Effect of HGH and peptides on people past their prime

[DragoT]

The clinic I went to have a package deal - two nights in 4 star hotel, transport from/to airport and from/to clinic and up to 5000 grafts (FUE method) for total of 1,999 EURO. At the time I was there, this equaled $2,350. I had 4500 units this time. For my surprise I was charged 1,750 EURO (summer discount)! Round trip to Istanbul (Turkish Airlines - GREAT service) varies between $650 and $1000 depends of the time of the year.

As for number of grafts... It depends of the hair count in the donor area. Some might not be able to sustain second procedure due to aesthetic challenges, some might be good for 3 procedures. The most I have seen online is 3 procedures for 12-14,000 hairs total.

There is something else to consider - 30% of scalp hair is in telogen (resting i.e. not even showing) at any given moment. This is why second procedure is done no less that eight months after the first - to give a chance some hairs to enter Anagen phase.

I personally plan my end state to be "jar head" or "marine" style haircut. This is why I don't care much about the donor area.

Also, scalp and beard hairs have the exact characteristics. This time I had 500 beard hairs relocated, will try to have 1000 to 1500 next time - my beard is thick like hairbrush.

Some doctors use body hair as well, but there is big difference - the telogen phase of body hairs is three times the scalp/beard, so one will look fuller or receding every few years.

 

[Roco Bama]

The clinic I went to have a package deal - two nights in 4 star hotel, transport from/to airport and from/to clinic and up to 5000 grafts (FUE method) for total of 1,999 EURO. At the time I was there, this equaled $2,350. I had 4500 units this time. For my surprise I was charged 1,750 EURO (summer discount)! Round trip to Istanbul (Turkish Airlines - GREAT service) varies between $650 and $1000 depends of the time of the year.

As for number of grafts... It depends of the hair count in the donor area. Some might not be able to sustain second procedure due to aesthetic challenges, some might be good for 3 procedures. The most I have seen online is 3 procedures for 12-14,000 hairs total.

There is something else to consider - 30% of scalp hair is in telogen (resting i.e. not even showing) at any given moment. This is why second procedure is done no less that eight months after the first - to give a chance some hairs to enter Anagen phase.

I personally plan my end state to be "jar head" or "marine" style haircut. This is why I don't care much about the donor area.

Also, scalp and beard hairs have the exact characteristics. This time I had 500 beard hairs relocated, will try to have 1000 to 1500 next time - my beard is thick like hairbrush.

Some doctors use body hair as well, but there is big difference - the telogen phase of body hairs is three times the scalp/beard, so one will look fuller or receding every few years.

$2350 is very cheap for hair transplant including hotel stay and transportation.

 

[DragoT]

When I found that clinic, been naturally suspicious, I did a lot of research. Last 10-15 years the Turkish government provided big tax incentives for the so called "Medical tourism" industry. I guess this is how they manage to keep the price "reasonable". On top of that, the volume... The day I had mine we were 7 or 8 people from Europe and US.

Worth knowing the doctor did not preformed the procedure - all done by technicians, but I have no concerns whatsoever. Dr has checking every hour or so. But, you're not getting Dr Bosley working on you if get HT in Bosley clinic for $40,000 neither...

The facility was no less than a modern US hospital (it is for a fact an University Hospital).

 

[Seve]

When I found that clinic, been naturally suspicious, I did a lot of research. Last 10-15 years the Turkish government provided big tax incentives for the so called "Medical tourism" industry. I guess this is how they manage to keep the price "reasonable". On top of that, the volume... The day I had mine we were 7 or 8 people from Europe and US.

Worth knowing the doctor did not preformed the procedure - all done by technicians, but I have no concerns whatsoever. Dr has checking every hour or so. But, you're not getting Dr Bosley working on you if get HT in Bosley clinic for $40,000 neither...

The facility was no less than a modern US hospital (it is for a fact an University Hospital).

