My experience with hair transplants at Mayo Clinic

Just a quick recap of everything I’ve been through over the last 20 days.

Day 1

Right after my first post-op checkup confirmed that everything was looking solid, I was actually in a pretty great mood for a little while.

Unfortunately, that same afternoon, I had to head over to Germany. And I say "unfortunately" because even though the accommodations were decent, the travel was an absolute nightmare. It was nearly a two-hour trek because there wasn't a direct line from San Francisco to where I was staying. Between the heat, the stressful transit, and just being on edge, I was a total wreck. Just me, solo, with zero help—man, what a mess...

Once I finally settled into the new place, that sense of emptiness hit me again. Those intrusive thoughts started circling back: was I making the right call, or did I just screw up?

Day 2

A good portion of my head was swollen, which honestly wasn't surprising given how intense the hair transplant session was. All that increased blood circulation tends to trigger a heavy feverish feeling, but you just have to push through the swelling and survive the day. It’s definitely not a walk in the park.

Personally, I think that second post-op day following the AT&T procedure was the absolute lowest point of the whole process. On top of the physical discomfort, the emotional instability hadn't really let up, and dealing with all that while your head is throbbing from swelling... yeah. 🙂

Days 3-4 post-op.

Thankfully, the swelling finally started to subside. By day three things were looking up, and by day four, I felt even better.
The best part was that I finally started feeling positive again. That restless anxiety just kind of evaporates once you realize the hardest part is officially behind you.

Days 5-12

The incision from the AT&T didn't really ache, but I would occasionally feel some tightness and a dull sensation on the right side of the cut above my ear.

I think it wasn't until night six or seven that I could finally sleep at a normal angle instead of propped up at 45 degrees. You just have to wait for the swelling to go down.
I’ve never been much of a deep sleeper anyway. I kept waking up early during those first ten days or so, but it wasn't a huge deal.

I started wearing a hat on day seven and began taking short walks. My diet stayed pretty much the same as before.

Day 13 post-op

They removed the clips. I ended up having 68 grafts. The process is a bit painful, but nothing too extreme.
The doctors told me I did an excellent job keeping both the incision and the recipient area clean.

They gave my head a thorough wash, and surprisingly, they actually shaved the transplanted hair.

I have a little tiny wound from the grafts on the right side above my ear, but that should heal up fine.

Day 15

I've arrived in NYC, and I'll be here for about 7 months or so.

I'm going in to get some stitches removed in a couple of days, and then I'll take some new photos.

NYC is awesome, except for the fact that I'm broke, haha.

I'm not entirely sure when it started, but it looks like shedding has begun. When I lightly run my hand over my head—even though it's all cropped short—I can see a few hairs popping through.

My scalp is still a bit reddish in spots, but nothing major. To the touch, the skin feels like mine again, though some areas are still slightly numb, but that's just part of the healing process.

I'm staying incredibly positive. I haven't hit the "ugly duckling" phase yet, but hey, there's plenty of time for that, haha.

Thanks for the posts. I’ll probably end up looking into a transplant myself one day; this gives me a good perspective.

Whatever the outcome ends up being—and I’m betting it’ll be great—you can always go back later to fill in any thin spots in the beard. Over time, the texture changes and starts feeling more like the hair on your head, which makes for a decent filler.

Check out this result:



If you ever feel the need to touch things up while you're in Turkey, you could always just tweak the beard density and call it a day.

Personally, I don't think it's worth flying to Switzerland and paying those kinds of prices; they seem a bit overpriced to me. But then again, when you're in this situation, you just do whatever makes you feel secure, so I get it.

Thomas Hernandez81 said:Thanks for the posts. Honestly, I’ll probably end up needing a transplant myself one day, so this is a great insight.

Whatever the outcome ends up being—and I truly believe it’ll be great—you can always touch up the density later by doing a beard transplant. Over time, the hair structure changes and starts feeling more like natural head hair, so it works as an excellent filler.

Check out this result:

If you ever need a quick fix, just grab a little beard work done in Turkey and you're set.

