Looking for nothing less than perfection!

Hair Transplant
1

Hello, my friends,

I’ve been planning to get a hair transplant for years now and have decided to finally do it!

My hair loss started nine years ago, after an acne treatment with Accutane and I lost lots of hair at the time (especially hairline and temples), which totally changed my visual, caused many psychological problems and had a huge (and very negative) impact on my social life. :frowning:

I had very thick and dense hair up to that point and used to style it upwards in the front, or better: I didn’t even have to style it - it perfectly stood up by itself! My hair was really a particularly strong point of my appearance and all the people around me used to make me compliments like “wow, your hair’s looking great” etc. I was even asked to work as a hair model shortly before my hair loss started.

So, you understand that it was really a shock for me to lose lots of hair in a very short period of time. A very traumatic experience many of us share on this board. Fortunately, my hair status stabilized after the immediate impact of the medication had been over, and it totally stopped when I used to apply Minoxidil for about a year. However, I stopped using Minoxidil and my hair loss has gone on quite slowly since then, but the hair line and especially the temples have continued to recede or thin out respectively.

I am now 31 and consider my current status to be close to Norwood 2 and will be posting pictures as soon as possible.

In any case, I finally want to put all the psychological problems and all the depression of the last nine years to an end and want to get back my hairline just as it was, i.e. I want to have absolute perfection - maximum density, no “V” hairline, but just the status I had before the above-mentioned medication obviously initiated a process that otherwise wouldn’t have started that early in my life (my father and my grandfathers didn’t experience any significant hair loss till their fifties).

I know that it’s difficult four you to evaluate my case without pics, so I’ll post them as soon as possible.

My question is: Do you think I can get the perfection I want? I am absolutely impressed and fascinated by the outstanding results of Dr. Armani and have therefore decided to go with him.

What’s your opinion? Can a Norwood 2 get back to his “original state” of hair, or more specifically: to his original appearance? I really want to have the maximum density so I can style my hair in any way I wish, without the hair appearing thin or somehow strange. I know that I’ll at least have to apply Minoxidil again regularly to keep the hair I have!

And a practical question: I started my own business last year and am not sure yet when exactly I’ll have the time to fly over to Canada (I’m from Germany), but am doing all I can to make it a reality still this summer. How long does it usually take to get an appointment with Dr. Antonio Armani? I definitely want to get my transplant from him personally!

OK, my friends, thank you for your thoughts in advance - I’m really looking forward to sharing my experiences and lots of photos with you.

Thank you so much for all you’ve done for this community. :slight_smile: I’ve been reading here for years and you’ve already helped me a lot!!!

Warm regards,
Sascha

2

Sascha,

Dr. Armani generally books about 2 months out in advance. He is operating in Dubai June and July and will be in Los Angeles in August.

Careful when you talk about perfection. Nothing in life is perfect. Hair transplant have come a long way, and when done correctly the results are undetectable even by your hair stylist.

I am very happy with my hairline, nobody can tell I had work done. I look like a NW1.

You can have a hairline that frames your face and looks perfectly natural and is stylable. But the density will never be the same as you were when you were 18. Thats not what a Hair transplant will do.

Hair transplants give the illusion of full density with graft placement and angling of the grafts.

3

Hi Eric,

thanks a lot for your prompt and honest response.

“Giving the illusion of full density” - that’s what I actually meant by recovering my “original appearance” and by “perfection”.

I think that your wonderful results (you’re looking really great! :slight_smile: ) and the results of so many other Dr. Armani patients whose pictures I have seen over the years speak for themselves.

Obviously, someone who has a NW 2 status and isn’t too young can go for a more aggressive approach when it comes to maximum density (dense-packing of grafts) in the front. And it seems to me that this is one of the particular strengths of Dr. Armani that I would like to benefit from.

Also many thanks, Eric, for your information on Dr. Armani’s schedule for the summer. I intend to make my final schedule over the next three to four weeks and will probably contact you before for an online evaluation.

All the best,
Sascha

4

No problem Sascha, glad I could help :slight_smile:

5

There is no such a thing as a perfect hair transplant, you shouldn’t even consider hair transplant if this is what you are after.

6

No such thing as a perfect HT.

And there is no such thing as a HT clinic with a perfect record. If you can’t find any disappointed patients from a particular clinic, then either you’re not looking hard enough or the clinic is hiding them very well. Even the most ethical & highly skilled clinics in the business aren’t batting a thousand on this stuff. It’s cosmetic work.

I won’t try to totally dissuade you from the idea of a HT, but I will say you need to see multiple cases in person before you do it. Repeat: See them in person.

7

» There is no such a thing as a perfect hair transplant, you shouldn’t even
» consider hair transplant if this is what you are after.

Yup. What he said.

8

As has been stated a hair transplant gives the illusion of hair. My point is say that it was an ideal world and 20 k grafts could be harvested (approx 40,000 hairs)could a norwood 4 or 5 be restored to full density not just illusion. Do the top HT doctors have the capabilities to do natural dense paacking.

9

» As has been stated a hair transplant gives the illusion of hair. My point
» is say that it was an ideal world and 20 k grafts could be harvested
» (approx 40,000 hairs)could a norwood 4 or 5 be restored to full density not
» just illusion. Do the top HT doctors have the capabilities to do natural
» dense paacking.

I would say 20,000 grafts with good yield would give a very nice head of hair.

10

»
» I would say 20,000 grafts with good yield would give a very nice head of
» hair.

