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Jotronic

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Everything posted by Jotronic

  1. Hi guys, it's Joe Tillman. As of July 29th, 2014, and after a LOT of careful consideration and soul searching, I have chosen to leave Hasson & Wong and will no longer act as their representative. From now on I am only a Hasson & Wong patient. I am now representing Rahal. There's good news and bad news that comes with that. The bad news is that, as of this post, the Jotronic name will be officially retired. I wish I didn't have to do that, since I was Jotronic even before I was a patient at H&W, but it is what it is. Unfortunately, I can't answer any questions as to why. The account will be locked with no option to reopen it. I'm honestly genuinely pleased that I can hang my reputation on my name now. The good news is, I will always be Joe Tillman. A name can be retired, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to retire. I got into this industry to bring men (and women) like me the best information on hair loss solutions that I can. I've always been 100% about the patients, whatever you guys -- us guys -- need. That will never go away, no matter what name I write under. I started off as just another patient looking to get follicular salvation, and I would like to especially thank my friend Mike Ferko for guiding me. The role that I ended up taking on is one that Mike brought me into. For many years Mike and I worked together to help educate others, and I'd like to think we did a pretty good job. My friends in Vancouver have given me valuable fellowship over the years. Christina, Doug, and Daria, you're great people and I'll miss you dearly. The other professionals I worked with, the technicians whose names can't be mentioned, you guys are also outstanding and have been great friends over the years. To Dr. Wong, you will always be the doctor that saved me. Mike might have put me on the road to salvation, but you were where that road lead, and nothing can take that away, no matter where I go. Dr. Hasson, thanks for your mentoring and support. Finally, to all the patients I've met and helped over the past eleven years, I thank you all. To all the patients I've yet to meet, I hope I can learn as much about your concerns as you can learn about solutions from me. I wish everyone the best, and I look forward to working with all of you under the "JoeTillman" username from this day forward. All the best, Joe Tillman (the poster formerly known as Jotronic)
  2. Bumping this up because I found something interesting. Ten years ago I took a series of photos of my own hair to experiment with flash. I was several months out from my second procedure with Dr. Wong where a total of 4831 grafts over two procedures had been placed over my entire NW6 balding scalp. My hair was damp and combed backward. The hairline without flash shows how see through the hairline is and you can even see the outline of the top of my scalp. The photo to the right is with flash taken only a few seconds later. My scalp is completely hidden and you can only see a small amount of scalp whereas the photo to the left without flash allows you to see all the way through my hairline and all of my scalp is visible. Here is the link to a GIF file I made that shows my hairline getting thicker as the flash image morphs into view. It is a big file, 55mb, so give it a minute to download. http://www.hassonandwong.com/images/htmgallery/random-images/frontflash.gif?i=385300460
  3. This patient had a need for general thickening in addition to hairline/temple work. Dr. Hasson and his team transplanted 4005 grafts in a single session with the result shown being 20 months post surgery.
  4. Questionmark, Please keep in mind the context of my post. I was referring to the statement made by s2thoudriver where he said that strip is old and how no one should be performing it.I'm not debating the merits of either technique, just refuting silly statements like his.
  5. My own case for one. I was between a NW6 and NW7 and have had multiple procedures with strip to repair my older 1990's work and then subsequently to add more for enhancement. I've had nearly 10,000 grafts via strip only AFTER having two failed previous procedures and TWO donor scars combined into one. With FUE I would look like a plucked chicken before I would get to half that number. FUE is great. I like it but I'm also realistic about it.
  6. There are many cases where strip will always be a better option. My own case illustrates this perfectly because no FUE practitioner will claim that a result like mine is possible with FUE with head hair only. I've had 9500 grafts with Dr. Wong via strip AFTER I had two previous procedures where 800 mini grafts were supposed to have been taken (only 300 grew). I'm not anti-FUE but I am against the idea that FUE is the only option. This is a statement made by the uneducated or those that work for FUE only clinics. It's one thing to say FUE is the only option, it's another thing entirely to back it up with a result for every scenario.
  7. KO, Good question. There is evidence to suggest that finasteride can indeed help women and in cases like this it should be safe to take.
  8. Search for "Biscuit". He's been a member for years and he had a procedure with Dr. Wong, 4000 grafts (plus or minus) and he has not taken medication. From the sounds of your situation though you don't need Propecia. You are 45 with minor loss and back in 2010 you said the hair behind the recession was "very thick" with "no problems there". Has anything changed? You've been asking about Dr. Rahal for six years now. Have you even spoken to his clinic?
