What Doctors Around The World Can Do A Unshaven Or Long Fue?

hailmary

Member
Reaction score
2
Tried to google this not much comes up I got..AdvancedHair in Seattle which do the no shave technique at 10 dollar a graft. I'm also lookin at Dr. Erdogan in Turkey..would appreciate any other good suggestion thanks
 

kj6723

Senior Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
3,985
One member on here just had a no shave procedure done by Dr. Reys. I believe Dr. Konior will also do no shave.

I would only be looking into this if shaving is absolutely not an option for you. You're long term results will likely be substantially better of the Doctor is able to reinforce the areas surrounding the ones he's reconstructing. I do believe there will be a much higher chance of gaps and the need for touch ups in the short term if you opt not to shave
 

Mach

Established Member
Reaction score
87
Cole does unshaven for donor and recipient. dudewheresmyhairdude over at that networking forum had it done but only 450 grafts I think it's $10 a graph.

Unshaven donor has to be in 2 or 3 inches. He has to shave strips in the back and your hair will cover the strips. Ib don't think he can get that many graphs out in a session.
I had a partial shave of 1275 grafts.
 

GoldenMane

Senior Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
594
I had a partial shave, just the donor area which was covered by longer layers of hair. The recipient area was shaved just a tiny, tiny bit, but barely noticeable. I had basically no reinforcement at all, or at most 2 lines of hairs at the front of my hairline. The hairs were implanted into bald temples and to lower my hairline by 1 cm where there was no existing hair. I do question whether it will look like gaps are present but I'm only at 1 month post op, too early to tell for sure.
If you want reinforcement then you have to shave your recipient region.

I'm thinking of getting my frontal third reinforced next year but there's the risk of shock loss and transection. And I'm not sure if the reinforcement gains would outweigh the potential losses due to transection or shock loss. Reinforcement makes more sense when you've lost a lot of density, if you still have reasonable density then it's a bigger risk. I'm sure some surgeons are better than others at doing this, but it's not a very efficient use of donor hair.
 

Pequod

Experienced Member
Reaction score
98
Without photos or a description of what you want done it is impossible to say if it can be done unshaven, at least in the recipient area.
 

dr. cole

Member
Reaction score
47
I first developed the no shave FUE procedure in 2003. I called it non-shaven FUE. I developed this procedure after searching for a way to minimize shaving the donor area by doing shaven patches. I quickly discovered this was not a good way to go because all the extractions are in a linear strip. It's not a good idea and looks as bad or worse than a strip scar. I saw how bad this shaven patch method was because I was filling in a strip scar using shaven patches. The healing in the shaven patches was as bad as the strip scar in my opinion. It is much better to spread the extractions out over the entire area.

This led me to the no shave FUE method or non-shaven FUE method. I began to cut individual follicles within the follicular units. It takes us about 1 hour to prepare a donor area for 3000 grafts. When I first begin doing this method, I would go home seeing double and have a headache. However, now I've done this method several thousand times and I have stated for at least 10 years that it is the future of FUE. I regularly demonstrate this method at surgical conferences and I have taught many physicians this method.

In 2015 I demonstrated this method to Dr. Erdogan at his workshop in Istanbul. The patient for this demonstration was not optimal for a no shave procedure in a live surgery demonstration because the patient was a woman with long hair. Women make excellent candidates for the no shave FUE procedure, however. It just takes longer. I did a female from Korea today. At the workshop in Istanbul it took us a long time to prepare the donor area. However, the procedure was quite good and over 100 physicians were able to see the method. I also taught this method to Dr. Konir and Dr. Reyes.

Dr. Erdogan offers a long hair FUE procedure and Dr. Otavio Boaventura of Brazil is also. Dr. Boaventura published the first paper on long hair FUE this month. I edited this paper for him. A long hair FUE procedure is one where the grafts are placed with long hair rather than short hair. No hairs are cut in this procedure. Long hair FUE offers a pre-look, but the hair still falls out of the grafts. Dr. Erdogan offers this procedure, but he does not do surgery. His technicians cut all of the grafts for him. They do good work. Competing clinics are always looking to hire away good assistants so you never really know who will do your surgery when you show up for a procedure in a clinic where the doctors does not do the surgery.

