Ok fair enough but when you stated "Scarless HTs are a must now in my opinion" it could easily be taken as you saying "FUT is no longer a realistic option".

I am getting a FUT procedure next month from one of the best hair transplant surgeons in the world and the tiny undetectable scar is for me...not even on my radar as far as issues. I've already had one transplant and even my hairdressers don't know any scar exists. But I understand what you are saying about people that wont be taking the meds and may consider shaving everything off. I suppose we are all on our own journey with different motivations, different genes, different priorities, goals, budgets, ages, and timetables. I wish you well on your journey aim4hair.

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Dr. Dow Stough - 1200 Grafts - 1996
Dr. Jerry Wong - 4352 Grafts - August 2012

Right, i won't try to elaborate on all of them, but I'll try the ones you specifically mention.

(Oh, and to the poster that asked about Revivogen, well, it was deemed to be pretty much a messy piece of uselessless a few years back as far as I recall. Although their shampoo fared better)

Bait and switch?
When a clinic advertises a range of attractive procedural techniques and the customer is encouraged to visit the clinic, in good faith, thinking that they will be assessed as per the possibility that each of these techniques is likely to be considered fir them. Once at the clinic, the rep and docs have a well drilled routine to channel the customers expectations into one technique or system for which the clinics operations are streamlined and set up to be profitable for.

My favorite has been the Fue to strip switch. The 'bait' to lure the patient is the 'FUE' sign on the door, and 'the switch' is when the patient is told that, 'in his particular case' strip is recommended to maximize this or that. So the reps will suggest that FUE or strip will be considered, and the closer the patient gets to the procedure, the more his expectations are shoehorned into strip.

The bait and switch is also used in SMP too. It's like seeing a menu, sitting down in the cafe and then being told there are 'no eggs today' at which point you can't be bothered getting up and finding another restaurant.

Trickiness of online
I rarely show pics, respond to messages etc., because it can come back to bite me. i've already been kicked off one forum, HLH, about four years ago in a highly suspicious manner. How one can actively balance the need to be honest and yet pander to the sponsors and reps whilst not cutting themselves off from the help they need for repair is very difficult.

With HST, I admit to knowing very little. Perhaps, FUE is peaking. I met a Gho patient once. In 2007. He felt duped. Gho was doing his thing then too. but recent videos are impressive I must say, and it will be interesting how the HT world responds. I heard the great Dr. Rassman saying it is just plain 'ol FUE (whilst reminding us he pioneered FUE! - bless him) but I think it is really an interesting concept but seems risky.

The strip industry will continue to do it's thing. Generally deride FUE, tell everyone that is hype, say pencil scars are inconsequential..etc., for as long as they can manage to make money out of doing so. Ironically, FUE maybe obsolete and they'll still be selling strip!! Ludicrous.

I read some great posts by NeedhairASAP on the baldtruth blog the other day about Gho, and how RCA continued to sell radios in the 40s when they had TVs in the 30s. Speaking of online trickiness, that site is another mystery. I can't even get on it?

Neograft might get better.
Trico closure was a masterful piece of spin by the strip industry. There is a technique that has merits, but it rarely works as advertised IMO. People still believe that the hairs will grow through the scars naturally. Notably, some revisions are done the 'old way'.
Lasercomb ?? Well know knows. Snake oil?
SMP - check it out and try to make sense. I've had it and it has helped me immensely but there are plenty of parts of it that were really rubbish.

For me, it came down to a few things. Cost and I truly feel that for the most part, strip yields better. Not sure how you feel about it, it is just my thoughts. Second, price. Third, you can get way more grafts. That is how I made my decision.

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2110 FUT grafts by DR. Raymond Konior on July 30th, 2012

Best HT advice I have ever heard: "Find a doctor that you need more than they need you." Author Unknown

Click Here to View Spanker's Website

And, as I thoroughly documented there, the conspiracy theory about RCA "hiding" its television technology to sell more radios is completely erroneous.

Fair enough, it's an attractive allegory, and I used it carelessly. It doesn't change my reading of the situation viz-a-viz the way information makes it's way into our minds about HTs via the sources that bring it us, and the tools we have to dig it up.

And Spanker, I don't disagree with your assessment, cost and yield must be considered. Who has a billion bucks for an HT? I was definitely a victim of my own cost cutting, I must say, and I did that with FUE too.