How we recommend Hair Transplant Physicians

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Recommending Physicians: A Collaborative Effort

 

Physician Selection is Critical

 

The most important decision a patient will make is their choice of physician. The skill, talent, and experience of hair transplant physicians and their staff varies widely, as do the life long results.

 

It's critical that patients choose a physician who has a proven track record of providing truly state of the art results.

 

This Community is Run by and for Patients

 

This online community was created by and for hair transplant patients. For the publisher's hair restoration story, click here.

 

All the physicians who are recommended on the Hair Transplant Network have been carefully screened by patients and must meet our community's high standards. To view all the physicians who are recommended on this community, click here.

 

Our Collective Wisdom Determines the Recommendations

 

This recommendation process is collaborative and involves input from the thousands of patients who have visited our community over the past 20+ years. Their actual experiences have helped determine which physicians are recommended or not.

In addition to patient input, the publisher of this community, Patrick Hennessey, regularly visits leading clinics around the world to observe their surgeries, meet with their patients and evaluate the physician, staff and clinic.

Prior to any physician being recommended information about the physician, including multiple examples of their surgical process and patient results, are presented on this forum community. Forum members and leading hair restoration physicians are invited to post their comments and critiques.

Our goal is to enlist as much input as possible from multiple patients before making a determination about a physician. We strive to make this evaluation process as democratic and transparent as possible. We hope that you become an active member of this community and contribute your input to this collective process.

 

To view an example of this review process on our forum click here.

 

Those physicians who are chosen for recommendation based on their merits contribute a monthly sponsorship fee to pay for the cost of running this community.

 

Meeting an Ultra High Standard - the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

Those physicians whose clinics have developed the capacity to provide large sessions exceeding 2,500 follicular unit grafts and the skill to perform ultra refined high density sessions are eligible for membership in the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians . To read about the ultra high standards for membership, click here.

 

All Recommended Physicians Must Meet Our Standards Continually

 

All recommended physicians are expected to continually meet our high standards on an ongoing basis. Patients are encouraged to share their experiences both good and bad. Those physicians who fail to provide consistent high quality results will have their recommendations discontinued.

We hope that you benefit from the collective wisdom of this patient based community and contribute to it.

[Donna Lacmenicci]

I think it is great that there is a forum like this that helps people make the right decisions in choices for a HRT doctor. It is such an important decision to find the right doctor and something like this really helps many people who may not know make the right decision for themselves. Bravo.

[exchange]

Thats great step & no doubt gives right direction & confidence to patient.

 

One thing I am missing in recommndation is minimum year of experience in performing restoration surgery & their medical qualification.

 

I feel these two are also can be an important criteria which can help us in choosing the surgeon.

[bllorayne]

 

be 100% sure about the surgeons that you pick because pat here everyone's fate money and emotions are attached with ht.ht changes everyone's life either in positive or negative way.pat,bill we all trust you blindly like a devotee worships his god so please maintain that standard that you have created.thanks....god bless you both.

[Bill - Seemiller]

bllorayne,

 

Though I agree with a large portion of what you said, we never ask patients to trust anyone (including us) blindly.

 

We are patient advocates first and believe education and physician selection is the key to a successful hair transplant.

 

In selecting surgeons, we do have a pretty intense prescreening process. However, it's ultimately up to the patient to select a physician after educating themselves.

 

Research all physicians you are considering thoroughly.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Mikey79]

I live in Houston, TX and i heard many bad things about MHR place, what about Dr.Arocha and his place. Has anyone dealt with him. I have seen some very good pictures by others after the surgery, yet I am very scared to do it myself.

[jodie]

I'm new, and not sure if I'm in the right forum to ask a general question. I've decided to pursue hair transplantation and, after searching your site, have tentatively selected some doctors. How many consultations are the norm?

 

Appreciate your input.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Jodie,

 

In order to maxmimize the number of replies, I recommend starting your own thread by going to "New" and "Discussion" above. You'll also want to post this in the "Hair Restoration Question and Answers" forum unless your question is about a particular surgeon related experience.

 

In my opinion, it's a good idea to narrow it down to 3 surgeons based on your research and then consult with all 3, do more research, and then finally select one.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Zorro]

Hi I am residing in Dubai.I would like to go for Hair transplantation in India Mumbai Dr.Batras.Can Anyone suggest me Is that ok to go with it Any experience or comments please.

