Alvi Armani Hair Transplants Forum / Hair Loss Discussion / Hair Transplants & Hair Restoration

Alvi Armani - 5,108 graft Fue Mega Session result

Moderator — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:41:34 GMT

ALVI ARMANI

The patient below had 5,108 graft FUE in one session with the Alvi Armani Clinic.

The goal was a full restoration of zones 1, 2, 3 and 4 including lowering the patient's hairline.

Comparison Photos

Before Photos

Post Op Photos showing graft placement

Month 4

Month 6

Month 7

Month 10

bread transplant surgery

Stewartp — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:30:40 GMT

Is anyone aware if the Alviarmani clinics offer bread transplant surgery?

What is the procedure?

Recoverup Stemcell Regeneration

lyuk — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 15:01:35 GMT

So apparently stemcell research is starting to taking off... I was forwarded this site for a company that does regeneration in the UK. Has anyone heard of these techniques? Thoughts? http://www.recoverup.com

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi - FUE Procedure (My Experience)

Leafs — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:09:33 GMT

At 26 years old, I started to notice my hair was getting thinner and I was losing my hair. I thought it was just a seasonal thing or because I was using a different shampoo, or not using the right one. Unfortunately it wasn't and it only got worse with each passing year. I'm losing more and more hair and I just don't want to accept it's actually happening to me. The majority of my hair loss is from my hairline and a small amount on the crown. My hat has become my best friend. Without it, I don't have any self esteem and I'm embarrassed to go out in public. The one place I can't take my best friend is to work, which consists of meeting clients. It's hard to concentrate at meetings when all that goes through my mind is "are these people looking at my hair?" My hair loss is affecting both my personal and professional life. Frustrated and on the verge of depression, I decide to research hair loss solutions. I want to be happy and confident again and I need a long term solution, not a wig. I have decided I want a hair transplant.

I can't sit and ignore the truth anymore so I start my research on the net, looking for the best clinics in my area and abroad. I read tons of testimonials, forums to look at other peoples before and after pictures. I narrowed it down to three clinics; two are in Toronto, where I live, and one in California. I booked appointments with the two Toronto clinics. One offered FUSS, which is when they take a strip of follicles from the back of your head. I'm not crazy about this procedure and I don't want scars at the back of my head for the rest of my life and so this clinic is off the list immediately. The other offers FUSS and FUE, which removes hair transplant grafts one by one, and I know FUE is what I need to do. However, I don't feel comfortable with the doctor of the clinic. On to the third clinic in California, called Alvi Armani.

I sent an email requesting information and I was quickly contacted by a guy named Eric. Eric was extremely helpful in answering all my questions. He made me feel very comfortable and made himself available at all hours whether it was by e-mail of by phone. I thought that because I wasn't in the same country as the clinic that it would be impossible to get a consultation via phone, but I was very surprised at how easy and quickly it happened. They asked me to fill out a questionnaire and to send them seven pictures of my hair from different angles. Eric then setup the consultation with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi.

Eventhough the consultation was over the phone, Dr. Baubac made me feel at ease and answered all of my questions and concerns. I also like the strategy he laid out for me both short term and long term. It didn't take very long to make a decision. I have decided to have my procedure with Dr. Baubac at the Alvi Armani Clinic in Beverly Hills.

I will be flying to Los Angeles in October for my hair transplant. I will update you all on how the procedure goes and my experience in the coming weeks.

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi Procedure - 2146 grafts

Sean1977 — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:08:32 GMT

Earlier this month I traveled to L.A. to have a hair transplant with the Alvi Armani clinic. First off, I have to give a big thanks to the clinic; I was scheduled to be there on the 12th, but due to inclement weather, multiple airport closings and a 24 hour stay in the airport, I arrived too late for my scheduled procedure. The clinic said "no problem, go to your hotel and get some rest, we have you rescheduled for tomorrow; go enjoy your day". Here I was freaking out about possibly missing what was a very important day for me, and feeling horrible that I was keeping them waiting, and they were very gracious and understanding about everything. You guys are amazing...

I have to say, I was a little concerned when I found out that Dr Armani wouldn't be performing my procedure, but I head read a lot of positive things about Dr. Hayatdavoudi, so I kept an open mind until I had a chance to meet with him in person. I arrived at 7:30 am on Friday, May 13th (hmmm, just realized that, but 13 has always been my lucky number) and was taken in to have my hair shaven and photos taken. I was then taken to meet Dr. Hayatdavoudi and discuss my expectations and plan the procedure out. I have to say, I was very impressed from the beginning with Dr. Hayatdavoudi; he is very kind and compassionate and really listened to all of my concerns and thoroughly answered all of my questions. I can see why Dr. Armani selected him to run his Beverly Hills clinic, his bedside manner is 2nd to none.

After all of my questions had been answered and the doctor had examined my scalp, we determined the best course of action was to focus on zones 1 and 2 to thicken these areas up; we were aiming for 2000 grafts. I was moved to the operating room, local was given in my donor region and Dr. Hayatdavoudi began the extractions. Throughout the procedure he talked to me about what he was doing and how things were going. I chose to listen to music during the procedure instead of watch tv, seems to make time go by faster. Before I knew it the extractions were done and it was time for lunch. That was one heck of a chicken sandwich.

After lunch the team began working on implanting the follicles, 2,146 in total. His technicians were great, sometimes singing along with the songs that were playing. It was pretty obvious that they all loved their jobs. All of the implanting was closely supervised and the placement of the single, double, and triple follicular units was very strategic from what I could gather from listening to them all talk. Before I knew it the procedure was complete. Dr. Hayatdavoudi closely examined all of the follicles to make sure everything looked good and then went over all of the post-op instructions with me very carefully. I think I went home around 5:30 pm.