Drs. Barusco and Maria Muricy also do a no shave FUE. We all three worked on a patient at a live surgery demonstration in Paraguay in February 2016. I taught this method to Drs. Boaventura and Dr. Muricy in Istanbul and later Goinia, Brazil in 2015. I introduced this technique in Seoul, Korea in 2008 and later to the rest of Asia in 2011 and 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Today, I am happy to report that there are many options for a no shave or non-shaven FUE procedure around the globe.

Remember that in 2003 when I first began pounding the table about the advantages of FUE over FUT, the physicians were not open to this. Today, that has changed. I am happy to report that you can have FUE done almost anywhere in the world today and that over 50% of all hair restoration surgery procedures today are done by FUE. I am pleased to have been instrumental in teaching FUE directly or indirectly to a large percent of physicians throughout the world. The no shave FUE technique took longer to catch on, but it is here today.
 

hailmary

Member
Reaction score
2
Hey Dr. Cole thanks for replying to my thread. Just few questions if you don't mind:

I'm strictly interest in long Hair Fue. Do you offer this service and how much a graft? Is it same as C2G

I'm thinking of goin to Dr. Akaki in Gerorgia he only does Long hair FuT however. My hope is to get in with Dr Erdogen as he would be my first choice. But I would like to consult you also before I do. Thank you
 

dr. cole

Member
Reaction score
47
There is a difference between "long hair FUE" and a "no shave or non-shaven FUE" procedure.

A long hair FUE procedure is one where no hair is trimmed, and you transplant grafts with long hair. In this procedure, you get to preview what you would look like assuming that all grafts grow, but the hair that is transplanted will fall out between 1 to 3 weeks after your procedure. The long hair gets in your way during transplantation and limits the density you can get with a procedure. Otavio Boaventura and Koray Erdogan offer this. I did it long before they did, but I did not see any advantage to the process, so I did not pursue it. I also filed a patent on the punch design necessary to do this around 2005.

A no shave or non-shaven FUE procedure involves trimming only the hair you will move. You do not need to shave your head. This process allows for a higher density in the recipient area, and you can return to work the next day looking like you did before the procedure.

The one thing you need to do for the no shave technique is to have the hair in your donor area at least 1.5 to 2 inches long to conceal the extraction sites. I once had a patient book for a no shave procedure, and he came in with his hair less than 1/2 inch long. The trimming we needed to do allowed the scabs in the donor area to be evident following the procedure. After a week, he was all right, but the problem was that he did not have his hair long enough. You need to keep the hair at least 1.5 inches long to avoid a transparent look immediately post op. We can work with the hair longer than 2 inches, but I would prefer that the hair is no more than 3 inches long.

I can post some photos if you like. Let me know if I fully answered your question. Oh, I'm not sure if Dr. Erdogan offers a no shave FUE. He is marketing a long hair FUE procedure. Again, I don't clearly see the advantage of this long hair procedure because the hair is going to fall out anyway and the density you can achieve with the long hair FUE procedure is lower.

I don't know Dr. Akaki so I can't comment on his process.

If you do not want to shave your head, the no shave process is the way to go in my opinion. The no shave FUE process is one with excellent results and a long history of success. The long hair FUE procedure is brand new and offers not long term advantages. However, there are disadvantages to transplanting long hair including a greater risk that you might accidentally pull out a graft, a lower density, a sudden change in appearance, and a higher follicle transection rate. After 2 or 3 weeks you are going to have another sudden change in appearance when the hair falls out of the grafts. Transplants on the other hand gradually grow in offering a subtle change in appearance.

Yes, I called this C2G when I developed the process. Traditionally, I have charged 10 per graft for this, but I always offer discounts for those in need of price adjustments. Generally, I keep many dates open each month just for patients who need financial consideration.
 

DoctorHouse

Senior Member
Reaction score
5,696
Has anybody checked if this is actually Dr. Cole?
After reading his posts, I really do believe it is him. He knows way too much to not be him. Unless he works for him and is his rep. But I really think its him. Actually, I wish more doctors would post on here. Getting a view point from an actual doctor is very interesting and educational.
 
