SMP Consultation Request Results

[Time to do something]

I just called Dr. Rassman's office to inquire about the lack of response to my two emails. I was told Dr. Pak was out of town last week so that is why I didn't receive a reply. I know in my job if I'm going to be out of the office I have an out of office auto reply on my email. Very odd that he did not or at least have someone there who checks the emails get back with me to let me know he was out of town and would be returning messages upon his return. It is little things like this that help in the decision making process if all other things are equal.

[Time to do something]

I heard from NHI today. Very interesting how different their answers were from GLI. They must use a different process. First, they recommend SMP only for guys who want to buzz their hair short or shave it. GLI said longer hair is not a problem and many women have it done. I need to ask them why they recommend shaved or buzzed hair.

They also said that it will fade to a lighter shade and change color to a slight green or bluish tint and that there is no pigment or color in existence that maintains its perfect black color. Interesting since GLI would not be using black on me since I'm reddish/brownish/blondish. They need two to three separate sessions lasting three to four hours each spaced three to four days apart. They say it is because they need to match the color and distribution of the SMP. If a touch up session is needed years later it is $500.

When asked how long the ink will last they responded with "One year". That is a very short amount of time and contradicts what they said earlier in their reply that it would last a lifetime. I need to get clarification on that. They said the green/blue color is normal and will not look odd. They said that is the color of hair when it is shaved close to the skin. I need to make sure they aren't talking about dark haired individuals. I don't think my beard stubble appears greenish blue. They said it will blur a little that it never stays sharp and that it bleeds a bit but not to the degree of a normal tattoo.

They do taper the hairline and fade it out so a helmet hairline is not a problem. Having one's own hair helps with the 3D effect. Their process will not damage hair follicles. They don't go in deep enough for that to be a problem. It most likely will not cause shock loss either. They also do the entire head not just a partial area. If they did it would not look even.

Later in their reply they said they would match the color to my hair so I need to confirm that with them because that seems to contradict an earlier statement they made.

[aaron1234]

First, they recommend SMP only for guys who want to buzz their hair short or shave it.

 

Well, that contradicts what Dr. Rassman said in a post on his blog in which he states Dr. Pak did SMP on his mother. I assume her hair isn't short or shaved.

 

Could SMP Cause Shock Loss? - Balding Blog

 

Also, he has a post-op patient with longer hair on display.

 

Picture 9999 « Album 2 « Gallery 10 « Gallery – SMP for Thinning Hair | Scalp MicroPigment SMPScalp MicroPigment SMP

 

It sounds as if they are learning on the go with SMP.

[Time to do something]

Yes odd. I need to check on that.

[scar5]

Well, that contradicts what Dr. Rassman said in a post on his blog in which he states Dr. Pak did SMP on his mother. I assume her hair isn't short or shaved.

.

 

ha!!

lovin it'

The twisting and turning, the BS, the gambit, the whole slippery hand we have on this pot of BS we are trying to grasp.

 

And what a barrel of snakes the pot is!!!

 

The doctor's mom is bald, shaven to number one! Every morning she wakes up and sings the tune, 'It's a lifetime choice!'

 

 

All the pics we see of hairy guys and girls on the NHI website are actually in effect (conveniently listed as, 'with longer hair' or something to that effect), are actually bald or shaven to number one, and they put wigs on for the photo sessions to protect their SMP from the flashlights of the cameras!

 

And GLIs doesn't blur!!

hahah ha..well, well. And so how come?

Right, I know. The reason they don't blur is that to date, all of GLIs patients have actually been robots, Hondas and a Daihatsu as well in there too. There aren't the usual biological factors at work, that cause all tattoo ink to be broken down by the body over time.

 

Gee..and I am already committed. I guess I'll let the sun kill it if I don't like it.

 

And the graduated hairlines? Show me them. The helmet is THE look. And a blue tinged one at that, under certain white/blue fluorescent light (which BTW is very common)

 

Good work time

I think one of the best things you got outta that is GLI talking up hair as well as the comment that a mixed color approach is good. They come out of this looking OK, this time!

 

So NHI have flip-flopped on hair? oh well, I wonder why?? HIS flip-flopped on hair quite some time back. Perhaps NHI thought, damn, it isn't worth it trying to guess all the colors that have to be guessed to match. Seriously, NHI know much more than the blanket disclaimers they issue, as they all do.