Talk about taking life by the balls. Hats off to you. You have been an inspiration. My problem is getting the wife on board, like you did, before we go to Hell in a handbasket physicality.

 

[DragoT]

Talk about taking life by the balls

Elderly beware. HGH can do that to you

 

[ProfessorX]

When I found that clinic, been naturally suspicious, I did a lot of research. Last 10-15 years the Turkish government provided big tax incentives for the so called "Medical tourism" industry. I guess this is how they manage to keep the price "reasonable". On top of that, the volume... The day I had mine we were 7 or 8 people from Europe and US.

Worth knowing the doctor did not preformed the procedure - all done by technicians, but I have no concerns whatsoever. Dr has checking every hour or so. But, you're not getting Dr Bosley working on you if get HT in Bosley clinic for $40,000 neither...

The facility was no less than a modern US hospital (it is for a fact an University Hospital).

Dr recommend FUT for me Vs FUE

I decided against the procedure because of the long scar associated with FUT (I keep my hair short)

Hoping stem cell will allow hair follicles to be grown Vs using a donor site

Your before and after pics look excellent sir

 

[DragoT]

FUT is obsolete. Besides the scar, which is a big deal, to me the biggest problem is the separation of the follicular units. While with FUE grafts are extracted, in FUT the technician must separate (using scalpel under microscope) the individual grafts where everything must be intact - hair, hair bulb, surrounding tissue etc. One's performance will not be the same at 9am and 3pm looking the lenses...

FUE went a long way as since was first developed. Early method was with a "punch tool", literally pushed through the scalp skin with force. The size of the tool - 1.2 millimeters (0.047") which left visible scaring too.. Now days - 0.5mm (0.0196") and it is motorized - literally cut through the skin by rotary head on fixed dept. Then the unit is just pulled out.



This is my donor area after 7 days


...and two months



If I leave it longer than an inch, the are of extraction will be completely covered, plus whatever hair are currently in Telogen will come back to life.

But again, think of my goal for Marine cut (it might need some tattooing at the end, but just a little)



As for stem cell... There are two Doctors that experiment with that (that I know of) and the result is not impressive thus far. Not that it is not promising... Just, baldness repair will never be covered by insurance and no one will pay couple of hundred thousand for that vs spinal cord injuries. What I am saying - we live in market economy...

Lastly, Australia is the only country in the world that allows hair transplant from dead donor (assuming a match is present same as for liver transplant for example). But then immunosupressant must be taken which is whole other issue.

Bottom line - it is a bitch for sure.

 

[Xlgx]

Planning on using hgh for longevity at a low dose of 2iu eod.
What would be the best way to check blood work to make sure the hgh isn’t bunk? Do I run it for a few weeks and then have bloods 2-3 hours post pinning? Or take a larger dose (10iu). On the day bloods get done? Does it matter?

 

[DragoT]

Based on what I have read here and personal experience...

Test IGF-1 prior to HGH administration. This will be your benchmark. Then, start HGH - I do 1.5IU 7am, 1.5IU 5pm but that's me. Read here and select regimen that suits you.

Now, if I have to start my journey all over again, I would schedule Serum GH test and pin my first HGH shot: 10IU sub-q (my method of choice) 4 hours prior to the test, say 4am in order to give blood at 8am. This of course, with min 8 hours fasting prior. What this (allegedly) will establish legitimacy of the substance you're injecting - if you register 0.1 or close - it is sugar pill for sure. Anything around or above 15.0 will be a good sign.

Two weeks or longer after the first shot, I would test IGF-1. Again, 8am with prior fasting. Not sure if fasting is necessary for this test, just keeps consistency of variables. The result will determine your next step like dose adjustment.

See, it gets tricky... If your initial IGF-1 is relatively high, you might want to reconsider. If it is low as mine was - 96, then your second test will show where you are (I went from 96 to 160 or so on 2IU daily), raised the dose to 4IU/daily, tested 320, lowered to 3IU/daily (now 240) and this is where I am today.

