Just had consultation w/ doc in maryland - have I been scammed?

[irishitaliangirl]

I'm a 31 year-old female and I feel like my hairline is too high so I would like to have it lowered. There is also an area on my temple which has a cowlick & the hair grows very short there & looks like a recession. The hairline is higher on one side.

 

After trying to find a doctor in Maryland/VA/DC area, I kept reading the name Dr. Vogel. Tried to make an apt. with him & he was booked 3 months in advance. I don't want to wait that long to get the process started, so made an apt. with another doctor in maryland after looking at his website. The doctor's name is Dr. Rassael & his website is www.mdhairtransplant.com. I got an apt. with him immediately, making me wonder why he is not as busy as Vogel.

 

nyway, during the consultation he told me that some females have male pattern baldness & that I have recession at my temples & some hair loss in the front which is why I'm unhappy with how high my hairline is. He took a quick look at the back of my head & said I was indeed a candidate for follicular unit hair transplant on my hairline. He did not take any blood tests, use any instruments to measure my hair density, or draw a line on my forehead to show me how my new hairline would look (as I have read on this forum that other doctors have done). He did not volunteer much information about the technique he would be using, but assured me when I asked that it was follicular unit transplant & that he employed all the newest procedures.

 

When I asked about his credentials, he said he had performed hundreds of these surgeries, and many on women. When I asked to see pictures of women on whom he had performed a similar hair transplant procedure, he said he did not have any because most women would not allow themselves to be photographed for reasons of privacy. I accepted it at the time, but isn't that a little strange? He did show me a few pictures of men in his book, but only because I asked.

 

He said he would follow my natural hairline & fill in the areas at the temples. He measured my face into thirds & said that my forehead is 1 cm too high & that he would lower it a bit. Then we discussed price. He said it would require 2 sessions, a year apart. For each session, he would do 500 follicular units, which would result in about 750 hairs because some units have 1 hair & some contain 2 hairs. For the donor strip, he would not be using a disolvable stitch, because he said there would be an appointment 2 weeks after the surgery to remove the sutures. Is this normal? I have read that the disolvable stitch is the best & newest technique.

 

Now here is the most suspicious part of all... when discussing price, he said for a procedure involving such a small amount of hair follicles, he would normally charge $7/follicular unit. But, that if I allowed him to photograph my results & sign a photo release, then he would only charge me $5/follicular unit. The pictures could appear in any publication or photo journal, or website that he publishes. I said okay to the photos because I'm not a public figure who needs to be overly concerned with privacy. But then I felt like I had been duped. How do I know he doesn't charge everyone $5/follicular unit?

 

The final thing that worries me is that his schedule was open to do the procedure in just a few weeks. I wanted to do it soon, so I went ahead & scheduled the apt. right then at the consultation & had to drop $500 to secure the procedure date (which is normal). But it also means that it is going to cost me to change my mind at this point.

 

I'm no expert on hair transplant, but I have done a lot of reading online. The only other thing that worries me about Dr. Rassael is that his website says he uses the "Stereo Microscope -- the most accurate method of obtaining the highest quality hair follicle unit grafts." Is this the best procedure?

 

Finally, has anyone on this forum heard anything about Dr. Rassael in Maryland or had a hair transplant done by him? I'm really getting nervous and wish that I could get more information before going through with the procedure.

[Guest Cousin_It]

Hi...

 

Welcome aboard!

Glad you came to this board for info before you made the big step. Hair transplantation is serious business, you have to be very careful in choosing a qualified surgeon, if you don't you are better off not doing anything, bad plugs and scars can be a nightmare to correct.

First off, I have never heard of this doctor, doesn't mean he is bad, but with no background on this guy you are taking a chance, so I would seriouly consider holding off with him until you find out more about him, his techniques and more importantly see his work in person. Though you may have a deposit with him, it would be much better to lose it than to spend even more down the line to have bad work corrected.

