you considered to done it abroad? I was really satsified with my experience in Bucharest.

[CIT_Girl]

I work for a physician who now performs FUE exclusively so here are my thoughts...

1/ What are the risks associated with the the FUE proceedure
Any type of surgery carries some risk of scarring. Although FUE does not leave a linear strip scar, some patients do develop small white dotting (hypopigmentation) where the follicular units were removed. This can only be seen upon close inspection and when the hair is shaved to the skin. I have to say that I disagree with Spex that the yield is lower with FUE.

2/ Can 1000 grafs be done in 1 session?
Yes- Dr. Cole generally can easily perform 2000 shaven grafts and 1500 non-shaven in a single day.

3/ How quick is the recovery period - can i go on holiday 1 week later? Will they still be sweeling, scabbing and brusing? As for having a shaved head I can wear a hat to cover this but I am worried about having the front of my head covered in scabs from the insertion of the hair folicles.
FUE is less invasive than strip and therefore the recovery is a bit shorter and easier. By one week out, swelling should have largely subsided but there may be some lingering pinkness in the recipient region. You can accelerate the healing by receiving PRP treatment which, some patients have told us, can accelerate their healing and allow them to show no evidence of having had a hair transplant within as few as 3-6 days!

4/ Are they any long term side effects from having this proceedure done?
The greatest concern is that hair loss is a lifelong process and donor hair is limited. You want to ensure you do not deplete your donor supply prematurely.

5/ how long does this last - can the donated hair fall out again?
Transplanted hair should be permanent but, as Spex noted, there is always a possibility that you will experience some thinning later in life.

6/ How quickly does the hair grow back after the proceedure?
Patients will generally start to see growth at 3 months out (about 30% will BEGIN to grow at this point) and you should see the full extent of growth within 12-15 months.

7/ I keep reading that to have a good hair transplant you need a good surgeon - how do I find out who is a good surgeon?
The IAHRS has a listing of recommended physicians, which is a good place to start: http://www.iahrs.org/hair-transplant/. Research these forums, view video and photo results, read patient testimonies. If you opt for a FUE procedure, you want to find a physician who performs the bulk of his/her procedures with this method- not someone who simply dabbles in it and doesn't truly believe in the superiority of it.

8/ anyone used Nuhart for their proceedure? Any feedback on them would be great.
I'm not familiar with them, sorry.

9/ What is longest period that the scabbing will stay around for - does this heal pretty quickly or can it take a week or weeks?
Healing can vary depending on the patient but you can accelerate it by having PRP treatment in conjunction with your transplant and by using post-biotin spray after surgery.

10/ does the new planted hair grow back at the same rate as you normal hair?
As Spex said, after the initial rest phase, it should grow at the same rate as your native hair.

[thinontop]

Thanks for your help, im certainly learning more the more i look into all this..
Can i ask what is PRP Treatment?

Thank you

[CIT_Girl]

Sure- PRP is short for platelet rich plasma, which is derived from the patient's own blood. Among other possible benefits, the growth factors in PRP can enhance tissue repair and healing. PRP treatment involves having some blood drawn, which is then spun in a centrifuge to concentrate platelets; the platelet rich plasma is then introduced to the surgery site.