 

Damn ink, I wish we knew more.

[StaggerLee123]

TTDS you are doing your homework and that is a very good thing, it sounds as if you will make an informed decision and are educating all of us in the process. I think you really need to see some patients in person to get an idea of how it looks. Pictures are one thing but seeing is believing so see if you can arrange it.

 

One thing that really caught my eye is the fact that you were told that the greenish blue color that the ink will fade to will not look odd. I think it would look odd don't you? As you pointed out does the stubble on your face look bluegreen? Another thing is what happens once you start to age and you go a little or a lot grey? Are you going to have to dye your hair for he rest of your life?

 

The fact that NHI didn't respond to your inquiry right away sounds a bit off putting to me also and someone should really be monitoring a Doc e-mails when he is out of town or an auto-reply at least should be sent. I have had similiar experiences with a few clinics and it inspires no confidence at all.

 

You were going to let the hair on the top of you head grow out to see how that looked, how is that working out? Did you end up cutting it shorter on the sides and in the back? How is life without the hair piece?

[Time to do something]

I never go through with anything until I’ve done exhaustive research and even then sometimes one gets stung like I did with my first two hair transplants. NHI’s email was riddled with contradictions so I sent them another email asking for clarification. I believe if they use fewer dots as they approach the hairline the helmet look will be avoided. I don’t understand if they use the color to match the client’s hair why mine would have the possibility of turning the greenish blue hue. My hair is reddish/brownish/blondish not black which is the ink color they say turns greenish blue. Scar5 which company did you decide to go with for your procedure?

I’ve seen a couple of clients in person who had work done by GLI. I didn’t think it looked unusual. I’d have never known they had anything done if I hadn’t been told. I do think if it turns bluish green it would look odd. They explain it by saying that is the color stubble appears coming from the skin. Are they basing that on dark haired individual only? I’m fair and don’t have dark hair and my stubble does not appear that color. I’m not concerned about the grey issue. They can sprinkle in grey now and even if they don’t and my own hair changes to grey it will be a mix of my regular color and grey which many men have. The hair on the top of my head is growing out nicely but I still don’t have the density to look cosmetically acceptable so I’m still wearing the hairpiece. I won’t remove it until either the last transplant has matured or I get SMP to lessen the contrast between scalp and hair.

[Bill - Seemiller]

TTDS,

 

By very nature, all scalp micropigmentation is 2D and will never be 3D. Scalp micropigmentation is just tattoo art that gives you the appearance of very short hair in the areas you were tattooed. It may also promote a greater illusion of density for men or women with existing (natural or transplanted) hair, but unlike a hair transplant, this illusion is very limited. For instance, if you're wearing your hair longer, SMP won't do anything to make it appear that you have more long hair, but will only reduce scalp/hair contrast ratio. While this may make SMP patients appear less bald, it won't have the same effect as hair transplant surgery.

 

Just keep in mind that under close inspection, SMP will look exactly like what it is....tattooing of the scalp that provides an illusion of short hair growth.

 

I'm still not real sure that SMP is a route you should pursue at this point, but ultimately, this is up to you.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Time to do something]

I agree it will produce an illusion of density which is what I need since the hair transplants did not offer an adequate amount to be cosmetically acceptable. I believe SMP and hair transplants can complement one another. SMP alone won’t give the texture of hair or the height of hair while in many cases a hair transplant alone will not offer enough density. Up close I suppose SMP will look like a tattoo but I have very few people close enough to inspect my head that closely. From a distance which 99% of people view us from it looks natural from the ones I’ve seen.

Being I’m tapped out for donor supply and don’t have adequate density and don’t want the maintenance of a concealer what would you recommend? I’ve also asked you twice if you have seen individuals in person who have had SMP and what you are basing your skepticism on but you never responded. I’m open to anything and everything before I make my decision. I’m on a fact finding mission.

[Time to do something]

Also, if you don’t recommend SMP why is one of the coalition doctors you recommend offering it? If it is something you believe is risky I wouldn’t think this site would endorse a doctor who is performing such a procedure.

[Bill - Seemiller]

TTDS,

 

I never said I don't think SMP has some advantages, only that I'm not sure that it's something you're going to be satisfied with.

 

Also, we recommend physicians based on their ability and proven consistency in performing hair transplant surgery, not SMP. If a Coalition doctor goes sky diving in his/her spare time, we don't necessarily recommend that for everyone either :-P.

