# Hair Transplants > Hair Transplant: Start Your Own Topic >  Tijuana HT and Beyond

## sunfire

So I'm 30 years old. I'm about a norwood 3v and most of my hair loss took place in my late 20s which is when I started researching HT procedures. Living in California I first checked out some Doctors out here then inquired about some of the Canadian Doctors I've read about on this forum. Both were way out of my price range but the information I gather was that since I had such thick donor area and I didn't need a mega session the procedure would be pretty straight forward. I also settled on the FUT strip process since I know friends who have had the strip and others who had FUE..after a few months the FUT scars were undectectable and they seemed to me to have grown more hair than the FUE guys. I started reading about HT doctors on this and other sites. There was a lot of anti-mexican HT talk going around but usually not from patients who went there. I heard people complaining about stuff like the beds were uncomfortable..all that mattered to me were results. I narrowed it down to Dr. Alessandrini with Renovate Medical (also called Bajanor) and Dr. Hernandez with Neopel Clinic. They both seemed pretty comparable though Neopel was slightly more expensive and very slow to respond So I went with Dr. Alessandrini. I paid $2500 for what they approximated would be 2200 grafts. I was met at the mexican side of the san ysidro/tijuana border by the doctors son. We walked through a pretty shabby neighborhood to get to Renovate Medical. Renovate Medical Center while better than the neighboring buildings was also quite shabby..not the Sleek modern beverly hills office you would associate with cosmetic surgery. The facilities and amenities were not very modern and there was a pretty laid back atmosphere among the staff..at this point I was a bit worried. I soon met the doctor who was very professional calming and knew what he was talking about. The nurses were all super sweet...by the end of the day we were all friends. The actual procedure was smooth and painless. Since my donor area is dense and since I shmoozed the nurses all day they were able to retrieve and implant 2600 grafts..the extra grafts went to thickening between the crown and hairline. he crown was filled in with the 3-4 hair grafts while the 1s and 2s were used on the hairline mostly. All in All it was a good experience but what matters most now is the results. If the results turn out the way I think they will I'd gladly skip the formalities and marble counter-tops for a good affordable HT. This all happened yesterday so I'll post some pre-op and 1st day post op pics.

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## sunfire

here are some post op pics..... My only regret so far was not filling in the area above and to the right of my crown in the pictures. My reasoning was that first of all its not that bad 2nd of all since i've never really been on a strict regime of rogain and propecia and I will be on both now, that part may thicken up a bit anyway.

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## DAVE52

> . I paid $2500 for what they approximated would be 2200 grafts. I was met at the mexican side of the san ysidro/tijuana border by the doctors son. We walked through a pretty shabby neighborhood to get to Renovate Medical. .


 Sounds like a movie  :Stick Out Tongue: 
good luck in your results

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## sunfire

> Sounds like a movie 
> good luck in your results


 haha yeah I know but keep in mind Ive been to tijuana a bunch of times before this so I wasn't as weirded out as someone else might be

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## AfterHair

oh man, I remember seeing billboards in TJ for hair transplants when I was an adventurous 20-something... 
still, I could never imagine getting such an important procedure done in TJ.  Heck, even in the USA there's only a handful of docs I'd trust to work on my hair... I would never ever consider doing such a thing.. 
How much research had you done your surgeon prior to committing?  Anyway, if this is the real deal, I hopeful that your results were positive.  
But I think that saving a bit of money pales in comparison to getting the procedure done by a surgeon who has an excellent reputation, has been doing the technique for years and is renowned in his community.

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## sunfire

> oh man, I remember seeing billboards in TJ for hair transplants when I was an adventurous 20-something... 
> still, I could never imagine getting such an important procedure done in TJ.  Heck, even in the USA there's only a handful of docs I'd trust to work on my hair... I would never ever consider doing such a thing.. 
> How much research had you done your surgeon prior to committing?  Anyway, if this is the real deal, I hopeful that your results were positive.  
> But I think that saving a bit of money pales in comparison to getting the procedure done by a surgeon who has an excellent reputation, has been doing the technique for years and is renowned in his community.


