Shapiro Medical Group (SMG) Wait Time

[Balding Bad]

Hi all -- just curious what to expect in terms of wait time from SMG? I just sent an inquiry for a consultation today and haven't heard back yet, but I'm just curious for those who have gone to them before, what's the average wait time one could expect?

I was thinking of possibly getting mine in December '21 or January '22, does that seem feasible or is it unrealistic?

[PluggedIn]

Mine was about 6 months

[Melvin- Admin]

Let me tag in @hybonixwho went last year. Perhaps he can chime in.

[hybonix]

10 hours ago, Balding Bad said:

Hi all -- just curious what to expect in terms of wait time from SMG? I just sent an inquiry for a consultation today and haven't heard back yet, but I'm just curious for those who have gone to them before, what's the average wait time one could expect?

I was thinking of possibly getting mine in December '21 or January '22, does that seem feasible or is it unrealistic?

SMG responded to me the next day after I sent the inquiry. However, please give them a phone call as the receptionist typically answers most of the time. Regarding the appointment, I got in roughly 3 - 4 months due to someone canceling. It is very common for one or two patients a month to cancel in the industry due to financial issues, second thoughts about the surgery, or something else. Dec/Jan is very close, so I would let them know to contact you if there are any cancelations. I took the slot of another patient who lived out of country and could not even come to the US due to covid, so I got lucky. However, just stay in touch and hope for the best.

Edited October 6, 2021 by hybonix

[Balding Bad]

9 hours ago, PluggedIn said:

Mine was about 6 months

Thank you for your response! Yeah, I was afraid of that...I kinda want mine sooner than later. While 6 months is reasonable and will give me more time to consider this operation I'm at the point where it's put up or shut up.

1 hour ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Let me tag in @hybonixwho went last year. Perhaps he can chime in.

Thanks @Melvin- Moderator!

58 minutes ago, hybonix said:

SMG responded to me the next day after I sent the inquiry. However, please give them a phone call as the receptionist typically answers most of the time. Regarding the appointment, I got in roughly 3 - 4 months due to someone canceling. It is very common for one or two patients a month to cancel in the industry due to financial issues, second thoughts about the surgery, or something else. Dec/Jan is very close, so I would let them know to contact you if there are any cancelations. I took the slot of another patient who lived out of country and could not even come to the US due to covid, so I got lucky. However, just stay in touch and hope for the best.

Appreciate the response @hybonix. You lucked out indeed then! Hopefully something similar could happen to me. I figured The Dec/Jan timeframe would be a bit wishful thinking, but anything is possible I suppose.

I'm curious though, for these kinda "last minute" cancellations where they slide you into a canceled spot did SMG provide any sort of discount? I ask because a colleague of mine underwent a hair transplant recently and he was only scheduled in due to a last minute cancelation and they incentivized him to take the spot with a discount.

[Balding Bad]

Wow, so that's insane. Just got off the phone with SMG and even their wait times for just consultations are longer than I'd expected.

Mine won't be happening until next month, November! I guess that's what happens when you're top dog, everyone wants to see you!

Edited October 6, 2021 by Balding Bad

[Britanium]

5 minutes ago, Balding Bad said:

Wow, so that's insane. Just got off the phone with SMG and even their wait times for just consultations are longer than I'd expected.

Mine won't be happening until next month, November! I guess that's what happens when you're top dog, everyone wants to see you!

Not a bad thing 😉 

[Balding Bad]

3 hours ago, JohnAC71 said:

Not a bad thing 😉 

Lol yeah, I guess it's a good problem to have. At least I know they're in-demand and good at what they do!

[BDK081522]

7 hours ago, Balding Bad said:

Thank you for your response! Yeah, I was afraid of that...I kinda want mine sooner than later. While 6 months is reasonable and will give me more time to consider this operation I'm at the point where it's put up or shut up.

Thanks @Melvin- Moderator!

Appreciate the response @hybonix. You lucked out indeed then! Hopefully something similar could happen to me. I figured The Dec/Jan timeframe would be a bit wishful thinking, but anything is possible I suppose.

I'm curious though, for these kinda "last minute" cancellations where they slide you into a canceled spot did SMG provide any sort of discount? I ask because a colleague of mine underwent a hair transplant recently and he was only scheduled in due to a last minute cancelation and they incentivized him to take the spot with a discount.