 

I admit that I have never seen an SMP patient in person and some of the results I've seen presented on this forum do look good. My main concern about the procedure however is how it will look in person, under close inspection and whether or not the pigment will hold up for years to come. Also, SMP is and will always only be 2 dimensional (2D). Moreover, as hair changes color with age, the pigment may no longer match and at the very least, touch up procedures will be needed.

 

My skepticism of SMP is based on the above concerns and because I want to see you achieve the best outcome, I'm simply expressing them to you. At the end of the day, I'm just not convinced that SMP will provide you with the kind of cosmetic result you'd like to achieve. But maybe I'm wrong and it will assist you in getting closer to where you want to be.

 

As for alternative options, if you happen to be blessed (or cursed depending on how you look at it) with loads of body hair, you could consider consulting with leading surgeons (like Dr. Umar) who perform BHT. You may also have some scalp donor hair via FUE available for use.

 

Note that I'm not necessarily recommending the above for you, but only as something to research and consider. BHT is less consistent than scalp hair transplants and more expensive. This is just something to keep in mind.

 

You've already been through a lot, so ultimately, I just really want to see you get the best results possible.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Time to do something]

Okay great. Just wanted to clarify. Your coalition physician Dr. Shapiro has said I’d be a candidate for SMP. He has sent patients to GLI as have 18 other hair transplant doctors. I’d think even if you are only recommending Dr. Rassman for his hair transplant work if he was partaking in a service you felt was risky or questionable that would be enough to eliminate him from membership in the coalition. I’m not trying to be a jerk I sincerely appreciate your concern and I’m listening very carefully. I want ALL viewpoints. What I’ve seen looks very good. One of the members on here just had it done and he has been keeping me updated on it. He is thrilled with it and says not one person has noticed he has had it done including a good friend of his who typically likes to bust people’s balls and call them out on things. I think it is well understood that the pigments will not hold up for years under UV rays. However, if care is taken to wear a hat or sunscreen when one is out in the sun for more than 30 minutes the pigment should last for many years and if it fades touch ups are easy and inexpensive.

I do have a lot of body hair but I’d really rather not go through that. The expense alone is out of my reach in addition the successful yield of BHT compared to a traditional hair transplant is lower. Since I’ve already had poor growth from a traditional hair transplant BHT doesn’t look like a good option for me. Dr. Shapiro said I still have donor hair available through FUE but again that is not in my budget and after four surgeries I’m burned out on that.

[trapps99]

id stay away from good look ink...you realize they charge almost 5 thousdand dollars for 5-6 hours work of tattooing???

Ive spoeken withthe sales guy and instead of facts he goes on about him being the guy of TV whos also had it done...." not only the hair club presendent but aslo a client " kind of deal...

the best tattoo artists in the world charge around 300 an hour to create beautiful artwork so can someone tell me how it costs more to tattoo dots??

Leeme guess....3d effects are needed so they use " special: ink and a technique????

Obviously they are playing on our hope of a solution and making us pay dearly for it....and as youve stated still wont put anythng in writing or even return a call....

[Time to do something]

id stay away from good look ink...you realize they charge almost 5 thousdand dollars for 5-6 hours work of tattooing???

Ive spoeken withthe sales guy and instead of facts he goes on about him being the guy of TV whos also had it done...." not only the hair club presendent but aslo a client " kind of deal...

the best tattoo artists in the world charge around 300 an hour to create beautiful artwork so can someone tell me how it costs more to tattoo dots??

Leeme guess....3d effects are needed so they use " special: ink and a technique????

Obviously they are playing on our hope of a solution and making us pay dearly for it....and as youve stated still wont put anythng in writing or even return a call....

 

 

Who do you recommend and what are you basing your recommendation on? Thanks

[Davis91]

Time,

 

Ok, this is getting more simple: Dr. Shapiro is sendng paitients to GLI. That is a de facto ensorsment and he is your doctor (and 18 others have done the same according to...?). IF he is recommending GLI to you and will supervise the work, then you have some assurance.

 

Yes, the GLI fellow is basically a salesman and their site is full of gimmicks. I still have yet to see a convincing video that shows the scar repair work in an honest way.

 

But I don't think Dr. Rassman has made much of an attempt at updating his SMP site at all. You have even more dodgy photos with lighting issues.