The next day (saturday), I came back to the clinic for my first wash. I was surprised that Dr. Hayatdavoudi himself came in to do the wash. After the wash was complete, he again went over all of the post-op instructions with me very carefully and I was quickly on my way home. He insisted that I come back into the office on Monday before I flew out so he could again inspect everything.

I have to say, my entire day during the procedure felt like a day at the spa, or what I can only imagine a day at the spa would feel like, lol. Everyone was so nice and went out of their way to make sure that I felt comfortable. It was a great experience. I was also impressed with how kind and compassionate Dr. Hayatdavoudi was and how thorough he was with everything. He clearly is in the right line of work.

So here are some photos. This is 8 days out and 15 days out from the procedure. The clinic has my pre-op and immediately post-op, so I may ask them for those and add them later. Everything has healed very quickly. I will update these as I progress further. Enjoy..

Before

8 days post op after procedure with Dr. Baubac

15 day post op (I healed very fast)

General Questions about HT

makita — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:08:29 GMT

hi,

i'm seriously thinking about getting a HT at Armani's this summer.

I was wondering if it's possible to get the procedure without getting my head shaved.
can they comb the hair and graft in between ?

and about the payments.. do we have to pay all at once or can we pay in lets say, 4 different payments ?

thanks for helping me !!

NEW RESULT: Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi (Alvi Armani) 3,500 grafts FUE

Moderator — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:27:59 GMT

Alvi Armani

The patient below had 3,500 grafts FUE in Zones 1 and 2 with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi in our Beverly Hills Clinic.

The patient is 5 months post op in the after photos and is roughly at 40-50% growth.

Comparison

Before

Post op (Graft Placement)

1 Week Post op

5 Month Result (40-50% Growth)

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi - 7 month result, updated photos

Moderator — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:43:33 GMT

Here's some updated photo's 7 month out with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi. You can read the entire patient's story here from beginning to end: http://alvi-armani-fue-hair.blogspot.com/

Alvi Armani - 3,000 graft result FUE

Moderator — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:55:27 GMT

Alvi Armani

The patient below had 3,000 grafts Fue with us at the Alvi Armani Clinic to restore zones 1 and 2 to recreate his hairline and all behind.

Before

After

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi / 3,000 grafts / Hairline Result

Moderator — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:56:19 GMT

Alvi Armani

The patient below had 3,000 grafts FUE for zones 1 and 2 with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi in our Beverly Hills Clinic.

The patient is at 6 months in the after photos and is at roughly 60% growth.

Comparison

Before Photos

Post op (Graft Placement)

6 Month Result Photos

New Photos - Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi Result

Moderator — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:16:05 GMT

New 6 month photos of the below result. The patient had 3,000 grafts for zones 1 and 3 with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi in our Beverly Hills Clinic.

You can see before and poist oip photos of this result here: http://www.alviarmanihairtransplants.com/forum/Topic1702-12-1.aspx

Comparison

6 months (50 - 60% growth)

Donor photos

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi (Dr. Armani clinic) Hair Transplant

gabrielf81 — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:52:10 GMT

Hi Everyone,

How's it been? I haven't been on the forums in quite some time, my wife and I keep having children and it's been hard to find the time..lol.

I wanted to get back on the forums to continue tracking hair loss treatments and to chat with other guys who have had similar experiences. I will give you my story in a nutshell.

In May of 2008 I had my first procedure with Dr. Armani in Canada (3,000 grafts). That was a great experience and the procedure went very well. My hair for some reason wasn't growing as much as I'd hoped, so I went for a second procedure in August of 2010 with Dr. Hayatdavoudi in Beverly Hills (an additional 500 grafts to thicken it up). Both procedures were done with exceptional professionalism. To keep it recent, my procedure in Beverly Hills was a great experience. From the moment I walked in, Jeff was warm and courteous, and for the rest of the time I was there, all the staff (including Dr. Hayatdavoudi and Dr. Armani) were so friendly and nice. Everyone made sure I was comfortable and they engaged in very nice conversation. They worked efficiently and I felt as if I was among friends. Truly a great experience, especially when someone is going through this type of procedure, it really helps to have great people around you.

Since then my hair has grown in much thicker and the Dr. Armani clinic has been very good with their follow up and customer service. They continually check to see how I am progressing and to see if I am satisfied. I was very impressed with Dr. Hayatdavoudi, his work and his professionalism.

I want to post pictures of the my results soon, just looking for a camera first, since we've moved we have been unable to locate it. Hope to be back soon with pics.

Thanks,
Gabriel Fernandez

replicel technology?

cc — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 12:00:16 GMT

Hi, I was a patient and did my procedure last year, went great. this year when I went on vacation, people had a double take on my passport.

Just have a question, and planning on another procedure, will the alvi armani clinics be holding trials for Replicel technology? Do you think the clinic will be doing that anytime soon?

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi / Alvi Armani / PATS205 Result

Pats205 — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:22:43 GMT

Hello All,

Most have you have been following my story for a long time now. It has now been 4.5 years since my first procedure with Alvi Armani to restore my hairline.

I recently had a procedure with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi in our Beverly Hills clinic of about 2,000 grafts FUE in zones 3 and 4 to add more density.

I have taken some recent photos this week of my hairline and crown so you can see. The photos were takern first thing in the morning, not styled and with no products in my hair.

I must say, almost 5 years later things are holding up fantastic. I have a full head of hair that looks extremely natural.

Before (How I started)

Updated photos (6 monhts post op from my procedure with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi)

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi / 2,864 grafts / 4 months post op

Moderator — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:28:25 GMT

Alvi Armani - Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi

The patient below had 2,864 grafts in zones 1 and 2 with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi in our Beverly Hills clinic to completely restore his hairline, his temple points and all behind his hairline.

