chibbler1

Hello it has been 7 years since my last treatment . I know that there have been many advancements and I was wondering if there are any treatments that are minimally invasive that you can leave your hair fairly long that have been introduced recently , if so which doctors ( preferably in the western US ) that are good and can perform these treatments . I'm in So Cal.... thanks in advance for your comments. bill Chibbler1

I dont know if you read my previous post , but I contacted Dr. alexanders office about a 500 graft FUE procedeure and they said he does'nt do many FUE procedures , and that I would be better off going to dr. feller . Remember, in order to have a better chance of resonable growth using FUE it is imperative that the surgeon does it on a frequent basis due to the extreme precision needed for a successful FUE procedure . It seems that the only surgeon in the US that seems to have that much experience is Dr. Feller . If anyone knows of another Dr. that has extensive experience with the FUE (maybe 1 procedure a week or more) please let me know.... chibbler

you are right , it looks like alexander does nice strip work , but I emailed him a couple of weeks ago and asked about a small (500) Fue procedeure and he told me to try dr. feller in NY. Which kind of surprised me but I believe they feel its better to go to someone who has extensive experience with Fue if travel is an option . Bye the way my emails to Dr. Feller about a 4-500 graft FUE for touch up on a rough micrograft procedure (without shaving the recipient area)were not answered. chibbler

Bill , or whomever can answer...... I did some checking on the coalition drs. near me that do FUE , I tried one in LA (I forgot which but he charges $20 per graft....I'm not cheap but at that price I thought I would check around)I then tried Alexander in arizona but he said he doesn't do many FUE's and he suggested Feller in NY - who didn't answer my two emails . I have found out since then that he (Feller) usually shaves the recipient area for procedures over 200 FUE's - I think I will need 400-600 to smooth out the rough spots on my recent mini-grafts (I'm sorry I didn't discover this blog until I was already recovering from the surgery !) Bottom line is I was hoping to have some fairly unnoticeable repair work done - and I think from my research that this is one of the few cases that would be advantageous to have a small FUE session over another strip session. Another thing I have learned from this site is that for FUE sessions only use a doctor that does it with great frequency or the chances of having a poor growth rate increases dramatically. Please correct me if I'm wrong.... To recap.... I want a relatively small FUE session with a doctor that has a lot of experience , does good hairline work , maybe close to LA (but I will travel if it warrants) and wont shave the recipient area . Let me know.... chibbler

I guess you guys must work at home or in a cave - some people like sales people , corporate people , trial attorneys , etc etc. can't do it - period . I'm sorry if I could get a quality transplant with out shaving and have a 92% growth rate compared to a shaved 98% growth rate I would do it ... because I just would be unable to get buzzed . Some of you guys just dont get it ....... chibbler

More_Hair; I was in the same situation as you in may , I would say after two weeks you could lose the hat-if your hair is long enough to cover the donor area (but stay out of the wind). You should be able to get by if your work is done mostly within the hairline . But I would say after 2 1/2 months everyday it gets better and better - I would say in your situation 10 weeks or so after the HT you start looking better than you did before the HT. chibbler

Hello , I remembered in a post that there is a FUE HT facility located in Florida do any of you know what the name is ? I'm in so cal , I tried a couple of the western coalition doctors that were supposed to do FUE but they said they only do a couple a year (bad news - as I gather the only FUE doc's that do well are those that do it with great frequency) they actually turned me down for a small (400-600) graft touch up (to correct the minigrafts I had in may) they said I should go to Feller in NY , but I guess hes too busy . Anyway if there are any other docs that have extensive experience around that you know of please let me know . Thanks..... chibbler

Hello , I remembered in a post that there is a FUE HT facility located in Florida do any of you know what the name is ? I'm in so cal , I tried a couple of the western coalition doctors that were supposed to do FUE but they said they only do a couple a year (bad news - as I gather the only FUE doc's that do well are those that do it with great frequency) they actually turned me down for a small (400-600) graft touch up (to correct the minigrafts I had in may) they said I should go to Feller in NY , but I guess hes too busy . Anyway if there are any other docs that have extensive experience around that you know of please let me know . Thanks..... chibbler

bibarz and the rest of the gang.... I had a ht on may 15th . Two months later it was looking just about the same as before the transplant (I kept my hair a few inches long to cover) , by 10 weeks it started to look a tiny bit more filled in . Three months it was definately starting to fill in , four months I was getting happy because people I met weren't staring at my hairline anymore ( I had a repair/fill in session) now its almost 5 months and I'm not even thinking about my hair much anymore - because I'm out living my life and I'm not preoccupied with my hair anymore.... chibbler

