Yesterday I talked to a PAI Medical consultant, and he confirmed that in about a year I'll be ready for a transplant. I'm in the beginning stages of hairloss. He went over the specifications of the procedure and hair. He mentioned that Dr. Roy Stoller is the surgeon for their company. I don't know too much about PAI Medical, but since I've been browsing this these forums I recently narrowed my surgeon down to Epstein. I'm an African American and I started using propecia and minoxidil today. I plan on using them for the next year to see how much hair I keep and/or become thicker. By then I can see what to do about the transplant.

I have some questions though. PAI Medical stressed that they do multi unit hair grafting. Which procedure is better between muhg (PAI Medical Provides muhg only) and follicular unit micrografting (Dr. Jeffrey Epstein procedure)? Has anyone heard of Dr. Roy Stoller? My last question for right now is Dr. Jeffrey Epstein's donor scars. I wear a hairstyle low but not almost bald. If you can picture Reggie Bush or Jamie Foxx's hair then that's how I style mine. It would be a major plus if Epstein's donor scars are pencil thin like Jamie Foxx's scar. Please give me your answers and thoughts. I would put my pictures on here but I'm rushing to get to the weight room, lol. I will post them within a couple days. Thanks everyone!

first, you DO NOT want to go to PAI. that is an outdated technique. Epstein uses ultra refined follicular unit grafting, which is state of art. Epstein is also a coalition surgeon, which means the results he produces are consistently excellent. I have never heard of Dr. Stoller.

As far as the "reggie bush" haircut, it's hard to say if the scar would be visible or not. Look at it like this, you will most likely be able to shave your head down with a 3 clip, maybe a 2, without anyone noticing your scar. That is assuming you go to Epstein, or another coalition surgeon, who use the trico closure method which produces a very small, fine scar.

One more question, how old are you?

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My Hair Loss Weblog - Hair Transplant with Dr. Tessler

Sounds like you have to figure out if a really need a hair transplant or not. It's not as glamorous and hassle free as the TV ads would have you believe. If you do decide you need one, then its a no-brainer to go with a doctor doing Follicular Unit grafting....thats the latest and nothing else comes close. Take your time..talk to a few doctors...meet a few patients and see there scars up close...and you'll have all your answers.

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- badger
3279 grafts with Dr Gabel - 06/12/08

My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Gabel

Good God! Choosing between those two? I'll use this analogy, would you as a NFL franchise take as your fist draft pick Reggie Bush or that slow, white running back from Auburn?

Epstein is the answer, my man. And, he's a plastic surgeon so I would think your scar will be about as good as it gets.

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100? 'mini' grapfts by Latham's Hair Clinic - 1991 (Removed 50 plugs by Cooley 3/08.)
2750 FU 3/20/08 by Dr. Cooley

My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Cooley

Current regimen:
1.66 mg Proscar M-W-F
Rogaine 5% Foam - every now and then
AndroGel - once daily
Lipitor - 5 mg every other day
Weightlifting - 2x per week
Jogging - 3x per week

Thomas,

Keep researching. For an african american man, you might want to use clippers or shave your hair short. A strip scar is usually visible if you cut your hair short.

For most people, strip surgery is a good idea, but I might recommend FUE surgery for you. Call Dr. Feller's office and ask him about this possibilty.

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My Hair Loss Web Site - Hair Transplant with Dr. Wong

I'm currently 21, but I'm not planning on getting anything done for another couple years. I am researching the surgeons and just trying to learn as much as I can right now. Thanks everyone.

Thomas

Keep going with the research, and get a lot of consults in!!

With regards to your age, be very aware that although you may feel concerned that you have started to lose hair, you are very far from at the end of the road, so look at your dad/grandad/mums dad, and see what might be at the end of your Norwood scale, that way you can decide if you might like to leave it a while, or at the very least be cautious about the number of grafts you place at the front of your hairline!!

You only have so many to move so use them wisely!!

All the top docs on here would give you good advice!!

Best of luck.

Clive.

The hardest thing to express and explain and get younger patients to understand is the progressive nature of hair loss. Like the African American patient below, his hair loss advanced. However with proper planning and expectations and available donor, succesful results can be obtained and with good donor scars. I generally recommend that my younger patients be committed to propecia and rogaine especially if they have a family history of advanced hair loss.

African AMerican Patient

Be patient, start on meds and do not rush into surgery and be aware of the potential for future loss and the impact it could have on your donor area, density and coverage.

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Ricardo Mejia MD, FAAD
Jupiter FL
Hair Transplant Network recommended physician; photos

Not questioning your selection, but would advise you to do A LOT more research on doctors and peer reviews of the surgeon you pick. You do not want any mistakes or for that matter have surgical depletion of your donor hair without cause.

I have owrked with Dr. Stoller as a surgical assistant. He is a dedicated physician who does some really nice work. I have assisted with many hair transplant surgeries, and his work is as good as it gets. He would never do "out dated" work as some have implicated. Dr. Stoller has studied facial aesthetic surgery for many years and completed a formal residency in facial surgery including hair transplants. I think it is important for doctors to do good work but they also need to be part of an accepted board of study that is apporved by the educaiton councils which govern medical education.