The patient is roughly 4 months post op from his procedure and is at 30-40% growth.

He was in this week for his 2nd procedure which was for zones 3 and 4 to complete his restoration.

Before

Post op photos showing graft placement

4 Months post op

Alvi Armani / 1,000 grafts Fue result

Moderator — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:12:32 GMT

Alvi Armani

The patient below had 1,000 grafts FUE with Alvi Armani for zone 1, the patient is 1 year post op in the after photos:

Fue Hairline

Before Photos

After Photos

MY CONSULTATION WITH DR. BAUBAC HAYATDAVOUDI (of the Alvi Armani Clinic)

Reddog2 — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:19:51 GMT

MY CONSULTATION WITH DR. BAUBAC HAYATDAVOUDI (of the Alvi Armani Clinic)

Let me start off by saying, I am a former patient of the clinic. I had my first procedure done by Dr. Armani himself, 5 years ago in 2006. You can see pictures of those results on my blog (http://alvi-armani.blogspot.com/ ).

I am so pleased with the results It really has changed my life, or I should say, brought it back.

Anyway, I am considering a minor procedure in the coming months, and with how fantastic my hair turned out the first time, of course I turned to the Armani clinic, because I was comfortable with my past experience with them. A lot has changed in 5 years, my strip procedure was one of the last of its kind done by the Armani group. The clinic only performs FUE procedures now. And I have to say, thank God. Dealing with how painful that type of surgery is, was the only down side that I can honestly remember from the first time I did it. By a mile…

Now, to be clear, although I am confident that the outcome will be the same or better, there will be a couple of things that will be different this time around. So consequently I was still apprehensive about having #2 done. Obviously, I’m having FUE done so I am looking forward to a much more comfortable recovery.

I’ve elected to have Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi perform the procedure, he is the Lead surgeon in the Beverly Hills clinic and he has been personally trained by Dr. Armani for years now so I feel very confident in his skill set.

I sat with him for a while, we discussed my case and other general hairloss topics. I saw some of Dr. Hayatdavoudi 's results in person and I must say I am impressed with what I saw.

Now while this may be considered a small procedure, its still surgery, so naturally I wanted to meet the person doing it. I managed to wrap some vacation time around my consultation, so I actually had more then one reason to fly out there.

The consultation with Dr. Baubac went very well. We spent about a 30-40 minutes discussing

-what would be done

-how many grafts I’d need

-what my realistic expectations should be

- examination of my donor area

- Design

-and he answered all of my questions

We also discussed what it would take to fill in the scar from the first procedure, which I wasn’t even sure was possible, before our conversation.

I have to say overall Dr. Baubac really put my mind at ease. I’m glad I was able to actually go to the clinic and get a feel for what I can expect before hand, instead of being shell shocked the day of. The consultation went great.

Although it is not urgent, with my level of hair loss, I really am looking forward to having my second procedure done already. Its too bad that with work, I have to wait…

Ill let you know how it finally turns out…

Below are up to date photos of my hairline from my first procedure with Alvi Armani over 5 years ago. Everything still looks great:

You can see more of my photos here: http://alvi-armani.blogspot.com/

2600 FUEs in Toronto.. 11 days postop

dali999 — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:36:28 GMT

Hi all, new to the forum.

Just had 2600 FUEs done to zones 1 and 2 at the Toronto office. The procedure went smoothly but a bit longer than I though. 12 hours to be exact.

Armani is truly an interesting and caring Dr and I have no complaint son the way I was treated.

My hairloss is practically to areas 1 and 2.. may be going to area 3 in the future judging by my family's pattern. Thank god, not more than that.

After a year of researching I decided to go with him and drove from Miami with a buddy of mine.

Here are the postop pics 11 days after. Healing well.

It will be interesting to see how the growth progresses as I have an identical twin brother that didn't do the procedure.... YET lol

We have the same DNA so his follicles could be used on me if the time comes, lol... he better be careful when he sleeps!

thanks!

Alvi Armani Hairline Examples

Moderator — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:16:59 GMT

Alvi Armani

The Alvi Armani clinic combines unparalleled artistic skills with state of the art FUE hair transplant techniques. Using the newest technology and our minimally invasive procedure of hair transplants, we minimize pain and scarring, giving you a natural hairline.

We are known in the industry for our artistic approach and incredibly natural looking hairlines, integrating the best scientific methods with creativity and artistic sensibility.

For more information please call us at 1-310-652-6444 ext 1 or email me at eric@alviarmani.com

Below are some examples of our Hairline work:

Shaving your head after a HT

Baldmusician — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:45:59 GMT

Just curious. This may be a stupid question....

Say I get a 4000 graft procedure and down the line I decided I wanted to shave my head bald again. Would you notice the "holes" of the new Fue Hair.

My procedure with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi (Alvi Armani)

Eurohair1621 — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:53:51 GMT

Hi guys, I hope everyone is doing well. On May 23rd, I underwent my fourth hair transplant, third with Alvi Armani clinic in Beverly Hills. The procedure was with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi.

It was mostly to cover my zone 4, hence the pictures, and for a slight touch up in the hairline. The procedure was a relatively small one. It was for 1,153 FUE grafts. Counting my first hair transplant, which was a strip procedure of 1700 grafts at a different clinic, I have had over 9200 grafts transplanted (7590 FUE with the Armani clinic).

I decided to go back to the Alvi Armani clinic for my third procedure due to the great results that I've had with them. I couldn't be happier with the past two results. In addition, the Armani clinic had also devised a plan for my hair loss and I've been continuing through with that plan. You can see how excellent my results are in my pre op photos, especially when my head is shaven down. I was so surprised how natural and undetectable it looks. If I didn't have the strip scar, no one would be able to tell that I had a procedure of any sort.

