thecenturion

On 7/12/2022 at 11:09 AM, RTC said:

Why doubles - you generally don't find them in nature when it comes to hairlines

Right.. Point well taken

If I were the patient here, I would ask for some more light touch-up work along the hairline. It's not absolutely 100% to a trained eye. But, just to be nit-picky: Some single and two follicle grafts would add a bit more of a natural touch. This result is excellent - undetectable to 99.99% of observers, Certainly a result anybody should be able to live and be very happy with. 

Botched transplants should be subject to a malpractice claim and even criminal prosecution - just like any other quack-hack who butchers someone. There are a lot of ruthless con artists out there who won't let the potential for mutilating you and wrecking your life stand in the way of an easy buck. Cosmetic surgery is an art. A medical license is no real guarantee or endorsement of their talent. 

It's pretty good, IMO.

For me, what separates the artists from the hacks is the hairline.

A poorly executed hairline can make a hair transplant look more like a wig than a wig. 

 I wouldn't trust this clown to remove a hang-nail.  It used to be laser beams Now he's into robots - hi techie BS to dazzle the suckers into feeling no pain before they realize they got royally screwed by him and his con-artist ring-master, John.  In my opinion, these idiots are no different than a couple  of muggers, only they use a scalpel instead of a gun.  My bet is the only thing they've ever successfully transplanted is cash from their victims' bank accounts into their own... for nothing. If you go here, a year later you WILL end up looking just like Markou himself and Vin Diesel from the neck up. ,  LMAO Gotta love it. Guess why Markou is the only "physician" in Tampa Bay offering his "techniques". Think about it. It's because the others are afraid of losing their license. 

I got the Frankenstein Procedure in the Beverly Hills office of Mayer and Fleming in 1982. In those days, it was thought way better than the transplant route which was still rather primitive and unsightly. If you had really thick hair, like mine, you could maneuver things in a way that mainly concealed the weirdo Barbie Doll hairline - which looked more like a hairpiece than an actual  hairpiece. But, with a little spray and enough hair in proximity to the flap, it could all look essentially normal, overall. I refused to get the follow up flap procedure which replaced a balding crown with the other side of the scalp. Mayer tried to sell me on that and I might have gone through with it. But the pain and misery - which are severe - from the first procedure deterred me from going there.. thank God. This was sold as an outpatient procedure; but it shouldn't be. It's definitely major surgery. It should require a mandatory night in the  hospital - at the very least - and maybe two. And after that, you end up with a huge bump on the side of your head from the scalp being rearranged and has to be resolved with more surgery a few weeks later. Meanwhile, you look like a friggin sideshow freak or cancer patient with a tumor on your head. Nice.  Flash forward 30 years. A lot more hair has gone kaput and there's a lot more real estate exposed - but on the crown and sides. Plus, there's always been a weird bump on the back of my head near the neckline which has bugged me ever since. So, as a veteran of every Frankenstein procedure in the books - including the famous "Doctor" Underwood Synthetic Implants horror show in the 70s ( a major criminal med scam and worthy of a place in the Medical Malpractice Hall Of Fame. ) Bottom Line: Anyone thinking about getting a Flap Job should get their head examined by a competent psychologist first before even thinking about surgery at a hair transplant mill.    

I don't understand why there's not some real teeth in the laws regulating hair transplant surgeons. Medical professionals are expected to have earned the special position of trust that they enjoy in their communities. But, sadly, some of these "doctors" are nothing more than muggers who use a scalpel instead of a gun. They get away with that because the results of cosmetic procedures are subjective and open to judgment calls from beginning to end. And hair transplantation is especially conducive to an artistic interpretation. . However, it's one thing when some con artist lies though their teeth to drain your bank account. But, it's quite another when someone - not only uses human desperation and pain as leverage to influence the victim - but then leaves them mutilated with life-long damage. You can make money to recover from a common financial scam. But you can't grow another scalp or recover from scars left by some monster who sees other human beings as nothing but pieces of meat to deceive, exploit and then throw to the side when they're finished . This is a real atrocity that rivals the worst crimes - on the same level as an aggravated assault, rape or other outrageous violation. If it can be demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that a surgeon misrepresented and/or defrauded victims, all they currently face is a possible reprimand from a medical board or civil arbitration procedure. This is really a bloody joke. These vampires should get some good hard prison time in a tough prison - like 30 years in the slammer. My guess is if that were the case, we'd be seeing fewer sad stories from victims on forums like this.