Last edited:

DoctorHouse

Senior Member
Reaction score
5,696
There is a difference between "long hair FUE" and a "no shave or non-shaven FUE" procedure.

A long hair FUE procedure is one where no hair is trimmed, and you transplant grafts with long hair. In this procedure, you get to preview what you would look like assuming that all grafts grow, but the hair that is transplanted will fall out between 1 to 3 weeks after your procedure. The long hair gets in your way during transplantation and limits the density you can get with a procedure. Otavio Boaventura and Koray Erdogan offer this. I did it long before they did, but I did not see any advantage to the process, so I did not pursue it. I also filed a patent on the punch design necessary to do this around 2005.

A no shave or non-shaven FUE procedure involves trimming only the hair you will move. You do not need to shave your head. This process allows for a higher density in the recipient area, and you can return to work the next day looking like you did before the procedure.

The one thing you need to do for the no shave technique is to have the hair in your donor area at least 1.5 to 2 inches long to conceal the extraction sites. I once had a patient book for a no shave procedure, and he came in with his hair less than 1/2 inch long. The trimming we needed to do allowed the scabs in the donor area to be evident following the procedure. After a week, he was all right, but the problem was that he did not have his hair long enough. You need to keep the hair at least 1.5 inches long to avoid a transparent look immediately post op. We can work with the hair longer than 2 inches, but I would prefer that the hair is no more than 3 inches long.

I can post some photos if you like. Let me know if I fully answered your question. Oh, I'm not sure if Dr. Erdogan offers a no shave FUE. He is marketing a long hair FUE procedure. Again, I don't clearly see the advantage of this long hair procedure because the hair is going to fall out anyway and the density you can achieve with the long hair FUE procedure is lower.

I don't know Dr. Akaki so I can't comment on his process.

If you do not want to shave your head, the no shave process is the way to go in my opinion. The no shave FUE process is one with excellent results and a long history of success. The long hair FUE procedure is brand new and offers not long term advantages. However, there are disadvantages to transplanting long hair including a greater risk that you might accidentally pull out a graft, a lower density, a sudden change in appearance, and a higher follicle transection rate. After 2 or 3 weeks you are going to have another sudden change in appearance when the hair falls out of the grafts. Transplants on the other hand gradually grow in offering a subtle change in appearance.

Yes, I called this C2G when I developed the process. Traditionally, I have charged 10 per graft for this, but I always offer discounts for those in need of price adjustments. Generally, I keep many dates open each month just for patients who need financial consideration.
Dr Cole, thanks for taking the time to post and educate. I truly believe doctors who educate their patients definitely build trust and loyalty that way. Is it true that its better to shave the recipient area to truly access the density of the hairs and their angles? Or you can get equivalent accuracy by not shaving? Rahal requires all his patient to be shaven in the donor and recipient as he believes the non shaven technique can cause more transection and will not allow you to see the proper angles of the hair.

And, do you believe like Feller, that FUT is still the "gold standard" for hair transplantation for most of the cases even if most people only want FUE and FUE seems the most popular now. By the way, I saw a case online where a person had FUE and it left a patchy area in the donor. He went to another doctor and the doctor suggested he get FUT because the same thing would happen. So when do think FUT would be more appropriate than FUE?
 

Dench57

Senior Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
6,427
Is it true that its better to shave the recipient area to truly access the density of the hairs and their angles? Or you can get equivalent accuracy by not shaving? Rahal requires all his patient to be shaven in the donor and recipient as he believes the non shaven technique can cause more transection and will not allow you to see the proper angles of the hair.

Would like to hear the opinion of a hair transplant Doctor on this as well. Just looking at a shaved scalp vs unshaven, it looks much harder for the doctor to achieve the same level of accuracy and dense placing of grafts in an unshaven recipient site.

Thank you for coming here to speak with the unwashed masses Dr. Cole. Interesting to get an informed and experienced perspective.
 

buckthorn

Banned
My Regimen
Reaction score
5,209
Has anybody checked if this is actually Dr. Cole?

