Senior Member notsosure Posted January 10, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2009 Hey guys, I'm new here. I'm considering a hair transplant, but after reading all of the horror stories online, I'm very scared and reluctant. I feel like it's a total "crap shoot" on finding a doctor that's good, as opposed to one that's awful. If you guys were me and lived in Indiana and were looking for a reputable doctor, how would you go about finding one that's almost guaranteed to be a good one? Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member notsosure Posted January 10, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2009 Hey guys, I'm new here. I'm considering a hair transplant, but after reading all of the horror stories online, I'm very scared and reluctant. I feel like it's a total "crap shoot" on finding a doctor that's good, as opposed to one that's awful. If you guys were me and lived in Indiana and were looking for a reputable doctor, how would you go about finding one that's almost guaranteed to be a good one? Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iub Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I'm also in central Indiana. I don't know of any doctors that I would feel comfortable with in Indianapolis. I went to Dr. Bradley Wolf in Cincinnati. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Reverse the Curse Posted January 10, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2009 HT TIPS Don't ever let travel be a major factor, ever. You will fly to the ends of the earth to get it repaired. Believe me I have read the stories & seen the pictures. Many pick up 1/2 your airfare & put you up for 2 nights. You can consult with these doctors by phone or email. I think phoning will get you better response. Have all your questions written down to get as much answered as possible. Take some good clear pictures from all angles & have them loaded into your computer to send to doctor before you talk about ht. rtc "The True Wisdom in Making a Decision about a HT is Knowing What to Accept not Just What to Expect." Dr Hasson & Dr Wong - Vancouver, Canada ??“ Strip (888) 819-6013 Dr Feller - Great Neck, NY ??“ USA ??“ Strip & FUE (800) 424-7728 Dr Cole - Atlanta, GA ??“ USA ??“ Strip & FIT (800) 368-4247 Dr Wolf - Cincinnati, Ohio ??“ USA ??“ Strip & FUE (800) 900-4769 Dr Ron Shapiro - Bloomington, MN ??“ USA ??“ Strip & FUE (800)-843-1989 Dr Rahal ??“ Ottawa, Canada ??“ Strip (877) 712-4247 Dr Alexander ??“ Phoenix, AZ ??“ Strip (602) 956-8800 Research, Research, Research ??“ 6 Months to a Year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member PLEASE GROW PLEASE Posted January 10, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2009 You would have a better chance of getting a good transplant by Payton Manning or the Jackson 5 then anyone else in Indiana. The best choice closet to you would be Dr Konior here in Illinois. Dr Ron Shapiro should also be at the top of anyones list to at least call here in the Midwest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member notsosure Posted January 11, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 11, 2009 Hey guys, thanks so much for the advice. Couple of followup questions for you... First, I have no problem flying somewhere if need be. 1. What makes you guys recommend these specific doctors? Have you used them? Are there forum member pictures from these doctors etc? 2. Is it possible to have several small session visits so that it's almost not noticable after you have an HT done? I don't know if this is a completely ignorant question or not, but in my mind, it would be fantastic if I could pay a little more, have several small sessions, and progressively get to the result I want, without having it all done at once and look like a "crazy man" for several months. Does that make sense? Thanks again for all of the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Eman Posted January 12, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted January 12, 2009 For your first question, there are two sections in this forum: 1. Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients 2. Results Posted by Leading Hair Restoration Clinics. These two sections will allow you to see pictures and read about people's experiences. Also, there is a find feature that you can use. If you want to search specifically by Doctor, another way is to click the View & Create Hair Loss Weblogs Icon in the top right corner of this page. It will open another window and you can use the drop down box to search patients by the doctor they used or the other drop down box to search specific patients names. Your second question is a good one. If you are low on the norwood scale, FUE may be an option for you. Typically, these are smaller sessions that allow you to return to normalcy sooner. FUE sessions are typically 1000 grafts or less per day--any more than that and you will begin to see a lower survival rate of those implanted grafts (people's opinions vary on this just so you know). However, usually a single session will need to properly heal and grow out (~1-year) before another session will be done, which is similar to the strip method. If you are higher on the norwood scale, strip is the way to go and the less number of sessions the better. The recovery is longer, but the results from larger strip sessions as you will see can be amazing. Keep asking quesitions and people here will help. And there are a good number of recommend doctors on this site so you do not have to gamble on who you choose. My initial HT thread: done and done!! Check it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 notsosure, Welcome to our discussion forum. Surgeons on the Hair Transplant Network are privately screened and reviewed publicly by our hair restoration forum patient and physician community. Only surgeons found to meet our high standards are approved for recommendation. To see a list of all surgeons we recommend, click here. Our Publisher, Patrick Hennessey also vists and observes a number of these clinics in live surgery. To see highlights from these visits, go to "Visits to Leading Hair Transplant Clinics". See also, How We Recommend Hair Transplant Surgeons. As Eman mentioned, doctors post continued examples of their work on our forum for review. Additionally, hundreds of patients have shared their experiences and photos with us on our forum. I hope this helps answer your first question. Best wishes, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member notsosure Posted January 13, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks guys, that helps quite a bit. The day that I first posted to the forum, I also signed up for a consultation with an office, but I can't remember exactly which one it was. Anyway, they gave me a call this morning and I called this back on the way home from work today. The person I spoke with was very nice and answered a few questions/concerns I had. Here's a couple of questions I asked, along with what he responded with... Can you let me know if this all sounds legit? 