Firsthand impressions after a 6 day-HT procedure at Dr A’s

All right, so 5726 hair follicles from my scalp and body have just been extracted by fuse and placed on my scalp by Dr A and his team during the last 6 days, which closes the presently scheduled 6000 + / - procedure.
Sure, venturing any conclusion in mere HT terms is premature, so I’ll wait and see, hoping my investment pays off, coverage and design-wise, in due time, that is, at least in 9 months from now on. That’s why, in the meantime, not a word more specifically about my procedure at Dr A’s altogether needs be heard from me after I’ve completed this-here post.
I’m just delivering my heartfelt response, for what it\s worth, to the treatment I’ve just been given, in the hope it proves informative to any balding reader seeing himself as an HT candidate and particularly contemplating the wish to become Dr A’s patient, among other options.
So in case the final outcome I hope for does turn out disappointing in spite of all, everything I ‘m about to express below still holds, regardless.

All I can say is this : compelling work.
Going into detail, I will emphasize the following :

1) Availability and adaptability
This encompasses the preliminary email contacts, the analysis of my sent pictures and drawings, the honest estimate without any lowballing, (as others I contacted did), the informal encounter I was lucky to take the chance to have while Dr A happened to stay in Europe on holiday in June 2006, the numerous clear cut precisions given by Dr A in his answers to specific questions I had raised on the forum, the preoperative instructions, the helpful telephone and email logistialc steering once I had laid foot on Indian ground, the first unrushed formal consultation at the clinic one day ahead of the procedure (on no less than a Sunday, please), the unfeigned willingness to try and devise with me the best strategy to technically respond to my particular aesthetic wishes without questioning them, and from then on, the ability to daily edit the procedure according to the (always to be) unexpected realities surging in situ, not to mention the constant accessibility for any procedure related feature beyond scheduled time, and as I am currently experiencing, the exhaustive post op following through.

2) Straightfordwardness and realism
As a national Indian, Dr A may be partly viewed by our western tradition as the product of a so called “oriental culture”, the kind typically more “spirituality biassed” (if not downstraight superstitious, oops), than operativeness oriented. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
I was litterally swept off my feet as I fathomed the extent of “no stone unturned” aspects of the actual whole process of HT that Dr A does take into account. The least practicality is considered, weighed up, and duly addressed to without complacency. Stumbling blocks are not hushed up to magically fit the expectations. A good example being body hair maximal length once transplanted on scalp, mind you, something you rarely think about or come across in your HT related perusals. Another one being the maximal number of yieldable follicles versus the ideal needed one to actually achieve the desired result. Yet never was I “advised” to “realistically go for a more conservative hairline, suitable to my age”, (the high V shape of a singularly belated stabilized Norwood 3), nor surreptitiously talked into contemplating “ further procedures”, binding me as a quasi lifelong alopecic patient at the clinic’s blatant financial advantage.

