HarryLemon

While we're touching upon cost, I'd like to add this as well: I had my first HT with Dr Ron Shapiro in Minneapolis-St Paul, MN, 7 weeks ago. As you may have seen in pictures both on this website and many others, he has a proven track record of producing FANTASTIC hairlines (he did Pat's HT, for example). I paid for 2000 grafts at the reduced cost of $4.50 per graft (because I was flying in from out of state). It is typical, however, for the Shapiro Group to give you several hundred extra grafts "on them" to better avoid having you pay for more than what you got (I presume). As it turned out, I received well over 2300 grafts, meaning the actual price I paid, per graft, was around $3.79! BTW, I live in LA myself, and felt that, when it comes to something as life changing as a HT, locality was definitely NOT a factor. Besides, I really enjoyed my little "field trip" over there to boot! I too will have to wait several months more before I can say whether it was genuinely worth it as well, but - that being the case - again, there's no way I'd go second best on something so impacting as a HT! Visit their site at http://www.shapiromedical.com/, give them a call, and have them send you a brochure (at the very least). You should educate yourself with ALL of your TOP options, and decide from there before proceeding. Sincerely, Harry

I'm week 7 now, and about 3 days ago I noticed the same thing happening on my head, too. Nothing major, for sure, but definately the beginnings of some growth - even along the hairline on the right side (but not the left side yet)! ChiaPet-in-Waiting, Harry

Hi uncjim - I hope you don't think I was targeting you in that statement (which I removed now) about "freshmen posting recommendations as we speak". At least you took and shared some pictures (very good ones) about the experience! And you're right that "they are what they are" and it being the reader's choice to make any further decisions based off of those facts for themselves. I was just chiming-in with the sensitivities of some of the others here in that any actual recommendations, at such an early stage as myself (for example - 6 weeks post-op), may be a little pre-mature, that's all. God knows I know how good it's GOING to look (knock on wood!), but the proof, as they say, really is in the pudding - and that baby's still in the oven, for the time being!

Hey, you know what? I agree with you as well! I admit to having been quite boisterously eager to share my "projections" as solid, completed experiences (having just been done by Shapiro), a bit pre-maturely myself! I want to add that I have kept "im-shtum" as a result of this thread's creation since then - out of respect, if not total agreement, to the reasons laid out within the original posting. That is NOT to say that I don't understand those reasons, even less that I don't agree with them to a considerably large degree (only, in the latter case, if I were to agree with the assumption that everyone reading every post here-in was totally naive to the background history that we all AUGHT to be supplanting ourselves with in our education here-in to begin with). I did not assume such naivety, but - in turn - also 'ASS-U-ME-d' the opposite would not take place either: that people wouldn't correlate my enthusiasm with the freshness of the experience and further consider the practitioner with whom I'd had it done. For this I do humbly, and happily, bow my head in observance of the passage of time (with no small amount of eagerness and anxiety in the mix for good measure!). I look forward to sharing with everyone here the ACTUAL results of the surgery I had done on 11/8/02, and for the experience to be of GENUINE use to anyone who (like myself before) may come traipsing across this site looking for answers just the same as I myself had done not so long ago... So, here I am, actually CONCEDING to something outside of my own control - go figure! Bear with me while I go a tad self-indulgent here - I just have to marvel at the bare-faced nature of it all: the risk - THE LIFETIME RISK - that any person, who submits himself as a patient to such a procedure, faces is quite difficult to deal with in the interim between the surgery and the results. It's pretty excruciating when one removes, and unravels (if only temporarily), the hopes and visions one cocoons their dreams with UNTIL those dreams are an actual reality themselves! Ahh, well there we go! I just looked in the mirror again, and all is right with the world! But we'll know for sure before too long! :-) Thank you Gentleman! HarryLemon [This message was edited by HarryLemon on December 24, 2002 at 11:11 AM.]

Anyone have any genuinely worthwhile suggestions in regards to this - particularly (if anyone know's off-hand) within the LA region would be most helpful. I remember a group of users posting that someone should check out this stuff and get it tested as a service to us all (potentially). I happen to've thought that was a rather good idea (at least I know it was for myself - I'll be using them regardless as they certainly don't look dubious). Any takers??

Ahhhhhh!