One red flag is the amount of work he said he would do in one session, 500 grafts. All the Coalitions doctors routinely do multiples of this in one session, seems he does not have the skills to do larger sessions. With the total amount he says you need it should be no problem doing it in one day. Surgeons on the Coalition are doing up to 5000 grafts and even more in one sitting. You do not want to drag this out, hit it once and be done, recovery sometimes is a real pain, you don't want to do it twice!

Another point, don't consider distance when looking for a doctor, I know its convenient to pick one close by, but this is cosmetic surgery, everyone will see your hairline, you will see it everyday in the mirror, so it has to be perfect, otherwise you will hate it!

Take a look at the profiles of the doctors on this board, you can even get a free online consultation with them, take advantage of this and get multiple opinions from some of the best hair transplant surgeons in the country. Narrow it down and even call them to followup on thier recommendations, most of them are very cordial and will take the time to explain things to you. Check posts on this board and see what people are saying about the particular doctor you are interested in, really get a feel for his work. There is so much info on this board that if you research things properly you are almost assured of good work. If you have questions just post them, people here are really winning to help out those less informed, take advantage of this. Best of Luck and don't be in a rush, you want to do it just once!!

[M&M]

IrishItalianGirl - Another flag for you should be his prices. That is far too much! For about $4 - $4.50 per graft, you can have your work done by a top coalition doctor (ie. Dr. Shapiro, H&W, etc.) and while they will take photos, it is only to document your success - not to publish in any format they so desire.

 

Good luck and I would definitely get another consult before moving forward.

[Gorpy]

IrishItalianGirl,

I have to agree with what the others have said. At this point you need to cancel your appt. even if you lose the $500. After all, what's $500 compared to years of misery that could possibly result from going to the wrong doctor. A hair transplant is SERIOUS business and very few doctors do it correctly! You are doing your hairline! This is the most visible part of your hair. It's what everyone looks at when they see you. You MUST do it right the first time. Also, you must be patient and book with one of the top doctors. I know you don't want to wait, but do you really want a botched hairline that you'll have to cover up with weird hairstyles?

 

Please click on the area at the top left of this page where it says Coalition Doctors. There are plenty of top of the line doctors in the New York area. They all produce consistenly excellent results. After all, isn't that what we all want?

 

Hope you listen to this advice and I wish you the best of luck in your search.

 

BTW - all doctors will tell you they do the most technically advanced type of work. They either don't understand or they are flat out lying. Take some time to study what is meant by Ultra Refined hair transplant by clicking here.

The "Coalition Doctors" are all up to that standard. Any other doctor and you are just rolling the dice.

[nobuzz4me]

IrishItaliangirl,

 

All good advice above, I live in Maryland and have scheduled a HT on January 11th with Doctor Vogel, I did a lot of research before choosing Dr. Vogel and never heard of Dr. Rassell. Vogel has a very impressive backround (check his website, although not a coalition doc he is in the hairtransplant network and is very highly regarded) and met with me in person for my consultation. I left and still had more a few more questions which he called me personally to answer all concerns I had.

 

This is my third procedure coming up but my first with him. I was happy to see how booked up he was. If he were not booked that would raise a flag just as you have with the doc who has a lot of openings.

 

As far as the questions you have, it is good that he is using a stereomicroscope to cut grafts.

Disolvable stitches are used sometimes, sometimes not. I believe that depends on the size and laxivity of the excised area. The non disolvable sutures and or staples are also used to keep a scar from getting too wide, the amount of tension is probably the key. Larger sessions with more grafts mean larger, longer incisions which make the closing of the donor area tighter. You would not want your donor area reopening or expanding during the healing phase.

 

Only doing 500 grafts is not good, if you only need say 1000 FUT's, any good doc could do that in one shot.

 

With Dr. Vogel I left a deposit upon scheduling the date but can refund most of it anytime up to two weeks or so prior, after that, I would lose the rest of the deposit if I cancel late notice. This is a fair way of doing business. If I were you I would ask for the refund of the deposit since you would give him time to fill that slot you reserved. If you lose it, it may be the best $500 you ever spent. $7 a graft is higher than even Dr. Vogel who is far more experienced than Rassel. His fee is around $5 graft.

