Bald Truth Talk - Hair Loss, Hair Transplant and Hair Restoration Community - Blogs http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php Bald Truth Talk - Hair Loss, Hair Transplant and Hair Restoration Community en Tue, 21 May 2013 20:10:39 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Bald Truth Talk - Hair Loss, Hair Transplant and Hair Restoration Community - Blogs http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php Stem Cells Hold The Key To a True Baldness Cure http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=47 Sat, 22 Dec 2012 20:56:38 GMT By Dr. John Frank, M.D. (https://plus.google.com/100731716467833872935?rel=author)*|*IAHRS... By Dr. John Frank, M.D.*|*IAHRS, ABHRS, ISHRS, AHLA, XM Radio: 'The Bald Truth', NYC, December 22, 2012

Research and development into stem cells continues apace. Two recent developments suggest that a virtual elimination of permanent hair loss could be on the horizon. First up, a team at Tokyo University has developed a way to create bio-engineered hair follicles, based on our own DNA.

Not only does this development hold the promise of a true baldness cure, it has the potential to create an unlimited supply of hair follicles. This would both lower the cost of hair transplants and make them available to patients who lack a sufficient number of donor hair follicles.

Finally, it would improve hair transplant outcomes through the use of bioengineered “customized” hair follicles.

Second, we know that DTH is a type of testosterone found in men with male pattern baldness, and it is DTH that kills off hair follicles. Recently, however, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that while DHT is an effective killer of hair follicles in men, it does not damage the hair follicles stem cells. This leaves the door open for the development of stem cell stimulation therapy that would target hair follicles.

A Boston based biotech company called Fillicabio is pursuing a line of research they hope will lead to bringing DHT damaged hair follicles back to life by stimulating their stem cells. This is called “hair follicle neogenesis.”

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Anapelli Hair Clinic - New York, NY
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Anapelli Hair Clinic - Oakland CA ]]> John Frank, MD http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=47 What Does a Hair Transplant Cost and Why? http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=44 Sat, 08 Sep 2012 20:30:52 GMT By Dr. John Frank, M.D. (https://plus.google.com/100731716467833872935?rel=author)*|*IAHRS... By Dr. John Frank, M.D.*|*IAHRS, ABHRS, ISHRS, AHLA, XM Radio: 'The Bald Truth', NYC, September 9, 2012

Unlike a cosmetic product, object of clothing or an excursion, the service somebody receives from a hair transplant gives lifelong, permanent results, so consider the cost required as a long-term investment. I suggest that you stick with a reputable doctor in the US who has good references. There should be a onetime charge for the procedure and you shouldn’t be obligated to pay for any ancillary products or follow –up appointments. Some doctors may appropriately charge for the initial consultation.

I would advise you to do some shopping around, and once you have a sense for the fair market price in your area, and then make a decision. At this point, if your budget does not allow for a full priced procedure, then you’re smart to save the money until you can afford it. No decent hair doctor wants to give you a discount, and if you force his hand, then you’re truly risking “cheap” results.

© 2012, Anapelli Hair Clinic

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Anapelli Hair Clinic - New York, NY
Anapelli Hair Clinic - Melville, NY
Anapelli Hair Clinic - Columbus, OH
Anapelli Hair Clinic - Torrance, CA
Anapelli Hair Clinic - Oakland CA ]]> John Frank, MD http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=44 <![CDATA[Scar revision; "nuggets"]]> http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=42 Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:48:30 GMT I just had a patient ask me about two big scars at the back of his head. Both were from old strip surgeries and in both cases the surgeons were... I just had a patient ask me about two big scars at the back of his head. Both were from old strip surgeries and in both cases the surgeons were trying to maximize the number of grafts. He has black hair and light skin so the contrast really makes the 8 (top) and 5 (bottom) inches in length visible. The width is about 4-5mm for each.

So should this guy do a strip scar revision or try FUE into the scar? The answer depends on the individual. A revision might put him right back in the same position. Since he has fair skin and dark hair, the contrast is working against him as is the relatively low density of his hair (which is probably why they took a lot via the strip in the first place). Strip scar revision success depends in large part on elasticity. If you have a very elastic scalp, the likelihood of stretch-back is high. Look up the Mayer-Pauls elasticity scale online to see how to measure this. In this kind of case one would want to measure it at several locations; lower scar, upper scar, and in-between the scars at least.

FUE is also a good option but without examining the individual and seeing how the blood return is in those scars it is difficult to predict. I usually prick with a needle and count how long it takes to bleed as a measure of blood supply across the scar (i.e in several places), and this can help give you a more accurate idea of the chance of success. If a patient decides to go through with FUE into the scars, you can usually get good outcomes and many patients plan on doing it twice - once for filling in initially and possible a second time for density if needed.

