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Dr. Blake Bloxham Review - Legal Threats and Persistent Pain
This is my full write up with my experience with Dr. Blake Bloxham with receipts. My original post has been removed from the subreddit r/HairTransplants. The moderator bballsuey has demanded I sign a documented from Dr. Bloxham revealing my identity and I have been advised by legal counsel this is not necessary under any circumstances to post in an online forum. There are no TOS violations in the content that follows. This is a factual recounting of what has happened approved by witnesses who have reviewed all written communication between myself and Dr. Blake Bloxham.
In July 2024, I underwent the first stage of a planned two-stage hair transplant with Dr. Blake Bloxham, of Feller Bloxham, in Great Neck, New York.
*Important context: My father had previously paid a $3,000 deposit for his own elective procedure. After he was medically disqualified due to Bell’s palsy, my father gave several months advance notice of cancellation and even rescheduled once hoping he would be cleared by his primary physician; ultimately he was not. Dr. Bloxham refunded $1,500 of the original $3000 and kept the remaining $1,500. Bell’s palsy involves acute facial nerve paralysis; while unrelated to hair transplantation, a new neurological diagnosis can make elective cosmetic surgery temporarily or permanently inappropriate, supporting cancellation on medical grounds.
Months later, when I began talks with Dr. Bloxham, he said he would apply the $1,500 from my father’s previous deposit as a credit to my procedure. I then paid $2,000 out of pocket, for a total of $3,500 paid to Dr. Bloxham. From our communications, the plan discussed was a small test session followed by a larger procedure with himself and Dr Bhumik Shah using beard and chest hair. This will be supported by my photos. I ultimately did not proceed with a second stage based on my observations and eventual outcome from the first porcedure.
For context, I had prior hair transplant procedures, and a portion of my donor area was already thin at the start of this process. That’s why we discussed a conservative approach and donor-area “replenishment,” and why donor-site choice (and any additional harvesting) mattered.
I specifically asked about using the nape as a donor. He said he doesn’t often use nape but agreed and assured me there would be “minimal scarring.” During the procedure, when he and his techs remarked my neck skin was “stretchier than [they were] used to,” I asked about viability. His reassurance (while I was in the chair) was: “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t place them if I didn’t think they would grow.”
*Additional context: Dr. Powell was present during surgery and I was not made aware of this prior to my arrival. To the best of my knowledge, Dr. Powell was present as an observer.
There were two very small follow-up sessions that he agreed to do after I raised my concerns about the original session—specifically that the grafts at the base of the hairline (especially on the right side) appeared sparsely placed, and that a few multi-hair grafts he attempted to remove grew back within days. He asked me if I was okay with paying an additional $500 once I returned for the larger procedure in light of these tweaks and I reluctantly agreed.
Over the next year, I repeatedly asked why there was little to no growth and why I was observing pitting in the hairline. At 8 months, 9 months, and 10 months, he would routinely remark “it’s still early” and “just slow healing.” At an in-person review he told me the result “looked great.” When I then showed side-by-side photos (immediate post-op and pre-op versus current), he changed course and said, “I don’t think the nape hairs grew either.” In a later text he also wrote, “I told you blatantly it was experimental and I had no idea what would happen with it,” which conflicts with the intra-op reassurance quoted above. We had conversations about body hair being experimental but I had significant success with it from another surgeon.
After the procedure, my observations were that my hairline appeared sparser than before. Areas that had previously been transplanted in the hairline appeared to have lower density. From the beard donor, some hairs grew but not to any degree of cosmetic significance for me. Along the base of my neck, I noted raised (hypertrophic) scarring and visible thinning in the nape. I also experienced persistent pain in the donor region that persists today. Another physician later documented nerve pain “consistent with nerve injury” following the harvesting. Based on this, I declined the larger second stage.
When I raised the question of a refund because I wanted to move forward with a different surgeon and had paid upfront for the second procedure and undesirable results from the first, he first stated, “I have made it clear that I am simply not returning money.” As the texting progressed, he tied any money exchanged to me for a positive public post about beard/chest hair into the donor: He said, “My original suggestion was $750 for you doing the original post we discussed…” and “If you write something up… and post it, I’ll give you $750 as a discount.” When I said I wasn’t proceeding with a second procedure and that I had documentation verifying that we had agreed to a small test followed by a larger procedure, he replied: “Send it to me.” Later, his business partner suggested we “split the difference” at $500.
To be clear, I never stated that I intended to post online, much less did I ask for a refund to prevent such posting. I asked for a refund for a second procedure that was not performed, and I said that if this was not rectified I would pursue administrative remedies with the State of New York. It was at this point he threatened me with police and legal action. The idea of a post came from him in exchange for $750. He asked me to do a partial write-up focused only on beard hair into the donor and to omit the other issues; once I cut my hair short and could see the recipient area more clearly, even that claimed success was questionable to me. I responded that if I ever shared anything publicly, it would be the full truth, not a partial truth. His threats to me were written on the advice of his legal counsel. I spoke to his attorney. I also spoke to the police precinct and district attorney he claimed to have filed a report. None of that ever happened. I was told explicitly by the police that this is a civil matter. At this point, I state freely and emphatically, I want nothing from Dr. Bloxham, including a financial exchange of any kind. I have never been treated like this by another physician.
Summary of my observations: In my view, the nape area appeared over harvested given the very limited amount of hair that were alleged to have been placed (I never received a graft breakdown but it was supposed to be around 100 grafts). The beard and chest hair into my donor may have produced some yield, but nothing cosmetically significant at shorter lengths. I observed the hairline to be significantly sparser than before surgery, and the harvested regions showed significantly more hypopigmentation and raised scarring than I experienced in my previous surgeries. Additionally, I received police/DA threats when I requested a financial remedy for the unperformed surgery that I declined as a result of undesirable results.
