NW3 Question About HT Consultations

[ag9700]

Hi,

 

New to the forum. I was hoping to get some information as to online consultations.

 

I am a NW3 in my late 20s, been losing hair since I was 21. It accelerated during grad school (I had a ton of hair coming in). I went to the New Hair Institute and got a consult with Dr. Rassman in LA who told me it would take about a 1000 grafts to conservatively restore my hairline.

 

However, I don't really feel comfortable using NHI because Dr. Rassman mentioned that Dr. Pak would be doing the surgery. It was unsettling to have my consult done by someone who would not even be performing/supervising the techs.

 

I came across Dr. Parsa Mohebi on this site and many others and it seems like he has great results. I am currently in grad school on the East Coast and have to do an online consult.

 

Is there any downside to an online consult? Will the doctor follow up day of the surgery prior to the work being done?

[ontop]

Not sure how others feel but hope your on Meds for MPB as this worries me on young guys like your goodself.

The sayng is dont make the travel & Finance be a factor in your choice which is true to a certain degree.

Most HT Drs does online consultations via skype or email pictures sent in which will give you & the Dr a good idea of what can be done for you long term & your goals but in reality a Dr would like to see you face to face so he can properly evaluate your scalp under microscope.

 

keeping your expectations in check is always a good thing.

Edited April 12, 2016 by ontop
edit

[ag9700]

Not sure how others feel but hope your on Meds for MPB as this worries me on young guys like your goodself.

The sayng is dont make the travel & Finance be a factor in your choice which is true to a certain degree.

Most HT Drs does online consultations via skype or email pictures sent in which will give you & the Dr a good idea of what can be done for you long term & your goals but in reality a Dr would like to see you face to face so he can properly evaluate your scalp under microscope.

 

keeping your expectations in check is always a good thing.

 

I'm not really sparing any expense here. I didn't think Dr. Mohebi was a budget provider, he actually seems on the high end of the price spectrum (he's also recommended by this site). I have enough cash from my signing bonus and I'm going to be working LA, but I won't be there until I finish grad school. I have 2 months before my job starts and I figured it would be perfect for this. The online consultation would just ensure I could get an appointment early enough to make a full recovery before work.

 

At 28, I know I am a bit young, but the men in my family do not go all the way bald (receding/some thinning; NW4+). I was just thinking that now is the best time to enjoy a perfect head of hair. I've never really had a problem with women, but the frontal thinning/temples is bothering me enough to impact my confidence. I'm starting to get that mohawk strip at the front, not quite but it's starting to get there.

 

I figure I'm not going to be going after women at 40 years old and I am a decent looking guy. It seems more important for me to do it at 28 and be able to enjoy the transplant rather than waiting till I'm 40ish (probably married with kids). I've also avoided fin because I'd honestly rather shave my head than lose my sex drive. What's the point of maintaining sex appeal if you can't get it up?

 

Is this the wrong way to look at it?

[JON86]

I do not like online consults and I think they should not be legal. Who chooses surgery in any other field like this with pictures? Why don't dentists do this? Because it's wrong and there is no way to tell what should be done without being examined in person. I would never do surgery without meeting the doctor in person. It's one of the biggest fails of this industry. Also patients can be mentally unstable and not equipped to endure a transplant and the long waiting period of growth. Your case is a bit different . You were looked over by one of the pioneers in hair transplantation. Dr Rassman is one of the original real doctors. If you really research him you will see how important he is to the evolution of hair transplantation. His age might not let his hands do surgery anymore but he has seen it all and I would trust his judgement. On another note Doctor Mohebi has produced some nice results.

[ag9700]

I do not like online consults and I think they should not be legal. Who chooses surgery in any other field like this with pictures? Why don't dentists do this? Because it's wrong and there is no way to tell what should be done without being examined in person. I would never do surgery without meeting the doctor in person. It's one of the biggest fails of this industry. Also patients can be mentally unstable and not equipped to endure a transplant and the long waiting period of growth. Your case is a bit different . You were looked over by one of the pioneers in hair transplantation. Dr Rassman is one of the original real doctors. If you really research him you will see how important he is to the evolution of hair transplantation. His age might not let his hands do surgery anymore but he has seen it all and I would trust his judgement. On another note Doctor Mohebi has produced some nice results.

 

My consult with Dr. Rassman seemed like an online consult since he would be conveying the information to Dr. Pak with pictures.

 

Is that not worrisome?

