LaserCap

It is a numbers game. How big is the practice? How many doctors are working there? How about staff? Nurses, techs? I gather we are talking about a practice with one doctor. I would rather have a doctor doing multiple cases than just one. This does bring up a few things worth discussing..... If he is doing 1 per day or per week or per month....Is that by design? Perhaps he is so bad at it - he just does not have any patients to work on. The more cases, the more experience. First thing I would do is ask about his credentials. Did he do a fellowship? Where did he learn to do this? (At a local library)? Let's get back to the number of cases. What type of cases? Perhaps he has 3 cases scheduled. One for a transplant procedure, one for an eyebrow case and one for a scar revision. If the practice is only doing 1 case a day, find out why.

No, PRP is done very superficially and typically there is no local used. Yes, your forehead will swell. If it doesn't the PRP was not successful. This will last about a day, it is very short lived.

I would try doing them the same day! That way you can take advantage of being under the local. If you've already had a transplant, I would do it as soon as the doctor gives you the OK. Two reasons for this. It can help bring in the grafts sooner and it can help reverse miniaturization. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can take advantage of the benefit.

I can gladly call them on your behalf. Would you like me to do that? I can email you privately and give you the info......

Call Dr. Arocha in Houston for pricing. You can also call Dr. Alexander in Arizona. Both are providers of this cap.

Propecia/Finasteride, Rogaine, Laser and PRP are the modalities we typically refer to when discussing this topic. The mechanism of action of each is totally different and thus, there is synergism when used simultaneously. A word of caution...... I find most people rely on the visual result. So, if you see no change in 6 months - the medication did nothing. WRONG! The medication is not intended to regrow anything. (Nothing out there regrows hair). The medication is intended for you to retain what you have. So, if 6-12 months later you look the same, the medication did what it was supposed to do. If you do look better, (with more hair), you are then one of a small percentage of patients that experienced enhancement. If so, continue using it! The benefit, (enhancement) is typically noticed more in the back of the head, (crown) and retention in the front. Lastly, do not confuse shedding with hair loss. Shedding is normal. Most believe 100 hairs a day is the norm. Hair loss is a different type of loss. Hair loss involved the miniaturization of native hair. This just means the shaft of the hair keeps getting smaller until eventually disappears and withers away.

I do. It works. The brand name is Laser Cap. I use model 224 which covers the top of the head. Model 300 covers the donor area as well. This is the only model I know that carries a lifetime warranty. You can call either company and find out about pricing, etc. Use is 3X per week for 30 minutes. It takes a full year to see the benefit, but you should start seeing initial results in 3-4 months.

Areata. And the problem is the fact that the hair can return so transplants are a no-no. Laser therapy has been known to help as it promotes blood flow to the area. Contact either Dr. Arocha or Dr. Alexander. They can help you. Model 300 covers the entire head, including the occipital area.

That's just plain ignorance. You don't get aid by just contact. And hopefully they're using gloves. Perhaps they are worried the doctor will puncture someone accidentally?

I find this despicable. Just another way to make more money. They can do the transplant regardless of the outcome! Typically during the initial consultation they'll take a medical history. It is then they'll figure out if you do have HIV, if you've been taking blood thinners, etc. Just another irritant I find from practices abroad.

No. The recipient area will have a negligible effect but only just so. Interesting. Some years ago I asked about the quality of the hair. Would the hair take the characteristics of the hair located in the recipient area? Answer - not really. The area will have a very slight effect but not much. So, the hair in the beard will now grow a lot quicker which means a bit more maintenance trimming. But I wouldn't mind if I had that result!

I've been pondering how to answer this. Not easy when you consider the industry. Yes, they're call doctors. Oh wait....What type? Would you say in layman terms that a surgeon is more "apt" than an anesthesiologist? I am honestly not trying to put anyone down. I realize how difficult that career is, (my son is just finishing his third year). The second thing to consider is the fact there is no school for this. If a doctor decides to get into it it's perhaps because he is tired of being on call all the time and would rather have a 9:00 to 5:00 job. You are still a doctor but now have a life. But going back to the school issue.....The first question is....where did they learn to do this? Do they have a fellowship of any kind? Did they just read a book? Taking into consideration full results of a procedure can typically take a year, imagine a novice. Does his first transplant procedure and waits a year. Sees the results and makes adjustments. He now has to wait another year to see those results. If you follow this train of thought, in my view, it would take a good 7 years for a doctor to have the "experience" required to do the job properly. And this is considering the fact that the doctor training him was good at this. I honestly don't care of the doctor is a pioneer. If he's been doing bad work from day one, he will continue the same trend. So, if I was a doctor getting into the arena, I would find the best and pay my dues. Get a fellowship. LEARN, get experience under the umbrella of someone successful. The sad thing is, there is no regulation of any type despite these guys working on the common folk. This is the reason why this site is important and why I donate my time. So, how do you choose? Results. It is all about results after all. View "thousands" of photos. Ask the doctor about his training. If he's good, he'll be thrilled to tell you.

Why did they take blood samples?