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi is amazing to say the least! He spent an hour with me before my procedure discussing what exactly he is going to do and answering any questions that I had. Just like Dr. Armani, he is extremely courteous and conscientous of his patients and their needs. He answered each one of my questions in detail. It is evident how much he cares for his patients. What further impressed me is how he strategically harvested my donor hair, as you will see in my immediate post op photos.

He focused primarily on the nape area and a bit on the sides. Even more impressive was the fact that after the procedure he told me should i need it, he would be able to harvest an additional 2,000 grafts in the future. The whole experience, just like my past 2 Armani surgeries was unbelievable. Dr. Baubac is such a gentleman, and he conversed with me throughout the procedure. His staff is unbelievable! Their courtesy, empathy, and willingness to do whatever it took to make me feel comfortable made the day go by so quick.

Below are my pre op photos, and my pre op shaven head photos, which really illustrate the excellent results I achieved my past 2 armani surgeries. I feel my head looks totally natural shaven down, the grafts look perfect, even with my head totally shaved! I thought these photos really illustrate how great my results are.

In addition, I will post immediate post op photos which will show the graft placement. I hope you enjoy my post and I will keep you updated as my results progress.

You will see my before photos first. Secondarily, you will see my head shaven down right before the procedure. My head shaven down shows how amazing and excellent my first two procedures went. If I ever wanted to buzz my head it would look both great and natural. Lastly, are my immediate post op photos. Here you can see the graft placement in detail. Most of the emphasis was to cover my zone 4 and very little amount of grafts were used just to touch up little parts of my hairline. Overall, an amazing experience to say the least. Just like my first two Armani procedures. Like Dr. Armani, Dr. Baubac is in a class of his own. Both as a person, as well as a fantastic surgeon and artist. Let me know what you guys think and I will keep you updated. Best wishes!

Before

Head shaved down (hear you can really see my past work by Amrnai nad how natural it looks)

Post op

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi

Moderator — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:17:19 GMT

Inside Hollywood's favorite baldness clinic

Chris Ayres

April 30 2011 12:43PM

Chris Ayres on the Wilshire Boulevard practice that’s a sanctuary for Tinseltown’s follically challenged stars Aside from the words “Alvi Armani” etched into a smoked-glass partition, the entry lounge of the tenth-floor suite at 8500 Wilshire Boulevard – located above a nondescript bank branch on the edge of Beverly Hills – gives no hint

as to what goes on beyond the unmanned reception desk. There’s just a sofa, a vase of purple orchids, a flat-screen TV and a coffee table with a glossy magazine placed on top at a perfect right angle.

Such meticulous anonymity – there are no product brochures on display, no informative posters, no slogans or randing of any kind – makes you wonder for a moment if you might have found yourself in a field office for some

unofficial branch of the CIA.

The real explanation, however, involves a matter of far greater delicacy. Here in this suite, an unspeakable taboo is confronted, often after years – decades, even – of private anguish. In many ways, it is a place of Ultimate Reckoning: where the impossibility of death in the mind of someone living – as Damien Hirst so memorably put it meets the unyielding reality of human decay. Yes, Alvi Armani is a clinic… for balding men. And not just any men, either – but some of the richest and most prominent individuals on the planet.

If the name “Alvi Armani” sounds familiar, it’s most likely because of the alleged patient who was recently caught by paparazzi climbing into a limousine in the facility’s underground garage – one Gordon Ramsay, of Kitchen

Nightmares fame. In the photograph, the Michelin-starred chef was fitted with a surgical cap and looked dazed and puffy-eyed. “Gordon Barnet!” sniggered The Sun.

In spite of such jeers, however, the Armani clinic – founded by the esteemed Italian surgeon Antonio Armani (unrelated to the clothing designer of the same name) – is at the follicle-tip of a revolution in so-called “hair restoration” technology that is already well on the way to eliminating baldness in notable males of a certain age. Its secret? The treatment is pre-emptive. Plus, the new hair grows in over 18 months, which is why, if not for the occasional enterprising photographer, the work goes mostly undetected.

Although it is impossible to know who has had the procedure, the statistical fact that two-thirds of males should by rights have lost their hair by the age of 60 doesn’t make it hard to guess. John Cleese, now 71, is one of the few who’ve come clean, explaining that he got a transplant because, “I’ve got a very strange-shaped skull, very pointy,

and I don’t like wearing wigs.” In fact, the shock these days is more when men don’t take action – hence the recent serious-minded reports on Prince William’s scalp by the Associated Press, and the incredulous whispers in Hollywood whenever Hugh Laurie gets his thinning crown touched up with a spray can on the set of House, M.D.

“I would say that more than 90 per cent of everyone you see out there has had it done,” says Dr Baubac Hayatdavoudi, the 35-year-old surgeon who took over the Armani clinic in Beverly Hills two years ago, when I ask him to guess how many suspiciously hirsute celebrities have undergone some kind of major scalpwork. “They just come here before it gets obvious. It used to be a taboo in this business to treat young people. It was always, y’know, ‘Let’s wait and see how your hair loss progresses…’” Well, not any more.

There are other advances, too, says Dr Hayatdavoudi – who is tall and of Iranian descent, with a disarmingly gentle manner, and a tendency to break into the kind of muffled, professorial giggles that bring to mind the more nerdish qualities of Barack Obama. Soon, he predicts, men will be able to clone their follicles, making the process of hair restoration even cheaper and easier. “As an option, I think it’s about five years out,” he says. “Patients could take out 100 grafts at the back of their head and simply replicate the DNA. In fact, Dr Armani is researching this now at his lab in Toronto. It’s his passion.”

*****

It was Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who made the first scientific observation on the subject of baldness when he reported that of all the Ancient Greek men in 400BC, only the eunuchs never receded or thinned. He didn’t know why, of course.

