Dr. Felipe Pittella | 10.939 (incl. 2.002 BHT) grafts | 35 years old

[Northwood]

Hello, HRN!

I am «Northwood» from Northern Europe, I am 35 years old, and two weeks ago today I underwent a long-awaited hair transplant surgery with Dr. Felipe Pittella in Vitória, Brazil. This is my journey:

During university, in my early twenties, I noticed my hairline starting to recede, and some classmates even pointed it out. As a result I started wearing various types of headgear more and more frequently, and I honestly don’t think anyone, apart from my wife and kids, have seen me without wearing one since my late twenties. 

My HT research started at the very moment my hairline was no longer complete as I knew I was going to go through a future hair transplant one way or another. Being bald was simply unthinkable, but also inevitable. My dad and his dad has perfect hair (NW I), but my mother’s father is a NW VII, and I look just like him using that «old man» filter on Snapchat, it's uncanny. 

As a child, I remember vividly my mother giving me a buzzcut in elementary school, and oddly enough this experience was traumatising to me and one of several reasons why having no hair on the top of my head in the future was out of the question.

After years researching HT’s on national websites and forums, I reached out to Dr. Feriduni in 2019 who advised me to wait with a HT until turning 35 and to start clinical treatment with Finasteride. I took his first advice, but decided against the clinical treatment due to the potential side effects.

After turning 35, I decided to contact a few doctors in Europe to get their assessment: 

• FUExpert with Dr. Couto had no capacity and recommended me getting back to them in late 2024 / early 2025.
• BHR Clinic (Dr. Bisanga) rejected me and recommended SMP instead because of my advanced hairloss.
• FueGenix with Dr. Ahmad was absolutely brilliant, replying to my every e-mail personally. Unfortunately his €/graft was out of my price range.
• Dr. Zarev had an opening for an in-person consultation in December 2025 at the earliest, with surgery being another two years after that.

I figured maybe Europe wasn’t the place to get this done, and contacted both Eugenix (Dr. Sethi / Dr. Das) and Dr. Felipe Pittella who I knew handled high Norwood patients with impeccable results with Dr. Pittella being my preferred surgeon due to his portfolio here on HRN.

In February 2024 I had a Zoom call with Dr. Pittella and immediately felt at ease. This! This was the guy I wanted to restore my shattered self-esteem. He advised me to start taking both topical and oral (2,5) Minoxidil, Biotin and Cetoconazole shampoo. He did NOT ask me to take Finasteride or Dutasteride.

Incredibly enough, and to my big surprise, they had an opening for a two day session in early August the same year(!). I couldn’t believe my luck and accepted it without hesitation. The following day, I purchased the plane tickets, and started counting down the days. I was finally going through with something that had been eating me for well over a decade.

Flying to Vitória from the small city I live in close to the Arctic circle was unproblematic. I had two layovers and total travel time from exiting the door to my house to landing in Vitória took just under 30 hours.

The clinic had a driver pick me up at the airport. The lovely Fernando, «o gordo», made sure I got from the hotel (Sheraton where four nights are included and paid for by the clinic) to the clinic every single day. He was also available if I wanted to go for tours, etc. He didn’t speak a lot of English, but sharing a love for sports and music, we spoke through the Olympics, and through samba and bossanova. The man also loves Rod Stewart!

By the way: Few people speak English there. I would advise learning a few phraces and basic words in Portuguese before leaving. Also, withdraw some braziliqn reals as not every place takes all foreign bank cards. It was a bit embarrassing when I had Fernando take me to a café called Clericot Café, offered him something to eat and drink, only for having all my cards declined, and for him having to pay for my food and drink instead. I paid him back in cash the day after, of course, but nevertheless: Withdraw some cash.

I landed in Brazil on a Tuesday with the pre-surgery consultation scheduled for the next day. When I arrived the following day, pictures were taken before the doctor was ready. The assistant told me I had an average to good donor.

