I'm this close to going with MHR...

[Brandon]

I'm very close to going with a HT at MHR. Can someone on here tell me why I shouldn't go?

 

This isn't an opportunity for people to call the doctors at MHR butchers. I'm looking for sound, objective reasoning on why it's a bad idea to go with them (or Bosley, or any other franchise operation).

 

And if there are people on here who have had GOOD experiences with MHR, I'd like to hear about those too.

 

Finally, if MHR really isn't the right choice, how might one find a good doctor in one's area? It seems people always recommend doing lots of research to find the "right" doctor....but what's the first step?

 

Thanks.

[Brandon]

I'm very close to going with a HT at MHR. Can someone on here tell me why I shouldn't go?

 

This isn't an opportunity for people to call the doctors at MHR butchers. I'm looking for sound, objective reasoning on why it's a bad idea to go with them (or Bosley, or any other franchise operation).

 

And if there are people on here who have had GOOD experiences with MHR, I'd like to hear about those too.

 

Finally, if MHR really isn't the right choice, how might one find a good doctor in one's area? It seems people always recommend doing lots of research to find the "right" doctor....but what's the first step?

 

Thanks.

[arfy]

Here are some things to ask your clinic, or to think about...

 

Does your clinic use binocular microscopes to dissect the donor strip? Microscopes can increase graft yield by a reported 20 to 30 percent, in any given donor strip. So the clinics that do not use microscopes may be throwing some of your precious donor hair into the garbage. This means you'll probably use up your limited donor resources faster than if you went to a clinic that conserves your donor supply.

 

Does your clinic use salespeople to diagnose your hair loss and make surgical recommendations? Or do you meet with the exact doctor who will do your surgery (and not just whoever is free at the moment?) Do the salespeople get paid a commission? If they do, don't you suppose that they might encourage you to get a hair transplant even if it wasn't in your best interests?

 

Does your clinic use Minigrafts? They can look pluggy and they are an inefficient way to use your donor supply. Read this for a brief explanation why microscopically-dissected Follicular Unit grafts (FUs) are superior to Minigrafts and Micrografts that were not microscopically dissected:

Best_hair_transplant_procedure

 

Here's a much longer article that is more in-depth, about why the all-FU transplant is best:

The Logic of Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation

 

Ask your clinic if they use FU grafts exclusively, or do they use a mix of large and small grafts. The franchises usually use a mix of large and small grafts. Even though the results do not look as natural the process is faster and "time is money". I suggest you find a clinic that uses FU grafts only... NO Minigrafts.

 

How many other patients does your doctor operate on, while he is working on you? The best doctors tend to work on one or maybe two patients a day (meaning that they concentrate on you exclusively). The big franchises are notorious for having the doctor jump from room to room and divide his attention among as many patients as they have room for. Where do you think you will get superior care, at a clinic where you are the only patient or at a franchise clinic where 3 guys are getting work done at the same time by the same doctor?

[MeHairBeGrowin]

Bosely and MHR have several problems:

 

First they will do HT work on anyone. They brag about doing work on 18 year olds. They are profit driven not customer need driven. They will give an HT to anyone their sales people can talk into it.

 

Another problem is that they hire sales people to sell their HT work, who's goal is to get you in the chair; that is the only way they get paid. Their sales people only tell you about the good things and avoid negative and realistic expectation talks until after they have started drilling on your head (once started they got you).

 

Good doctors will not work for Bosley or MHR. Bosley and MHR doctors tend to be guys ending their medical career looking to help build retirement cash, from other countries willing to take work anywhere, or doctors who can't get work with a real hospital or doctors office because of bad grades, insurance problems, etc. Remember HT work is not life threatening like real medical work, low insurance risk, real hard to kill someone by mistake doing HT work.

 

Bosley and MHR doctors are paid by the procedure, to make good money they need to do as many procedures as possible a day. The doctors are also pressured to do as many procedures a day as possible--Bottom line is corporate profitablity.

 

They need to pay for the TV ads that got you in there and make a profit after paying everybody else, etc..

 

Bosley and MHR also pay their nursing help the minimum, poorly trains them, and works them hard. As a result they have a high turn over of the people who actually do the majority of the work, but this is OK because it adds about 15% to the bottom line in profitablity.

 

In the end, people end up in the chair with unrealistic expectations. The doctors who do the work are medicore at best, and have been trained to and are interested in squeezing your wallet. The nurses are poorly trained.

 

When you sit in their chair, everybody is in a hurry to get your procedure started, so you can't turn back. Once started, they then want to get you done ASAP, so the chair is freed up for their next victim.