The discount is you get to have surgery sooner than you would have otherwise. Don't take this the wrong way but you seem to have the attitude that you NEED this done as soon as possible. That's just not an appropriate way to go about hair restoration. You need to take months to research, then do consults, and then decide on a surgeon. You just have to accept the fact that you're going to start a very long emotional journey and nothing in hair restoration happens quickly. Waiting is essential to the whole process. You wait to find the right surgeon for your case, you wait for your surgery date, you wait to get through the ugly duckling phase, then you WAIT for full maturation which takes at least a year. Patience is the only viable attribute that is essential with this process so it's better to understand that now as to not be let down later. Don't put a Dec/Jan timelime as a limiting factor on your procedure. If you do then you'll more than likely end up going to a sub-par clinic and not be satisfied with the result. Most of the elite clinics have 3-12 month waitlists as they should since they are in high demand. Take your time. 

[Melvin- Admin]

5 minutes ago, BDK081522 said:

The discount is you get to have surgery sooner than you would have otherwise. Don't take this the wrong way but you seem to have the attitude that you NEED this done as soon as possible. That's just not an appropriate way to go about hair restoration. You need to take months to research, then do consults, and then decide on a surgeon. You just have to accept the fact that you're going to start a very long emotional journey and nothing in hair restoration happens quickly. Waiting is essential to the whole process. You wait to find the right surgeon for your case, you wait for your surgery date, you wait to get through the ugly duckling phase, then you WAIT for full maturation which takes at least a year. Patience is the only viable attribute that is essential with this process so it's better to understand that now as to not be let down later. Don't put a Dec/Jan timelime as a limiting factor on your procedure. If you do then you'll more than likely end up going to a sub-par clinic and not be satisfied with the result. Most of the elite clinics have 3-12 month waitlists as they should since they are in high demand. Take your time. 

I agree with this, look at this way, you've been balding for x_ number of years, what is a couple of months in the long run? Nothing. SMG is a quality clinic, so I think they're a safe bet, but there is no point in trying to rush in. 

[Balding Bad]

2 hours ago, BDK081522 said:

The discount is you get to have surgery sooner than you would have otherwise. Don't take this the wrong way but you seem to have the attitude that you NEED this done as soon as possible. That's just not an appropriate way to go about hair restoration. You need to take months to research, then do consults, and then decide on a surgeon. You just have to accept the fact that you're going to start a very long emotional journey and nothing in hair restoration happens quickly. Waiting is essential to the whole process. You wait to find the right surgeon for your case, you wait for your surgery date, you wait to get through the ugly duckling phase, then you WAIT for full maturation which takes at least a year. Patience is the only viable attribute that is essential with this process so it's better to understand that now as to not be let down later. Don't put a Dec/Jan timelime as a limiting factor on your procedure. If you do then you'll more than likely end up going to a sub-par clinic and not be satisfied with the result. Most of the elite clinics have 3-12 month waitlists as they should since they are in high demand. Take your time. 

Oh man, I AM TAKING THIS WRONG WAY!!! 😡

Haha, just kidding...but all joking aside you are not incorrect in your assumption. I do feel like I need this procedure ASAP, but I think it's mainly just the excitement/adrenaline of me actually starting to put thoughts into action. I've been contemplating having this procedure for over a decade now and I'm finally at the point where I've let Mother Nature run its course on my hairline and I've done enough research during this time frame and it's finally time to put up or shut up.

Moreover a colleague of mine recently had undergone the procedure himself (back in January of this year) and the fact that he got it done and guided me through the process has me even more amped up. I'm also feeling a bit of FOMO because he took full advantage of the Work From Home situation, meanwhile I'm kind of stressing that our company might start making us go back in 2022, which means I squandered an amazing opportunity to have gotten this procedure without drawing any attention to myself.

Currently I am able to conceal my thinning to a certain extent based on how I style my hair and NO ONE has ever suspected I am suffering hair loss...perhaps people are being kind and don't want to offend me but everyone always seems genuinely surprised when I confess I am actually losing my hair. That being said, I would hate to get the operation and then have to be thrusted back into the office setting only for me to look visibly thin/balding after the procedure. There would be this major disconnect from how people remembered me looking. I dunno, it just psyches me out.

Anyways, don't get me wrong I totally understand that the waiting process is a huge component of this journey and that's why I feel like if I let the WFH perk slip by and not utilize it to my advantage then I really f'd up here! That's just where my head's at right now...but I appreciate your concern and cautioning me to take my time with this.

[Balding Bad]

2 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

I agree with this, look at this way, you've been balding for x_ number of years, what is a couple of months in the long run? Nothing. SMG is a quality clinic, so I think they're a safe bet, but there is no point in trying to rush in. 

You are 100% correct...but it's just human nature for us to want something immediately! 😆

[Britanium]

Out of curiosity who did your work colleague go too ?  

[Balding Bad]

5 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

Out of curiosity who did your work colleague go too ?  

He went to Dr. Rae Lynne Kinler at Ziering Medical in Greenwich, Connecticut and recommended her to me, however I haven't seen her listed on IAHRS or enough reviews to make me feel comfortable enough to consider her.

