thanatopsis_awry

Looks pretty good, but I'm confused as to where the 8k+ went. Was it *just* his frontal ~1/2, or did you work his vertex and crown? Some immediate post-ops would be great, and top-down shots. For that many grafts I'm sure the density is as good as it looks -- would love to see some shots with the hairline exposed!

This should really give him a nice, dense look! What's the deal w/ the LLLT -- is this his own device he is using, or does he undergo treatments w/ a professional device that your clinic uses?

Looks solid -- he was really slick bald before. I have to ask, though, why so many sessions for so few grafts?

He definitely looks improved, and @ only 7months that's a very encouraging result. Very difficult situation he was in, and I'm sure if he ever elects to have another procedure his front can be finished off. You took a ton of heat early on, but, IMO, you've definitely risen your game way up there -- posting impressive work, and postings regularly, to boot!

A hair transplant may be best for you. Tons of transplants are wonderful. Most are natural. Many are very happy/grateful for doing it. If you can live -- and live well -- with your hairloss, by all means do so. If not, and you do seriously consider a HT, make sure you go to those rare surgeons and clinics who have risen to the challenge of offering patients consisten care, options, and above all else: results. In preventing further loss, and possibly getting regrowth, "finasteride" (aka propecia) is your best bet. If you get the time I would post a nice selection of clear pics of your current hair situation; and send them to some clinics to do some consultations (online or live...Hasson&Wong, Ron Shapiro, Feller, Rahal, e.g.). You will surely get some honest, useful feedback at the very least!

~5yr old thread, fyi.

There's one rather recent guy on the site who had work done by him; I believe it was documented to completion, too. Forget his name, but run a search and I am sure you will find him (and possibly a few other reviews). His work seems sound, though I can't say I've seen too much of it. You should do a consult with him, along with several other docs. Be sure to look for well-documented cases with proper clarity and angles; also, keep an eye on how many grafts the given doctor is reccomending and whether that will likely satisfy you.

Always. You're best bet is to find a monent of rational honesty with yourself and decide what you want; figure out how to best achieve your priorities, and then start *doing*. As for HTs....don't kill yourself about the "what ifs"...go to the best you can go to...they can inform you of your donor situation, which is probably quite good, and together you can formulate a long-term plan that you can then start executing. The more you do the less time you have to over-think and find yourself in a state of paralysis by analysis. There's an excellent chance your hair woes will be conquered; the key is to not drive yourself crazy and allow yourself to enjoy what you can while you bridge the time periods between taking care of the hair.

I'd say ~2500; maybe closer to 3k, though, depending on how much hairline work you want (it's kinda tough to really take a stab on that w/ the given pic). But, I see no reason why you shouldn't be mint after your next session!

Hospital Group is comprised of butchers, definitely stay away. In the UK, Farjo's are the only clinic really worth looking into; consider traveling to Canada or the U.S. to keep your options open (most clinics will offer travel expenses rebates and such). gl!

Well, you need a good chunk of grafts, for sure, but your laterals looks alright and your head doesn't appear too big (?), especially the crown. In the 2nd pick it looks like there's an odd strip of baldness on the back of your head, right on the lower area of your crown; is this simply your natural loss pattern, or some scarring or something? I'd get on propecia (finasteride) ASAP if you haven't already; best weapon @ maintaining what you got. But ya, if you were to proceed w/ a HT you could def get a huge improvement....possibly even combat and take care of your front and crown in one fell swoop....seems like ~4500 would be a decent # to shoot for; honesty, though, the more the merrier, IMO, especially if you want to target both areas in one go, and not one or the other.

lol....just some perspective: someone who is a NWx can want a HT as badly as NWy, regardless of what "x" and "y" even mean. We are fundamentally dealing with emotions and subjectivity. Is it ridiculous to be a NW2 and want a HT? I dunno. I could prolly find a dozen people out of a dozen pretty easily who would say *you* are ridiculous for wanting to undergo a HT regardless of your NW level. In fact, many would find it *more* absurd and ridiculous to be an advanced NW and attempt to undero surgery -- after surgery? -- without ever getting a "perfect" look.... Also, whimsy has nothing to do with the OP; and it's quite clear the direction he is taking is hardly "whimsical".

What are we here for, if to not express our opinions...very good thread.... Anyways, I almost included this in my first post, and on 2nd thought I think I definitely should: *H&W. Their unparalleled transparency in showcasing results, and showcasing them on a consistent basis, is pretty much flawless. It almost transcends the entire industry, IMO. They get mentioned in every "top doc" list, but until more people catch up on this front I don't think they can be commended enough for it. *ya, graft count issue, which may or may not even be an issue, but eithery way it has zero bearing on the actual quality of work demonstrated, and in the red meat of any result...the actual pictures/video/etc. being shown.