Nevertheless, there can be slight issues with directionality for two reasons 1) the hair on top of the scar and the hair below might already be heading in slightly different directions so you have to bridge that gap and 2) hair growing out of a scar can sometimes vary direction all by itself. Realizing that these issue can occur helps you to decide how to proceed and having realistic expectations is half the battle. Also, hair placed into scar takes much longer to grow (I tell people at least 18 months) and depending on the blood supply, can have lower growth rates overall. This is why it is a good idea to choose surgeons with experience doing these.

Remember that most hair surgeons are going to be trying their best for their patients and that this is a tricky surgery. Good results CAN BE ACHIEVED though so there is hope! Good Luck everyone and I hope that helps! ]]> Sara Wasserbauer, MD http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=42 <![CDATA[Can a hairline be "fixed" if it is irregular from birth?]]> http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=41 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:15:18 GMT Most hairlines are irregular. One side is a little bit higher or lower than the other. Most faces are irregular, too, and in the spectrum of human... Most hairlines are irregular. One side is a little bit higher or lower than the other. Most faces are irregular, too, and in the spectrum of human existence it is the variation that adds individuality to each person's appearance. Viva La Difference!

That being said, certain hairlines are more irregular than others and for some people the irregularity of their natural hairline can be pronounced and distracting. If this is the case, hair transplantation can be used to "improve" on nature!

For this type of surgery, it is worth it for the patient to look at photos of naturally occurring male and female hairlines (Naturally Occurring Female Hairline Patterns by NUSBAUM and FUENTEFRIA in the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and any of the Unger textbooks on hair are good ones), and to take into account the possibility of future hair loss due to aging. Often a decision is made to place some hair within and among areas that already have hair - to hedge against future loss. However, this can only be done in cases where adding grafts to the area will not impact the growth of the native hair for obvious reasons. This is less of a concern with female patients, but it still needs to be taken into consideration.

Other issues to consider include choosing a hair surgeon with reconstructive experience, especially with hairlines since they require single-hair follicular units only in order to look natural. One should also be prepared for swelling on the forehead or front of the face post-operatively. Typically, however, these results can turn out beautifully and would encourage anyone considering this type of corrective surgery to look into it. Good luck! ]]> Sara Wasserbauer, MD http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=41 Vitamins and Supplements http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=40 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:57:08 GMT Got a little email from a patient with a common questions today - what vitamins or supplements help with optimal hair growth? So, I am a big fan... Got a little email from a patient with a common questions today - what vitamins or supplements help with optimal hair growth?

So, I am a big fan of B vitamins, specifically B-12 (which must be taken daily as a tablet that dissolves under your tongue or as a shot every 3-6 months). B-12 deficiency causes hair loss and many people are chronically deficient without knowing it. I also like;
-Zinc,
-iron (in low doses of 15-50 mg because it is absorbed better and particularly for females or if you have ever been anemic),
-Biotin since it does not seem to do any harm and may do some good,
-and protein (particularly animal proteins like chicken, pork, red meat etc...)

All these promote good hair growth. A good multivitamin will usually cover general health but might not include enough to improve hair. I don't always find that the "hair skin and nails" vitamin combinations sold in health food stores are much good either - usually they are expensive and not proven.

I hope this helps people out there! Good luck! ]]> Sara Wasserbauer, MD http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=40 hair transplant hope http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=39 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:57:22 GMT Hair transplant CAN be done in women! They can be done in scar. They can be done in pattern hair loss (female or male androgenetic alopecia) and in... Hair transplant CAN be done in women! They can be done in scar. They can be done in pattern hair loss (female or male androgenetic alopecia) and in alopecia areata and in traction alopecia and in all manner of other hair problems.

Over the past week I've had a number of patients come to me with stories of doctors that told them hair transplant cannot be done in their case. These are all well-meaning doctors. As a matter of fact I was one of them once! - but they are not well-informed.

Hair transplants are not a panacea -but they can provide good benefit and improvement at the very least in most cases... Things CAN get better and situations - even desperate ones CAN be improved, surprisingly.

...and isn't that the definition of hope? ]]> Sara Wasserbauer, MD http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=39 <![CDATA[Uncjim's Repair Journey to Hasson and Wong]]> http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=29 Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:52:10 GMT I'm 62 years old and began losing my hair at the age of nineteen. From 1979 to 1989, I've had a combination of plugs and micro/mini grafts totaling about 700. During that time, I also received 2 scalp reductions.