 

Going to Bosley or MHR for HT work will probably be the biggest mistake in your life should you choose to do so.

 

The HT boards are full of guys who did not do their homework, thought they knew better, bought into the slick adveritising,etc. And totally regret it.

 

Most would give up their left nut to have Bosley's and MHR's work un-done.

 

Unfortunately I am a Bosley Victim.

 

Just think how many guys are sitting at home right now to embarressed and ashamed to go outside much less tell anyone how they willingly let their scalps be raped by these guys.

 

Read this excerpt from Dateline on Bosley, from

what I know MHR is even worse:

 

**************************************************

From DateLine The TV Show

 

The television show Dateline NBC aired a program titled: Splitting Hairs; undercover investigation of Bosley Medical Clinics. The report, which included interviews with former employees and patients, told about botched surgeries and broken promises. The lead reporter, Chris Hansen, said they were surprised at how many men felt ripped off and disfigured. An interview with former Bosley employee Joe Cox revealed that there was a big gap between what Bosley Medical sold and what it delivered:

 

HANSEN: Did you ever see any patient come into Bosley and walk out looking like the brochure, like the advertisements we've seen?

 

Mr. Cox: No.

 

HANSEN: Never?

 

Mr. Cox: Never.

 

HANSEN: What does that tell you about the kind of work Bosley Medical does?

 

Mr. Cox: It tells me that it's not a medical group, it's a sales group.

 

[This message was edited by MeHairBeGrowin on January 30, 2004 at 06:27 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by MeHairBeGrowin on January 30, 2004 at 06:31 PM.]

[JohnH]

You will pay about twice as much as an independent will charge.

 

They don't offer a travel allowance.

 

They don't use stereo microscopes.

 

They charge $300 for graftcyte - most other Docs give it to you for free.

 

If you have a problem or are not satisfied with the results - they will pretend you don't exist.

 

The minimum procedure that you can have will cost you $4000 and will give you somewhere between 400 - 600 grafts. I spent $4000 at an independent in August 2003 and recieved 1400 grafts.

[Mr T]

Brandon,

 

Simply put, the best HT surgeons are not in Boston. Plan to travel if you want truly premier quality work.

 

I recently heard a story about a firm (I think it was MHR) where they told the patient it was important to have surgery with a local doctor for better post-operative care as opposed to driving several hours to a clinic with a great reputation. When the same person called them back two days later and pretended he was from a town three to four hours away, the same consultant told him that having a HT with a local doctor does not matter for post-operative care. That's just plain wrong!

 

If you plan to pursue MHR or any other doctor in your area, you want to see their patients in person and approximately one year after their surgery. Patients who've had surgery within the last six months have little to no value to you in terms of evaluating the doctor's capabilities as the growth and healing will not present a complete picture.

 

My best advice is to keep reading all the posts here for a month or two before deciding on what you will do. A HT will affect you for the rest of your life. See my pictures as to what poor decisions early on can do and then choose wisely!

 

Best wishes,

 

Mr. T

 

Mr. T's web page

[Brandon]

Guys,

 

I can't thank you enough. I did have a consultation with MHR. Two actually. One was about a year ago, and the second was a couple weeks back. Just a quick story about them...

 

The reason I never followed up after the first visit was that the consultant was a total jerk -- let's call him "Steve."

 

But then a year later, I decided I need to to something. I wear a hair system, and I want a permanent fix. So I went back, delighted to discover that "Steve" was no longer with MHR. Now I would be meeting with "Rick." Any hope I had that "Rick" would allay my concerns anymore than "Steve" were quickly dashed. "Rick", like "Steve" was arrogant, sleazy, and made me feel like HE was doing ME a favor by consulting with me.

 

This may sound a tad immature, but both "Steve" and "Rick" reminded me of past-their-prime fratboys who head down to Florida every year to score on underage chicks during spring break. In short, my second consultation experience with MHR didn't allay my concerns, and that's why I posted my earlier question.

 

I am going to meet the actual MHR doctor who would perform surgery on me this week. I'm going to ask him all the questions you guys suggested. And I'm going to demand to see and talk to two of his actual patients. If the doctor can't oblige, I'm not going to MHR.

 

Incidentally, I live in the Washington, DC area but grew up in the Cleveland/Pittsburgh area. For starters, anyone know of good docs around any of those places? I'm 28, about a Norwood 5 with a good amount of thick donor hair.

 

Sorry for the long post, but I figured some of you might enjoy the consultation experiences.

 

And again, guys, thanks...

