Are there HT Doctors in the US that stand by their work

[Tracy C]

This is an unreasonable expectation. There are too many things that are outside of a doctor’s control.

no it isn't, if they are honest.

Honesty on the doctor’s part is not enough. Honesty on the patient's part would also be needed. The patient also needs to be aware of and fully understand the possibilities and limitations. Judging from what I am reading in this forum, many neither understand enough or are aware enough of the possibilities or limitations.

There are always two sides to a great result or a failed result and both are subject to interpretation.

This is a very good reason why expecting a guarantee is an unreasonable expectation. Not the only reason but a very good reason.

[Mr. 4000]

Honesty on the doctor’s part is not enough. Honesty on the patient's part would also be needed. The patient also needs to be aware of and fully understand the possibilities and limitations. Judging from what I am reading in this forum, many neither understand enough or are aware enough of the possibilities or limitations.



This is a very good reason why expecting a guarantee is an unreasonable expectation. Not the only reason but a very good reason.

it is the law, the doctor or staff is responsible to educate the patient not the other way around.

[Tracy C]

it is the law, the doctor or staff is responsible to educate the patient not the other way around.

I do not know what made you think I suggested it was the other way around. Nothing I said suggested that.

The patient does have some responsibility here though. The patient is part of the team - and the patient needs to be an active member of that team. If the patient does not fully understand something the doctor or staff is telling them, the patient needs to speak up. It is not the doctor’s fault if the patient does not speak up when they do not fully understand. It is ultimately the patient’s decision to go through with the procedure. If a patient is not fully aware of and fully understand the possibilities and limitations, the patient should not go forward with the procedure.

If a doctor or their staff has intentionally miss-led a patient, that is a whole different story. But I don't think that is what we are talking about here. Or is it?

[DepressedByHairLoss]

As I've said before, there are several factors that go into this equation. For one, I just don't think that hair transplants are an effective solution at all for hair loss. A full head of hair consists of at least 100,000 follicles (maybe even more) and the most that I've seen a doctor transplant in one sitting is a bit over 4000 follicles. Transplantation simply does not yield nearly enough hair to achieve anything close to a full density of hair. That's why I hear a lot of doctors and others saying that a patient should go into a hair transplant "with reasonable expectations", which I translate to meaning 'don't expect anything close to original density'. Sure, I've seen some people with 10,000 or something total grafts that look pretty good, but those are few and far between. And that takes a whole world of commitment including a lifetime dedication to taking Propecia (so that the hair around the transplanted hair doesn't fall out) and permanent scarring that will never go away. Most doctors that I see on here transplant about 2000-something follicles in one sitting (a lot of them less), and those results look far from impressive and not worth getting my head permanently sliced and diced.

So with regards to this thread, I believe that a lot of doctors don't give you any type of guarantee because hair transplantation is far from a foolproof procedure. I've heard about stuff going wrong all the time (through posts on here), and IMO, the results are not at all worth the risk for a far from perfect result and permanent head scarring.

[RichardDawkins]

Not 100.000 follicles its 100.000 HAIRS thats the difference

[Tracy C]

I just don't think that hair transplants are an effective solution at all for hair loss.

It depends on the patient's current state of hair loss. It depends on how well the patient responds to treatments to arrest his or her hair loss. It depends on the patients expectations. Any patient who is expecting full density to be restored is going to be very disappointed. This is not yet possible. It probably won't be possible any time soon - if ever...

A patient with moderate hair loss who responds well to treatments to arrest hair loss can have excellent results from hair transplant surgery.

A patient with extensive hair loss who does not respond at all to treatments to arrest hair loss is not going to have results as good as the patient described above. Such a patient is more likely to be very dissatisfied with hair transplant surgery.

Transplantation simply does not yield nearly enough hair to achieve anything close to a full density of hair. That's why I hear a lot of doctors and others saying that a patient should go into a hair transplant "with reasonable expectations", which I translate to meaning 'don't expect anything close to original density'.

That is exactly what that means. There is no need to transplate it.

You and your doctor need to work together to do the best you can with what you've got. That is just the way it is. That's the way it is going to be for a while... Deal with it. Learn how to do the best you can with what you've got.

So, what stage are you? How long have you been at that stage? What are you doing about it?

[Mr. 4000]

Honesty on the doctor’s part is not enough. Honesty on the patient's part would also be needed.

this makes no sense at all Tracy C

I mean a patient is a patient. They want a cosmetic surgery and they want to look the best they can. That is universal in any procedure. Hair, nose, breasts, lipo, you name it.

So I think the strip patient is looking for a pencil thin scar with a ton of growth and the ability to cut short grow long and have a full head of hair. This is 100% of the time. FUE is looking for the same thing without the scar.