 I did a fair amount of research..heard good things from people who had it done with him.  Ultimately I saw no measurable difference between this doctor and an american one besides the price.  In fact his staff was larger than most american HT doctors and since this is a labor intensive procedure having a flock of skilled nurses working is a plus. Its unreasonable to think that in a country of 100 million ppl and specifically in a city about 2 million that decent medical care wouldnt be available if you're willing to pay.  2500 is no small amount for a procedure even for an american doctor if he didnt have sky high insurance premiums, labor costs etc..so there is plenty of incentive to do a good job.
Oh and the price difference was not "a bit of money" as you put it. It was the difference between getting the procedure or not getting it at all.  I know how the procedure is supposed to go...I've watched dozens of them online so I wasnt simply putting blind faith in the doctor. I know he did the procedure correctly..and so in that regard research was very useful in letting me be in the drivers seat.  

Ostensibly everything is great..however I'll save my glowing review for after the results come in.

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## sunfire

> oh man, I remember seeing billboards in TJ for hair transplants when I was an adventurous 20-something... 
> still, I could never imagine getting such an important procedure done in TJ.  Heck, even in the USA there's only a handful of docs I'd trust to work on my hair... I would never ever consider doing such a thing.. 
> How much research had you done your surgeon prior to committing?  Anyway, if this is the real deal, I hopeful that your results were positive.  
> But I think that saving a bit of money pales in comparison to getting the procedure done by a surgeon who has an excellent reputation, has been doing the technique for years and is renowned in his community.


 Also I noticed you're Doctor went to medical school in Iran..not that that is a bad thing but to think that once one crosses the border into America that their level of care goes way up simply isnt true.  America has plenty of crap doctors..plenty of scammers..plenty of bad and plenty of good.

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## J_B_Davis

> Also I noticed you're Doctor went to medical school in Iran..not that that is a bad thing but to think that once one crosses the border into America that their level of care goes way up simply isnt true.  America has plenty of crap doctors..plenty of scammers..plenty of bad and plenty of good.


 Sunfire, I wouldnt worry about what others say at this point. Youve had your procedure and it will hopefully turn out well. While most of the best doctors in the world are discussed on this site, and are members of the IAHRS,  there are probably some great doctors around the world that no one has really heard of yet. Maybe you found one? :Smile: 

Don't let others bring you down, youll know soon enough if you made the right decision for you. Good luck and keep us posted!

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## 35YrsAfter

> We walked through a pretty shabby neighborhood to get to Renovate Medical. Renovate Medical Center while better than the neighboring buildings was also quite shabby..not the Sleek modern beverly hills office you would associate with cosmetic surgery.


 Here are some Google Earth street view photos of the clinic from different angles.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
Cole Hair Transplant
1070 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice

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## sunfire

> Here are some Google Earth street view photos of the clinic from different angles.


 yeah thats what I said whats ur point?

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## 35YrsAfter

> yeah thats what I said whats ur point?


 I hope you get a great result. I grew up in Los Angeles and have visited Tijuana a few times and once even drove all the way down to Ensenada.  In those days, Tijuana was a place where you would always bring your own food and water because of sanitation concerns.

Does the clinic have an autoclave?  If not, how do they sterilize their surgical instruments?  It is certainly true that terrible cosmetic surgery results can come from a Beverly Hills office. The appearance of this clinic doesn't inspire confidence.  I posted it because I believe people need to see it and consider the safety of having a medical procedure there.  If I were the doctor there, I would hire someone to keep the dumpster away from the front entry and keep the litter picked up in addition to keeping everything as clean and safe as possible.

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## DAVE52

> Oh and the price difference was not "a bit of money" as you put it. It was the difference between getting the procedure or not getting it at all.  I know how the procedure is supposed to go...I've watched dozens of them online so I wasnt simply putting blind faith in the doctor. I know he did the procedure correctly..and so in that regard research was very useful in letting me be in the drivers seat.  
> 
> Ostensibly everything is great..however I'll save my glowing review for after the results come in.