 

You should feel more at ease now that Dr. Shapiro is going to be with you on this SMP journey with GLI. He is, isn't he?

 

Anyway, you still are going to grow out your remaining yield and then go for this, yes? Did you post your current full scalp photos somewhere? That can help the peanut gallery.

[Bill - Seemiller]

TTDS,

 

What I trust you understand all too well is that everything comes with risks and can be questionable to a degree. In my opinion, the best use of scalp micropigmentation may be to conceal a hair transplant scar. In terms of providing an adequate illusion of more hair, I think it's effectiveness depends on the patient, their goals and the practitioner's skill, artistry and supplies (tools, ink, etc.)

 

This community doesn't endorse physicians on their ability to perform scalp micropigmentation just as we don't evaluate other cosmetic procedures some may also perform. However, we do evaluate a physician's overall ethics when prescreening them and make sure that hair transplant surgery is at least the primary part of their practice.

 

It would be interesting to speak to Dr. Ron Shapiro about his views and experience with SMP and what he thinks makes someone a candidate.

 

I'm really not trying to talk you out of the procedure if this is what you really want to do. I'm only giving you my opinion and information to think about.

 

If you do undergo scalp micropigmentation, I hope you'll share your results no matter who you decide to go with.

 

All the best,

 

Bill

[Time to do something]

Davis91-Dr. Shapiro indicated at some point he would supervise the process. I don't know how GLI would feel about that since they believe they are the experts.

[Time to do something]

Walking out the door of my house comes with a risk but I do it because the alternative would be terrible. With your knowledge of my situation being that I've had nearly 9000 grafts with four hair transplants, an exhausted donor supply, and not enough density do you believe I'm a candidate for this procedure if I select the right practitioner?

I would think if this site is endorsing Dr. Rassman and he believes that SMP is a viable procedure then indirectly it has this forums blessing. Meaning if he passed your ethics requirements then he would not be performing anything that wasn't legitimate.

Dr. Shapiro from what I can remember in our conversations has a wait and see attitude. He believes there are candidates for this procedure and I am one of them. He believes what he has seen looks good at least at a distance. He feels up close it lacks depth. I believe that issue is overcome with guys who have hair like me. The hair provides depth. My research will continue. I want to get this done around the end of June.

[Bill - Seemiller]

TTDS,

 

With all due respect, you seem like you desperately want hold this community responsible for your decision on whether or not to move forward with scalp micropigmentation.

 

Once again, this community recommends hair transplant surgeons based on a proven ability to produce excellent and consistent hair transplant results. While all physicians recommended by this community perform surgical hair restoration as the primary part of their practice, some do perform other procedures. How well physicians perform these other cosmetic procedures has no bearing on their recommendation on this community.

 

This community however, can help you by providing their opinion on the subject and provide you with information that may help you make an informed decision. But keep in mind that people's opinions are simply that...opinions. At the end of the day, you are accountable for the choices you make.

 

I cannot tell you if I think you are a candidate for scalp micropigmentation (aka scalp tatooing). For starters, although the concepts behind SMP are quite simple, I am not an expert on the procedure. I know only what I've read, have seen in photos and have discussed with others. My conclusion and concerns are my own, although they are shared by many others. Secondly, scalp micropigmentation can be used in a number of different ways. Are you planning on having tatooing in areas between your transplanted hair? What about the thinner areas including the crown? Are you going to have tattooing done on the scar too? How do you plan to wear your hair afterwards? Are you going to crop it real short or grow it longer?

 

I think it's possible that SMP may provide some benefit to you. But I simply don't know whether or not you will be happy with the outcome.

 

Your best bet at this point is to consult with the experts and get their opinion. Since I know Dr. Rassman is highly ethical, I think it would be wise to consult with him. I am not familiar with the other clinics you're considering although the fact that DLI has Dr. Ron Shapiro's endorsement is noteworthy.

 

Best of luck in your decision making process,

 

Bill

[aaron1234]

It would be interesting to speak to Dr. Ron Shapiro about his views and experience with SMP and what he thinks makes someone a candidate.

 

 

Fortunately, Dr. Ron gave us an informative review of SMP last fall.

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/161422-scalp-micropigmentation-done-dr-william-rassman-nhi.html

 

Here's the text:

 

I have been following the improvements in micro pigmentation over the last year. Dr Rassman is one of the few HT physicians trying to see where this technique fits in the armamentarium of patients with hair loss. I have talked with him about the potential risk / benefits of the procedure and know that he is doing a good job of moving ahead carefully as he keeps exploring its use.