LOL>. I got worked over by Markou and his Con Artist Salesman John about 5 years ago. They were selling the Laser Beam BS that supposedly was a shit-wow innovation in the hair restoration biz. The selling point was that it resulted in a "less detectable" result. To be honest: I guess there was a grain of truth in that claim... since any new hair growth whatsoever that ever resulted was completely undetectable. The bottom line: What's really undetectable is how this clown manages to hang onto his license to practice medicine... or stay out of jail for that matter.

LOL>. I got worked over by Markou and his Con Artist Salesman John about 5 years ago. They were selling the Laser Beam BS that supposedly was a shit-wow innovation in the hair restoration biz. The selling point was that it resulted in a "less detectable" result. To be honest: I guess there was a grain of truth in that claim... since any new hair growth whatsoever that ever resulted was completely undetectable. The bottom line: What's really undetectable is how this clown manages to hang onto his license to practice medicine... or stay out of jail for that matter.

Hello Members,

 

I had a HT procedure with Dr. Markou formerly with the Hair and Scalp clinic of Clearwater.

Just a FYI he has now changed the name of his clinic to Tampa Bay Hair Restoration.

I had a terrible experience with this Doctor, and would hate to see anyone else endure the same pain, and humiliation I suffered. I have written about my experiences in the past so feel free to check it out.

 

Maybe things are different at his new clinic, but his bedside manner, and skills were terrible when I was his patient.

Do your research before having any procedure with him. If you are considering having a HT with him I'm available to chat, or message me, and I can fill you in on my experience.

 

Rodfl

This is my first attempt at posting on this site so I apologize if I am on the incorrect forum. If I am, perhaps someone can redirect me. I just wanted to say how grateful I am to have found you all. I was scheduled to have an HT at the Hair & Scalp Clinic in Clearwater on June 25. I looked up the Dr. (Michael Markou) and Clinical Director (John Satino) and couldn't find anything -- neither positive nor negative -- on them. That is until I came across your forum. Based on what I've heard about them on your forum, I am cancelling my appointment and making an appointment with Dr. Rose in Tampa, Fl. I couldn't find any positive comments on Dr. Markou. If there IS anyone on this forum that has something positive to say, I would appreciate hearing it.

 

Thanks you for your input.

My advice is: Steer clear of Satino and his little Igor, "'Doctor" Markou. The scam here is the old "laser beam" myth along with a real ow-ball quote on the grafts. I had MORE hair before these clowns got me into the chair.

The Questions:

To get the possible doctors viewing this thread out of here quick, I'll start with the questions.

 

Is it possible for a patient to hear every/most of the follicle incisions being done during a Dr. L. Shaprio type of procedure?

 

Is there any other way to prove how many transplants were done?

 

What can I do from this point forward?

 

I'm very curious due to my most recent experience with Dr. L. Shaprio. I'll explain below...

 

A little about me:

Let me start by saying that I am 39 years old and have had 3 HT sessions with Dr. L. Shaprio over the last 3 years. Unlike some, I've been relatively happy with my improvements. My head hasn't been mangled nor do I have a hideous donor scar as a result of the three procedures. However, his ability to provide an undetectable hairline needs work. It is very possible that my 4th and hopefully final procedure will be with a Doctor that can provide a better hairline.

