Hair transplant diary (ongoing)

Timbuktoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121361055#Comment_121361055

I'm 6 months post HT and haven't looked back. I get the anxiety around people noticing it but there's no getting around that and plus, when you get a HT the results don't start to show for another 6 months at least anyway. What you have to do is OWN it. Easier said than done yes but generally, like 99% of people do not give a ****. You might get slagged yeah, but that's it. If you seen someone with a HT, what would you think? That's the way everyone else thinks. Best thing I have ever done. Do it.

Deadwards.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121369328#Comment_121369328

I had my crown done last Friday. Been in work since Monday. Felt a little exposed walking in through a busy commercial area the first day but like you say, I've owned it since and actually couldn't care less what others think as I am doing it for myself. Honestly the best feeling and I'm still on cloud 9. I am looking forward to all the scabs coming off at this point but can already see what a difference it's going to make!

zeebre12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370089#Comment_121370089

Where did you get it done? What did it cost?

iebamm2580

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121361055#Comment_121361055

Personally it depends, i always had a fringe so i didnt shave top of my head and my fringe covered the bit where hair was implanted.I had to shave donor area but that was fine as i always had tight shaved back. After staying out of public for 7-10days my donor healed and had grown enough to not show any scarring ,nobody ever knew only my mother who i told. To this day nobody knows i had one, got few comments year later about my hair looking better but i just fobbed it off as better barber with new style.

EltonJohn69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370089#Comment_121370089

Did they put you on finesteride ?

Deadwards.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121372137#Comment_121372137

Thanks for asking. I don't think I can say where I had it done as I work there and don't want to be seen to be advertising. I just wanted to give reassurance to others who may be thinking about having one done

Deadwards.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373040#Comment_121373040

Been on it almost 3 years now. 1mg daily.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374241#Comment_121374241

You work at an Irish HT clinic?

You should do an AMA.

Personally I wouldn't go near anywhere in Ireland (possibly Blackrock) but at those prices you can have Hollywood A lister surgeons.

Akabusi

To echo others, I have had three transplants done with Dr Bisanga, I was a Norwood 7 and had my head shaved for about 8 years so there was no hiding it. I was deeply unhappy, it affected my confidence, was always on my mind and hated the chore of having to shave it every 2 -3 days. Therefore when I made the decision to get it done, I told everyone I interacted with through work, friendships etc.. I got a lot of "ah you don't need it, sure your head looks great shaved" but since I've had it done, many men in my town have since asked me about it and the various options that are available. A few have had it done now themselves also. Dr Bisanga is not cheap but how would he be when he is in my view inside the top 10 surgeons in the world. The results themselves are amazing, I have never been happier.

The first procedure was the frontal and mid scalp, the second was the crown and the third was a small touch up on the crown ad what was a weak area on my left mid scalp. There is some beard transplanted into the crown as you can imagine the area to be covered was large. I also started Fin (1.25mg x 3 times a week) after my first procedure and have been on the oral minoxidil (5mg per day) for about 18 months now. I have zero side effects from the medication, although i have not always hit the 3 times per week with the Fin, that is just me sometimes forgetting.

I'm just over a month on from the last procedure, all is good with it. In terms of healing as others have said you need that first week after off to do the aftercare but by around day 12 or 13 the donor area should not be noticeable at all. The best way to put it, first two weeks is aftercare and initial healing and its noticeable, weeks 2 - 6 apart from redness in the transplanted area, you should look great, weeks 6 - 12 is the shedding or ugly duckling phase (most difficult stage in my view), weeks 12 - 24 is the re-growth stage. You're not far off the finish here with just some density been added over the next 6 months.

As has been said, the best thing is to just own it.

Deadwards.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374443#Comment_121374443

Yep in Ireland but absolutely nothing like the prices quoted by others. We are a far more reasonable price. Not sure if I'd be the right person to do an AMA as I'm not the doctor but always happy to answer as much as I can here.

