Robert_

Take it at face value, but I recently heard radio spots sponsored by Aderan's (owned by Bosley...or now owns Bosley...I can't remember) here in Atlanta wanting people to come in to participate in clinical trials. After looking around, it appears to be phase II. And in case anyone asks, NO I didn't sign up. I just heard the spot and listened with interest. I'm excited for the future of this technology, but after I had the very awesome opportunity to speak at length with more than one hair restoration physician about it, I am willing to be patient... Remember that hair multiplication (or hair cloning, or whatever the "hot" term for it is these days) isn't going to be a magic wand that will erase hair loss. The grafts still have to be placed with meticulously-skilled artistry and a million-and-one other variables have to be taken into consideration to ensure a successful procedure. I certainly don't want to throw dark clouds on anyone's horizon or anything, though. The future's never looked brighter for us would-be "chrome-domes!" But I guess what I'm trying to say is utilize the treatments that are available right now to salvage what you have *(barring any conditions that keep you from doing so, of course). -Robert

Interesting thread. I know its my own fault, but I've been out of the loop for a while so I won't even speculate on TheEmperor's first post. (I do need to get back over here and contribute again, I know) But I haven't been so out of the loop to know that the same physicians that I recommended to forum posters back when I was the moderator are the same that I'd recommend to my closest family members to this day. Your list: "Cooley, Shapiro, Epstein, Hasson, and Charles" Though I'm curious as to why Wong isn't on there, (it may just be your personal preference in his approach) I will say that if I was to go back in the chair at this exact minute, I wouldn't hesitate to consult with any one of those docs and discuss a plan of action that enabled me to safely and effectively obtain my goals. Now, as some of the other posters pointed out, lots of people have their "top 5" or "top 10" or whatever. I think that's an interesting way to look at it (especially now that football season is back). This is why: hair restoration surgery is EVERY BIT as much as an art as it is medicinal practice. Naturally, some docs are going to apply their brush to the canvas with their own style - their own finesse. I really do believe that it's because of this that some people draw their favorites. It's human nature. The bottom line is your safety during and after the procedure and your appearance after the transplant has matured. Would I trust every one of these docs to work on me? You bet I would. Every one of them is HIGHLY dedicated to their craft and every one of them have publicly displayed their results in exaggerated detail time and time again for years. So, in my opinion, the choice is yours now to figure out if you want a Porsche, a Bentley, or a Ferrari. Comparing your head to a fine automobile really isn't that much of a stretch as an analogy when you start to really study the painstaking attention-to-detail that each of these physicians commit themselves to every day. Oh, and I may sound like a cheerleader but trust me, I'm not. If you had a doc up there that I had any reservation about it, I'll tell you flat out. Oh, and finally, if you didn't already know, I've had two procedures by Dr. Cooley and no one else and I'm not only still happy, I'm ecstatic. Seriously, Dr. Cooley, Ailene and the staff at Carolina Dermatology gave me my 20's back. If I was to ever go back (no plans at all at the moment and don't foresee it any time remotely soon) it would be back to Dr. Cooley. I guess what I'm saying is that you've narrowed it down to five great docs. Study as much information on each of them and check out every available results photo that you can find (there are a TON around here somewhere, I'll look around and see if I can remember my way around ). You'll begin to be able to recognize the individual physicians' artistry after a while if you look long enough. I know this for a fact because I've studied more hair restoration photos than any sane person should. Got any more questions, post em. I'll pop back in and help you out if you'd like. -Robert

Yeah, man. Dermmatch is addicting. I still use it about once a week (usually on Fridays) when I want that "really thick" look.

I used Dermatch pretty regularly during the 4 to 6 month mark, but I applied it sparingly to the hairline (where my HT was concentrated). Get your doc' advice if you're very concerned but it shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't use it excessively.

I know that feeling. I was nervous and excited. Believe it or not, the morning of the procedure you're likely to much more calm and relaxed (even more so when you take the Valium ) Who are you going to, EmuSteve? -Robert

Just try and guess who I really am. Hint: the answer will BLOW YOUR MIND! <span class="ev_code_RED">MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!</span> -Robert (or...am I?)

I can't speak about any of the other forums or online resources but I know for a fact that the publisher (Pat) and moderator of this forum are genuine and always keep the best interests of the hair loss sufferers in mind.

