Senior Member kg007 Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 If everybody on this forum is suggesting you to wait some more, then I think you should for your own sake. If Dr. Pistone is ethical, he would be more than happy to return 100% of your down payment. You must get on propecia/proscar immidietly to hold your hair loss. Only Propecia and Rogaine work, nothing else!!! Everything else is waste of time and money. I haven't heard anything bad about Dr. Pistone, but I haven't heard anything good either... Like Jotronic said, you don't need to be a genious to be 'board certified' hair restoration surgeon. Anyway, in my opinion, a guy like you with minimum hair loss should opt for FUE, so if you decide to shave your head in the future, you don't have to worry about the scar.. I hope you are familiar with FUE.. there're some great surgeon who perform FUE, one being closer to you - Dr. Alan Feller in NY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member HairHope Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Chris, This is my last response because I feel you are just turning everyone's advice back at them in a defensive manner. HOWEVER, my last question is regarding your original post, you suggest you had a consultation with the Dr's cosmetic guy before scheduling. Aside from you being 20, not seeing any patients, and not seeing the doctor in person, you are good to go! Good luck. Originally posted by dhuge67:Hello, my name is Chris and I am a 20 year old college student at a large University in Pennsylvania. I've had a consultation with Dr. Pistone's cosmetic guy and from there, I made the decision to schedule a session with Dr. Pistone. Dec. 2004 - 1938 Grafts via Strip Feb. 2009 - 1002 Grafts via FUE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 But I've done research about this procedure, and the background that this man has for performing the surgery is incredible. If anyone can give me a horror story, involving Dr. Pistone, I'd gladly heed that warning. 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Jotronic Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 d, No, I have not heard good or bad about Dr. Pistone save for what Pat mentioned in this thread. That is not my point. You need to take more time for research to make sure that you have done all that you can to be as educated as possible. Dr. Pistone may turn out to be the best doc for you, I don't know, but you need to exhaust all the resources at your disposal to make this decision. It is for life. You absolutely MUST see patients in person especially when they all should be so close. The Truth is in The Results Dr. Victor Hasson and Dr. Jerry Wong are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Do you even know if you are getting strip surgery or Follicular Unit Extraction? $6500 for 1900 follicular units is the price for strip. You will not be able to shave your head after strip, unless you want everyone to see a funny looking scar on the back and sides of your head. Everyone is very cautious on these boards because we have seen and heard of REALLY bad results. We have nothing to gain by our comments. Doctors have everything to gain by selling you a transplant. See my message about Plastic Surgery Nightmares herer This is happening today from doctors with so-called "credentials". ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Originally posted by Jotronic:d, No, I have not heard good or bad about Dr. Pistone save for what Pat mentioned in this thread. That is not my point. You need to take more time for research to make sure that you have done all that you can to be as educated as possible. Dr. Pistone may turn out to be the best doc for you, I don't know, but you need to exhaust all the resources at your disposal to make this decision. It is for life. You absolutely MUST see patients in person especially when they all should be so close. I thank you for your concern, and I am going to try to visit with the doctor this weekend. 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Originally posted by Gorpy:Do you even know if you are getting strip surgery or Follicular Unit Extraction? $6500 for 1900 follicular units is the price for strip. You will not be able to shave your head after strip, unless you want everyone to see a funny looking scar on the back and sides of your head. Everyone is very cautious on these boards because we have seen and heard of REALLY bad results. We have nothing to gain by our comments. Doctors have everything to gain by selling you a transplant. This is what his site says, The donor area, located on the sides and back of the scalp, generally one centimeter wide and anywhere from four to twenty-five centimeters long, will be marked, trimmed and anesthetized. All the while you will be relaxing comfortably while watching a movie of your choice. Dr. Pistone will then make a single-blade elliptical excision removing the donor strip. The donor area will be closed using sutures or staples which are generally removed in 7 days. Sometimes, in special situations, dissolving sutures are used and these will not have to be removed. The resulting scar will be minimized and easily concealed by your own hair. The method of donor hair removal practiced by Dr. Pistone allows for constant adjustment of the angle of incision to avoid damaging the adjacent hairs and thereby makes available the most hair for transplantation. Dr. Pistone strongly feels that an excellent cosmetic result in the donor area is very important as well. http://www.drpistone.com/Procedures-and-Results/Hair-Restoration/ 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Ok, so you are getting strip surgery. Forget about shaving your head in the future. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Originally posted by Gorpy:Ok, so you are getting strip surgery. Forget about shaving your head in the future. Yea, but what is so bad about strip surgery? Is there any downside to it, as far as the cosmetic result of the actual transplant is concerned? Now I'm confused... 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 No, there's no cosmetic difference in the area where the grafts are placed (the recipient area). The cosmetic problem is in the area in the back and sides of your head where the donar hair is taken from (the strip). That's the 25cm long stip of hair that will be taken (you realize that that is about 10 inches long). You will have a permanent scar there. You must keep your hair long enough to cover it. Shave your head and it will stand out like a big smiley face on the back of your head. I might add that most people including myself have had the strip surgery. It's more cost effective. But I am willing to keep my hair long enough to cover my scar. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Originally posted by Gorpy:No, there's no cosmetic difference in the area where the grafts are placed (the recipient area). The cosmetic problem is in the area in the back and sides of your head where the donar hair is taken from (the strip). That's the 25cm long stip of hair that will be taken (you realize that that is about 10 inches long). You will have a permanent scar there. You must keep your hair long enough to cover it. Shave your head and it will stand out like a big smiley face on the back of your head. I might add that most people including myself have had the strip surgery. It's more cost effective. But I am willing to keep my hair long enough to cover my scar. This is good to know. I really was not aware that this method will cause a bad scar...but according to Pistone's site he says he can virtually eliminate the scar...maybe that's just fluff? Also, what about the donor area, post op? Will it be really bad looking for a long time? 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Yes, I hope all of this helps. It is important to know what you are getting into. Currently no doctor that I know of has the ability to "eliminate" the scar from strip surgury. What has improved lately by some doctors is the ability to make it more concealable by your existing hair. But you must have some exising hair growning back there to conceal it, even with the best techniques. Shaving your hair or even wearing it very short would expose it no matter who the doctor is. Have you ever heard of any surgeon of any kind being able to eliminate the surgery scar? That would be big news and would be all over the television. The donar area is where the strip is take from in back. It generally is coverable by your existing hair pretty quickly. The recipient area, where the grafts are placed, is usually bad looking for about a week or two. Then you can have some lingering redness in the area. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 About shock loss....does it happen to hair that would fall out anyway? And if it happens to healthy hair, it will come back, correct? 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 d, you do realize that there is not enough donar hair to cover a bald head? It is just not possible for anybody. That is why ethical doctors are cautious about transplants on a young person. Let's say you end up a nw-6, which is likely. If you get your current hairline re-enforced, you'll never have enough donar hair to keep up with the loss behind it. Eventually you'll end up with a little hair in the front with a bunch of bald area behind and no more donar hair for another procedure. So, unless your hair is permanently stabilized with Propecia, you are in for a long hard ride. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Originally posted by Gorpy:d, you do realize that there is not enough donar hair to cover a bald head? It is just not possible for anybody. That is why ethical doctors are cautious about transplants on a young person. Let's say you end up a nw-6, which is likely. If you get your current hairline re-enforced, you'll never have enough donar hair to keep up with the loss behind it. Eventually you'll end up with a little hair in the front with a bunch of bald area behind and no more donar hair for another procedure. So, unless your hair is permanently stabilized with Propecia, you are in for a long hard ride. Thanks, but could you answer my question about shock loss? 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Shock loss happens for two reasons. First, hair that is in the recipient area, that is weak and would fall out anyway due to MPB is likely to be permanently shocked out by the trauma of the surgery. Second, strong hairs in the area can be transected by the incision, which causes them to permanently die. Some strong hairs can also be shocked out by the trauma, but will generally grow back. Planting in an area with hair is always tricky. Some docs will claim that they plant in between hairs, but that's not guaranteed. There is also something called donar area shock, where the strip is taken from. You see, the hair transplant procedure is fairly traumatic to your system. Nearby hair can be shocked out and most of the time it will grow back, but I have heard of cases where it didn't. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Thanks for the information about that, Gorpy! Another thing though, is that my father is a NW-5 (he is 60 years old), and not a 6. I don't see how you can just tell me that I'll LIKELY be an NW-6. 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Ok, NW-5 then. There is still not enough donar hair to cover that. There is no advantage to starting a transplant early as you indicated in an earlier post. There is a HUGE advantage in stopping your hairloss early by taking Propecia. I wish I had started it earlier. In any case you need to make and informed decision. My comment about not having enough donar hair is critical to your future planning and you should understand the limitations of your donar supply. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Originally posted by Gorpy:Ok, NW-5 then. There is still not enough donar hair to cover that. There is no advantage to starting a transplant early as you indicated in an earlier post. There is a HUGE advantage in stopping your hairloss early by taking Propecia. I wish I had started it earlier. In any case you need to make and informed decision. My comment about not having enough donar hair is critical to your future planning and you should understand the limitations of your donar supply. I understand this, and if my hair loss has haulted (which I think it has), then I don't think it is too early for a procedure. Should I wait until I'm completely bald to have a hair transplant? No, absolutely not. Do not wait. The current techniques that I practice allow me to insert donor hairs between your existing hairs, leaving them undisturbed while restoring density to your scalp. The successive placement of many of these grafts over several procedures can usually prevent the appearance of baldness in some patients who have remaining, but thinning hair, stay one step ahead of the onset of baldness. 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 You hairloss is not halted unless you are on propecia. Maybe you've seen a temporary relief, but it won't last. You're just quoting off of the doctor's web site. That's all just fluff and marketing. You might as well go to Bosley. They're even better at it. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member the B spot Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 d MOST of the time it comes back, but there is no guarantee. Judging from your posts you have decided to maintain an open dialogue. This is good. Jotronic knows exactly what he is talking about as do several others. Please heed their advice my friend, it will save you from potentially traveling a difficult path. Go Cubs! 6721 transplanted grafts 13,906 hairs Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Originally posted by the B spot:d MOST of the time it comes back, but there is no guarantee. Judging from your posts you have decided to maintain an open dialogue. This is good. Jotronic knows exactly what he is talking about as do several others. Please heed their advice my friend, it will save you from potentially traveling a difficult path. I'm open to conversation, but I'm trying to discern what might be stuff you all think you know from what you actually know. It's not easy when everyone thinks their opinion is gold. Is it not possible for Procerin to work? And to go by the logic of 'don't get a transplant unless you are on Propecia'....well, what if I go on it tomorrow? If it works like you say it does, then my hair loss will stop and the procedure will be worth the trouble, right? 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 25, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Well, we actually know quite a bit. As Jotronic said, we've been through it and we've also been learning about various aspects of it for years. From you statements, you obviously are not well informed. So basically you are going into it with blinders on. Do youself a big favor. Consult with some of the reputable doctors recommended on this site. When they turn you down for a hair transplant, ask yourself why? ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dhuge67 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2006 Originally posted by Gorpy:Well, we actually know quite a bit. As Jotronic said, we've been through it and we've also been learning about various aspects of it for years. From you statements, you obviously are not well informed. So basically you are going into it with blinders on. Do youself a big favor. Consult with some of the reputable doctors recommended on this site. When they turn you down for a hair transplant, ask yourself why? Pistone is reputable, yet he did not turn me down. I don't understand YOUR tone. I am not being obstinate, just curious and questioning. I plan on asking the doctor all of these questions and making sure that he thinks the procedure is worthwhile. 1,614 with Dr. Pistone on 2/3/06 in Marlton, NJ. As long as the moon shall rise As long as the rivers flow As long as the sun shall shine And the grass will grow Let me listen, I will learn to speak The old language Yes, I yearn to bathe in blue skies And fall apart from the world of machines Regain my feet and my pounding heart My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 26, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 26, 2006 I'd like to add that guys like Pat, the publisher of this community and Jotronic from Hasson and Wong, know tremendous amounts about this subject. I don't claim to know as much as them. Listen to them. They have tons of experience and are not trying to sell you a transplant. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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