Like/regret your hair transplant?

Has anyone here undergone a hair transplant with an IAHRS member surgeon and regretted your decision? Or are you glad you went through with your transplant, even if it didn't fully meet your pre-op expectations?

Sorry! For that!

Sorry it has taken me some time to respond to this; Spencer pointed this post to me a few weeks ago, and since then I haven’t had the chance to put together an intelligent answer.

I have had 3 hairs transplants: one with Bosley Medical in year 2000 (regret) and 2 with IAHRS doctors (Doctor McAndrews in 2008 and Doctor Alexander in 2009). I do not regret my hair transplants with my IAHRS doctors. I love my new head of hair. It’s restored the feeling of comfort in my own skin, it has improved my general attitude, especially in social settings, and it has given me back a high level of confidence. I enjoy it so much that I do not even think about the linear scar I have as a result of the hair transplant surgery. In my opinion, if hair transplant surgery is approached with the right attitude and research, then the chances of regretting one’s decision are very low, and perhaps not even possible. In my case, I was unwilling to be bald. My social life is hard enough as a man of short stature, and I was not willing to exacerbate it with hair loss. I don’t foresee regretting my hair transplants in the future, but I also acknowledge that anything is possible.

In terms of approaching hair transplant surgery with the right attitude and research so that you acquire the highest probability of never regretting hair transplant surgery, based on my experience and things I have learned from The Bald Truth and Spencer Kobren, I’d recommend the following:

1. Always treat hair transplant surgery as a last resort to treating your hair loss – as Spencer says, hair transplant surgery “will always be there”. Remember this, too: “one you’re cut, you’re cut.” Hair transplantation is irreversible. Using it as a last resort makes perfect sense. If you try FDA-approved medication for example as a first resort, you may be lucky with excellent success, and delay the need for hair transplant surgery for years. And who knows? By then your attitude may have shifted about your hair loss and surgery, and you may never have to undergo surgery, thereby eliminating the possibility of regretting it. Also consider other possible therapies, such as PRP, to see how your hair loss responds to it.

2. If you do choose to have hair transplant surgery, do your research! If you ever seek advice before getting hair transplant surgery, you’ll hear the words “do your research”, over and over again. Great! But how do you do it? First, in my opinion, choose a doctor under the umbrella of the IAHRS – they are the elite. You seem to understand this already. In the past I wrote an entire blog specifically on the topic of doing research in hair transplantation, and Spencer, being as cool as he is, was kind enough to publish it on his website. You can check it out here, if interested: http://www.thebaldtruth.com/author/teejay/

3. Lifelong commitment. If you do leap into the hair transplant abyss, remember too that you should be committed to it for the ultimate long haul – your whole life! But that’s a good thing: a lifelong head of hair. In my opinion, and based on the advice of my doctors, one should be willing to (i) acknowledge that more than one hair transplant may be needed in one’s life in order to reach a cosmetic result that is pleasing to the patient and (ii) take medication – such as Propecia® - for life. The reason for ongoing medication is twofold: to prevent further hair loss of any remaining native hair you have and to protect your investment in your hair transplant. It can be expensive – I have spent just under $30K.

4. Keep your expectations in check. If you’re one of the unfortunate that didn’t dodge the bullet of the hair loss gene, then remember that if you choose hair transplantation, you need to keep your expectations in check. This is critical. We can never get our teenage hairlines or teenage density back, nor should we. Hair transplants can only redistribute remaining hair across the head; it’s not a cure and it doesn’t create hair. It’s a cosmetic band-aid; a cosmetic illusion. But it can be an awesome one! Remember that you only need 50% density restored to create the illusion of 100% fullness, since the eye cannot distinguish the difference. Coupling this with an “age appropriate” hairline (a naturally higher hairline than a teenage hairline, which requires less hair to create), that looks good NOW and long into your future, the art of redistributing remaining hair can give a man a head of hair that makes him incredibly happy.

