Legitmacy of the iahrs & the Coalition

[TroyPolamalu79]

How do we really know that these two groups actually recommend quality doctors and not just the highest bidder?

 

I have a company that provides a service and I just made up a "society" and ranked myself number 1 and listed others below me to make it look legitimate. I also made 15 other websites just for the use of recommending my company.

 

I know how easy it is to fake recommendations and coalitions/societies over the internet so how do I know they are real especially since members have to pay?

 

I want these recommendations to be real so I get valid information and can get my hairline fixed. I just can't go through another nightmare and want to fix my poor decision I made when I was basically a child at just 19!

[TakingThePlunge]

TroyPolamalu79,

 

We operate here with complete transparency. If you read the Coalition Membership Standards, it clearly states, "All members contribute dues to support our joint educational resources and services".

 

The validity of our selection process is evidenced by the superior work of our recommended and Coalition physicians. How long would our recommendations carry any weight if we simply recommended anyone with deep pockets yet doing substandard work.

 

I can assure you that everyone involved in running this forum is committed to helping fellow hair loss sufferers avoid common pitfalls and end up regretting their hair transplants.

 

If you use the search feature, you can find many threads presenting doctors for recommendation or Coalition membership and see the process at work.

 

In addition, you can find discussion about physicians are no longer recommended here because they did not maintain the quality work and commitment to patients necessary.

 

I hope this helps put your mind at ease.

[TroyPolamalu79]

Hello Take The Plunge,

 

Your responce does put my mind at ease. I like many people in this forum are just searching for legitimate help and advice and everyone at first should not at first trust a website but I can now say it this is legitimate.

 

I even slipped a not so good reply about a coalition member and it was not deleted and to the contrary was debated so I see this is an open discussion of ideas.

 

I just need to be extra careful because I had a terrible experience 12 years ago that pretty much has added alot of stress to my life ever since.

 

I am going with Alexander and will document it all. Hopefully my story can give hope to someone feels like they have no options because you can't shave your head because of the scar and are very weary of procedure that is the cause of all the problems.

[MusoInOz]

Hey mate,

 

I can see how you may be skeptical with the approval process and recommended physicians including the coalition, It is easy to believe there could be possible favouritism throughout the forum however I think you should place trust in the process and understand that the origins of this site were based around cautioning prospective patients and presenting the transparency of below par physicians within the HT industry. As TakingThePlunge has stipulated regarding physicians who have failed to cut the mustard over the years everything on here the site is very well monitored/documented (most of the time).

 

Good luck with your future procedure mate, Dr Alexander is a superb physician.

 

Cheers,

[hairthere]

It should also be noted that aside from being good guys, both Pat and Bill have undergone the HT process themselves.

[TroyPolamalu79]

Hello MusoInOz,

 

Thank you very much for your reply. There are not many decision in life that actually effect one there whole life so I am doing everything I can to educate myself and make sure I am getting good info.

 

I just thought I would throw out the question and I definitley feel comfortable with the opinions of this forum.

 

I see you take finasteride as well. Have you ever thougght of adding or switching to Duasteride? I heard that Fin sometimes loses its pototency after 10 years. What herbal's do you take.

 

_________________________________________

 

Hi hairthere,

 

You also make a good point that the monitors this website have HT as well so no matter what they have good intentions because they definitely understand.

[MusoInOz]

Hey mate,

 

I have considered Dut in the past however I have been rather successful thus far using Fin that I would be quite the fool to switch now, or to add additional medication to an already working concoction for that matter..

If I were to end up in a dark place in the future (science forbid) then I certainly will seriously considering the change.

I do take MSM from time to time, it dropped from my regimen officially two years ago due to the fact my nails were becoming to thick, I have a condition where toe and finger nails grow VERY fast and dense. MSM only aided my ingrown issues etc. I believe i was consistently taking MSM for roughly four years. I may update my past regimen as I have failed to previously mention.

 

You are very right, the decision is life lasting and can either effect you in a negative or positive aspect, everything boils down to the right choice of physician and a little dose of luck.

You can't go to wrong with any of the top clinics, all have their own process yet similar results, some will stand out over others and some won't.

 

In your case of opting for Dr Alexander you will be in perfect hands mate.

 

Cheers,

[Blake Bloxham]

Troy,

 

I'm glad David's reply has put your mind at ease. It's definitely easy (and probably wise) to be skeptical. However, I personally believe the more time you spend on our discussion forums, the more you'll come to realize that our community is dedicated to hair loss patients, transparency, and state-of-the-art results.