 

Do yourself a favor and check out all options before you commit to anyone. Send me a PM, I will let you know how things go with Dr. Vogel. You raised so many flags with Rassel that your senses are telling you not to go with him.

[Gorpy]

I agree with nobuzz. Dr. Vogel appears to be doing very high quality work. Also, only 500 grafts per session is rediculous. That is a sign that Dr. Rassell is WAY behind the times.

[stumper]

It sounds shady if I were you I would call Dr Feller he is one of the top five world wide you are in driving distance of him he is in long island ny.Go with your gut on this one you were smart enough to pick up on all of the bad vibes so dont go for the surgery just ask him back for your diposit just tell him your not ready,I dont think he will keep it being the holidays and all.Good luck and keep in mind a bad hairtransplant can wreck a mans image, imagine what it would do to a woman.

[the B spot]

I am not particularly enamoured with Dr.Vogel's work.

Rassell? Who is he?

 

I think Dr. Feller should be an obvious choice at this point.

 

In addition, if indeed this is something you are "rushing" into, I would HIGHLY suggest you stop for now, even at the expense of your 500 deposit.

 

Your comments are emotionally driven and the actions you have described are rather reckless and rash.

 

Now that you have found this site, please take some time and look around and understand what hairtransplantation is about these days.

 

If you are adverse to travel and Dr. Feller is within your comfort zone, he would be a great start.

 

Good Luck!!!!

[FacelessMan]

IrishItalianGirl,

 

Here's $.02 from a recent and satisfied HT patient...

 

* First, no, I don't think you've been scammed; getting a deposit is a standard part of actually scheduling a procedure. I would say that the per-graft price sounds high (certainly higher than Dr. Feller's), but that's not necessarily scamming, just expensive...

 

* ***DON'T*** let geography affect your choice. Even if you go as far as Hasson and Wong in Vancouver -- as others here have said, this is a very personal and very lasting surgical step you're thinking about, so factor in whatever your travel/hotel costs are, against the many years you'll be living with the results! If you're talking NYC or, as I mentioned, Vancouver, take some extra days (before the procedure) and hang out and see the sights...

 

I assume that you're in the MD/DC area...as am I. NYC is only a train or plane ride away, and there are several well-recommended doctors there, including Dr. Feller, whom I'd recommend to my own family. In my case, going to NY added about $600 to my overall procedure cost, which was to me well worth it...once you get into the thousands, another several hundred, if it means getting access to a far better doctor, is incrementally pretty much insignificant.

 

* The picture thing would raise an eyebrow, for me, partly because most doctors seem to offer patients the eye-blackout option when posting or otherwise showcasing their photos. And because I have seen photos of women who have had transplants. I would say emphatically that how willing and able a doctor is to show you the results of his or her work is a valid and important clue...

 

* Are you/have you been actually losing hair, or do you simply have a naturally high hairline? I'd suggest discussing this with any doctor with whom you have a consultation. When Dr. Vogel said your hairline was "too high," what was his standard of comparison? Too high based on your bone structure/features? Too high compared to genetics?

 

Best wishes in your search...this and other boards are excellent resources, I encourage you to make extensive use of them!

 

Regards,

 

Benjamin

[nobuzz4me]

B-Spot,

 

You say you are not thrilled with Dr. Vogel's work, can you expand on that. What are you basing your opinion on?

 

I checked with Pat about him and he says he does very nice FUT and repair work and the main reason he would not be coalition material is that he does not do the very large sessions.

 

Traveling is not a good option for me with my work and famiy so I have found him to be the best in the Washington / Baltimore metro area based on the research I did.

 

 

Originally posted by the B spot:

I am not particularly enamoured with Dr.Vogel's work.

Rassell? Who is he?

 

I think Dr. Feller should be an obvious choice at this point.