5. If you “aren’t sure” if you may one day regret your hair transplant, no matter how much research you have done, no matter how much you dislike your current state of hair loss, no matter how much your expectations are in line with what is possible, then put your hair transplant on hold. This of course is my opinion. But I’d say that if you have even the smallest inkling that you may regret your hair transplant some day, then put it on hold. Why not? Sure, it may absolutely suck to live through your current baldness, but remember, hair transplant surgery will always be there. And by putting it on hold, this gives you time to try FDA-approved medications and up-and-coming therapies, such as PRP. But also, and very importantly, it gives your emotions about hair transplantation time to stabilize. And once they finally stabilize, you may be in a very different place – emotionally, physically, mentally etc. – with respect to your hair loss and interest in getting surgery.

Hope this helps!

TeeJay

This is a great post full of really solid advice, TeeJay!

I regret it. I would give anything to go back in time and undo this hair transplant. I would love to be able to shave my head

The hair transplant just does not look natural, even though I was promised a naturally appearing hairline from a "recommended" surgeon. And the strip scar? Even though my strip scar is not very wide, it is still THERE. And there is no way that I can ever buzz my hair short because of this permanent scar. EVER. I have a permanent line in the back of my head, just like all the other strip victims who have posted.

The bottom line? Do NOT get a hair transplant. Accept that you are balding and that you still look good. Do not make the same mistake I made. If I can persuade just one person to stay away from a hair transplant, then I will feel like my suffering is not in vain. Good luck with your decision.

Don't Do It

I think an important question must be asked about the future of hair transplants and whether they are a good idea. My current thinking is that if Histogen pulls off their new therapy, hair transplants will be a bad idea, because transplanted follicles will interfere with the rejuvenated ones.

On the other hand, if Aderans comes up with the goods, it won't really matter.

Personally, I'm going to wait for a few years first and stick to the big three. I'm used to looking awful and a few more years won't hurt in order to get it right.

Also, I'm looking at emigrating somewhere hot and seriously thinking, no matter how much I hate the look, that I might need a shorter cut for a while. I've learned recently that it doesn't matter if you look like a twat, as we baldies do; it's our intelligence and experience that sells.

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Originally Posted by don'tdoit

i regret it. I would give anything to go back in time and undo this hair transplant. I would love to be able to shave my head

the hair transplant just does not look natural, even though i was promised a naturally appearing hairline from a "recommended" surgeon. And the strip scar? Even though my strip scar is not very wide, it is still there. And there is no way that i can ever buzz my hair short because of this permanent scar. Ever. I have a permanent line in the back of my head, just like all the other strip victims who have posted.

The bottom line? Do not get a hair transplant. Accept that you are balding and that you still look good. Do not make the same mistake i made. If i can persuade just one person to stay away from a hair transplant, then i will feel like my suffering is not in vain. Good luck with your decision.

Don't do it

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omg what a downer!!:(

Don’tdoit, who was your “recommended doctor” and who is he recommended by? Was he recommended from this site?

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Originally Posted by Fixed by 35

I think an important question must be asked about the future of hair transplants and whether they are a good idea. My current thinking is that if Histogen pulls off their new therapy, hair transplants will be a bad idea, because transplanted follicles will interfere with the rejuvenated ones.

On the other hand, if Aderans comes up with the goods, it won't really matter.

Personally, I'm going to wait for a few years first and stick to the big three. I'm used to looking awful and a few more years won't hurt in order to get it right.

Also, I'm looking at emigrating somewhere hot and seriously thinking, no matter how much I hate the look, that I might need a shorter cut for a while. I've learned recently that it doesn't matter if you look like a twat, as we baldies do; it's our intelligence and experience that sells.

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What are "the big 3"? Rogaine, Propecia, and . . . ? Thank you! I only know of big 2 :)

Nizoral shampoo is the third. :)

I see . . . I take it Rogaine causes dandruff, and this shampoo cures that??