I met the doctor shortly after, and after some colloquial words, we went down to business. He showed me the ScalpScan and we talked about my goals before drawing the lines on my head. I said I didn’t care too much about the back of my head, so we decided not to make it as dense as the rest, but to fill in some hairs anyway. He said he would need to use some beard hair (mostly from the neck) and maybe some chest hair, and estimated around 10,5 to 11.000 grafts to be used during surgery as I had some thinning in the lower vertex as well. The PRECISE scale was 7,57. 

I slept very well the night before and woke up just before the alarm went off. I had some breakfast and travelled to the clinic five minutes away ready for two big days at 6:30 AM.

At the clinic (day hospital) they had a room for me to leave my belongings as I changed into something more comfortable. They shaved my head, beard and parts of the chest and gave me the pre-meds. I had a brief chat with Dr. Pittella who told me I would probably sleep for 80 % of the surgery, and he was right. After the most uncomfortable part of the surgery had passed, the local anesthesia, I fell asleep shortly after and didn’t wake until it was time for lunch around 3:30 PM. We then continued until day one was completed at 8:00 PM, before I was driven back to the hotel to get ready for day two. From now on, I had to sleep on my back using a neck pillow. This went surprisingly well.

Day two started like the first at 6:30 AM and ended at 7:00 PM with 10939 grafts implanted with 2002 of these coming from the neck beard. They did not need any from the chest. These 10939 grafts resulted in 22340 hairs as I had a lot of two’s and three’s.

Imagine being in the OR doing this for so many hours week in, week out. These guys are machines! I guess it’s quite fitting for a frequent bearer of headgear to use the phrace «hats off» to them all.

I stayed in Vitória for six more days post-op. Most days were spent at the hotel as you must avoid the sun and rain, although the hotel had umbrellas I could borrow if I needed to take a stroll to the supermarket or mall. Because I couldn’t do much head tilting, put my head down, or exercise, I brought my own shoehorn. Some days I also walked very slowly on one of the two treadmills at the hotel. After the sun set, I took short walks outside. Honestly, I would be so bored if it wasn’t for the Olympics, so bring a book or something to watch as everything on tv was dubbed, except for two channels: CNN and Fox News.

Every day I visited the clinic for a head wash and assessment of the head and neck. As you can see from the 3 day post-op. photos, the head is yellowish because of Rifocin that is applied the first and second day post-op. in which creates an anti-bacterial shield.

Flying back north across the Atlantic proved to be unproblematic once again, and if anyone else contemplates travelling all alone for thousands of miles to Brazil (or any other country for that matter) to get their HT done, like I did, you’ll be totally fine. Vitória is very safe indeed.

As I write this, it has been two weeks, and I have an enormous sense of «graftitude» (I’m coining that) towards Dr. Pittella and his magnificent team who accepted me as their patient; from Eduarda in the reception, Dr. Marisa who tended to my precious grafts post-op, all of those in the OR, and of course, the genius that is Dr. Felipe Pittella.

Last, but not least, I would like to thank this amazing community where I have learnt so much over multiple years without being a member. If it wasn’t for you guys, I would never have met Dr. Pittella, and I’m sure I’d still be sitting here sulking over my bald head with a hat on my head, even though I am currently sitting here by myself. 

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

These are the photos I sent before the Zoom consultation in February this year: 

 

From the day before surgery six months later:

 

Just finished surgery: 

 

 

3 days post-op: 

 

 

1 week post-op: 

 

 

Head full of sunflower oil. Today, 2 weeks post-op: 

 

 

Thank you for reading. I'll keep you posted. 

 - Northwood

Edited August 16 by Northwood
Duplicated photo

[Fox243]

Looking forward to this!

[Norseman]

Great to read about your HT experience with Dr. Pittella, fellow northerner!

I am having my Zoom call with Pittella next week after considering Dr. Sethi at Eugenix and Dr. Zarev.

Happy growing! 