Okay folks, here's the deal: About a month ago I kept seeing the posts of some guy touting the virtues of finasteride ala Thailand, or - to be more specific - http://www.generics-online-pharmacy.com/ProductList.htm (if that link fails for you, just go to http://www.generics-online-pharmacy.com/ and select Product List). There I found that I could get 60 5mg tablets of generic Proscar for only $39 bucks. Multiply those guys by four and we're talkin' 240 days (that's EIGHT MONTHS) of finasteride for less than the cost of a single lousy month's worth over here. Behold: I bought, and they have arrived. Now, does anyone know where a guy can go to have the chemistry of a given drug tested for purity against the brand name? If this source of finasteride proves genuinely good, then I believe, gentleman, that we may have a winner here! Please give me your suggestions and thoughts... Thanks, HarryLemon

Okay folks, here's the deal: About a month ago I kept seeing the posts of some guy touting the virtues of finasteride ala Thailand, or - to be more specific - http://www.generics-online-pharmacy.com/ProductList.htm (if that link fails for you, just go to http://www.generics-online-pharmacy.com/ and select Product List). There I found that I could get 60 5mg tablets of generic Proscar for only $39 bucks. Multiply those guys by four and we're talkin' 240 days (that's EIGHT MONTHS) of finasteride for less than the cost of a single lousy month's worth over here. Behold: I bought, and they have arrived. Now, does anyone know where a guy can go to have the chemistry of a given drug tested for purity against the brand name? If this source of finasteride proves genuinely good, then I believe, gentleman, that we may have a winner here! Please give me your suggestions and thoughts... Thanks, HarryLemon

Okay folks, here's the deal: About a month ago I kept seeing the posts of some guy touting the virtues of finasteride ala Thailand, or - to be more specific - http://www.generics-online-pharmacy.com/ProductList.htm (if that link fails for you, just go to http://www.generics-online-pharmacy.com/ and select Product List). There I found that I could get 60 5mg tablets of generic Proscar for only $39 bucks. Multiply those guys by four and we're talkin' 240 days (that's EIGHT MONTHS) of finasteride for less than the cost of a single lousy month's worth over here. Behold: I bought, and they have arrived. Now, does anyone know where a guy can go to have the chemistry of a given drug tested for purity against the brand name? If this source of finasteride proves genuinely good, then I believe, gentleman, that we may have a winner here! Please give me your suggestions and thoughts... Thanks, HarryLemon

Propecia is great for holding the line around the crownal area (been on it for almost 3 years and can attest to that), but to really give yourself the best chances for retaining what you've still got up front, do yourself a favor and check out the book on offer (only about $15) from http://www.thinningscalp.com/ . It is chock-full of cheap and highly informative solutions (shampoos to look for, supplements, science facts, etc.) and will definately give you an edge in prevention. You may well find that if you just go out and start using only a handful of the 89 items they describe, that that will be enough to stop the loss from up front as well. Hope this helps!

Who else has had one? I didn't know about Tom Arnold... How about Kelsey Grammer??

Shoot me an email when you get a chance, so we can hook up when you move to LA...: harrylemon@hotmail.com As this is really my spam account, can you tell me your address so I can filter for it, please? Thanks hairhair! Harry

Read my post on my experience with him, posted on this string (Hair Transplant Experiences), dated 11/08/02. Words cannot describe!...

No, I went to Shapiro. The reason I ask is because I know he's fixed more than one patient quite remarkably from there before. www.shapiromedical.com He did Pat's (this site's creator) HT. I know he, if anyone, would definately be a good place to start... Give them a call!

What doctor did you go to? Was it Bosley or MHR?

In all honesty, you should have been on Propecia/Proscar/Finasteride as of yesterday - it can only help you maintain - if not regrow - your crownal hair in particular - with practically nil chance of any side affects. It definately saved me from losing my crown when it began fading around 3 years ago - no sign of it ever even going in that direction since 6 months after starting it (2 plus yrs ago now). Having never gone on Rogaine/Minoxidil before, and only attempting to try it 5 days post op from my first HT (now 2.5 weeks ago), MAN DID IT MAKE THE REDNESS FLARE UP (I got the Extra Strength - 5% solution)! I finally received my order of Folligen today, and having applied it only about 2-3 hours ago, I can definately attest to now possessing the most calmed-down head since the HT. It is now, finally, calming down to the point that I see a light at the end of my baseball-capped tunnel. I don't think you NEED to be taking Rogaine, unless you want to speed up your initial growth, post-op, by maybe a couple weeks (?), and perhaps save a few crownal hairs from the abyss... Propecia for sure. I'll definately advocate Folligen from now on, and it seems Rogaine PLUS Folligen is even more spectacular, but I'm waiting for my normal scalp color to return before I go there again!