I've had three repair surgeries with Dr. Jerry Wong of Hasson and Wong, beginning in 2002 and ending in 2008, totaling 6788 grafts. Today, the visible scarring, pitting and plugs that haunted me for so many years are totally and completely camouflaged. At this point, I can confidently proclaim myself part of the non-bald class!

Below are some “before and afters” .
Attached Thumbnails
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]]> uncjim http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=29 when will the suffering end http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=27 Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:03:53 GMT as hairloss sufferers we are experiencing what as might as well be a terminal disease. a cure seems to be years away. if you have a limited amount of... as hairloss sufferers we are experiencing what as might as well be a terminal disease. a cure seems to be years away. if you have a limited amount of hair loss , i totally agree that fda approved medications and hair transplantation could prove to be very beneficial. however if you suffer from extensive hairloss , your only option is absolutely the same as our balding forefathers, that is buy a wig. it is absolutely amazing to me that it is 2009 and the sufferring continues for those plagued with this horrifying ans totaly disabling disease called male pattern baldness. I THANK GOD EVERYDAY FOR SPENCER KOBREN HE IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO TRULY CARES ABOUT HAIRLOSS SUFFERRES, GOD BLESS THIS EXCEPTINAL AND WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING. ]]> joe from staten island http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=27 diffuse unpatterned alopecia,attention spencer http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=26 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:52:23 GMT hey spencer , i need your opinion on this, a while back i was diagosed with diffuse unpattened alopecia, and was told that i could not have any... hey spencer , i need your opinion on this, a while back i was diagosed with diffuse unpattened alopecia, and was told that i could not have any additional surgery, i have 2 questions for you , first is it possible that this diagones was wrong , due to the fact that my hair on the back and sides grows very long and at a very rapid pace.is it possible that all of my previous surgeries and extensive removal of donor hair is giving the false illusion of diffuse hair loss. and secondly what is your opinion of the transplantation of body hair to help with the repair of previous surgeries. thank you and i preface these questions with knowing that you are not a physcian but an extremely knowledgeable individual in the hair loss field, thank you and god bless you man ]]> joe from staten island http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=26 spencer is the greatest http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=25 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:21:56 GMT thank god for spencer kobren, he is a fine and wonderful human being, his sole agenda is to help hairloss sufferers. i am joe from staten island and... thank god for spencer kobren, he is a fine and wonderful human being, his sole agenda is to help hairloss sufferers. i am joe from staten island and i am a terrible hair loss sufferer, without spencer i would be totally despondent,i thank god everyday for spencer he deserves a special place in heaven, GOD BLESS YOU MY WONDERFUL FRIEND SPENCER. ]]> joe from staten island http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=25 my repair project with shapiro medical group http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=24 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:00:36 GMT always try to be a valued member on all hair forums giving advice, i always try my best to help people make an educated decision regarding... always try to be a valued member on all hair forums giving advice, i always try my best to help people make an educated decision regarding transplants, my goal is to prevent people making the same mistakes as i did and to ensure that they wont regret their ht for years to come like i did with my norton one, my norton horror story can be found on all forums including this one under introduce yourself section

BIGMAC and PB bless their hearts decided to help me by starting a REPAIR BULLITNUT campaign.

They did this off their own backs as they knew how my situation was destroying my quality of life because i have being livng under a hat for over a decade.

Not being able to enjoy the simple things in life was really getting to me, things like not being able to take my young children to the local swimming pool etc was having a major impact on my life and i was getting very depressed. The intention of this project was to raise funds and encourage hairtransplant clinics to get involved and offer help.

Fortunately for me SHAPIRO MEDICAL GROUP http://www.shapiromedical.com offered almost immediately to do my repair surgery pro bono which i am absolutely over the moon about and unbelievably grateful.

As ive already said i regard them as being world class and one of the very best there is, they have shown to be consistently one of the most ethical, caring and compasionate clinics out there. Every aspect of this project so far has been done with my best interests at heart, they are just so unbelievably helpful and i would recommend them to anyone as their results are incredible and their customer service is impecable. So to get this offer is like a dream come true for me.

The guys set up a paypal account on the forum http://www.hairlossexperiences.com for donations towards the travel expenses etc and i recieved lots of donations including:-

1. The hotel paying for by fellow forum member TIM UK

2. The flights for my first trip paying for by another forum member called TUBS

3. The meals on the day were also payed for by a member called NERVOUS NELLY

4. The flights for my second trip were also payed for by SPENCER KOBREN the author and radio host of the bald truth http://www.thebaldtruth.com/



I also recieved many donations from other members of all the major hairloss forums including JANNA the head technician at SMG who as helped co ordinate this entire project and has been absolutely fantastic and supportive from the beginning.
Dr Feriduni as also kindly offered his services (thanks to Spencer Kobren who telephoned him) in the unlikely event i need any aftercare as belgium is closer than returning back to america

SO TO ALL THAT AS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The repair project starts on january the 12th 2009 and i will be keeping this forum upto date with pics and details through out my progress

happy new year all
regards bullit


My HT experience with SMG

Here’s the story of my hair loss repair program with Shapiro medical group in Minnesota



I’m going to go into detail to help all newbie’s and UK patients thinking of going to America

Firstly I live in the UK in West Yorkshire so I booked my flights from Manchester as this was my nearest large airport. I booked my flights with klm airlines who are partners with north west airlines.