  9. Me too... http://www.hairtransplantmentor.com/hair-loss-information/diet-and-hair-loss/
  10. Yes, shooting flash from on the top image can be more harsh but slight variations in the angle can turn the effect around 180 degrees. Flash is tricky which is why it should not be used in general unless of course like I was saying where the flash is pointed up at the ceiling to help illuminate the entire area. Most clinics don't use a DSLR and then most don't have an add on flash that has the ability to pivot the angle of the flash up or down. I can take a shot of the top of someone's scalp looking down (chin to chest) and take the first shot with flash and the second shot without and pass it off as a before and after comparison with 2000 grafts fully grown. The images would be taken five seconds apart but everyone would think they were 8 months apart. That "guy" on Youtube? Where do you think he got that info and the photos? One day, hopefully soon, I'll put together a tutorial on what flash does to the appearance of a result.
  11. Females make up a far lower percentage of patients than their male counterparts due to several factors. These typically include DPA (diffused patterned alopecia) which can affect the donor zone. Very tight scalp thereby limiting the amount of hair that can be taken and the thread of ongoing loss since most women cannot take finasteride thus they are limited to minoxidil. This patient did not have the traditional limitations that most women have that are experiencing hair loss. She had a defined pattern similar to that of a NW6 with plenty of donor density and sufficient laxity. She came to see Dr. Hasson about restoring as much of her hair as possible so Dr. Hasson and team moved 4516 grafts in a single procedure. The photos and HD video are showing the results at 11 months post-op. Singles - 1674 Doubles - 2475 3/4 - 367 Total - 4516
  12. Thanks guys. I like this result too as it demonstrates that one doesn't necessarily have to have high density to get a dramatic improvement in one's appearance. I think this would give hope to more patients that have a large area of loss as they can see how a compromise can work out for the best. Thing is, if the patient wants to get some more density for the hairline, it is easy to achieve because the ground work has already been completed. Anything else is gravy.
  13. I was going to put together a list of clinics that do use flash or have unfocused images but I think putting together a list of those that DON'T use direct flash would be less antagonistic.
  14. This patient had a large area to cover but wanted to forego density to cover as much scalp as possible. He asked Dr. Wong for hairline work, mid-scalp as well as crown coverage. This is a tall order for sure. The result shows what even a lower density hairline can achieve as the frame for his face gives him a younger appearance alone. The coverage from front to back is light but very effective. Results shown are 13 months post-op. Singles - 1680 Doubles - 2602 3/4 - 135 4417 Total Grafts
  15. Hairyjoe, It is true, indeed and unfortunately many of the recognized "experts" on this and other forums are not really experts. I'm not being negative or condescending, just realistic in that they are sitting at their keyboards making judgments and giving advice that unfortunately have a real world impact on the decisions of others. Some are really smart guys, no debating that, but I refer to my Porsche kit car reference. One can't really be blamed for this however as there really is nothing else to go on aside from photos and the occasional video because we can't expect the average forum member to go camp out at a few clinics and meet patients or sit in on procedures for months or years like I have. Personally, I appreciate what some of the more informed members do here because it saves me a lot of work as most of the advice given here is pretty sound. A few clinics get it. I remember when I was in Spain and I first met Dr. Lorenzo in Madrid. We were having dinner at a restaurant ( where I got to meet the band LMFAO, good times! ) and he was telling me he had been emulating what I started for H&W with the HD video presentation and the comb throughs. This was a little while before he became known on this side of the pond but he's done really well with that. Another doctor in India (not recommended here) told me the same, and he's done it too. There are a couple of other clinics that do a good job with photos like Dr. Rahal and a clinic in Belgium owned by a friend of mine. Dr. Wesley has some, not all, results without flash and a few others as well. But that is only the first step. There has to be a standard for clarity. I honestly think some clinics don't own a tripod because some of the results photos I see may not be taken with a flash but they have so much blur that you cannot see any details, or they are just out of focus or both. I know what I'd do if I ran the forums. No results can be posted until they meet the standard criteria. Any postings will be flagged or deleted is they don't meet the standards set. This protects the patients and it raises the bar because believe you me; once the flash is eliminated you will see the quality of results plummet. You'll see less density and more details. This is not to pick on Bill and the gang, he knows how I feel about this subject, but I'd just like to see the standards raised. That is a spot on interpretation, at least when it comes to my point of view. You will rarely see me comment on a result because as I said earlier, my opinion carries weight, and I don't like hurting feelings of others. I'm talking about the patients because I don't care if I hurt the feelings of clinics. When it comes to the results I post out of H&W, I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I am also confident that the results I post will speak for themselves and are FAR superior to those of the majority of clinics because there is no trickery. We have a policy in place in that we will only crop the images and blur out a face with Photoshop if necessary. We don't do the wet before pics and dry after pics. I will RARELY post pics sent in by patients but sometimes I will if they are obviously dramatic. I would says that some of our before photos should not have the hair quite so messed up but that also has to do with being up at 6:15 a.m., lol! We aren't perfect but I feel we do a damn good job, better than others. I'm exploring ways to up the standards however as there is always room for improvement. We standardized on a new camera (had some problems recently) and we added some brighter overhead lights to eliminate the color and ISO problems we've had off and on. Flash would have eliminated these issues but I refuse this option for previously stated reasons. The one way that flash can be used is when it is pointed up at the ceiling instead of directly at the subject. If one is using a DSLR with an add on flash then the flash can be angled up toward the ceiling so that the light bounces down on top of the subject. It illuminates the whole area and does not have unrealistically favorable benefits. I tested this in my home studio and it works well when properly executed.The problem is that a clinic would have to make a real effort to learn how to do this properly which I do not foresee happening anytime soon. I'm for it if there are Cosplay ladies:) There is an event that is close to your suggestion, the ISHRS annual meeting, but unfortunately it is closed to the public. Oh, how I wish it were an open meeting. You'd be shocked!