 Hope you get the results you want . Your description of your journey was " different " to say the least 

But there is a big difference between me and you seeing how a HT is done and a person actually doing one

All the best

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## sunfire

> I hope you get a great result. I grew up in Los Angeles and have visited Tijuana a few times and once even drove all the way down to Ensenada.  In those days, Tijuana was a place where you would always bring your own food and water because of sanitation concerns.
> 
> Does the clinic have an autoclave?  If not, how do they sterilize their surgical instruments?  It is certainly true that terrible cosmetic surgery results can come from a Beverly Hills office. The appearance of this clinic doesn't inspire confidence.  I posted it because I believe people need to see it and consider the safety of having a medical procedure there.  If I were the doctor there, I would hire someone to keep the dumpster away from the front entry and keep the litter picked up in addition to keeping everything as clean and safe as possible.


 wow you are really trying hard to discredit these guys..First of all that border is the most heavily crossed border in the world. Millions of Americans go back and forth every year. I live in San Diego, I'm Not Mexican and neither are any of my friends but we go pretty often specifically for the food.  I don't know if your actually ignorant or being intentionally obtuse about mexico.  As far as the dumpster I never seen one so that must not be the patient entrance...All dumpsters go somewhere. Although I described the building as shabby let me emphasizes that it was not dirty..I wouldn't risk having a surgery under unsanitary conditions. Everything was very clean.  When I say shabby I was referring to the looks only..decor etc.  Do they have an autoclave?? Of course they do what kind of question is that? I personally have an autoclave ..anyone with a few hundred dollars can have an autoclave.

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## 35YrsAfter

> wow you are really trying hard to discredit these guys..First of all that border is the most heavily crossed border in the world. Millions of Americans go back and forth every year. I live in San Diego, I'm Not Mexican and neither are any of my friends but we go pretty often specifically for the food.  I don't know if your actually ignorant or being intentionally obtuse about mexico.  As far as the dumpster I never seen one so that must not be the patient entrance...All dumpsters go somewhere. Although I described the building as shabby let me emphasizes that it was not dirty..I wouldn't risk having a surgery under unsanitary conditions. Everything was very clean.  When I say shabby I was referring to the looks only..decor etc.  Do they have an autoclave?? Of course they do what kind of question is that? I personally have an autoclave ..anyone with a few hundred dollars can have an autoclave.


 Sorry for the offense.  Many people, including myself would not go to Tijuana for a medical procedure.  Please post your results as they come in.  Traditionally, you will see the best growth between the sixth and ninth month. I wish you the best, great growth and a natural result.

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## sunfire

here r some pics from today ..day 8 post op..most of the scabs are gone and I didn't lose any grafts.

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## AfterHair

> Also I noticed you're Doctor went to medical school in Iran..not that that is a bad thing but to think that once one crosses the border into America that their level of care goes way up simply isnt true.  America has plenty of crap doctors..plenty of scammers..plenty of bad and plenty of good.


 My premise for picking Mohebi was not that "crossing a border to America increases level of care".  I picked Dr. Parsa Mohebi as my HT Surgeon because of the following points:
1) He practiced (and published) with Dr. Rassman who was one of the pioneers of modern hair transplantation.
2) Dr. Mohebi has invented the Laxometer, a device that enables precise laxity measurements for FUT procedures; so I knew he could optimize the number of grafts that I get out my strip procedures while minimizing the size of my scars (I work in patent law and understand technology). The Steve Jobs quote rang true, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."
3) I had noticed that Mohebi was very active in ISHRS, published papers under ISHRS, and was an avid lecturer and teacher to other HT surgeons.  Leadership, teaching and publications imply mastery.
4) I had read papers he published at Johns Hopkins (a great US medical school) pertaining to wound healing.
5) I checked out his before / after results and met with a former patient of his.
6) When I consulted with him, I got a feeling that he was compassionate, and at a gut-level I felt that I could trust him.  Comparing him to other physicians I consulted with, I felt that he cared more about ME and MY GOALS more than my pockets.
7) He was recommended by some websites that I trust.

In conclusion, my intelligence, research and gut have led me to pick and trust Parsa Mohebi with my hair restoration goals.  If anyone uses the same devices to arrive at their choice of HT surgeon, whether in Tijuana or Abu Dhabi, then I congratulate you.