Screenshots are redacted for privacy—contact details removed. Moderators can verify originals privately if needed. Quotes above are verbatim from the messages sent to my by Dr. Bloxham.
In July 2024, I underwent the first stage of a planned two-stage hair transplant with Dr. Blake Bloxham, of Feller Bloxham, in Great Neck, New York.
*Important context: My father had previously paid a $3,000 deposit for his own elective procedure. After he was medically disqualified due to Bell’s palsy, my father gave several months advance notice of cancellation and even rescheduled once hoping he would be cleared by his primary physician; ultimately he was not. Dr. Bloxham refunded $1,500 of the original $3000 and kept the remaining $1,500. Bell’s palsy involves acute facial nerve paralysis; while unrelated to hair transplantation, a new neurological diagnosis can make elective cosmetic surgery temporarily or permanently inappropriate, supporting cancellation on medical grounds.
Months later, when I began talks with Dr. Bloxham, he said he would apply the $1,500 from my father’s previous deposit as a credit to my procedure. I then paid $2,000 out of pocket, for a total of $3,500 paid to Dr. Bloxham. From our communications, the plan discussed was a small test session followed by a larger procedure with himself and Dr Bhumik Shah using beard and chest hair. This will be supported by my photos. I ultimately did not proceed with a second stage based on my observations and eventual outcome from the first porcedure.
For context, I had prior hair transplant procedures, and a portion of my donor area was already thin at the start of this process. That’s why we discussed a conservative approach and donor-area “replenishment,” and why donor-site choice (and any additional harvesting) mattered.
I specifically asked about using the nape as a donor. He said he doesn’t often use nape but agreed and assured me there would be “minimal scarring.” During the procedure, when he and his techs remarked my neck skin was “stretchier than [they were] used to,” I asked about viability. His reassurance (while I was in the chair) was: “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t place them if I didn’t think they would grow.”
*Additional context: Dr. Powell was present during surgery and I was not made aware of this prior to my arrival. To the best of my knowledge, Dr. Powell was present as an observer.
There were two very small follow-up sessions that he agreed to do after I raised my concerns about the original session—specifically that the grafts at the base of the hairline (especially on the right side) appeared sparsely placed, and that a few multi-hair grafts he attempted to remove grew back within days. He asked me if I was okay with paying an additional $500 once I returned for the larger procedure in light of these tweaks and I reluctantly agreed.
Over the next year, I repeatedly asked why there was little to no growth and why I was observing pitting in the hairline. At 8 months, 9 months, and 10 months, he would routinely remark “it’s still early” and “just slow healing.” At an in-person review he told me the result “looked great.” When I then showed side-by-side photos (immediate post-op and pre-op versus current), he changed course and said, “I don’t think the nape hairs grew either.” In a later text he also wrote, “I told you blatantly it was experimental and I had no idea what would happen with it,” which conflicts with the intra-op reassurance quoted above. We had conversations about body hair being experimental but I had significant success with it from another surgeon.
After the procedure, my observations were that my hairline appeared sparser than before. Areas that had previously been transplanted in the hairline appeared to have lower density. From the beard donor, some hairs grew but not to any degree of cosmetic significance for me. Along the base of my neck, I noted raised (hypertrophic) scarring and visible thinning in the nape. I also experienced persistent pain in the donor region that persists today. Another physician later documented nerve pain “consistent with nerve injury” following the harvesting. Based on this, I declined the larger second stage.
When I raised the question of a refund because I wanted to move forward with a different surgeon and had paid upfront for the second procedure and undesirable results from the first, he first stated, “I have made it clear that I am simply not returning money.” As the texting progressed, he tied any money exchanged to me for a positive public post about beard/chest hair into the donor: He said, “My original suggestion was $750 for you doing the original post we discussed…” and “If you write something up… and post it, I’ll give you $750 as a discount.” When I said I wasn’t proceeding with a second procedure and that I had documentation verifying that we had agreed to a small test followed by a larger procedure, he replied: “Send it to me.” Later, his business partner suggested we “split the difference” at $500.
To be clear, I never stated that I intended to post online, much less did I ask for a refund to prevent such posting. I asked for a refund for a second procedure that was not performed, and I said that if this was not rectified I would pursue administrative remedies with the State of New York. It was at this point he threatened me with police and legal action. The idea of a post came from him in exchange for $750. He asked me to do a partial write-up focused only on beard hair into the donor and to omit the other issues; once I cut my hair short and could see the recipient area more clearly, even that claimed success was questionable to me. I responded that if I ever shared anything publicly, it would be the full truth, not a partial truth. His threats to me were written on the advice of his legal counsel. I spoke to his attorney. I also spoke to the police precinct and district attorney he claimed to have filed a report. None of that ever happened. I was told explicitly by the police that this is a civil matter. At this point, I state freely and emphatically, I want nothing from Dr. Bloxham, including a financial exchange of any kind. I have never been treated like this by another physician.
Summary of my observations: In my view, the nape area appeared over harvested given the very limited amount of hair that were alleged to have been placed (I never received a graft breakdown but it was supposed to be around 100 grafts). The beard and chest hair into my donor may have produced some yield, but nothing cosmetically significant at shorter lengths. I observed the hairline to be significantly sparser than before surgery, and the harvested regions showed significantly more hypopigmentation and raised scarring than I experienced in my previous surgeries. Additionally, I received police/DA threats when I requested a financial remedy for the unperformed surgery that I declined as a result of undesirable results.
Screenshots are redacted for privacy—contact details removed. Moderators can verify originals privately if needed. Quotes above are verbatim from the messages sent to my by Dr. Bloxham.