FacelessMan

...which I fuly intend to ask Dr. Feller, but I wanted to prevail upon you guys for perspectives, first-hand experiences, etc....as well. Have you used Rogaine shortly after surgery to accelerate the growth of the new "sprouts?" Did it make a noticeable difference? Were there side effects (irritation)? Do you think it's worth it? On one hand, the thought of speeding up the process is appealing, for obvious reasons. On the other hand, risking skin irritation that could interfere with growth, or potentially getting existing hair "hooked" on the stuff (if that is in fact possible), to me isn't worth it, if all I'm buying myself is the slight acceleration of a process that will take its course naturally otherwise. Benjamin

You touch on a valid question...part of my anxiey going into this, I have realized, is the "recovery" and growth period after the job is done -- how do I explain the sudden hat use and odd hair length, etc.. What I'm rapidly realizing, thanks in part to my girlfriend's advice to "own it," is that, this is a good decision, something I chose after much thought, and something I have wanted for a while, and anyone who thinks it's foolish, or some male midlife crisis thing...well, is entitled to their misinformation! What I've found thus far is, in fact, pretty much what I expected...the people I know, work with, etc., are either supportive and a little curious, and the people who care about me -- like my girlfriend, who applauds my self improvement but has made it clear that she loves me, hair or no hair -- are happy to see me happy. Which I can only hope is fundamentally true for any of us. All that aside...let's face it, a hair transplant is, after all, surgery, and that plus its expense and recovery period, so to speak, make it far more involved than most of the other ways we customarily choose to enhance our appearance, but whether you're choosing clothes, styling the hair you have, enjoying the cosmetic fruits of working out, or having your hair restored, it's all fundamentally the same principle...we're just using our assets to their best advantage (which may seem simplistic, but I see some truth in it). Hair transplants I think have had a stigma largely because of the bad old days of the 80's, and perhaps even early 90's, when the stereotypical pluggy look was all too common. If more people saw some of the before and after photos on sites like this, I suspect they'd think differently...! Some $.02 as I sit punchily at my computer... Benjamin

Hey all...just wanted to thank you for your good wishes; posted another topic and added pics (some) to my blog as well. Onward and upward, right?

Looks great! Amazingly natural. Best wishes!

Had to share this... When I returned to my house last night after my procedure with the awesome Dr. Feller, among the pieces of mail I'd received while I was away were: * A brochure from, it can't be but it is, Dr. Dominic Brandy. Yes, when I first began my research into hair transplantation, before I knew a damn thing I had come across his web site and figured, "well, Pittsburgh isn't that long a drive from Washington..." No mention of the scalp reductions or "lifts" for which he has become notorious...maybe because the CIA has classified them as torture techniques. * A letter from the first doctor with whom I'd had a consultation -- Dr. Edwin Epstein. I had decided not to go with him after shelving the transplant idea for the past year-and-a-half, mostly because I have not seen a single patient testimonial about him in any of these discussion groups (as opposed to many enthusiasically positive comments about Dr. Feller)...and in part because my consultation with him was 98% with a sales consultant, plus 35 seconds with the doctor. But I digress. The point of the letter was to announce that Dr. Epstein was going to be joining the Bosley (whose reputation, according to said letter, was "unparallelled..." no argument there ) team. I had to laugh...the very day I get back from a procedure with one of the best, I get mailed reminders of just how good my choice actually was...! Benjamin

Had to share this... When I returned to my house last night after my procedure with the awesome Dr. Feller, among the pieces of mail I'd received while I was away were: * A brochure from, it can't be but it is, Dr. Dominic Brandy. Yes, when I first began my research into hair transplantation, before I knew a damn thing I had come across his web site and figured, "well, Pittsburgh isn't that long a drive from Washington..." No mention of the scalp reductions or "lifts" for which he has become notorious...maybe because the CIA has classified them as torture techniques. * A letter from the first doctor with whom I'd had a consultation -- Dr. Edwin Epstein. I had decided not to go with him after shelving the transplant idea for the past year-and-a-half, mostly because I have not seen a single patient testimonial about him in any of these discussion groups (as opposed to many enthusiasically positive comments about Dr. Feller)...and in part because my consultation with him was 98% with a sales consultant, plus 35 seconds with the doctor. But I digress. The point of the letter was to announce that Dr. Epstein was going to be joining the Bosley (whose reputation, according to said letter, was "unparallelled..." no argument there ) team. I had to laugh...the very day I get back from a procedure with one of the best, I get mailed reminders of just how good my choice actually was...! Benjamin

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Well, Monday is the day of follicular reckoning...the next time I post will be after Dr. Feller has worked his mojo on my ample scalp. As soon as is feasible I'll post an update to the blog I set up, along with any additional photos, for any and all interested... I did attach one, for now; I'm hoping that Dr. Feller will be able to duplicate it for me...

