arfy

Dr. Brandy is known for doing radical scalp reductions (the Brandy Lift) which you should avoid, in my opinion.

 

Also, there was a newspaper article about Brandy about a year ago, that described his techs wearing loops (visors) to dissect the donor strip. This is NOT state of the art, you want a clinic that uses microscopes to dissect grafts. Make sure any clinic you use will use microscopes. (The exception being clinics that do FUE or the Woods method, where the grafts are already small enough to not need trimming, I believe).

 

Every once in a while you will hear from a guy who says he is satisfied with Dr. Brandy's work. But overall, his reputation among patients is not the best!

Figsy, take your time. There is no advantage to rushing through the process. You are correct in thinking that you should wait for your transplant to mature, before adding to it.

 

No one should ever EVER hurry themselves into this. That is how mistakes are made.

 

Hair tranplantation is one area in life where it can actually pay off to SLOW DOWN or WAIT.

 

You are doing the right thing.

Ten weeks is considered average, for grafts to start beginning to grow. You're not even there yet. Also, your hair grows a half-inch per month, on average. So when it does emerge, it will happen slowly.

 

Relax, and try not to worry. As far as I know, there's nothing you can do at this point but keep your fingers crossed. In the meantime, don't get stressed out.

Yes, it is the best way to dissect a donor strip.

 

What you want to avoid are clinics that dissect grafts wearing "loops" which are magnifying visors. (A visor is "head gear"). A microscope can magnify something like 10 to 25 times, a loop only something like 4 to 6 times.

 

I am probably off in my measures, but the point is that the microscope is MUCH more powerful way to see what you are cutting into.

 

(By the way, it is typical for clinics to use loops to PLACE the grafts... no problem. You just don't want them to use loops to DISSECT the grafts. Microscopes only!)

Ask yourself if the doctor is truly going to be able to do a proper job of it the second time around. "If at first you don't succeed..." is a nice motto, but if the initial results are not pleasing, make sure that you are not getting bit by the same dog twice. It's important to pick a top doctor, because you usually have one "best chance" to get it done right the first time. If you need corrective work, it is possibly even more important that your doctor is truly excellent. You only have so much donor hair, for example, but it can be more complicated than that. If you have any doubts about your doctor or clinic, look elsewhere.

The answer is "yes".

 

You should ALREADY be on Propecia anyway, if you are losing hair! If you would take it at the early signs of hair loss, you would hopefully never need a hair transplant in the first place.

 

There is only so much donor hair on your head. If you are smart, you will try to keep as much of your remaining "natural" hair as possible. If I were you, if I had some hair I wanted to keep, I would get on Propecia ASAP.

You've done the right thing, if you have read evrything you can find, and researched the hell out of hair transplants.

 

That's the thing I would advise people before getting a consultation...read everything you can get your hands on. Read all the websites of doctors who are "recommended", a lot of them stress "patient education" over "sales", (which is great by the way.)

 

Keep in mind that different doctors have different philosophies. Since you say youi've done your homework and educated yourself, just try to express your goals clearly, and try to really understand whatever advice the doctor has. Just try to get a clear and mutual understanding with each other, and see what makes sense after that.

 

Decide not to make any decisions or judgements either way, until after you have really spent some time thinking everything over

 

[This message was edited by arfy on October 24, 2002 at 01:01 AM.]

I've read the thread several times. The overall advice I seem to be hearing here is "meet with several doctors, not just one or two".

 

Nobody should get a hair transplant after consulting with just one doctor or clinic.

 

How does that sound?

 

Regarding Dr. Feller, his thread on the "Density" issue is one of the most informative threads in recent memory. There is a balance and compromise between having a lot of density vs. covering a large area of baldness. Dr. Feller makes a good case for dense grafting.

 

[This message was edited by arfy on October 18, 2002 at 11:05 PM.]

I try not to go around recommending doctors, in a lot of cases I don't even recommend hair transplants in general. It's not the right thing for every guy with a hair loss problem, despite the advertising you might have seen. I think the first thing you need to decide is if getting a hair transplant is really the right thing for you to do. Not every guy makes a good candidate for the procedure. However there are clinics out there, who will be glad to give you a transplant, as long as you have the cash. First I would think long and hard about whether this is what is best for you. Read up on what makes a guy a good candidate.