I don't know one patient that would love to come back for multiple surgeries and spend thousands of dollars and recovery time on a bunch of hacks.

So now that we have that out of the way, all that is left is the integrity of the doctors.

[Tracy C]

this makes no sense at all Tracy C.

After reading so many of your rantings I am not surprised that you don't get that.

[Mr. 4000]

After reading so many of your rantings I am not surprised that you don't get that.

let me hear your take on what the patients responsibility is Tracy?

Besides paying and hoping for the best result?

I would love to hear it....

[Tracy C]

You have already read some of it. But you are too unreasonable to comprehend what I said.

[DepressedByHairLoss]

Tracy C and Mr. 4000, I agree with elements of both of your points of view.

Tracy C: I'm not sure what Norwood stage I'm at, but I've been taking Propecia for a bit more than a year now. It may have slowed down my hair loss initially but recently I've been shedding like crazy. Plus, I've always been a big weightlifter and I think that Propecia is affecting my muscular structure and my lifting in the gym. I really don't think that a lot of these side effects from Propecia are unfounded as some people say. After all, Propecia drastically lowers a critical male hormone; a hormone that gives a man his masculine characteristics. That's actually one of the reasons why I could never do a hair transplant. I would almost have to make a lifelong commitment to Propecia to make sure that the native hair around the transplanted hair doesn't fall out. And since I'm very skeptical of Propecia's side effects, I definitely don't want to do that. But I'm still on Propecia nonetheless because I'm just petrified of becoming a bald man.

With regards to hair transplants, I just don't think that the results are worth the downsides most of the times. I've seen a lot of hair transplants on here, and IMO they don't look and don't even give an image of total coverage. Their aim is all about giving 'the illusion' of full coverage and that to me is not worth scarring my head for life or making a lifelong commitment to a hormone-altering drug.

In terms of new treatments, I really have no choice but to think positive. A life without hair is not worth living to me, so I really do have to think that one of these new companies, particularly Histogen and Replicel, will be able to put hair back on our heads. I can (and have) accepted a ton of shit in life, but hair loss is one thing that I cannot accept, and unfortunately today's treatments are very limited and mostly ineffective.


Mr. 4000 - You are totally right in that a patient should expect to achieve the best result possible. Unfortunately I've seen and heard of way too many people on here and elsewhere who have unfortunately had bad HT experiences. Now they would give anything to even just shave their heads, but they can't because of the linear scar. That's what I'm scared to death of man, permanently scarring my head for life. As I said before, I believe that doctors cannot give a 100% percent guarantee because the process of a hair transplant is far from foolproof and has way too many downsides. I see a lot of the hair transplant photos on here and for the most part, I am not impressed at all. And the few good results that I have seen are when people underwent multiple surgeries, and even then I'd need to make a lifelong commitment to Propecia, a drug that I am sure I am experiencing negatives side effects from.

I really feel for you with regards to your negative hair transplant experience, bro. I'm pretty sure that you are far from the only one who had such an experience. I was at a concert this summer and I saw a guy with a shaved head and a very visible linear scar. Before I experienced this hair loss curse, I wouldn't have known what the hell that was. But now, I knew exactly what it was and it scared me to death. Also, I wouldn't beat yourself up about getting an HT in the first place either. I've been experiencing this hair loss for about a year and a half now and it is absolutely making my life a living hell. So I don't blame you at all for trying to gain your hair back. The problem is that we are just so sick of this hair loss, yet there aren't any effective solutions available to us to regrow our hair. That's really what pisses me off more than anything.

[Tracy C]

...hair loss is one thing that I cannot accept, and unfortunately today's treatments are very limited and mostly ineffective.

It is an unfortunate reality that the current available treatments do not work for everyone. Be very glad you are not a woman... Thankfully the current available treatments have worked for me and I had great results from a very gifted hair restoration surgeon. No I do not have original density - but what I do have now does look good - and I do not need to wear wigs anymore if I don't want to. That, in and of itself, improved my “quality of life” dramatically...

[DepressedByHairLoss]

That's actually all I want, some kind of result that looks good so I can actually pose for photos and post photos on myspace/facebook like I used to.

[Tracy C]

That's actually all I want, some kind of result that looks good so I can...

Oh don't get me wrong, I do want more density - but what I have now still improves my quality of life dramtically from where I started. Imagine the thought of trying to go through life as a bald lady... This is a reality for some... It is no longer a reality for me...

[Mr. 4000]

If a doctor or their staff has intentionally miss-led a patient, that is a whole different story. But I don't think that is what we are talking about here. Or is it?

yes..........