Who fly to America regularly from all UK airports.

The flight cost around £450 return (thanks Tubs)and was a one stop connection in Amsterdam before flying to MSP airport at Minneapolis. The flights themselves were very comfortable and even the connection stop at Amsterdam was very easy to do and straight forward. To be honest this was a major worry for me as id only ever flown to Paris, but trust me it was a piece of cake!! The flight to Amsterdam took 50mins then the flight to MSP took 9 and half hrs but this seemed to go pretty quick as there was a great selection of in flight entertainment with TV screens in the head rests.

When I arrived at MSP airport I was picked up by the hotel shuttle bus that JANNA the clinical operations manager at Shapiro Medical Group had very kindly arranged for me as she was aware just how nervous i was of flying and how inexperienced i was, as i'd only ever flown to france before. This was a huge weight off my mind as its terrifying being in a strange country without the added worry of finding your hotel. .

Janna had booked my hotel for me previously in the run up to the surgery as I’m hopeless with anything like that which was very helpful .The hotel she recommended and booked was the country inn and suites at Bloomington and i was very impressed with her recomendation as the hotel was great

When the bus dropped me off at the hotel I simply couldn’t believe it, the place was immaculate and the staff were warm and friendly and ever so helpful (which to be honest was a shock as UK hotels are generally poor). The room came equipped with flat screen TV with loads of channels and on demand movies, it had all the essential amenities e.g. hair dryers, kettle iron etc ,and there was even free wifi internet access in every room which proved cool as I brought my laptop.

There was also free breakfasts which believe me I took advantage of as they were out of this world lol..

Monday morning i got the shuttle bus from the hotel to take me to SMG and I don’t mind admitting I was absolutely terrified after the previous transplants id had. I must of spent most of the night in the lavatory but Janna bless her kept reassuring me as soon as i arrived at smg which was very nice!!.

As soon as i arrived after meeting Janna i was relaxed as she was a wonderful warm caring person and knew just what to say to put me at ease straight away

She then introduced me to Dr Shapiro he greeted me with a handshake and welcomed me to his clinic, straight away all my fears disappeared because the guy was one of the most kind, warm hearted gentleman I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet he really took onboard my hair loss concerns and was extremely passionate about helping me it was obvious right from the get go this guy was going to do his very best to improve my situation.

Firstly he checked out my donor hair, laxity and recipient site. He then took plenty off photos from all sides, he then uploaded these onto a pc screen so I could see my hair loss from all angles. After this he asked what I hated the most and what I hoped to achieve.

We discussed the options and procedure for around an hour. He was extremely thorough and answered all my questions and concerns and really took onboard what I was saying. To me it was blatantly obvious the man had my very best interests at heart, there was absolutely no pressure or rushing to get me into the chair he wanted to get the plan off attack just right before we started.

He then showed me what he thought would be the best plan off attack based on his knowledge and my desires by drawing diagrams on my head and going through the whole process step by step explaining every aspect of the imminent surgery. I was more than happy to go with his suggestions as they were exactly what i was hoping for and matched my goals completely . So we agreed on the approach and I was led into the procedure room where I was introduced to everyone.

This again was a pleasure as every member off his staff greeted me warmly I felt like a vip and I couldn’t possibly have been more comfortable all the techs were very friendly and happy telling jokes and doing their up most to make me feel comfortable. All in all I have to say that Drs Ron and Paul Shapiro must have had the friendliest work force I’ve eve come across my whole life.

I was then told to put on a medical gown ready for the procedure whilst doing this their consultant Matt Zupan came in and introduced himself to me and again what a nice guy he was, funny and quick witted and very likeable just like the other staff members he asked if I was comfortable and laughed at my forum name bullitnut .

I was placed in a chair rather like a dentists chair and was given my anesthetic using an extraordinary vibrating machine that was placed on my forehead to numb my scalp. This was a great feeling I never felt any pain whatsoever just the odd scratch like feeling now and again but this was normal and was nothing at all to worry about. I can honestly say hand on heart that the anesthetic was no where near as bad as that administered at a dentist, and im a wimp so if it hurt id be the first to complain lol.

