Occam's Razor

Several clinics in Canada price in their own currency. Apparently Hasson and Wong aren't one of them which is odd. If someone came to buy a car from me here in the U.S., I wouldn't charge them in Yen or Pounds.

Greetings all. As if there is not enough to consider about a hair procedure, I have been pondering something else. This is something that many hair veterans, and perhaps some market savy folks are probably aware of, but I have not seen posted in this forum. As regular readers here know, many doctors north of the U.S are rapidly increasing their ranks amongst the hair reshuffeling elite. The many testimonials from their satisfied clientele attest to the practicality of a little extra travel. With this said, some of these clinics mention the fact that their prices are in Canadian dollars as extra incentive. As mentioned, I had considered this and took the time to calculate just what I might pay for my procedure. I searched the exchange rates, did the math and made note of it. Later it dawned on me that those rates are not static. Sure enough, just three months later the rate of the U.S. dollar went from a value of about 1.16 Canadian to 1.07 Canadian. This may not seem like much, but when I worked out the cost of a 2000 f.u. procedure at $4.00 per f.u., there was a $560.00 difference between the two rates, in just three months time. If you are considering a larger procedure of perhaps 3500+, the difference is about $1000.00. Therefore, I conclude that if you are from the U.S. and are considering going north for some hairwork, you may want to do a little dollar trading in advance when rates are favorable. I would recommend having your procedure when rates are favorable, but as you know most reputable doc.s don't work on a moments notice. All the best. Occams R.

Greetings all. As if there is not enough to consider about a hair procedure, I have been pondering something else. This is something that many hair veterans, and perhaps some market savy folks are probably aware of, but I have not seen posted in this forum. As regular readers here know, many doctors north of the U.S are rapidly increasing their ranks amongst the hair reshuffeling elite. The many testimonials from their satisfied clientele attest to the practicality of a little extra travel. With this said, some of these clinics mention the fact that their prices are in Canadian dollars as extra incentive. As mentioned, I had considered this and took the time to calculate just what I might pay for my procedure. I searched the exchange rates, did the math and made note of it. Later it dawned on me that those rates are not static. Sure enough, just three months later the rate of the U.S. dollar went from a value of about 1.16 Canadian to 1.07 Canadian. This may not seem like much, but when I worked out the cost of a 2000 f.u. procedure at $4.00 per f.u., there was a $560.00 difference between the two rates, in just three months time. If you are considering a larger procedure of perhaps 3500+, the difference is about $1000.00. Therefore, I conclude that if you are from the U.S. and are considering going north for some hairwork, you may want to do a little dollar trading in advance when rates are favorable. I would recommend having your procedure when rates are favorable, but as you know most reputable doc.s don't work on a moments notice. All the best. Occams R.

No on both. Scalp reductions and mini grafts are not only antiquated, but were never viable techniques. Just how far backwards are we willing to go here? And as far as recommendations go, I can tell you first-hand they mean nothing, even from the "best" clinics. Doctors reputations need to stand alone. Their prolific, well documented results will speak loud enough on their own.

Bill- That's a tough question. It's kind of like being an art connoiseur and trying to find a masterpiece to fit your home. In your case it looks like you chose both a da Vinci and a Renoir, where as I chose a Picasso that needs replacing. There are about eight top tier doctors IMO, but in my research I have discovered just as many disappointing results as I have stellar successes from them all. What I have also learned is how some of these doctors have treated those who were not satisfied with their results, and to me that is an important factor. For the most part, the patients I had met, or corresponded with were eventually satisfied. Hence I consider these doctors to be among the best. I am sure there are others out there, like Dr. Rahal who has apparently done great work for years but only recently became a bigger blip on the radar, so I am still keeping my eyes open. Eventually I will once again have the time to commit to another procedure, but it will be tough to choose. Also, I have finally been able to post some pictures in the Album section. I shall respond to questions there as well. Occam's R.

Here are some current pictures of my hairline after two sub standard procedures.

