Patient Baldframe's hair transplant review

About

I probably thought I was going bald at 21 but I was delusional and had thick hair, just a high hairline. My hair thinning really started bothering me around 29. Writing this before surgery, I would kill for the hair I had even then. I think my hair reached what I would consider "every day bad" when I was 32. Every day bad is when every time you look in the mirror you hate your hair loss. Some guys can pull off the bald look and if I was one of them, I would happily accept going bald.
It has been mainly my front hairline thinning out. For years I have wore a Caesar cut because that was about my only styling option. I look like I could kill someone with my head shaved, so that's not the best look, especially because I am in sales where you don't want to look like a killer ;-)

I have a small balding spot on my crown but honestly it never bothered me because out of sight is out of mind. * I started using Rogaine 4 weeks after my transplant with Dr. Path.

I never took Propecia regularly until 32 due to financial reasons. If I could go back, I'd definitely take Propecia and Rogaine to keep my hair and find the cash!

I never dreamed I'd get a hair transplant. I always imagine "plugs" or just bad hair transplants that are 100% obvious. I think that's because that's all people see. They don't know when they see a good or normal transplant because they can look so natural now - for the right candidate. I decided to do this because, I think I'm a good candidate. I am not bald, just balding. It I was much balder, I might not have done this. I think 3,500 grafts will make a dramatic difference if it all goes right. If I could have my hairline from 5-6 years ago, I'd be happy. * After having had the surgery, if my results are good but in the future I need another surgery to shore everything up, I would do so based on my experience so far - THE DOCTOR YOU CHOOSE IS KEY! (yes I was shouting).

Balding has definitely affected my life. I use to be much more confident. There's nothing like looking in the mirror and being reminded every single day. At least women with small breasts can wear a padded / water bra - NO WAY am I ever going to wear a wig or "hair system" = way more obvious.

After a lot of research I found Dr. Damkerng Pathomvanich in Bangkok. Since it's in Bangkok it cost at least 1/3rd less or perhaps even cheaper minimum and the accommodations were definitely cheaper than if I did it at home in the US or here in Oz where I live. I didn't chose Dr. Path for cost though...I could have afforded a more expensive Doctor. I chose him based on feedback and I figured now was also a good time because a) I have enough hair to cover most of the surgery area ) b) I work from home 3-4 days a week and can avoid some major face to face contact for a few weeks. It seemed in all the photos and journals the first 3 weeks is the worst in terms of the post surgery look.

It'll take 7-9 months to see the change and a 12-14 months for the total result but now I have something to look forward to.... that and losing some weight!

UPDATE: I am past the 10 month mark and 100% happy. Do I have a super thick head of hair? No. Does my hair look much, much better. Yes. I don't think anyone would look at me and think, "he's going bald." Now I just have a mature receding hairline appropriate for a man my age. Dr. Path was EXCELLENT with his scar work. Try and find the scar in my 10 month pictures where I have it cut short.

My Surgical Treatments to Date

1 Surgery May 4th, 2010 with Dr. Pathomvanich

Total number of grafts:1 Hair Grafts = 462

2 Hair Grafts = 2,395

3 Hair Grafts = 687

Total Hairs 7,313

My Non Surgical Treatments

Propecia for 5 yearsThe Dr. also told me after the surgery to start on Minoxidil to for the crown and back 3/rd of the top of my head....

Update I have been applying Rogaine since day 20 of surgery. Its really oily. I don't know how people used Rogaine for years with the greasy look. I ordered the Rogaine foam which isn't supposed to be as oily. I think I'll use the foam in the day at work, if it indeed is not oily, and I'll use the normal Rogaine liquid at night - should save me some cash on buying nothing but the foam...which costs a bit more.

Update: I have been using Rogaine Foam not the liquid and its good. 100 times better than using the nasty oil. It's like hair product almost.

Bald Class

Norwood class 4

Characterized by further frontal hair loss and enlargement of vertex, but there is still a solid band of hair across the top (mid-scalp) separating front and vertex.

See my front page entry.

Propecia helped slow or halt the loss. Hopefully the transplant will add back a decent amount of hair since I am balding but not bald.

So far I am happy....its just the long wait! It'll be probably 7-8 months to see decent change then 12 months for the total change.

Propecia to stop loss or help with it. Hair Surgery if you are a good candidate and find a good Dr.

It hasn't yet but it has given me hope. I am only in the first week.

If you use a Dr. in Bangkok, and you are from another country, tell your local Dr. what you are doing and ask for stronger pain killers to take with you to Bangkok for post surgery. Make sure this is legal first! If you have a low pain tolerance. They only prescribe Tylenol with codeine after the surgery but its the weak pills like over the counter in Australia - I know a lot of American's are like what? Yes they have Tylenol with Codeine over the counter in Oz but its weak compared to US prescription codeine which is 2 x's to 4 x's stronger in dose.