It was originally intended to treat dandruff but it was later found that the active ingredient, ketoconazole, inhibits the binding of DHT, and other androgens, to the target receptors. It is also a good anti-inflammatory and reduces sebum build-up.

Nizoral can be used 2-3 times a week and it is recommended that you leave it on for 5 minutes before rinsing to give it time to penetrate and really do its job.

I`ve had several hair transplants spanning a decade,the first few were terrible but my last few with Shapiro medical group were excellent.I`ll post an update on my crown soon as its looking amazing.

I am not happy with my results at all

I was a 3V, and wanted one and done, a doc and sales rep said it could be done....

I wanted to go to H&W but out of the country wasnt on the table

It is unnatural in the hairline touch up, poor angle, can't blend it with the native which has thinned
Scalp stretching has thinned out my native as well
my priority goal of crown work coverage was not achieved
and the scar still has tension

I use concealer now when i go anywhere important, and never had to in the past. Even with fine to med fine hair I had plenty of hair in the front. I wanted my hair line maintained or lowered, but it is higher now than before.

Many grafts were just place behind the existing hairline which confused me because we never talked about that at all during the consult.

If I had to do over, I would not have had the procedure done, the future is going to be a nightmare IMO, I thought after this I would be good for five to ten years as my hairloss was very slow.

There is no way all my graft grew, no way.

I could used a fix now, but I won't do strip again, when the donor is closed your scalp is pulled lower and backwards so much the temples become more and more exposed and the native hair becomes more see through. At lest that has been my experience.

and FUE is just too much risk.

Mr 4000, your experience is not unusual. There are many dissatisfied persons who have undergone hair transplants. These persons are trying to move on with their lives and are not posting on these forums.

I deeply regret getting a hair transplant. The hairline does not look natural and I have this permanent strip scar in the back of my head that prevents me from wearing a short hair style.

The bottom line? To everyone out there: Don't do it. Don't get a hair transplant. Don't make the same mistake that I made and that Mr 4000 made.

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Originally Posted by Don'tDoIt

Mr 4000, your experience is not unusual. There are many dissatisfied persons who have undergone hair transplants. These persons are trying to move on with their lives and are not posting on these forums.

I deeply regret getting a hair transplant. The hairline does not look natural and I have this permanent strip scar in the back of my head that prevents me from wearing a short hair style.

The bottom line? Don't do it. Don't get a hair transplant. Don't make the same mistake that I made.

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I already made the mistake

what are you doing to deal with the hairline?

I just had 1 procedure done and I'm not even considered finished with the total end result but it won't improve much from here. The hairline can be spotted a mile away.

It was a big mistake financially and cosmetically. I will never look the same, I hope the tension in the scar stops at some point. I still feel it a couple times a day.

I'm have to worry about every hair and how it lays or the transplants can be seen or my scalp shows in the front third, where it never did before. I have to say my surgeon came up small.

My sides are much lower from the scalp stretching and the back and crown is also lower. Even turn in my skull there are thin areas now where I had total coverage.

I though I was a great candidate because of my level of balding and the size of my head and donor availability, but I was wrong, more damage was done than improvement.

My problem was in the crown, but now it is in the crown and mostly the frontal third which really angers me.

I never had a problem getting out of the shower, towel dry my hair, and out the door, with the bald and thin crown.

Now its, is my hairline covered is the hair that used to be fine at 1 inch long enough to cover the stretched scalp? Did I use enough nanogen ( just to but that stuff is embarrassing to me after spending the money I did.

I have seriously considered consulting with a lawyer but want to work it out with my doc first, I think that is only fair. I'm sure they are not trying for poor results

The time, recovery, travel and money is the worst part to even consider doing this again, People who take this lightly are insane.

I agree don't do it, not matter what age and level you are.