Lastly, Iranians (or Persians) have had a rich history of being innovators.  Wasn't Zakariya Razi the discoverer of what we call 'rubbing alcohol'?

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## sunfire

Ok so the Islamic world was the most advanced in medicine in the Middle Ages ..not sure how that applies here...today Mexico is far more advanced than Iran..not to say ur doctor isn't great..my point is if the dr. Is good he's good..where he or she is isn't very important to me...I also spoke to former patients and I was satisfied with the doctor after speaking with him

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## 35YrsAfter

> Ok so the Islamic world was the most advanced in medicine in the Middle Ages ..not sure how that applies here...today Mexico is far more advanced than Iran..not to say ur doctor isn't great..my point is if the dr. Is good he's good..where he or she is isn't very important to me...I also spoke to former patients and I was satisfied with the doctor after speaking with him


 I agree and disagree.  As I mentioned, a few American doctors have been butchering patients for decades.  The important thing is finding not only a great doctor, but one with an excellent, competent surgery team.  Safety is also important.  For instance, I would give thoughtful consideration before visiting the best doctor if his office were in certain areas of Atlanta or Los Angeles.  

U.S. Department of State Issued Travel Advisory

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## sunfire

> I agree and disagree.  As I mentioned, a few American doctors have been butchering patients for decades.  The important thing is finding not only a great doctor, but one with an excellent, competent surgery team.  Safety is also important.  For instance, I would give thoughtful consideration before visiting the best doctor if his office were in certain areas of Atlanta or Los Angeles.  
> 
> [URL="http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-california-travel/mexico-travel-warning.htm#.U6Q6DPldV8E"]U.S. Department of State Issued Travel Advisory


 As your link points out Tijuana is as dangerous as Philadelphia ...with Detroit ( where I was born) being much more dangerous.

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## sunfire

So day 20 update...I'm entering the dreaded shed phase...The graft area is getting thinner. the grafted hairs are falling out and I think I have some shock loss of my original hairs. I knew it was coming but its still sucks..I had become attached to those glorious little hairs and I hoped i'd be the one in a million that doesnt shed but oh well. Also i began Fin a few days ago and started minoxidil yesterday.  This could also be contributing to the shedding but I doubt they could have an effect so soon.  Here are some pics of the ugliness that is my shed phase.

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## sunfire

So we are in week 10. I went through heavy heavy shedding but I think I've finally begun to turn the corner past the ugly duckling phase. There is definitely new growth..it doesnt look great but its encouraging to see the hair come back. The crown was hit hardest by the shed and I dont see the new growth there but I do feel it. All in all i'd say im on track and its coming along well.

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## BolderBalder

I too opted to go with a lesser Known hair transplant team, here in Denver Colorado, rather than with Dr. Harris due to cost. In retrospect I would never do it again. I hope your results turn out better than mine, because I have been left with a fairly large FUT scar, along with a lot of scarring where the hairs were placed due to what I call "pock Marks" ie the holes where the hairs were placed seem too big and in bright light look wrong. I am a physician myself, an Internist, and I honestly had no idea just how big of a surgery FUT is. A lot of places try to minimize it as a "procedure" but the reality is that it is a surgery on your scalp that if not done by someone with immense experience, and an understanding of the subtleties of the art and science behind it you can be left scarred and worse off than you began. Im in the process of deciding about getting my second, much larger transplant through the hair sciences center in Denver, which I should have done in the first place, or having someone remove my FUT scar, and possibly correct the scarring at the recipient site so I can just go back to shaving my head. Going the cheap route was the worst decision of my life. I hope you have better results than I did, but if I could go back I would have gladly paid the 5 dollars per graft through HSC, rather than the 2$ grafts I got at the "other place".....

