I am a 29 year old male with medium/dark blond hair and have been struggling with hair loss for the better part of a decade. I believe I have been able to stabilize the loss with daily propecia and attempted daily Rogaine (I forget a lot and frankly I hate using it cause somehow it always get in my eye at some point throughout the day). I'm extremely anxious about it. I wear a hat 99% of the time - to work, to the gym, at family dinners, etc. When I do take the hat off I use Caboki, which worked alright for a while, but I think people are starting to notice and it's humiliating. My ex left me because they weren't attracted to me anymore. I'm really struggling with dating - I've had two people actually suggest I get a hair transplant during dates. I used to have great hair and I loved the way I looked, but now I just try and hide myself out of embarrassment. It has severely impacted my career, my social life, and overall quality of life.
I have been wanting to get a hair transplant for the last 5 years. Problem is I work 80 hours a week for a non profit that's been stuck in start up mode since it's inception and I am effectively a glorified volunteer. Long story short I have no money. These problems are all self-perpetuating.
Anyways, I just received a check for $6,000 for some work I did on a freelance project and I am using all of it for a hair transplant surgery. I am SO READY to stop being miserable and get my life back. I would really really like some advice from people that genuinely feel like they know what they're talking about. Here are my options:
Option #1: Elite Vein & Hair Restoration
I got a quote for FUE 2,500 grafts + 2 PRP treatments for $7,500 from Elite Vein & Hair Restoration in Dearborn Michigan. The procedure normally costs $15,000, but they have a Christmas special that they are running for 50% off. They're hiring some extra technicians or something for the month of January, so they're trying to get as much out of them as they can or something and basically all I have to do is book in December and have the procedure done in January and I'm good for that price. My understanding is that there is only one doctor at this business (Dr. Hakim, who seems pretty legit?) who performs a variety of medical procedures from vein treatments, to botox injections, to hair transplants. I spoke with a specialist for about 45 minutes and Dr. Hakim himself for about 25 minutes during my consultation. I believe that a licensed technician would be performing a lot of the surgery itself under Dr. Hakim's supervision. I
The Plan: I would pay $6,000 upfront and finance the remaining $1,500 balance in monthly payments of $125 over the course of a year at zero interest.
Pros: The surgery is done locally (so ongoing PRP treatments and maintenance are easier) and I can do it without taking on a lot of debt. The price is pretty competitive.
Cons: The whole "50% off your surgery if you book this week" thing seems really sketchy to me. I don't know a lot about the profit margins in plastic surgery, but a 50% discount like that makes me uneasy about the objective value of the procedure.
Option #2: Bosley
I got a quote from Bosley. FUE 1,600 grafts + meds for $11,990 (with $1,500 holiday discount already accounted for). I met with a specialist who was very likable, but the doctor (Dr. Zadnik) wouldn't be available to meet until the day before my surgery (and after I already put a deposit down). I believe this is because he is moving to Michigan from out of state, where he was doing heart surgery or something?
The Plan: I would pay for 50% of the cost of the surgery upfront and then take out a loan of $6,000, which would be paid in $250 monthly payments over 24 months no interest.
Pros: I liked the vibe at Bosley a lot. It was very corporate with very good marketing, but I can't tell if they were just telling me and showing me what I wanted to hear to secure a sale or giving me real legitimate information. Since Bosley is a national brand, I'm inclined to trust them more (they're benefiting from economies of scale to drive down costs, they're more accountable for their results because they have a brand to protect, they should have the latest and great technology and top talent around, right?).
Cons: The cost of the procedure is relatively expensive compared to my other quote. I don't know if the quality of the service performed is necessarily better than what I would get elsewhere.
Option #3: Go to Turkey
I've been reading a lot about hair transplants online and it seems like a lot of people go to Turkey for very cheap surgeries. I have several Middle Eastern Friends who say this is common knowledge in the Middle Eastern Community. That no one in their right mind would pay for a hair transplant in America. For around $5,000 you can purchase a package deal that includes a round trip ticket to Turkey, lodging and food, and the surgery itself.
The Plan: Find a vetted high quality clinic in Turkey and purchase the package deal outright in cash debt free.
The Pros: I have no debt. I potentially get way more grafts than I would be able to afford in America. I get to see Turkey.
The Cons: If the surgery went very poorly I wouldn't be able to go back to the surgeon for a check up or to fix the problem. I'm basically stuck with whatever I get. I could end up spending all my money and getting a bad surgery that makes my hair situation worse than it already is.
Note: A lot of people may argue that it's very important that you have a licensed surgeon (not a technician) performing your surgery. I dated a surgeon for several years and they were one of the more clumsy non-attentive-to-detail people I've met. I would trust a neurotic/OCD technician over an absent-minded non-neurotic surgeon any day. That's my gut-reaction, but I could be wrong here, which is one of the reasons I am looking for feedback in this forum.
With all of the above in mind, can anyone please give me your thoughts? I would really appreciate it. I am so tired of hating what I see in the mirror. I want my confidence/mojo/charisma back. I want my life back. I want to feel like things are getting better not worse ever single day. I want to go to the gym without a hat on. I want to feel wind in my hair again. I want to care about looking good again. To dress up and go to public places and feel good about myself, not like everyone is staring at my weird hairline and thinking to themselves "man, real shame he used to be such a good looking guy".
I have been wanting to get a hair transplant for the last 5 years. Problem is I work 80 hours a week for a non profit that's been stuck in start up mode since it's inception and I am effectively a glorified volunteer. Long story short I have no money. These problems are all self-perpetuating.
Anyways, I just received a check for $6,000 for some work I did on a freelance project and I am using all of it for a hair transplant surgery. I am SO READY to stop being miserable and get my life back. I would really really like some advice from people that genuinely feel like they know what they're talking about. Here are my options:
Option #1: Elite Vein & Hair Restoration
I got a quote for FUE 2,500 grafts + 2 PRP treatments for $7,500 from Elite Vein & Hair Restoration in Dearborn Michigan. The procedure normally costs $15,000, but they have a Christmas special that they are running for 50% off. They're hiring some extra technicians or something for the month of January, so they're trying to get as much out of them as they can or something and basically all I have to do is book in December and have the procedure done in January and I'm good for that price. My understanding is that there is only one doctor at this business (Dr. Hakim, who seems pretty legit?) who performs a variety of medical procedures from vein treatments, to botox injections, to hair transplants. I spoke with a specialist for about 45 minutes and Dr. Hakim himself for about 25 minutes during my consultation. I believe that a licensed technician would be performing a lot of the surgery itself under Dr. Hakim's supervision. I
The Plan: I would pay $6,000 upfront and finance the remaining $1,500 balance in monthly payments of $125 over the course of a year at zero interest.
Pros: The surgery is done locally (so ongoing PRP treatments and maintenance are easier) and I can do it without taking on a lot of debt. The price is pretty competitive.
Cons: The whole "50% off your surgery if you book this week" thing seems really sketchy to me. I don't know a lot about the profit margins in plastic surgery, but a 50% discount like that makes me uneasy about the objective value of the procedure.
Option #2: Bosley
I got a quote from Bosley. FUE 1,600 grafts + meds for $11,990 (with $1,500 holiday discount already accounted for). I met with a specialist who was very likable, but the doctor (Dr. Zadnik) wouldn't be available to meet until the day before my surgery (and after I already put a deposit down). I believe this is because he is moving to Michigan from out of state, where he was doing heart surgery or something?
The Plan: I would pay for 50% of the cost of the surgery upfront and then take out a loan of $6,000, which would be paid in $250 monthly payments over 24 months no interest.
Pros: I liked the vibe at Bosley a lot. It was very corporate with very good marketing, but I can't tell if they were just telling me and showing me what I wanted to hear to secure a sale or giving me real legitimate information. Since Bosley is a national brand, I'm inclined to trust them more (they're benefiting from economies of scale to drive down costs, they're more accountable for their results because they have a brand to protect, they should have the latest and great technology and top talent around, right?).
Cons: The cost of the procedure is relatively expensive compared to my other quote. I don't know if the quality of the service performed is necessarily better than what I would get elsewhere.
Option #3: Go to Turkey
I've been reading a lot about hair transplants online and it seems like a lot of people go to Turkey for very cheap surgeries. I have several Middle Eastern Friends who say this is common knowledge in the Middle Eastern Community. That no one in their right mind would pay for a hair transplant in America. For around $5,000 you can purchase a package deal that includes a round trip ticket to Turkey, lodging and food, and the surgery itself.
The Plan: Find a vetted high quality clinic in Turkey and purchase the package deal outright in cash debt free.
The Pros: I have no debt. I potentially get way more grafts than I would be able to afford in America. I get to see Turkey.
The Cons: If the surgery went very poorly I wouldn't be able to go back to the surgeon for a check up or to fix the problem. I'm basically stuck with whatever I get. I could end up spending all my money and getting a bad surgery that makes my hair situation worse than it already is.
Note: A lot of people may argue that it's very important that you have a licensed surgeon (not a technician) performing your surgery. I dated a surgeon for several years and they were one of the more clumsy non-attentive-to-detail people I've met. I would trust a neurotic/OCD technician over an absent-minded non-neurotic surgeon any day. That's my gut-reaction, but I could be wrong here, which is one of the reasons I am looking for feedback in this forum.
With all of the above in mind, can anyone please give me your thoughts? I would really appreciate it. I am so tired of hating what I see in the mirror. I want my confidence/mojo/charisma back. I want my life back. I want to feel like things are getting better not worse ever single day. I want to go to the gym without a hat on. I want to feel wind in my hair again. I want to care about looking good again. To dress up and go to public places and feel good about myself, not like everyone is staring at my weird hairline and thinking to themselves "man, real shame he used to be such a good looking guy".
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