beanz

if anything, the rogaine could have exacerbated your hair loss. i tried rogaine and it irritated my scalp - dry/red/itchy. my dermatologist finally told me to stop using it. i highly doubt the propecia will make the situation worse - it may temporarily shed some hairs; however, it will not irritate your scalp similar to how rogaine does.

I've been using the HairMax Laser Comb for 1 year now. I haven't noticed any significant regrowth except for possibly thickening my existing hairs; however, the Laser Comb has considerably helped with my dandruff. My scalp is much more clean or what I like to term normalized. Prior to using the Laser Comb, my scalp would occasionally get dry/itchy/oily. This was even with using Nizoral and/or Tea Tree Oil shampoo. Now, I don't use Nizoral and only use Tea Tree Oil shampoo. The Tea Tree Oil shamnpoo, along with Propecia, and using the Laser Comb every other day is helping keep things in place. Also, there is a lot of talk about Nizoral helping regrow hair. My 2 cents on Nizoral is that it helped with my dandruff; however, it would dry out my hair. I never liked using Nizoral because of the SLS and other chemicals in it other than the active ingredient.

I believe you are inquiring about "Cole Isolation Technique", also known as CIT. This is John Cole's proprietary FUE technique. There's nothing new or special with this technique. If you are considering scheduling a surgery with John Cole, I would strongly recommend that you first write to the Georgia State Board of Medical Examiners to get a copy of the dossier they have on John Cole. Inquire about past and present complaints. Next, hire a search firm to research all the previous names in which he was incorporated under. Then, ask the search firm to identify all the past and present lawsuits against him (current/previous companies under which he incorporated and lawsuits filed against him personally). Conduct a background check into all the doctors currently working for him and all the doctors who previously worked with him. Find out why Dr. Truett Bridges, who used to work with John Cole performing hair transplant surgeries, had his license revoked. Finally, ask yourself - Do you really want this controversy performing surgery on you?

guys, i'm indian also (born in the US, family is from Trivandrum); however, i do not plan on flying to india for an ht. it's true that ht's are much cheaper there; however, then you have to factor in the cost of travel expenses, the discomfort of adjusting to time zone changes, and adjusting to a foreign environment for a temporary stay. additionally, i really haven't been too impressed by any indian doc's. i live in chicago, and i'm visiting dr. ron shapiro in a few weeks for a consultation. minessota is only a 6 hour drive. convenient enough for me to get surgery and drive myself back home. i would rather pay a few dollars more per graft than deal with the headache of traveling to india.

i've spoken with several dermatologist's on this issue. they all agree that the hair follicle shrinks and does not die. the hair follicle may appear dead; however, it still produces a very fine/thin hair.

I've heard nothing but positive reviews about Dr. Ron Shapiro, which is why I booked a consult next month. Best of success.

At 19, you are too young to be undergoing hair transplant surgery. No ethical surgeon will operate on you. Try styling your hair differently. Start taking Propecia and consider using topical Minoxidil. I first noticed a slight recession in my hairline when I was 19. This was back in 1994. Similar to you, I panicked and then consulted with MHR and Bosley. Both Bosley and MHR wanted to work on me. Constant phone calls from them trying to book a procedure after initially consulting with them. Today, I'm 33 and moving closer to having my first procedure with a respected surgeon. Here is a word of advice based on my experience with MPB. I was very depressed at 19 when I noticed the receding hairline. I had to change my hair style. My situation was not that bad back then. I made it worse by being down about it. Stay up and enjoy these years. The inevitable may or may not happen; however, don't waste time being depressed about it.

minoxidil is hit or miss. it works for some whereas it does nothing for others. you may notice an improvement or your condition may worsen. it's a gamble which you have to bet on. for me, it made my condition worse. my scalp was red and irritated, which resulted in increased shedding.

Jason - Thanks for answering my questions. I'm going to call the office on Monday and inquire about a consultation for the week of July 20. Androgenic alopecia is a downer; however, the most painful part of this traumatic experience is just staying idle and slowly watching the inevitable unfold before your eyes when you get up each morning and take that first look in the mirror. I'm optimistic that this consultation will be a positive experience. Thanks again.

Thanks Jason. Some time ago, I received a packet from the Shapiro Medical Group and a DVD titled, 'American Medical Review'. I'm planning on scheduling a consultation with Dr. Shapiro sometime this month in July. If I choose Dr. Ron Shapiro, will he be involved in my surgery or will I have to pay extra for him to perform the surgery? How involved will Dr. Shapiro be? I live in the Chicago suburbs and Minnesota is a much more convenient location to have surgery. I can easily drive home in privacy the day after surgery; however, I'm not ruling out Vancouver. I've seen some beautiful crown work by Hasson & Wong and hairlines that are aesthetic works of art by Dr. Shapiro. I've consulted with other doctors in the past 2 years in what were both positive and negative experiences. From my research, it appears Hasson & Wong perform larger sessions. I'm looking to have 2500 grafts transplanted. Do you have any before/after pictures posted of your transplant? Does Dr. Shapiro use the lateral slit technique?

Minoxidil works in different ways for some of us. I was using Rogaine for several months and during this time I would notice on and off shedding. Finally, I stopped using Rogaine because it was irritating my scalp. My scalp was red and always itching. I haven't been back on it since. I have always noticed more hair shedding while using Rogaine. Also, I did not experience any benefit from using Rogaine.

I've been perusing this board for years now to help with my research on choosing the right doc. I'm moving closer to scheduling consultations and plan on a September surgery date. I'm very impressed with all the feedback/reviews that I have read about Drs. Hasson & Wong and Dr. Shapiro. I have this unusual diffuse thinning pattern. For the frontal hairline I just need it to look a little stronger and I need the temples filled in slightly. I don't want grafts behind the hairline. The crown is where the diffuse thinning has took off. I want my issues addressed in one session. I narrowed my preferred method to STRIP for optimal yield. Now the choice is which doc for both front and crown work. Recommendations? Thanks

I've been perusing this board for years now to help with my research on choosing the right doc. I'm moving closer to scheduling consultations and plan on a September surgery date. I'm very impressed with all the feedback/reviews that I have read about Drs. Hasson & Wong and Dr. Shapiro. I have this unusual diffuse thinning pattern. For the frontal hairline I just need it to look a little stronger and I need the temples filled in slightly. I don't want grafts behind the hairline. The crown is where the diffuse thinning has took off. I want my issues addressed in one session. I narrowed my preferred method to STRIP for optimal yield. Now the choice is which doc for both front and crown work. Recommendations? Thanks