 

I would like to share the limited experience I have had with this technique so far.

 

I was first exposed to this technique when a patient about a year ago. An old patient of mine had had it done and came into my office. I had last seen him 17 years ago. He had been a repair case. At that time he wore a hair piece due to poor hair transplant at another clinic that left him with multiple scars in the donor area, a depleted donor area, and poor growth on top. He had very little donor left. 17 years ago we had very little options for him and what we decided was to do a hairline in front of his hair piece so at least the hair piece would look more natural. It worked well and I did not see him for the last 17 years

 

About a year ago he walked into my office without the hair piece, his head shaved, and with the micro pigmentation. I was surprised at how it looked…. much better than I had expected this to look. From about 3 feet it looked like a person had shaved his head and let it grow for about a week...like stubble. It was very hard to see the scars. I did not like the look of the hairline...to abrupt. This type of hairline made sense in a young afro American but not an older Caucasian. In addition when I was closer than 3 feet I could tell there was something wrong because it had no depth. HOWEVER this patient liked this look. He was happy…He felt much better about himself.

 

I had the same concerns that have been expressed above about the dye changing color, what happens if he turns grey, what would happen if this was done on a younger person and then they lost their hair

 

But I could also see the potential for how it could help at least a sub population of HT patients. This sub population includes:

· Patient with donor scars that prevent them from cutting their hair short

· Patients who have done transplants but who still look thinner than they like. The reason for this could be one of many: poor donor supply, fine hair, poor growth, etc.

Over the last year I have sent 6 patients who were in the above situation to have the micro pigmentation done. Because they were almost out of donor, they had very few options so we felt comfortable trying this.

 

My experience so far is that these patients are very happy with their early experience. It was especially good for hiding donor scars...even with the hair short. It made them more comfortable with the appearance of density on the top as it blended with their old transplanted hair.

 

 

In some cases the micro pigmentation enabled me to get a little more donor out because the donor area looked so much better and the new harvesting would be hidden.

In addition I was careful to instruct the clinic doing the work to stay about 1 cm behind the hairline and fade away into it as I do not think it looks good at the hairline. I think this helped a lot.

 

 

I think over time this technique has the potential to be a good adjunct to be used with HT.

But we have to move slow and be careful and I am glad there are physicians with a lot of experience in HT exploring it like Dr Rassman.

 

 

Here are a summary of my thoughts and a few precautions I have at this time:

· I don’t think it is good as a primary treatment for a patient that is beginning to thin because he will be stuck with it after he balds and may not like the look. He will then be forced to do a HT

· I also do not currently like it as a primary treatment for a bald patient because I don’t think it can create a good hairline.

· With respect to the HT fading....Even if it faded in 4 years and they had to do it again the patients I talked were ok with this compared to where they were before having to use dermatch daily. A bigger concern was that it would change color over time.

· With respect to color change…I don’t have a good feel for that at this time. Some of the patients I saw who had been out 2-3 years had a slight bluish or greyish tinge develop when I looked close…but surprisingly it did not affect the overall look and the patients were still happier than they were before the micro pigmentation I saw a man who had grey hair and with the light grey tattoo it made his hair salt and pepper looking…However I don’t have enough experience to know how much of a problem this will really be…and unfortunately the clinics I have worked with have not really helped me understand this.

· I do think that it will be good for patients who have scars.

· I do think that it may enable us to get more hair out of the donor to use on the recipient area in some patients

· I think if one does it on top that it should only be done AFTER one has done hair transplants that have taken them 70 percent of where they want to go....this would be to improve them if they did not have enough donor to get them further

· I think people that do this need to stay away from the hairline and learn how to fade away as they get close ( lowering density and lightening color)

· I think that it is difficult to learn how to make the micropigmentation so it stays as a discrete pinpoint dot that imitates a stubble of hair.... there is a risk of it "bleeding" and coalescing which does not look good. This is dependent on the ink used, the needle used, the depth into the epidermis that the needle is inserted and probably other things. Dr Rassman would probably know more as he does this himself. I think a lot of clinics say they do it well….. But as was true with HT clinics in the past there are probably many don’t do it as well as they say. So until a good track record is developed by certain clinics I would say to be cautious.....