 

My gradual hair loss started in my late 20's. By my mid 30's I started using Rogain based products and achieved positive results. However, those results weren't good enough and I decided to do HTs. I did some research of a few local doctors on the Internet and found very little (probably because I was searching specific doctors). I did several consultations as well. All of the doctors were using the same procedure and offering the same results. With that in mind, I chose Dr. L. Shaprio because his prices were better ($3 per Vs $8 per).

 

The Doctor visits:

During all 3 pre-surgery consultations I was able to speak to the Dr. as long as I needed. He spent time answering my questions and addressing my concerns. I found him to be quite friendly and knowledgeable. His staff was very friendly as well. They explain everything they want you to do to prepare for the procedure (messaging the scalp, no aspirin or alcohol, etc.) I also didn't find the initial sales pitch to be high pressure at all. But they do press quite hard for a deposit. When you return for the procedure is when they turn up the sales pressure in an attempt to get you to do more HTs.

 

The Procedures

When you get to there office, the staff signs you in and moves you into a consultation room. This is where the hard sale for more HTs happens. Once that's done the Dr. comes in and speaks with you. In my case, he again spent as much time as I needed answering questions and discussing the procedure each time I was there. After the Dr. visit I am dressed for the surgery, bombarded with paper work to sign and given the pre-op drugs. Next I am taken into one of the 3 procedure rooms(he is usually working on 2 other people at the same time). My lunch order is taken, my movie choice is put on the TV and the numbing shots are applied to my head by one of the Dr.'s nurses. Once I am numb the Dr. removes my donor strip, sews my up and makes the multiple HT incisions. After that it's not likely I'm going to see the Dr. again during the procedure. Unless he makes a request of me to allow him to bring in some (potential client) to see the procedure. Otherwise his assistants finish up by placing all of the implants.

 

1st HT

I started out as a 3 or 3A. I was told that 1,000 was the least amount of HTs I should do. I chose to do 1200 at $2.50 per graft and was up sold to 1350 on the day of the procedure.

 

2nd HT

Unhappy with the thickness of my hair (thinking I needed more HTs) and wanting to reduce the linear look of Dr. L Shapiro's hairline, I chose to do 1800 more at $2.50 per graft. The Dr. assured me that he could fix the look of the hair line and I would be happy.

 

3rd HT

Still unhappy with the fullness and disappointed with the seemingly thicker/more visible linear hairline, I was back for more. During my consultation I asked the Dr. exactly what the max amount of HTs he thought I could do on my next procedure. I also told him that he must fix the hairline with the next HT. He told me that the reason my hairline was so defined/noticeable was because my hair was so dark and my scalp was so light.(I'm calling BS on this) But he swore that he could blend it in and make it look more natural. He was also very reluctant to give me the quantity of max HTs. However, he did end up telling me that 2000 (@ $2.00 per graft) was the max he could do. (This is what brings me to my original questions.) When I returned for the procedure, I was once again taken into the consultation room where the consultant started in about more HTs. I told her that the Dr. already said I was at a max of 2000 for this procedure. She "the consultant" then tells me, "no you could do more". I'm thinking WTF. I told her to go argue with the doctor. She then leaves the room and returns with the Dr. Dr. L. Shapiro proceeds to tell me that because I messaged so well he could do up to 500 more. This didn't sound right to me, but this is a "doctor" telling me and I want as much hair as possible, so I agreed to 200 more for a further reduced price of $1.50 per graft.

 

Suspicious about the up sale because what the Dr. told me during my previous consultation, I decided to count the incisions during the procedure. I remembered how I could hear a crunching sound each time the doctor made an incision. I figure count those sounds and I'll know (within reason) whether or not I got the extra 200 grafts. Well the Dr. began and I started counting. I only got to around 870 and he was done. Needless to say I was confused and unsure if my count was accurate, so I didn't say anything.