Personally, I don't think it's necessary to fly all the way to Switzerland and drop that kind of cash. They're a bit overpriced for my taste, but hey, when you're in this situation, you go with whatever makes you feel secure, so I totally get it.

Hey there.

Look, since I had 6k grafts done via FUT.
Each follicle cost me about $3.
It doesn't really matter that this was in Switzerland. $3 is pretty much the standard rate at some top-tier clinics. For example, Bruno Ferreira, who a colleague of mine is seeing, went from $2.50 to $3 per graft. Some clinics charge $4 or even more.
Of course, FUT is cheaper.
But I also got a bit of a discount because of the EU market.
For instance, Human Rights Watch in Turkey is currently around $2.50 or $2.70 per graft. I can't remember exactly.

Yeah, I know how the beard thing goes. In my case, the beard is a total mix of light yellow, brownish, black... everything, man.

But yeah, definitely something to think about for the future.

Day 38

Here are a few shots of the donor area

https://ibb.co/Z1n4mZy

https://ibb.co/87V1TJm

https://ibb.co/MSrZ3Ym

https://ibb.co/60ydMFv

I’m trying to get a good look at how things are settling with this temporary tuft, so don't let the top section throw you off too much

The donor site is looking pretty short right now.

If anyone has some constructive feedback, please, lay it on me.

I have to admit, I honestly have no idea what my donor area would look like if I had gone the FUE route...

https://ibb.co/XL4fC3M
https://ibb.co/cxpFYCN
https://ibb.co/PCbvjvC
https://ibb.co/C520Ryn
https://ibb.co/b3WnC7T

It's been 98 days since the surgery.

I’d say the growth has officially kicked in, though as you'd expect, it’s moving at a pretty modest, slow pace right now.

I really appreciate everyone chiming in with their comments—thanks for keeping it real and not sugarcoating things too much.

Just a heads up, these photos were taken under direct lighting.

David Young58 said:https://ibb.co/XL4fC3M
https://ibb.co/cxpFYCN
https://ibb.co/PCbvjvC
https://ibb.co/C520Ryn
https://ibb.co/b3WnC7T

98 days post-op

I’d say the growth has started, but it’s moving at the expected, modest, and steady pace.

Every comment was appreciated—no need for sugarcoating here.

Photos were taken under direct light.

Looks great. What’s truly incredible is how the donor area looks completely untouched. Best of luck moving forward.

I’m guessing the next big update from AT&T will drop around the start of month five—so, mid-November.

Just a heads-up, these photos were taken right after blow-drying, before I touched them with a comb.

https://ibb.co/7g2pZXt

https://ibb.co/YyCrNBn

https://ibb.co/44JqLFj

https://ibb.co/JKY7tyz

https://ibb.co/gwNdG0Y

https://ibb.co/544rcwy

https://ibb.co/CBZQrbZ

So, here’s where things stand at the 3.5-month mark (105 days post-op).

The area surrounding the scar is still looking pretty red and shows up noticeably under my hair, especially around the corners. I've also got some lingering shock loss on the right temple side. There's a chance I might end up needing a few camouflage grafts there later on to fill things out, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Currently waiting to hear back from Dr. North regarding a few questions about my progress and some info on my DHT levels.

Status update after 5 months and 2 weeks

Interior shots with plenty of natural light
https://ibb.co/z7v1Fp1
https://ibb.co/Yp1N4Vz
https://ibb.co/dmC7xnp
https://ibb.co/kMzw8ZP

More interior views, showing what it looks like with less light

https://ibb.co/3761SVs
https://ibb.co/f0gScYM
https://ibb.co/Tv32pFf
https://ibb.co/6J33XH6
https://ibb.co/8jqPjW3

https://ibb.co/pntmFq8

https://ibb.co/TcNk3R5

https://ibb.co/pntmFq8

https://ibb.co/HzpwQfV

https://ibb.co/DWmM0J5

Alright, here are some updated shots now that it's been 8 months since I switched over to AT&T.

I'm still feeling pretty iffy about the crown situation, so I'm going to give it another 4 months to hit that full 12-month mark before I give my final verdict.