I have done both secret/non-secret ways before , telling nobody , and telling a few people close to me (I've had 4 hts) . I think its best to just tell the girl , without hesitating , just say something like I'll be gone for a week because I'll be recovering from a ht - I'm so excited about having this done - the best doctors are doing unbelievable work now . I hope you like it when its done . This is what I told my girlfriend about 10 years ago when I had a HT . Do you know what happened ? She said Really ? you know I always wanted to have my eye lids done . And she then went and scheduled cosmetic eyelid surgery. I think soooo many people want to have something or another done cosmetically but are so shy that they never go through with it . When you do it openly you will probably help some other people who may really want to do some sort of procedure actually have it done or if not feel that someday they might want a procedure and will feel that its ok when the time comes . Your example will open the door for them , because one of their peers is openly doing it . But the more evasive and secretive you are about it sort of reinforces the notion that there is something weird or unacceptable about it . chibbler

I like the glowing comments , but where are the Updated pictures ? Seeing the day after doesn't really communicate the success of your procedure to the rest of us - its been 9 months - don't be shy .

Hi guys; Just wanted to know which of the coalition doctors , or recommended doctors do FUE , besides dr. Feller ? Preferably , those in the US.

Hi guys; Just wanted to know which of the coalition doctors , or recommended doctors do FUE , besides dr. Feller ? Preferably , those in the US.

I would say its worth a try , but I dont think taking all those medicines would grow much hair - thats not how it works . But they might slow down the rate of loss or stabilize it , my experience is that they really won't regrow cosmetically acceptable hair . But you have little to loose by trying it (except for the possible sexual side effects of the propecia). So give it a try and if it does'nt work maybe consider the HT if you are really motivated. chibbler

you are right , thats what I'm doing - research .I feel I'm already at the point where no matter who I go with I have a very good chance at a quality job .. whereas before I would have most likely got another cheezy job (before I started checking the web). I have a couple of questions - there are two Shapiros (I guess they are related) are they the same as for the quality of work ? I mean I see the two names , the two pictures but in all the comments they dont distinguish between the two and thier skills . Also the websites of the coalition docs dont really say which ones specialize in repair , hairlines and believe that its not a problem to leave the recipient area unshaved . I'm assuming all of the listed doctors can do an ok job but I'd prefer the ones that are known specifically for these items - so please , if you know which ones fit these criteria let me know as I dont see anyway of finding this out without calling all of them.... Another plus would be a doctor that does alot of the work him/herself . My last job was almost entirely performed by an assistant , the doctor was seldom seen during the procedure . No wonder I'm a poster boy for cobblestones..... chibbler

greetings ; I just want to try this as I will be having another treatment in about 6 months. I would like to get as many posters to give me their top choices for surgeons that do good work for a combination of repair and hairline work - that can do so in one procedure and do not normally shave the recipient area . If you are affiliated with one company - like for example H&W please name your best picks NOT including the company that you promote , or dont respond . Hopefully , I can come up with a short list of docs to choose from submitted by people who have been in this position or ones that may have researched this . My short list so far is looking like Drs Feller , Keene , Shapiro ...... I'm looking forward to your thoughts , and why you picked them.... chibbler

greetings ; I just want to try this as I will be having another treatment in about 6 months. I would like to get as many posters to give me their top choices for surgeons that do good work for a combination of repair and hairline work - that can do so in one procedure and do not normally shave the recipient area . If you are affiliated with one company - like for example H&W please name your best picks NOT including the company that you promote , or dont respond . Hopefully , I can come up with a short list of docs to choose from submitted by people who have been in this position or ones that may have researched this . My short list so far is looking like Drs Feller , Keene , Shapiro ...... I'm looking forward to your thoughts , and why you picked them.... chibbler

I'm 50 now but when I was around 40 I started taking propecia . At the time my girlfriend was somewhat of a "rabbit" we were doing it at least 10x per week . The propecia pretty much stopped my hairloss from progressing - but my sex drive was cut way down and my "woodys" were'nt as good . After a month or so I made the connection between my decrease in "romantic times" and the propecia - I quit takeing it and within a couple of months my drive was ALMOST what it was before I started taking the drug . But my hairloss continued as before . I have never taken propecia again , I could only imagine what that drug would have done to me after 10 years or so . I have'nt heard alot about Propecia and cancer but I have heard and read about decreased sex drive , and connection between taking and having ambiguous babies - remember it is a hormone and the principle it works on is that women dont lose thier hair so that by men taking it - it will curtail hairloss but really what else may it do ? Think about it .... chibbler

I was curious , does anyone know if any of the HT doctors (especially coalition doc's) have had HT's ? If so do you know who did there work ? Just thought I'd throw that out there ...... chibbler

I was curious , does anyone know if any of the HT doctors (especially coalition doc's) have had HT's ? If so do you know who did there work ? Just thought I'd throw that out there ...... chibbler