[Mr T]

Brandon,

 

As I just posted elsewhere, most of us traveled somewhere for our HT's to get what we considered the best. I live oustide Cleveland and went to Vancouver. Others have criss-crossed the country heading east and west to Arizona, Georgia, and Minnesota to where some of the better doctors operate.

 

My personal opinion is to avoid MHR, if you can. Yes, there are always exceptions, but their track record is not the best. Don't let the doctor off the hook. You must see patients he has operated on and no less than nine months should have passed between surgery and you seeing them.

 

If this is your first HT, your goal is to find the absolute best surgeon you can. That will increase your chances of success and of having a realistic plan should your hairloss progress in the future. Starting off on the wrong foot most likely will restrict your options in the future.

 

Good luck,

 

Mr. T

 

PS I have lived in both Pittsburgh and Cleveland. They are two similar cities in terms of people and attitude. The biggest difference I've found is hills vs. flat terrain. I'd avoid Doctor Brandy in pittsburgh. He has a checkered past based on an earlier thread here.

[Abouw]

Check out Mahair's posts first...

[Bushy (fka jontew)]

Sadly, however, it's no laughing matter. I don't get why anyone reading these forums would then post about their intention to go to MHR or Bosley.

[takeitfromme]

please do not choose MHR i worked for them a long time and all the horror stories are true my advise to you would be choose a doctor who does not work for a franchise your result would be 10000000% better MHR is a graft mill.

[transplantman]

[Promotional Content and Website removed by Forum Moderator - Robert]

[Mahair]

Well sign me up I want to be treated like a valuable human being.P.S. keep shilling it might get you a discount because you Will need more grafts until your stripped out.

[Nashville Kat]

Brandon, I went for a consultation with MHR here in Nashville before having my HT. After meeting with the salesman there and 2 other independent Doctors I checked into a plane ticket. It cost me $325 to fly to North Carolina from Nashville round trip. Dr. Cooley then paid for my Hotel room and cab rides back and forth to the airport then drove me himself back and forth to the hotel. It was the best $325 dollars I have ever spent buying that ticket. I have met several guy's here that had their HT's done here at MHR and my experience and quality of work far exceeded theirs. The cost of their HT was as much or more than I paid for a higher quality of work. Instead of the ultra refined follicular unit grafts, they recieved both micro and mini grafts that don't give as natural of a finished look. Don't waste hair that you already don't have enough of. JUST DON'T DO IT MAN!!!!!

[Smoothy]

How fast can you run a 100??????

[scoobydoes]

Brandon,

I recently had a Ht at MHR...I am very pleased so far! Everything tat is said about MHR in here has turned out not to bt true. They were very interested in me as a patient. The doctor was great. She talked with me 3 seperate times before the surgery. They used the micoscopes to perform the splitting. They only used single fue's...no minigrafts. i was the only patient that day. The doctor was very involved. My donor site has healed very well...no butchering. My fromt hairline is made up of only single hairs. Icould go on. I was very happy with the procedure. This site did, however, make me do more homework and ask alot more questions. By the way, I had my HT done April 13th, 2005. I have taken pics from the very beginning, so i can send if interested. I really think people in here should not make generalizations about MHR. The doctor I had was great. I think they have some good, and maybe some bad.

[Mahair]

Sounds like you should have a full head of hair in just a few more weeks.But seriously I am glad to hear that you did not get mangled .As you would know.Using microscopes (were they shown to you or were they used?) and a Doctor that was actually involved? Does'nt fit their M.O.. Hope it turns out well for you, keep posting.

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Yes, please show us your post op photos.

[Robert_]

Originally posted by scoobydoes:

Brandon,

I recently had a Ht at MHR...I am very pleased so far! Everything tat is said about MHR in here has turned out not to bt true. They were very interested in me as a patient. The doctor was great. She talked with me 3 seperate times before the surgery. They used the micoscopes to perform the splitting. They only used single fue's...no minigrafts. i was the only patient that day. The doctor was very involved. My donor site has healed very well...no butchering. My fromt hairline is made up of only single hairs. Icould go on. I was very happy with the procedure. This site did, however, make me do more homework and ask alot more questions. By the way, I had my HT done April 13th, 2005. I have taken pics from the very beginning, so i can send if interested. I really think people in here should not make generalizations about MHR. The doctor I had was great. I think they have some good, and maybe some bad.

 

To post photos, you are welcome to use the Photo Album feature. It is located under the "New" button at the top of the screen. Simply click "Photo Album" and fill out an Intro (just like a regular post) and upload the photos directly from your hard drive.

 

I think that your photos would be of interest to not only me, but many others that frequent the forums. I, for one, anxiously await them.