[Northwood]

3 hours ago, Norseman said:

Great to read about your HT experience with Dr. Pittella, fellow northerner!

I am having my Zoom call with Pittella next week after considering Dr. Sethi at Eugenix and Dr. Zarev.

Happy growing! 

Thank you, Norseman! All the best.

[Melvin- Admin]

The Viking patient from instagram. You’ll he able to rock this hairstyle in no time. Happy growing 🙌

[Miller1980]

happy growing! thats a huge amount of grafts for a norwood 5 patient. You would have a great high density at the end if you have a good yield. Good luck!

[Northwood]

3 hours ago, Melvin- Admin said:

The Viking patient from instagram. You’ll he able to rock this hairstyle in no time. Happy growing 🙌

Haha! Fun fact: A diving instructor on Iceland once asked me for a photo as he thought I was Travis Fimmel who portrays Ragnar Lothbrok.

Who was I to say no? 😅

[Northwood]

3 hours ago, Miller1980 said:

happy growing! thats a huge amount of grafts for a norwood 5 patient. You would have a great high density at the end if you have a good yield. Good luck!

Thank you! Fingers crossed 🤞🏼

[Antonfarat]

Congrats man, buzzing to follow your journey. I am also going to the magic man Pittella next year. Happy growing pal! 

[Northwood]

10 minutes ago, Antonfarat said:

Congrats man, buzzing to follow your journey. I am also going to the magic man Pittella next year. Happy growing pal! 

Thanks, man! Let me know if you have any questions regarding next year.

[Antonfarat]

15 hours ago, Northwood said:

Thanks, man! Let me know if you have any questions regarding next year.

I have a tonne of questions haha, will DM you mate. All the best in the meanwhile!

[Northwood]

Today it has been exactly one month since the surgery. 

What do you guys think?

[Approach]

Looks good.  I'm guessing you nearly exhausted your donor hairs as a higher NW.  Hey-  you mentioned: "Dr. Pittella said he would need to use "some" beard hair (mostly from the neck) and maybe "some" chest hair, and estimated around 10,5 to 11.000 grafts..."

Just curious- Why wouldn't he use "all" Beard Hair? , or "all" chest hair?  Are there any advantages of using hair from 3 different areas of your body- "if" 2 will do?

Edited September 1 by Approach

[Northwood]

9 minutes ago, Approach said:

Just curious-   you mentioned:  Dr. Pittella said he would use "some" Beard hair, and "some" chest hairs?  Is there a reason he didn't use all Beard Hair?  Ty

Yes, that was mostly my choice. I didn’t want him to take anything from my beard from roughly an inch above the Adam’s apple. 

Thankfully, he didn’t need to use the chest hair as there were enough grafts in the neck to cover the bald area. He took some 2000 grafts from the beard and left my chest hair as it was.

[Approach]

21 minutes ago, Northwood said:

Yes, that was mostly my choice. I didn’t want him to take anything from my beard from roughly an inch above the Adam’s apple. 

Thankfully, he didn’t need to use the chest hair as there were enough grafts in the neck to cover the bald area. He took some 2000 grafts from the beard and left my chest hair as it was.

Ty for explaining...Thus, the only reason Dr. Pittella mentioned chest hair as a possibility-- is b/c you were requesting he take fewer beard hairs.

[Northwood]

5 minutes ago, Approach said:

Ty for explaining...Thus, the only reason Dr. Pittella mentioned chest hair as a possibility-- is b/c you were requesting he take fewer beard hairs.

Spot on!

[Rose17]

Congrats man. This is amazing so far!

 

I have my surgery with Dr. Pittella in a couple weeks, I am very excited. Might post the results afterwards as well. 

[Northwood]

8 hours ago, Rose17 said:

Congrats man. This is amazing so far!

I have my surgery with Dr. Pittella in a couple weeks, I am very excited. Might post the results afterwards as well. 

Thank you! 

You are in the safest of hands. Please keep us posted. All the best!