I was then placed face down on the chair with my chin on a head rest so Dr Shapiro could remove my strip. This again was completely painless and to be honest I almost fell asleep as I was very comfortable lying there and had foolishly had little sleep the night before due to needless worry. After the strip was removed the techs starting the cutting while I was being sutured up.

Dr Shapiro then told me he had managed to get rid of most of my poor previous scar which was great and I almost started to cry soft sod I am lol. He then started to make the incisions for my new hair with Janna counting everyone out loud so we knew just how many there was. When about 90% of the incisions were made, they used a dye onto my recipient area for them to see the incisions better. They saved around 10% of the grafts to be used for fine tuning at the end. They were also taking estimates of how many grafts were to be expected every half hours or so.

Janna and the other techs then started to plant with Dr Shapiro checking all the time he was very thorough and hardly ever away whilst they were doing this. They planted in a rotation so that each tech didn’t become too tired. It was obvious that they had all been there working together for a lot of years as they were like a well oiled machine working in tune with each other it was very impressive to see.

During the surgery I was given valium to help me relax and offered a choice of DVDs to watch on a flat screen TV in front of me, the whole experience was so relaxing I almost fell asleep on numerous occasions and had to fight to keep my eyes open at times lol.

I can honestly say though that through out the whole procedure I didn’t feel one bit of pain, and I was told that if I did to tell them so they could administer more anesthetic.

The whole thing lasted from 8.00 am until around 5.00pm with a break in the middle for lunch which was a lovely pizza courtesy of NervousNelly,thank you!!.

I was also told that if I ever needed the rest room just to ask and I could go, which I did on a couple of occasions and both times I was escorted by this very caring lovely technician just to make sure I was ok due to the medication ,all in all the level of care shown throughout was simply exceptional. The guys who work at smg should be very proud of themselves as they do a superb job and really know how to make someone feel welcome and look after them.

Throughout the surgery I was offered drinks periodically which was a nice gesture as you can imagine sat in a chair that long you become restless and a nice drink every now and again alleviated that .

When most of the grafts were placed Dr Shapiro and Janna began to fine tune the hairline with the last lot of grafts to fine tune the work and they really took there time over this to ensure it was just right and as planned from the beginning.

After the surgery was finished Tom one off the techs a really cool guy went through all the post operative instructions and gave me a bag with pain killers and some gauze cloths, graftcyte spray and antibiotic cream he was very thorough with the instructions and made sure I understood properly which was good thanks Tom!!.

I was then given something to eat and drink before I said goodbye to everyone and thanked Dr Shapiro for all the work he had done , Janna then asked if I was happy with the results and im not ashamed to admit that even though I’m a man off 34yrs old it brought tears to my eyes when I looked in the mirror.

After the surgery i went back to the hotel on the free shuttle bus which was very handy and the driver was great, the hotel was only minutes away from smg so the ride only took a short while.

I was told to return the day after surgery for a shampoo so they could instruct me properly on how to do it. The free bus picked me up again the following day and when i arrived Janna introduced me to one of the techs, who was also a hairdresser called Sue. She said she was going to trim my hair after Janna had washed it for me and she did a great job as it looked lots better when the sides were trimmed to match the new grafted hair.

Afterwards Dr Shapiro took some pictures and video footage of my results he asked me if I was happy and I said ecstatic.

The city itself was great to explore and was beautiful and worlds apart from anything we have here in the UK, I was mesmerised by all the tall buildings and how clean the place was, also the people there were so polite and well mannered it was like something from a dream I really took to the city and its definitely a place id visit again.

I realise this has been a long thread but I feel that after the poor surgeries ive had in the past I owe it to everyone out there who has supported me on the forums to tell them just how pleased and thankful I am. Right now I feel like a kid in a candy store and I would like to say a huge heartfelt thank you to Dr Shapiro for all his hard work and dedication in making my dreams come true.

You truly are the greatest man I’ve ever met in my entire life you were born with a gift and im just so glad I got the pleasure of you using it on me, in my humble opinion based on all the research I did before you agreed to do the pro bono work and my own experience ive had with you, you are definitely the greatest hair transplant surgeon on the planet today and as well as that you have now become a good friend and id like to wish you all the best for the future.

