Dr. Alan Feller

I had a conversation with Dr. Scott Alexander of Arizona today. He was also skeptical of LLLT therapy but wanted to keep an open mind and try it anyway. After spending well over $10,000 on a "top of the line" low laser light machine he told me that the "results" his patients experienced were questionable and no where near the cosmetic improvements indicated by the laser manufacturer nor the studies they cited. He has since given up on selling the "therapy" to patients as he now finds this unethical. Like all other doctors I have interviewed, he also has yet to see any compelling before/after photos of LLLT recipients showing cosmetically signficant improvement. Well done Dr. Alexander. Welcome aboard and welcome to the "Good Guy List" at the top of this thread.

M&M brings up some excellent points about the deceptive photography used to promote LLLT. It's fair to say that it is also being used liberally by doctors who sell LLLT to the public. Check out this video I made of the website of a high profile doctor who "showcases" an exstatically happy female LLLT patient. VIDEO: Deceptive LLLT presentation? You make the call Laserquackary at it's most obvious. Would it surprise anyone here to learn that the woman allowing herself to be showcased on the website is actually an EMPLOYEE of the cosmetic surgery industry herself? I think an appearance of impropriety would NOT be an unreasonable charge here. Laserquackary at it's most obvious.

Dr. Mohmand, I responded to your last post in another LLLT thread. My response to Dr. Mohmands last post List of doctors who oppose LLLT. The good guys...

Dr. Mohmand, There are now too many threads dedicated to LLLT and we are repeating ourselves across several of them. Let's leave this thread alone and continue our debate on either of the following LLLT threads in the Open Section of this Forum: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=156127 or http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=153003 List of respected doctors OPPOSED to LLLT

I called Dr. Raymond Konior today and asked him about his views on LLLT. Other than the obvious fact that he has not seen any evidence of its efficay in before/after photos, he cites the lack of valid scientific studies to back up the claims. As an academic he cannot buy into the homeopathic like explanations offered by the LLLT advocates and as such rejects the entire enterprise as quackary.

I called Dr. Bill Rassman of New Hair Institute (NHI)and asked for his opinon concerning LLLT. He told me that he could find no scientifically valid reason for it's reported efficacy, but decided to put it to the test anyway. He bought a large in-office LLLT machine and offered it's use for free to his patients. After a while it became clear that the device did nothing so he stopped using it all. Dr. Rassman believes that LLLT is based on junk science and is pure quackary.

The above is a list of doctors whom I call "the good guys". They are respected practitioners who believe, as I believe, that LLLT is quackary. Each time I add a name to the list I will include a synopsis of our discussion so that the public will know why these doctors are oppposed to LLLT. The purpose of this list is to counter the rather large list of doctors advocating for LLLT as promoted by large laser industry companies like Lexington (Hairmax). These doctors lend the voice of reason and sanity to what I consider to be the out of control LLLT market.

This is a list of the "GOOD GUYS". Doctors who denounce Low Laser Light Therapy (LLLT) for what it is: JUNK SCIENCE. All the doctors on this list are to be commended for their dedication to both science and their patients. After the lunacy of the LLLT craze wears off, the doctors on this list will stand above their LLLT counterparts as men and women of uncompromising reason, rational thought, and commitment to the scientific method. It is my hope that soon ALL physicians will be on this list, and LLLT for hairloss will join other quack therapies on the ash heap of history. This list will be updated regularly: Dr. Scott Alexander Dr. Michael Beehner Dr. Timothy Carman Dr. Alan Feller Dr. Steven Gabel Dr. Raymond Konior Dr. William Lindsey Dr. Michael Meshkin Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Mohmand, I am not the only doctor who oppoese the theories and supposed efficacy of Low Light Laser Therapy (LLLT), I am just the most vocal. As for the question Dr. Rassman asked during the ISHRS LLLT presentation that you mentioned. It was not a question at all. I just called him today and he told me that he had commented on a MISTAKE in the LLLT data that he had noticed. That's a far cry from the way you mis-represented Dr. Rassman's involvement. For the record, and I have his permission to say this, Dr. Rassman is OPPOSED to LLLT and sees it as I do, a quack therapy. As most HT veterans know, Dr. Rassman is a true pioneer in the HT industry and has been open and transparent about what he does and why he does it during his entire career. He has been published more than any other HT doctor I know and has proven his own theories by showing RESULTS- which is far more than I can say for the LLLT industry. Besides this, I've known him personally for the past 15 years and can say he is brutaly honest about procedures and techniques he tries out, and if he finds they are impractical he can be relied upon to say as much publcly EVEN IF IT COSTS HIM MONEY. That's the kind of integrity we should all strive for, and is certainly an inspiration for me. I am starting a list of doctors who oppose LLLT and the junk science it is founded upon. Here it is to date: DOCTORS OPPOSED To LLLT: Dr. Alan Feller- New York Dr. William Lindsey-Virginia Dr. Michael Behneer-New York Dr. William Rassman-California Dr. Raymond Konior-Illinois I encourage all patients to ask their HT doctors where they stand. Dr. Mohmand, perhaps you will recant LLLT and join the good guys above. I will keep contacting other HT doctors to find out their positions and publish their names here.

