Dr Feller vs Dr Epstein

[homeslice]

Hello All-

 

I am new to the site. It is very evident that both of the above DR's are some of the finest (if not the two finest) in the area of HT's.

 

My question is why is Dr Feller adamanent that a patiences head is shaved for a successful HT while Dr Epstein actually prefers to leave a patients hair intact and work around it?

 

Thanks

 

Homeslice

[homeslice]

Hello All-

 

I am new to the site. It is very evident that both of the above DR's are some of the finest (if not the two finest) in the area of HT's.

 

My question is why is Dr Feller adamanent that a patiences head is shaved for a successful HT while Dr Epstein actually prefers to leave a patients hair intact and work around it?

 

Thanks

 

Homeslice

[THINinHOUSTON]

not sure why they shave I'm glad my Doc was skilled enough to transplant with out shaving my head.

[Bill - Seemiller]

homeslice,

 

Welcome to our forum community.

 

The topic of shaving the recipient area whether it's necessary or not has been debated on our forum for some time.

 

Below I've posted some links to some of the reasons why shaving the recipient area can be beneficial, but not always necessary.

 

Dr. Hasson on the Benefits of Shaving the Recipient Area

 

Why Do Some Hair Transplant Surgeons Shave the Recipient Area?

 

Sagital Verses Coronal Incisions - ISHRS Live Surgery Workshop 2006

 

Another Blog on Why Some Hair Restoration Physicians Shave and Others do Not.

 

There is a lot of reading and there is certainly more to read on this topic. But hopefully this gets you started on your research

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[djdennis]

from my understanding when I asked Dr. Epstein why he did not shave? His reply was you really dont need to shave and I like to see how your native hair falls down in its pattern to give you a more natural look. I liked that answer man,because I did not want to shave down completely

[Yogi's Dad]

It seems that shaving the recipient area is a matter of surgeon preference and context, not expertise.

 

See the links provided by Bill.

 

 

Dr. Bernstein did not shave mine. Like any physician here, he's one of the best. His facility is top-notch.

[badger_01]

I've seen several people and docs argue about this. My doc gave me the option, but explained to me the pros and cons of shaving vs not shaving down.I really did not want to shave down either...but I did in the end. All I'll say is, don't base your decision on whether a doc shaves down or not. The ugly ducking stage is temporary... the final result is permanent!

The good news for you is, with the docs you've chosen, you can't go wrong either way!

[MORE_HAIR]

Homeslice.

 

I'm 7 months post-op with Dr.Epstein and very happy so far.

I'm getting alot of great feedback and from what I understand I'm only about 60/70% home at 7 months.

 

The scar if outstanding...the surgery and care top notch...and Dr.Epstein is a regular/no hype/no BS top doc.

 

The shave/no shave issue will go on for ever.

 

I've read and re-read arguments on both sides from top docs.

My feeling it's the docs preference to go either way.

 

I also feel the docs that do the MEGA sessions of course are going to shave or they would have to do most of there huge jobs in two days...not good for business.

 

Also look at Dr.Shapiro's work on this forum.

No one will argue about the quality of his work....he doesn't require shaving.

 

Research carefully...you'll be fine.

 

MH

[Dewayne]

Originally posted by spex:

NO ONE wants to shave down - NO ONE!

 

But begs the question why ALL the top clinics in the world do shave down though doesn't it

 

Be careful of what it is you want to hear compared to what you possibly need to hear.

 

Spex,

 

I believe you've lost it my man. I've seen real before / afters via email to me from actual patients of Dr. Cooley that rival any transplant surgeon in the world......and I'm not even getting paid to say it!

 

However, I personally think it would probably be better but agree with one doc on here a while back who said the potential benefits of shaving don't outweigh the discomfort or embarrasment caused to the patient.

[hatrick]

in my opinion, from the research i have done, i have seen no benefit from shaving down. The before and after photos of patients who were shaved are no better than the patients who were not shaved. I really don't understand why some docs find it necessary. The docs are wearing high powered microscopic lenses, they should be able to work around your native hair without shaving. I don't think i would ever go to a doctor who required shaving, its just not necessary, and makes it impossible to hide your recipient area post-op.

[Bill - Seemiller]

But begs the question why ALL the top clinics in the world do shave down though doesn't it

 

Spex,

 

I agree with Dewayne.

 

Though many of the top surgeons do require shaving, many don't.

 

In my opinion, existing natural hair, types of incisions made (sagital/coronal), and dense packing all play a role on whether or not there is a need to shave the recipient area.

 

I believe most if not all surgeons would agree that shaving the recipient area with existing natural hair provides an optimal working environment. But many would argue that only a select few cases really require it.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Bill - Seemiller]

Spex,

 

Dr. Shaprio doesn't require shaving in most cases, or at least he didn't.

 

Maybe this has changed?

 

I do see recent post-op pictures with a shaved head, but last time I checked, this was the exception and not the rule for them.

 

Bill

[Bill - Seemiller]

Spex,

 

I think you must be refreshing this thread every 2 seconds

 

See my response above yours for the changes I made 2 seconds afterwords.

 

As I said above, maybe this has changed

 

Bill

[MORE_HAIR]

Hey homeslice.

 

Did you get a look at the above pics ??

 

If you ask me you seriously should add Dr. Shapiro to your list of docs.

 

My top two are Epstein and Shapiro.

I would really visit as many docs as you can.

You can only learn from the visits.

 

Also...Shapiro like Epstein DOES NOT require shaving.