 

The here and now

It's been less than 2 weeks since the HT and I've been beating myself up over this, wondering which way to turn. I started doing more research into this doctor and not liking what I've found. I can understand that some people aren't happy with their results. But my quandary involves being cheated out of money. This isn't a question of talent anymore. It's a question of whether or not this guy is selling you 2200 transplants for $4300.00 and only doing 870. Which coincidentally mean he's getting the average going rate of almost $5.00 per transplant.

 

Please refer to the questions at the beginning and offer any assistance you can.

 

Thank you for taking your time to read all of that.

Looks like this guy is nothing but a criminal with a medical license, in my opinion. I've been down the pike with all of these hair restoration "procedures" and learned one thing a long time ago: Just because the guy is wearing a white smock doesn't make him any less of a liar and con artist. This industry needs a lot more regulation - like serious jail time for these con artists who use a scalpel in their crimes.

Hello All,

I had my procedure this Friday, 11/16/2012 by Dr. Markou and John Satino. My experiences thus far have been nothing short of outstanding. John is a terrific guy and the customer service he provides is second to none. He picked me up from the airport and provide me first hand, first class service the entire time of my three day stay. I am a mechanical engineer and own my business and can tell you that I treat my customers the same and like the same in return but almost never receive that level of personal service. They answered all of my questions in depth and provided very good opinions and experience to fit my needs.

Dr. Markou was extremely nice, gentle and accommodating. He staff is wonderful! Very experienced and very pleasant. My procedure was very pleasant and comfortable - as comfortable as it could be, minimal discomfort.

Now I just need to be patient and wait for the hair to grow - after looking at what will be the new hair line - I'm very excited that the results will be great!

Thank you John Satino and Dr. Markou and staff for treating me so well!

 

See attached photos. Note: John used some hair fibers on me the next day so I could fly home with no need to wear a hat. The yellow you see in that picture is the fibers, not any skin issue.

Thanks Mate,

Check's in the mail..

John

Your hair transplant posting does sounds like Sy Sperling from Hair Club for Men stating he is also a "client"

 

Can we see a picture of your donor scar?

Haha.. You mean "Cloient"

Sperling was an ever present and ubiquitous icon of late night TV advertising in New York for decades. I wonder if he's still around since I no longer live there. I was one of his first victi... um "Cloients" back in the early 70s. The only thing undetectable about Sy's product is how he managed to stay out of jail or escape being beaten to a pulp by his "Cloients".. It simply was a cheesy rug that looked more like a dead muskrat than a natural head of hair attached by tying the thing your fringe. After a few days his piece of super pricey garbage would begin to rot as your scalp turned into a festering swamp underneath. It would stink so bad that you couldn't sleep.. Forget about sleeping with the hot sexy babes Sy would liberally feature in his ad blitz - always fawning over some dude who obviously wasn't one of Sy's "Cloients" in real life.

This is interesting.. in a morbid way. I just happened to find this site by doing a search on transplants.

I went through Markou' and his pal John's lame procedure a few years ago.

John is the sales department and the guy who does all the talking.

I've seen every hair restoration scam out there and been through most of them, from Don Lee in New York 35 years ago, Dr. Underwood - the fake medico who mutilated people with the implant scam - to this latest smoke and mirrors BS with "lasers" at Clearwater Hair & Scalp.

Trust me. When these vampires talk about scalp, they have something entirely different in mind than treating your hair loss.

This place is standard operating scam procedure - real low-ball price on the grafts to sucker you in with the added sizzle of shooting holes in your head with a Laser Beam... Way cool eh? I mean, anytime a laser is involved it just has to be real Jetsons Hi-Tech stuff guaranteed to blow your mind.....right? Wrong. Very wrong.

Frankly, I would have gotten better results rubbing tree bark on my head because I could have taken a vacation with the money and relaxed instead of wasting my time and money with Markou and his con artist salesman's BS.

Of course, the pain and suffering I endured from yet another friggin hair restoration scam is the main damage.

These low-life bastards should be tarred, feathered and lynched while their victims use laser beams to cut their balls off.