I would also like to thank Janna who is just an incredible lady who has the patients best interest at heart 100% of the time, you went out of your way every day I was in Minnesota to help me and for that I am and always will be eternally grateful you’re the best J

SMG ROCK!!!!!!!!



best wishes to everyone who supported me and im sorry ive started a seperate thread but ive done it this way so bigmac can move it into the results section in a few weeks when everyones read it. off to bed now as extremely tired and looking forward to dreaming about using a comb for the first time in 8yrs lol
I would also like to say a huge thankyou to PB and BIGMAC who started this whole project for me. Your the best guys i owe you big time lol ]]> bullitnut http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=24 my hairtransplants horror story http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=23 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:58:49 GMT Hi my name is bullitnut and i want to share my story with the good folk that use this forum When i was 22 young and nieve i had my first... Hi my name is bullitnut and i want to share my story with the good folk that use this forum



When i was 22 young and nieve i had my first hairtransplant... below is a brief account of my own experiences


In around the year 1997 i came across an advert in a mens magazine for a hairtransplant clinic and decided after reading this that the place sounded fantastic. It claimed to be state of the art with experienced surgeons from all around the world, they claimed to be leaders in the field of hair restoration and said that they left other clinics behind. Wow i thought ill have a consultation because at this point in time i was struggling to cope with my hair loss, i was only 22 and felt like my whole world was coming to an end and that no one could possibly love me with a bald head. So i telephoned them and arranged a consultation.for the following week.

I arrived for my consultation and was shocked to find that this place was not a state of the art clinic but just three rooms at the rear of an nhs doctors surgery. I was shown into a small room and was told to sit down a gentlemen told me to remove my hat and looked at my hair, which to be honest was thinning a little but looking back it wasn't actually that bad at this stage. It was obvious i was loosing my hair but i still had plenty left, the man said he could help me and said that i was a perfect candidate for a hair transplant he also said that i would soon have a perfect head of hair again.

I was delighted i asked how much this procedure would cost. He replied that because i would need around 1500 grafts throughout my hair to thicken it back up it would be three thousand five hundred pounds. He then said in a rather pushy tone we are very busy so do you want it or what. I was a bit taken aback by this but the thoughts of a perfect head of hair were ringing in my ear so i agreed. He then said he would need a deposit of one thousand five hundred by the end of the week and said he would book me in for the surgery the following week and i had to pay the balance then.

That was it there was no mention of any side effects, no mention of any risks. No mention of aftercare, no mention of the surgeons competence or qualifications, experience etc and certainly no mention of a hideous scar to the back of my head.

The whole consultation was over in about 5 mins, and because i was only 22 young and nieve i just thought this was normal and i was very excited. When i arrived i was escorted into a small room where a young lady washed my hair i was then told to sit on a chair in another room that looked like a dental surgery.

I was then asked to sign a consent form and was told not to worry i was then given an injection in my finger to numb my head and was told to relax and that my head would be numb in no time. The surgeon then came in and started to remove hair from the rear of my head to be placed on the top of my head later, this took about five minutes and didn't hurt at all due to the anesthetic.

He then started inserting the grafts into the top of my head and let me tell you this was the worst pain i have ever had in my life. It started out as just an uncomfortable pain, but after an hour or so it was absolutely excruciating i told the Dr it was really painful, but he just laughed and said it wont be long and told me to think about all the hair i would have. I had no choice but to grin and bear it, it was awful and throughout the five hour operation blood just kept on running down my face and neck it was terrifying but he just kept saying don't panic its normal you`ve just got a sensitive scalp.

When the operation was over i was told i had to get up and go sit in a waiting room for a couple of min's, to my suprise the doctor then said goodbye and went home leaving me on my own with two female assistants. They told me that my stitches would dissolve on their own in a few weeks and gave me some co codamol for the pain, at this point i didn't even know i had any stitches. They also gave me a letter with aftercare instructions on it which was about half a page long and consisted of washing instructions etc. After about 10 min's they opened the back door and said goodbye leaving me to drive home dis- orientated and 10 min's after a five hour operation.

Over the next few weeks i struggled with the pain but i was excited and couldn't wait for my new hair to grow. My head looked very sore and was covered in scabs with little hairs popping out. I was told before the surgery that i was paying for 1500 grafts but to be honest i think i only recieved about 250 and over the next six months this was confirmed as only a small number of hairs appeared on my head, and i might add they looked very unnatural a bit like dolls hair. The most concerning thing though to me was that i suffered something called shockloss which i have now found out is common but i was not forewarned or told anything about this prior to my surgery.

Shockloss is where the rest of your normal original hair becomes shocked by the new transplants that are placed next to them and fall out leaving you with only the transplanted hairs left this is usually only temporary but in my case was permenent. So in effect i had payed 3500pounds for 1500 new hairs, recieved around 250 new hairs and lost hundreds of old hair. So i was much worse off after the surgery than before i even had the operation( and a lot poorer too). I was now in a situation where i could not even go outside without wearing a hat and i had no choice but to get another hair transplant to add some more hair to my head because i only had about 250 hairs on the top of my head and my confidence was shattered so i began to save up for round two.