Just remember that you have to find 20K grafts.

11

» »
» » I would say 20,000 grafts with good yield would give a very nice head
» of
» » hair.
»
» Just remember that you have to find 20K grafts.

Thats very true!!! Personally I think a NW 5-6 who has 10,000 - 12,000 grafts done with good yield will have a very nice head of hair.

12

» » »
» » » I would say 20,000 grafts with good yield would give a very nice head
» » of
» » » hair.
» »
» » Just remember that you have to find 20K grafts.
»
» Thats very true!!! Personally I think a NW 5-6 who has 10,000 - 12,000
» grafts done with good yield will have a very nice head of hair.

Yeah i’m just talking from an ideal situation, i guess what i’m saying is that if HM ever did become available are the surgeons capable of giving back a natural head of hair with the exact same density as before. thats if number of grafts was no longer an issue.

13

Oh no, not this 12,000 FUE donor graft nonsense again.

I won’t even try to debate it with the clinic reps. You win, I’m tired of arguing about it.

14

I want to know why you stopped minoxidil? Minox and Propecia have been working quite well for me, I am able to put off paying for a hair transplant thanks to minox and propecia. I do have a shed every 6 to 9 months but things usually return to normal afterwards, I can wait at least another year or two before I need a hair transplant.

15

» Oh no, not this 12,000 FUE donor graft nonsense again.
»
»
»
» I won’t even try to debate it with the clinic reps. You win, I’m tired of
» arguing about it.

Yep that is true. Most estimates are that for an NW5-6 the maximum extraction would be 4000-6000 MAX at 30% of donor (70 FUE/cm2 in the donor). So that is still assuming 200cm2 of donor or more!!!

16

I would like to underscore, once again, that I’m probably not even a NW 2.

I’m currently putting my hair forward, and people generally don’t notice that I have a problem with hair loss at all.

It just looks “strange” and like a bad hair “style” (or actually, a non-style).

And that’s the whole problem: It has actually destroyed one of the strongest points of my “natural” appearance. So, for me, getting a hair transplant is all about restoring the hairline and dense-packing the grafts there so that I get as close to my former appearance as possible.

Anything else wouldn’t be worth it, because I want to put my hair up again!

Judging from the results I have seen of Dr. Armani’s patients - most of them coming from a NW status much worse than mine - I believe it should be possible to achieve my goal.

However, I’ll be very grateful for your feedback once I have posted photos of the “status quo”.

17

» Judging from the results I have seen of Dr. Armani’s patients - most of
» them coming from a NW status much worse than mine - I believe it should be
» possible to achieve my goal.

Yes, part of achieving your goal is having realistic expectations and a plan for futrue hairloss should your pattern progress.

Golfjunkie had a similar pattern as you I believe, he was a NW2 and his result sounds like what you are looking for.

18

» » »
» » » I would say 20,000 grafts with good yield would give a very nice head
» » of
» » » hair.
» »
» » Just remember that you have to find 20K grafts.
»
» Thats very true!!! Personally I think a NW 5-6 who has 10,000 - 12,000
» grafts done with good yield will have a very nice head of hair.

And where do you propose we get those 12,000 grafts? Seems to me like 8,000 grafts is pushing it for (read) MOST patients. You just quoted 50% more than that amount. I mean, does anyone in this section know how to do basic math?

19

» » » »
» » » » I would say 20,000 grafts with good yield would give a very nice
» head
» » » of
» » » » hair.
» » »
» » » Just remember that you have to find 20K grafts.
» »
» » Thats very true!!! Personally I think a NW 5-6 who has 10,000 - 12,000
» » grafts done with good yield will have a very nice head of hair.
»
» And where do you propose we get those 12,000 grafts? Seems to me like
» 8,000 grafts is pushing it for (read) MOST patients. You just quoted 50%
» more than that amount. I mean, does anyone in this section know how to do
» basic math?

I did not quote anybody anything. I stated that in my opinion a NW5 can and will look exceptional with 10,000 - 12,000 grafts. Does everyone have that many grafts? No. Did I say it was the norm any where in my statement? No.

I do believe most people have 8,000 grafts available and I believe pretty darn good coverage can be achieved with 8,000 grafts. Fue or Strip.

20

» » » » »
» » » » » I would say 20,000 grafts with good yield would give a very nice
» » head
» » » » of
» » » » » hair.
» » » »
» » » » Just remember that you have to find 20K grafts.
» » »
» » » Thats very true!!! Personally I think a NW 5-6 who has 10,000 -
» 12,000
» » » grafts done with good yield will have a very nice head of hair.
» »
» » And where do you propose we get those 12,000 grafts? Seems to me like
» » 8,000 grafts is pushing it for (read) MOST patients. You just quoted
» 50%
» » more than that amount. I mean, does anyone in this section know how to
» do
» » basic math?
»
»
» I did not quote anybody anything. I stated that in my opinion a NW5 can
» and will look exceptional with 10,000 - 12,000 grafts. Does everyone have
» that many grafts? No. Did I say it was the norm any where in my statement?
» No.
»
» I do believe most people have 8,000 grafts available and I believe pretty
» darn good coverage can be achieved with 8,000 grafts. Fue or Strip.

So if a “NW5 can and will look exceptional with 10,000 - 12,000 grafts” and if nobody has “that many grafts” than why is your clinic treating NW5s with aggressive hairlines? Again, something’s not adding up here.