 

Also don't get thrown off when people say "top" clinics...no such thing.

Some clinics that do the large jobs get more praise because of the WOW results they are showing.

 

You damn well better be getting WOW results when getting 5000+ graphs and spending over 20 dimes.

 

Best of luck pal.

Keep us posted.

 

MH

[Bill - Seemiller]

Spex,

 

No worries my friend.

 

It would be interesting to know however, if Dr. Shapiro (Paul or Ron) do require shaving for most cases now.

 

Sorry to take this thread off track everyone.

 

Carry on

 

Bill

[the B spot]

We do not require patients to shave down, however, there is a threshold for the amount of grafts and the patients native density comes into play as well.

 

The last time I checked I believe anything over 2000 grafts required shaving down (give or take other factors) but that is pretty standard---there will be patients who have more grafts unshaved and patients who do less shaved, but that is a pretty bright line.

 

I am a big fan of shaving down--it is much easier on the techs and while there may not be statistics on it, the endless combing and moving of the native hair could contribute to shockloss.

 

To address one other issue-- there is a difference between physician skill sets--not all are equal. To assume that there are many "top" doctors is incorrect. Pick your favorite sport--out of 25-30 teams there are 5-6 players universally regarded as the best players in the league.

 

This goes back to the issue regarding laterals vs sagittal incisions--- Dr. Wong and Dr. Shapiro proved that both methods are equal in the hands of world class doctors. The difference will lie in physician skill.

 

While the overall technique and approach of doctors are getting better, IMHO, there will always be those who rise above the rest--it is the natural order of things.

 

Make sure you see patients in person and do not base your opinion on just photos. Barring that, talk to those who have been around a while and try to gauge the overall opinion of a clinic before making a decision.

 

Take Care,

Jason

[the B spot]

I forgot to add that last I knew, most clinics were shaving patients down---those who have moved into doing regular sessions of 3K+ that is.

 

I think Spex is correct in his comments--most docs do have a threshold where they will require a patient to shave down---Or they simply take the easy way out and refuse to do larger sessions.

 

I believe Dr. Cooley will do between 2000-2500 unshaved, but not more (last I heard from a patient!)

 

Anyway, some people cannot shave down---so you make allowances, but it does restrict session sizes.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Thanks for the clarification on Dr. Shapiro.

 

I too happen to be a fan of shaving down as it makes for an optimal work environment. On a personal note, it was actually kind of fun sporting a shaved head for a little while, and it is also more difficult to notice any shock loss .

 

I also agree that there are not a lot of first-rate doctors. However, in my opinion, all physician members of the Coalition do first-rate work.

 

Only a few doctors shine online because they regularly present their work. Kudos to them for getting involved. We are hoping and expecting other physicians to get more involved in the near future.

 

Patients should research all physicians they are considering.

 

Homeslice, if you have narrowed it down to Dr. Feller and Dr. Epstein, you are clearly doing your homework. Now the difficult part will be selecting between them. View many photos and talk to and meet with patients if possible.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Al - Moderator]

Doesn't anyone do something in between? Not shaving, but cutting it short, say maybe 1/2 inch. Wouldn't that make it easier on the Dr and techs than keeping the hair longer while not being so bad on the patient? At least then the patient would have a little bit of hair there after the procedure to help hide everything and the native hair will grow back a lot quicker since it already has a little bit of length to it. Of course this all depends on how much native hair the patient has to begin with.

[Dewayne]

Cooley and Alexander, among others, don't shave. Hassan and Feller, among others, do. I don't think anyone can fairly and knowingly say either group isn't "tops".....

[homeslice]

Good points All.

 

How about some feedback from the DRs?

 

I have been told that Dr Feller wouldnt do a Transplant if the patient/customer mandated it.

 

Is this correct Dr. F?

 

Thanks

Homeslice

[Bill - Seemiller]

I have been told that Dr Feller wouldnt do a Transplant if the patient/customer mandated it.

 

Homeslice,

 

I'm not sure what you mean. Can you clarify?

 

Bill

[Janna]

Originally posted by BeHappy:

Doesn't anyone do something in between? Not shaving, but cutting it short, say maybe 1/2 inch. Wouldn't that make it easier on the Dr and techs than keeping the hair longer while not being so bad on the patient? At least then the patient would have a little bit of hair there after the procedure to help hide everything and the native hair will grow back a lot quicker since it already has a little bit of length to it. Of course this all depends on how much native hair the patient has to begin with.

 

There are cases where Dr. Ron Shapiro will only trim the native hairs to the length of the graft hairs. The hairs are about 1 cm long. We like the flexability of being able to trim or not to trim the hairs if the patient does not mind. Many of our patients don't mind, they will do whatever is recommended for the best outcome. It's easiest if there is an open field rather than contending with native hairs. However, there are patients who cannot trim or shave down due to their profession. For these patients we may do a slightly smaller session. We have a resident hair stylist on staff and she generally "cleans up" the patient to tie in the short and long hairs to make it as presentable as possible after surgery.

[homeslice]

Sorry - that didnt make sense.

 

I was told that DR Feller would not do a transplant if the patient/customer mandated that their hair NOT be shaved.

 

Is this true?

 

Thanks

 

Homeslice

[homeslice]

Spex-

 

In order to get a direct answer on this, I would like to add to my question.....

 

"I was told that DR Feller would not do a transplant if the patient/customer mandated that their hair NOT be shaved AND the patient/customer explained that his profession was the reason for the request AND the transplant would be at least 2500 grafts"

 

Is this true?