jessie1

Just when I think I am close to arriving at a decision regarding next HT and then a thread like this crops up....... which is all good of course because the right choice needs to be made. I would definitely consider Dr Rahal for FUE, having researched his cases. But I detect that a few guys posting on this thread have some reservations about his ability to perform FUE. Personally I am yet to come across any less than satisfied FUE patients ....(?) From a cost perspective, there is very little published about what he charges for FUE and FUT. I understand that every case is different, however it would be great to have a ball park figure per graft. Anybody know??? Jessie

Hi KeithH, I must confess, I know very little of Dr Panine so it would be unfair of me to comment. In terms of the other three, I would be in favour of SMG over Dr Feriduni, albeit Dr Feriduni has produced some excellent results. What tips it for me with Dr R Shapiro is the consistent life changing results with a conservative approach. You have already done your homework by the sounds of it, having followed some of SMG's excellent cases, among them being Aaron and Orlhair... and many others. I take it you are from the UK Keith like me? Difficult call mate. Some will say that location is irrelevant , but it's not in my opinion. Accessibility with the Doc post op is crucial, especially if things don't go quite as planned. Feriduni is excellent and local for us and I have not ruled him out for my next HT, however if you wish to travel across the pond, SMG are a step up in class I feel. The aftercare matches the skill and I have yet to come across any examples of bad aftercare and communication issues. Aftercare and communication are massive factors, especially when dropping into Doc's office for a one to one is not feasible. Good luck in your research Jessie 1000 FUE Dr Feller Sept 2010 2 UK strip procedures 2007 and 2009

Hairtoday72, I agree. I think a bit of a cooling off period is warranted. If things are causing Lisco some concerns in a couple of weeks after things have settled, sure, lets try and work through it with him. Why should you get slammed for saying that, I feel it's sensible advice. For now the key message should be 'Chin Up'...... Talking to somebody about any probs is srtongly advised as I mentioned above. Jessie

Donald, Best of luck. Early doors. Mick is right, the dreaded waiting game. All the best, Jessie

Lisco, Plenty of comments here which shows that please are supporting you and trying to work out what's happening. I too have seen your pics and admitedly, I have not seen anything like this before, however as I am always keen to express, there are far more experienced members on here than me , who perhaps have seen similar cases, and will offer you some sensible and encouraging advice. SkinupPinUp is one of them. I have followed some of his posts and he knows his stuff. There are dozens of others that have clearly done their homework too. OK, I will reiterate what other forum members have touched on: support. The days and weeks following a HT can be difficult, especially if concerns exist about the way in which it has been conducted. This is the number one priority right now and this should not be overlooked. Although people have come forward with genuine concern and explanations, your head must be a complete shed Lisco. Been there..... Open up, talk to people that you trust. I would also be making early contact with Transmed. I have nothing against Transmed, in fact I know very little of them , however it would be fair to say that there have been a few concerning cases of late which have involved communication issues amongst other things. Be mindful of this and record everything. Lisco, let things settle for a few weeks and try not to over speculate: easier said than done I know. If you need to talk, even to release some thoughts, PM me. I have received 3 poor HTs and I know all too well the emotional journey mate. Hey, and remember, plenty of support to help you along the way with Transmed should you need it. Bill has been particularly helpful in resolving some of the recent Transmed cases. All the best, Jess

Corv, Others have picked up of this. You have great donor hair and hair in general. It looks healthy and full bodied. Sure, when looking at the pics on the day of the surgery I can see where it needs a bit of strengthening. I will be keeping a close eye on your progress. How are things going, healing nicely? Regards, Jessie

MGZ, What a ton of advice you have had! Great to see. Have you had chance to absorb it all? What are your thoughts? I have seen your posts above and I agree, there are definitely some 'wow' results out there... I have touched on this in previous threads, and have some personal experience here, a photo can make a good HT look bad and a bad HT look good. I gather, from your posts above that you have realised this. Sorry if I sound like a stuck record but its important to understand this concept. A 'tell tale' sign of this is when you see dramatic life changing results from a patient after their first HT (or 2nd, 3rd or whatever) and then they decide to go in for another one. Sometimes, the before pics for their next procedure are less than flattering and in some instances can look almost worlds apart. There are many explanations behind this of course, including further loss, clever hair styling and use of products for the 'after shots', and I'm not saying there is some huge conspiracy, its just the way it is in any field of cosmetic surgery. This is why meeting patients and examining the results for yourself should form part of your research. So what are your thoughts? Confused? Hey, 3 HTs on and I'm still confused mate!...... and very scepticle. This is not a bad quality though, scepticism could avoid a bad judgement call. I wish I could have replaced my impatience with some scepticism, believe me. Going right back to the Crux of your thread. Hasson or Rahal. I have already given you my thoughts, Rahal just about tips it, however I see both as ethical Docs based on patient experiences. If you are not a candidate, they will tell you straight. MGZ, woud be great to hear your thoughts... Jessie