YES Dr. Mohmand, I beleive I've made it clear that EVERY press release that claims LLLT grows hair is WRONG! Forget about the number of doctors buying into LLLT, forget the homeopathic like explanations they apply to support their theory, think for yourself man. The video I posted is irrefutable. Change your position based on the facts of physics and the failure of your colleagues to defend LLLT. Demand an explanation from other Hairmax advisory board members and then RESIGN in protest if they fail to respond. That's what a principled man would do in my opinion. Stand up for yourself, your patients, and do what's right. Wouldn't you rather be on the side of the righteous? Believe me, it's a sweet feeling even if you lose a few "friends" and a few dollars. In the end, you will be respected for your integrity which is the only real currency in this world. You have a great opportunity in front of you.

Dr. Mohmand, The ISHRS is anything but a governing body. Nor is it an organization dedicated to producing new technology. It is simply a club of doctors. Some members are interested in the free exchange of ideas, techniques, and fellowship. Others are more interested in using it misleadingly as a "credential", especially third world doctors. This goes double for the ABHRS. There is no doubt that the ISHRS consolidated the HT industry and allowed for the first real improvements in the field to become popularized- like mini/micrografting and strip harvesting. Of course, the Society's "Forum" magazine is a "must have" for serious HT doctors. But it is only published once every two months and obviously limited to the amount of content that can fit within its pages, whereas the internet allows unlimited information exchange and fellowship on a daily basis. In my experience it was the INTERNET and Forums like HTN that introduced me to new technologies like Dr's Hasson and Wong's megasessions and lateral slit grafting, not the ISHRS. It was also on the internet that we all learned of the dense packing performed by Dr. Seager, and the FUE performed by Dr. Woods. Better yet, we were able to see the actual results on real patients from the patients themselves. The ISHRS was well behind the internet in these areas. What is your need to be part of a collective? Why do you insist on submitting almost all of your professional identity to a group of acquaintances? Why is it so hard for you to believe that a group of doctors can ALL be wrong or misled? Rational throught and analysis is a one man sport, not a team effort. If the best you can do to support your professional actions is to simply point to other doctors, then you should begin to realize that there is something wrong.

The definition of the term "baldness" is an area of scalp without permanent hair. Since a hair transplant covers such areas permanently with living growing hair that will not fall out again it is, by definition, a CURE for baldness. Malaria in fact is never cured, only treated, and patients suffer sequelae years after exposure.

Dr.s Satino and Markou are also on the advisory board of Hairmax. Their use of the term FDA "APPROVED" on their homepage is all that is needed to see where the deception starts. I am amazed at how out of control this laser junk science has gotten. It is truly astounding. I'm embarrassed for the medical profession.

Dr. Mohmand, Are you capable of any analysis or thought beyond what OTHER doctors present to the public? And you clearly have no idea what ionizing radiation is. I built several homemade X-RAY machines from scratch in the 1990s. That's what got me into a very competative radiology residency program in New York, so I think I know a bit about ionizing radiation and how it affects human tissue. The fact that you bring up ionizing radiation out of the blue confirms yet again that you just don't know what you're talking about. Honestly, that ISHRS presentation was made 5 years ago by a man linked to the LLLT industry. Yet in all that time even Dr. Unger has not provided ANY before/after photos demonstrating even a detectable cosmetic improvement. Doesn't that tell you anything Dr. Mohmand? Why don't you call him and ask him to join this debate? Furthermore it does not address the fact that the laser collapes to standard light after first striking the skin, a fatal fact overlooked by the junk scientists supporting LLLT. Dr. Mohmand, you have lost the debate and not only failed to make the case for LLLT but you have succeeded in weakening its position even more. Why don't you notify your colleagues at Lexington Hairmax to come onto this thread and blow me and other LLLT opponents out of the water? Why do you think they don't come on here to defend themselves and back you up? I have had enough of going around in circles with you Dr. Mohmand. You have much to learn and don't know what you don't know.

