baalloss

Another thing I've noticed about shills on another forum is this : whenever the salesman for the clinic posts a wonderful YouTube video of the latest success from the clinic, a handful of the regular posters, including the owner of the site, immediately pipe in with comments like : "Dr XYZ is really knocking out some great work." "Remarkable looking transformation." "Really high quality work by Dr XYZ." And these comments only come when a review of a 'recommended' clinic is posted. The site is just a thinly disguised advertising portal where the clinics pay a monthly fee for subtle but constant promotion.

Hi @sulhcg, have a read of my experiences, all the way to the last post, and this may show how things can go wrong even with a "top provider" clinic:

As everyone has said, don't do it just yet! You have very attractive hair and you don't need to subject them to shock-loss. Give it a few years.

^ Hilarious that this is posted on the 'schills and trolls' thread. @Melvin- Moderator just bringing this to your attention.

Respectfully disagree. My own experience (reviewed on this site) has shown that even a self-proclaimed "world class" doctor that I went to (Lupanzula) simply isn't interested in even talking with the patient, at the time when it becomes obvious that the transplant is not working. Such a patient is an inconvenience, and the clinic hopes they will just go away quietly and keep their mouth shut. And they will tell you little white lies, string you along, give you false hope, false promises etc to buy themselves time. Don't expect warm, comforting post-operation support if things don't turn out right. You're largely on your own.

Stubble, these are very good quality photos and a great result! I'm glad this worked well for you. I wasn't going to post on this thread, but you wrote..... I don't know why/when this happened, but I'm so glad it did, cos it gave me the chance to document my own very poor and emotionally painful experience with this clinic, which hopefully acts as an eye-opener to newbies, highlighting that things aren't always what they seem. But this is YOUR review, so I'll stay out, and I'm genuinely happy to see such a great result. It will get even better by 18 months, as the hair mature.

This gives lots of people like me hope for the future. I better stop having hair cuts 🙂 (He definitely has good hair on the temples, which may make this possible without concealers.)

This is an incredible transformation just by combing the hair differently. If you look at the first two photos he hardly has any hair just above his forehead, and yet, in the 3rd photo, there seems to be enough frontal hair to be able to hide the bald scalp area. Is he using some concealer etc? Who is this guy?

Warning – long post. So, here’s a summary: It’s 15 months since the op, and things haven’t worked out well. Quick-and-dirty review of the whole process : Weeks leading up to the operation – good (Scott was very responsive, providing quick answers, clear pre-op instructions etc) Day of the surgery - excellent (great doctor, very pleasant, painless op, friendly staff, etc) Post operation support - incredibly poor (no advice given, being fobbed off, manipulative actions, toxic) Photos. Here is the photo that sums up the result. The first is taken on the morning of the op; the middle one, an hour after the op, and the last one is in Jun ’21, 15 months later. As you can see, things haven’t worked out. The reason is explained below. The dream turns sour. My very first post in this thread explains how I was very impressed with the things leading up to the operation and the day of the transplant itself. That was excellent, and this still stands, of course. However, in the months that followed, things took a turn. I started realising something was not right at the 6-month stage, but was trying to be patient, and it was at the 9 month mark that I came to a realisation that this is not working. (See photos above in post dated 09-Dec-20). I was emotionally distraught, and wanted to know what could be the reason for this poor result so far. I hoped that the clinic would give me some ideas, advice, information etc. However, there was nothing – I mean literally NOTHING – not one piece of “Oh, it could be because of X or Y or Z….”. No explanation of why the growth was poor, what steps I can take to find out more, what the clinic has done in the past for other patients in this situation etc. Instead, there was sugar-coating, refusal to accept that there was even a problem and re-assurances that all will be well by the 12 month mark, that I needed to have trust, and that the doctor will only look at my case after 12 months, and at that point, I will get a full assessment, a proper investigation, and we will work as a team to fix this, etc etc. All contact was with Scott. No access to/guidance from the doctor at all. This was all very well, and I totally get the 12 month timescale, but I desperately wanted to know the reason why my transplant wasn’t working, so I came on this forum and wrote the post mentioned above to ask the community here for advice. There was no criticism, no judgement, no blame in that post - just a simply request for information. However, a few days after I posted that, I get a call from Scott and I am reprimanded on the phone for doing this. He mentioned that my post had resulted in the relationship becoming strained, and he also used words like “lawyer” and “court” – not sure if this was a subtle, veiled threat of legal action to frighten me. I brushed that aside, but was frustrated that the rep was not only giving me zero information, but he was now preventing me from getting information from others. Now, I understand that clinics do not want patients with poor results to talk about it publicly. It’s not good for business. Fine. But as a very stressed patient, I needed to get some advice and since I was getting none from the clinic, I had to turn elsewhere. This was in Dec ’20. The next 3 months were an emotional rollercoaster, and every day of waiting till my 12-month anniversary (3rd Mar 2021) was agony. When March came, I sent off my photos to the clinic and looked forward to getting this resolved. A Skype video call was arranged, and the “full assessment” and “investigation” that I had been promised all along, turned out to be nothing more than the doctor telling me to get a biopsy done and check for lichen plano polaris and frontal fibrosis. Why the doctor couldn’t have spent 5 minutes on the phone back in Dec and tell me this at that point, I do not know. There was no recommendation of which dermatologist to use, no visual examination over video, or any detailed discussion around the why, when, what, etc. Okay, so I find a dermatologist (in Reading, UK), and have the biopsy done. It turns out I have lichen plano-polaris (LPP). Here’s an interesting back-story : When I had the initial consultation with the doctor and Scott in London in Feb ’20, I specifically asked the doctor to check for LPP – the reason being that, prior to this, I had had a consultation with another doctor, who mentioned that he suspects that I have LPP and that whenever I have a transplant, I need to get this checked. Dr Lupanzula examined my head a second time, but couldn’t see find any evidence of LPP. It would be easy to blame the doctor for not correctly diagnosing the presence of LPP, but I feel that that would be unfair as this can be a very elusive condition to diagnose, and I give Dr Lupanzula the benefit of the doubt. I get the biopsy report from my derm and pass it onto Scott for him to forward to the doctor so that we could have another Skype chat and work out the next steps. I get a call from Scott and his tone is totally different. He’s clearly upset with me, and tells me that our relationship has broken down, and is not sure if he can help. Now, I made certain up till that point, that I did not update my review even though people were asking for it, in case I upset the clinic. However, in a moment of excitement, on another forum, a week or so prior to getting my derms report, I saw an incredible result from a Dr Bisanga patient and I posted I believe something like “Wow, what an amazing result – I wish I had gone to Dr B for my transplant as well”. (I made no mentioned of Dr Lupanzula/Medikemos.). It seems that Scott had seen that post, and maybe made a complaint about it to the owner of the site, who then edited my post to simply say “Oh wow, what a great result.” and messaged me to let me know. So, un-knowingly, I had re-awakened the wrath of the rep. The phone conversation that followed with Scott was a very un-pleasant and heated one, where he was indirectly saying that he would not help me unless I went to the forums, apologised and wrote positive things about the clinic. Knowing full well that the only “help” I can expect from the clinic will be along the lines of “Get your LPP sorted out, and then come back for a transplant in a couple of years.” I told Scott that if he wanted to help me, then great, if not, then that is fine too, cos I do not play games. Quite frankly, I had grown tired of the constant reprimands, the false promises, the sugar-coating, and constant sales pitch about how amazing the clinic is, how awesome the doctor is and how many happy patients they have, and a lecture about the importance of “building trust”. Yeah, sure, that’s great, but all I wanted to know for the last 6 months was why my transplant had not been successful. How about just giving me some guidance and advice, like the people on the forums did? After 40 minutes, we end the call, and I honestly wanted nothing more doing. But to his credit, a few days later, he did organise a Skype call between himself, me and the doctor. As expected, the doctor was very pleasant, but I have LPP and I understand that it’s up to me to get this sorted. The whole post-operation “support” has been un-necessarily and frustratingly poor. Having an unsuccessful transplant is an emotional and very painful experience and on top of that, when the rep strings you along, reprimands you, is always in sales-mode and tries to coerce and manipulate you, it rubs salt into the wounds. Rather than help, he was a hindrance, and although Medikemos is a top-class outfit, the after-care made it feel like I was dealing with a second-class clinic in a 3rd world country. This was purely due to the support rep I had to deal with, and I accept that a clinic shouldn’t be judged by the actions of an employee. The positives. - In fairness, I feel that Dr Lupanzula is a fine doctor. He’s incredibly pleasant and likable, and knows his craft. The day of the operation really was a largely painless experience, and the doctor was involved throughout, even to the point of shaving my hair, taking photos etc. I felt well-looked after in the operating room. - The clinic seems to be a family business (I met two other immediate family members on the day of the operation) – and I really like that aspect. It gives it a personal touch and Medikemos is not a faceless, conveyor-belt outfit which just gets multiple clients in every day. - The staff on the day of the operation were very friendly and helpful. They even explained what they were doing under the microscope and invited me to have a look. I un-knowingly made them laugh with my loud snoring whilst they were doing the planting, as I had nodded off. Who’s lost out? We all have – myself, the doctor, the clinic. This whole debacle could have been handled so much better and with such little effort. And that’s the saddest part. It seems that the clinic has outsourced the post-operation support service to an employee, and whilst that makes sense, it comes with risk. Medikemos is probably not even aware of what’s been going on, or the consequences - I’ve got friends in real life who were thinking of a transplant with this clinic after I had mine, but now they will go elsewhere. There have been people PM-ing me online and they’re not too impressed either. Dr Lupanzula has spent decades learning his skill, and I respect and admire him for that, and I would not want him to lose out as a result of this incident. It’s not un-common for companies to have most departments work very efficiently, but have one department that lets the side down. Or have an employee who is well-meaning but who is not quite in the right job, and uses practices which ultimately harm the company’s reputation. Unfortunately, from my position, the situation of Medikemos appears to be like that of a top-quality restaurant, which has a very highly skilled chef working away in the kitchen, but some customers are turning away cos the serving staff are letting the side down. In summary, I wrote this not to look for an apology or explanation, or refund. Nor sympathy, nor to play the victim. Life goes on. I wrote this because one of THE most frustrating things in my research for a doctor was the sheer lack of negative reviews. To the point that, at our initial consultation, I remember saying to Scott “Surely, there MUST be people for whom a transplant hasn’t worked or the result is poor.” I had no idea that a year later “I” would be such a person. I realise now that there are lots of transplants that are not successful, and there’s a reason why you don’t see many negative reviews……but that’s the subject of another thread. I posted this update in a hope that someone, somewhere will benefit from this experience. As odd as it seems, the clinic itself could also benefit in the long term.

Wow, this is pretty under-handed stuff. I naively assumed it mainly happened the other way around, cos I myself have had subtle, but obvious enough, pressure applied to say/not-say things publicly. The latest tactic used by the clinic led me to openly ask on the phone "Are you saying that you will only help me if I write good things about your clinic". Of course, they wouldn't answer with a Yes/No, so I told them "I don't play games. If you want to help me, then help me, if not, then that's fine too." Exactly this! It's a jungle out there.

Here you go...... hairlossexperiences.com

I've experienced it first hand! On another site which, of course, I cannot mention in case it violates any rules (but happy to do so if asked). And my comment on that forum wasn't even that negative - it was an expression of amazement at someone else's wonderful HT and my confession that I wish I too had chosen that doctor. Within hours, bingo, my post gets edited and I get a message from the site owner.

Surely, no clinic will provide references to un-successful transplant patients? They will only give you details of the happy patients, just like they will only post videos on their sites of amazing looking transformations. Not being cynical, just being frank. One of the concerns I had when I was researching was the lack of negative reviews. Now that I understand the industry better, I know the reason. This is probably the most un-biased site on hair transplants, but there are numerous others which are little more than disguised promotion sites for the clinics which fund them. To the point that they will edit/delete posts if the clinic doesn't like them.

Sunny, sorry to read about your tale. But a very big 'Thank you' for posting about your situation. One of the concerns I had when I was investigating which doctor to go with for mine was the serious lack of negative reviews. It seems as if people will only post a review if their results are good, or they are nervous/reluctant to post negative reviews for fear of being sued or whatever. But reviews like yours will help many, many people in the future. Wishing you the best.

Hi Melvin, sure, one day when I become my real self then I may be brave enough to say the name 🙂

I subscribe to another website and I get a nightly email showing me amazing hair transplant results and they are almost all based on clinics in Turkey. I won't mention the name of the site (in case it violates any rules here), but that site is really full of fake reviews. I often leave comments after the 'review' stating my concerns, in case some newbies in the hair transplant scene fall for these gimmicks. One of the most obvious red flags for me is when a review focuses mostly on how wonderful the doctor was and how well taken care of the patient felt and how everyone was so supportive etc and there is very little information on the number of grafts, hair density, and there are no photos at all. PS - un-related to hair transplants - but on google it's possible to buy fake positive reviews. My local Chinese eatry has amazing reviews where the clients say things like "I had a business meeting at this great restaurant last night and...." or "The ambiance was amazing, and the waiters really looked after us...." - only one problem - this is a Chinese takeaway, and there are no waiters, no seats, no ambiance etc. Hilarious.

Hi Huncholini, my 12 months will be up on 03-Mar-21, and hopefully I will get the doctors view then on why things have panned out in the way that they have. So, pls hold fire till then.

@Gatsby, reading this gave me some hope. I'm in a stressful situation myself with my HT (reviewed on this site) but will wait till my 12 months are over (at 10 months now) before I post more details. It is incredibly disheartening and frankly even depressing. But like you said "this will pass".

@Ray80, has there been any update on your situation? I realise how stressful this whole episode must have been for you, and I hope there is some sort of resolution.

Thank you all for your replies. They are really helping me to understand the situation better and helping me prepare for the next steps. My response to the questions are below : " Did Dr. Lupanzula have any input about your hair loss situation during the initial consult?" I'm not sure I understand the question, but I had a physical consult with Dr L and Scott on London in Feb, and the doctor examined my head and we spent about 30 mins together. He proposed a hair line, gave me an idea of the number of grafts etc etc. He didn't think there was any problem with my scalp, or hair type etc. "Were you on Finasteride before the transplant?" Before the op, I was using a custom made topical solution of 6% minox+0.2%melatonin+0.2% fin (this had been recommended to be my a hair consultant doctor on Harley St, London) Perfectly sums up how I'm feeling. You agonise for years watching your hair thin, you do the research, you read hundreds of reviews, and then you finally pluck up the courage to have the transplant done, and you feel ecstatic shortly afterward, knowing that you've taken positive action, and that the worst is over......only to realise months later, that it gets much worse. Without sounding like a girly whooz, the pain is similar to a breakup. "Is there a reason you tried dutasteride but not fin? " My hair were showing signs of poor growth at the 6-month mark, and Scott recommended that I move to dutasteride. "Have you spoke with a dermatologist? It's possible there is another underlying condition causing the hair loss. Even if you are offered another make-up procedure you should first get your scalp evaluated to rule out any issues. " No, not yet - I didn't know how to deal with this failure - Dr Lupanzula will not look at my situation till the end of the 12th month (in Mar '21), so I came here looking for advice and you guys have come up with great suggestions. And yes, a scalp biopsy would be on the list of things that would need to be done in Mar '21. Much appreciated.

Thanks Melvin. I've just updated my review at the 9 month stage here : I would love your feedback.

This video is perfectly timed for me - I'm in sadly in this situation right now. Thanks for sharing.

Firstly, I need to clarify that what I express here is NOT a review of Dr Lupanzula or Scott - they have both been fine. I last spoke with Dr L on the day of the operation, and he was professional, pleasant and a gentleman. Scott has been my contact since and he has always been polite and very responsive. This is a review of the results. Writing this update is an unpleasant experience - on the one hand I don't want to be seen as discrediting anyone (because that is not the intention), but on the other, I'm looking for help and assistance. I have been in denial about my transplant for a couple of months at least, and yesterday I came to an brutal realisation. I attach my 9 month photos below. As you can see, things are not going according to plan. I'm understandably very disappointed and concerned. The very last photo is the Before/After - the left one one was taken by Dr L an hour before the op, and the right one was taken yesterday. When I asked why my results are so poor, the official answer was that I need to wait for the full 12 months before an assessment can be made, and the doctor will only look at the photos at that point. That may be a fair point, but I find it difficult to believe that somehow the grafts will all suddenly spring to life in the next 3 months. So, I come looking for feedback and advice pls from experienced people : 1) How do I establish what's gone wrong? How can I work out the reason for this poor result? Could it be because of : a) my body chemistry or genetics (eg maybe low iron levels, low protein intake etc etc). I doubt if this matters, but I don't smoke, rarely drink and am physically fit. b) poor handling/usage of the grafts during the procedure. c) the planting wasn't done properly and the grafts failed to take hold. 2) What action can I take to remedy this situation? Who else can I talk to? 3) Has anyone else had such a poor result after 9 months (with any doctor) and then gone on to achieve reasonable density? 4) Is it possible for a doctor to tell, after examining my head, whether the implanted hair are just in the sleeping phase, or whether they are dead? (Also, I would really like to reach out to others who have had failed transplants, so pls feel free to PM me.) For ref, I started using Rogaine foam from 01-Apr at Dr L's recommendation, and then was advised to switch over to Dutasteride at the beginning of Oct, but I stopped it after a month and returned back to Rogaine due to side effects. Guys, pls be brutally honest with me. I'm not looking for sympathy, nor for false hope. Neither am I looking to blame anyone. I'm looking to understand what's gone wrong. Much appreciated.

It's 6 months now since my transplant, and I attach some photos. A few things to note : - I normally dye my hair black, but haven't for a while so there is a different 'look' from now compared to the photos just before the operation. - I was getting a little concerned by month 5 as I didn't see much growth, but Scott re-assured me that it will come. - My hairline looks much better when I look horizontally in the mirror and the operation has made me look less ugly than before 🙂. Which is nice. - The density is a little lacking right now, and I'm hoping that in the next few months it will improve. - I use Rogaine foam twice a day and nothing else. (Maybe I should - anyone have any recommendations?) The key learning for me is that everyone's hair and results are different and some patients will experience amazing looking transformations after just 5 months and seeing their reviews/photos can raise the expectations to un-realistic levels. In summary, whilst I am happy with the progress so far, I am expecting a lot more hair in my temples by the end of the year. And once the 12 months are over, I'll be able to give a rating out of 10 for the whole process. Till then, it's a case of not looking at myself in the mirror too often, and getting on with the life whilst the follicles do their magic in the background.

Ahmad yaar, your hair look great. Not just that, but the quality of your photos is superb too. Your review was one of the reasons I went with Dr L myself (in March, so I'm in the ugly duckling stage right now), so thanks for sharing your experience - it definitely helps others. PS - just my view, but I think your hairline looks just fine. Maybe leave it a for a while longer before having another op?