My doctor keeps asking me to take propecia and rogaine, and I says to him, what the hell is the point of the HT if I'm taking drugs and spending money on rogaine? I understand the whole keep what you have, but my hairloss has stabilized for the last 3 years own its own. I did have one shed after the transplant, but was told that is normal.

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Originally Posted by Mr. 4000

I am not happy with my results at all

I was a 3V, and wanted one and done, a doc and sales rep said it could be done....

I wanted to go to H&W but out of the country wasnt on the table

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Who was your doctor, then?

If you don't want to identify anyone specifically, was it at least one of the doctors of fine reputation who is frequently mentioned in this forum, or was it just some local doctor who does not have a wider reputation for excellence?

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Originally Posted by gmonasco

Who was your doctor, then?

If you don't want to identify anyone specifically, was it at least one of the doctors of fine reputation who is frequently mentioned in this forum, or was it just some local doctor who does not have a wider reputation for excellence?

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no names, but decent rep

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Originally Posted by Don'tDoIt

Mr 4000, your experience is not unusual. There are many dissatisfied persons who have undergone hair transplants. These persons are trying to move on with their lives and are not posting on these forums.

I deeply regret getting a hair transplant. The hairline does not look natural and I have this permanent strip scar in the back of my head that prevents me from wearing a short hair style.

The bottom line? Don't do it. Don't get a hair transplant. Don't make the same mistake that I made.

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It is true that many dissatisfied patients do not post on the forums. More than anything, they tend to blame themselves.

lets bump this, this could be the most important thread ever on this board.

How many people are 100% satisfied with their first HT?

Was it worth the time and money?

Did you have to do a second to save face?

Where are all the experts on this board? You are going to get the truth from the doctors and their staff? THere is not one doctor around even the one's that post here, that would ever dare to tell you about the case of unhappy clients.

I had a Sales Rep tell me she never seen one bad result come out of a certain doctors office when I asked her what was the worst she has seen. Funny how I know more than she does. Go figure.

Interesting thread. I do think a lot of people aren't satisfied with their results...which is a shame. Even good doctors can't 100% guarantee a good result I guess...it's a risk.


Hair loss still sucks really bad in the 21st century...

I kinda respect you guys for not saying the names of your doctors...but just say it? Why not? I think it is fair.

Mr. 4000, I thought you made a decent post but then...you ended it saying "why use propecia and rogaine"

That is one of the dumbest things anyone can say, really. Rogaine/minoxidil has basically given me the result of one or more good hairtransplants on it's own! Propecia looks like it is helping me maintain the rest.

So, if I decide to get a hair transplant in the future....should I stop using these drugs? Hell no.Your blaming your doctor for hair loss. Hair transplants aren't a cure.



I am really sorry to hear your frustration and disappointment though.


Please though, consider mentioning your doctors.

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Originally Posted by KeepTheHair

Interesting thread. I do think a lot of people aren't satisfied with their results...which is a shame. Even good doctors can't 100% guarantee a good result I guess...it's a risk.


Hair loss still sucks really bad in the 21st century...

I kinda respect you guys for not saying the names of your doctors...but just say it? Why not? I think it is fair.

Mr. 4000, I thought you made a decent post but then...you ended it saying "why use propecia and rogaine"

That is one of the dumbest things anyone can say, really. Rogaine/minoxidil has basically given me the result of one or more good hairtransplants on it's own! Propecia looks like it is helping me maintain the rest.

So, if I decide to get a hair transplant in the future....should I stop using these drugs? Hell no.Your blaming your doctor for hair loss. Hair transplants aren't a cure.



I am really sorry to hear your frustration and disappointment though.


Please though, consider mentioning your doctors.

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I blaming my doc for a bad hair transplant. Every patient expects their graft to grow, plain and simple.

Some people can't use the hairloss drugs because of their side effects, which I believe the understated by the clinical studies.

That is probably the reason people choose to have a HT in the first place.