Good point - you know, I believe that the 5300-odd number that was counted out was a HAIR-COUNT in actuality, so I believe the actual GRAFTS I recieved were more likely something less than that, but in the order of at least several hundred more than 2300+, due to all the splicing... Sorry for the confusion there! :-) My Lemon is Hairy now!!!

Yes, you're right, I meant to say that out of 2300+ FU's, I received a good deal over 5300 grafts. That figure was called out well before the end of their dissections, so the final tally was something quite above that figure. I was advised that the typical sliver yielded approximately 8 hairs, whereas mine, due to my density, yielded an average of 18. It was made clear to me during the procedure that, since the VAST majority of my FU's were 2's, and then 3's, a large amount of 1's were dissected out of those groupings. When I say large, I mean literally hundreds upon hundreds (I remember the requests he kept making for "another batch of 200 singles cut from the 2's). If by 'revelation' you mean anything other than what he himself depicts as being necessary by his own papers' decree, for they stipulate the necessity - at times - of doing precisely such paring down, then I'm afraid it is I that am somewhat confused...

You mean for a 2nd job? Yeah, I'm planning on doing a second (final?) round again this time next year to get that dense look in place, with a full looking hairline/head as the end result... Depending on how this one turns out though, I may just deem it unnecessary - who knows? I am planning on a second one though... I used to live in Studio City, on Moorpark! Ever go to Irelands 32? I used to party with a crazy bunch from LAVC back then!

Just my 2 cents on that: I had a little over 2300 grafts done (Shapiro), and by far the vast majority of those FU's were 2's and 3's. How is it, do you think, that the number of GRAFTS I recieved amounted to between 5 to 6 THOUSAND? By dint of Dr Shapiro skilled technicians divying them up under their high powered microscopes - that's how! I got TONS of single hair grafts in my HT from - mostly double - FU's getting split under the microscopes precisely for that reason... They crammed a huge amount of singles along the hairline (going well back), and increasingly peppered the crown with 2's and 3's. Unless Dr Shapiro is planting a bunch of duds in my head, which I really don't think is the case an I've been watching all of them grow a couple millimeters since the HT 2 weeks ago (if not go into their resting phase soon after), I really don't think your desire is unrealistic by any means. I didn't even ASK for that, it was just his way...

LOL! Yeah, and it was delish!! Minnesota's finest! LOL!! Made for a suiting analogy too, I thought! Hey, it's crazy how it's those little things that stand out (no pun intended!)! Hey hairhair, I used to play Ice-Hockey too - when I was growing up in Northern VA / Washington DC Metro area (Fairfax/McLean/Vienna). I played left wing - great sport! When are you actually moving to LA? I've got an old friend out there in Diversy... Chicago's a great city. We should hook up and go for a drink sometime. I imagine it'd be a good laugh! Any idea what part of LA you're thinking of moving too?

I couldn't agree with you more. You know, even if this kind of quality work IS so hard to find - at least it can be found! That simple little fact right there is simething I find absolutely amazing, and am VERY grateful for! :-) I CAN'T WAIT FOR THESE LITTLE DAMN CRITTERS TO START SPROUTIN'!!!