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## sunfire

> I too opted to go with a lesser Known hair transplant team, here in Denver Colorado, rather than with Dr. Harris due to cost. In retrospect I would never do it again. I hope your results turn out better than mine, because I have been left with a fairly large FUT scar, along with a lot of scarring where the hairs were placed due to what I call "pock Marks" ie the holes where the hairs were placed seem too big and in bright light look wrong. I am a physician myself, an Internist, and I honestly had no idea just how big of a surgery FUT is. A lot of places try to minimize it as a "procedure" but the reality is that it is a surgery on your scalp that if not done by someone with immense experience, and an understanding of the subtleties of the art and science behind it you can be left scarred and worse off than you began. Im in the process of deciding about getting my second, much larger transplant through the hair sciences center in Denver, which I should have done in the first place, or having someone remove my FUT scar, and possibly correct the scarring at the recipient site so I can just go back to shaving my head. Going the cheap route was the worst decision of my life. I hope you have better results than I did, but if I could go back I would have gladly paid the 5 dollars per graft through HSC, rather than the 2$ grafts I got at the "other place".....


 Ok we are past the lesser known better known BS now I'm just sharing my progress.  Your dr must have sucked because I have no scarring in the transplanted area whatsoever..even my FUT scar after only 10 weeks takes some looking to find. Recently my mother who's a medical professional as well could barely find the scar without really digging around. Right now the only way you can tell I had a transplant I'd the little row of hairs forming my new hairline..and even then it's not obvious.

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## sunfire

So 3 months and a week in. Things are really starting to accelerate quickly now. My hair looks different every week...especially my crown which has taken longer to see results.  I've also included a picture of my scar which is healing really nicely...I can cut the sides at low as number 2 without the scar showing.

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## sunfire

coming on 5 months now...heres some pics

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## tercex11

Sunrise, it is hard to see in the pics. Are you happy with your results so far? If so, the price you paid was a score.

Good luck.

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## sunfire

> Sunrise, it is hard to see in the pics. Are you happy with your results so far? If so, the price you paid was a score.
> 
> Good luck.


 Look at pics 1 and 4 on my last post compare those to my first pics on the first post..the change is pretty unreal..the last post isn't a good representation of the crown area since my hair was wet but trust me even my crown looks really good now..of course it's not 100% yet but at 5 months and it already looks like that ..I'm very happy so far....should I take more pics to give u a better look...any particular angle?

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## DAVE52

clearer pics would help

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## sunfire

> clearer pics would help


 As requested here's some clearer pics...dry and wet

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## sunfire

Here are some side by side

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## prt21

Thanks so much for your posts! I have been considering going to the Renovate Medical Center to get a hair transplant and this really tipped the scales for me. I have had two transplants over the years that worked out well, but have further thinning and really need to get another. From what I can tell from your extensive posts, your results were excellent and very comparable to the work I've had done here in the US. I see no reason to pay three times the amount I'd pay here for comparable work. I too don't worry about the shabby appearance of the facilities as long as they're clean and functional. Again, big thanks for sharing your experience. It's been very helpful.

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## oxd8528

So Sunfire,
One year after would you say that you made the right decision going with this clinic? Thanks for your quick reply. I am about to sign up!
All the best.

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## prt21

I actually had mine done two months ago and the experience was great! Dr Allisandrini  took a lot of care to make sure I was comfortable and pain free. He was very professional and it was obvious he was very skilled and competent. It took about 6 weeks for it to heal up and all the scabbing to go away. I still have a little healing to do on the donor area, but there are no issues. On the two previous surgeries I had in the states, all the hair from the grafts fell out. However, in this procedure, about 30% of them have stayed in and are growing. Although it hasn't really been long enough for me to see the full results, I'm expecting them to be excellent. I can say with full faith and confidence that you will be treated very well and I believe you'll be very happy with the results. If you still have questions, ask me in about 4 or 5 months. Good luck!

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## shawn718

Hi did you have the procedure yet , plz let me know if you did.

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## WHTC Clinic

Any updates would be appreciated.  It allows others to be aware of the procedures happening in other locations in North America.

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## arfy

It's very ironic to see Dr Cole's representative talking negatively about getting surgery in Mexico, when just a year or two later, Dr Cole himself is supposedly opening a clinic there.

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## sunfire

Hi as I approach 4 years I thought I'd give an update to anyone interested. Everything is great and I never really think about my hair anymore besides taking a finasteride pill once a day. My hair is exactly how I want it and i get frequent compliments...I'll post pics shortly





> Any updates would be appreciated.  It allows others to be aware of the procedures happening in other locations in North America.

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## sunfire



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