 

It's definitely a unique environment, but I hope you'll spend some time here researching and asking questions, and come to a similar conclusion. If there are any specific questions I can answer, don't hesitate to ask in this thread or via a private message.

[Dr. William Lindsey]

I'd echo the positive comments above.

 

I tell many prospective patients that are just starting to look into hair restoration that they ought to go on both of these sites. I admit that as a member perhaps I'm biased....and I tell them this.

 

BUT, I think that the prospective patient can get a good idea of what realistic outcome ranges are available by viewing posted cases. AND I think that if patients can't find any posted cases by doctors...perhaps they should take extra time during their consultations to see specific examples of a doctor's work.

 

Lastly, I get lots of emails from patients who've been told they need 1100 or 1200 grafts by docs that I've never heard of. When I see them, I may say 2500 or more grafts... and then, if I were the patient, I'd start thinking that the doctor just wants to do more grafts for more money... SO, I'll pull up examples of what specific graft counts generally do at my office AND suggest that they review case sizes on these forums. Then patients rapidly see that 1100 grafts won't cover alot of bald head.....

 

Its all about having an informed customer BEFORE surgery.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

[Spanker]

I have had this issue with docs on this forum. I have been quoted anywhere from 700 to 2000 grafts. When I do the math (using cm 2 times 50 grafts I get on the lower end of that. So it is an issue, and I feel pretty versed in the ht business. But in all fairness, it is kinda hard to tell from pics.

[Anouar]

I don't believe all docs recommended are on equal footing. These guys pay money to be promoted here. This is a good site and has good info but every now then you have to sift through the b.s. There are some great docs as there are some mediocre docs and a couple of docs I'm just not sure about. This place is a great starting point but don't rely exclusively on the list. Do your diligence and research.

Edited April 2, 2011 by Anouar

[Tsakalos]

i dont know how legitimate the IAHRS is, but if u take a look who is behind it, you have a very FAIR reason to delete it from your book.

 

The "Spencer boy" a fake "hair loss sufferer", a bussiness man disguised under the title "Patient advocate" who never got under the knife, who never experienced the depression from the "imprisonment" that a hair piece can produce, is trying to give us "advice" not based on personal experiences, (becouse he doesnt have any), but from things he had learned from other real patients, advice that anybody else with some experience in the field can give you.

 

Who runs a forum called "Bald Truth" and doesnt even allow the members to use the private message function !!

 

Why is that Mr. Kobren ?? Probably you dont want the real truth being spread out by the members ?

 

Unless you accept the fact that members of a so called "Community" dont have the right to exchange private messages between them ??

 

Or do you really think that you are the only one who "serves the truth" in this industry so we can blindly accept whatever ur money driven motivations sell us ???

 

One Of the very few persons that i whouldnt be able to make dialogue and democratic negotiations with. Instead i whould practice a crash test of how far my sadistic limits can reach ....

Edited April 3, 2011 by Tsakalos

[mattj]

Dark words, Tsakalos. I can use the PM function at BTT.

[Tsakalos]

but i cant maybe representatives can or users after x ammount of posts..

[mattj]

If your post count is very low then that will be the reason.

[Tsakalos]

well my post count wont be increased intentionally so i wont be able to find out , nor do i care to find out, cause of the reasons that i already mentioned..

[corvettester]

I completely understand your concerns and suspicions regarding the HT industry, especially considering your unfortunate past experience.

 

However, as far as the HTN goes, don't forget that the most important and legitimate resources are the members! Most of us have had HTs or are in the process of doing so.

 

Although you make a good point about how easy it is to create dummy organizations and websites, I don't think it's really reasonable to suspect that an organization with a member base the size of HTN could create thousands of dummy accounts.

 

If you're really worried about the legitimacy, I suggest contacting several members via PM. You'll that find many of us, myself included, are glad to give you our real names and phone numbers so that you can have a personal conversations and perhaps even meet in person.

 

Of course there is still more work to be done. You’ll want to not only speak to, but also meet with HT recipients, do lots of research, become conversant on HT, the procedure, what to expect, the risks, as well as have several consultations with leading doctors.

 

 

I hope this helps.

 

 

Corvettester

[Tsakalos]

T,

 

The PM works fine on Spencer's forum.:cool: More than likely your settings are not right as I had an initial prob with it. I really feel your accusations are unfounded and unfair in my opinion. I am confident if you were to email Yevette in admin she would gladly resolve your issue :cool:

 

Regards

Spex

maybe it works for people with more posts and you are also a rep. but what about the rest of my post ? nobody commented on this. reagarding spencers Personal experiences and "patient advocacy" ??

[Spanker]

To be fair, I was really surprised to find out S.K. has never had issues with MPB...that was news to me.