Good idea....I am sure they would incorporate something like this to the process.

500 years from now? Who knows. I think so. I am amazed at some of the things being accomplished today! But for now the human hand is much needed. Consider an FUE procedure on an African American. A machine, which is the beginning of what you're talking about, can not "see" the curvature on the hair, thus more transection. A robot that can "see" is quite plausible. Yes, better precision...and it would never get tired. Heck, you could replace the entire staff!

Impressive....and all growing naturally. Nice shingling effect. Can't help but observe how well it matches the mustache. Great work Doctor!

Did you have FUT the first time? Sounds like the doctor is old school. (It was believed a separation in between grafts was needed to allow for graft survival. The global concept was that grafts competed for blood supply). And typically, during a consultation, a second procedure was discussed. My first question, how much native hair did you have back then? Did you do/are you still doing any type of medical therapy? Your belief you've stabilized is a "deranged thought." The fact is, if you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. You may be stabled for years and, all of the sudden, you'll experience aggressive loss. Or, the loss may be so gradual you won't even notice. Please get on something. This will help you with overall density. Staples? That's a thing of the past. Should be sutures and these are normally removed 10-14 days post op. It is not fun but it only lasts a few minutes. For optimal healing, do not sleep on your side. Rather, sleep sitting up to avoid tension. Also, avoid any type of neck exercise. Push-ups, leg presses are OK.

Start slowing down. Or better, avoid it all together. This will thin out your blood and will make the surgery day a lot longer. It will not be fun for the staff as the grafts will pop. Drink water - which you should be doing anyway.

I'll venture to say most consultants in the industry have had it done, me included. Why do you think that is? Can you imagine going to a consultation and visiting with someone with no hair? You'd be asking, "how come you haven't got it done?" As a society we are all attracted by beauty. First impressions do carry value. Then comes success. Do I think it made a difference in my life? Of course! There is something to say about confidence, hair nor not. Each of us have our own story and it's up to each of us to overcome whatever is thrown at us. Remaining positive is key...and if hair helps - get to it. AND please, do everything you can to achieve the most you can. Medical therapy should be part of the regimen.

This one is a tough one for me. I do agree it can help with first impressions. But I think everything stems from the patient. Is there anxiety, wants exact price, etc. This may do more harm than good. The in person evaluation is critical. The doctor does need to get in there and check the scalp, quality of hair including the donor, etc. I am certain we've all experienced the patient with a dermatitis condition that ended up taking a long trip and could not move forward because of it. Another issue is that of the cost. The quote given could change drastically depending on what the doctor finds. And the patient, of course, is going to stick to his guns and ask the doctor extends the price quoted on-line. Not a good situation. I don't know...I'll say I am partially against it. I think we are better off by doing a consult on the phone, educating and giving a range of what typical costs are. It is up to the patient then to visit to get a more clear picture.

Great question, and one that's on everyone's mind when dealing with this debilitating issue. You are about to spend thousands and realize you may have to dish out thousands more down the road. Yes, like others have indicated, there are many factors involved. But, there is something you can do about it to, perhaps, avoid having to worry about multiple interventions. The answer? Medical therapy. Why should you consider it? No one with an advanced pattern has enough donor hair available to allow for a full-looking set of hair. The donor area, additionally, is finite. There is only so much before it is depleted. This can be either because of tension or because an inexperienced doctor got greedy. Now, if a patient is completely empty, class six with no native hair left other than what's on the sides and back, OK. He may need multiple procedures depending on his goals of density. But it sounds as if you have a good amount of native hair left. If so, get on meds and move forward with transplants. If Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP do what they're supposed to do, you may be able to delay that second visit for a long time.

Did the doctor do a full consult and evaluation prior to the procedure? Doctors experience is such that they can detect a number of issues just by observation. If there are additional concerns, typically a biopsy is in order. Funny t he would scope an area, after the fact - during the procedure - to confirm candidacy. Perhaps he had a senior moment and all of the sudden he realized the mishap. The fortunate thing, if you want to think about it that way, is the fact he only extracted a few grafts. 170 so grafts is just about 1/2 an eyebrow. Are you on any type of medical therapy? If not, get to it. (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP). Do them for 1 year and reassess. If you are truly a marginal candidate, this should help you get over that bump. What's done is done and no sense in worrying about spilled milk. And, if you do have the issues the doctor "found all of the sudden" thank him because he was looking out for your best interest.

I tend to disagree. I would encourage you NOT to shave. If need be they can do this at the clinic. You typically want to go there with hair so the doctor can see the angle and direction of the native hair. If there is nothing to guide him you may end up with an unnatural result.

Dr. Kumar, I want to take a moment to thank you for your input. It is evident you are truly trying to help. I do have a couple of questions for you. How long have you been doing transplants? Where did you get your education, (hair transplants). Did you do a fellowship? I made notice of something you said in another post. You noted you've done about 200 procedures. And you note here a qualified doctor should only do 1 case a day. So does that mean you've been doing this for less than a year? Are assembly line clinics common in India? I'm assuming you are located there?