My post was not derived from you positive response to propec and minox, it was based on my experience with having a HT, after trying the drugs with no success.

but thanks for your input anyway, and I'm glad it is working for you.

This thread is not about me, lets keep it on topic.

We want people to post if they were happy or not with their procedure. PLain and simple, cut and dry.

I said NO.

So, your blaming the doctor but not naming him?

If rogaine did nothing for you then don't use it, I agree. But you have to use propecia if it doesn't give you sides or you will just lose more and more hair.


I was actually considering a hair transplant again recently but really I don't think it's a good idea. I mean... I have decent hair..just not great. I think I can potentially make things much much worse. I think if hair transplants where risk free then spencer would not be using concealer but would have rather had FUE done. I think he did the smart and responsible thing and didn't do it. I think if you still have a decent head of hair that a hairtransplant can do more harm than good.

It really sucks that we don't have any cost effective and risk free methods to solve this problem. I think we will in the coming years though, just a pitty it's going to take so damn long.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KeepTheHair

So, your blaming the doctor but not naming him?

If rogaine did nothing for you then don't use it, I agree. But you have to use propecia if it doesn't give you sides or you will just lose more and more hair.


I was actually considering a hair transplant again recently but really I don't think it's a good idea. I mean... I have decent hair..just not great. I think I can potentially make things much much worse. I think if hair transplants where risk free then spencer would not be using concealer but would have rather had FUE done. I think he did the smart and responsible thing and didn't do it. I think if you still have a decent head of hair that a hairtransplant can do more harm than good.

It really sucks that we don't have any cost effective and risk free methods to solve this problem. I think we will in the coming years though, just a pitty it's going to take so damn long.

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yes I will not name the doctor and compromise the ability to work with him to find a solution. If we find a solution/fix then I will be happy, right now I'm not.

I do not disagree with anything you are saying about the drugs, it does give me side effects, so I can't take it.

I see, that makes sense.


Good luck to you. I hope you and your doctor can work something out. Let us know.

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Originally Posted by KeepTheHair

I see, that makes sense.


Good luck to you. I hope you and your doctor can work something out. Let us know.

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Yes sir Keep, I surely will.

I've had one HT and my doc did an incredible job - don't regret it in the slightest - only wish I had the cash to get one more to fill the crown. Kept taking propecia afterward as it stopped my hair loss many years ago and continues to do the job. My scar is almost invisible. He was expensive though - but this wasn't something I was going to skimp on!

where are the people who had work done? Are you happy with your work or did you need more?

I had four seperate procedures starting in 1996. My graft total to date is roughly 6900 strip grafts. Am I satisfied 100%? No. But I did my reserach over the years and kept my goals and expectations within my limitations. I am happy overall and never had anyone stare at my hair and ask me if I had a HT.

I've had several hair restoration procedures old (early 90's) and recent strip fut. with an ISHRS doctor to try and fix the mess caused by the earlier older procedures both old and new performed by the same doctor here in Australia.

[B]Two very very bad life changing things have happenned to me:1./ Coming home from work when I was an 18 year old kid and finding my mother dead in her bed (she was only 49) I'm almost that age now.

[/B]2./ Attempting to remedy my hairloss problem surgically: There was no internet back then, very few books and very few straight answers from anyone involved in medicine at all. The yellow pages and whatever literature the doctor gave you was all you had to go by. Ashley and Martin tried to sell me a $1,500 couse of shampoo which ofcourse would not have worked.
If you were looking to remedy your hairloss surgically before 1996 you were probably going to end up in big trouble (until 1996 when someone finally discovered how to use a microscope, treatments were still in the 1950's)

I even saw a specialist (Dermatologist) who also advised of the limited and morbid options available at the time around 1992-1993....so I did everything right.....the only thing I did wrong was go through with it.

