Dr. Pak in LA vs Hasson Wong?

[baldguy123]

Hi guys just trying to gather some thoughts on Dr. Pak in particular at New Hair Intitute in LA. What do you guys know? They have 5 star reviews on Real Self but can this be trusted? I met Pak in person and i really like him and trust him but not sure if his work is like top top.

Considering this vs Hasson Wong potentially, but the rep at HW takes so god damn long to get back to me and also i get the sense that the docs there are stuck up as they are so reluctant to have a 1 on 1 phone conversation with a potential client (me). Why is this?? Is this something to be concerned about? Dr. Pak and Rassman get back to me ASAP and they are always willing to chat almost anytime. Personally i like this style WAY better but im more concerned about the doctor’s actual ability obviously.

Can you guys please help me out with what yall think here??? Price would be about the same.

[baldguy123]

Bump.
Common guys I could use some input!!

[JoeTillman]

I tried answering before but my log in expired and lost it

I think the question to ask yourself is; if you were in the chair having surgery, how would you feel if your doctor kept getting up to go speak with potential future patients on the phone, Skype or face to face? You can't have it both ways so if you like the fact that you have access to the doctor(s) as often as you say you do, you have to ask yourself what their patients think of this that happen to be having surgery that day.

Response time aside, consultants have a job to do because most doctors don't have time to do it themselves. There are exceptions of course but you have to decide what is more important to you and go from there.

[baldguy123]

Thank you Joe.

That is an excellent point yes. I guess I didn’t really think of yet that way but yeah if the docs are spending a ton of time with me I suppose it could be an indicator that they prioritize potential clients over current clients. Hard to tell but it’s a good point. When I ask myself that question I would not like it if they were always getting up to chat with potential clients. Idk if this would happen mid surgery but I wouldn’t like if.

Can you comment at all on Pak’s skill or what you know about NHI? I am having a hard time finding info on forums about him and Rassman which I was surprised to find because they are so highly rated on Real Self and Yelp. Can these 2 sites not be trusted for their reviews? I’m really confused here as I’m new to this research but am trying to do the surgery in like 3 months ideally.

Do you personally think it’s wise to speak with the actual doctor before scheduling the surgery? For example at HW it seems they try to dissuade me from that but from my perspective how do they expect me to say Ok to a $20K surgery without actually having a real word with the actual doctor? What do you think about this? I’m not sure how much I should be bothered by this point. Other than that I like the rep a lot but I have no idea what the docs are like so I’m just like .... I want to know that too.

Really really appreciate your responses and anyone else’s because I’m really trying to get some insight here. Thank you!!

[JoeTillman]

Thank you Joe.

That is an excellent point yes. I guess I didn’t really think of yet that way but yeah if the docs are spending a ton of time with me I suppose it could be an indicator that they prioritize potential clients over current clients. Hard to tell but it’s a good point. When I ask myself that question I would not like it if they were always getting up to chat with potential clients. Idk if this would happen mid surgery but I wouldn’t like if.

Can you comment at all on Pak’s skill or what you know about NHI? I am having a hard time finding info on forums about him and Rassman which I was surprised to find because they are so highly rated on Real Self and Yelp. Can these 2 sites not be trusted for their reviews? I’m really confused here as I’m new to this research but am trying to do the surgery in like 3 months ideally.

Do you personally think it’s wise to speak with the actual doctor before scheduling the surgery? For example at HW it seems they try to dissuade me from that but from my perspective how do they expect me to say Ok to a $20K surgery without actually having a real word with the actual doctor? What do you think about this? I’m not sure how much I should be bothered by this point. Other than that I like the rep a lot but I have no idea what the docs are like so I’m just like .... I want to know that too.

Really really appreciate your responses and anyone else’s because I’m really trying to get some insight here. Thank you!!

I know of NHI. They've been around forever and I've met Dr. Rassman and Dr. Pak, but with Dr. Pak my discussion was about SMP and not surgery. I have no idea as to what his surgical abilities are and I'm not aware of Dr. Rassmans's work of late.

Regarding Realself, and this reflects on no clinic in particular. I think it is one of the worst things to happen to the industry as it puts every clinic on a level playing field with new clinics that have no experience whatsoever. Patients have no idea who is better and the only indicators that the website gives is based on the volume of interaction the doctor (usually an employee in the clinic) interacts with readers. This is presented as being an indicator of quality with the designation "Top Doc", or however it is currently labeled. I discuss this in HT Class # 11.

https://youtu.be/wFCtm1eBEhk

Yes, there are reviewers, and that helps, but in general I'd never make a decision based on Realself. Yelp is one of the worst offenders for having unreliable reviews.

I think the best thing you can do is to continue your research and instead of trying to get a doctor on the phone, hop on a plane and go visit your top 5 choices for consideration. It will be worth it in the long run because this is a lifelong decision that you're considering.

[baldguy123]

Damn words of wisdom right here man. If there is anything i have learned in the past 7 - 14 days of heavy research it's that i DO NOT know ENOUGH. I am afraid I may need another full year or so of full research and actual doctor visits as you say in order to make the most informed decision I can. There is no point in rushing something like this and it should only be done after thorough research and having a strong conviction about your choice of doctor.

Thank you for your advice.

[JoeTillman]

If there is anything i have learned in the past 7 - 14 days of heavy research it's that i DO NOT know ENOUGH.

And THAT is your first step into understanding this f*cked up industry. Well done! There are guys that have been researching this for several years and they still don't get it. They spend entirely too much time learning about punch sizes, graft counts, etc. and never fully understand that there are only three things that matter.

1. Is the result aesthetically natural in appearance? In other words, does the donor region and the recipient region look like it has not been altered surgically?
2. Does the clinic have good after care? I'm not talking about guarantees because those are useless. I'm not talking about refunds, because I don't think those should be a part of the process. I'm talking about making sure you are proactively remembered after surgery and not treated like a number.
3. Do they check points one and two consistently?

If all three points are met, you found your clinic.

Good luck.

[baldguy123]

Thanks Joe. It’s a bit saddening to think I have to wait longer to get my HT but I think more research is absolute necessary until I feel 110% confident in any decision. Will be watching your vids from now on too