Kickin' the concealers is a huge success in itself. Congrats, Jessie

57 mph, We have discussed the shortfalls of on line consults and most people are in agreement that a face to face consult is always best. Nobody is denying that 'honesty is the best policy' but your situation can not be accurately assessed until you see the Doc in person. Don't let this knock you. That would be way too premature. Get on the meds and keep your chin up mate. Go and find some reputable Docs and speak with them. It could be a completely different story after a good stretch on the meds and some expert advice in person. I'm not trying to give you false hope, just hope. It's too early in the game to give up. I wish you the very best. You have conducted yourself admirably so far, despite feeling under the cosh. The support will always be there no matter what your situation..:cool: Jessie

Capelli, I would go with FUE also for the reasons mentioned BUT make sure that the Docs you are considering have confidence in it. Sounds silly doesn't it but there are Docs out there that perform the procedure, believing it to be very much inferior to FUT. Sure, there are pros and cons, but it's essential that your Doc believes in it. After my recent Op I was seriously considering FUT because I had simply lost confidence in FUE. However having conducted more research and narrowed it down to a few excellent Docs that not only specialize in it, but have every confidence in its effectiveness, I am strongly considering FUE again for my next procedure. (In fairness, since my HT with Feller, I have yet to have a consultation so I will take on board any advice given). So Capelli, who is on your short list then? All the best Jessie

Salem, All the best with the meds. Did you Go down to Transmed yesterday as planned? Looking forward to your update on how things went.... All the best, Jess

Corv, Welcome back mate. You are a massive contributor and a huge asset to this forum, evidenced by the amount of messages of support from forum members on a recent thread , even those that perhaps wouldn't usually be on your Xmas card list! Its worth taking a butchers if not already done so (its closed now). Anyway, back to more important business: your 2nd HT with Dr Dorin. What stands out here for me is that Dr Dorin stood by you and supported you when the result was not what it may have been, especially when it was by no means a failure. This is a very interesting case for me personally, as my next HT will involve transplanting between existing hairs so I can't wait to see how this unfolds. The potential here is very exciting Corv. I would ask you to keep us updated but come on, do I really need to ask you that of all people!! In my opinion, there is very little between the top handful of world elite in terms of skill, technique and end product BUT there is a HUGE difference, and Dr Dorin has pretty much helped seal it for me here, with regards to a Doctors aftercare and willingness to stand by their patient when the chips are down. Congratulations Corv, but also to Dr Dorin for being honourable, professional and doing the decent thing. Dr Dorin is an asset to the industry and others would do well to take note. Happy growing mate, Jessie

Fakeplstctrees, 1500 grafts was not nearly enough I feel and it would seem that the 'bog standard' advice was perhaps lacking in this case. So where do you go from here?: If you have issues with the technique and method undertaken by the Doc, sure, you have every right for these concerns to be addressed. This is where it would be helpful to divulge to forum members who your Doc was. Was is a large organisation, was it a stand alone Doc? Does the clinic have patient representatives? Is there a management structure etc? The first step on the ladder though is collecting your thoughts together and presenting your case to the Doc is a concise and professional manner. What i would be extremely careful about here is that you are careful in maintaining a working relationship with your Doc. The fact of the matter is, you are 6 months post Op. The vast amount of forum members will tell you, and have told you, that 6 months is far to early to assess you situation and in order to reassure you, there is good reason for that given that the main growth often really kicks in at this point. This does not mean that you should not be encouraged to at least speak with your Doc. Its common practice to have follow up appointments with your Doc in order to review progress etc. This is a good time to share concerns about technique and growth. The Doc will no doubt tell you that 6 months is to early to chuck the towel in so going completely on the offensive at this time may be premature and could develop an uneasy relationship. My advice would be simply this, arrange an appointment with your Doc and arrange a couple more prior to the 12 month mark. Again, many of us have been through this and just as many have been as frustrated with the waiting game..... I extend my offer to PM me or alternatively why not create a new post asking for support on how to deal with emotional issues associated with HTs/ the waiting game/ disappointment. People will respond to the emotional aspect,opposed to focusing on your result to date on this thread, which I feel is not particularly the crux of it. Trust me, I've been there mate. ASKI, sounds like you have have a torrid time and I would be interesting in hearing your full experience. Why not start a new thread? Some very supportive comments to fakeplstctrees also. Regards, Jessie