[Zorro]

Any comments please write to zorro2402@yahoo.co.in

 

 

Hi I am residing in Dubai.I would like to go for Hair transplantation in India Mumbai Dr.Batras.Can Anyone suggest me Is that ok to go with it Any experience or comments please.

[GlenB]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time on this forum. I'm a 30 year old male who has had two strip scar surgeries with DHI Medical about 5-6 years ago. These procedures have had a really negative effect on my life. I have a big scar in my donor area and hair is not very thick on top. I want to improve my scar and thickness on top. I have looked into triophytic closure and FUE/FIT/CIT into the scar. I consulted with Dr. Bernstein (in person) who said there is probably not enough hair in my donor area to have another procedure. I also consulted with Dr. Cole via email and photo consult who recommended that I get CIT into the scar and crown (900 grafts in total-200 into scar, 700 into crown).

 

I really don't know what to do. I would be very grateful for any advice.

 

Sincerely,

GlenB

[GlenB]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time on this forum. I'm a 30 year old male who has had two strip scar surgeries with DHI Medical about 5-6 years ago. These procedures have had a really negative effect on my life. I have a big scar in my donor area and hair is not very thick on top. I want to improve my scar and thickness on top. I have looked into triophytic closure and FUE/FIT/CIT into the scar. I consulted with Dr. Bernstein (in person) who said there is probably not enough hair in my donor area to have another procedure. I also consulted with Dr. Cole via email and photo consult who recommended that I get CIT into the scar and crown (900 grafts in total-200 into scar, 700 into crown).

 

I really don't know what to do. I would be very grateful for any advice.

 

Sincerely,

GlenB

[chan2009]

Has anyone got experience on Gregory Pistone

[phillyhairseeker]

Originally posted by chan2009:

Has anyone got experience on Gregory Pistone

 

I had a procedure done by Dr. Pistone a couple of years ago. He seems like a caring person, but I was somewhat disappointed with the results of my hair transplant. While my new hairline complements the shape of my face and the growth direction is consistent with my existing hair, the follicular units were placed too far apart. This has given me an unnatural look, especially when out in the sunlight because my scalp shows through making each hair appear course and sparse.

 

Prior to the day of my surgery, Dr. Pistone's consultant examined my donor area and told me I had more than enough hair to cover my receeding hairline. He said I may need more than one procedure because of continued hairloss, but not for lack of density. I shared my concerns with Dr. Pistone a year after my surgery and then he told me that because I have dark brown hair, it's going to appear less dense than a person with blond hair and I would need an additional procedure to have the density I desire. I thought this information would have came in handy a long time ago.

 

I recently met with another experienced surgeon who told me that Dr. Pistone's use of staples is an outdated method resulting in a wider scar and that silk sutures are the only means that should be used to close the donor wound. The staples caused a lot of itching for several days following the procedure and to this day, I can still feel the scar with my fingers despite the trichophytic closure.

 

Another thing I found strange is all the foreign assistants he had working with him on the day of my procedure. I'm not a racist by any means and perhaps they were just interns. But it's a little unnerving to come in expecting Dr. Pistone and two American women and instead finding a room full of Mexicans or Filipinos with foreign accents. There's no way I can tell who did my procedure with a scenario like that and I should have just walked right out the door before they even started.

 

One more thing I would like to mention is that Dr. Pistone likes to put single stray hairs below the hairline in random places because he feels it looks natural. While some people do exhibit this trait, I personally felt it looked odd on me. Be sure to consider this when making your decision.

[muucava]

Hello Pat,

Thank you for your terrific site. I am seriously considering a FUT. I'm 3V - 45 years old. I've spoken with many prominent HT drs. Unfortunately, I'm feeling a bit overwelmed with the varying/differing recommendations I've received thus far. I've been told I will require 1,000 - 1,800 grafts. Some dr.s recommend no more than 20 grafts per cm2. Other drs recommend 'dense packing' of 40-50 grafts per cm2. Costs vary from $4 to $9 per graft. I really want to make the right decsion -- every dr seems competitent -- but I'm uncomfortable with the variation in receommendations.

 

I welcome any insights you can offer. BTW, I've spoken with McAndrews, McGrath, Siporin and Sword.

I really appreciate any insights you may have.

 

Best Regards,

Steve

[headbangerguy]

Just want to thank the moderators/founders of this forum. I've stopped being an active poster few years back as I was disheartened by bullying from the moderator of another forum once I disagreed with him. I've just found out this forum and registered.

 

I found quite a significant negative posts on Dr Armani. This is really important as I was planning to have a procedure under him later this year.