Thank you all again for your replies. I thought I made it clear in several references in my second post that the doctor I had seen was Edwin Epstein, and not to be confused with someone else, but for parity I have gone back and added his first name to my first post as well. I also had mentioned he was a featured doctor on here for years and that anyone interested in seeing who he works for now to read the post Faceless Man made in the Open Hairloss Topics section on this site back in June 21 06. That said, I do appreciate the advice but please read my posts carefully. As I have mentioned repeatedly that I had this procedure years ago and in the years since I have done enormous research including visiting several clinics, meeting many successful satisfied patients, and reading this very forum for years. I am not being flip, but I am no noob at this and I am here to share some insights to help those interested. In these initial posts I am giving you all some background so when I join in discussions I will not be some faceless entity interjecting. In closing I wish to say that I would not use my limited time here if I felt it were a waste. I have read this forum for years and learned that people like Bill, Hairbank, and many others are truly not here just for themselves. Not just the lenght and frequency of their posts, but the rhetoric and substance of what they have shared reflect real altruistic concern. This is why I thank Pat and the rest of you for what you provide here. I shall be contributing actual substance myself here soon in the hope of giving a little back. P.S. -still trying to download pic.s, will get them on here one way or the other.

Thank you all for your concern. I expected nothing less after reading your thoughtful, well informed posts for years now. To start let me clarify, the doctor that I had seen was Edwin Epstein. He was a recommend doctor on this site for years but is now no longer featured. To get an idea about the charcter of this doctor, please refer to the post Faceless man made in Open Hairloss Topics on June 21 of last year. Of course that and other posts about this doctor were made years after my encounter with him. When I was considering doctor Epstein, I had contacted the two top clinics, one in Minnesota and the other in British Coloumbia. I had spoken with their two spokes people. They both new and met Dr. E. Epstein, and although they were careful not to give an official endorsement, they both spoke glowingly of him and mentioned his tutelage under their respective employers. I had searched Dr. E online and found nothing negative about him at the time. I had met a former patient of his, and saw what I thought to be good photo results at the time. I did all this and read the forums for almost two months before committing to this clinic. All to no avail. Which is why I am here now. Allow me to reiterate, I am here to share my experience and deductions with those who are concerned and considering a procedure. You see, I started this years ago, as many of you have, and I have not been idle about this at all. I have been reminded of this for years when I see my image in the mirror, or when I am humiliated by strange looks when I have my hair cut. This has motivated me to do a great deal of research and reflection. I am ready to speak, and I have a lot to say. Bill, astute as ever and I shall respond to you first. Yes, I now realize half a decade later that 300 was inadequate amount, but I mentioned in my initial post why I had agreed to that at the time and what ensued. The doctor did mention medication but also stated that there were poor results when it came to the front hairline for finasteride and/or minoxodil. The same is repeated on those respective drug websites. Lastly, it is quite evident that what remains is transplanted fu.s. Not just from the pitting, but as I mentioned in my initial post that the hairs that I had were quite thin, and what I have now is thick, far apart and quite obvious. To add, I am sure that my native hairline was going anyway based on family genealogy, which is why I elected to do this in the first place. I went with, what was at the time, a reputable doctors advice when it came to approach. Hairbank, thanks for the empathy and I shall post a picture soon. Also again, Dr. E. Epstein is no longer here. For your shock and amusement search out the above mentioned post by Faceless Man to see where Dr. E.E. matriculates presently. kamin, sorry about the split with Valarie and also you gave a great piece of advice, make sure the doctor knows exactly what you want...I did, but in this case it simply didn't matter. Again, thank you all and I shall post again soon.