Norwoodsman, I feel humbled by your experience. I also feel like complete pratt for being so down about the state of my hairline bearing in mind that I am only a Norwood 2. Your situation is much different yet I have shared similar thoughts and feelings. What does that say about me. I think my hairloss has exposed a very unpleasant side of my personality that I can not bat off: vanity. I wish I could give myself a damn good slap and realise how lucky I am and all the rest of the 'blah blah blah' but I have tried and failed. I'm not even going to comment on the prospect of a piece because I don't feel that I am qualified to. You are dealing with some serious emotional issues, even to the extent that you are moving away from home, so only you will be able to make that decision. That's not to say that some of the advice you have received so far is constructive and supportive. Forum members have tapped into the emotional aspect of wearing a piece, of which, to a much much lesser degree I can identify with in part. Let me stress 'in part' as my situation is not comparable. I have used concealers for about 3 years. When i first tried them and saw a quite remarkable cosmetic change and it would be fair to say that I became hooked and felt exhilarated. A few poor HTs later and I still use them, but that initial glee has manisfested into thoughts of feeling like a cheat and a fraud. I am constantly self conscious about people discovering my concealers, preventing me from being albe to stand face to face with people and maintaining direct eye contact. I wish that I could kick the concealers so that I could bring my old personality back but its not easy. Wearing a piece will no doubt invite similar feelings which you should strongly consider. A very touching experience mate and its great to see such constructive and helpful advice coming through. I wish you the very best and hope that your decision will bring you happiness. Jessie

Acrobaz, Think I saw yours prior to mine. Life changing, you must be so pleased. Congrats mate, Jessie

57 mph, This is what this forum is all about, sensibile and constructive advice. You hit the nail on the head! Its all about communication and avoiding problems further down the line. There are some excellent reps out there and they do a fabulous job, but adding a 'third party' to the mix, particulalry without personal access to the Doc pre op, is a potential recipe for disaster. Don't get me wrong, in most cases things will go 'swimmingly' but there will be the odd occasion where things don't. Mine was one of those occasions. I would be using awfully polite wording here to chalk up my experience to 'miscommunication' but I will do so to keep us on thread. I experienced 'miscommnication' both before and whilst trying to reach out for help. Bottom line is 57 mph, face to face with the Doc. You eliminate any miscommunication and will be able to ask the Doc a whole host of questions and work out their 'vibe' if necessary to weigh up how they will stand by you afterwards. Quick one, I know that we discussed Farjo on another thread. I'm not exactly sure what your view of them is but would you consider an initial consultation with them given that you are a UK lad like me? Again, just because I don't necessarily think he is world class, Bessam Farjo has earned a sound reputation within the industry. Plus, you are not committed to him and it may provide you with a game plan of potential options without travelling across the other end of the planet!! Good luck mate, Jess

Hi 57mph, I don't think that being told that you are not a good candidate over the phone is either fair or an accurate comment to make for the simple fact, how can anybody 'accurately' assess your situation by looking at photos alone.... I have serious reservations about this. In terms of diffuse thinning, I have seen some excellent HT results, although I do appreciate that receeders do make better candidates for many reasons. I think I'm a bit of both. My hair line is receeding and the frontal zone only seems to be diffusing. I think I would be exaggerating my situation if I was to categorise myself as a diffuse thinner though. In terms of travelling, I agree. I travelled to NYC from the UK for my last HT without benefit of a face to face consult with Dr Feller prior tothe day of my HT. Far from ideal looking back on this, and you only have to look at my thread to appreciate the issues surrounding this, regardless of your view of the whole regrettable saga. The crux to the whole face to face consult is ease of communication. I believe that it is essential to see the Doc first hand and not even a patient representative, as this can often present a platform for miscommunication regardless of their experience or reputation. Travelling a huge amount of miles for a consultation is sometimes not feasible. However just as important an issue is accessibility to the Doc post HT. Folow ups are in most cases essential, and even more so if you have concerns about the result. It's for this reason that I would need to have a huge surge in confidence to travel across the pond again after my experience. I have settled for a consult in Brussels with Bisanga as a happy medium I suppose. I will feedback on this of course. I will be very interested to see what Bisanga says about my situation. I do require some thickening in and behind my hairline where I am thinning which will mean planting between hairs. Let's see whether he thinks that I am a good candidate and that my 'wish list' is realistic. Try not to let those negative comments knack your confidence. I do not want to give you false hope of course as I have no awareness of your situatin, but a face to face consult with a top Doc will help you realise your potential. Lets face it, its only in exceptional cases that no possibilities exist. All the best, Jessie

