Prohair Clinic

[good bhoy]

Hi folks - this is my first post on this forum. I have been shedding my hair for about 15 months now (noticeable to me). I'm most likely a Norwood IIa - not sure as I have never got a proper assessmnet. I have got increasingly worried as the months pass by to such an extent that if I am not actively engaged in some form of activity my hair loss is all that I can think about. I have been to see a few people about this and I have an appointment to attend this clinic in Belgium in the next few weeks for an initial assessment. I am in favor of FUE vs FUT based on my limited knowledge. Can you guys give me any feedback on this clinic and Dr. De Reys in particular? Have you guys a list of key questions that should be asked? I appreciate any help here as I feel as though I am entering the unknown. I have been reading this website and others for a while and have seen contradicting reports on FUE vs. FUT. I am in general confused about everything with regard to hairloss apart from the loss itself!

[NW5a]

hey,

 

i have seen some nice results so far. Also they have an interesting price structure!

 

Ask the doc, which blades he will use. What there strat is, when they rebuild your hairline. Normal is only 1 hair grafts, than 2hair grafts and at last all others to create the density. A big advantage of FUE is, that the doc can take many multi grafts with many hairs. So u can get a good coverage. With strip u get what your strip can offer.

 

Good luck and research !!

[a.j.]

good bhoy -

 

My reservations regarding Prohair Clinic are:

 

1. The web site fails to disclose that "Bart," whose patient photos, bio, and web blogs are front and center in the "Patients Pictures" and "Patients Weblogs" sections, is the co-owner of Prohair Clinic. In fact, in one of Bart's two weblogs linked from the web site, he says, "My intention of publishing this web site is to document my personal experience for those that still have a lot of questions about hairtransplantation using FUE." His other linked weblog, which links back to Prohair Clinic, proclaims that "FUE rules!" I would think that visitors to the Prohair Cinic web site and to Bart's two linked weblogs would want to know that another "intention" of Bart is to promote FUE and Prohair Clinic for Bart's personal financial gain.

 

2. The web site buries the fact that Dr. De Reys did not perform Bart's FUE transplant(s), and makes inconsistent claims as to who actually did perform Bart's FUE transplant(s). One of Bart's two linked "Patients weblogs," with photos showing 3 - 11 month results of his FUE transplant, proclaims, "FUE Hair transplant Prohairclinic dr. Ilter: Another FUE hairtransplant, this time by Dr. Ilter at Prohairclinic in Belgium." THAT weblog suggests that Dr. Ilter did Bart's FUE transplant and is a Prohair Clinic physician (he is not, so far as one can tell from the web site, which only identifies Dr. De Reys as its hair transplant physician). Yet, Bart's other linked "Patient weblog" claims that his FUE transplant was performed by "Dr. Jones in Oakville Canada." Similarly, the bio accompanying Bart's "Patient photos" makes passing mention of the fact that Bart's FUE transplant was done by a "dr. Jones," but without making it clear that the physician who did the work on display is not Dr. De Reys and is not affiliated with Prohair Clinic.

 

3. For many, many months, the web site has displayed the same half dozen or so patient results (not counting Bart's), including some with small thumbnail photos that cannot be enlarged for a thorough viewing.

 

4. The web site states that the "FUE-plus" technique used by Dr. De Reys is a "refinement" of the FUE technique that decreases the transection rate to between 0% and 1%, but does not describe the so-called refinement or provide any studies or evidence to support the claimed transcection rate.

 

5. The web site misstates the nature of the "lateral slit" technique pioneered by Dr. Wong, which Prohair Clinic purports to use. The lateral slit technique is not only the use of small blades to make the recipient sites, as the web site suggests, but a different orientation of the sites than has traditionally been used.

 

6. The web site claims that, "Today it has been generally accepted that a well executed FUE hair transplantation will lead to equal, or even better survival rates compared to other techniques." Based on what I know, that claim is not accurate, and the web site fails to provide any surveys, studies, or other evidence to support such a consensus among top hair transplant physicians.