In the year 2000 god knows why i returned to the clinic for another consultation they then said i need another 1500 grafts, but because i had been before they said it would only cost 1500pounds. They also advised me to take finesteride and said they would give me a twelve months supply for nothing in with the price of the surgery, they told me it would stop any further hair loss....I had my second surgery later that week which was much the same as the first except this one wasn't painfull which just proves that the first operations anesthetic wasn't administered correctly.

Over the next few months though i experienced terrible headaches on a daily basis, not at all like the first transplant and these headaches didn't start to ease until around 8 months after the procedure. At the same time as the headaches i had feelings of numbness to the back of my head which took months to ease, but even to this day i still have a numb part at the rear off my head on the right which i'm told is probably nerve damage. The growth rate was much the same as the first op and now after paying for 3000 hairs at a cost of 5000pounds i have around 500.

From the year 2000 i have suffered from bouts of mental health problems ie depression anxiety, panick attacks which have been so serious ive been admitted to hospital, ive had bouts of agraphobia and have been on numerous types of anti depressents all because off the treatment and results of this clinic. I have also go two 7cm scars to the back of my head which prevent me from shaving my head and look so ugly i have to keep them covered.

Before having a ht do some research and check out the many different surgeons on all the hair forums and don’t let travel be the deciding factor because the results good or bad will last a lifetime. Have a look at Doctors websites and have a look at all the negative comments on the internet simply google the hair clinics name and u will find info. This hopefully will prevent you making the same mistakes i did

Please note though that despite my own bad experiences with the clinic it hasnt put me off hairtransplantation as with a world class clinic and surgeon the results obtainable can be incredible and simply life changing:) ]]> bullitnut http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=23 Spex http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=22 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:32:42 GMT Through my own personal journey with hair loss I have learnt a great deal about this industry and therefore more than happy to share my research,... Through my own personal journey with hair loss I have learnt a great deal about this industry and therefore more than happy to share my research, information and experiences with you. I hope this knowledge/experience may then prevent you from making the mistakes I have and facilitate your goals of minimising your hair loss and maximising your potential hair transplant.
I am now in the fortunate position of attaining my goal and act as a showcase for Dr Feller here in the UK.I offer this service for free in order to give something back to brotherhood and ultimately to make people in the UK aware of such a Doctor.Dr Feller ultimately gave me my life back and I feel it is important that people are made aware of what is actually available to us.
I offer myself as a hair transplant showcase because there was nothing available to me when I embarked down the hair transplant road and feel it would have helped me greatly. I feel it is vital that people interested in having their hair restored this way get as much information as possible and are able to actually see the results that can be achieved in person.
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]]> Spex http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=22 Bigmacs Fue scar repair. http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=21 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:00:59 GMT Hi all After my first two hair transplants with the Norton clinic i was left with some poor scars and i had a third vertical scar on my head from an... Hi all
After my first two hair transplants with the Norton clinic i was left with some poor scars and i had a third vertical scar on my head from an accident.

When i went to Shapiro medical group on 28th April 2008 for my Hair transplant i wanted to have my scars repaired too but due to the position of them i was unable to achieve this.
Reason being i had grafts in my crown and hairline,therefor if i had grafts put into my scars i would of had to sleep standing up as it would have been impossible to sleep without the risk of dislodging some grafts.

I went back to Shapiro medical group on the 16th October 2008 and had Fue grafts placed in my scars.
The surgery was performed by Dr Paul Shapiro.I had the following amount of grafts.

i got 123 grafts total but I got almost as many 3's as 2's. Here's the breakdown:

1 hairs - 19

2 hairs - 49

3 hairs - 43

4 hairs - 12

Total hairs: 294

Apparantly i was a great fue candidate so hopefully all the grafts will grow and help conceal my scars.On my 44 day pictures my hair is buzzed at a #2
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]]> bigmac http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=21 Bigmacs HT Journey http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/blog.php?b=19 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:15:38 GMT Hi all I had my first HT back in 1998/99 after seeing an Ad in a newspaper about hairloss.It was the Norton clinic in the UK and i wanted to fill in... Hi all
I had my first HT back in 1998/99 after seeing an Ad in a newspaper about hairloss.It was the Norton clinic in the UK and i wanted to fill in my thinning crown.This was a small procedure of about 500 grafts.The surgery was a failure and i went back 9 months to 1 year later for a second similar sized procedure.This produced some growth although it was plugs that were implanted.My crown did not look any different and i was left with tram line scars on my head.It was a poor call by myself choosing this clinic as the total experience was bad.