nm76, You have added something constructive and I really appreicate you posting on this thread. I don't think anyone accused your doctor of using high pressure tactics to sell anything, so there's no problem there. Whether he or any other LLLT doctor makes money off of LLLT is of no concern to me as long as they are being intellectually honest. The focus of the LLLT threads was for an LLLT doctor to account for the many issues confronting LLLT to date such as: 1. There are no valid and believable before/after photos presented by the industy. 2. There are no valid and bellievable before/after photos presented by LLLT doctors. And this includes not only your own, but the doctors who actually performed the laser studies your doctor relied upon exclusively. 3. That laser light does not reach the follicle as laser light as required by proponents of LLLT. A serious flaw in the foundation of their theory. Just read the hairmax site where they state several times that it is the laser property of light that is the "active ingredient" behind the efficay of their product. 4. That while laymen are certainly welcome to believe what they will, doctors should hold themselves to a higher standard. I think we all do what we have to do to make ourselves feel good and fulfilled. I have no problem with this. BUT when this tendency is the sole reason for a doctor to offer a remedy for money, then the water gets a bit muddied. It's important the public be given BOTH sides of the issue, not just one. Unfortunately, the LLLT camp has a rich treasury and very aggressive marketing on it's side.

I would like to make an appeal to any and all LLLT proponents. Please chime in on this thread and answer the questions brought up by the public and myself. Not the least of which is how a laser can affect hair follicles when by the time it makes it that deep into the dermis it has the same properties as a red lightbulb? This is an excellent place to make your case and pick up thousands of new leads for the sale of your products and services. Join the discussion and show us where we're wrong please. Thank you.

Dr. Mohmand, What LLLT proponents are doing is Legal (unfortunately), so it is NOT fraud or a scam. Neither are other homeopathic remedies or businesses built legally around them (unfortunately). LLLT really falls into that catagory of medicine imo. I'm not happy about it, but it is what it is and it's been going on for years. The real problem here is that medical doctors, not just a lay public, are involved in great numbers. I see that you are confused by the shear number of doctors involved in the LLLT industry. I now understand that you placed most of your faith and belief in them. But did it ever occur to you that those doctors may have put their faith into YOU as proof of the clinical usefulness of LLLT as you did them? I am just a doctor myself, one who suffers from hairloss. I would love LLLT to work as well. I wish I were at the meeting where the paper was given and Dr. Rassman raised a question. I'm not surprised he was critical, and I will give him a call next week to find out what his question was and will find out his position. Who knows, maybe he'll get me to change MY mind. But I seriously doubt it. I will give an opinion of Dr. William Parsley. He's a well respected doctor who is among the best in the world that I've seen. He is also a very amiable and friendly man and I have enjoyed the few times I have had opportunity to speak with him. Even if he believes in LLLT it will not change my opinion of him. I doubt he knows about this debate raging on HTN, but I would love to read his response to the information presented against LLLT thus far. I'll give him a call too. Maybe I'm missing something? Let me make this clear. If a doctor really believes in something like LLLT and has real cause to believe it works, then doing so is obviously ethical imo. But ignoring physical and intellectual evidence to the contrary is what leads to the beginning of the unethical path. I don't want any fellow doctor to be branded as unethical or deceptive. It's bad for the entire profession. But if serious evidence is raised against what LLLT proponents are preaching and selling I believe that once they are so informed that they are ethically obligated to respond. To date, it seems you are the only one to respond. It's good to see that we finally got to the heart of your belief in LLLT. You seemed to have placed all of your faith on American doctors who also believe in LLLT. But by their failure to come to your aid on these threads and to logically address the issues raised, you are beginnng to have doubts. That's good. As a Hairmax Medical Team Advisor, perhaps you can contact your colleagues and inform them of this debate and the doubts you now harbor. Encourage them to join the discussions and make their case. That's what these forums are all about.