"dandare75," I second Martin's emotion; thanks for the feedback and advice! Density is a priority, actually; based on Dr. Feller's enthusiasm about my donor area (thank God for large Anglo-Saxon heads) and the hair I have up there, who knows, I may get coverage and thickness in one shot...but I will talk that over with him in any case. Will be updating my blog as things progress. Monday is the big day; am definitely enthused... And I'll say again, all you guys on this site are a huge help, sharing your photos, experiences, and advice...so thanks, at large, once again. Benjamin

If a newbie may weigh in... With respect to Dr. Elliot's perspective on internet "marketing," if I understood his words correctly, I would say emphatically that sites such as this one, and several others like it, are of immense value specifically because they provide a foil for "marketing," and allow people like me and others at the bottom of the hair-transplant learning curve to interact with people -- some, hundreds or thousands of miles away -- and see real results, and use this to make informed and intelligent decisions.

Pretty damn amazing...as natural as natural gets. You must be really pleased! Thanks again, too, for sharing with so many of us here. Benjamin

Thanks for the info., and <i>grazie</i> for the food recommendation...after living in Virginia for about 20 years, New York is still the best place for Italian food (and the ONLY place for pizza)... How was your experience with the esteemed Dr.? Benjamin

Hello All, Do any former Feller patients have recommendations on reasonably priced/comfortable hotels near Dr. Feller's clinic? Walking distance would be great, given that I expect to be mildly stoned on pain meds when Dr. F. has finished working his hairy wonders on the evening of 6/19... Oh yeah, and I'm getting more psyched my the hour...surprise, surprise, right? Thanks in advance! Benjamin

Hello All, Do any former Feller patients have recommendations on reasonably priced/comfortable hotels near Dr. Feller's clinic? Walking distance would be great, given that I expect to be mildly stoned on pain meds when Dr. F. has finished working his hairy wonders on the evening of 6/19... Oh yeah, and I'm getting more psyched my the hour...surprise, surprise, right? Thanks in advance! Benjamin

Hello, Thought I'd weigh in, having just researched this myself. The closest doctor to DC with whom I'm remotely familiar is Edwin Epstein, in Richmond (http://www.stuartmed.com). I had a consultation with him in 2/05, or more accurately with his sales consultant; Dr. Epstein came in briefly. If you do a search on the several forums out there, you'll likely find few comments about him, but those there are seem favorable. I would however echo what I've heard many times; don't let geography factor in your decision, within reason. I am going to Dr. Feller, who is excellent, later this month; it is in New York, but the travel costs are not bad at all if you don't object to the train. Regards, Benjamin

Work of art...very cool!

Looking good...it never ceases to amaze me to see how natural these procedures look. Good things to come!

"Worried," I can't offer you the wisdom of experience, being a total newbie at this (for another couple of weeks at least) but I understand your concern; it's a drastic change and it is, after all, surgery. But what you have going for you are that you have an ample supply, time to heal and regrow (you may well be quite happily surprised), and people to cheer you on. And, for that matter, if you absolutely needed or wanted to have another procedure -- there are many superb doctors who could take care of you. Wishing you well... Benjamin

Gangster story? Fuggedduboudit... Actually, that's a misquote from _Goodfellas_. As much of an amazingly white WASP as I am, I have this uncanny fascination with Mafia movies, _The Sopranos_, et cetera...go figure. So, zerro, may I ask, what's your Hair Repair tale? I suppose I could just look on the forums, but I'm feeling lazy...and that's more impersonal (?).

For anyone's edification...have blog, will travel: http://www.hairlossweblogs.com/home-page.asp?WebID=84

Good point! Patience is the name of this game...I like to think that after at least a year of going back and forth on the hair restoration issue, and for that matter after several years of living with a less-than-optimal scenario, three months of waiting for an upward trend won't seem that long!

A couple of other things I forgot that might be of use to someone... I asked Dr. Feller if bringing in older or more recent photos of myself, as a guide to my former hairline, would be of use; he said definitively no -- that the focus was on matching the hairline to my face as it is, now. He also drew what I thought was an insightful analogy to reconstructing or restoring a bukding; over the years it goes through changes, the foundation shifts, etc., and so the restoration process has to be in light of the present and future, not the past. I asked him about the oft-posed question, to buzz or not to buzz...he said, unequiviocally, "oh yeah, we're gonna shave you." His reasoning was primarily that even shorter hairs would make it more difficult to place the new ones accurately and naturally, and "cast a shadow" as he put it. Again, a smal thing and probably common knowledge, but it came across to me as someone who sees his work as art as well as medical science... Getting more excited about this as the day approaches (6/19) and this progresses from a "what-if" to a reality. I will be posting a weblog on that site, soon; hope others can benefit from this "journey!"

Test...

Last one, I swear... Just noticed that someone else already goes by "Hair Apparent," so I'm trading the pun for "FacelessMan." Just to avoid any confusion...