Now many years later after living under a cap or wig I attempted to tidy the mess up with some modern FUT but after 12 months it has not grown properly, the area is more scalp than skin, comparing the photos which I took post op to my present condition only about half of the grafts have grown and the ones that have are weak and thin, I do however have fine straight hair but the transplanted hairs are DHT resistant so they should be thicker, maybe 12 months is too early, or more than likely the scarring from earlier surgery has created an unfavourable environment for the FUT transplants.

They say life is about experiences, well my experience has led me to a greater understanding of the full meaning of certain verbal cliche's which have been around for a long time, here is some which I relate to my experience ad hope that younger men out there considering a transplant may think about, some I've added myself and some I've just read on similar forums.

Don't cut what can be untied:
Don't make permanent decisions when in a temporary state of mind:
Regret if really severe turns into anger and depression and lasts a life time:
A bad hair transplant goes deeper than the body...it cuts into the soul:
Suicide.....a permanent solution to a temporary problem, don't try it, work through your problems here on earth, the afterlife probably does not have a solution:
Remember todays "state of the art" hair transplant is tomorrow's butchery:
If you have to sign a waiver before surgery is the surgeon any good?
The Scalpel has been no friend of mine and has changed my life forever, from the first cut onwards it is forever!
If you are uncertain what to do, especially if emotion is involved..DO NOTHING
The saying "a step in the wrong direction is better than standing still" DOES NOT APPLY TO HAIR TRANSPLANTS:

The real winners in the hairloss battle are the guys who shave their heads and are proud of themselves, from the first day of surgery (excluding FUE) a shaved head is not an option.....ever.

In my opinion the entire hairloss industry over the decades both surgical and non surgical has been an utter disgrace, compare the cost of a hair transplant with other cosmetic procedures (liposuction, nose job etc) they don't cost $30,000 and offer far more predictable results from what I have read. A full hair transplant should at the very best cost $10,000 and I don't care how much work is involved. I sincerely hope that soon one of the companies like Histogen succeeds in finding a viable cure, I wish them all the best, if they do it will keep greedy HT doctors in check and at the very least bring hair transplant costs down to an acceptable level.
Given mankind's natural greed I am astonished that a cure has not been found yet.......the pot of gold would be similar to oil company revenue.

I wish Histogen and other similar companies all the best to finding a cure so that hairloss sufferers all over the world can actually get something universally viable for their money

In spite of my negative journey I am happy to hear of the patients who are pleased with their results, but please think carefully about it especially if you are still young (in your 20's with an unpredictable hairloss forecast)

Thanks for reading this post which turned out more like a thesis than a post.

If I can stop just one young man from having to go through the grief and torment which I have had to, then that's one less in the world which is a good thing :)

I've had several hair restoration procedures old (early 90's) and recent strip fut. with an ISHRS doctor to try and fix the mess caused by the earlier older procedures both old and new performed by the same doctor. (sorry for not naming him but I still have to try and work things out with him)

Two very very bad life changing things have happenned to me:

1./ Coming home from work when I was an 18 year old kid and finding my mother dead in her bed (she was only 49) I'm almost that age now.

2./ Attempting to remedy my hairloss problem surgically:
There was no internet back then (1992) very few books, the yellow pages and whatever literature the doctor gave you was all you had to go by. Some mob tried to sell me a $1,500 couse of shampoo which of course would not have worked (blocked follicles? Give me a break)
If you were looking to remedy your hairloss surgically before 1996 you were probably going to end up in big trouble (until 1996 when someone finally discovered how to use a microscope, treatments were still in the 1950's) There was no Propecia either!

Hairloss surgery has lagged behind other cosmetic procedures by at least half a century in my opinion...was it medical dogma.....ignorance....who knows?

I even saw a specialist (Dermatologist who had a full head of hair......bastard LOL) who also advised of the limited and morbid options available at the time around 1992-1993....so I did everything right.....the only thing I did wrong was go through with it.