3) Answerability and total transparency
From accurate extracted fue graft counting (and sorting of those as respectively single, double, triple, or quadruple), trans-sections excluded from the count but kept record of, (the rate being 1.6% in my case), to the direct unfolding of both the extraction and the placement under my mere eyes, absolutely nothing, even remotely, was kept hidden from me. I saw all the tools involved, could seize and hold them, was told their characteristics, dimensions, their stories, their improvements. The techniques at play were largely explained upon by Dr A. I saw the brands of the medical tags of the vials of all the products for the desinfecting, sedating, numbing, bleeding reduction, grafts fixing and cleansing processes, was explained their names, composition and effect at length. I could hold a mirror in front of my forehead to watch the recipient sites creation, the graft placement. I watched follicles being skillfully extracted from my chest by a needle from barely six inches from my chin, by Dr a himself. I saw the extracted follicles in their liquid filled flasks, with their bulbs and sheaths of fat intact, before and after trimming. But I was shown as well some of the very few damaged ones (when at all) for my information. I saw the regular needles substitutions after a definite number of extractions, as their tips become both blunted and stained and clogged with coagulated blood. I watched all the injections. I watched which auxiliary doctor apart from Dr A himself or which assistant did what, on which part of my head on body, at whatever time. I watched all three stages (extraction, sites creation and placement) on a monitor hanging from the wall facing me, from a live cam focused on me. I didn’t even have to request it.
I was introduced to each member of the staff, was told his or her training experience, attributions, without the slightest perceptible reluctance
I was told the effects of the pills I had to preventively take on a daily or bi daily basis all throughout the procedure, each one of them them in their original conditioning featuring the drug brand name.
Every question I could have possibly thought of was welcomingly, if not enthusiastically met, examined and debated upon by doctor A. You can’t feign interest for hours. I cannot think of an HT related issue that was left fallow. The most controversial forum threads were tackled upfront. A simple practical observation that Dr A, as the experienced practician yet constant pursuer of advancements he is, submitted to me, oftentimes helped me see the forest from the trees, compelling me to identify, underneath so and so’s strongly opiniated post, motives radically straying in their purport from the straight quest for improvement to the HC patient’s benefit. Add to this that I never heard or overheard any direct or indirect disparaging of any colleague in Dr A’s mouth. Indeed no innuendos needed. You can’t beat the facts.

4) Respectfulness and human treatment
Or should I say decency.
Indeed, I was superbly attended to from A to Z. Not as an infant, my independance and privacy never being infringed upon. No restraining orders, no pervasive questions. Nor as an elder or a crippled. If I could do something by myself, like don my operative outfit alone or stand up on my own after hours of dizziness from lying under local anesthesia, anything that did not jeopardize the procedure, I was free to go for it. I was simply offered help, never had it forced upon me. Besides, be it from the receptionists, from Dr A’s patient attendee, from the auxiliary doctors or the operating assistants, never did I perceive the tiniest indicator of negativity towards me, all the more despite the strenuously long working hours which require the utmost sustained concentration, not a follicle being allowed to go to waste. Not a sigh, not a pout, not a frown, not a grunt, not a scowl, not a shrug, not a suppressed laugh at my expense, not a impatient huff, not an inconsiderate shove in manoeuvering me on the operation table, not a slothful, even slipshod autopilot movement, not an attempt to hassle me in any way. Sometimes, because of Delhi’s traffic density, crossing the two lanes road from my quarters to the clinic would take as much as 10 mn, putting me late for my morning arrival at the clinic. Well, even so, never did I sense from anyone the (perhaps otherwise understandable) attempt to rush me into the procedure. People obviously aren’t clock ‘n meter compulsive at this clinic. They see farther than the tips of their noses.
Politeness, courteousness, of course ruled. But not obsequiosity. How tempting it could be to a westerner to mistake genuine hospitality from indians for the hypocrite submissiveness of a previously colonized population towards the continental cousins of their former enforcers! But no such thing. Those who so kindly and diligently attended to me definitely have their dignity and know darn well how to stand their ground, if need be. I never misconstrued them. Let the respect they showed me honour them. I felt complied to reciprocate, not out of any far fetched new agey westernian guilt, but merely out of worth.
Far more, I daresay that all the while I really felt from their part a true concern for my well being , my good.
These people simply gave me the impression of wanting to bring me the best they could deliver, period.
They worked hand in hand as a team, in a peaceful atmosphere, devoid of ego issues.
Dr A’s authority exerted itself as something obvious, of the natural, charismatic brand.
There was never a stern look. Orders were implicit, if not anticipated. The intrinsic unfolding of the procedure simply wanted have it done, all secondarities put aside. Pure harmony.
Often, those in the staff who extracted follicles from my scalp and body did not hesitate to lean on my lying self, resting their forearms, elbows and sometimes chests to get a more steadfast stance and a more fastened grip, and it was such a pleasing, relaxing, massaging sensation. A hug of human warmth.
If somewhere I learned the sense of self restraint, humility, dedication, humanity, it was there at the Doctor’s A clinic.
And believe me, while I sure am glad the premises don’t look shabby by western standards, they are still far from trying hard to make a glamorous impression. No stately Doc A’s distinctions adorning the entrance and lobby walls, no lavishly decorated drawing rooms, no professionnaly smiling blue eyed permablondes at the reception desk, no ultra bright white doctor’s and nurses gowns and caps, no super slick monitors with streaming ads, no feng shuish chillout musac, no costly oily leaved green plants. And yet, those walls ooze humanity and intelligence.

