gottitgood4me

My bluntness is not intended to be rude, SHAVE IT ALL OFF at a #1 or so, and get a HT when you can afford it, but I, personally, would not wear my hair like that. I have had to face the facts and keep my hair very,very, short until I get another HT and I feel better about the way it looks. I have never heard one NEGATIVE word about my hair while it is short, and Im not self conscious while out in public. I would love to have longer hair, but not at the expense of not feeling good about the way it looks. I have a 2,500 graft session scheduled for Nov,11 and Im thinking of cancelling it because Im not sure if the results will satisfy my needs. I have high standards for ultimate results, if they can not be met, I would rather keep it shaved. These are all hard decisions for many of us, it was hard the first time I cut my hair so short, but I tolerate it now, and I dont ever wonder if someone is looking at a bald spot that Im not happy about having.

. I agree, I want to see more videos on the sites, with hair combed in different directions during the video.

I might be concerned with electric clippers that are not extremely sharp and tend to "pull" the hair from time to time.

Are you talking about the OK clinic that offers the $3.00 grafts? Affordable Hair restoration? I called them and found out that a doctor in Los Angeles that is recommended on this site travels there for surgeries as well. Guess what? It is $3 per graft in OK and $4 per graft in LA with the same doctor. Please understand, Im not suggesting there is any "funny" business going on because of this. It is just another indicator that we should research and consider that some doctors may offer us discounts. As a matter of privacy, I do not want to name the LA doctor, but with some research you may be able to find out if you wanted. We all have the right to make a profit with our profession, and we all have the right to find the best deal as a consumer.

Do you feel like you actually had the number of grafts put in that you were told? Do you think there was a lower than expected survival rate? I dont think it looks bad, It is clearly less dense in some of the pictures than many would find acceptable, but I would not in any way consider it a disaster.

Is it insane to go under the knife for a nose job, or breast implants, or any other cosmetic procedure that involves, probably, greater risk than a strip HT? I do agree that the scar can be rather "unsightly" however, is this not a choice a person should be allowed to make, especially if they have educated themselves about it? Often times, enjoyment in life involves risk, like rock climbing, or skydiving, or drag racing. There will always be those that do not have a "happy ending". But the word "choice" is a fundamental part of human existence, especially in the United States. There comes a time when government regulation, such as banning the strip procedure as you suggested, must be limited so that we preserve that EVER SO POWERFUL word "CHOICE".

Why should it be banned?

Yes, I agree with you. There will always be limitations with HT. And as you said, we must have realistic expectations. That part is what is personally giving me trouble in deciding how to proceed with my hairs future. I have high expectations, Im just not sure if they are unrealistic yet. I just hope for the best for everyone who goes through this and if I opened some guys mind to some new ideas that end up giving him more happiness after his HT, then I feel good about it.

I was suggesting that it be done over a 4-5 year period, like many others have had. Thats right, we do not get coverage like we once had, but I see results that are very impressive and patients that say they are very happy with the results, so, in my opinion the "used car" they bought was a $30,000 1982 Ferrari 308 GTB. Not the best used car out there, but it will make lots of people happy having it. I work a very low paying job and I have made sacrifices to save the money I need to have my second procedure done. Its scheduled for Nov.11 2011. I could have bought a used Corvette, or a nice used motor home, or endless numbers of things, with the money but I made a personal choice that this is more important, just like many others have decided. I have no interest debating with angry, or verbally abusive people that use sarcasm to make their point over the internet, so dont expect any replies if that is the direction you take.

Adding to what Bill said, The $35,000 he spent will be with him 24/7, it wont need insurance or oil changes like a car, it wont need property taxes like a house. Everyone must decide for themselves what is more important. We tend to forget about the money we could have had if we had not spent it when we look at many years past. But we almost all look in the mirror every day, and if $35,000 puts a smile on our face every day it was likely worth it. My only issue with spending the money is believing the results will be consistent with what I spent. That is where finding a great doctor comes in. I want to know that "Im getting my money`s worth".

As a doctor doing a elective procedure he should be allowed to charge as much or little as he wants. If people are willing to pay much higher prices than the "norm" that is their choice. If a doctor charges $10 per graft and tells a uneducated patient during consultation that he will not find a lower price, well, I would have a ethical issue with that. If he is honest and says other doctors charge much less and as a patient you have to decide who you are most comfortable to do your work, well then, he has done nothing wrong. If he deters the patients from other doctors by suggesting other doctors will do a poor job, or he will be sorry, or things like that, I do not think that would be ethical either. Personally, I think that a 3,000 graft procedure that costs $12,000 or more and is done in eight to ten hours, the breakdown that is over $1,000 per hour seems high to me. However, I do not know the doctors costs associated with doing this work or their profit margin for each procedure. The only way prices will be lowered on a large scale is if people stop having the work done and essentially, demand a lower price. It would be a boycott of the business, until prices are lowered. I do not see that happening. I have consulted with very reputable doctors that are willing to lower their price by a dollar per graft! That is a $3,000 savings for a 3,000 graft procedure. That is BIG MONEY for me! As courtesy, I will not mention the doctors names. Privacy when standard prices are lowered is important to me and probably the doctor as well. In reference to pain level, mine was a 1-2 on a scale of 10, no pain meds taken, different people, different experiences.

As a pastor, I would like to think that you would be very open with this. It would make a great sermon about changes we make, accepting the changes that others choose to make. I think your listeners would be very inspired to accept things that others do like this. Personally, a great hair transplant surgery is nothing to hide from others, even the recovery. There are many people out there with physical deformities that they may not be able to hide their situation, and may be uncomfortable with it. I really think you could inspire people in many ways if you decide to do this and be open about it during your speaking.

I relate this to meeting a great looking girl, only to find out later that she has a whole bunch of flabby skin on her belly. I just do not like that and it would have a effect on any further dating.

I would have said. "Yep, Im balding and you are getting fat. We all have our "problems". Should we keep talking about it or stop?"