[JON86]

The good thing is you were examined by someone that knows what he is talking about and not just a sales person. I have dealt with that and it's not a road I want to take again. I do however believe anyone getting surgery should be able to talk with their doctor and map out a plan. Not only for the surgery they are about to undergo but also a plan that addresses hair loss in the future. Hair loss is progressive and you will lose more hair need to remember that is the most important thing. You need to have a doctor that will look at the big picture. I understand why you are concerned and I would look around if I was you. Don't do anything if your gut tells you something is wrong. I have been there had bad consults and false promises but luckily didn't make the wrong choice. I would have been butchered if I went with the first doctor I chose. I thank God that I didn't.

[esrec]

Where on the east coast are you? Might be best to have an in-person with someone we can recommend thats a quick(er) drive or flight away.

 

Mohebi is a class act. You should consult with multiple doctors nonetheless.

[pkipling]

First things first, you'd be in great hands with Dr. Mohebi. He has a solid reputation, extremely ethical, and delivers outstanding results.

 

Regarding the online consultations, while not as ideal as in-person, they are still extremely informative. The top surgeons will know how to conduct these in a way that make them as valuable as they can be without having you physically in the room, and with today's technology in the hands of the right surgeon, an online consultation is very effective. The main downside is not being able to get the microscopic scalp evaluation that determines the miniaturization levels of your hair and can help predict any future hair loss patterns. You'll also have to settle for a graft estimate until you're seen in person (the day of/day before your procedure), so the small details may need to be tweaked later on - but you will meet with the Doctor ahead of time and make sure you're both still on the same page before you move forward.

 

As for Finasteride, I wouldn't write it off so quickly. There are countless men who take it with no issues, and I personally believe the number of people who do report side effects is quite inflated (thanks to the placebo effect, the power of suggestion, etc.). Personally, I'm not totally convinced that those who do experience side effects can solely blame the medication. I take it and my sex drive and equipment work just fine, as is the case for many guys on this forum.

 

Having said that, you ultimately have to make the decision that is best for you, and I don't think there's a "right or wrong" way to do it... I'm just providing a gentle reminder to make sure you're seeing the big picture when you're doing your research. The drug does work to slow down hair loss, so I would hate for you to miss out on something that could really help you out in the long run based on (what I think is) misinformation.

 

Feel free to message me if you have any specific questions.

[TakingThePlunge]

Online consultations can provide a prospective hair transplant patient a general idea of his or her needs and also what may be realistic given their degree of hair loss, apparent donor supply, etc. However, it's important to note that things can change upon meeting in person.

 

For this reason, it's always a good idea to be evaluated in person by a local clinic if possible even if you are strongly considering traveling long-distance for your procedure.

 

Personally, I would not be concerned about being evaluated in person by a skilled and very experienced surgeon like Dr. Rassman even if he were not performing the surgery.

 

For my latest transplant with Dr. Bhatti, I had a Skype consultation. He evaluated my donor as best he could and gave me an estimate for the number of grafts he thought we could safely harvest. When I arrived and he was able to evaluate me in person, he decided the original estimate was too high and we settled on fewer grafts. It was a little disappointing of course but I knew it was a possibility.

 

In short, while online consultations offer us the opportunity to consult with many more physicians across the globe, there is no substitute for an in person evaluation.

[ag9700]

Online consultations can provide a prospective hair transplant patient a general idea of his or her needs and also what may be realistic given their degree of hair loss, apparent donor supply, etc. However, it's important to note that things can change upon meeting in person.

 

For this reason, it's always a good idea to be evaluated in person by a local clinic if possible even if you are strongly considering traveling long-distance for your procedure.

 

Personally, I would not be concerned about being evaluated in person by a skilled and very experienced surgeon like Dr. Rassman even if he were not performing the surgery.

 

For my latest transplant with Dr. Bhatti, I had a Skype consultation. He evaluated my donor as best he could and gave me an estimate for the number of grafts he thought we could safely harvest. When I arrived and he was able to evaluate me in person, he decided the original estimate was too high and we settled on fewer grafts. It was a little disappointing of course but I knew it was a possibility.

 

In short, while online consultations offer us the opportunity to consult with many more physicians across the globe, there is no substitute for an in person evaluation.

 

Thanks. It wasn't that I disagreed with Dr. Rassman, I think he was great. I just don't like paying 8-15k without even meeting the actual surgeon who will be managing the procedure.