Lisco, Whilst I am most certainly a well wisher, I must say that you are asking questions here that are typically asked during the research phase. Are you having doubts about Transmed? Dr Kulahci is recommended on this site, however it would be fair to say that there has been some blips of late within Transmed which can not necessarily be attributed to her. In addition to the cases you have mentioned, see the thread by SalemSalem which effectively highlights two issues: the success of his HT and aftercare problems specifically with communication. Salem may be a good source of information on a private basis. Salem was very keen to point out that his experience on the day was excellent, but for me personally its the resut and the aftercare that are the most important factors. Lisco, from the uneasy tone of your post I'm really not sure what to make of it. Its not uncommon to have second thoughts about going through with a HT on the build up to the big day, but you are raising some very important issues about punch size, aftercare concerns , accessibility to the Doc and sustainability of large graft extract sessions. These are issues that will no doubt attract a whole array of different opinions but I'm not sure how this advice will be put into practice given that the surgery is booked and you seem commited to going through. In any event, please don't misconstrue my comments. I wish you all the very best. I'm just confused about your queries, which are all very valid. I hope you receive the reassurance that you are after and have a fantastic experience, Good luck, Jessie

Pfrenn, Hopefully people will be daring enough to stick their necks out, why shouldn't they... I have been doing a bit a research too over the last few months after my third HT did not yield the results I was hoping for, and Dr Bisanga seemed to be well up there. I have seen some very consistent results from Dr Bisanga. He doesn't have a huge reputation on this site and what I mean by that is he is not as 'big' as some of the well renound names. However this is not a bad thing, I have learned not to base my decision on the reputation of the Doc, but rather let their results do the talking. Kesser is also well spoken of on here but I'm not too sure about Dr Erdogan. I haven't heard much of him. In terms of pros and cons, I really don't know too much about them to honestly say. Taking Dr Bisanga alone, I have arranged a consultation with him so I will of course feedback on this. What attracted me to him was his consistent results, hairline work, strong yield and just as importantly, his confidence in FUE, where as others do not seem to stand by its effectiveness although they still perform it. Plenty of posts at the minute about FUE. Your thread should hopefully draw some responses. Are you looking at FUT or FUE? This would be an important point to mention, not withstanding that you haven't made your mind up on the technique yet. Happy research, Jessie

Kingslait, :eek: Two names that have appeared on this forum in the past couple of weeks that always come to mind when I think of my less that satisfactory HT journey to date; Dr Goldstone (formerly of Hospital Group) and Tarquin Blandford ( otherwise known as Mr. Blandford ) I regret the day I had a consultation with Mr Blandford for a whole host of reasons, not least of all because he failed to take pictures. Basic incompetence... When I turned up to the clinic on the day of the surgery, Dr Goldstone didn't know me from Adam and gave Mr Blandford a real roasting. That should have been my wake up call to do one..... On reflection of course, the whole 'saga' for want of a better word, was a huge regret. I was left with a badly positioned strip scar which was much wider than the norm and terrible yield for my trouble. Ok, I need to be fair here, I can not speak for other Docs at The Hosptial Group as I know absolutely nothing about them. Dr Goldstone has apparently left... Why? Why don't we know much about the Docs at Hospital group? Success stories travel like wild fire, look at some of the recent threads which are well into the thousands in terms of views. I would draw your own conclusions as to why we see and hear very little positive about The Hospital Group. Please continue in your research and seriously consider going elsewhere. Farjo is the best option. He is a good Doc. You would have to travel further a field for World class as there is a distinction between both categories. Forgive me for being direct Kingslait, I'm just trying to be honest and to the point, having endured a poor experience from The Hopital Group. Good luck with your research, Jessie

This is an amazing result. If that was me on the video you would need to put a double decker bus in front of me just to hide my smile!!! What a brilliant result from a relatively low number of grafts!! Hasson IS worthy of his reputation. In my opinion, there is a clear distinction between 'good' Docs and 'world class' Docs, which is evidenced largely by frequent and consistent life changing results just like this one. This is simply amazing.... Jessie

Salem, You remain balanced and diplomatic: good on you. It would be great to see Transmed's response to this on the forum. All the best for the future Salem, Jessie