 

-Robert

[arfy]

By the way, I had my HT done April 13th, 2005.

 

One month isn't enough time to really judge your hair transplant. Give yourself a year or so.

 

Nobody ever said it's impossible to get a good transplant at a hair mill like MHR or Bosley, but your odds of satisfaction go WAY UP when you look for one of the small handful of better clinics.

 

Please post your pics, because what you think is "good" and what everyone else thinks is "good" may be totally different. Some people think McDonalds makes the best hamburgers. Yes it's a hamburger however whether or not it is the best, is open to interpretation.

 

If MHR is finally using microscopes, that would be progress. Too bad they had to be dragged into it, kicking and screaming. They're only about 10 years late on that. But progress is good, for the sake of the newbies.

 

There are other problems with MHR besides the microscope issue, however this is a start in a better direction.

[scoobydoes]

Thanks guys for your responses...although I get the idea that you are in dis-believe? I looked into hair restoration for 3 years. Seeked indepedent doctors, Bosley and MHR. To be honest I found this website about 2 months before the actual HT. It did raise alot of questions for me...thanks. After two more vists to the MHR office, and talking to the doctor, I went ahead. They never tried to sell me anymore than what would give me the results I wanted. I paid roughly $3.50 per graft...had 2700 grafts done. As i stated before, The doctor was very involved. I was the only patient that day (maybe lucky?). The procedure lasted 8 hours...the doc started by cutting the donor site, stitching it herself, and then making the incisions. She and four other techs inserted the grafts. On several occassions I asked to see the grafts...they were single fues.

After the procedure, she inspected all the sites and she sent me home...with her cell # if I needed anything. They invited me back the next day to shampoo my hair, and the doc peeked in to see me. The donor area has healed very nicely...I can wear my hair at a 2 buzz cut, and you cant see anything. There is still some soreness around the scar, and my feeling is coming back in my HT areas. Today will be the beginning of the 6th week. I probably shed about 75% of the new grafts...and had no shosckloss...that I can tell. I have been trimming my hair to a 3...but will now let it grow. I feel alot of new stuble in the HT areas, and you can see the black pores everywhere. I dont know if pics would help, because it is too early...but I will send a few if you want. The whole reason I replied to this site was:

 

1) I love to read the info posted here

2) I like to see others' results(as I patiently wait for mine and compare (smiles))

3)And, I was frustrated at the general comments about MHR. I really think you should evaluate the doctor. I know this site is for independent doctors, therefore the criticism is favored toward the mills.

[Mahair]

Maybe she should give their resident Pig and butcher "DR."Magdalin a lesson on how to do a hairtransplant as he obviously only knows how to sell them.Through bold faced lies and deception.He is a criminal in every sense of the word .Your doctor sounds as though she was interested in a decent outcome. There is no way that it was even a consideration with Butcher Bill.He was quick ,sloppy, no planning and his involvement was rare.Looking at his new house in Roxbury on the net no doubt .The techs were unsupervised and poorly trained and commented on the "cheesyness" of the grafts and contradicted things that "Dr." Magdalin had told me.In plain English He sucks and so does MHR. I am glad you did not get butchered and am suprised you took the chance. Perhaps letting them know you were on the internet may have provided you a better than the usual "standard of care" MHR usually employs.Which is basicly that they don't kill you at least pysically.

[scoobydoes]

I am sorry you had such a bad experience. I did post my pics. I would appreciate your insight, if you want,

[Mahair]

Scooby,As much as I hate MHR I think that your pics look good. Your head looks normal after only 6 weeks, placement and angles look good.I don't know why they planted into your crown though maybe "DR." Magdalin has THEM conviced he is cloning hair in his office. My head looked like hamburger for months after and then recovered to just being deformed and bald. I was a thinning in front(but still thicker that 2 good transplants) N/W 2. It actually makes me even madder that Wild Bill could have done a good decent job even though the pretences would have been false, I was their only "patient" that day too. He just did'nt give a care about anything but my money, he did most of his butchery with multi-bladed knives ,donor and recipient,to save time. The standard of care for an animal.I think your outcome will be good, probably MHRs' best work.I am in the process of sueing the scumbag for fraud which is cut and dry. Then I am going after medical malpractice for the vascular and nervous system damage he did to me in his haste and carelessness.This will take more time and money(you actually have to post a bond) but I don't care.Better than the alternative.

[scoobydoes]

Mahair,

 

Thanks for the response. I am really sorry for the results you received. Its really a shame. But I hear you are getting the problem(s) addressed...which is good and hopeful! I say sue the bastard if the results are as you say. Is he still with MHR?