Misc Q's from newbie

[tstan]

Hello,

 

I am first time visitor and have not had a chance to read through too many posts. In talking with my wife about transplants she has raised questions that I wondered if this group could answer, or direct me to answers.

 

1. How often do transplants fail? I am 40, in very good health, and have frontal baldness but plenty of hair from the back to move to the front. For financial reasons I would probably go with the strip method over FUE. One physician told me (online) that I was a good candidate for a transplant. How often do these procedures fail to produce the desired result for someone like me? What if you spend $7000 on a procedure... how likely do they fail and you have nothing to show for it? Or, what percentage of the total grafts typically fail to regrow?

 

2. How does a procedure change you as a person? My wife wonders how I might be different after a (presumed) successful procedure. I assume I will feel better about my appearance, but are there other, either positive or negative outcomes? Do men often become a superficial jerk who then think they have to get other corrective surgery to address other issues? Having improved their appearance, do they look at their wives differently who have their own appearance issues?

 

3. What happens in the period after surgery? Will I come home and people say, "Gee, what happened to your head?" I keep my hair very short and will have to grow it out about 1" before the procedure. So after the procedure, how will I look and what will be the remarks and questions I get?

 

4. How many estimates should I get? I received an online consultation from one physician (Wolf in Cinn) and am seeking a second (Haber in Cleveland).

 

Thanks for your help,

 

tstan

[tstan]

Hello,

 

I am first time visitor and have not had a chance to read through too many posts. In talking with my wife about transplants she has raised questions that I wondered if this group could answer, or direct me to answers.

 

1. How often do transplants fail? I am 40, in very good health, and have frontal baldness but plenty of hair from the back to move to the front. For financial reasons I would probably go with the strip method over FUE. One physician told me (online) that I was a good candidate for a transplant. How often do these procedures fail to produce the desired result for someone like me? What if you spend $7000 on a procedure... how likely do they fail and you have nothing to show for it? Or, what percentage of the total grafts typically fail to regrow?

 

2. How does a procedure change you as a person? My wife wonders how I might be different after a (presumed) successful procedure. I assume I will feel better about my appearance, but are there other, either positive or negative outcomes? Do men often become a superficial jerk who then think they have to get other corrective surgery to address other issues? Having improved their appearance, do they look at their wives differently who have their own appearance issues?

 

3. What happens in the period after surgery? Will I come home and people say, "Gee, what happened to your head?" I keep my hair very short and will have to grow it out about 1" before the procedure. So after the procedure, how will I look and what will be the remarks and questions I get?

 

4. How many estimates should I get? I received an online consultation from one physician (Wolf in Cinn) and am seeking a second (Haber in Cleveland).

 

Thanks for your help,

 

tstan

[Dewayne]

Hello tstan,

 

I'm no authority, but I've been around (everyday) this forum for eight months and have had two procedures; one not-so-good, and one that looks to be turning out very good.

 

1. We are all recommended to you the top physicians in the world. I mean the top 1% in hair transplant surgeons. With that said, anything is possible and I'm sure this and all surgeries is not 100%. However, with the clinics I'm speaking of I've never heard of a procedure "failing". A doctor did post a few months back that patient characteristics can make for a better or worse procedure, but I don't think it will fail for reasons of skill or techniques - if you pick the right doctor.

 

2. It makes you more cocky, stronger, better with the ladies, more confident, extroverted, faster....Did I mention more cocky?

 

Seriously, no. I think it will bring me back to the person my wife first fell for. Better around people in general, not just the women. It's not all about the vanity. This will change how you think about yourself, which is most often a good thing. You won't get enough hair to move into the jerk category.

 

3. Some clinics shave the top where the hairs are implanted and some don't. There have been big debates on which is better, but there are top clinics who don't shave. I looked pretty normal after a few days off but I have some hair on top. After two or three weeks, if your bald your recipent area will still be red up to about three months. I had old plugs removed, so that was noticeable. Take a look at my weblog and you'll see.

 

4. Three or four. Then have them all vetted on here. I got it down to six clinics and went with the one 2nd closest to my home.

 

Good luck and keep researching.

[tstan]

Dewayne,

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

What clinics do you recommend? I live in Ohio. The two I've consulted are:

 

Wolf

http://www.wolfhair.com/

 

Haber (who is listed on this HTN website)

http://www.universityhair.com/

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by tstan:

Dewayne,

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

What clinics do you recommend? I live in Ohio. The two I've consulted are:

 

Wolf

http://www.wolfhair.com/

 

Haber (who is listed on this HTN website)

http://www.universityhair.com/

 

Haber looks pretty impressive to me. Check out Pat's visit to his clinic here http://www.regrowhair.com/hair-restoration-physicians/v...n-ohio-dr-bob-haber/

 

It looks like he invented a donor spreader that saves a lot of follicules. There's also a couple people who've started weblogs. I'd recommend emailing those guys and get their impressions.

 

Pick a couple more from the map page and research them and the one your most compfortable with will be evident. You're definitely within close distance to some world-class surgeons in Virginia, New York, Minnesota, Michigan, etc.