One last note….this tattooing is not a discrete localized tattoo that would be noticed. When done it has to be done throughout the entire donor area or the entire recipient area so it creates a background….if it is done in a discrete localized area it would be noticeable.

These are some of my thoughts so far....I will let you what I think as I continue to follow patients....for now I am only recommending it for patients that have very little choice.

 

I will try and collect some photo to attach when these patients come back

 

Ron Shapiro

[Bill - Seemiller]

TTDS,

 

Try not to think of it in terms of legitimate and illegitimate. All I'm saying is that SMP, like anything else has some advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I think the procedure is best suited for concealment of the donor scar. I'm a little skeptical of its regular use in aiding the appearance of density or portraying an illusion of the cropped hair look. Sure I've seen some photos that look good, but at the end of the day, it's just 2 dimensionial tattooing. This can never be improved upon since it's simply not hair. It's about as effective as a concealer, but a much more permanent one (unless you want to pay to have it removed and even then, I'm not sure how easy that is or what (if any) damage this will cause to hair in the surrounding areas.

 

I'm not knocking the procedure, only giving you food for thought. My only motivation is to help you, not try to steer you in a direction you don't want to go. If you are animate about going forward, I hope you'll do the entire community a favor and post your results. We are all very interested in the use of SMP and we all certainly want the best for you.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[aaron1234]

I am not familiar with the other clinics you're considering although the fact that DLI has Dr. Ron Shapiro's endorsement is noteworthy.

 

 

Dr. Ron hasn't made an official endorsement of Good Look Ink yet, as far as I know. But SMG has sent a few patients over to GLI to check it out for themselves and a few of them choose to get some inking done. Dr. Paul encouraged me to stop by GLI just to see what they were all about, but he didn't suggest whether I should get it or not. I passed at the time. Maybe I will visit GLI next time I'm up in Bloomington.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Aaron,

 

Thanks for posting Dr. Ron Shapiro's thoughts on SMP above, which now that I think about, I do remember reading almost a year ago. Thanks for posting his expert opinion on this topic. I trust this will help TTDS on his decision making process.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Time to do something]

Bill,

Thanks for your feedback. How did you arrive at the decision I'm trying to hold this forum responsible for my decision on SMP? I didn't hold the forum responsible for the terrible results I received from a highly recommended doctor that was on here. I'm not trying to hold anyone to anything I'm simply attempting to gather enough information to make an educated decision. I beg to differ with you. You sent me a message earlier that said you don't think I should do SMP because I'd regret it. Then in a later message you said you are not trying to talk me out of it. I guess your view on it is evolving.

I'm learning a lot about SMP from other's here who are sharing information and their experiences. I am aware I'm responsible for my own decisions. Let the buyer beware. There are a lot of scammers out there. Since you say you know little about SMP I was just curious why you would have said in an earlier message I'd regret it? Maybe I will I'm not saying I won't. All I'm saying is from the data I've gathered it appears to be my only option and I don't see any terrible results from it.

You ask some excellent questions. In my research I've discovered that the three top providers of this service all do the full head not just a specific area. They say it offers a more natural look. I plan to cut my hair a little shorter but not a buzz look most likely. I'll probably cut it close on the sides and back and leave a little length on the top.

[Bill - Seemiller]

TTDS,

 

Your last post implied that if we recommend a hair transplant surgeon who also performs SMP, then this community must also endorse SMP and/or the surgeon's ability to perform it well. Maybe I misunderstood you, but your above comments required further explanation on my part. This community recommends hair restoration physicians based on a consistency of hair transplant results. I am personally intrigued by SMP, but we don't recommend physicians based on their ability to perform quality SMP. Who knows...maybe in time, we will :-).

 

You sent me a message earlier that said you don't think I should do SMP because I'd regret it

 

 

It sounds to me that you are taking something I said way out of context. I don't recall exactly what I said, but anything I said was an attempt to get you to think seriously about your decision to undergo this procedure because I don't want you to regret it. I highly doubt I said you WILL regret it...only that you MAY.

 

You also said I sent you a "message". Was it a PM or did I post this somewhere else on the forum? I'm not finding any messages to you in my outbox about SMP.

 

Also, I never said I know "little" about SMP, only that I'm not an expert. I've done plenty of reading on the topic and have discussed it with a number of others. Thus, I'd really appreciate it if you can keep my words in context.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill