Eugenix, Dr Prabdeep Sethi, Dr Arkia Bansal

[Kanan]

Hi all,

First, a big shoutout to the community at Hair Restoration Network. Thanks to @Melvin- Admin for making this the leading hair restoration forum around the globe and to all the dedicated forum members. Without the honest feedback and wealth of knowledge provided here, combating hair loss alone would be a daunting task.

I want to start by sharing a little personal experience, so please bear with me if the post gets a little lengthy. I started thinning a bit at the age of 18. I initially tried shaving my head, shampoos etc. Then I took finasteride and minoxidil. Finasteride gave me side effects, so I had to stop. My hair loss stabilized, but I was still in between Norwood 1-2. At 21, I was in the States for my bachelor's degree when I started following this network.

At the early age of 21, wanting my previous looks back, I started researching hair loss and hair transplants. I read great reviews about Dr. Ron Shapiro from the Shapiro Medical Group. I was quite impressed by his perfectly natural hairline and temple design. I sent them my pictures and booked an appointment. After my consultation, I was advised against a hair transplant to lower my hairline at 21. Many members here also agreed with Dr Shapiro's advice and told me to wait. I am still thankful for the advice I got then from the network. My hair loss did not progress until the age of 27, when it went from 2 to 3. At age 30, when it finally went to 4, my hair loss anxiety started peaking a little. So, I researched and came across microneedling and PRP. I gave it a shot. It worked wonders, and I could swear it went down from a 4 to 3. I also contacted Dr. Shapiro again but honestly could not take the plunge to travel for 30 hours from the USA back to India with a swollen face and newly planted grafts. Also, PRP and microneedling were working. Finally came 2020 and COVID. With my mind occupied with the virus and office work, I completely stopped my treatment, and now, at the age of 35, I stand in front of you, rearing my Norwood 5 head. So, once again, I am researching hair transplants. My expectations from a hair transplant is a natural-looking hairline and temples that match my face, adding aesthetics with great density. I will use minoxidil, PRP, and microneedling, but I cannot stand finasteride, even microdosing. 

I read many good reviews and saw a lot of good results from the likes of @Gatsby, @Bandit90 ,@Abhinay Singh from Eugenix. So, I decided to give Eugenix a try. Honestly, I feel grateful to have doctors like Prabdeep Sethi and Arika Bansal in India.

I'll share my consultation experience with Eugenix. I booked an appointment with Dr Prabdeep Sethi for 18 April 2024. I was reminded of my appointment date and timing through WhatsApp. On arriving at Eugenix, I went to the reception and informed that I had an appointment with Dr Sethi. I was promptly greeted by patient consultation Mr. Dipankar and was led to his room. I want to add that Dipankar was very helpful and made me feel comfortable throughout my consultation at Eugenix. Dipankar asked me pre-consultation questions like when I first started losing my hair, what steps I took to combat it, and what medications I was on. He also informed me what I needed to do before surgery and what to expect during and after surgery. He informed me that I would have to stop using minoxidil before surgery, and the doctor would start me on finasteride. I told him that I have tried finasteride in the past and I cannot tolerate finasteride at all.
I was informed to talk to Dr. Prabdeep Sethi about this. Dipankar took me to meet Dr Sethi on the first floor. After waiting 5 minutes, I met Dr Sethi in his room. Dr Sethi seemed like a very friendly person. He looked at my head and the donor area. Dipankar informed Dr Sethi about all my answers and expectations. He drew my hairline and asked me how it looked. Then Dr Sethi informed me that I would have to get my hair transplant in 2 sittings. The first one will cover my front, and the second my crown area. I asked him if I could get it all done in just one sitting, to which he informed me about the phases of hair follicles, how the donor area needs to heal well for the subsequent extraction and to maintain the donor area for the future, he would need to take grafts from my beard which he ll be able to decide better in the second session. I was asked to get my photos done.

 

 

Area to be covered in first session

 

Area to be covered in second session

After getting my photos clicked, I was again led to his office. I informed them that I was not very satisfied with the hairline design and wanted a hairline that matched my facial structure. I asked if they use specific instruments to do so, to which I was informed yes, but that is done on the day of surgery. Doctor Sethi and his team examined my face and drew a hairline again.

I asked him how many grafts would be extracted over 2 sessions, and I was given an estimate. He also told me that they would have to maintain donor integrity for the future, so I would have to start taking finasteride.
I replied that I can not take finasteride. I was then prescribed finasteride gel, multivitamins and minerals. He and his team ensured all my questions were answered, and I felt pretty content after the meeting ended. My pre-consultation experience at Eugenix has been quite lovely. But I still have 2 main concerns. What instruments will Eugenix use to make a hairline that accurately matches my facial proportions? I would not take finasteride but will use minoxidil and prp. Could I still achieve a full head of hair?  I ll start researching what hairline would best fit my face. I ll also ask the helpful Eugenix team about above questions. Also please feel free to provide any answers or ask questions. I ll keep you guys posted on my research and my hair transplant journey. 

 

 

 

[Berba11]

34 minutes ago, Kanan said:

What instruments will Eugenix use to make a hairline that accurately matches my facial proportions?

This part isn't really about instruments but a good eye for aesthetics and what will work for a particular patient. In terms of proportions, in your case it's quite easy; your natural proportions (that you shouldn't really change or deviate from) are evident as you still have a forelock that can be used as the basis for the hairline mid-frontal point.