 

Then read the section of the website called Best Hair Transplant Procedure Look at the websites of all of the doctors who are recommended by this site, read all of their websites from top to bottom, and see what makes sense, and what doesn't. Check out the website http://www.hairtransplantadviser.org/ which has some general information and guidelines. Read the previous posts in this forum, as far back as you can stand going.

 

Then once you feel like you really have some knowledge of the subject, (and if you are still interested) go visit some clinics you think might be good, and get some consultations. Use this opportunity to ask specific questions you have, about their recommendations for you, their philosophies, etc. See who you really click with, who seems to have your best interests in mind, and who might just be trying to make a sale, or who tells you to "let them do all the thinking".

 

The reason I say to do all that reading FIRST, is otherwise you spend your consultation just learning the basics. You want to be really educated on what you are getting into, because getting a hair transplant is a big decision that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. It's a bigger decision than buying a house or getting married. You can't divorce your hair transplant. Lots of guys have gotten burned by doctors and clinics who were just trying to make a lot of money, and not "help people". I am an example of that. .

 

You need to answer your own question, (who should you get to do your transplant) for yourself. There is always a strong possibility the answer may be "nobody". Hair transplants are not the miracle cure for hair loss that we all wish they were. You only get one shot at doing it right the first time. Make sure that you are the right guy for the procedure, and that your doctor is "world class".<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Can I trust that the discussions in this forum really came from the HT patients?

If you follow my suggestions, you will only need to trust yourself and your own judgement. You will know what sounds accurate, and what seems like BS, and you will be able to make up your own mind.

Dr. Feller

You may have a point about guys who sometimes say "Dr. So-and-so is the BEST", because lots of guys get ethusiastic about their results. I know I personally don't mind getting very opinionated and vocal about doctors who I think should be avoided.

 

You also made a bunch of good points about how to narrow down your search, and some other nice points as well.

 

But nobody in this particular thread has tried to to "tell" this fellow Gost he has to go anywhere in particular, or not go anywhere, or that any one doctor in New York is "the one"... I think the general consensus is to meet several doctors in the New York area, and think things over carefully.

 

Your point is well-taken, but I think the advice being given in this immediate thread is sound, and not overbearing.

Hmm, I think there may be a misunderstanding about what the clinic told you regarding (as you said) "single follicle grafts". If there are doctors who do actually use ONLY "single follicles" that is probably not good.

 

What you want are single "Follicular Unit" grafts, also called "FUs".

 

A "FU" graft is a single follicular unit. What you want to stay away from are "Minigrafts", which can contain "more than one" FU. A few "good" doctors might use an occasional Minigraft here and there, but the vast majority of all of your grafts should be FUs. Probably at least 90% should be FUs.

 

This has nothing to do with how many hairs grow in a graft. A "FU" graft can be one, two, or three hairs. You just want your grafts to be exclusively (or in some cases almost exclusively) "single FUs" ONLY.

 

Also, make sure the doctor or clinic dissects all of your grafts using microscopes. No microscopes? Get up and leave.

 

I'm not doing a very good job of describing FU grafts. Read the websites of the recommended doctors here, like I said, and also read this first: Best Hair Transplant Procedure

 

It explains why microscopically-dissected single "FU" grafts are called the "gold standard".

At least meet with Dr. Bernstein. He is very low key and low pressure ("no" pressure) and he will give you good advice.

 

You should probably talk with a few doctors, and I would definitely put Bernstein on your list. But in the meantime, keep reading and learning as much as you can about HT, so you will not waste time with these doctors asking about the basics. Read all of their web sites, and read everything on this web site. Look at the websites of ALL the recommeded doctors, including the ones you think are too far, etc, just for the information. Then , when you have your consultations, you'll know what the important questions to ask are, and you'll already have some opinions of your own, going in. Consider your consultation as a chance to interview these doctors, and see who really gives you the best advice...not just "what you want to hear" but who seems like they want to keep your best interests in mind, and not just "sell you" on cosmetic surgery.

