Jump to content

Help. I had my hair transplant with Larry Shapiro.


JekyllandHyde

Recommended Posts

  • Regular Member

Hello everyone. Today is the day after my first HT and I'm really worried about what they did to my head. More specifically about what Dr. Lawrence Shapiro did to me.

Short background: Male, 27yrs old, in transition between Type IV and Type V baldness, using Minoxidil & Finasteride for the last year with no visible results.

 

So, I decided to have a HT done. My budget was rather limited and when doing my research I went for the cheapest in my area (Miami Metro Area) Dr. Lawrence Shapiro. That was the first mistake since usually the cheapest stuff is the worst. I didn't get a consultation with any other surgeon in the area, I only looked into their webpages and decided that Dr. Shapiro looked rather formal, and met my budget expectations. Besides, he carries out a very aggressive -though shoddy- advertising campaign.

I went to my first consultation and my impression of him wasn't good. He spoke too much, about how great he does his job and that I wouldn't have any trouble because my case was pretty straightforward. He didn't get into the details and he looked as he was in a hurry, so we only talked for a couple of minutes. The financial issues where discussed with his assistant and we agreed to do 1500 grafts in the front and 300 in the crown area, the price was 2.5$ per graft.

At this point I didn't like the fact that the interview with him wasn't as I expected it to be: personal, with through information about the procedure, having time to ask my questions, etc. The jingle in his web page didn't smell good, as well as his "wonder formula" to regain hair in only a couple of months after the surgery. I knew the guy wasn't serious but I considered that even if he wasn't that good he still had experience and that all the procedure couldn't be a disaster. After all he has "experience" and after a little bit of research I saw that he is member of a couple of hair restoration societies.

The day of the surgery everything was "too fast" for what I had expected. He removed the strip, and performed the incisions in my scalp so fast that he was done in five minutes. I was wondering if he can do 1800 incisions in so little time but.... I was well beyond the point of no return. I never saw him again, the assistants where the ones who implanted the grafts. After the surgery I bled a lot -I have read that all the bleeding should be controlled before you leave the room.

I feel good but I have a lot of dry blood on my scalp and I think that this guy kind of ripped my off. I have read now all the comments about him and I have found that I shouldn't have done it with him.

Please guys, tell me what you think. Is this bleeding capable of ruining the outcome? Does it looks as if I have enough grafts?

I apologize for my English

Please, don't tell me that I'm a jerk and that I should have researched more. I know that.

Thanks.

IMAG0036.jpg.b90a8c047b24ebc7d706b38fa7302208.jpg

IMAG0035.jpg.2af8b802733d2683316e1ab1f67f5ec6.jpg

IMAG0034.jpg.a02ef60fd573a6badf572a05e6d825b8.jpg

IMAG0033.jpg.efa9922a06ed0138237e2aca3af4d8e9.jpg

Edited by JekyllandHyde
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 71
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Senior Member

Sounds like you didn't like his general patient care, but what exactly are you worried about procedure-wise? That the grafts won't grow? Because that can be true no matter what doc you go to. Just curious what's most got you concerned.

Jan 2000 - 600 FUT with Dr Kurgis (MHR)

Sept 2011 - 1411 FUT with Dr Paul Shapiro

Jan 2013 - 1800 FUT with Dr Paul Shapiro

Sep 2014 - 1000 FUE with Dr Paul Shapiro

 

My Hairloss Blog »

__________________

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Scabs are normal as long as youre not still bleeding. Its easy to get freaked out in the days following the HT even everything goes well. Try to relax! There must be someone at the clinic to speak with you about after-care. My advice is try to get some rest, then call the clinic in the next few days and find out when you can speak to the doctor with any follow up questions.

5700 FUE in 3 procedures with Dr. Bisanga

 

View my patient website:

http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/home-page.asp?WebID=1874

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Hopefully everything went well during your procedure and you will experience good results, but from the photo I see you have significant scabbing on your grafts. If you or the clinic haven't cleaned or helped remove those scabs for you, you may experience poor results. It is very important to keep them as clean as possible and not let large scabs (normal scabs which are small and only cover one graft are ok, Large scabs would cover more than that, possibly several grafts) remain untreated. As for the rest of your questions, we will have to see your results in the future when it is all grown in to see how well it came out, and see if that was the right amount of grafts, unless you show us your before photos that way we will be able to access the correct amount.