 

7. The patient photos show what appear to be some pretty good results, but taken as a whole they do not, to my eye, indicate consistently excellent results for the number of grafts transplanted compared with the body of work displayed by other physicians using strip.

 

Having said all the above, I was quite impressed by two YouTube videos of Dr. De Reys performing FUE that Bart put up. Dr. De Reys seems to have a very deft hand and technique, which appeared to require NO PULLING, TWISTING, TORSION, OR TRACTION of the follicle to remove it from the donor hole after it had been punched. Dr. De Reys' punch technique looks to incorporate a rapid "twiddle" of the punch between his thumb and index finger as the punch descends into the scalp. He also appears to have a sure stopping point, which might not be quite so deep as other practitioners of FUE. Whatever he is doing, it seems to free the follicle completely upon removal of the punch. On the videos, it appears that the detached follicles are merely lifted out of their holes with a set of tweezers, without any pulling or twisting. In other words, at least for the case(s) depicted in the videos, the follicles seem almost to "pop out" with no resistance.

 

The few demonstrations of FUE I've seen haven't used the rapid "twiddle" during the downward punch, and the follicles put up noticeable resistance when it comes time to remove them. I could see how Dr. De Reys' technique could do less damage to the follicles, assuming they are not transected by the punch. My guess is that by using very small punches and very carefully placing the punch over an appropriately sized follicular unit, Dr. De Reys keeps transection rates to a minimum for the FUE method.

 

Personally, I would like to see more before-and-after photos from Dr. De Reys instead of the same handful that appear on the web site and that Bart keeps posting on this and other forums. I would also like to see the concerns enumerated above addressed with modifications to the web site.

 

a.j.

[lorenzo]

Aj good post for you first post. I agree with a lot of stuff you say.

I feel Bart is a good guy and something his excitement of FUE overlooks what is true and realistic. FUE has been around strongly for 5 years through lots of clinics making promises it has not come close to strip for consistant natural results. There is nothing wrong being pro-FUE but I think it is important to be realistic and honestly about the limitations it offers.

[a.j.]

Thank you, Lorenzo.

 

The thing is, I WANT to be persuaded that Dr. De Reys can achieve as consistently exceptional results with his particular FUE technique as Coalition Physicians achieve with strip. But it doesn't help my confidence that Prohair Clinic would engage in what I consider to be dodgy marketing tactics.

 

Why not just be up front and clear that Bart co-owns the clinic? Remember the Remington Electric Razor spokesman, who also happened to be its CEO? "I was so impressed, I bought the company!" And why not be clear and up front that Bart's FUE transplant(s) was/were not performed by Dr. De Reys but by another/other clinics? Why not just say (if it is true) that I (Bart) got these results from other physicians using techniques that were state-of-the-art at the time, but FUE in Dr. De Reys' hands has eclipsed even those techniques and produces consistently great results? Then back it up with plenty of before-and-after photos, graft counts, and hair counts of patients whose FUE transplants were actually performed by Dr. De Reys.

 

My guess is that Prohair Clinic is a relatively recent creation and that it will take some time for Dr. De Reys to stockpile significant numbers of results photos. Still, I think they hurt their case by being less than forthright about Bart's transplant history and his ownership interest in the clinic. This is not a knock against Bart. I don't know him. I am only speaking as a consumer who might seriously consider Dr. De Reys but for the (in my opinion) less than candid marketing of his services.

 

a.j.

[lorenzo]

The thing is, I WANT to be persuaded that Dr. De Reys can achieve as consistently exceptional results with his particular FUE technique as Coalition Physicians achieve with strip. But it doesn't help my confidence that Prohair Clinic would engage in what I consider to be dodgy marketing tactics.

 

I do not think that will happen not with Dr. De Reys or any other FUE doctor. In over 5 years we are yet to see any doctor come close to consistant exceptional results of the strip doctor especially the elite doctors of the coalition. I don't think Bart posted on the internet has been positive towards his business. Anybody knowledgable to able to see through his PRO FUE, strip is bad marketing. Honestly without any disrespect I have not been impressed by the photos he posts. Just my opinion............