 

Let us know what you think, if you meet these doctors.

Hi jwlncal

Just out of curiousity, who are the choices? Is it Dr. Rassman and Dr. McLellan, or is there anyone else besides those two?

 

My gut instinct would be to suggest McLellan first, (unless you are interested in the FUE technique that Rassman does.) That's not based on a personal experience, just from hanging around on line a lot.

 

A few doctors and clinics count "hairs" instead of grafts, but most people seem to think it makes more sense to discuss things in terms of grafts.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Does wearing a cap after the surgery cause grafts to be disturbed...

 

Just be very careful, epecially for the first week or two. The first few days are especially critical. Many guys take vacation time off from work, and stay at home, where they don't need to wear a cap. Be very gentle with yourself, especially at first.

 

If you lose one or two grafts, that is considered normal. If you are losing dozens of grafts, there is a problem somewhere.

 

Try your best to stay at a 45 degree angle when sleeping. Build up a little mountain of pillows. It's a little hard to sleep this way, but you will manage. I usually wake up a couple of times during the night, but do your best. The first 3 nights are all you need to worry about, to help prevent swelling.

 

Good luck.

From what I hear, Dutasteride will be available some time in December.

 

More specific information is supposed to be available soon.

 

Keep your ears open, and you won't miss it. I will certainly post about it, and others will too, when we hear more.

 

If you can't manage to keep checking the internet, just try contacting your pharmacy in December, and ask.

 

I try not to drive traffic from website to website if I can help it, out of respect for the different site owners. Right now, that's the current info.

Another aspect with Minigrafts and Micrografts...

 

As everyone probaly knows, they are not trimmed as carefully, and there is more excess tissue. This can cause problems as it gets fitted into the recipient site...the grafts can get compressed or distorted, which can cause "corkscrewing".

 

Not just cobblestoning and pitting, but also changes in hair texture from larger (non-FU) grafts...

Here's a hint for you... Click on this page of the website called "Best Hair Transplant"

 

Read it carefully. You might even want to print it out. Then approach the clinics you are interested in, and ask them if they use this "best" approach.

 

The key elements are <UL TYPE=SQUARE>1. Using a microscope to dissect all of the grafts.

 

2. Using Follicular Unit grafts as the vast majority of grafts. Minigrafts are cosmetically inferior, and should only be used only in small amounts, if they have to be used at all. What you DON'T want is a transplant that has a majority of Minigrafts.

 

I'm pretty sure none of the MHR franchises will pass this simple test.

 

If I were you, I'd look at the list of recommended surgeons here, and avoid any clinics that advertise on TV. Those clinics are not the best (or the cheapest either).

It is pathetic that a hair transplant doctor would not know the difference between Minigrafts and FU grafts, or try to fool people into thinking it is the same thing.

 

It is NOT the same thing.

 

It's too late to try to "put the genie back in the bottle", Dr. Loria. Almost everybody on this website knows about FU grafts, and why they are clearly the best.

 

Also, if MHR dissects their Minigrafts using microscopes, that's news to me.

 

There are many other places to get a MUCH better hair transplant (and cheaper too) than MHR.

Joeyy

Propecia is excellent for stopping and preventing further hair loss. It does that in over 80% of the guys who use it, according to studies. It's not so great at "reversing" baldness, but it will let you keep what you've got.

 

Side effects are seen in only something like 2% of users, and they go away when you stop using Propecia. Also, some guys who had side efects said they cut their Propecia in half, or took it every other day, and stopped having side effects with a lower dose.

 

Also, some doctors have said that shedding is a sign you are a "good responder" to Propecia. As long as you don't panic, you should see any shed hair return, stronger than before.

 

Guys who are losing hair, who are smart, will use Propecia. Then they might never need a Hair Transplant in the first place. If you are only "Norwood 1" that is not even a real Norwood rating. In other words, you have a normal amount of recession that does not indicate any further baldness. Especially if it hasn't changed in several years. You shouldn't even be thinking about a hair transplant, they are for guys who are seriously balding, which you do not seem to be.