I am a consultant for Dr. True and Dr. Dorin. These opinions are my own.

 

Dr. Robert True and Dr. Robert Dorin are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member

Thanks for the answers guys. They told me that I shouldn't touch my scalp for a couple of days. Nevertheless, taking into account the advise of Thehairupthere I'll rinse my scalp with a mixture of warm water and baby shampoo. Hopefully that will remove the big scabs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Don't try to force any scabs off as this could make things worse.

 

Quite a lot of us found this forum after having an unsatisfactory surgery, as it seems this has happened to you. I've been to some terrible HT docs, so I wouldn't call you a Jerk for this.

 

TBH, the work doesn't look great in the pics, but its hard to tell as there is a lot of dry blood.

I wouldn't say you have anything like 1800 grafts there either. How is your scar? and how long is it.

 

I would consider consulting one of the recommended docs on here to see what they say about this. I had 4 bad strips taken before I realised I had made a mistake, so your 3 ahead of me if this doesn't work out right, and you can get it fixed if it doesn't look as good as it should.

A lot of the docs on here would probably give discounts for patients that have been ill treated by bad docs, its not all about the money for the docs on here, and they will do everything they can to make a positive difference to someones life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member

Thank you Sparky for your reply and advice. Yeah, it doesn't look like 1800 at all. The scar is rather big, but I can't tell. I'll upload a picture. I tried to see a respectable doctor today and he told me that it's too soon to know how thing will turn out, but that it's unlikely that I have 1800 grafts and that the hairline is not very "artistically" done. I'll have to wait a few months before being able to evaluate the results. I'll wait until tomorrow to rinse my scalp, but I won't touch it at all.

The issue with the reparation procedure is that it's gonna take long before I can afford it, and all that time I'll have to be dealing with my new shoddily-done implant - on top of that with a density that won't be even enough to camouflage my baldness.

I'm trying to keep it cool since what's done is done, and the only thing we can do is learn from our mistakes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

That scar doesn't look bad to me, some of them are 30cm long!. Its a good idea to keep it cool though, i've been through all of the depression crap with regard to bad HT's and now my hair is looking good. If you want to know anything, just ask, via PM or on the board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I understand your hesitance with using propecia due to the side effects but they are quite rare, it is worth trying and seeing if you feel it, and if you do, it should go away within a few weeks. If you don't feel comfortable with that rogaine would be the best bet, there is only so much saw palmetto, biotin or any other supplement will actually do for you. Just so you know the earliest you should consider having another procedure is between 11-12 months after this surgery as your skin needs to heal, so consult with a recommended surgeon again at that time if you want to do corrective work.

I am a consultant for Dr. True and Dr. Dorin. These opinions are my own.

 

Dr. Robert True and Dr. Robert Dorin are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Saw Palmetto did the same for me as Proscar, i'm only on Proscar at the moment as i've got some left and i'm trying to finish it off before going onto Saw permantly. As SW is a herbal product, no ones going to do a study to prove whether its as good as Proscar or not, because it would be a waste of money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

That looks like the old mini and micrografts. Plus I'd be surprised if you got half of what he said. I don't know how that guy is still in business.

Finasteride 1.25 mg. daily

Avodart 0.5 mg. daily

Spironolactone 50 mg twice daily

5 mg. oral Minoxidil twice daily

Biotin 1000 mcg daily

Multi Vitamin daily

 

Damn, with all the stuff you put in your hair are you like a negative NW1? :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I have to concur with rc, those look like minigrafts. My first ht was similar looking post-op with those big scabs. My 2nd procedure with dr. Feller was for much more grafts and the scabs were tiny (indicative of tiny incisions and ultra refined grafts). This Shapiro seems like a real hack who should be out of business.