My pain was pretty bad the first night when the shots wore off. The Dr. said they don't have Vicodin etc in Bangkok so he sent me to the hospital to get some morphine pills. It sounded scary but helped a lot and after 3 days the pain is minimal. Some people won't be bothered by the pain as much.

If you use Dr. Path stay at the Abloom Serviced Apartments. They are maybe a half mile from his clinic.

If you do the surgery at Dr. Path's clinic vs the Hospital, you save 15%. Its worth it and the clinic is suitable.

Back to patient reviews

My Latest journal entries

Baldframe

Bald class: 4

Procedure 1

Post Surgery 5 days to 16 days Things are going good.The pictures are from around day 5 to day 16 I have more scabs now than I thought I would have 16+ days after surgery but I have seen some info that say they last 1-3 weeks and in truth, I have had major issues with my plumbing and a lack of hot water which I think would have helped the scabs fall off sooner. Cold water doesn't exactly get rid of scabs as easy! Although right now, nearly a day away from 3 weeks, the scabs are minimal. I think the scabs are mostly around where my hair that was left because I asked Dr. Path not to totally shave my front. Everywhere there is no long hair in between the transplanted hair, the scabs are pretty much gone. One thing that sucks is when you start losing scabs, it can look like you have real bad dandruff. At least it did for me and I have never had dandruff. If you have or had nothing on you head to start (no coverage) then you won't experience this but I can cover up my transplant areas pretty well as the first photo illustrates, so the scabs did look like dandruff coming off. There's hundreds of them, no thousands, so it's a lot of flaking when you go through that phase! Then again, nice warm showers every single day would have helped. I have been washing my hair twice a day is semi cold water! Nice hot showers at last!The donor scar does not bother me too much, but sometimes itches. Its still very red and I have to comb my hair in such a way as to cover the gap that was shaved for the scar. Still, for having a hair transparent, I can mostly hide it and I work for home 85% of the time. Not too much numbness in my scalp. At lest not that I notice unless I rub certain parts of my scalp. I noticed way more numbness when they reconstructed my ACL in my knee.I haven't started shedding yet, at least as far as I can tell. Lost a few follicles here and there but not a lot. I am sure its going to happen so I expect it, although, yes, it would be cool to keep the hair now ;-) I'd say as the scabs fall off, the thin hair emerging (looks like a buzz cut under my Caesar cut) makes my hair look a bit thicker because underneath my hair its a darker color. Of course, as the follicle shed this will go away until the return....

Surgery Day Arrived at the Bangkok clinic the day before for a briefing where another Dr. went over the procedure details then measured my head for hair loss and made and estimate. Came in at 8:30 on the 4th for surgery. Met with Dr. Path. He has a sort of American accent which made me feel sort of better, I am ashamed to admit because well, sometimes when you struggle to talk to some one in English, you can be concerned that everything may not be understood.... but Dr. Path worked in the US for 21 years I believe. Dr. Path measured me and stayed with the 3000 grafts estimated but asked if I wanted the crown filled in which originally I did not. Since the spot on the crown was small he estimated it would be 500 grafts so I agreed to it - a little over 3,500 grafts total.I was given an HIV and Hep test, which I passed within a few minutes. Then they gave me 4 Valium and some antibiotics. I was then given a few shots. I will say that I was given maybe 4 initial shots that numbed mostly everything. They massage you while you get the shots. Although I did get about another 30+ shots! I couldn't count them because I couldn't see them and could barely feel them. I just asked have I had 30 shots and someone said "way more!". Although they gave me double everything because I had told them I have a low tolerance to pain. I think the Valium would knock most people out but I was semi conscience until around noon. They gave me a sleeping pill that didn't work until I got a second one. I am a big guy, 105 kilos (over 220 lbs), so I usually need a little more of everything. I was then knocked out until 6:00 PM when they woke me up and it was all done. Besides the Dr.'s there had been 3- 4 girls cutting up my follicles in the room. I was fine when I went home in a cab with a numb head. It hurt badly when the shots wore off. I think the Tylenol w/ codeine may work for some but as mentioned its weak codeine pills not the heavy ones like in the US, so my only recommendation is if its legal and your Dr. will do it bring 3 days of pain meds for post surgery if you're country had vicodin / hydrocodone or a good narcotic. As mentioned the Dr. took care of me, but they don't like to prescribe that unless they have too.

Day 2 and Day 4 The pain meds have really helped. It looks bad underneath my hair on the surgery spot (well just post surgery bad, not bad bad) but my hair cover up most of the surgery area. Sleeping is quite difficult due to the pain of the donor area and the fact you must sleep elevated on pillows.