Shapiro Medical is comprised of a handful, and no more, of exceptional HT Surgeons of the THE highest caliber. If you talk to hairhair (he was w/ Dr Charles the day I was w/ Shapiro), he drove there from Chicago, whereas I flew in from LA. To be honest, Dr Shaprio really did not leave the room every 30 minutes. I'm happy for hairhair that his perception was such (and Dr Charles is fantastic enough to stand on his own merit, regardless, from what I've seen and heard), but in truth Dr Shapiro was intensely involved with my procedure, in particular where it mattered; donor area removal and stitching, making the recipient site incisions (in which he took the most time), and the ongoing counting & check-ups with where the technicians were with their hair counts. Once the recipient incisions were established (which was done in phases), he, and the most senior technicians (who were all awesome, by the way), would undertake the placement of the grafts according to any specific, additional instructions Dr Shapiro would have as per the phase they were performing (alongside him quite often). Once the intial recipient sites were created, yes, Dr Shapiro (for all I was aware of) left the room and came back frequently for yet further extended periods of time. In retrospect, having now heard from hairhair's account that he was making his presence and attention felt so frequently amongst his partner surgeon's surgery makes me feel all the more satisfied with just how involved Dr Shapiro actually IS in ALL HT procedures that take place under his roof. After all - if you had a reputation such as his, wouldn't YOU be intensely interested and concered about maintaining the mark? Also, remember that, for the 2300+ FU's that I recieved that day (having paid for only 2000), the entire procedure (minus less than an hour for lunch) lasted from 8:30AM to about 7-something PM! It took ALOT of time for all the technicians to dissect all the FU's that I had from my strip (major density!), to say nothing for the placement of all those guys! Listen - you have nothing to worry about... Every time I look in the mirror now I just have to smile and laugh at how frickin' awesome the whole thing is! YOU ARE IN "GOOD" HANDS THERE! I have zero idea as to what guage needle the man used... I remember him mentioning something one time about a 20-something sized-something, but man, I was so "in-a-happy-place" at the time due to the Valium et al, I honestly don't remember! :-) As far as consultation was concerned, yeah, I did my consult with Matt Zupan via phone and email (having emailed him my photoes). Because I was out of state, the rate card for me was listed as $4.50 per graft, which is actually tremendous given the quality of their work (what price utter undetectability - to say nothing for genuine grace and naturalness?!!). As it turned out, because they "threw-in" the extra 300+ grafts that were actually transplanted (which is more than common from what I've heard and read), the actual total figure per graft that I wound up paying for was more like $3.91 per graft!!! So, yes, you could say that I was surprised pricewise, but in the RIGHT direction!!!

Hey, I remember you when you left! You had that cool bandana on!! :-) Hey, screw the girl! If she can't hang with it, she's not for you to begin with!!! It WAS a great experience, wasn't it? I totally agree... what movie did you watch? I had the wild rice soup! I even went to the Mall of America to get a better bandana on Saturday. Wow, that's one hell of a mall! You know, it's perfectly normal for your transplanted stubs to be falling out about now (mine are), and, yes, I'm suffering a little shock loss as well - I hope it doesn't go any further, but if it does (as I suspect it may do), then I'll take it as a final, very temporary, exclusive little view into what my future WOULD'VE looked like had I not done what I did! I met Dr Charles while I was still talking with Matt in Matt's office - he seemed like a really nice guy as well. I'm glad it went so well for you also. I'm sure your shocked ones will be back with the new arrivals... Do you still have any pinkness in the recipient area? Enough to still be donning head gear, by any chance? My head is still a bit too pink along the recipient lines, and within, for me to go without my cap outside just yet... I started on the Rogaine Extra Strength on Day 5 (twice a day), and have noticed that each time I apply it, my scalp gets a lot redder for a couple minutes at least. I wonder if I should lay off it for a while??? I also feed it with FNS after the morning application (I wait about 10 minuted after the Rogain to slap on the FNS, from osmotics.com ). It's good stuff - I recommend it!

If you can't take 3 to 4 days off, or can not go without a cap for at least 2 weeks, forget it - you might as well tell everyone what's going on because, if you are white, and not very tanned, you WILL have a reddish-pink (and then just blatently pink) mark showing behind and along the edges of your procedure. Your temples, should you get any work done there as well (as I did), will take even longer to die down. I am 1 week and 3 days post op, and, while the healing is done now and the stubs are falling off and going into their resting faze, I do still have a bit more pink than I would care for, (not that much, but just enough). At the rate it's going (which really is very good, considering I had over 2,300 holes punched into my scalp less than a fortnight ago), I believe I will be able to venture outside hat-free in no more than a week's time. Just so you know, I have an almost abnormally fast metabolism (sub-clinical hyperthyroidism), to the extent which even the surgical technicians were astonished at how fast I was metabolizing the novacain (and consequently requiring more). What I'm getting at is that my healing process is just as remarkably fast... I don't know how much hair you currently have to comb forward over any work you may want done, but you should know that WHEREVER the line is drawn from, expect it to be noticeable for at least 2 weeks if your a white guy who's not particularly tanned. I work from home and am not out of place wearing a cap, but in sales I know it may be different for you. Don't let that discourage you though - if you can wing a cap for 2 weeks you should be fine... HarryLemon