 

Tell the doctor you choose that you'll detail every part of the procedure and post monthly pictures for the next two years. That'll make sure he gets a good nights sleep the night before.

[Dewayne]

I don't know anything about Wolf; except a few posters have been impressed by him.

[Abby]

Originally posted by tstan:

Dewayne,

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

What clinics do you recommend? I live in Ohio. The two I've consulted are:

 

Wolf

http://www.wolfhair.com/

 

Haber (who is listed on this HTN website)

http://www.universityhair.com/

 

 

Jesus man the prices $15 each graft for 100 grafts etc $11600 for 3200 grafts is a bit heavy , but thats my opinion. I think I got a real deal when I think about what I was charged just 1/5th of the price hes asking and that was for 3250 grafts strip. And ill be going back hopefully next summer.

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by Abby:

Originally posted by tstan:

Dewayne,

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

What clinics do you recommend? I live in Ohio. The two I've consulted are:

 

Wolf

http://www.wolfhair.com/

 

Haber (who is listed on this HTN website)

http://www.universityhair.com/

 

 

Jesus man the prices $15 each graft for 100 grafts etc $11600 for 3200 grafts is a bit heavy , but thats my opinion. I think I got a real deal when I think about what I was charged just 1/5th of the price hes asking and that was for 3250 grafts strip. And ill be going back hopefully next summer.

 

Abby,

 

$11,600 for 3200 grafts is about the going rate, within $1k each way. Are you saying you got 3250 grafts for about $2,700?

 

And I don't know anyone who'd want just 100 grafts, except maybe Patchy or someone with a scar.

[Bill - Seemiller]

11600 for 3200 grafts

 

Abby,

 

This only averages out to $3.625 per graft, which is certainly competitive and in my opinion, reasonable.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Dr Wolf does do solid work but his prices are ridiculous ,especially fue.

Dr Haber is someone I talked to but lack of online final results turned me away.

I would fly or drive out of Ohio knowing what I know now.

If your rich then I would consider Wolf ,and maybe drive to Haber and have him show you 50 grown out pics then decide.

Or you could call it a day and fly out to Minnesota and have work done by the one and only Dr Shapiro who did Dr Wolfs transplant.

[Abby]

Originally posted by Dewayne:

Originally posted by Abby:

Originally posted by tstan:

Dewayne,

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

What clinics do you recommend? I live in Ohio. The two I've consulted are:

 

Im not an expert in pricing im just going of what i was charged and as a student that type of pricing would be out of my reach. Yes I do agree with you that 100 grafts ??? well somebody with a very small miniscule area would consider such amount $15 a graft.

 

Wolf

http://www.wolfhair.com/

 

Haber (who is listed on this HTN website)

http://www.universityhair.com/

 

 

Jesus man the prices $15 each graft for 100 grafts etc $11600 for 3200 grafts is a bit heavy , but thats my opinion. I think I got a real deal when I think about what I was charged just 1/5th of the price hes asking and that was for 3250 grafts strip. And ill be going back hopefully next summer.

 

Abby,

 

$11,600 for 3200 grafts is about the going rate, within $1k each way. Are you saying you got 3250 grafts for about $2,700?

 

And I don't know anyone who'd want just 100 grafts, except maybe Patchy or someone with a scar.

[Dr. Timothy Carman]

tstan;

Welcome to the HTN.

The members above have provided very useful responses, as always.

My 2 cents;

1. In capable hands one should obtain 95- 99% survival rates, anything less (barring rare or unusual undiagnosed medical conditions) would indicate poor technique/methods/experience, in general.

2. This question does not lend itself to a simple straightforward answer. It involves issues such as personal motivations, expectations, personality traits, relationship issues- a very complex conceptual conundrum, in my opinion. Assuming a "normal" orientation to/with these issues (whatever "normal" means)- the most often seen result is a very grateful patient very satisfied, and appreciative of the positive change in self-image that one (usually) experiences.

3.There are several threads that address this issue here in this forum. In general, a seven to ten day period wherein scabbing and shedding of those scabs will occur, followed by a variable (average up to 6 weeks) period where hair shafts themselves shed. There is a generalized redness to the scalp in the recipient area which can persist up to a year. Interestingly enough, however, since that erythema (the $20 word for redness) is in a pattern where hair is usually seen, it isn't really noticed as unusual, and therefore is not typically recognized as anything out of the ordinary, especially since those grafts will begin to sprout about the third month, further confusing it's perception.

4.Once you have narrowed down the choice to surgeons who appear to be on the same page technically, I would recommend going with your "gut" based on how you "click" with the surgeon personally. This is a lifetime relationship, in my opinion, so it becomes very important from my perspective that you are just plain comfortable from a "gut" point of view.

I realize the intangibility of what I just said, but this is a very real conceptual framework which is a cornerstone in choosing your plastic/cosmetic surgeon. Again, this presupposes an equal level of competence prior to this last stage.

Hope that helps.

Sincerely,