But we do now: men castrated before puberty don’t produce testosterone, and therefore neither its evil mutant offspring, dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. It is DHT that acts like Kryptonite on men’s follicles, but only if those follicles have been equipped with so-called “DHT receptors”, a factor decided without consultation or appeal by the cruel lottery of genetics.

“Everyone’s hair has growth phases, which vary between two and six years,” explains Dr Hayatdavoudi. “If you have a longer phase, it means you can grow your hair to the ground. And if you have DHT receptors, the growth phase becomes shorter and shorter… until you end up with ‘peach fuzz’. You lose your hair because it’s taking the DHT on board.”

Before such things were known, “baldness cures” were nothing of the sort, really. Hippocrates treated his own dying rug with everything from sheep’s urine to horseradish, cumin, pigeon droppings and nettles. It took a couple of millennia for the first big advance in follicular treatments to arrive – the 1804 experiment by an Italian doctor, Giuseppe Baronio, that involved cutting a strip of skin from a living sheep, then grafting it back on to the unfortunate creature 80 minutes later. To everyone’s surprise, the skin survived – thus proving that “autografts” (removing skin from one part of the body and moving it to another) were viable. From here the action moved to

Germany, where in 1914 a doctor named Franz Krusius used the same principle for a successful eyelash transplantation, and then to Japan, where Shoji Okuda announced in 1939 that he had performed some 30 hair transplants using various jerry-rigged circular punches of between 1.5mm and 5mm (they were driven into patients’

scalps using nothing but “force and rotation”). Because his work was published in Japanese just before the Second World War, it took decades to reach the West. In the meantime, however, a New York dermatologist, Norman Orentreich – now 89 years old – discovered in the Fifties that hairs on the back and sides of the male head were

immune to the influence of DHT, and that if sections of scalp were removed from these areas and grafted on to a balding pate, they continued to grow healthily. “Donor dominance” was the term he came up with, and it has been

the founding principle of hair-loss surgery ever since.

There was a big problem with all of this, however. When clumps of 30 to 50 hairs were cut out of a patient’s scalp and relocated – sometimes with the punch attached to an electric drill, to speed things up and increase profitability – they created scarring at the donor site, not to mention those unnatural-looking “plugs” of hair in the area being

repopulated. As a result, various work-arounds were attempted, mostly with disastrous consequences: “scalp reductions” (the scars resembled axe marks); “hair flaps” (there was risk of oddly angled hair and, in some awful cases, “flap death”, or tissue necrosis) and “micrografts” (splitting grafts into smaller pieces).

Some of these procedures were still being offered in the Nineties. Then finally came the “strip method”, whereby all the donor hairs were “harvested” in one go by cutting out a long, rectangular section of scalp from the back of the head and sewing the gap shut. The donor strip was then split into micrografts and planted into holes on the top of

the head made by a scalpel nick. It was a relatively clean technique with half-decent results, but still left a “happy

faced” scar on the back of the patient’s head, ruling out short haircuts.

“I had the strip method done when I was 20 years old,” recalls one patient, Ben Jacobs, a businessman from Long Beach, California, who started balding as if he were a middle-aged man at the age of just 17. “The results were OK, but I honestly expected better. Also, any time you get cut open like that, you’re gonna have pain.” Still, he was

willing to take any measures necessary. “Losing your hair is a pretty traumatic experience at that age,” he explains. “It affects your whole life. The only things I should have been thinking about at that time were college and girls. Instead I was thinking about my hair and how it made me look a decade older. I lost my confidence; I was depressed.”

This is where Dr Armani comes in. Basically, he founded his business in 1999 with the aim of harvesting only individual “follicular units” – made up of one to four hairs plus the surrounding oil glands, muscles, and connecting tissue – using tiny, needle-like pricks in the donor area. Each follicular unit, also known as an ultra-micrograft, is

then transplanted to the top of the head using a tool like jeweller’s forceps. Scarring is barely detectable, even with very short hair. Also, fewer hairs are lost during harvesting, and therefore “transplant density” is improved. Most importantly, the pluggy look doesn’t happen – or at least not in theory. “In this clinic, plugs are a dirty word,” says Dr Hayatdavoudi.

Ben Jacobs agrees – and he should know, because Dr Armani agreed to help fix the chop-job he’d had done as a 20-year-old (at a different clinic). “I know it’s a cliché,” says Jacobs, “but they’ve given me my life back. Even my girlfriend was shocked when I told her I’d had it done before we met. She told me, ‘I would never have guessed.’”

*****

For privacy reasons, The Times isn’t allowed to sit in on one of Dr Hayatdavoudi’s consultations, but fortunately a test subject is on hand in the form of… well, your very own correspondent. I keep my hair closely shaved – after it became obvious in my mid-twenties that it was staging a retreat on all fronts. Thankfully, by then, the semiskinhead look was acceptable (thank you, Jason Statham and Bruce Willis) so I bought some shears and haven’t thought about it much since. In fact, baldness came as something as a relief, given that I had been cursed in the first place with fluorescent ginger hair.

“You coped with it really well,” says Dr Hayatdavoudi, soothingly. “For others it’s like a jab in the back on a daily basis. Your fair hair actually helps, because it blends with your scalp. Contrast exacerbates the appearance of loss. You also have a young-looking face. For me, it was a real sore spot, and it signified ageing… which is why I’ve had

two transplants. In fact, everything you can see on the top of my head is transplanted.”