 

In addition, if indeed this is something you are "rushing" into, I would HIGHLY suggest you stop for now, even at the expense of your 500 deposit.

 

Your comments are emotionally driven and the actions you have described are rather reckless and rash.

 

Now that you have found this site, please take some time and look around and understand what hairtransplantation is about these days.

 

If you are adverse to travel and Dr. Feller is within your comfort zone, he would be a great start.

 

Good Luck!!!!

[the B spot]

Hey Buzz, I thought my comment would carry enough weight without tossing the good Dr. under the proverbial bus, but ALAS!, twas' not to be.

 

Ok, first off, like many Dr's who are limited artistically, Dr. Vogel seems to have trouble designing his own natural hairlines, only producing a really natural result when he has something to work with. This is my OPINION of course, but this lends credence to the perception that he does good repair work, which I think he does on a regular basis.

 

Second, session sizes. One of the most important factor in determining the overall approach by a particular Dr is his or her willingness to still learn or accept the fact that others are better. The fact that Dr. Vogel still clings to the 2-3 sessions to get to 3000 grafts on a NW5 or 6 is ridiculous and neanderthalic.

In order to do larger sessions, the Dr needs more staff, more equipment, and longer hours.

As you can see, that would not work well here.

 

Third, Dr. Vogel is a jack of all trades where cosmetic surgery is concerned, isn't he? Like all artisans, it is imperative that one hone the necessary skills to ALWAYS improve. Unless SIGNIFICANT contributions to the HT industry are made, it is difficult for me to imagine Dr. Vogel doing anything but "solid/good" work.

For example, Dr. Rose does other cosmetic work, but is recognized world-wide for his artistry and contributions to the HT industry (closures).

 

So when I say I am not enamoured with his work, that is what I mean. Dr. Vogel is an OK HT surgeon, not a member of the Coalition, and certianly not someone I would consider going to at this time. I am sorry you cannot travel, but to assume for a moment that choosing the best guy in your neighborhood is something you would want to defend or consider is not something I want to pass along to other members of the forum.

The fact is, you are choosing the best guy who meets your travel requirements, not the best HT surgeon regardless of geography you have found, after much research.

 

I think you will be OK going to Dr. Vogel.

You will be paying an absolute premium for successive surgeries, unless he has changed his pricing.

 

I wish you well, and as always, these are my opinions, my perspectives, and should be carefully considered then flushed down the toilet!!!!!!!!!

Then again, I may know what I am talking about?

 

You decide

[Bill - Seemiller]

irishitaliangirl,

 

There is not too much I can add at this point...I think my collegues above has given excellent advice. here is my advice

 

1. I would definately cancel your appt, even if you have to lose your deposit. this Dr. is behind the times

 

2. I would definately consider Dr. Feller who is in NY, not too far from you...he has posted some pictures at the link below of a woman he just did work on. Came out very nicely I thought.

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=143788

 

3. I would also do consults with other coalition doctors (Feller is one of them) to see what they say. The coalition doctors have proven themselves and use the latest technologies available for ultra refined follicular unit transplantation. Link below

 

http://www.hairlosslearningcenter.org/hair-loss-content...s/our_physicians.asp

 

4. I know you are anxious to get moving with this...but there really is no harm in waiting and doing the proper research necessary to get amazing results. If you go to a doctor that gives you poor results, you will have a lifetime to deal with miserable results. Take your time, research, and do it right.

 

5. $7/graft is way too expensive. Even $5/graft is higher than some, even with this supposed "discount" he is giving you. Again, consult and take your time researching with the coalition doctors

 

6. Don't let travel affect which doctor you go and see. You'll hear that from many people and it's valid advice. This is a life altering decision, either for good or for bad...choose wisely!

 

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[irishitaliangirl]

Thanks for the advice. Why are coalition doctors the only ones to be considered? Also, how could a doctor mess up a hairline when they are using follicular unit? My understanding was that the "plugs" are tiny, and the worst case scenario is that the transplanted hair will not grow in or that it will grown in a different consistency than the rest of my hair. I have thin, straight hair & I don't want the new hair to grow in coarse, frizzy or wiry.