Now many years later after living under a cap or wig I attempted to tidy the mess up with some modern FUT but after 12 months it has not grown properly, the area is more scalp than skin, comparing the photos which I took post op to my present condition only about half of the grafts have grown and the ones that have are weak and thin, I do however have fine straight hair but the transplanted hairs are DHT resistant so they should be thicker, maybe 12 months is too early, or more than likely the scarring from earlier surgery has created an unfavourable environment for the FUT transplants.

They say life is about experiences, well my experience has led me to a greater understanding of the full meaning of certain verbal cliche's which have been around for a long time, here is some which I relate to my experience and hope that younger men out there considering a transplant may think about, some I've added myself and some I've just read on similar forums.

Don't cut what can be untied:
Don't make permanent decisions when in a temporary state of mind:
Regret if really severe turns into anger and depression and lasts a life time:
A bad hair transplant goes deeper than the body...it cuts into the soul:
Suicide.....a permanent solution to a temporary problem, don't try it, work through your problems here on earth, the afterlife probably does not have a solution:
Remember todays "state of the art" hair transplant is tomorrow's butchery:
Remember hair transplants do NOT give you more hair:
If you have to sign a waiver before surgery is the surgeon any good?
The Scalpel has been no friend of mine and has changed my life forever, from the first cut onwards it is forever!
If you are uncertain what to do, especially if emotion is involved..DO NOTHING
The saying "a step in the wrong direction is better than standing still" DOES NOT APPLY TO HAIR TRANSPLANTS:
The mistakes you make today become the person tomorrow:
Hair pieces are not for everyone but you can at least take them off if you don't like it.......you can't take a hair transplant off.
The good news and the bad news is that hair transplants are permanent:
As a performing musician hair pieces have been a good friend to me, get a rough spikey wind in the hair looking one rather than the really bad bank manager parted on one side looking ones, and get salt and pepper with blonde fleckes through it and have your natural hair streaked to match, otherwise they fade and can be noticed from the other side of the street:

The real winners in the hairloss battle are the guys who shave their heads and are proud of themselves, from the first day of surgery (excluding FUE) a shaved head is not an option...........ever.

In my opinion the entire hairloss industry over the decades both surgical and non surgical has been an utter disgrace, compare the cost of a hair transplant with other cosmetic procedures (liposuction, nose job etc) they don't cost $30,000 and offer far more predictable results from what I have read. A full hair transplant should at the very best cost $10,000 and I don't care how much work is involved. I sincerely hope that soon one of the companies like Histogen succeeds in finding a viable cure, I wish them all the best, if they do it will at the very least bring hair transplant costs down to an acceptable level.
Given mankind's natural greed I am astonished that a cure has not been found yet.......the pot of gold would be similar to oil company revenue...........they could buy a country!

I wish Histogen and other similar companies all the best to finding a cure so that hairloss sufferers all over the world can actually get something universally viable for their money...........a cure!

In spite of my negative journey I am happy to hear of the patients who are pleased with their results, but please think carefully about it especially if you are still young (in your 20's with an unpredictable hairloss forecast)

Thanks for reading this post which turned out more like a thesis than a post.

If I can stop just one young man from having to go through the grief and torment which I have had to, then that's one less in the world which is a good thing :)

muso, thank you for that excellent post. You are absolutely right. To anyone out there considering a hair transplant, please remember that you could be making a big mistake, especially if you go to the wrong surgeon.

When in doubt, Don't Do It.

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Originally Posted by muso

Given mankind's natural greed I am astonished that a cure has not been found yet.......the pot of gold would be similar to oil company revenue...........they could buy a country!

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I don't think a lack of greed is any part of the problem! I'd say that (at least until very recently) there really hasn't been any viable line of research to pursue, so anyone attempting to find a hair loss solution was just risking pouring money into a black hole.