Well , I think I have really sparked a good debate between gorpy and jotronic on this topic...good information on both sides which I must weigh . As a neutral party heres my take - it seems to me that in a large mega session (say 3000- 4000 grafts or so) that its best to shave otherwise (contrasting to not shaving) the cumulative losses through transection , misalignment ,shock loss etc. etc. might at best have a small impact on the eventual results , and at worst - depending on the effort of the technicians - be moderate and noticable . For a smaller session , say 1500-2000 grafts it seems to me that if the technicians slowed the pace down , worked more carefully and used the same amount of time as the previously described mega session - that a top quality job could be done with only a very slight - at most - lack of quality in the finished product (compared to a shaved patient). Getting back to my original posting , for me its really not an option to have a shaved head due to my work , previous scarring and a general wariness due to my past 6 procedures. So it comes down to this - Is it better to have an 1800 or so graft procedure done without the buzz cut to smooth out the hairline (previously had minis and there is some unnatural scarring there) and t fill in the crown area as much as possible or is it better to just leave it as it is ? Again , if I was in the situation that most of the other posters have - I wouldnt even consider this - I would have just gone for a quality mega session and shaved my head - or just let myself go bald . I would happily pay the 3000 graft price for a 2000 graft session done with the extra care and labor needed to get the top results from an unshaved head - too bad it doesnt really work that way but it kind of sounds like this might be in the scope of Dr. Keene in arizona - what do you think ? Chibbler

I have an observation too.... since the FUT is now the gold standard and considered state of the art maybe the next gold standard will be a doctor figuring out a way of doing an FUT as effective as the current FUT's without shaving the recipient area - that would be something.....

Hello and thanks again for all the comments - just to clarify ..... I didnt mean to say that I'm not expecting to live much longer (I plan on living to 100 or so ) I meant to point out that in 15 or 20 years I'll have other things more important to consider besides my appearance - Thats why I mentioned that I just didnt want to spend alot more time at this point in my life with a scarred buzz cut - realize that Ive probably spent 4-5 good years under a hat already and as I said before - no matter what you guys say there is no guarantee of a great job next time - I would have gladly shaved my head over the first 15 years after my first so called HT if things were then as they are now . For me at my age there is a big difference between 3 weeks of wearing the hat (if I have a procedure done with my current coverage to hide the new work) vs. 8 months or so with the buzz cut and a head full of obvious scars. Also , a question for Jotronic .... since I have had a treatment in may of this year at what point ( after how long ) should I have pictures taken to send to Dr. Hasson for an evaluation on the possibility of a future session ? Someone asked me about Dr. Sword and how the work was.... well , I had a procedeure done with him 8 years ago - the work was better than the original work that I had done in my late 20's but it wasnt perfect and he only did around 1000 or so micro's or mini's , I just had another 1250 done in mid may of this year so its way too early to tell how that will turn out but the reality is I'm sure it would have been alot better to have just done 3-4000 FUT's eight years ago , or to make an analogy.... which is a more effective way to get drunk ....have one beer every hour for 10 hours or to drink 10 beers in one hour ? I think Dr. Sword has fallen behind the times though at one time he probably was as good as anyone -does he have the will or inertia to keep competetive any longer ? I think that since he hasn't updated his methods yet he probably never will - he's to rich and comfortable now to be hungry and motivated. Really there is no reason to have an unnatural HT done (actually more like 3 with sword ), that could be done more naturally in one session for about the same price using one of the best HT doctors available . just my thoughts; chibbler1

Thanks for the explanations guys . I dont think I'm going to go for the shaved head though....but it looks like it does make a difference in the results the transecting of the hairs , and other factors I guess I just couldnt really get the density and might loose hairs if I didnt get my head shaved , but again with my work and the scarring etc. it just wouldnt work for me ....but in response to the guy from seattle ( the assistant for Dr. Hassan ) I will get some pics to send just in case you think I may be an exception to the shaving rule - but how long do you think I should wait before taking pictures ? Remember , I have just had a procedure done (may 15, 2007)

Thanks for the recommendations..... but really at this point (50yrs) and all the down time Ive had , all the hats and stuff , along with being recently divorced I just cant go with the " to hell with the downtime" philosophy anymore . I'm newly divorced now and Im not 30 or 40 anymore there just arent enough years left to spend another under the hat . There is no guarantee what the results will be in any case.... always in the past I was told that I was going to the best guy and it would look natural etc. etc. - truthfully after my first experience 23 odd years ago (I was told it would be almost like a haircut by a shill for the doctor who gave me the first plugs) - I have really had no choice but to continue since then or get a hairpiece to cover and I just couldnt bring myself to do that . I think that if there is a really good surgeon with the new techniques that with care there is no reason he or she couldnt work around the hairs that are already in place . I have never had to shave the recipient area before and really , this is not the time I would like to start .