Edited by hairthere

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

  • Regular Member

I have no swelling and no pain so far; of course with so few grafts the swelling and pain is going to be negligible. Please, let this thread be a warning to those who are thinking about getting a HT with "Dr." Lawrence Shapiro. Maybe things won't be 100% disaster, but it's not going to be worth AT ALL the money, time, and headaches.

STAY AWAY FROM HIM!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member

Well, no hope at all. I just rinsed my scalp and the implants look as if they had been expelled. I feel terrible. All hope is lost. I'm thinking about filing a lawsuit against him but this is going to be pointless since I signed a lot of papers exonerating him from any complication. I'm just posting to leave a record of what he does to people so that every one that "googles" his name finds this thread. Please, keep it going.

IMAG0048.jpg.14fe90dfe4dda4f8b9bd8e528144471b.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I've just curious, is it really possible to tell from the pics alone that this isn't going to turn out to be a fine result? Maybe evaluating again after 6 months is a better idea before going the route of lawsuits, etc?

Jan 2000 - 600 FUT with Dr Kurgis (MHR)

Sept 2011 - 1411 FUT with Dr Paul Shapiro

Jan 2013 - 1800 FUT with Dr Paul Shapiro

Sep 2014 - 1000 FUE with Dr Paul Shapiro

 

My Hairloss Blog »

__________________

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@JekyllandHyde~ I feel compassion on your feelings but it doesn't mean that "anything inexpensive is at it's worst cost." My husband and father in-law also went and had HT with Dr. Lawrence Shapiro. Both of them had such great results! It sounds to me per your 1st posting that you were not satisfied overall from your consultation day up to your post-op surgery. I am sorry to hear that but my husband and I, (including his father) had an impressive consultation with Dr. L. Shapiro. I just wanted to know, if you were expecting so much more from him, such as finding more answers to your questions, you should have ask his assistant to get him. While my husband and father in-law did their surgeries, I asked many questions. I also asked Dr. L. Shapiro if I could see part of their procedures and he obliged to let me "peek." Dr. Shapiro also let me view the part when he and his technicians were in the process of "fillet"-ing my husbands strip into grafts.

Take it from my personal experience with two loving family members that had it done with

Dr. Lawrence Shapiro. If you follow the Pre-Op/Post-Op and take the recommended Vits and what have you, you should see great results just like my husband and father in-law.

I also read on your original post dated (12/17/2010@10:45pm) that you were told by his staff not to touch your scalp for a couple of days but you have taken it into account (per your words) to take the advise of "thehairupthere" and rinsed your scalp with a mixture of warm water and baby shampoo to remove the big scabs. Now, are you sure that you did not loosen any grafts out by washing your scabs off and by softening your scalp altogether?? do you think by doing that so, you could have loosen some grafts and pushed out? that is a very brave step considering on your #1 post (12/17/2010 @5:40pm), that it was your first day after your first "HT" that is too soon to do considering my husband had the same post-op instructions or post care given as well as to you. Dr. L. Shapiro's staff repeatedly reminded my husband to rinse after 3 days. Why are you rinsing so soon?

Let me also comment about your incision part, you said that Dr. L. Shapiro was done in 5mins., if I were you, I would be glad that you didn't have an open head or scalp for a long period of time otherwise I would be worried about it in case infections sets in you know.....

Why now that you are collecting bloody bad publicity about him? Trust me son, people in this type of business will throw rocks at any prestigious doctors like Dr. L. Shapiro.

I think #2, #3 and #20 posts are quite "right on the money" as far as well suggestions/questions are concerned. I guarantee you will find great satisfaction of

Dr. Lawrence Shapiro's work and best results just like my husband and father in-law did.

Goodluck to you and God Bless.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member
Saw Palmetto did the same for me as Proscar, i'm only on Proscar at the moment as i've got some left and i'm trying to finish it off before going onto Saw permantly. As SW is a herbal product, no ones going to do a study to prove whether its as good as Proscar or not, because it would be a waste of money.

 

How much Saw Palmetto did/do you take Sparky? I take a 320mg gelatin capsule daily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...