[Bill - Seemiller]

headbangerguy,

 

Welcome to our hair restoration forum and social community. I think you'll find that the vast majority of our members and moderators are sincere in helping hair loss sufferers find real hair restoration solutions.

 

If there's anything I can do to help you, don't hesitate to contact me.

 

All the best in selecting a quality hair restoration physician to perform your hair transplant,

 

Bill Seemiller

[JoeKid0000]

Hello everyone,

 

This is my first post on the forum. I've been lurking around for the last couple of months and finally decided to make an account. I received a transplant last month from Dr. Dorin. This website has been an immense help to me in making my decision.

 

Thanks!

[garet]

Please forgive me as I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but if the recommended doctors have to pay a monthly fee to stay on the recommended doctors list, how can the readers be confident that any negative posts about any of the recommended doctor's work won't be censured? Are people allowed to make negative posts about experiences with a recommended doctor?

 

Also, it is possible that some of the best doctors might not get any publicity on this site for not paying a membership.

 

Getting an HT is a huge decision to make, so I want to be sure I'm getting the best, unbiased information

 

Quote: "Those physicians who are chosen for recommendation based on their merits contribute a monthly sponsorship fee to pay for the cost of running this community."

[Bill - Seemiller]

Garet,

 

All patients are welcome to share their genuine experiences on this forum regardless of the physician, recommended or not. However, in the interest of fairness, all physicians recommended or not are invited to share their side of the story on topics that concern them. Patients therefore may be required to give up their anonymity privately and provide their physician with the necessary permission to share their side of the story. For more information, visit Maintaining a Fair and Safe Environment on our Forum for Patients and Physicians.

 

A simple search using this community will lead you to topics where patients of recommended physicians have posted their concerns and less than optimal experiences.

 

Even the best physicians have cases of less than optimal results. No physician bats a thousand, but we do expect physicians we recommend to stand behind their patients and provide them with the best possible care during and after surgery.

 

Please also take note of our physician standards page where it states:

 

Important Note - The hair restoration physicians recommended on this site are not a definitive list of all excellent hair transplant doctors. Nor do we warranty or guaranty the results of any of the physicians presented on this site.

 

As always, we encourage you to do your due diligence in evaluating these and all hair loss physicians.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[garet]

Garet,

 

All patients are welcome to share their genuine experiences on this forum regardless of the physician, recommended or not. However, in the interest of fairness, all physicians recommended or not are invited to share their side of the story on topics that concern them. Patients therefore may be required to give up their anonymity privately and provide their physician with the necessary permission to share their side of the story. For more information, visit Maintaining a Fair and Safe Environment on our Forum for Patients and Physicians.

 

A simple search using this community will lead you to topics where patients of recommended physicians have posted their concerns and less than optimal experiences.

 

Even the best physicians have cases of less than optimal results. No physician bats a thousand, but we do expect physicians we recommend to stand behind their patients and provide them with the best possible care during and after surgery.

 

Please also take note of our physician standards page where it states:

 

Important Note - The hair restoration physicians recommended on this site are not a definitive list of all excellent hair transplant doctors. Nor do we warranty or guaranty the results of any of the physicians presented on this site.

 

As always, we encourage you to do your due diligence in evaluating these and all hair loss physicians.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

Thanks for clarifying that.

 

I have one more question. Why does this site seem to mainly recommend surgeons who use the FUT method and not the FUE method? Do FUE surgeons tend to avoid belonging to this site because they get poorer patient reviews?

[wb280]

Garet, I am surprised to hear u say that. There are several doctors who excel in FUE and are recommended. Take a quick look under results posted by clinics. You can find plenty of examples there.

[Sparky]

I'd say its definatly pro-strip on here, but there are quite a few surgeons who do fue aswell.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Sparky,

 

We're not a "pro strip" site. We're "pro what's been proven to work and be consistent" site. As has been discussed several times on this community, FUE certainly has its place, but I firmly believe (as do the majority of leading hair transplant clinics) that because the benefits of FUE have been overhyped by a few, we have to be real careful in evaluating physicians who perform solely FUE to be sure they're being realistic with what they can achieve.

 

Coalition member Dr. Feller, who regularly performs quality and realistic FUE when appropriate for patients who want it recently wrote an article for our Hair Loss Q&A Blog on this topic. See "What are the Disadvantages of FUE Hair Transplant Surgery when compared to FUT?"

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Sparky]

I didnt say you were a pro-strip site per se, I should of been clearer and said that the majority of cases on here are strip, (because of the reasons you just mentioned).