I believe that my "hair loss weblog" (in my sig) has a pretty good timeline of what I looked like during the days and weeks following my HT. Here's a couple of pictures of me at two weeks post-op . I am a fairly quick healer and had the benefit of the extraordinarily talented Dr. Cooley as my physician so every one else's mileage may vary, of course. -Robert

Smoking constricts the nourishment-supplying blood vessels that supply the hair roots, thus perpetuating the damage already being done by DHT. Basically, if you are already prone to hair loss, smoking probably helps accelerate it.

That's fine, Bill. It probably wasn't necessary for me to go that far, anyway. I guess I spoke a bit harshly and I don't want to run the risk of this forum being liable for me doing something like that. If he's smart he'll find somewhere else to spam from now on.

And in case you try to deny that your presence on these forums is for anything other than spam, here is the proof: Posted by HiFiHiFi68: "Without getting into the song and dance of how you build up traffic based on content, longevity, hard work etc., which I already know, are there any actual services that work and will increase your traffic and clicks? The answer may be no and I'll accept that. But if there are, I'd appreciate some referral links & not from people who have these websites services! Basically, unless I see online independent reviews of these services and like what I see, I won't join any. I've already seen a few via my Google Search that sound "Hokey". And yes, to reiterate,I realize there are no shortcuts to success but I'm also open to the concept that there are some shortcuts that when added with other shortcuts, help one get successful. Reply With Quote" And here is the reply from some other newbie webmaster that you obviously adhered to: Posted by Spanner: I would find forums similar to your topic and start posting there with your site in the sig. Adsense Help - Are There Any Internet Services That Actually Do Gain You Traffic & thus Clicks? Here's where you were asking the same question on the most retarded webmaster forum in existence. Here's a head's up: Digital Point is the epitome of the blind leading the blind. Are There Any Internet Services That Actually Do Gain You Traffic & thus Clicks? You are, without a doubt, the single worst spammer I have ever seen. I mean, I don't think that someone TRYING to be bad at spamming could get any worse than you. Oh, and once again: Have a nice day! -Robert

Hey HiFiHiFi, On your site it says: "...please check out & click (but don't overdo) any of the Google ads..." As you undoubtedly know, this is a direct violation of the Google Adsense Terms of Service and well enough of an offense to get you booted from the program. In case you're actually so inept that you are unaware of this stipulation of the Google TOS, here's the applicable snippet and URL: You shall not, and shall not authorize or encourage any third party to: (i) directly or indirectly generate queries, Referral Events, or impressions of or clicks on any Ad, Link, Search Result, or Referral Button through any automated, deceptive, fraudulent or other invalid means, including but not limited to through repeated manual clicks, the use of robots or other automated query tools and/or computer generated search requests, and/or the unauthorized use of other search engine optimization services and/or software; Google Adsense Terms and Conditions Your motivation to utilize these forums to drive traffic to your extremely rudimentary website is so transparent that it would be comical if it wasn't so offensive. Don't bother changing it to avoid detection. I've already taken the liberty of submitting a screenshot of the offense to Google because, well, I don't like people spamming these forums. Additionally, GoDaddy will be interested in your spamming nature on these forums as well. Expect a few emails from both of these companies. Spam anywhere else but not here. Have a nice day! -Robert

No, I'm not saying that Avodart is better than Propecia at all. In my post I was explaining what the report from the Las Vegas meeting notes have further confirmed: extensive research has proven that Avodart is a much more potent medication and inhibits much more type 2 alpha-reductase as well as type 1. It is because of this that I choose to take Avodart. However, I have never suggested that anyone else to take it because it is not FDA-approved for the treatment of male-pattern baldness and because of the unknown role of type 1 alpha-reductase has on the brain, as Bill pointed out. Anyone considering adding Avodart to their regimen should research the drug as much as possible and talk to their doctor about it first. I really mean that last part, guys: TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. -Robert

nanogen-guy, I'm a big fan of nanogen myself, but I found that the differences between the two are very small. You can check out my full review here: Nanogen Review

The only thing I have to understand is that your company has officially absolved itself of any liability from the use of the potentially tainted medication that they sell with their disclaimer. If you're only a customer then how would you know what they do and don't stand behind? Is your company so inept to see that sending a liar to stick up for them on forums will only further hurt their reputation?