[Antonfarat]

Looking good mate - 2 questions if you don’t mind.
 

Any particular reason the bottom of your crown wasn’t as filled in as the rest? 
 

I see you are struggling with a bit of ingrown hairs on the sides, was that something from before or just post HT? Did the Dr. say anything on it? 
 

happy growing mate, you’ll be a NW0 In no time. 
 

 

[Northwood]

13 hours ago, Antonfarat said:

2 questions if you don’t mind:

Any particular reason the bottom of your crown wasn’t as filled in as the rest? 

 – I guess there were enough native hairs there from before and as the Doctor has said: «The lock had a huge shedding. Let’s wait for it to recover».
 

I see you are struggling with a bit of ingrown hairs on the sides, was that something from before or just post HT? Did the Dr. say anything on it?

 – True, I believe I have been struggling with it from before. Maybe, just maybe, it has to do with wearing a cap all day every day for years. Dr. Marisa has told me to wash these areas with lukewarm water and massage gently with my fingertips.

[Antonfarat]

That explains it, thanks mate. 
 

that donor area looks so good - it’s so homogenous, there is no silly crown left as you see so often sometimes when drs maintain an aggressive “safe zone”. Yours is exactly how it should be. Can’t wait to see you in a couple of months! 

[Northwood]

11 hours ago, Antonfarat said:

That explains it, thanks mate. 

that donor area looks so good - it’s so homogenous, there is no silly crown left as you see so often sometimes when drs maintain an aggressive “safe zone”. Yours is exactly how it should be. Can’t wait to see you in a couple of months! 

I know, it’s so exciting!

[Norseman]

On 9/1/2024 at 8:27 PM, Northwood said:

Today it has been exactly one month since the surgery. 

What do you guys think?

I think you’ll have som exciting months ahead! Looks like an excellent procedure with a very fitting hairline.

Don’t worry about the ingrown hairs at your temples. I also get them in the same place when I wear a hat and I haven’t had a procedure! I had my consultation with Dr. Pittella two weeks ago.

What kind of post-op medication and/or supplements are you on? Are you able to get prescription on oral minoxidil in Norway?

 

All the Best!

[Northwood]

1 hour ago, Norseman said:

I think you’ll have som exciting months ahead! Looks like an excellent procedure with a very fitting hairline.

Don’t worry about the ingrown hairs at your temples. I also get them in the same place when I wear a hat and I haven’t had a procedure! I had my consultation with Dr. Pittella two weeks ago.

What kind of post-op medication and/or supplements are you on? Are you able to get prescription on oral minoxidil in Norway?

 

All the Best!

Thank you for you words of encouragement. I honestly don’t worry as I know patience is key.

I do have a prescription for oral minoxidil, however it is really hard to come by these days as the manufacturers struggle to get a hold of the active ingredient. I think I have about a two week supply left at home. Worst-case I have to use topical minoxidil until the pharmacies are able to resupply. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.

Other than that I just use ketocozanole shampoo a few times a week.

How did the consultation go?

[Norseman]

1 hour ago, Northwood said:

Thank you for you words of encouragement. I honestly don’t worry as I know patience is key.

I do have a prescription for oral minoxidil, however it is really hard to come by these days as the manufacturers struggle to get a hold of the active ingredient. I think I have about a two week supply left at home. Worst-case I have to use topical minoxidil until the pharmacies are able to resupply. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.

Other than that I just use ketocozanole shampoo a few times a week.

How did the consultation go?

Thanks, I also find that most pharmacies here are not able to resupply.

I did have some consultations with reputable surgeons, Hasson & Wong amongst others, when I was in my mid-twenties. I was told I wasn’t a candidate at the time. Now I’m in my mid-forties and have consulted with Eugenix, Zarev and Pittella. Currently in the process of scheduling my procedure with Pittella and his team.

Thanks for sharing your HT experience. I might come back to you for a chat before my own procedure.