As for everything else regarding growth, I'm actually quite happy with how things are looking. It'll be interesting to see if there's any late-stage improvement in this last third of the timeline.

Looks great. If you're willing to share, how much did this whole undertaking end up costing you?

Jonathan Thompson6 said:It looks amazing. If you don't mind me asking, what did this whole endeavor end up costing you?

Hey there.

Each graft runs about $3. That would put the total somewhere around $19,500.
However, since they know I'm coming from the EU—which isn't exactly in the heart of Western Europe—I managed to score a bit of a discount.
I’m not going to throw out an exact number, though. We had a private agreement, and I intend to honor that both publicly and privately.

There's also a chance I might get a partial refund if I agree to post the final results on certain forums, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it.

Bottom line: the whole procedure was insanely expensive.😵

Hey, do you personally feel like it was actually worth it? Like, we’re talking roughly $150 here—now that you’re seeing the results, and more importantly, feeling them internally... you know, in terms of your confidence and just how you carry yourself when you're walking down the street... would you say it paid off?

Or, let’s look past the price tag for a second. When you really step back and look at the big picture, did the whole process actually deliver what you were looking for? And I don't mean specifically regarding the hairline, let's be real, I'm not asking about that 😉 )

Rachel Brooks63 said:Honestly, do you personally feel like it was worth it? Like, we're talking maybe $15 or so—but looking at the results now, how does it feel internally? In terms of your self-confidence and just that feeling when you're walking down the street, would you say it paid off?

In other words, let's set the price aside for a second. When you look back on the whole process, did it actually deliver what you were hoping for? And I don't mean just the hairline itself, let's be clear, I'm not asking about that 😉 )

Absolutely. To put it simply, I’m a different man. It feels like I’m living in a completely different movie.
To be honest, I don't care nearly as much about how my hair looks or holds up over time (at least in the short term), but I can finally focus on actually living my life normally.

The cost was never the issue for me; I just saved up steadily, being smart and careful about it. Once the money was spent, I didn't even feel like I'd lost a significant amount. I had a goal, I achieved it, and that's that.

I totally get where you're coming from—pretty much everyone has that one thing they consider absolutely essential.
Honestly, that price tag seems way too steep for me. I know plenty of people who’ve done work over in Turkey or Mexico, and it looks amazing, all for a fraction of that cost. Getting this done is huge for me too, but if I'm being real, I could never justify dropping that kind of cash on it.
Just curious though, what's the actual difference between your hair and someone who went to Turkey? It seems like half of Germany heads over there for it, and from my perspective—since I'm no expert—it looks perfectly fine. I really want to go to Turkey, but the more I read about it, the more I start second-guessing myself. I'm not saying I'd go for the cheapest option at $1,000 or $1,200, but I definitely think you can find some solid clinics for around $2,100.

David Young58 said:I had this one major life goal, I finally knocked it out of the park, and now... yeah, that's that.

That’s awesome, man—honestly, I’m really happy for you 👍 (and seriously, I'm not being sarcastic or making fun of you or anything, I truly mean it!)

Rachel Brooks63 said:Honestly, I’m genuinely happy for you 👍 (and look, I’m being dead serious here—no sarcasm or trolling intended, I truly mean it!)

Thanks, man.👍

Anthony Brooks49 said:I totally get where you're coming from; almost everyone has that one thing they consider absolutely essential.
Honestly, that price seems way too high for me, because I know plenty of people who have gone to Turkey or Mexico, and it looks like a great deal for at least six times less money. It’s important to me to get this done too, but if I’m being real, I could never justify dropping that kind of cash on something like this.
Just tell me, what’s actually the difference between your hair and someone who had their procedure done in Turkey? I see half of Germany heading over there, and from my perspective—since I’m no expert—it looks perfectly fine. I want to go to Turkey, but the more I read about it, the more I start second-guessing myself. I’m not saying I want the absolute cheapest option at $1,000 or $1,200, but I feel like you can find some solid clinics for around $2,100.