1. I was worried about a noticable scare on the back of my head after the HT. Answer: He said that you wouldn't be able to see the scar even right after the surgery. That it's so thin and it covered up by hair, if you have hair there to begin with. He said HT's have come a long way the past 3 years. 2. I asked him how long it would take for me to look "normal", like I didn't just come out of surgery. Answer: He said only 3 days and you wouldn't be able to tell I had gotten an HT. Then about 3-4 months and the hair would start growing in 3. I was concerned about my scalp feeling extremely tight forever, after the surgery. I'd read something on the web about a man that had gotten an HT and for the past 8 years of his life, he couldn't function because his scalp was so tight and bothersome. Answer: He said that that man probably had all kinds of crazy stuff done and that this type of stuff just doesn't happen these days. Also, worth noting is he mentioned they use a trichophytic closure to minimize the scar and he acted like this was what all of the "good" surgeons do. Is that right? So, with all this being said, my question to you all is... What is there to be afraid of? Is there a worst case scenario if I were to go with one of the doctors mentioned here? It all sounds almost too good to be true. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Eman Posted January 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2009 You spoke with someone and you are not quite sure who?! Review the coalition doctors recommended here. Stay away from bosely and mhr to begin with and there are other smaller hair mills around the country to avoid as well. Oh on top of that there are also independent doctors to avoid. It is a literal minefield out there and you should avoid the gamble at all costs. Like Bill said, the docs recommended here are screened and meet rigorous standards. Plus they have a track record you can review and patients here who will speak to you about their experience and results. My initial HT thread: done and done!! Check it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member notsosure Posted January 13, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2009 Ok, thanks. Yeah, I can't remember who it was. I essentially just wanted to speak with someone that was, atleast, supposedly knowledgeable on the subject. Everything he said I took with a grain of salt. I just wanted to hear what he had to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member notsosure Posted January 13, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2009 Hey Eman, is your hair starting growing in from the HT? And were there any negatives to the results you have gotten so far? Anything at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member notsosure Posted January 13, 2009 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2009 So, did it sound like the person I was speaking with was correct in saying the things he said? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Eman Posted January 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2009 Not- My hair is just beginning to grow. I am beginning to exit the doldrums phase, which is exciting. The doldrums is the period after the HT when the hairs fall out and you go through a dormancy period. I have, what I call, "sprouties" popping out all over the recipient area at this time. After I took my 3-month pics, they really started to come up. Negatives so far are the pimples in the recipient area and the waiting and that is about all. The scar is really a non-issue, but am really curious what it will look like in the summer when I get out of the water. The waiting, as most will tell you, will be the hardest part of the whole journey. In terms of the answers given by the clinic: 1. Tricho closure (all top docs use this closure method) and your physiology can help with the noticeability of the scar. If you wear your hair longer than a 3-clip it should hide the scar unless you are thin in the horseshoe area of your hair. 2. If you have a larger session and they shave the recipient area there is no way three days will be enough to look normal. Typically it takes about a month to look fairly normal, but there is still some residual color in the recipient and the scar is still healing even past one month. 3. There is tightness in the donor area for a while and the timing is different for everyone. At three months, I have no tightness and it feels the way it did pre-HT. My initial HT thread: done and done!! Check it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 notsosure, Be aware that risks exist with every surgery. Be sure to research and evaluate them in conjunction with the benefits when considering to go through hair transplant surgery. I certainly don't want anyone thinking surgery is a walk in the park. Undergoing surgery with a doctor with proven consistent results will significantly minimize many of the risks, but none are ever eliminated fully. Best wishes, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairthere Posted January 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2009 If you can, post some pics. You will get better/more accurate responses from members of this forum as to what a doctor might recommend. also, follow the advice you were given and only consult with the best doctors. you do not want to crapshoot with an HT. starting with the coalition docs is a good piece of advice. if you are in the midwest then i agree that shapiro would be an excellent choice. I am the owner/operator of AHEAD INK a Scalp Micropigmentation Company in Fort Lee, New Jersey. www.aheadink.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Rachmunas4life Posted January 13, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted January 13, 2009 Dr. Shapiro (Minneapolis) & Dr. Konior (Chicago) hands down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oka7 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I'm in Indy as well & I'm having my procedure done on 2/5 by Dr. Wolf in Cincinnati. He's not a coalition doctor here so you won't see him mentioned as commonly as the Shapiro's, Feller's, etc. However, I've done thorough research & have learned he's one of the better surgeons out there. Trust me, as mentioned above, you will not find anybody who delivers consistant results in Indy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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