Clearly, for Dr Hayatdavoudi, this business is personal. He tells me that he began losing his hair in his midtwenties, pretty much at the exact moment he’d finished his medical studies and could finally relax. Like many of his patients, he soon entered the realm of “extreme styling” to conceal his loss. “I do a lot of yoga and other outdoor

stuff, so it was really…” – he struggles to find a word – “bothersome.” You also get the sense that his family’s Iranian culture wouldn’t have been cool with the Buddist monk look, although with his strong features and athletic bearing, he could surely have pulled it off as well as anyone. So in 2003, at the age of 27, he had his first transplant, performed by Dr Armani himself. And when the hair further back on his scalp began to thin 14 months ago, he had a second operation. The result is impressive enough that you’d never question it, as long as you didn’t know what he did for a living. As it is, there’s a certain level of perfection to the hairline that made me suspect from the

beginning that he might be one of his own patients.

According to Dr Hayatdavoudi, “We get guys who come in and they’re afraid to take their hats off. They feel nude. We have to wrestle them off. I had one patient who said he spent two hours every day doing his hair.” By the time these tortured souls end up at Alvi Armani, they’ve usually been researching on the internet for at least two years.

“A lot of people fly here for a half-hour consultation from halfway across the country, then fly back home again.” Not everyone is a good candidate, though – and not just those with conditions such as alopecia totalis, which leaves them without any suitable donor sites. “Some patients just aren’t emotionally fit,” says Dr Hayatdavoudi. “If they

think it’s a full head of hair or life isn’t worth living – they’re not suitable. With some other patients, they have underlying behavioural issues that need to be addressed. But no one has ever been turned away for price reasons. If they’re flexible with their schedule, we can usually give discounts. The guy we had in yesterday, for example, was virtually a pro bono case. This person just took an amazing leap of faith at his stage of life.”

The human head, I learn as my hypothetical consultation begins, has between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs, while each square centimetre of scalp has roughly 70 to 90 follicular units. Balding, meanwhile, is measured on the socalled Hamilton-Norwood scale – an unhappy series of diagrams showing various stages of decay (female hair loss is measured on the separate Ludwig scale) – while at Alvi Armani they have a proprietary system, based on four zones of the scalp and their corresponding square centimetres of coverage. “You’d be looking at 2,100 grafts in Zone 1 and 1,300 grafts in Zone 2,” Dr Hayatdavoudi informs me, after studying my “peach fuzz” through a

microscope. “Zone 3 is adequate if you keep it short.” Those grafts would of course have to come from somewhere: the back of my head. “You lose hair density in your donor area, yes,” he confirms. “But you have maybe 22,000

follicular units at the back, so if you remove 3,400 of them, you’re still left with 19,000. That’s not noticeable.”

The procedure itself would go something like this: a good breakfast, get to the clinic early, take a local anaesthetic and an anti-anxiety pill (“like having a couple of glasses of wine”), listen to music, and wait as a surgeon “harvests” follicles from my donor site. Then a half-an-hour lunch break, followed by the “design session”, when the

placement of every single hair is discussed and mapped out. The Alvi Armani clinic prides itself – a little pretentiously, perhaps – on following the facial structure and hairline guidance of Marcus Vitruvius Pollio’s 15BC masterpiece, The Ten Books on Architecture (which later inspired Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man). “David

Beckham’s name also comes up a lot,” laughs Dr Hayatdavoudi. “But a Beckham hairline isn’t right for everyone: he has the upper-pointing nose, the small distance between the upper lip, the high cheekbones. The aim is to bring

out the features of the patient that need to be highlighted, taking into account race, facial dimensions, etc. You can’t just add hair.”

Once the design is finalised, the incisions for the grafts are made. Then it’s time for the hairs taken from the donor area to be implanted. After that: pain medication, precautionary antibiotics, a surgical cap, then home. “The first night is the worst, and it’s possible you’ll get a mild headache and maybe nausea for 10-15 minutes,” warns Dr Hayatdavoudi. “After that, your face might get a bit puffy from the numbing fluid. There’s minimum bleeding. And when you come back in the next day, the scabs wash away.”

As for the recovery period: the swelling – if any – goes down within a week. There might also be more scabbing, flaking and redness, and for 28 days you must perform so-called “protocol washes”. Meanwhile, about 10 per cent of the “new” hairs will grow within the first two months, hitting 50 per cent at six months, and 100 per cent at 18

months. Dr Hayatdavoudi says that, “For people who’ve been bothered by hair loss, the reversal of the process – the hair getting thicker and thicker – is like Christmas coming every day.”

One recent patient, Ryan Day, a 35-year-old IT consultant from New York, doesn’t argue. “You can’t put a value on that bounce in your step,” he says. “They gave me a whole lotta hair, man – all of it pointing in the right direction!” Finally, of course, there is the small but tricky matter of payment. The cheapest option for my 3,400 grafts would come to about $5 per graft, or $17,000 (£10,500), with one of the clinic’s junior surgeons holding the knife. The most expensive option, involving Dr Hayatdavoudi performing the transplant in my own home, would be more like $340,000. “The price varies,” he shrugs. “If I’m doing it, a shaving case – where we shave the patient prior to the procedure – costs $8 per graft. But a news anchor, for example, can’t take a week off work, so we can’t shave him.

We call that an executive case, and it’s $15 per graft, because it takes more time. For VIP cases – which means we shut down the clinic and lock the doors for them – it’s $30 per graft. Then there are the house and hotel visits, where we take the whole crew. That’s when you get up to $100 per graft. We end up recreating the entire operating room.”

After hearing all this, I tell Dr Hayatdavoudi that if I ever wanted my ginger locks back, I’d rather wait for less invasive gene therapy. “The problem is, there are literally hundreds of gene loci associated with hair loss,” he shrugs. “Even if you found a treatment for one gene, you’d still have all the others. And there are complications

when you manipulate genes. That’s the reason why there’s never likely to be a silver bullet.”