That being said, I am perfectly aware that the HT approach I’ve chosen is not representative of a majority of patients. But the way I was handled is undoubtedly a direct consequence of my resolve to take the plunge without cheating myself. Had I not been well in my “balding shoes” before entering the HT fray, I’d probably have settled for worse. It took me 2 years of worldwide damming and sifting to unblur the picture. I by then became aware of the limitations. But then again, I took heart to wet shave to the bone and go it all alone in my life struggle. It worked. By the time I felt I didn’t NEED an HT, I knew at the same time, that if still I took it as an option, in fact out of mere consistency, after all that researching I was meant to go for the best and nothing less.
I met Dr A in Europe. Informal meeting. Decisive first impression. Funny, I thought. This doctor is not the BEST OPTION he’s the RIGHT OPTION .
Believe it or not, had I not been balding, I would still have gone for HT with this doctor out of curiosity. Some people doing something out there. Life is eternal progress.
But then Dr A topped it all by clearly showing me his lack of greediness.
I felt at ease under my shaven scalp. I still had the plug donor scars from 17 years ago. Perhaps all I wanted was to have some DEM into them and that’s it. We\re talking at most 200 BHT Fuse.
A trifle. Well, Dr A asked me. Are you sure you really want the HT. I can only fill in the plug scars if that’s all you want. Wow ! Hats off. And no, it is NOT a marketing trick. There are plenty of balding heads out there. A huge market to tap from all life long for a good HT doctor. Why worry and be greedy. Why not relax, take a back chair, knowing one can live decently ever after out of it, then truly start taking a core interest for the process. I think that’s what happened to Dr A, and now he’s trapped in it, with monstrous hair follicle ridden dreams and all…. Ha !
Seriously, I had nothing to lose but money in case it went wrong. So what. At best, I would have a couple options more , one of which being to feel whole again, like a newborn adult male, on top of already being blessed with a masculine yet youthful appearance at age 42.

As Julius Caesar said Veni Vidi Vici I came I saw I vanquished
Well I came and I saw.
See you folks in at least 9 months time to see if I’ve vanquished as well. Time will tell.

Feel free to ask me questions on the boards, but I definitely won’t give my email address to recruit for Dr A via pseudo neutral yet steered one to one counseling, if you get my drift. I am no shill, and never intend to be. Nor will I scour a portion of earth to go and “meet patients”, etc… That\s just not me. However, if someone having ALREADY SCHEDULED at Dr A, wishes to contact me as a previous Doc A’s patient, I have given permission to Dr A to pass on my coordinates to his patient to come. Just service.

A final word of caveat. Cutting edge at it may be, this STILL SURGERY. Not something to be taken lightly. There is sedation, local anesthesia, actual invasiveness of sharp cutting tools into the human body, fine as they may be. Blood does shed, even in droplets. The slightest clumsy gesture can bring about all sort of unwanted consequences. I own it up to belong to an above averagely pain sensitive cut of the patients population, usually needing twice as much numbing at the dentist s. To me, the pain and discomfort I experienced at Dr A were certainly kept minimal by all possible means, but I would be lying if I said I felt NOTHING. I did feel the longish unpleasant un numbing feeling of certain body areas after the procedure. The tautness of my scalp, as if, as I put it to Dr A, “a cashmir carpet was being woven on my scalp”. And that tautness did not subside all too soon.
Dr A believes the next logical advance in HT would be twofold
1) the injection free numbing of any scalp or body extraction zone
2) the “hole digging” free and thus bloodless harvesting of follicles from their underneath dermal attachments (perhaps using electricity or pulsated light)

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http://www.hairsite4.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=12&topic_id=48346&mode=full