Need Advice for 3rd Procedure

[GuyManDude]

Too much grandstanding

[TheEmperor]

e shared that he used a needle like instrument for second sessions which allowed him to not harm existing hair since the purpose of this

 

Why are you limiting yourself to the Philly area? Not that those guys wont do a decent job, but you are looking for a guy with a rep for doing a small, dense pack hairline.

 

Alexander in Phoenix comes to mind. Feller in NY. Rahal. Maybe H&W will do a small 1K session. Round trip to anywhere in the country is a few hundred bucks.

 

Also there is a difference between hairs and grafts. 1500 grafts is about 3000 hairs. Keep that in mind when pricing. You can have a top doc do 1000 grafts (2000 hairs) for only 5K.

 

 

I think you should be chosing based on results you see, not price. Check out their web sites and then contact them.

[the B spot]

Hey Guy Man....read your story...you been through it....the hairs vs grafts is an old trick...many have fallen, many will fall for it again.

 

Why don't you send me your info and some photos to jason@shapiromedical.com?

 

I know your budget, so let's see what you look like, etc.. and I can try to help out.

 

One of the toughest things about those who enter into transplants without the proper education is the future loss and future finances aspect.

 

So, what are people like yourself supposed to do?

 

One of my biggest fears are for people just like yourself, who are backed against the wall and end up settling for some guy who is just going to take what little money you have and not deliver.

 

Anyway, I would be happy to try and help you out and at the very least give you the feedback from an actual consultation for both your current situation and what the future may hold.

 

Take Care,

Jason

[buccap]

What about NYC doctors? Isn't Philly only about an hour drive from the city? There's Bernstein, True and Dorin, and Feller just to name a few. They all seem to have excellent reputations, and some of these dr.'s will give free consultations. If travel expense is a consideration this sounds like something you may want to consider? Check them out online. They're all recommended by this site. It's at least worth looking into. Good luck with your situation.

[hairthere]

You're asking for advice on doctors that most of us have never heard of, which is why you're getting no response. You're also asking for advice without photos. Here are the docs you should be looking at that should fit your budget and be no more than 2 hours drive: Feller, True/Dorin, Bernstein, Lindsey. I think Cooley should also be fairly close. Look at the list of Coalition docs too--it gives their location and you can rest assured they've all been properly screened by Pat, Bill, and the members of this community. If your budget does not allow a procedure but you're off by a few hundred dollars, just wait and save some more. The cost of having to fix a poor HT will cost you much, much more. best of luck

[Bill - Seemiller]

GuyManDude,

 

I'm sorry for the delay in posting a reply to your topic. I had seen this post with great interest but wanted to give it a thorough read before I responded.

 

Here's my honest advice - don't do anything until you have the money to get your next procedure done right. I'm not suggesting that Dr. Katz didn't do his best for you. But he has not embraced larger sessions even though larger sessions have proven successful with the right experience and in the right hands. I also haven't seen examples of his work since I had my own procedure done with him back in 2004. While I believe he is probably still doing solid follicular unit hair transplantation, I'm not sure if he's evolved in using ultra refined techniques. I have been in touch with Dr. Katz in the last year and invited him to send me examples of his work to be reconsidered for recommendation however, he has not sent me anything to date. I've also extended the offer to come into his clinic however, he has not responded.

 

I'd recommend selecting a physician recommended by this community that has the capacity to do larger ultra refined densely packed sessions when appropriate for the patient. If you have the scalp elasticity for it, you may be able to achieve your desired result in a single procedure.

 

You may also want to present your current photos on this forum if you'd like additional input on an estimated number of grafts. Of course, this should never replace the estimate of a quality physician, but the educated members of this community are typically pretty good at offering a pretty close estimate to what quality physicians typically recommend.

 

That said, if you still have a good amount of remaining natural hair, I strongly encourage you to consider getting on Propecia and possible adding Rogaine to help to prevent future loss. While there's no way to no for sure without an in-person consult with a qualified physician, it's possible that your second hair transplant did grow in while you lost additional natural hair. This can easily happen in a year's time.

 

In my opinion, take your time, research physicians and save your money. While there's no harm in waiting, moving forward with haste and a limited budget could harm you in the long run.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[windjc]

Originally posted by GuyManDude:

Thanks for the NY referrals. I do drive to NY an don't mind driving that far for a procedure.

 

As for photos. I have photos from my procedure post opp and current photos showing where I am now. Earlier photos are printed. I don't have a scanner and have been taking photos of photos in an effort to get you guys something to look at and compare.

 

However... to be very honest, you don't need photos in this case. Unless you just want to comment for the sake of commenting. It doesn't forward the topic for me to post photos. I've stated how many hairs I should need and what prices I'm getting etc...

 

The only thing I can see posting photos will do is if you disagree with the amount of hairs I actually need. So I'll post them, but I need to finish my mini-collection so you can get a strong idea of where I've been and where I'm at.

 

NO disrespect intended.

 

Again on budget. Saving a few hundred bucks right now is almost impossible. I don't want to explain my financial situation. Please don't force me to.

 

You wanted good answers. Bill just gave you golden advice. You should take it. You should absolutely take it.

[hairthere]

I re-read your story and I would say forget the Ht for now. You have stated your hairloss is similar to Bill's, you want a full mop of hair like when you were younger, yet you only have $4k max. I would say any doc you go to with that budget and those expectations will likely end up doing what Katz did for you after your second session--nothing noticeable. And, you could possibly end up worse. But that's why we need to see pics--to give you an accurate assessment of what you need. Unfortunately, you seem like you only want advice as long as it doesn't conflict with what you want. I hope that's not the case and you really listen to what the members of this forum are telling you: believe me, we don't spend our free time giving advice to screw anyone over.