There was a minor firestorm on this site a while back over Dr. Woods. A bunch of guys were interested in using him (and a couple had actually used him). But they were catching a lot of heat from naysayers, who claimed it was all a hoax (in some cases) or that they would "believe it when they see it". Since then, the guys interested in Woods have mostly moved on to friendlier websites. But all those older posts about Dr. Woods are still here, if you do a search for them.

 

Since then, a couple of other doctors have jumped on the "no strip-excision" method, in particular Dr. Jones in Canada. This approach is still controversial, and to be honest I think that is partly because it could completely change the way doctors have to run their businesses. Some people find that threatening to the "status quo" and so that opens Dr. Woods and Dr. Jones up for attack.

 

I'm digressing, sorry.

 

One reason Dr. Woods' claim of "no shock fallout" could be true, is that he uses incredibly poweful magnification to create the recipient sites for the grafts. Most doctors use "jeweler's loops" for this step, which are not as powerful. Another factor might be that Dr. Woods apparently makes each recipient site "one by one" and it is done very deliberately. Most other docs make all the recipient sites all at once, very rapidly. This is more traumatic to the scalp overall (in my opinion). Even though you still have the same number of holes, having hundreds of them made in the span of a few minutes (rather than throughout the entire day, as Woods does) is more of a shock to the system.

 

Then there is the issue of shock to the system due to the removal of the donor strip itself. Woods' method of harvesting is less traumatic, because he moves single grafts one by one, with no donor strip removal. Finally, because Woods technique is more time consuming, the most he seems to do is 600 grafts in a single day. This is a lot less than a 2400 graft "megasession" and again, is less stressfull and less traumatic. In my opinion, it could very well explain his claims of "no shock fallout".

 

Of course this is all controversial at this point, so please make up your own minds. I try to avoid "campaigning" for Woods here, because many guys here don't share my opinion, or don't think a linear donor scar is a big deal. Different strokes for different folks, but I think what Dr. Woods has done is an exciting improvement to the field.

 

Here's a couple of websites, if you want to read up. But please, lets not flame each other over this stuff...

 

Dr. Woods' site: http://www.4hair.com.au/

 

An interview with Dr. Jones: Dr. Jones Interview

 

Here's Dr. Jones' website, it doesn't have all the current information about his approach though... this is a relatively recent development: Dr. Jones' website

 

By the way, Dr. Jones has been on Pat's recommended list. Hopefully Pat finds his new approach "up to snuff" and keeps recommending him: Dr. Jones "recommended" info

 

By the way, clinics besides Woods who use this technique (Dr. Jones, Dr. Rassman of NHI) refer to it as "FUE" which means "Follicular Unit Extraction". It's moving FU grafts "one by one". These doctors are still using Follicular Unit grafts, which are the foundation of a good hair transplant!!! The main thing these doctors disagree about is "how to harvest the grafts".

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Then why do people always say, I should have done this when I first started losing hair??

Because it's advertising, and that sounds good. One of the bigger scams being played on people is that "hair transplants are for everyone". In my opinion (and many others too) that is just not true.

 

If I was a Norwood 2, I'd be looking at stuff like Propecia and possibly Minoxidil if you can deal with the application twice a day. I'd be on the lookout for new legitimate treatments.

 

By the way, it was just announced Dutasteride will become available in December. You might think about that...

 

Regarding your hairline...as i posted before, a "correct" hairline placement for HT has recessed temples, and is high enough to look right when you are 50 or older. Look at your hairline right now, and if the "correct HT hairline" wouldn't be an obvious BIG improvement to your appearance, just forget about it for now.

 

Keep using medications for prevention. You can always get a HT later on, they are not going away. But they are really better for guys who are older, who have lost a lot of hair, who would be happy just to have "some" hair... a "little" hair. Not guys who are trying to get all the way back to "perfect". It might look okay at first, but you open yourself up to huge potential problems down the road. Remember, your HT hairline will never ever change, even if you lose tons of hair behind it. And you won't want to be stuck with a teenager's hairline as an older man, it will look bizarre.