I put it down to experience.

After a while my hairloss started worrying me again,this time i looked on the internet.After viewing lots of doctors websites i chose DHI in Greece.I chose them because i was sold on fue after my bad strip experiences with Norton,i thought there is no way i`m going through that again.Cut a long story short,i went to Greece in January 2005,had 1043 hairs implanted(approx 5/600grafts) and had at most 10% growth/yield.

I knew straight away when i left Greece i`d made another mistake just by judging on how they treated me.I contacted them numerous times when i was back in England but to no avail.

Shortly after this i found various hairloss forums and soon realised how unlucky i`d been in my choice of clinics.

I started researching on the forums for the next 3 years and met lots of patients.

I was an active member on the PB hairloss forum and PB the owner asked if i would like to be an administrator which i gladly accepted.

After all the research i done i chose to have my Fourth HT with Ron Shapiro of the Shapiro Medical Group.This was mainly due to the feedback i got about them(couldn`t find anything negative) and the excellent way Janna from SMG answered all my concerns and questions with a caring and professional manner.

I then booked up with SMG to have my HT on 28th April 2008.
I flew from Newcastle airport on Saturday morning to Amsterdam with KLM which took one hour. Then it was a direct flight to Minneapolis with NWA which took eight hours.

Arrived at the airport at 3.30pm, went through customs and got the hotel shuttle (mini bus) to the hotel which took about 20 minutes. The hotel was the Country Inn and Suites. This is a nice hotel and is five minutes from Shapiro Medical Group. One extra bonus the hotel had was free use of computers with internet access. It cost me £637 all in with flight and accommodations for three nights.



There are quite a few sports bars and restaurants a few minutes walk from the hotel and a downtown area which has loads of bars, restaurants, shops etc.

I also visited the Mall of America which is a huge shopping centre full of everything you need. It’s one of the biggest malls in the world. The hotel shuttle will take you to and from the airport, Mall of America and to SMG as a free service. The hotel is used to SMG patients and the shuttle bus drivers too. They were all very friendly. The hotel gives discounts to SMG patients. The discount rate is $99 per night.



Met Janna on Sunday for lunch and she showed me around the downtown areas. There are two downtowns. One is Minneapolis and the other is St. Paul. The two cities are close within 15 minutes drive of each other. The center of the 2 downtown has skyways – walkways from building to building above the streets so you don’t have to go outside in bad weather. They were both beautiful clean cities.



Monday morning i went to to SMG. I met Dr Shapiro and we talked about my expectations and he examined my hair. Then I was in the chair. Got my anesthetic needles in my scalp which I never felt a thing as they use a vibrating tool. Dr Shapiro removed my strip and then the techs starting the cutting while I was being sutured up and then Dr Shapiro made the incisions for my new hair. When about 90% of the incisions were made, they used a dye onto my recipient area for them to see the incisions better. They save the other 10% to be used for fine tuning at the end. They were also taking estimates of how many grafts were to be expect every half hours or so.

Janna and the other techs then started to plant with Dr Shapiro checking all the time as my crown planting was not straight forward due to my previous poor work which left plugs in there growing in the wrong directions. My crown work went great and then they proceeded to plant in the middle of my hairline. Janna planted every single graft in the hairline. Then towards the end, Dr. Shapiro and Janna did the stick/plant method to fine tune the hairline. This is where Dr. Shapiro makes the incision and Janna plants straight away after each incision is made. They said once the incisions are filled with grafts, you can see spaces in between, so Dr. Shapiro always asks for single hairs to be saved for this part.

Photos were taken at every opportunity by Janna and Dr Shapiro.

Once finished I was shown the work and asked if I was happy which I was.

Went back to the hotel and logged on the net and chilled out for the night. I took two Vicodin for pain before I went to bed, woke up fine and didn’t need any more pain relief meds. I took two though just before my plane journey home to be safe.

Next day Tuesday, checked out of hotel and went to SMG for a hair wash and haircut. They took more photos and a video of the work.

Janna and Dr Shapiro chatted with me again to confirm I was happy. I then hung around and was invited to watch a live surgery of planting and cutting grafts which was very interesting. They were very professional and great at what they were doing.

I would without any doubt say that if you choose to have a HT with SMG that you will have a great experience and receive a world class result.

I flew home at 7.30 pm on Tuesday. I took some valium on the plane and slept most of the way back to Amsterdam. Then the short one hour flight back to Newcastle.

Here is my Graft count

1-285

2-907

3-399

4-23

1614grafts =3388 hairs

strip size was 1.3width by 16.5cm length

Couple of crown pictures pre op and 6 months
post op.
Hairline is 5 months post op.
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