my experience with MHR

[Big T]

I had a 1700 graft session in November 2005, its about 17 months since the procedure. I posted a few pictures of me then, and now.

 

I actually had the procedure done my a Doctor Beinke, in Bethesda maryland.

 

The story....I have been a hairpiece user for the last 15 years. I am married with two 5year olds, yes twins are a handful...andyway, I went to a charity event in DC and there was a silent auction. One of the items wasa 1500 hair graft session donated by MHR of bethesda. I had always been very conscious of the hairline of the pieces I wore, even though i was lucky that my wife was the only woman putting her hands through my hair I was still conscious.

However, no one was bidding on the auction, and the reserve price was 500 dollars, so I bid on it. I knew that even at 5 dollars a graft it would be close to 10 grand of grafts, to my surprise no one else bid and a week later i was having the procedure.

 

The picures are there for you to see, I have mixed feelings abou it, 15 months or so later I have to say I have a pretty damned good hairline. I still use a hairpiece which was always my intention, but I figured if i could have the front 4-5 inches of hair growing naturally, it will be super.

Now i know I got the whole deal on the cheap and should I be complaining, probably not, but i have to say that after 15 months still only about half the grafts came through.

 

On my yearly visit, Dr beinke left to be replaced by Dr ballon, even ballon admitted it looked like the rear 2 inches of grafts failed, and then suggested it might be because of the hairpiece I used after the operation.

This was not the case as I work from home, and for the 6 months after the operation wore NO hairpiece.

The front 2-3 inches is pretty good, i love my new hairline, I just wish it was deeper as i was hoping, yes I said..I know I paid only 500 dollars for it...

 

LOL, I told my kids an alien hit me on the head with his claw and stole my hair...lol..true..anyway. I have been in contact with my local MHR, I am trying to make them replace the missing grafts, I said i would also pay for an additional 1000 grafts ontop of the missing ones.

i don't have much donor hair left only enough fo about 2000-2500 i was told, certainly not enough to be hairpiece free, but enough to be very happy with...

I have no idea why some of the grafts did not come in, it is perplexing. It certainly was not my fault, I am perhaps luckier than most working from home, I needed no contact with the outside people, Go away i could say, I am not fit to be seen ..lol..when I did venture out a baseball cap was all i needed.

Six months later all the hair that was growing in was all the hair i got.

 

At my first 6 month evaluation I remrked to Dr Beinke that it seemed half was missing and he told me, as I had read some could take upwards of a year to grow in. I did not fret i just waited, but at my year eval which was done by Dr ballon, to be told, NO, it won't grow, the grafts are gone. I was pissed.

 

Overall I am happy, my hairline looks natural, even looks like a natural recession. Someone commented to me last month, Tony, you are losing some hair upfront, lol..only a year ago, I had none upfront. Now i would like it a little thicker and deeper.

 

I must admit I was really OMG reading the bad stories about MHR, I used to hear them about Bosley years ago,but not about MHR, so I was kind of glad that my experience was somewhat okay.

I must admit that the back of my head felt like someone had hit me with an axe for a week afterwards...hey someone did ! well a scalpel anyway, but that sooned healed, and I did not need anything stronger than advil. my scar actually hurt more from a few tight stitches, and when they came out the pain went away totally.

I wish I had more hair, i would get rid of the hairpiece altogther, but that aint happening till they sort out this cloning stuff...but I am generally happy with what i have right now, no thats bullshit i want more hair dammit, i want the 800 grafts that failed.

 

I don't even know how many hairs they transplanted, all i know is had 1700 grafts. I did not even bother asking how many hairs was that. It seems from looking at my hair though that 90 percent of them are single hair grafts.

 

Well as i said, i only paid 500 dollars, so I guess i was lucky.

I hope to convince MHR that they need to honor their guarantee ! and then i'll be back for more.

 

Its a great forum, its been fun reading ...

 

Big T

[Big T]

I had a 1700 graft session in November 2005, its about 17 months since the procedure. I posted a few pictures of me then, and now.