Cheers don'tdoit, I would also like to pay tribute to the surgeons out there who specialise in repair work especially in difficult cases with depleted donor hair (most if not all cases) these doctors are truly inspirational, they are saints, some of their results in what looked like truly hopeless cases a simply remarkable. In spite of being very challenging work these particular surgeons I'm sure must feel personally moved when they can bring about a positive result for these patients, it must indeed be very satisfying for them to be able to do this.

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Originally Posted by gmonasco

I don't think a lack of greed is any part of the problem! I'd say that (at least until very recently) there really hasn't been any viable line of research to pursue, so anyone attempting to find a hair loss solution was just risking pouring money into a black hole.

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Yes there are also probably more important medical issues to direct the vast sums of research money required into such as cancer research, my comment was more directed tongue in cheek at the human race rather than medical scientists, posibly the non embryonic stem cell research will open up treatments high priority serious conditions such as cancer, spinal cord injury, diabetes, etc and also for lower priority......hairloss.

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Originally Posted by muso

Yes there are also probably more important medical issues to direct the vast sums of research money required into such as cancer research

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For research financed by government or public funding, sure. But private industry is driven by what has the potential for the most profit rather than what's perceived as being the most important.

If pursuit of profit within the private industry sector still finds a cure for these medical ailments through research it's still a good thing with a win win result :)

It's surreal when you are sitting in the consult room talking to the doctor who performed all these procedures, everything seems so "normal" and you behave "normal" in spite of the effect his surgery has had on you and your entire family etc for the last 20 years, every aspect of your life has been effected by the surgery but you still behave properly :mad: you even crack the odd joke here and there.

It's strange how nice and "proper" your behaviour is towards the doctor, it's a strange kind of bond that develops, it's a peculiar bond in that it is similar to the bond (in my opinion) that sometimes occurs between hostages and there captors after the seige is over, the event was so close and personal whether it be positive or negative this strange bond exists and you will always feel close to them no matter what they have done to you, there is probably a proper clinical name for it. I think it is because they have had such an enormous impact on your everyday life that (through your eyes) this gives them enormous power over you and we respect power whether it be positive or negative.

I am only talking about my personal experience and the way I feel, I'm not sure of how the doctor feels about me, I'm just a patient with poor HT results I guess, I don't know.
Nor am I aware of how other patients feel towards their doctors when in my situation.

Then leaving the surgery someone on the road cuts you off (no big deal hasn't ruined your life) and you blast your horn and call them an idiot :o

I do regret my strip surgery. I used Dr. McGrath in Austin. 2000 grafts were please too much on the front and not enough were I specifically asked. The direction of the hair is up and out to the sides making my hair harder to style and blend and also as my hair thins the direction of the transplanted hair is more noticable. I do have to say that I have a very thin scar and have gone down to a 2 with no issues. However. I just got it filled this month so when I go to Dr. Koray Erdogan in December for FUE the scar will be less noticable with a shave. I originally wanted FUE but Dr. McGrath's sales person talked me into the strip saying "you will still have dotted scars with the FUE and the FUT can be covered later.. and you will get better results". Well.. i have seen videos and pics of buzzed FUE clients and it is not noticable at all to me. Dr. McGrath's sales person also said that I would not lose all the hair on top and if I did it could be brought back to what I currently had at the time of that surgery 2 and a half years ago. We'll see. I would gove anything to go back and undo FUT. I would much rather have a buzzed balding head then a thin comb over because I can't buzz when I get older. I am hoping that Dr. Ergadon will be able to produce nice results.

There are so many benefits to FUE over FUT. Dr. Erdogan talks about the homogenization of hair over the scalp which looks much better and more natural and also allows for more grafts to be taken over the whole head and placed in the balding area for a more even look. Especially when buzzed. God I wish I would not have had FUT.

I had surgery with Dr. Wong 5 months ago. So far it's looking pretty good. At this point I do not regret it, how knows down the line. I totally understand the idea of no one really needs a HT and just trying to accept baldness and go on about your life is the best option. Too late for me though.