Just shave it

[tdrake]

Hi everyone Im here hoping to get some direction if possible and if I can hopefully help someone as well. I am 42 I have had numerous surgeries and spent thousands of dollars on hair transplants with so so results I am now left with huge scars in the back of my head in the donor area and a depleted bank account. It's going to cost approx 10 thousand to fix this, well lets say make it better.My question is why should I the patient have to pay for scars that I incurred having surgery? The common answer is to go talk to your doctor correct? Well which one ?My gut feeling is Im not alone here, the Hair Transplant Industry is so shady we all bounce around after we realized how demented some of these doctors are.Is there anyone out there in a similar situation?As for my title if I could I would just shave it all off! its too late for me but thats my advise to anyone considering hair restoration.

[WomensHairLossProject]

Dear tdrake -

I think it's so awful what you have been through. There have been so many crimes committed on the heads of men and women for so many years. I think the quality of procedures being performed is probably higher now than in years prior, but no doubt there are still some docs out there who should surely put their scalpel down and go repent. I have read stories like yours all over the web.

Have you seen this website? bosleymedicalviolations. com/procedures.htm - put together by a man who was scarred by his hair transplant procedure.

I surely wouldn't return back to any of the doctors who left you with your scars to have then do any touch up or repair work. And while I don't think you should have to pay at all to be repaired, I know the qualified and reputable surgeons are going to want to charge for their services most likely. Is it at all possible to retrieve some sort of compensation from your former hair transplant surgeons so that you can get a GOOD surgeon to do your repair work?

I think your story will help others in similar situations sitting on the fence of shaving or surgery.

All The Best

WHLP

[tdrake]

Thanks whlp for the support and understanding.Its sad to me that the Industry doesn't set any standards or govern it self. tdrake

[SpencerKobren]

Hi everyone Im here hoping to get some direction if possible and if I can hopefully help someone as well. I am 42 I have had numerous surgeries and spent thousands of dollars on hair transplants with so so results I am now left with huge scars in the back of my head in the donor area and a depleted bank account. It's going to cost approx 10 thousand to fix this, well lets say make it better.My question is why should I the patient have to pay for scars that I incurred having surgery? The common answer is to go talk to your doctor correct? Well which one ?My gut feeling is Im not alone here, the Hair Transplant Industry is so shady we all bounce around after we realized how demented some of these doctors are.Is there anyone out there in a similar situation?As for my title if I could I would just shave it all off! its too late for me but thats my advise to anyone considering hair restoration.

Dear tdrake,

Thanks for taking the time to share your story. The truth is you are not alone. Most people considering surgical hair restoration are unaware of the scope and the pitfalls of this medical specialty, and most of the large chain hair transplant mills prefer to keep it that way.

While some perspective patients may understand the basic science behind these procedures, few have any grasp of the aesthetics and artistry required to perform them well. Unfortunately many of the physicians who perform these procedures are as ill informed as their patients.

Flashy marketing and high-pressure sales pitches dominate the field, making truly objective and rational decision-making by the patient nearly impossible.

You are one of the thousands of “walking wounded” left to deal with the mess created by unskilled and unethical hair transplant surgeons who litter this field.

The good news is that there are a handful of truly skilled and caring hair transplant surgeons that can help you. Since you are need of repair you must choose your surgeon wisely.

As far as the cost, it is criminal that you are forced to pay both emotionally and financially for the poor results that you received. The sad truth is that for most of the skilled surgeons out there, repair work makes up a significant part of their practices. Unfortunately it is more demanding on the surgeon and their staff to fix the past mistakes of other surgeons.

I’m providing a link to two articles I wrote for WebMD that will give you some insight when researching a surgeon to do your repair work:

Surgical Hair Restoration: What to Look for in a Surgeon

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/what-look-surgeon

Surgical Hair Restoration: What to Avoid in a Surgeon

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/what-avoid-surgeon

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!

If you have further questions please don't hesitate to ask.

[blaize]

How bad does it look?

I shaved ( just introduced myself on the other thread) it all. At first it was such a relief that i could care less. But after a while I took some steps to improve the appearance. I emailed and spoke to well renowned Doctors, got a removal/extraction done by Dr. Bernstein, lasers, Fraxel lasers, and went back to my old Dr., at a reduced rate (which should have been for free) and had some more removed and placed into the donor scar. The truth is this- the reversal process can be and probably will be more costly than the transplant itself. I can go on but i get too emotional about this. Let me know where yu stand.
Spencer- its good to finally be here after reading you for a long time.

[varonil]

Hi Blaize,
I'm in a similar boat. I need to remove old doll hair hairline grafts and fix the cobblestoning. I want to have those old grafts spliced into my scar (I've done one FUE procedure into the scar with good results already). Were you happy with Dr. Bernstein's work?
I also look good with a shaved head and my biggest regret is having scarred it with a transplant.

[crazytikilady]

Feel your pain

TDRake,

Isn't the internet a fanstastic thing? Where else can you feel comfortable sharing your story and get candid responses back.

Anyways, your story intrigued me because I don't really know that much about hair transplants and hair replacement. Your story actually kind of scared me because my husband is thinking about pulling the trigger on this. I have been researching this for 2-3 weeks now online. We even ordered a dvd about hair replacement from a site called US hair replacement (and found out it was just MHR). My husband is scared to death of getting the procedure done, but we both really feel like he will benefit greatly from this. Over the past 8 years, the middle of his head has lost all of the hair and he is becoming ashamed. So, he is always wearing a hat and is thinking about shaving his head.

Anyways, good luck with your decision and my husband and I will be making a life changing one over the next week or so!

Tricia
CrazyTikiLady

[sms8668]

Go for it

Tricia, If your husband is worried about it tell him to get the surgery. It is easier than getting your teeth cleaned. My doctor was the best. I had 2 surgery's with no pain. I woke up an hour later and back to work 2 days later. I had my first surgery at 24 and then at 38. I just turned 40 with a hairline like a 19 yr old.