Dr. Mohmand, Why didn't you disclose that you were working with Hairmax on their Medical Advisory Team? http://www.hairmax.com/landing_dr.aspx

Bill, You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I couldn't disagree more with every line you just wrote. I need not remind you of HTNs TERMS of SERVICE: ---------------------------- All posters promoting or advocating a particular physician, procedure or TREATMENT on this forum are required to divulge any compensation, monetary or otherwise, that they may be receiving in their posting signature. No links or references to websites or resources of a promotional nature are permitted on this educational forum. ----------------------------------- If I am "hyping" his failure to disclose and intention to deceive, then you are most certainly "down playing" it. But what else can you call a doctor who presents himself as an independent and objective evaluator of a questionable product when IN FACT he is part of the very company that produces that product in the first place YET conceals this obvious bias? Then he has the arrogance and nerve to call this community biased! What a self-serving hypocrite. I think it's fair to say that he was "exposed". I think it is also fair to say that we can't trust one word coming out of his mouth. Furthermore, how in the world does he qualify to be on any medical advisory team? Based on his obvious lack of understanding of laser physics, physiology, or just rational thought, what good is he? If I were Mr. Michaels I would demand the return of whatever compensation he's offered Dr. Mohmand including money or stock. Let me ask you Bill, have you found ANYTHING I've written on these LLLT threads to be inaccurate or subject to interpretation? Have you found anything Dr. Mohmand offered to be of value, rational, or on-point?

Bill, Nobody knows what his convicitions are, and based on the tripe he has written AND the massive deception he has been engaging in I think it's safe to say his convictions are well within the financial ballpark if not a dead on bullseye. Remember, he said he makes little financial gain from the sale of laser combs, but how much do you want to bet that the way they got him to join the Hairmax team was with stock or stock options. This means he gets a piece of every laser comb sold!!! It also means he's a liar. Why would you even care what he wrote after finding out what he's been hiding? He's a liar and won't hesitate to lie right to your face as to the nature of his relationship and why he didn't disclose it. Now that you've seen how Dr. Charles, who is also a Hairmax Medical Advisor Team Member (surprised?), and Dr. Mohmand have responded to these threads do you think NOW that they may have some ethical problems?

It gets more interesting than that Thana, Did you know that Dr. Glen Charles is another member of the Hairmax Medical Advisory Team? Check it out: http://www.hairmax.com/CompanyInformation/AdvisoryBoard.aspx No wonder he didn't chime in on the thread.

Bill, He is spending alot of time posting about LLLT because he is in bed with the quack LLLT industry. He is on the Hairmax Medical Advisor Team. http://www.hairmax.com/CompanyInformation/AdvisoryBoard.aspx He's been on here constantly because he's been trying to undo the damage I and this community dealt to the LLLT industry through rational analysis and discussion of the facts underlying LLLT. How dare he call this community biased when he is the most biased poster I've ever encountered.

Dr. Mohmand, Dr. Mohmand listed on Hairmax site as member of medical advisory team Why didn't you tell us that you are on the Medical Advisory Board of Hairmax laser combs? You deliberately witheld that important information. How in the world can you be on anyone's medical advisory team? You are clueless about lasers, physics, and the scientific method.

Dr. Mohmand, Why didn't you tell us that you are on the Hairmax laser comb Medical Advisor Team? Isn't that your picture in the center column 4 rows down? And you had the gall to call this community biased? http://www.hairmax.com/CompanyInformation/AdvisoryBoard.aspx

Yes,it's true. Just go down to the forth row in the middle column. This link is right off the Hairmax laser comb site. Picture of Dr. Mohmand on Hairmax Medical Advisor Team http://www.hairmax.com/CompanyInformation/AdvisoryBoard.aspx Now we know why Dr. Mohmand ignored all the evidence presented against laser combs, he's in bed with the industry and he never disclosed this during any of the debates he took part in wherein he defended lasercombs dogmatically. Dr. Mohmand, how can you be on the Hairmax laser comb Medical Advisor Team when you know nothing about laser physics or the serious flaws in the junk-science theory of photobiostimulation? Why didn't you disclose that your represent the LLLT industry? Are you not compensated for being on the Medical Advisor Team? I'm going to write Mr. David Michaels, "inventor" of the hairmax laser comb, that he should get back whatever he paid you because you don't know a darn thing about lasers or the scientific method in general. You're not even a good B.S. artist. I don't think your colleagues at Lexington are going to be too happy with you.