 

I actually had the procedure done my a Doctor Beinke, in Bethesda maryland.

 

The story....I have been a hairpiece user for the last 15 years. I am married with two 5year olds, yes twins are a handful...andyway, I went to a charity event in DC and there was a silent auction. One of the items wasa 1500 hair graft session donated by MHR of bethesda. I had always been very conscious of the hairline of the pieces I wore, even though i was lucky that my wife was the only woman putting her hands through my hair I was still conscious.

However, no one was bidding on the auction, and the reserve price was 500 dollars, so I bid on it. I knew that even at 5 dollars a graft it would be close to 10 grand of grafts, to my surprise no one else bid and a week later i was having the procedure.

 

The picures are there for you to see, I have mixed feelings abou it, 15 months or so later I have to say I have a pretty damned good hairline. I still use a hairpiece which was always my intention, but I figured if i could have the front 4-5 inches of hair growing naturally, it will be super.

Now i know I got the whole deal on the cheap and should I be complaining, probably not, but i have to say that after 15 months still only about half the grafts came through.

 

On my yearly visit, Dr beinke left to be replaced by Dr ballon, even ballon admitted it looked like the rear 2 inches of grafts failed, and then suggested it might be because of the hairpiece I used after the operation.

This was not the case as I work from home, and for the 6 months after the operation wore NO hairpiece.

The front 2-3 inches is pretty good, i love my new hairline, I just wish it was deeper as i was hoping, yes I said..I know I paid only 500 dollars for it...

 

LOL, I told my kids an alien hit me on the head with his claw and stole my hair...lol..true..anyway. I have been in contact with my local MHR, I am trying to make them replace the missing grafts, I said i would also pay for an additional 1000 grafts ontop of the missing ones.

i don't have much donor hair left only enough fo about 2000-2500 i was told, certainly not enough to be hairpiece free, but enough to be very happy with...

I have no idea why some of the grafts did not come in, it is perplexing. It certainly was not my fault, I am perhaps luckier than most working from home, I needed no contact with the outside people, Go away i could say, I am not fit to be seen ..lol..when I did venture out a baseball cap was all i needed.

Six months later all the hair that was growing in was all the hair i got.

 

At my first 6 month evaluation I remrked to Dr Beinke that it seemed half was missing and he told me, as I had read some could take upwards of a year to grow in. I did not fret i just waited, but at my year eval which was done by Dr ballon, to be told, NO, it won't grow, the grafts are gone. I was pissed.

 

Overall I am happy, my hairline looks natural, even looks like a natural recession. Someone commented to me last month, Tony, you are losing some hair upfront, lol..only a year ago, I had none upfront. Now i would like it a little thicker and deeper.

 

I must admit I was really OMG reading the bad stories about MHR, I used to hear them about Bosley years ago,but not about MHR, so I was kind of glad that my experience was somewhat okay.

I must admit that the back of my head felt like someone had hit me with an axe for a week afterwards...hey someone did ! well a scalpel anyway, but that sooned healed, and I did not need anything stronger than advil. my scar actually hurt more from a few tight stitches, and when they came out the pain went away totally.

I wish I had more hair, i would get rid of the hairpiece altogther, but that aint happening till they sort out this cloning stuff...but I am generally happy with what i have right now, no thats bullshit i want more hair dammit, i want the 800 grafts that failed.

 

I don't even know how many hairs they transplanted, all i know is had 1700 grafts. I did not even bother asking how many hairs was that. It seems from looking at my hair though that 90 percent of them are single hair grafts.

 

Well as i said, i only paid 500 dollars, so I guess i was lucky.

I hope to convince MHR that they need to honor their guarantee ! and then i'll be back for more.

 

Its a great forum, its been fun reading ...

 

Big T

[Bill - Seemiller]

Hello Big T and a formal welcome to our community.

