Jump to content

Forums dead now?


Recommended Posts

  • Regular Member

2 years ago whenever I last regularly posted on this forum site and received my 2000 graft FUE HT, these forums were vibrant, alive and full of discussion and advice.

 

Now .... you can hear a freaking pin drop in these forums. What gives? I'm seeing MANY post going unanswered or at best 1-3 replies. Also, much fewer post being started overall compared with 2 years ago.

 

Where did everyone go? This forum site just has such a different 'feel' and tone now than it did a couple of years ago. What the hell happened?

 

Did most everyone bail and go to another forum site to discuss hair loss issues? If, then what site? Cause I would like to belong on that one.

 

Just looking to see if anyone has any plausible explanations as to why this forum site seems to drying up?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I think for most people it makes the most sense to post and be active at a time most relevant to one's current situation. I recently registered on this site for that reason as I'm considering a HT, something which I didn't consider 2 years ago, for e.g.

 

For what its worth though, I've browsed this community, hairlosstalk and baldtruthtalk and I think this is the most dynamic community for HT related discussion.

 

Yes it can be a bit disheartening seeing less activity but people are still contributing in addition to the historical data.

 

I also think with the advent of things like Reddit and to a much lesser extent, social media platforms, traditional bulletin like user forums aren't as significant anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I thing forums are living things which have their ups and downs and peaks and valleys. This happens at a lot of different forums and yet, years later, they are still there, still answering valid questions, still fielding the occasional inanities.

I'm serious.  Just look at my face.

 

My Hair Regimen: Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Ha some of the lively posters have been banned or suspended

Or threads get stopped for no valid reason in my opinion , all becomes a bit safe and sterile. Not being completely serious this is the best site for people seeing information, and of course it needs to be moderated ha.just seems the posters I like seem to get banned .

,

Edited by Mick50
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I have been following the industry and discussion forums for well over a decade now and here are some of the dynamics.

 

* patients become interested in online research once they begin experiencing hair loss.

 

* patients usually become active when they are ready for treatments both medicinally and surgically.

 

* once they have achieved some resolve, they tend to move on with their lives.

 

* a breakthrough of new technology usually brings a higher level of interest and traffic.

 

* there are also seasonal lags especially during the nice summer moths and holidays.

 

* and yes, social media has established a platform in the discussion.

 

IMHO, there will always be a need and a place for the exchange of information for something like hair restoration.

 

And there will always be hair junkies like myself who simply like to help other hair loss sufferers get a solution to the dilemma of hair loss....:)

Gillenator

Independent Patient Advocate

I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk.

Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
hair junkies ....:)

 

Ha Ha - you said Hair Junkies.

 

Meh ~ I could shave tomorrow and I'd be the same guy as today. Bald, but the same guy. And kinda unhappy.

 

I'd cry, actually. :(

 

 

 

 

Hi, I'm Roger and I am a Hair Junkie.

  • Like 1

I'm serious.  Just look at my face.

 

My Hair Regimen: Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Vox, then whatever you do, DON"T SHAVE man!...:eek:

Gillenator

Independent Patient Advocate

I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk.

Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

There seems to be more doctors than patients on here doing the posting. One gallery after another of someone who barely had any thinning and now looks like Elvis. Boring….

 

When a forum like this begins to get the feel of an infomercial, which it certainly has to me, people will quickly lose interest in it. I'm only here posting now because I got an email for a thread I didn't even know I was subscribed to. Otherwise I barely stop in anymore. Not interested in seeing a wall of photos from the same doctors over and over again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

It's not a dead site. Gillenator is right. Nothing new for a while in the industry. Summer months of kids graduating. Hitting the vacations spots. I think that it slows down in these times. Plus, there is so much information to search, a lurker can come in and never ask a question and still be pretty informed.

I am an online representative for Dr. Raymond Konior who is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

View Dr. Konior's Website

View Spanker's Website

I am not a medical professional and my opinions should not be taken as medical advice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Yes I agree. If you compare how many folks are surfing these forums as compared to those who participate, there is quite a disparity.