  16. Bumping this up. Register online now! http://www.hassonandwong.com
  17. Problem is, where are you going to get photos of ten hairlines, not transplanted, that are in comparable angles, with comparable lighting, and are not of celebrities or stock photos that have been altered? Also, for a true comparison you need to have hairlines that are complete reconstructions, not blending into existing hair or making use of a forelock that is front and center, distracting from the surgical work. No flash can be used in any photos and the images have to be crystal clear.
  18. I see issues with so many results where very few other do, or at least they don't point them out publicly. I cannot point out flaws publicly because I cannot forget that the result is on the scalp of a human being, with feelings, and because my opinion has weight it can make some people very upset. Unfortunately most of you do not know what truly natural results are because you are relegated to viewing photos on websites only with the occasional video here and there. Photos from most clinics use flash which makes hairlines look twice as thick and they soften the harsh indicators of surgical intervention. Harsh flash makes coarse hairs look finer and you don't see how the skin is affected by having thousands of tiny wounds inflicted on the recipient zone. It is like judging the aesthetic or performance merits of a Porsche 911 when it is really a kit car built out of VW bug. You are judging an illusion as if it is the real thing thus the judgement is invalid. Until all clinics being discussed cease using flash photography, and start adding HD video of their results, then this discussion is moot. In addition, "natural" and "density" are not synonymous. Natural means something you'll find in nature at any phase of progress. A thin hairline can be "natural" as long as it does not look man-made. Personally, I'm disappointed that more people do not demand non-flash photos and plenty of HD video. I've talked about it for years, basically wrote the book on the subject, and people still see results posted with flash and or the ever present "shaky cam" and "ooh" and "ahhh" over the results when I just have to shake my head because the image is so far from reality that if two photos of the same patient were presented, both with and without flash, the one patient would look like two different people. Demand better. Only then will you be in a position to judge accurately.
  19. Dr. Mwamba is not in Georgia. He's not been there for years when he worked for another doctor as a technician. He's in Belgium now with his own very successful practice. ptuser, I can't stress this enough. Do NOT schedule your procedure based on having little time from having twins in the house. I understand that twins can be very time consuming but you don't want them asking Daddy why his hair looks funny in ten years. Neograft sounds great, but isn't. In fact, I visited the website for the doctor you first mentioned and as I suspected, all of the images in the before/after gallery are shared by at least a dozen other Neograft clinics so you don't know who did what as far as the results. I won't go into my opinion of the results themselves as I'll let others chime in on that point. You need to consider traveling for your procedure or not have one at all. It is that big of a deal and you certainly don't want to go to a clinic that knowingly shares pics with dozens of other clinics all because they use the same machine. Neograft supplies these photos for clinics that do not have their own results to share. To prove it, just do a Google image search for the two sets of images I downloaded from the doctor's website and posted here...
  20. In September of 2013 I started a thread to show the result for one patient that came to see Dr. Hasson. At the time I only posted photos. We finally have the HD video put together for more detail on the case. Here are the photos for reference... http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/172326-dr-hasson-4120-grafts-15-months-fut.html
  21. This local patient came to Dr. Wong for hairline and crown work but he presented the challenge of being on a budget. In order to be within the patient's budget he had to accept a more mature hairline but one that still framed his face based on his facial structure. This allow for more grafts to also be left over for crown coverage. The result you see below is at ten months post-op. Patient had been on Propecia for over one year at the time of surgery. Singles - 727 Doubles - 1698 3/4 - 251 Total 2676
  22. Hasson & Wong representative Mike Ferko will be in San Francisco for consultations from July 30th to August 2nd. He will answer your questions about hair loss and what can be done to address it. He will also tell you about how Hasson & Wong perform procedures and what may be done with regards to your own case. To register simply go online to our homepage and fill out the registration form that will pop up. Hair Transplants | Hair Transplant Surgery | Hasson & Wong
  23. Very few openings are available so if you are considering this opportunity you should register soon.
  24. Unfortunately you are guessing wrong. There is no laser device that is FDA "Approved" only "cleared" through the 510K clearance process. This means that it is safe, nothing more and the only studies performed were most likely performed by the manufacturer meaning that there is a heavy bias toward positive result. Save your money.
  25. PRP will not reduce a scar. GreatPelo is correct in that only a revision or FUE will make any positive improvements.
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