Hi Guys,

There has been a great deal of negative publicity on these forums about advanced hair studios. From reading a lot of what it being said, it is apparent that the following is true about AHS:

"?? They are misleading about their ??strand by strand' procedure. The consensus appears to be that it is nothing more then a toupee which is put together strand by strand. AHS do not appear to be transparent in this respect, which has obviously angered many of their customers. (who are posting here as a result)

"?? AHS are an expensive option compared to other ??toupee' suppliers. They can often be aggressive with their sales tactics and commit you to years of ongoing payments with their ??maintenance hair cuts'.


This considered, what are the positives?? (Specifically asking the people who have not previously posted overtly negative statements about AHS)

1) Are the results as they as they promised? Do they meet your expectations?

2) Is the hair piece (or toupee?) a long term and comfortable option?


I have spoken face to face with a number of their customers from one of their Sydney centers, and most (that have had it for a number of years) appear to be pretty happy with the results. (despite the above negatives). This appears to be in total contrast to this forum.


Any help would be most appreciated.


Thanks
Brend1107

What is your connection to the AHS ?

I am simply a 25 year old potential customer of AHS who is incredibly confused about why there is such a gap between the people I have spoken to in the clinics and the people who have posted in these forums.

I am researching potential ??treatments' for my hair loss. I have no connection with them in any way.

As I said, any help would be most appreciated.

Why would you even consider going to them when they charge thousands for mass produced Asian rugs? Advanced Hair will have lots of clients who will be happy to wear a hairpiece but they all have one thing in common. They're paying extortionately for what they could get relatively cheaply.

I'm a former client as I was deceived into wearing one of their hairpieces. I hated it; I was paranoid about being busted and I often had snide digs made at me. It wasn't all it was cracked up to be as it was restrictive and nothing like having my real hair. The colour faded and was only guaranteed for 3 months. A scum and a stench would build up on my scalp over the month ... yuk!

They get a good mauling on other forums too. When I was with them I didn't realise how easy it was to find another company. Here's some advice from a consultant that I found and extracted from another forum.

Use your directory to contact companies listed under wigs, hairpieces or something similar, but avoid the large franchises. See how much they charge for custom-made hairpieces. Prices will vary but should mostly be under $1000. But don't assume a lower price necessarily means a lower quality. Off-the-shelf hairpieces are crap but custom-made ones should all be fairly good.
See how long they've been in the business. Ask how they compare with the $3000 wig from AHS, and why they're charging so much less if they're not significantly inferior. Check on hair types. Ask about European Virgin hair. It's the sort Matthews, Gooch & AHS consultants have, and your niece should have for $3000 if only they weren't so profit driven. It will cost more but be much softer, and less prone to tangles and colour fade than the chemically treated Asian hair she has now.
Most custom-made hairpieces are made in Asia and cost not much more than $100. So if you pay $3000 instead of $500 say, the extra is mostly just company profit.
To keep it looking good, it should ideally be replaced yearly.

Be aware of this last point that you have to pay out yearly for a new one. This was withheld from me until it was casually mentioned at the fitting.

To answer your question, why would I consider it when I know they are overpriced?:
Essentially because that they say it is permanent solution, that is well maintained (through their appointments), undetectable and natural, like having your own hair.

To be honest, if they could deliver on these promises I would be happy to pay a premium over a standard toupee supplier. But unfortunately this does not seem to be the case.

Thanks for your feedback toddy.

They told me too that it was permanent but they have to take it off once a month so as to shave and clean and apply new glue. If they didn't it would come off anyway because your hair grows underneath it. The longer it grows the more it is dislodged. So it isn't permanent and it isn't a particularly special toupee either.

Brend1107,

Welcome to our discussion forum.

Hair pieces have many fancy names but they are essentially all the same, some obviously higher quality than others.

The only thing "permanent" about this solution is that as long as you continue to maintain and replace them and put in the time and money, you will have one.

I am certainly not adverse to hair pieces, they certainly do provide a means to cover our baldness. If patients are educated on how to properly maintain them and are willing to make the financial commitment, they could be a viable solution.

I never wore a hairpiece, but one of the best metaphors I've heard from a former hair piece wearer is that a hairpiece is a lot like a car. When you drive your new car out of the showroom for the first time, it looks terrific. But after driving for a few days through rain and mud, it never quite looks the same again.

AHS and a number of other firms offer hair pieces. Be sure to educate yourself on the quality and cost of purchasing, maintaining, and replacing them over the years and make an educated decision.

Best wishes,

Bill

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There is no such thing as a permanent hair system. Any company that claims to offer one is intentionally misleading the public.

Hair systems do have limitations - they lose hair over time, the hair won't last forever, etc. - BUT a high quality hair system will look great. If it is made correctly and cut in well, it will be totally undetectable. There are a lot of people who won't believe this statement, but the proof is out there and you see it every day - you just don't know it! And they don't have to cost a bloody fortune either.

Short term solution to a long time problem in my mind.. Whats worse is they do not look natural. Look at the best photos on the hairclub sites. They always look the same with little exception.Everyone of us know someone who has a piece and everyone talks behind their back .. That in my mind is worse than being bald
Percentagewise I would guess maybe 10-20% are truly "undetectable" and that's being generious with ideal circumstances

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I'm new to this forum, but not to the overall hair replacement/transplant process.

I wore a cheap piece for a while (was misled) and like others, hated it. I also wore some partial pieces while initial rounds of transplants grew in.

The partials were more realistic, but they too had problems, including coming off at very inopportune times! Also, there was the issue of having hair not quite matching the color of the rest of your hair or appearing a little too thick.

That last statement is a big concern. Often men will get a hair piece that is so thick that it looks fake. This is especially true for men well past 40 where there's no way they'd sport this luxurious mane. The result is that it looks fake.

Also, even some of the best hair systems can be detected. John Travolta, who once did have a very real great mane has lost considerable hair. However, he usually wears a hair system. Do a Google search for Travolta and hair piece and you might come across several pictures where astute photographers were able to zoom in on his supposedly undetectable hair system. One was able to see the weave along the hairline and other areas. Granted, one had to be up close to see this, but a good system should be able to withstand that scrutiny.

My point is that if a man of Travolta's standing and wealth couldn't pull off a professional hair system (given that he has stylists assisting him), it will be more difficult for the "average Joe".

If you do decide to get one, I would consider wearing a style where the hair line isn't as visible and having a little less hair so it looks more natural. Just be prepared to spend a fair amount of money to keep it maintained. Overall, it might end up being more expensive than hair transplants.