 

In fact, most of the guys I hear from never post, they are only seeking information and advice.

Gillenator

Independent Patient Advocate

I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk.

Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

It really depends. I think this forum has its moments, and is just going through a quiet patch at the moment. I remember my first year here in 2015 when things were extremely active with the likes of Busa, LondonHT, Taurisrisen, LeftyGolfer, the Dr Feller vs Dr Bahatti debate, the infamous FUT is more popular than FUE thread, the introduction of mFUE, JTs new business venture and subsequent fight with the moderators, the Professor allegation, the emergence of Dutchie, Paleo singlehandedly starting a chain of events that ultimately lead to Dr Dogany being stripped of his recommendation, Sunnycools outstanding transformation from his procedure with Dr Shapiro playing out before our eyes, Hasson & Wong posting their very first FUE procedures and many more noticibles. 2017 has definitely felt more quiet than 2015, but it's probably also the bi-product of the Moderators doing a good job in weeding out some of the bad apples that caused the most drama, as well as not many new delopements happening in the industry. I will also admit that I was sad to see Dutchie getting banned as he was a real character.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Im a member of multiple forums. I can say one thing, HTN seems to be the more active forum. Not all forums allow private messaging. A lot of folks post and pm.

 

If i compare it to BTT, then there seems to be more movement here. BTT does not allow pms and it seems the way the forum rules are set up, it prevents a lot of freedom I think. When folks dont have freedom, they tend to be more active on areas they do. A lot of feedback happens on HTN, HLT, HLH, but Hairsite with the revamped design seems to be getting user participation too. The more transparant and honest a forum is, the safer things are for everyone. The more compliant and legal a business is when it comes to Federal laws probably.

 

The one thing this forum needs is a blog or show. every forum ahould have a radio show or online video show. Thats my recommendation and to keep it transparant. Allow users to express complete discontent without pushback and etc. that would be a very successful model. It is something to think about. Transparency is the key to user base and success, always remember that. A lot of folks observe and are one step ahead and realize what goes on. Keep the rules lax and keep transparency high.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
It really depends. I think this forum has its moments, and is just going through a quiet patch at the moment. I remember my first year here in 2015 when things were extremely active with the likes of Busa, LondonHT, Taurisrisen, LeftyGolfer, the Dr Feller vs Dr Bahatti debate, the infamous FUT is more popular than FUE thread, the introduction of mFUE, JTs new business venture and subsequent fight with the moderators, the Professor allegation, the emergence of Dutchie, Paleo singlehandedly starting a chain of events that ultimately lead to Dr Dogany being stripped of his recommendation, Sunnycools outstanding transformation from his procedure with Dr Shapiro playing out before our eyes, Hasson & Wong posting their very first FUE procedures and many more noticibles. 2017 has definitely felt more quiet than 2015, but it's probably also the bi-product of the Moderators doing a good job in weeding out some of the bad apples that caused the most drama, as well as not many new delopements happening in the industry. I will also admit that I was sad to see Dutchie getting banned as he was a real character.

 

Those sound like interesting times. I'm sad I missed that period in the forum's history.

 

This place still seems to be by far the most active, but perhaps the 'hairloss community' is now spread a little thinner across all social media?

I am a patient and representative of Dr Rahal.

 

My FUE Procedure With Dr Rahal - Awesome Hairline Result

 

I can be contacted for advice: matt@rahalhairline.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I think for alot of people(myself included) we find other interests and hobbies to invest our time into because hair restoration is not something that you can be interested in and craft for years and years like say playing golf, guitar, pottery etc. I think that in general, the interest in hair restoration has a fairly limited and finite life. I certainly don't post much here anymore although I do glance the forum every few days. Not because I dislike the forum(I don't) but because I have other interests now that I enjoy more and are actually tangilble. I noticed even Hariri stopped posting some time ago.