 

Also, why is 500 grafts/session a red flag? Dr. Rassael recommended that I wait a year in between so he could see how the hair is growing & see where he needs to fill it in. It didn't sound like a bad thing. I have attached a picture of my forehead & hairline which shows the high/cowlick side very well. I'm parting my hair on the other side now. If anyone could tell me if they have had something similar to this, and how many grafts were reqired to fix it & in how many sessions, that would be very helpful!

 

Someone asked me about my hairline & whether it was a result of genetics or hair loss. I have always had a high hairline, where the temples are higher than the front, one side is higher than the other, and a cowlick on one side where the hair grows very short. When Dr. Rassael measured my face into thirds, he did so to see whether my forehead was 1/3 the length of my face. I already knew that ideal facial porportions have a forehead where the length is no greater than 1/3 the length of the face. And often, the most beatiful faces have a forehead that is less than 1/3 in length. My forehead was 1 cm higher than 1/3 of the total length of my face, except for a slight widows peak in the center. Anyway, my high forehead has become more bothersome to me recently, requiring me to style my hair differently to cover the cowlick side. So I think I definitely do have hair loss. When I presented my theory to the doctor, he said that some women have male pattern baldness (scary, I know!)

 

I do have an apt. scheduled with Dr. Vogel in January, so now I'm thinking I might be better off losing my deposit with Dr. Rassael & getting a second opinion.

[Guest Cousin_It]

Irish..

 

Glad you have taken the advice form all the guys on this forum and reconsidered Dr. Rassael, it is a smart decision.

 

The reason we recommend Coalition surgeons is because we know thier work. Before a doctor can be listed here he/she is looked at very carefully, his/her clinic is visited to ensure the equiptment is state of the art, his staff is interviewed to make sure they are experienced and the doctor is watched during actual transplant surgery to view his techniques. We follow this up with input from those that have actually had work done by him. It is a very through investigation before he is considered for membership. If he/she passes all the criteria needed then they are enrolled as members. This assures you of the best work possible.

 

Hair transplants are all about looks, unlike most other surgeries. A doctor can make a sloppy incision when he removes your appendix, and it doesn't matter, but if its in your hairline, that is a catastrophe.

 

You mention 500 grafts not being too bad, well if that is all you need then fine, but he already said you will need more next year, so why go through this again. Do you enjoy having your scalp removed and going through the recovery again, its no walk in the park. Swelling, redness, pain and an unslightly appearance are the result of most transplants, in my opinion I would like to do it only once if possible. Besides 500 grafts are really a drop in the bucket, you may not even notice a difference, these will get lost very quickly when he places them.

 

Just so you can get a feel of some work on a woman here is a link to work done by Dr. Feller, in LI,NY, not a big area, but still it took 1200 grafts to fix,

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=143788

 

As you can see it turned out beautifully. You need the absolute best when working up front, in the back you can get away with less than perfect. The hairline is the first thing anyone sees when they look at you, anything less than perfect is not acceptable. Perhaps you should consider seeing Dr.Feller, I don't think it is too much travel from your location. He personally did my transplant and gave me a great hairline, he is a known expert on this forum for doing these, that is why I went to him. Listen, bottom line, you have another 50 years ahead of you, do you want to look in the mirror every day and say "not bad", or would you prefer to say "great".

 

One more point, I think you should press the issue with Dr.Rassael about getting your deposit back, there is no reason why he shouldn't refund you. He can easily book that time for someone else. If he is somewhat reputable he won't give you a hard time about it. If you have anymore questions just post them, everyone here will try to steer you in the right direction. Best of Luck.

[Bill - Seemiller]

irishitaliangirl,

 

Your questions and my answers:

 

1. Why are the coalition doctors the only ones to be considered?

 

Answer: They are not necessarily the only ones to be considered, it's just that they have met a number of qualifications and expectations that other doctors have not. One of the standards, and the one I feel is the most important is "Excellent patient results demonstrating a high level of artistry and naturalness throughout, as well as excellent growth rates. ". Since consistent results have been proven by these doctors, you know you are chosing one of the best whereas other doctors might do a good job, but it's a crap shoot. See the link below for a description of the all the standards that these doctors have to meet.

 

http://www.hairlosslearningcenter.org/hair-loss-content...ership-standards.asp

 

2. How could a doctor mess up a hairline?

 

Answer: Easily. Hair transplanation is more of an art than a science. Creating a natural hairline takes talent and experience. Who would you trust more to build you a house? A contractor with years of experience with thousands of recommendations, one who has met many standards of excellence, or an unknown contractor, who's a nice guy, with no recommendations and no photos to help you. keep in mind, I have no idea what Dr. Rasseal's work looks like...perhaps it's good. But I'd rather go with a sure thing than someone who has no recommendations.

 

3. why are 500 grafts/session a red flag?

 

500 grafts per session is not necessarily a red flag...but it is if that's the max size they offer. Think of it as a limitation. So what is the limitation? Maybe experience, maybe capability, etc. It's a limitation because many doctors do much greater size surgeries with large success and growth rates. So why wait 2 years to get your results when you can get one session (of however many grafts you need) and have just as good, if not better results from a talented experienced doctor with great recommendations.

 

Furthermore...keep in mind that most of the recommendations on this site by former patients of these doctors are NOT paid to recommend them. This basically means that you are getting free REAL advice from real patients that aren't trying to advertise. heck, I even recommended Dr. Feller because of the results I've seen him do on women, and because he is closer to you, and I never had a surgery with him...I've just been around awhile and have seen what he can do. I am not paid to be here, I'm here on my own to help...so hopefully i am being helpful

 

Anyway...what you chose of course is your decision...but I strongly recommend that you consider a coalition doctor, cancel with Dr. Rassael (and if you want, try to get your money back), etc.

 

Before you choose anything...do some research. Look up Dr. Vogel (since you are considering him), Dr. Feller, and just simply look at patient results (especially women) and judge for yourself which doctor is the best for you.

 

Bill

[Bob C]

This doctor may have good intentions, and may even be a very competent surgeon. You may not be getting "scammed", but I'm sure you can do better.

 

From the answers he gave you - some straightforward (although not the ones we ideally want to hear), others rather evasive, it seems to me that he may be inexperienced.

 

Even if he has performed "hundreds of procedures". that isn't all that many. Others here have noted the small session size and lack of female patient photos. To me, this suggests that he simply hasn't been in the biz long enough to build up a portfolio, so to speak. That is probably why he offered a discount if he could use YOUR photos.

 

This doctor may have great potential under a mentor's guidance. Or, he may already have the talent, only needing more experience. But that isn't your problem. Find someone with proof of a good track record.

[Gorpy]

Follicular Unit transplantation is not done the same by all surgeons. Things that can go wrong that come to mind.

 

1) Exit angle of the hair is unnatural looking.

2) Pitting or cobblestoning. This results from placing the grafts too deep or too high.

3) Lack of artistic or aesthetic ability resulting in an unnatural looking hairline.

4) Grafts placed too far apart, which looks unnatural and doesn't blend well with your existing hair. Many doctors are incapable of "dense packing" with success. Sounds like Dr. Rassael might have this problem since he wants to "fill in later".

 

Do some other consultations. Even go with virtual consultations. I think 1000 is probably not enough for what you want to achieve.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Gorpy,

 

That's an excellent checklist of things that can go wrong when in the hands of an inexperienced or less credible doctor. Good post!

 

Bill

[Gorpy]

IrishItGirl,

Check out this link. Notice the two girls done by Shapiro and Epstein (both excellent surgeons). Notice how many grafts it took to bring their hairline down a bit. I'm not saying you would need that many, but it takes more than you think.