 

First off, I'm glad to hear that you feel you had a decent experience at MHR, but I have a few things for you to seriously think about:

 

1. I strongly doubt the grafts that did not grow have anything to do with wearing a hairpiece UNLESS you wore your hairpiece in the grafted area for the first 10 days. After that, it is safe to wear a hairpiece and will not affect the growth of the grafts

 

2. Many patients of MHR are dissatisfied because all of their grafts did not grow, or they were too spaced apart (using older technology, etc).

 

3. I STRONGLY recommend, that even though you had a "somewhat positive" experience with MHR that you do NOT go back and get anymore work done. With MHR, unfortunately, it's a crap shoot. Your donor supply is limited and you want to get the most out of it. Losing donor hair, IMO, in this day and age is NOT acceptable. And even though it may be minimal in your case, AND you only paid $500, I wouldn't risk it again.

 

By the way...I only see your immediately post op picture in this thread. I do see there is another post by you further down this forum, so I'll look at that too. But we'd love to see your additional pictures if they aren't posted there.

 

Again, if you are getting more work done, I strongly urge you to select a doctor from our coalition: http://www.hairlosslearningcenter.org/hair-loss-content...s/our_physicians.asp who have proven to meet the "gold" standard and have proven to be the best of the best out there.

 

I don't want to burst your bubble or anything, but I'm thinking about your long term future. But please...don't take my word for it about MHR...do some research on the forums and read about other experiences. Even yours...even though you are not dissatisfied and just PLEASED to have some hair...the fact that the last 2 inches of grafts placed did not grow is something that many would be seriously alarmed and upset by.

 

My goal is to help you and hopefully you see this as a help.

 

Bill

[PCC]

Tony,

 

Your feelings about your hairloss and hair restoration proceedure closely parralel mine. Your experience truly illustrates the old adage "you get what you pay for". Even though very few of use have unlimited financial resources, this is definately not something that you want to give to the lowest bidder. I sincerely hope you will do your homework and research providers better on the next go around. This network will prove to be a valuable resource and support system toward that end.

 

I do think your situation can be improved significantly in the right hands. The immediate post op picture actually looked pretty good so I couldn't guess why some of the grafts did not take. I take it you still want to use a hairsystem for the crown? I am not overly concerned about my bald crown but that is a viable option for many men. Needless to say you have a large area to cover so it might be best to focus your remaining donor supply on the front and top.

 

In checking out MHR's website from time to time I noticed that Dr. Benhke (SP?)was one of several who departed within the past few. months. Wonder if there is any significance to that? Yes, he seems to be replaced by Dr. Ballon who it appears "floats" between the DC/Baltimore and Philadelphia offices. I think on his profile it states he used to be a neurosurgeon. Maybe he thought hair restoration would be less stressful!

 

On a brighter note I think the picture of you and your daughter is adorable. Although we balding guys would always like to have more hair we must never loose sight of the many other ways in which our lives have been blessed.

 

Phil

[Aquarius]

PCC-- What if they offer him a refund in skin -sorry- hair grafts. They are good people.

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Big T,

 

Thanks for sharing your story - and what a hair saga it is. I wore a hair system for seven years. I even wore a smaller piece in back as the hair from my first transplants in front grew it. I must say that it was much easier to wear a hair system behind a real and growing hairline. As you know, the hairline is the most challenging area for a hair system.

 

The key to doing a hairline transplant/hair system behind it is to achieve high density in the hairline area so that it blends into the high density hair system.

 

The good news is that with the more recent ultra refined procedure a top notch clinic can achieve good density even in one session. In the hands of a top clinic that sweats the details 95% or more of your transplanted hair should grow.

 

Your limited donor area is virtually priceless. I encourage you to get the very best by going to a physician/clinic with a proven track record and create a high density hairline that you can wear your hair system behind.

 

Based on the photos in your photo album, I do think you would be much more satisfied if you thickened up your hairline in front of your hair system.

 

Best wishes for a great result.

 

Pat

 

P.S. Cute kid indeed. Did she really buy that story about an Alien claw?