Re: graft #'s --> "(which may also be influenced by how many staff call in sick that day. . .)" Do you have legit reason to believe that your doctor would actually waste grafts due to a vagary in staffing, while pulling the wool over the patient's head? Not accusing this of not being true, but it's a pretty bold claim with scary implications.

Ya, I meant to include DR. Gabel, as well, but forgot to type it in when I was thinking over my answer. He badly needs to post more frequently, though.

The Brazilian doc..Tykocinski(spelling?)...seems to do work that'd merit his name getting mentioned in the same breath of several others who get more fanfair. Same for Dr. Nakatsui....should really post more so it's not so much speculative as to whether he is "underrated" and he can simply get a consistent standing reflecting his work. His documentation also is in the upper 1s percentile. And I think Konior is still a bit underrated, though he's in the midst of a PR upswing! Same for Dr. Arocha.

O', if the first is just a weird shot of your hairline and frontal 1/3rd, I'd say ~3k......otherwise I think 4500.

It looks like the first pic is a top-shot that shows your vertex and crown more than your hairline. That said....~4000 seems about right. Your hair looks very thick and quite dense. How old are you?

lol @ jealousy over his BHT results....I encourage anyone to read through the big thread or two involving Umar on this site, and read through it in full. The duck and dodge game he and his minions play -- while predictable -- is consistently outrageous, if not funny. Though, it isn't so funny when he was conducting BHT experiments on virgin (or close to) patients with the same ol'/same ol' hype covering it. And I'm still waiting to see *one* legit mega-FUE or BHT case on a virgin scalp that impresses from Umar (let alone the *dozens* that should be *readily* available).... EDIT -- it's not the one that Bill linked to, but another, highlighted by LostMySwagger conducting a history lesson on Dr. Umar...I'll try to look for it, as it is one of the most incisive and illuminating looks at Dr. Umar on the forum.

Re: mini/micro terminology, Dr. Feller recently stated "this patient had old style mini/micrograft work done years ago by another clinic". Micrografts do seem to certainly be a technical umbrella for follicular unit grafting; but, I'm still leary of any clinic who throws the term out to label their work. Partly, it is because of things like the Dr. Feller quote from above, and also that I have never seen (and can't imagine ever seeing) Dr.'s Hasson, Wong, Farjo, Rahal and many-many others using the term to label their work. Conversely, Dr.'s whose work and methodology seems suspect that I have encountered over the years are often quick to use the term. I wouldn't disagree that micro's are a technical term that encompass the follicular unit grafting we consider the gold-standard; on a simple, practical level, however, the docs whom I trust the most seem to either never use the term *or* make statements like Dr. Feller's above; and, conversely, suspect clinics (basically clinics not associated w/ HTN) throw out the phrase to label their work pretty often. Perhaps, the latter is a bastardization of the term micrografting, which makes many like myself and GQ very wary of any clinic who chooses to use that particular term to describe their work.

I currently have the same issue; not sure I'd even call it an issue since it doesn't cause me any grief, but I notice it. I have talked to someone who experienced this around your stage, and it later dissipated.

Good to see you're going about it all soundly and surely....Alexander does fine work, and his hairlines, particularly, get a lot of accolades and fanfair! If you're somewhat/very diffuse def look into concealers (nanogen, e.g.); many (including myself) will swear by them.

Bleh, ya, hear ya....I thought you were a ~NW6+ for some reason, but re-checked....the "disconnect" you mention is the #1 problem with (non-butcher job) HTs in my opinion....and it bit Aaron in the ass, too....it's only post-HT that it often becomes clear how many grafts are really needed to meet "expectations" (i.e., imo, a decent look of solid coverage and density).

Speegs, guesstimated NW levels don't actually predicate how many grafts are best for a given patient. In and of themselves, NW scales are very incomplete, but in the context of evaluating a person for a HT, and assigning a # of grafts, they are beyond lacking. Also, the "NW Rule of Thumb" is for a basement level of density you go NWx1000. But, that doesn't take into account hair caliber, charachteristics, pattern, age/history, and, above all else, patient expectations (i.e. what kind of actual density is being sought and what will *actually* achieve it...or not). I'm w/ Emp that playing a game of "catch up" w/ FUE seems pretty attractive, and I could def see him wanting to slightly refine and lower his hairline while beefing up his temples....the price is more prohibitive (though SMG is priced very aggressively)...but....

Emp, you're prolly being too hard on yourself... But ya, Aaron, just make sure you go to the right clinic this time who will give you the *right* number of grafts! All the best, keep every1 posted -- I'm confident you'll get to where you wanna be!