 

http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Share-Info/hairlos...der=female&offset=48

[irishitaliangirl]

I have noticed people on these forums who are representatives of Feller Medical. If Dr. Feller is so great, why does he need to advertise so heavily on these forums? I'm just as cautious about choosing a doctor based on geography than choosing one based on how many people they are paying to recruit potential patients from forums.

[Bill - Seemiller]

irishitaliangirl,

 

I believe "Spex" is the only one who is a representative for Dr. Feller, since he is a showcase. If there are others, I've missed them.

 

But to clarify, I am not a showcase or representative for Dr. Feller, I just believe he does good work. I never went to him. My choices in doctors have been below, if you take a look at my journey, you'll see I have been through quite a lot and traveled quite a bit for my last surgery because I was impressed the most with Dr. Hasson's work. If you are willing to travel a bit (and I suggest you consider it), check out Hasson and Wong. To clarify again, I am not a representative for any doctor...these are just my opinions based on my years of research and experience.

 

Bill

[John_in_NC]

Originally posted by irishitaliangirl:

I have noticed people on these forums who are representatives of Feller Medical. If Dr. Feller is so great, why does he need to advertise so heavily on these forums? I'm just as cautious about choosing a doctor based on geography than choosing one based on how many people they are paying to recruit potential patients from forums.

 

do not mistake "happy patients" with "representatives

Dr Feller has had consistent results, like most other good doctors and some patients are happy to recommend him. You don't have to choose him, or any other recommended doctors, but you'd be taking a chance.

[nobuzz4me]

Originally posted by irishitaliangirl:

I have noticed people on these forums who are representatives of Feller Medical. If Dr. Feller is so great, why does he need to advertise so heavily on these forums? I'm just as cautious about choosing a doctor based on geography than choosing one based on how many people they are paying to recruit potential patients from forums.

 

 

Irish, this is by far the best forum out there with the fewest "shills" for Doctors. Even the ones who come on here once in a while and work for Doctors, like Jotronic for example, do not badmouth other Doctors or push "their man" all over everyone else. That is why I enjoy this forum after cruising all the others, I believe everyone here is trying to help everyone else and educate each other about these very difficult choices.

 

Bill advised you to check out Feller, even though he never had work done with him, so there is no way he shills for him. It is just that Fellers reputation is that strong. Bill is one of the most helpful guys on this site and gives his time to "give back" to others. He will probably be around even after all his new hair has grown in and he is done with HT's forever, it is just the type of person he is. There are many others here just like him which is why I enjoy this forum so much.

 

Ultimately, you will be the one to choose which Doctor to use. Your best bet is to use this forum to educate yourself on what you are about to get into and visit a few selected Doctors to consult. Then come loaded with questions for them. You already had a bad consult with one, find some others and continue with the search. Good luck!

[Salt-N-Peppa]

FWIW- I too am highly suspect of testimonials of the type you talk about on any forum. It always reminds me of late night TV info-mercials. However, if someone is so satisfied with the work of their chosen Doctor and is willing to post the results of that work via photos or videos, this certainly rises to a much higher level of comfort for me. Rather than mere words, pictures seldom lie ( I submit a disclaimer of photos taken with flash versus natural lighting and anyone using "product" without disclosing such). Good luck sifting through the BS and hype. As such, I strongly recommend talking to 3 Doctors prior to making a decision.

FWIW, I had 4944 FU done by Dr Hasson and my photos are posted under several threads for you to view. Search .....Salt -n -Peppa

Cheers

[FacelessMan]

"Disclaimer:" Dr. Feller hasn't paid me to speak glowingly of him or his work; I'm just a satisfied customer...

 

And I'd agree that pictures speak more loudly than words. I think you'll find a good assortment of comprehensive photos of a variety of doctors' work...Feller, Cooley, Hasson, Wong, et. al. And, while I don't think that advertising and an excellent doctor are mutually exclusive (word of mouth isn't necessarily always enough), false or misleading advertising, and an excellent doctor, definitely don't go together.

 

Benjamin