 

However, it does seem strange that whilst it is normal for existing members to leave the forum, that there is not an equivelent(or greater) influx of new members joining as hair transplantation becomes more mainstream. I'm not on Reddit etc so I can't say if that is a factor. I really can't explain that. I don't know the exact numbers of active forum members or if it has declined but it does seem quieter for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
It really depends. I think this forum has its moments, and is just going through a quiet patch at the moment. I remember my first year here in 2015 when things were extremely active with the likes of Busa, LondonHT, Taurisrisen, LeftyGolfer, the Dr Feller vs Dr Bahatti debate, the infamous FUT is more popular than FUE thread, the introduction of mFUE, JTs new business venture and subsequent fight with the moderators, the Professor allegation, the emergence of Dutchie, Paleo singlehandedly starting a chain of events that ultimately lead to Dr Dogany being stripped of his recommendation, Sunnycools outstanding transformation from his procedure with Dr Shapiro playing out before our eyes, Hasson & Wong posting their very first FUE procedures and many more noticibles. 2017 has definitely felt more quiet than 2015, but it's probably also the bi-product of the Moderators doing a good job in weeding out some of the bad apples that caused the most drama, as well as not many new delopements happening in the industry. I will also admit that I was sad to see Dutchie getting banned as he was a real character.

 

Paleo I almost forgot about him, he never did post his year results, I wouldn't be surprised if maybe it's because the results weren't half bad. I'm disappointed dutchie got banned but many forum members were ganging up on him, my heart says I hope he gets the result he was looking for, but my mind says I doubt it, there were so many times he would say he was hitting growth spurt to come back and find no growth, it's a terrible situation to be in and I think this forum let him down. I think many members stop posting because it's a lot of the same information being recycled, like the anti FUE campaigns, the accusations, the same 15 year old studies, even so called new procedures that are basically just plug procedures with sutured punches, for which no results have ever been seen or scars for that matter.

 

Biolizard, from what I can remember your result looked pretty dang good, you posted a photo with wet hair under strong lighting and it still looked good perfectly natural. I'm not sure if perhaps it's the act itself of getting an HT thats making you feel ashamed, but honestly the work wasn't bad, poor Sam23 was not so lucky.


I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

View my thread

Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

This thread prodded me to unlurk (new word?) myself. I haven't been active on the forums for a few years but there was a time I would read every thread and post multiple times a day. I remember asking this very question, "where do all the HT vets go?"

 

It's true, some provocative posters get banned and others just end up hanging out at a different forum, reddit, etc. But I remember exactly when and how it happened for me. It was the summer of 2012 and I just packed my bags to wander around China for two weeks (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing). It was a life changing trip - experiencing an entirely different culture, food, sites, etc. When I came back home it just seemed like the forums weren't as interesting to me anymore. I just moved on.

 

It's not that I didn't care for my hair anymore or that I wouldn't consider getting more work done in the future. But in the summer of 2012 I was reaping the fruits of my second procedure with Dr. Paul Shapiro which was done the preceding year, and my China excursion shifted my priorities with how I spent my free time.

 

I still lurk to check out the incredible work being done. These forums are very informative and I got to meet a lot of great people too. From what I can tell a lot of these guys still post, so the forum is far from dead. :)

Dr. G: 1,000 grafts (FUT) 2008

Dr. Paul Shapiro: 2,348 grafts (FUT) 2009 ~ 1,999 grafts (FUT) 2011 ~ 300 grafts (Scar Reduction) 2013

Dr. Konior: 771 grafts (FUT) 2015 ~ 558 grafts (FUT) 2017 ~ 1,124 grafts (FUE) 2020

My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member
This thread prodded me to unlurk (new word?)

I think this thread prodded you to re-lurk, and your china trip prodded you to un-lurk.

Regardless, your insight is appreciated, and more details about your china trip too. Were you very bald before you began your HT journey? Did having the HT inspire you to take steps you wouldn't have before, like the China trip? I'm curious how having hair again affects people, and is it as profound has you'd hoped?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
I agree, it's pretty slow. I posted a blog, and don't think I've even had any views.

 

Lots of patient blogs seem pretty slow, maybe they will pick up when the colder temps come and people spend less time outdoors...hard to say.

Gillenator

Independent Patient Advocate

I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk.

Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY

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...