orlhair1

Thank you Corvettester for this thread. Very informative post Dr. Konior. This is definitely educational and some additional information everyone should consider. While it scared me more when I first read about it, I am not as concerned as I was based on what I have learned here, especially since this is my first HT and I am 53 so my loss is stable and more predictable. I am going to discuss it with my Doc ahead of time which is just wise for anyone to do.

I am just going to talk to my Dr. about it and understand what the risks are and based on that I will decide whether to go forward or not. It all comes down to a risk benefit analysis in the end.

The recent discussions about transplanted hair and donor areas thinning are scaring me more than anything. I have complete confidence in the doctor I have chosen, but even the best doctors can't control this thinning issue, which at least a couple of the top doctors have said they see with some level of frequency. This has apparently been the topic at a lot of the conferences also. This issue is really making apprehensive about moving forward.

TC17.....I agree.....whatever is causing the thinning would have the same cosmetic effect. So potentially the transplanted area looks thin again and the donor area thins to the point the scar is visible......does not sound like something I want to risk. I also don't want to have to have an additional transplant to replace or add density appearance to an area I already had transplanted in the first place.

The discussion about transplanted hairs thinning is really scary. It is making me have serious second thoughts about proceeding with my scheduled hair transplant. From the discussions it does appear that it might be more than a rare condition?? I am already apprehensive like anyone would be, but then to think that 3 or 4 years down the road my transplanted hairs could be thinning out makes me not want to go forward.

Everything I have read and heard is that finasteride takes a full year to see the results, so you probably have not been taking it long enough to determine how well it works for you.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and ideas. I am going to go for it. I am pretty excited about the potential results, especially with my hairline. I am getting some work on the crown too and I think that combined with the potential of the results from the Fin should work well.

I started taking the same dose about six weeks ago and have no side effects whatsoever.

After thinking about this and doing my research, I finally scheduled surgery with SMG this summer. I am very confident that I have chosen one of the best in Ron Shapiro. Now that I have had it scheduled for a month or so, I am having second thoughts about whether I should have a HT. While I would love to restore my hairline and thicken the crown area, I am just not sure about the whole scar issues and getting myself in a situation where I could possibly have to have more than one transplant. I have been using Rogaine for years with much success at first, but results have diminished over time. Just started Fin in February. At 53 and with meds, my hair loss is probably pretty stabilized. So, I am in the pull and tug of should I go through with this or just live with it. I have attached a couple of photos. Thoughts? Advice? Would love to hear from people who have had the same thoughts and decided to proceed or not to proceed.

Thanks

The scar is completely hidden.....how long was your hair at the time that pic was taken? It looks pretty short and no sign of the scar which is awesome.

I started taking it in February and have had no side effects at all.

Maybe I should just stick with my current plans and travel to Minnesota......I have complete confidence in Dr. Shapiro and have never seen anything but rave reviews on this site and others.

I am currently planing a HT with Dr. Ron Shapiro this summer. My confidence level is very high with my choice. My only concern is if I have great choices locally, am I better off to be driving distance with my Dr. for follow up as needed? I had a great conversation with Dr. Glenn Charles who is just a 3 hour drive away and felt very good about him. I heard good things about Dr. Rose in Tampa, but unfortunately he did not respond to my email....not sure what happened there. Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

looks like fairly significant improvement to me.

I am glad your experience has been so positive. It makes me feel even better about my decision to have my surgery with Dr. Shapiro in June.

I have my surgery with Dr. Ron Shapiro scheduled in June.....I look forward to hearing how your surgery goes. I feel very comfortable with my choice and look forward to getting it done.

After doing a lot of research in this forum and speaking to a few doctors and clinics, I scheduled my surgery with Dr. Ron Shapiro to take place this June. I waited until then because right now I am training for my first marathon which will be on June 5th. I had great conversations with the various doctors/clinics I spoke to, but in the end I felt most comfortable scheduling with Dr. Shapiro. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks to all for your feedback.

I have sent two emails to Dr. Rose and have not had a response from him. Has anyone else had similar issues? I am pretty settled on scheduling my procedure with Dr. Ron Shapiro, but Dr. Rose was recommended by many and he is close by, so I was going to consult with him as well. Please let me know your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks

I have not been able to get in touch with Dr. Rose yet, but still trying. I did speak to Dr. Charles last week who was very friendly and seemed to provide solid information. Have also been talking to Matt and SMG and currently still leaning towards scheduling with Dr. Ron Shapiro. I was interested in talking to Dr. Rose, particularly after considering the comments above, but for some reason he did not respond to his email. Perhaps he didn't get it. Any additional advice or recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks Blake. I just keep seeing such positive things about Dr. Shapiro that I am feeling compelled to go ahead and set up something with him. Still want to think about it and get as much input as I can.

Thanks again for your advice!

Thanks Janna, that is quite an endorsement. I may meet you soon as I am seriously considering scheduling a procedure with Dr. Ron Shapiro. I had my phone consultation with Matt last Friday.

Thanks. I have now seen some of the issues with Dr. Epstein. Definitely leaning towards Dr. Shapiro. I wanted to consider Dr. Rose since he is so close by and seems to have a good reputation and a good relationship with Dr. Shapiro as well. Any additional insight on Dr. Rose would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks. I was definitely impressed with my initial phone consult with SMG and clearly Dr. Ron Shapiro is very highly regarded. I will check out Dr. Konior. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

I am seriously considering a transplant. I have consulted with Shapiro Medical Group and Dr. Jeff Eptsein. I live in Orlando but I don't mind traveling anywhere to get the best possible outcome. Both Dr. Epstein and Shapiro are recommending similar procedures. What are your thoughts on these two surgeons? Also, any thoughts on Dr. Paul Rose in Tampa? I have not consulted with him yet. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and recommendations.