Fakeplstctrees, Go ahead and check the thread above which is excellent advice ,considering that you are only 6 months. This will hopefully give you some reassurance that there is hopefully plenty to come. Your Doc seems to have gone against the grain in their advice to you. I would seek further clarification and reassurance as you are still relatively 'early days' and you are now at a time where some growth may start to take real effect. Many forum members on here will be able to relate to how you feel, not just about concerns with progress and growth, but just as importantly, the emotional journey that goes hand in hand with a HT procedure. The fact that you have kept your HT a secret, like many other forum members by the way, is a HUGE stress within itself. I didn't even tell me partner about the first HT mate!!! When I look back, I regret not doing this. The emotional anguish and constant lies, not just to my partner, but family, friends and colleagues, was awful. It wasn't just a hair transplant, it was a personality transplant and the constant lies made me sick and completely stressed out. My partner has been involved with the HT journey with me since and let me tell you, it is such a relief for a loved one to be able to help you through the rough times. I respect that everybodys situation is different however. Telling my family and friends is still out of the question for me but sharing your anguish with somebody close is important I feel. Ok, its good that you are on board with your Doc but I can see why you feel concerned in light of what they have said. I would urge you to pick up the phone again and seek clarification. Most forum members on here will say that 6 months is far too early to throw the towel in. The Doc should stand by you. You are absolutely right about this. Open up to the Doctor, him him exactly how you feel. They have heard it all before, you are not unique. This is all part of the aftercare and you are entitled to it. The Doc should assess your personal needs and the pair of you could work out a follow up schedule for the lext 6 months. Waiting till December without benefit of sharing your concerns is far too long a period to dwel on this and harbour negativity. Having said that, this advice may be irrelvant if you develop a growth spurt. In any event, growth or no growth, talk to your Doc about the prospect of arranging a couple more appointments prior to December, this seems reasonable (pending your traveling situation and personal circumstances of course). Also consider opening up to somebody close. Only you will know who that person is. This will be a huge weight off your shoulders and I speak from personal experience here. Oh, and congrats about sharing your experience so far. This is the start of you feeling better, as people on here can tap into exactly how you are feeling and give you the support that you need to move forward..... I wish you every success, PM me if you wish, Jessie (or Jeremy Kyle / Jerry Springer based on this post!)

Salem, On threads like these which can be contenteous, I always choose my words carefully, drawing upon my own personal experience of the HT industry. I accept there has been no public response on the forum from Transmed about the alleged shortfalls in customer care in Salem's case, however, based on my private correspondence with Salem and his comments on this thread, I have no reason to doubt his credibility, especially when he has been very restrained and diplomatic about the poor result itself. Many would have come out all guns blazing about the poor yield through sheer frustration alone, especially when the aftercare was lacking and his correspondence with Transmed was not given the due regard it deserved. Although I have only been a forum member for a couple of months, I have experience of the industry and have been a silent observer for some time. I know how these things have a tendancy to play out in situations where aftercare is seriously below par, not from my own bad experience with a leading hair surgeon, but also from my own observations of similar cases on this very forum. In essence therefore Salem I believe you. You are credible. There are similaries in your case with Albion's which in part were chalked up to a communication breakdown. And sometimes I have even seem comments to the effect that the communication breakdown would not have been 'intentional' as if that bears any relevance when being left out in the cold. Let me be clear, the aftercare in the vast majority of cases in the industry seems to be tip top among leading surgeons, I can not say that about the industry in general as I have serious reservations about the business practices of several HT providers, who are not recomended by this site by the way. On this occasion I feel that Transmed have acted irresponsibly and failed to reach out to Salem. The offer to attend for a consultation , but with the premature and unjustified comments about 'touch up work' being performed would be enough to make me feel very uncomfortable also. Furthermore, to compound the issue, there are no offers regarding travel expenses and more concerningly, there is the unfounded figure on possible yield being 70 per cent,without benefit of examination. The fact that Transmed have discussed what seems to me to be 'over optimistic' yield, I too would be concerned. Consider Albion's thread at the initial 90 per cent yield claim. Was the matter settled at that? I very much doubt it. How much negotiotion was there before they conceeded that 90 per cent was well short of the mark. Salem, I know that you have chosen to walk away having lost confidence in Transmed, on this point I tend to disagree. Don't get my wrong, I accept that you have issues with competency here which is by far one of the most important factors, but by walking away now you are relinquishing Transmed of their after care obligations. I would personally hang in there and try to recover the negotion. It may be that your situation can be resolved without going for a 2nd procedure with them as it was in the case of Albion. I would think very carefully about this prior to closing the chapter. I fully respect your wishes for wanting to move on but I feel that there is unresolved business here, especially having studied your pics and seen less than optimal growth. Keep us posted, Jessie

5Sheri, I'm surprised that this thread has not attracted more comments. So what do you make of the responses? Are you still onboard with Dr. Goldstone? Did you go ahead with the surgery? Any update would be great, Jessie