Yeah it must be him. The way he writes is consistent with other places I've heard him speak. Smart guy. I was considering him for a while, even called for a consultation. @dr. cole - I won't hog this thread, but it may be relevant here. what's your opinion for hair transplantation (FUE) on a patient with the following characteristics -

- heavily diffusing in NW7 pattern
- doesn't respond well to treatments
- has THICK, wavy hair, with ample donor
- wants to disregard native hair and go for an evenly spread 8k fue (in two megasessions) with more density in the frontal third.

all I need to know is WOULD you take a patient like this on if the above criteria was 100% accurate? yes or no?
 

kj6723

Senior Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
3,985
Yeah it must be him. The way he writes is consistent with other places I've heard him speak. Smart guy. I was considering him for a while, even called for a consultation. @dr. cole - I won't hog this thread, but it may be relevant here. what's your opinion for hair transplantation (FUE) on a patient with the following characteristics -

- heavily diffusing in NW7 pattern
- doesn't respond well to treatments
- has THICK, wavy hair, with ample donor
- wants to disregard native hair and go for an evenly spread 8k fue (in two megasessions) with more density in the frontal third.

all I need to know is WOULD you take a patient like this on if the above criteria was 100% accurate? yes or no?

You forgot to add:

-Diffused birds nest

It's a crucial piece of information for him to answer your question
 

buckthorn

Banned
My Regimen
Reaction score
5,209
You forgot to add:

-Diffused birds nest

It's a crucial piece of information for him to answer your question

Oh yeah @dr. cole - my hair resembles a decaying birds or rats nest. can you help me?
 

dr. cole

Member
Reaction score
47
Yes, I am Dr. Cole. I could change me Avatar to something more professional, but I really don't care about that sort of thing. I am sort of anti-pay-to-play forums. They recommend too many physicians in general for a fee and most of these physicians are not very good in my opinion. Based on how many physicians these sites recommend, I think the sites should pay the really good physicians to be members. Unfortunately, doctos think these sites make them money. These sites don't for the most part aside from helping really bad doctors appear good.

From a marketing perspective, Hair Transplant Network is the best, but they hate me over there. Never mind. It's not important to me.

I will be frank in regard to FUE vs. FUT. FUT is dead. The final nail was put in it FUT's coffin in 2011 when I presented the study comparing the cross-sectional trichometry (CST) of strip surgery to FUE. Strips result in traction alopecia in the donor area meaning FUT kills hair. The argument for FUT is over. FUT can result in wide scars, hair growth distortion, and inability to cut your hair short, and kills hair. What more reason does anyone need to avoid FUT? The average donor CST is 70, the average FUE donor is 64 plus and the average strip donor is 51. CST measures density and diameter. Diameter is the same, but density drops with FUT. Why? FUT kills hair. Avoid FUT. Even though i presented a solid study showing the final nail in the coffin for FUT, don't expect these FUT surgeons to catch on. By definition, they are as dumb as a sack of rocks. Ok, some are my friends. Sorry, friends. I just don't think you comprehend what you are doing.

Patchy donor FUE? This could happen. I would hope not in a well performed FUE, but it's still better than a strip scar. You can SMP any FUE scars. It's not so easy to treat FUT scars and follicle distortion.

Any Norwood 7 has lost 225 to 250 plus cm2 of hair. The donor area is about 203 cm2. You have to go with a less is more look meaning a short hair cut and possibly beard hair cut short or SMP. It's tricky, but it can work. I would have to evaluate this situation and I might say it' s not a good idea. However, I am one of the few that turns impossible into a miracle. However, I'm not God and even though I do my best, sometimes I come up short. Just ask Arfy.

A birds nest donor is all the same when shaved. The only no shave I avoid is the person of African ancestry. I really need that hair cut short. I'm working on an ARTAS failure of African Ancestry on 10/10. I look forward to this, but I would not consider a no-shave in this case.

I really need more details to make a determination in a Norwood 7. Maybe I can do it. Maybe not. Beard hair changes the playing field, however. I've hit many home runs with scalp and beard.
 
Top