For the near future, then, the choice for men with underendowed scalps is a simple one: the buzz cut or the surgeon’s knife. And, of course, the earlier any action is taken, the better – because these days, no one need ever know what happened. Which brings Dr Hayatdavoudi to the subject of England’s future king, Prince William – and

whether or not his horse has already bolted in that regard. “He actually has a great donor area and would be a great candidate,” he says.

Alas, however, it’s unlikely that even the Alvi Armani clinic, with its unmarked doors and security detail in the car park, could handle such a client. “A VIP session would be best suited for him,” agrees Dr Hayatdavoudi, apparently unfazed by the prospect of an in-house transplant at Buckingham Palace.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/magazine/article2999006.ece[5/9/2011 11:36:44 AM]

Consultation with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi in Beverly Hills

Moderator — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:45:23 GMT

Consultations being offered in our Beverly Hills clinic

Open to both men and women with hair loss or thinning hair this is your chance to have a personal evaluation and one on one consultation with our Lead Beverly Hills surgeon Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi

During the consultation Dr. Baubac will discuss with you any questions you may have regarding hairloss, prevention, our FUE technique, hairloss medications, and shampoos. The analysis also includes an evaluation of your individual case including the graft amount recommended for your procedure.

As well, an opportunity to have all your personal questions about hair loss and hair restoration answered by the doctor.

We offer both in person consultation in our Beverly Hills clinic as well as phone and skype consultations.

Please contact us through email at eric@alviarmani.com or by phone at 1-310-652-6444 ext 1 for details and to schedule a consultation.

Burberry's experience with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi and his LA Staff

Burberry — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:08:42 GMT

Last week I went to the Alvi Armani clinic in LA to undergo a 2000 FUE procedure with Dr. Baubac and his staff.

Dr. Baubac is a great doctor he did an amazing job covering the areas that I needed done the most by utilizing each graft to suit my look and style. He was able to extract 2000 FUE which puts me at a total overall of 9000+ FUE grafts with the Alvi Armani clinic, making everything look even and undetectable.

Dr. Baubac's staff are very professional and extrecmely nice. They made time go by very fast we talked and laughed the entire time during the procedure I couldn't have asked for any more I felt as if I was at home!

My overal experience with Dr. Baubac and his LA staff is A++++ and I highly recommend Dr. Baubac to anyone looking for a highly skilled professional Dr.and staff.

Here is my Alvi Armani story for those who do not know it: http://alvi-armani-fue-hair.blogspot.com/

My healing is progressing very fast I have no swelling or pain whatsoever and I did not have to use any of the pain medications that were provided to me by the Dr. I am back to work and I feel amazing.

Special thanks to Dr. Baubac and Staff for making my entire procedure great.

PROTEIN, CREATINE, NITRIC OXID

SUPERHAIR — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:57:21 GMT

Does anybody know if the use of protein shakes, creatine or nitric oxid can harm the implants or the hair itself?

USE OF TOPPIK AFTER HT

SUPERHAIR — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:55:45 GMT

Hello everybody. I had my HT in Buenos Aires, last 15th of febraury. I´m in week number 4 and i still have scabs This, as far as i been told, is completely normal.

The thing is I work in an office and I refuse to tell everybody I had this procedure done. So, I was thinking of using TOPPIK. Would this harm the implants?

Acell trials

Sean1977 — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:10:55 GMT

I've read some reports of some doctors doing transplants combined with Acell to see if they can get higher yield and also get duplication of hairs. I was wondering if Dr Armani was doing any of these studies or if he possibly planned to?

3578 grafts FUE by Dr. Armani Zone 1 and 2

SpiKe — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:20:13 GMT

Hello everyone!! I recently had a procedure with Dr. Armani on July 11th in Dubai. It was 3578 gratfs FUE concentrating mainly on Zone 1, Zone 2 and the temples. It looks good so far but I am really worried about the results. I am 3 weeks out of the procedure I do not know what to expect now. The crusts haven't fallen yet. When are they going to fall?

Proscar or Propecia

s_peace — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:06:55 GMT

Hi everyone,
Does anybody know if Armani sells Proscar or Propecia pills? and do you guys know if the Toronto office is still open? i heard they moved to LA! if the clinic is still in Toronto, do you guys have any contact # i can reach them at?

Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi

MILO — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 22:04:31 GMT

After about a year of research on these forums and all over the place I have just recently had my procedure done with Dr. Baubac Hayatdavoudi in the Alvi Armani clinic in Beverly Hills.

I had 3,056 grafts and I have to say the experience was just fantastic. Dr Hayatavoudi is an exceptional surgeon. He listened to all of my needs and concerns and we came up with the design of my hairline together. I am very happy with my choice and how the procedure went.

The fact that he was personally trained by Dr. Armani made me have a lot of confidence in him.

Please Please Please help me ..

johnhealy31 — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:35:01 GMT

Hi my names john Healy and Im emailing you if you could answer a few off my questions,I am 19 years old and my hair is receding at the front were most off my family have lost there hair due to male pattern baldness,I live in Ireland Dublin,In your opinion Which would be the best nearest clinic for me to go to is it London?and if I was to get 1000 hairs how much would this cost?and you mentioned you do have redness after the surgery is this very noticble?What age do you have to be? and what about the scars are they noticble?It's just that if i was too get hair implants and I went all the way over to Toronto and you guys could proboly tell me to come back in a few years because Im young.The reason why Im choosing your clinic is because iv heard so much about it.I would be greatfull if you could get back to me,Thanks john

L.A. Procedures??

Sean1977 — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:19:07 GMT

Pats, Is Armani still doing procedures in L.A.? For some reason I thought he was no longer working out of L.A., but in a recent post you mentioned the price was the same whether the procedure took place in L.A. or in Toronto. Just wondering.