 

[Xlgx]

Besides test for IGF-1, does one test gh levels too?

 

[DragoT]

Besides test for igf-1, does one test gh levels too?

See, this is where my line of thinking evolved. If one start administering HGH and three weeks later decides to test IGF-1, natively will think "I am going to the lab anyway, why don't I test serum as well?". Today I am thinking - we pinned 2IU every day, IGF-1 reached certain level, whatever level that might be, and then the day of the test we blasted 10IU. Common knowledge here is Serum GH must be tested 3-4 hours after pin. I wander could this blast could skew somehow the other (IGF-1) test as well and give us higher number than sustained 2IU administration? I'd love to hear others.

As for why to test Serum HG? Peace of mind. You thought about, took a beep breath and send money, received some vials with white powder in it and now thinking - was I fucked? Chinese are evil and forgers and unless you got Black top or Gray top capped vials you have been royally screwed . Sorry, can't resist... But this might be pretty much true, thou. Any way. So now, the only way to see if after pin Serum GH will raise will be to... test Serum GH, right. Yes, some Chinese genius might have come with substance to trick LabCor testing methodology, but when combine the two test results, you pretty much will get where are you at the moment.

Just my opinion at this very moment.

 

[Xlgx]

Actually have humatrope and xerendip... still want to have pre and during bloods done.

 

[DragoT]

If you have pharma (you lucky bastard ), no need to worry about serum. However, baseline and follow up IGF-1 is mandatory, the latter - to dial in your optimal dose.

 

[Masters Power]

I have a "friend" who is 50 and started hgh a month before his 50th birthday which has been almost 11 months now.

He had a full head of hair when he started but there is no doubt that hgh has accelerated hair growth both on his head and the rest of his body as well. Has to get hair cut about every 2 1/2 to 3 weeks now as opposed to every four weeks and body hair is definitely thicker as well as growing in more spots.

No darkening of gray hair however.

2ius per day off cycle. 3ius per day while cycling.

 

[DragoT]

I have no doubt optimizing essential hormones after age of 40 is the key to living longer and with better quality of life. Not necessarily the hormone levels per se, but the changes that comes with it - physiological, psychological and metaphysical if you want to go there.

When someone (man or woman) decide to do something about it, what that means something have changed already. No one gets up one morning and say "Hmm, let me go test my hormone levels". This fact alone means this person no longer wants to be slave of the age and environment.

 

[beachathlete]

@DragoT - could you hook me up with the info on your place? I've been considering hair transplants for a good 10 years now and simply haven't pulled the trigger due to cost etc. That seems like a great deal and I'm always down to travel.

 

[DragoT]

@DragoT - could you hook me up with the info on your place?

PM me, please.

 

[blingcrosby]

Interesting thread, I plan to follow the progress here.

 

[Xlgx]

Ready to start my 1st Hgh run and got pre bloods done.
Any suggestions:
Igf-1 is high at 276 scale 75-216
Hgh is low at 0.1 on scale of 0-10.

Any ideas why these values are out of wack?

Currently on doc prescribed synthroid and 160mg trt.

 

[DragoT]

I am not in a position (not a medical professional) to give an advice, but in my opinion you should not run HGH. If the test numbers you are showing in your post are "clean" i.e. no HGH was administered, you are actually blessed to have relatively high natural IGF-1 levels, which means your natural HGH production is just fine.

As for the serum GH (I assume 0.1 is serum)... 0.1 is the "word" for "non-detected". This is quite normal and means blood was drawn when there was no naturally secreted GH circulation in the blood stream. Natural serum GH will be detected only if blood is drawn within three hours of the natural pulse, i.e. crap shoot at best

I always like to refer to the table below when comes to natural IGF-1 levels. Find your age group and and compare your result.



1IU will not do you any good, my friend. Utilize the funds for something else...