 

Everyone wishes hair transplants were the miracle cure to baldness, unfortunately they are not. For some guys they can work out well, but HT have limitations and drawbacks, and are certainly not a perfect solution.

 

For an idea of the type of guy who could benefit from a HT, who is a good candidate for a HT, look at Pat's story (he runs this website). http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Pats_hair_transplant/My_hair_transplantation_story.asp

The short answer is yes.

 

I think there is a misconception that "a HT will be the end of worrying about my hair" and that's not true in a lot of cases.

 

Also, if you are self-concious about hair loss, odds are pretty good you could be self-conscious about your hair transplant, after it's all said and done.

Just recently emerging from the scalp, usually.

 

Your hair only grows a half-inch per month. Most guys's grafts are dormant for 2 or 3 months, after growing for the first two weeks initially.

 

Every guy is different, but I would say a half-inch is a good guess.

 

For you Europeans, about 1 centimeter...

Many guys are smart enough not to get a HT unless they really need it, and not just to tweak their hairlines. In other words, they wait untril they have a noticeable bald area. (For one thing, guys who still have a lot of hair when they get a HT can suffer "shock fallout" and end up with LESS hair after the surgery). A good candidate is considered to be AT LEAST Norwood 3 with a well-defined balding area. He should also be prepared for a recessed and mature "final" hairline, and a thin or bald crown.

 

There is a limited amount of donor hair, and it is not nearly enough to cover a bald head. I once read that the total size of donor area available, is roughly the size of a credit card. Imagine that small amount of hair from the back, distributed all over a big bald zone...

 

Now keep in mind that if you actually need a hair transplant in the first place, it is VERY likely that eventually you will become totally bald someday. So almost everybody has to be satisfied with light coverage of grafts, and a bald (or very thin covering) in the crown.

 

Does this answer your question, why guys with a HT don't typically have long hair? A hair transplant can't give you enough hair to make a long-hair style look good, usually. Would it look good to have long hair in the front, and a bare or very thin crown? No, it usually looks kinda dumb.

 

If you think a HT will give you enough hair to have "rock star" hair, you are deluded. A good HT will look like you have lost some hair, but still managed to hang on to a little too. They call that "the illusion of coverage".

 

If you are smart, you won't expect to be that one-in-a-million guy who has it turn out any different.

To Jotronic

Dr. Puig used a consultant. Puig would come into the surgery room at the last minute, flip up his mask and it was "off to the races". Back then, I had nothing to compare it to, I thought it was normal. I also trusted that as a doctor, he would take excellent care of me, which wasn't true.

 

When I went back to complain, I wasn't allowed to talk to the doctor, I had to voice my complaints to the consultant, which went nowhere of course. Both these guys are still out there, working in the field, by the way. From what I can tell, Dr. Puig was one of the people who helped establish the "hair mill" system of business.

 

I hold both my consultant and doctor responsible for what happened, the consultant for lying to me and "overselling" the procedure when I wasn't a good candidate, and Dr. Puig because he was the director of the clinic and called the shots, and he also should have told me to go home the moment we met.

 

Shadows

I agree you should really see the doctor's work in person. A HT is expensive, so your travel expenses are really peanuts in the long run. If you have to spend a couple hundred bucks on a plane ticket for "peace of mind" believe me it will be well worth it. Ask the clinic if they can help arrange for you to meet some patients with a similar pattern of hair loss as you have now.

 

I also agree that photos can be misleading, because you don't see the person from all sides, the top down, etc. I am sure that good clinics do not need to doctor their photos, though. But see real patients, and examine them closely, no matter which clinic you are considering. Run your fingers through their hair. You need to get a "real-life" look at what a doctor can and cannot do, with the surgery.

 

Regarding Pat's donor scar, I believe Pat said he went on vacation after his surgery and left the sutures in longer than he was supposed to, and that was why he had a problem. Pat took all the blame for his scar problem, which I recently read had been fixed. Maybe Pat will explain further...