Greetings all. I have read this site and others for some time now and have decided to share my experience and deductions. In my early thirtys I began to notice that my hairline was beginning to become somewhat transparent. I was into the music scene (metal) and had long hair and to me it just didn't look as good even though the recession was minimal. After doing some research, including this site, I decided to go with one of the featured doctors, Dr. Edwin Epstein. After a consutation with the doctor it was determined that I had about 2.5 cm of recession with about 20-25 thinner native hairs per sq. cm within this area. The doctor recommended a small procedure of just 300 fut.s to thicken things up. Other doctors I had consulted recommend much more, but doctor Edwin Epstein seemed much more sincere, and his personal website looked much more impressive. That with the fact he was featured with the many esteemed doctors here cinched the deal for me. So in May of 2003 I had my first procedure and received 383 fu.s into my hairline. The whole process took less than 2 hours, I didn't even have time to finish watching the movie the doctor was kind enough to put on for my comfort. The whole operation was painless, even the numbing, and I was impressed at how quickly that I had healed after the procedure. Unfortunately, this is where the accolades end. After nearly one year this minor procedure had not just minor, but negative results. Not only were the existing hairs shocked away to never return, but less than 50 new fu.s apparent. In another consultation with the doctor he had expressed his disappointment and offered another larger procedure at a discount. After consideration and consulting with another clinic familiar with Dr. Edwin Epstein, I had agreed to what I was told would be a final procedure. On June of 2004 I had a second session in which I received 1105 fu.s into the same area and even a little above. Nearly a year after this second procedure the results were quite bleak. I have coarse nearly black hair and a lighter complexion, the dreaded combo for hairline transplantation. With that said I now have about 10 fu.s per. sq. cm. of thick black hairs going across my entire hairline by 3 cm. high. No matter how I style my hair I cannot entirely hide this bizarre new look. I have since cut my hair short and wear hats, something I have never done before, to hide this. Also the fact that nearly 1000 of my donor fu.s were MIA, more that likely KIA, has added to the trauma. I had initially done about two months of research with multiple resources before my first procedure. In the three years since my last procedure I have learned you cannot do enough research. I will be posting photos soon and will be happy to field any futher questions.

Greetings all. I have read this site and others for some time now and have decided to share my experience and deductions. In my early thirtys I began to notice that my hairline was beginning to become somewhat transparent. I was into the music scene (metal) and had long hair and to me it just didn't look as good even though the recession was minimal. After doing some research, including this site, I decided to go with one of the featured doctors, Dr. Edwin Epstein. After a consutation with the doctor it was determined that I had about 2.5 cm of recession with about 20-25 thinner native hairs per sq. cm within this area. The doctor recommended a small procedure of just 300 fut.s to thicken things up. Other doctors I had consulted recommend much more, but doctor Edwin Epstein seemed much more sincere, and his personal website looked much more impressive. That with the fact he was featured with the many esteemed doctors here cinched the deal for me. So in May of 2003 I had my first procedure and received 383 fu.s into my hairline. The whole process took less than 2 hours, I didn't even have time to finish watching the movie the doctor was kind enough to put on for my comfort. The whole operation was painless, even the numbing, and I was impressed at how quickly that I had healed after the procedure. Unfortunately, this is where the accolades end. After nearly one year this minor procedure had not just minor, but negative results. Not only were the existing hairs shocked away to never return, but less than 50 new fu.s apparent. In another consultation with the doctor he had expressed his disappointment and offered another larger procedure at a discount. After consideration and consulting with another clinic familiar with Dr. Edwin Epstein, I had agreed to what I was told would be a final procedure. On June of 2004 I had a second session in which I received 1105 fu.s into the same area and even a little above. Nearly a year after this second procedure the results were quite bleak. I have coarse nearly black hair and a lighter complexion, the dreaded combo for hairline transplantation. With that said I now have about 10 fu.s per. sq. cm. of thick black hairs going across my entire hairline by 3 cm. high. No matter how I style my hair I cannot entirely hide this bizarre new look. I have since cut my hair short and wear hats, something I have never done before, to hide this. Also the fact that nearly 1000 of my donor fu.s were MIA, more that likely KIA, has added to the trauma. I had initially done about two months of research with multiple resources before my first procedure. In the three years since my last procedure I have learned you cannot do enough research. I will be posting photos soon and will be happy to field any futher questions.