I dunno, does anyone have any knowledge or prior experience with her?

[Britanium]

Just now, Balding Bad said:

He went to Dr. Rae Lynne Kinler at Ziering Medical in Greenwich, Connecticut and recommended her to me, however I haven't seen her listed on IAHRS or enough reviews to make me feel comfortable enough to consider her.

I dunno, does anyone have any knowledge or prior experience with her?

Eek.. ziering… (my first FUT) many, many years ago. Nope can’t really recommend them 😬

[Balding Bad]

Just now, JohnAC71 said:

Eek.. ziering… (my first FUT) many, many years ago. Nope can’t really recommend them 😬

Haha appreciate the lack of recommendation...but yeah, this place was never on my consideration list despite its close proximity to me.

May I ask why you don't recommend them though? Were you not happy with your results from your initial FUT procedure?

[Britanium]

5 minutes ago, Balding Bad said:

Haha appreciate the lack of recommendation...but yeah, this place was never on my consideration list despite its close proximity to me.

May I ask why you don't recommend them though? Were you not happy with your results from your initial FUT procedure?

I was uninformed back then… not a great FUT scar (revised years later) and not a great transplant in terms of growth/natural looking hairline. 
Not seen any decent transplants from them in the following decade 😂

[Balding Bad]

6 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

I was uninformed back then… not a great FUT scar (revised years later) and not a great transplant in terms of growth/natural looking hairline. 
Not seen any decent transplants from them in the following decade 😂

I feel ya. Well, hopefully you're at a better place now! 😎

[Britanium]

1 minute ago, Balding Bad said:

I feel ya. Well, hopefully you're at a better place now! 😎

Indeed 😉 although still aiming for number 6 procedure with Eugenix .. Melvin is up first though 👌

[Britanium]

Thankfully you didn’t choose the same as your colleague and instead have chosen a top Dr.. the waiting will be more than worth it in the long run 🙏

[Balding Bad]

5 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

Indeed 😉 although still aiming for number 6 procedure with Eugenix .. Melvin is up first though 👌

Wow, #6?! 😳 Good luck dude! I'm only planning on having 1 procedure for now...possibly 2 down the road should my crown start to go...

2 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

Thankfully you didn’t choose the same as your colleague and instead have chosen a top Dr.. the waiting will be more than worth it in the long run 🙏

Yeah, I'm actually really grateful I came upon SMG during my research. What really drew me to them was their acclaim for constructing natural frontal hairlines! I haven't been able to slick back or do the front flip with my hair for over a decade now...always have to do the combover...it's gonna be bittersweet if I can ever accomplish the slicked back look again! I miss that look so much! 😭

[Britanium]

2 minutes ago, Balding Bad said:

Wow, #6?! 😳 Good luck dude! I'm only planning on having 1 procedure for now...possibly 2 down the road should my crown start to go...

Yeah, I'm actually really grateful I came upon SMG during my research. What really drew me to them was their acclaim for constructing natural frontal hairlines! I haven't been able to slick back or do the front flip with my hair for over a decade now...always have to do the combover...it's gonna be bittersweet if I can ever accomplish the slicked back look again! I miss that look so much! 😭

I have followed them since being a member here, so about a decade. Always been Impressed and they have always seem to have given really good support before, during and after ! Can’t even remember seeing a poor result. And just about every single clinic has the not so great results. 

[Balding Bad]

47 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

I have followed them since being a member here, so about a decade. Always been Impressed and they have always seem to have given really good support before, during and after ! Can’t even remember seeing a poor result. And just about every single clinic has the not so great results. 

Love hearing that. That instills great confidence in my selection! 🤩

Although, wait a second...how much is SMG paying you to say this?! 🤔

[Britanium]

Just now, Balding Bad said:

Love hearing that. That instills great confidence in my selection! 🤩

Although, wait a second...how much is SMG paying you to say this?! 🤔

Sigh… if only…. 😉 if anything I bang on about Eugenix so much even I think I’m sponsored by them 😂

[PluggedIn]

1 hour ago, JohnAC71 said:

I have followed them since being a member here, so about a decade. Always been Impressed and they have always seem to have given really good support before, during and after ! Can’t even remember seeing a poor result. And just about every single clinic has the not so great results. 

I actually haven't heard from them since the surgery 4.5 months ago. I asked them for a breakdown of the grafts which they gave me and told me their consultant would be in contact next week. Haven't reached out to me yet. I'm sure if I had a concern they would address it promptly, but the lack of communication afterwards was a bit disappointing. It was one of the reasons I stayed in the states. Oh well, it's the results that matter, I seem to be maybe slightly ahead of schedule at this point. In their defense they mentioned they were very busy.