Sean

hair transplantation using clonned hair?

cc — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:46:10 GMT

does anyone how far we are out with hair cloning? how will this process be different from the procedures today? will you have to extract a series of grafts and wait for 1 year then, come back and have the new clonned grafts implanted? why is hair cloning technology taking so long to develop? I heard it had something to do with not being able to control the growth of cells, and they may develop into cancer cells? but imagine the possibilities if hair cloning was perfected

2nd Armani procedure (2,436 grafts 11 month update)

Eurohair1621 — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:47:30 GMT

Hello gentlemen. This is my 11 month post op update from my second procedure with Dr. Armani, which I underwent on December 9th, 2009. First, I will give you my history. In 2005, I underwent a 1,700 strip procedure with another physician which didn't turn out the way I expected. On December 7th, 2007 I underwent 4,000 FUE's with Dr. Armani, which was my first procedure. The results were nothing short of great. On December 9th, 2009 I decided to undergo a 2nd procedure which focused on increasing hairline density a bit, and placing some grafts in zones 2, 3, and a bit in 4. In my latest consultation with Dr. Armani he said that i've only experienced 70% growth thus far and that i still have 30% left in the upcoming 7 months or so, which excites me. However, the best news that I've received from Dr. Armani is that he is able to extract 4000 more FUE's should I need it in the future, which is why I posted a photo of my donor area for all of you to see. I plan on having another procedur in the upcoming year which will focus on adding more density to any areas which need it, but a little more emphasis on zone 4. I usually wear my hair quite a bit longer, but the photos I posted here were takin in bright lighting along with a flash camera. I also got a very short haircut (6 guard on top & 1 guard on the side) so that all of you can see the details of how my results are progressing. Please feel free to share your opinions as well as ask me any questions you might have. Best to all of you

ALVI ARMANI LAUNCHES NEW CLINIC IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Moderator — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:39:28 GMT

~ALVI ARMANI LAUNCHES NEW CLINIC IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Alvi Armani is pleased to announce the opening of a brand new clinic in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Due to heavy demand from Latin America, Alvi Armani has been working for the past year to bring the exclusive Vitruvian FUE Method to all patients in the southern continent.

Our new clinic incorporates the modern minimalist Italian design and is equipped with the same state of the art scientific technology of all Alvi Armani clinics.

Dr. Antonio Armani has personally selected and trained the Argentinian medical team in the latest hair transplantation technology. The team is lead by Dr. Esteban Zalazar and Dr. Juan Jauregui with an excellent talented team of surgery assistants.

Patients from South America may contact Alvi Armani Buenos Aires at www.alviarmani.com.ar or via phone at Tel: + 54.11.45.19.8090.

ALVI ARMANI LANZA NUEVA CLÍNICA
EN
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Alvi Armani se complace en anunciar la apertura de una nueva clínica en Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Debido a la fuerte demanda de América Latina, Alvi Armani ha estado trabajando este año pasado para traer la exclusiva tecnia del Método Vitruviano FUE a todos los pacientes en el continente Sur. Nuestra nueva clínica incorpora el moderno diseño italiano minimalista y está equipada con la ultima tecnología científica similar a todas las clínicas Alvi Armani.

El Dr. Antonio Armani ha seleccionado y entrenado personalmente al equipo medico argentino en toda la tecnología Alvi Armani de trasplantes capilares. El equipo medico esta dirigido por el Dr. Esteban Zalazar y el Dr. Juan Jauregui y complementado con talentosos asistentes de cirugía.

Los pacientes de América del Sur puede comunicarse con Alvi Armani Buenos Aires via nuestro sitio www.alviarmani.com.ar o por teléfono al Tel: 54.11.45.19.8090.

Post Hairtransplant in india

suchariths — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:46:50 GMT

Hello guys,

I got my hair transplant last month 30th with Dr.Pathuri Madhu , till today 24days past post surgery. i'am happy to tell you people that i got a pretty good work done by him and his skilled team, everything went according to my expectations and i'am really happy. you won't believe if i tell you that cost wise its 1/4th compared to the charges outside India :) anybody planning for a HT in the near future please checkout this Doctor who is the best in India. for website details just type his name in google.

Regards
Sucharith

Suggestions

suchariths — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:59:50 GMT

I'm a 26yr m from india.. i have lost 3/4 th of my hairlines in the front portion and crown, im really conscious. at the same time i cant prefer flying abroad for my HT. Can anyone Suggest me the best Doctors in india who can help me out with my HT. :crying:

i do agree most of the doctors in India does' n stand up to the mark, but still i hope one or the other best surgeon will be there with standards.

my mail id is sucharith509@gmail.com

Please help me out in this case asap

Thank you

Thinking about getting a HT, some questions

skylinern — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:10:02 GMT

Hi guys, I'm highly considering getting a HT, but I have a few questions.

1) I heard only the LA office is doing transplants right now, and not the Toronto office...is this true?
2) Is Dr. Antonio Armani the only doctor doing HTs right now at the LA clinic? Or is there another doctor(s) to pick from?
3) The price range says FUE grafts start from $8/per graft. Is that Dr. Antonio Armani's price? Or one of the other doctor's price?
4) Do you guys think any doctor at the Alviamani clinic has prices around $6-7 per graft?

Let me know guys, thanks! From the research I've done, it looks like I would need around 1600-2000 grafts.

Looking for financing advice

lyuk — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:43:28 GMT

Eager to get a HT, but having to wait until I secure a job that pays a decent wage/salary, so that it makes sense to do financing...

Has anyone here financed through either of the two companies offered (Cosmeticredit or Carecredit) and if so, what were your experiences/thoughts? Are there other options as well?

Are there other capable doctors?

buzzfunk — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:13:40 GMT

Seems like everyone gets their work done by the man himself. So im wondering if there are other capable, possibly mentored by Dr. Armani himself who do procedures?