[hairthere]

"Telling me time and again what I can and can't afford has not been my primary question."

 

gmd, Actually, that is not only your primary question, but should be your primary concern. Even the docs you consulted with, including Katz, sound like they are above your budget. You will be hard pressed to find a competent surgeon who charges $3/graft (which would fit your budget). The ones we have seen on this forum who charge that low a price are mostly from unhappy patients. The pay scale for most top doctors usually starts at $4-5/graft for 2k grafts, and then lowers for every graft over that amount. Despite the state of the economy, I don't think many doctors have budged on their prices. You may be able to get a few hundred dollars knocked off, or a few hundred grafts thrown in, but you're essentially looking for a $6k procedure to be performed for $2k less. Doing this limits your choices to docs many of us have never heard of, i.e., Ende, Boles, Gallagher. And I'm not saying those are bad docs, and I also don't know if they even fit into your budget.

 

 

Sorry if you feel you were badgered or given advice falsely presented as fact. I really do hope you get your problem sorted out. Best of luck.

[buccap]

Have you thought about using your credit card or tryed getting qualified for credit at a clinic that offers surgery credit through Capital One, I think it is? It seems that with the $3500 you have saved, plus any extra money you can get qualified for would be beneficial. Thus, most decent clinics will charge at least $4.00 per graft. In my opinion, for your third procedure, you'd probably want to get as many grafts as you can. Do it right man. What I did on my first and second procedures was to put the tab on one credit card, then, after a month, applied for another card that had a 15 month, no interest, no transfer fee, and transferred to that while making my monthly payments. Then, when that expired, I paid off the remaining balance from my home equity line of credit which is currently at 2.75%, and it can also be written off on my taxes. I'm not sure what your credit situation is, but if it's halfway decent you can be very creative. Many clinics do offer financing and the rates vary dependant on your credit. Check out the NYC dr.s that I mentioned before, get a consultation, and apply for credit before your divorce goes through so it's still in good shape. Remember, though, these are just my suggestions, please don't jump into surgery without doing aggressive research just because you may qualify for more money. Also, even if you can't come up with more money, $3500. will only get you around 875 grafts, probably not worth getting your head sliced open for. Good luck.

[Bill - Seemiller]

GuyManDude,

 

I'm honestly confused at why you're getting so indignant towards people for offering their genuine opinions and advice. Did I miss a post where you or Dr. Katz has been critiqued wrongfully? I also don't see anything about your results being an embarrassment, so I'm not sure where you're getting all this.

 

You also seem to be very sensitive about your financial situation. However, our community is just trying to give you input based on what we believe is in your best interest. This includes sound financial planning.

 

You've asked for advice and it's been given to you. Nobody is trying to force your hand. You can take it or leave it.

 

I'm sorry you don't like what you're hearing. But I'd encourage you to relax, take a step back, consider everyone's input, and make a decision that you feel works best for you.

 

Best Regards,

 

Bill

[the B spot]

[Anouar]

I'll try to answer your bullet points.

*I wouldn't go back to Katz

* I never heard of Boles and i wouldn't go to him either

* never heard of Dr. Ende so I wouldn't go to him

* Never heard of Gallagher so same here i wouldnt take a chance

* I believe you should be able to get 1500 hairs for 4000 dollars with a top doc in this community. Look for a cancelation date.

This should be roughly around 750grafts maybe up to 900. Im not sure its going to give you the coverage u seek though.

[hairthere]

GMD, Most of the time when we talk about sheer numbers to be transplanted, we are talking about grafts, not hairs. The reason being is that our follicles occur in natural groups of 1, 2, 3, and 4 units. So, if you truly need 1500 hairs, not grafts, then you can absolutely stay within your budget as Anouar pointed out, and go with a top doctor. If that's the case, then sorry for the miscommunication.

[Bill - Seemiller]

GuyManDude,

 

I did see your request to delete this thread, but I am not in the habit of removing threads unless there is something blatantly inappropriate about it or it's in violation of our terms of service. We encourage anyone who posts on our public forum to be prepared to go the distance with their topic or not to post at all.

 

Obviously, you found fault with some of the advice given to you and it's ultimately your prerogative to take it or leave it. That said, I do wish you the best in getting the head of hair you want and deserve.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[hairthere]

If a doctor screws up can he ever redeem himself? Isn't that also worth keeping record of?

 

I think it depends how you define screwing up. Look at the Farjo clinic. They were performing outdated work and then started doing modern HT work over the past few years. They seem to have "redeemed" themselves and are now even recommended on this web site. They were able to take the criticism and roll with it.

 

Other clinics know their work is outdated, but continue to mess people's heads up. For what reason? I am guessing either they are too stubborn or prideful, or perhaps it's too expensive to adapt to the latest techniques and technologies.

 

My doctor used outdated technology on me and I had poor results. I was fixable, and thankfully not butchered, per se. I also blew $6k on it. Shame on me for not doing better research. But shame on the doctor for not recognizing that he was doing poor work, and lying to his patients about having proper training and technology. I later found out he sold off his microscopes because he was in financial straights. I don't have to worry about him being forgiven anymore because he's out of business.

[Bill - Seemiller]

And by the way. I do think if I or anyone asks you nicely to delete a string, you should do it. It's called respecting your fellow man my man. I read your point of not getting in the habit, but something tells me my request is a rare one. If not, my bad. But seriously... I've run BB's myself. The delete function is really no sweat off your brow.

 

It's not that deleting a thread is difficult work. But we believe that if a member is going to post something, he should stand behind it.

 

What you aren't thinking about is that these threads serve those researching this forum for years to come. Therefore, I wouldn't want to deprive fellow hair loss sufferers from obtaining as much information as possible by removing this topic.

 

Best wishes in moving forward with your next hair transplant procedure,

 

Bill