The question then becomes whether the rest of the hairline is a more broad and wide U-shape, a smaller U-shape or more of a windows peak-style V-shape. Only you will know what your hair line used to look like before you lost it, so you could go back and use old photos as the basis for proceeding (not necessarily to replicate it, but to maybe opt for a slightly more matured and conservative version of what you had before).

[Melvin- Admin]

Happy you found our forum, happy growing 🙏

[Al - Moderator]

 

 

Comparing the two hairlines, I like the one on the right with more of a V shape and very slightly higher. However as Berba said you should look at old pictures of yourself to see what you used to look like and try to get something similar to that, but with some receding and higher than it was when you were young. You basically want to look like if someone saw you when you were just starting to lose your hair and then saw you after the hair transplant, it would look like you receded and maybe thinned just a little bit from that point. You want it to look like a natural progression into an age appropriate hairline. 

 

[Kanan]

22 hours ago, Berba11 said:

This part isn't really about instruments but a good eye for aesthetics and what will work for a particular patient. In terms of proportions, in your case it's quite easy; your natural proportions (that you shouldn't really change or deviate from) are evident as you still have a forelock that can be used as the basis for the hairline mid-frontal point.

The question then becomes whether the rest of the hairline is a more broad and wide U-shape, a smaller U-shape or more of a windows peak-style V-shape. Only you will know what your hair line used to look like before you lost it, so you could go back and use old photos as the basis for proceeding (not necessarily to replicate it, but to maybe opt for a slightly more matured and conservative version of what you had before).

Hi Berba11,

Thank you for the post. That is indeed helpful to use my old photos for reference. I ' ll take them out and post them asap. As for the proportions I would like some studies or peer reviewed material or any youtube videos for better understanding. I am on it and will post that too.

Edited June 7 by Kanan

[Kanan]

21 hours ago, Melvin- Admin said:

Happy you found our forum, happy growing 🙏

Thank you for the post and heads-up🙏. Feedback from each other encourages to get our heads together to discuss any issues that otherwise would have been dismissed. 

Edited June 7 by Kanan

[Kanan]

3 hours ago, Al - Moderator said:

 

 

Comparing the two hairlines, I like the one on the right with more of a V shape and very slightly higher. However as Berba said you should look at old pictures of yourself to see what you used to look like and try to get something similar to that, but with some receding and higher than it was when you were young. You basically want to look like if someone saw you when you were just starting to lose your hair and then saw you after the hair transplant, it would look like you receded and maybe thinned just a little bit from that point. You want it to look like a natural progression into an age appropriate hairline. 

 

Hi AI,

Thank you for the post. Even I like the one on right with V shape more. You are right that one should aim for a hairline that looks like the age appropriate progression of hair loss. Not only I prefer a little mature hairline at 35 more but also it saves up valuble grafts for later. 

I ll also be referencing my old photos and will definitely post them here for feedback from the community. Thanks once again for the post , you explained it quite well

[Berba11]

2 hours ago, Kanan said:

Hi Berba11,

Thank you for the post. That is indeed helpful to use my old photos for reference. I ' ll take them out and post them asap. As for the proportions I would like some studies or peer reviewed material or any youtube videos for better understanding. I am on it and will post that too.

Proportions are aesthetic rather than scientific per se, so I'm sure what sort of peer-reviewed studies you'd be expecting. I'm not saying they don't exist (maybe they do - I don't know!), rather, i'm not sure how helpful they'd be.

If you get your hairline height no lower than it used to be, then you'll be proportionally fine unless you had a very disproportionate face to begin with (which you probably don't)! The issue with lowering the hairline is that it can throw everything out of whack. For example, in caucasian blokes especially, usually the distance between the mid-frontal point and glabella (between the eyebrows) and the distance between the tip of the nose and the chin will be about the same or the forehead length will be slightly bigger.

[Kanan]

2 hours ago, Berba11 said:

Proportions are aesthetic rather than scientific per se, so I'm sure what sort of peer-reviewed studies you'd be expecting. I'm not saying they don't exist (maybe they do - I don't know!), rather, i'm not sure how helpful they'd be.

If you get your hairline height no lower than it used to be, then you'll be proportionally fine unless you had a very disproportionate face to begin with (which you probably don't)! The issue with lowering the hairline is that it can throw everything out of whack. For example, in caucasian blokes especially, usually the distance between the mid-frontal point and glabella (between the eyebrows) and the distance between the tip of the nose and the chin will be about the same or the forehead length will be slightly bigger.

Aesthetics can be scientific too. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3130383/. This article is just an example, I am sure there must be more elloborate material out there defining criteria for a good hairline.  You are right in pointing out the distance between the mid-frontal point and glabella and the distance between the tip of the nose and the chin should be about the same. In  my picture with a more broader u -shaped hairline the hairline is lower according to these proportions. However the v- shape hairline which was designed later takes these proportions into account.

Edited June 7 by Kanan

[StoneCold]

On 6/6/2024 at 6:10 PM, Kanan said:

 He informed me that I would have to stop using minoxidil before surgery, and the doctor would start me on finasteride. 

Did he explain why you'd have to stop using minoxidil before surgery? 

Also regarding photo shoot, they did this during your first consultation? or did you confirm going ahead with a hair transplant from them?