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374728#Comment_121374728

where do you get your prescription for oral minox?

waynescales1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374728#Comment_121374728

How many grafts in total did you need to recover from Norwood 7?

victor8600

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374728#Comment_121374728

How was your experience with transplanting beard hairs? Do they look/are they the same type as head hair?

Akabusi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375094#Comment_121375094

I get it through Dr Bisanga and I use a pharmacy in Brussels, they post it over to me.

Akabusi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121377629#Comment_121377629

1st surgery 3000 scalp and 1200 beard

2nd surgery 2300 scalp and 1000 beard

3rd surgery 1500 scalp

Akabusi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121378025#Comment_121378025

Where you need a lot of coverage they are ideal but only in mid scalp or crown area. They are a bit thicker therefore provide that coverage, I do notice them to feel with my hand but that is that, visually you'd never tell. Healing wise, that was the fastest and I have no scarring. I can clean shave and i look the same as anyone else.

mrcheez

What was the topical Fin that people recommend here?

Is it the Sons stuff?

Deadwards.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121442222#Comment_121442222

Sons only offer it on their .co.uk site currently and won't ship here. You could ship to a friend in the UK and have them post it. Other option I know that some have used is from minoxidilmax dot com

mrcheez

not sure about the minoxi guys... some bad reports from this post

https://old.reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/16ctrgp/is_minoxidilmax_legit_hair_only_getting_worse/

Was Hims also suggested? Are they linked to Sons or do they both just ironically have similar names? :)

Deadwards.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121442308#Comment_121442308

Haven't heard about them being fake but I use the oral version so can't say with any certainty. Sons and Hims are competitors, I think they both wanted the short snappy name 😁

mrcheez

Should have gone with Thems and they could sell to females with alopecia too... someone in the marketing dept f***ed that one up

Cw85

Had a consultation in Beacon Hair Restoration recently. Free consultation and a €500 deposit to book a date (refundable if cancelled 28 days prior). All seemed fine with me. I was quoted €6k all in with reviews at 3,6,9 and 12 months. The only prescription afterward will be an antibiotic to avoid any infection. I wasn't old how many grafts I would require but he just inspected my hair and said it would be €6k. Has anyone gone with them and if so have you any before and after pics or comments in relation to how it all went?

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453923#Comment_121453923

Are they not prescribing Finasteride?

Jay Pentatonic

Strange to not be told the amount of grafts. Would have thought that'd be one of the main takeaways from any consultation.

6k in Ireland could be a bargain or a rip off depending on how many grafts.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453923#Comment_121453923

A lot of red flags here.

Didn't give you an estimation of how many grafts needed.

Didn't give you a price per graft.If for example it's a small procedure of 1000 grafts that's €6 per graft which would get you the best surgeons in Europe.

Didn't recommend finesteride or explain the pros and cons

No explanation of plan to deal with future loss or detailed plan for this surgery.

Cw85

I will email now and query the number of grafts required. He said they don't prescribe anything other than an antibiotic for infection purposes and that all the other stuff ca have bad side effects and mess with hormones. I'd really like to know if anyone went here and how it all went.

Deadwards.com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121456151#Comment_121456151

It is worth going to other clinics for consultations if you feel there are red flags there. This is an important decision for you so you should take your time. As someone once said to me, you wouldn't hire a builder without getting other quotes to compare against.

Cw85

I've actually booked in for a consultation in Santry for the end of January also for a second opinion.

Cw85

So they said 5000-6500 hairs to be implanted, and that they don’t charge per follicle but rather to correct an area.

HBC08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457020#Comment_121457020

I'd be looking at other places and in fairness youve got the ball rolling on that.

Yet another red flag there,quoting in hairs rather than grafts.No proper clinic does this,its a misleading sales tactic.

Finesteride can have side effects,I take it and get slights sides.I stopped taking it for a few years whilst trying for kids and the side effect that time was I went pretty bald.

You need to be having the discussion with the doctor and being educated on it.A HT won't stop your hair continuing to fall out.

I realise you're at the start of your journey/research,there's so much info out there it's hard to know where to start.I recommend Mr Rolandos on YouTube, he covers everything in good yet easy to understand detail.