Look, there’s no guarantee there will ever be a difference between two high-quality surgeries performed by the same type of specialist. A "budget" surgery and an ultra-premium one can turn out equally incredible.
The real question is: do you want someone ripping 4 or 5 thousand grafts out of your donor area in some discount clinic without any peace of mind that everything is going to turn out okay?
I chose a clinic that’s renowned as one of the best in the world. People who are actually respected in this field charge premium prices for a reason.

At the end of the day, it's your call. I don't want to derail this specific thread, though; we have a general discussion thread for all these types of topics.

Of course, tons of people head to Turkey. But if you’re going to go, at least go to a reputable clinic. From what I can see, your main priority is finding the lowest price, and I think you're making a mistake right out of the gate. That’s just my personal opinion, no shade intended.

Price isn't even my main concern here. If it were, I’d just go with one of those guys charging $1,200 or $1,400—there are tons of them out there. But honestly? I don't want to touch any clinic that charges less than $2,000. My absolute floor is $2,000 plus.
And if I factor in needing two procedures, we're looking at roughly $5,000. That feels like a solid middle ground.
Look, take Nadal, for example. He spent something like $9,000 on his hair, and man, what a disaster! You see articles everywhere making fun of how bad his hairline turned out. Meanwhile, I know someone who got it done in Mexico for a ridiculous amount of money, and it looks flawless. Seriously, you'd never even guess he lost his hair. The density, the front line—everything is spot on. They actually rejected me from that expensive clinic, though. No clue why, they wouldn't even give me the courtesy of an answer.
I am definitely not dropping $15,000 on hair. It’s just way too much, and you can get amazing results for way less. To me, Nadal is the perfect example of how a huge price tag doesn't mean squat; sometimes, it just means a failed surgery.

Anthony Brooks49 said:Price isn't really my main concern. If it were, I’d just go to one of those places charging $1,200 or $1,400, and there are plenty of them. I’m not touching any clinic that charges less than $2,000. Basically, my minimum budget is $2,000 plus.
If I have to factor in needing two procedures, we're looking at roughly $5,000. That feels like a fair middle ground.
Look, I see Nadal, and he apparently paid something like $9,000—which is just ridiculous. There are even articles mocking him because his hair job looks so bad. Meanwhile, I know someone who went to a clinic in Mexico for some tiny amount of money, and it looks flawless. Seriously, you'd never know he ever lost hair. The density, the hairline, everything is perfect. That clinic actually turned me down, though; they wouldn't even give me an answer as to why.
I really don't want to drop $15,000 on hair. It's way too much, and I believe you can get amazing results for much less. For me, Nadal is the perfect example of how price doesn't mean anything; it was clearly a failed surgery.

Hey, since it looks like you're still a total amateur when it comes to the whole hair transplant and hair loss scene, let me break a few things down for you. Globally, there are maybe 20 or 30 doctors who will do a phenomenal job depending on your specific situation. Those cheap transplants around $2,000 you mentioned? Those are just "hair mills"—clinics that do the transplant and then leave you to deal with whatever mess happens next. You get what you pay for. Second, what's your Norwood scale? If you're completely bald or at an NW6-7, your chances are slim, and it’s going to look unnatural. In David Young58's case, he did his research, decided on FUT, and picked one of the best clinics in the world, which is pretty obvious from the results. Also, if you get a transplant, you MUST stay on preventative treatment—meaning Finasteride and Minoxidil. You brought up Rafael Nadal; he had his procedure done by top doctors in Spain, and of course, it looked great for the first few years. But clearly, he isn't staying on the treatment, so his hair keeps falling out. That’s what happens to everyone who skips the maintenance. So, you can't say Nadal's transplant was bad—just look at how good his hair looked in those first years after the surgery. Again, think hard about which clinic you choose. Once they overharvest your donor area, it's game over for you. Plus, it's crucial that the transplant looks natural. You don't want people staring at your head and laughing because it's obviously fake; I know plenty of guys in my city where that's happened, and unfortunately, that's exactly what happens at those budget clinics.