Looking for recommendations for HT doc in SoCal

[surfla]

I have had a few consults and am ready to move forward and was looking for anyone with suggestions for a doctor in LA, OC, SD. I did speak hear of and speak to someone at Dr. McAndrews office and was quoted $9/graft which would put this procedure out of my price range. Any suggestions would be much appreciated and I do understand the value of expertise here but just can not afford this procedure at that price. I've been told I will need 1200-1500 grafts. Thanks!

[Barrie]

I have had a few consults and am ready to move forward and was looking for anyone with suggestions for a doctor in LA, OC, SD. I did speak hear of and speak to someone at Dr. McAndrews office and was quoted $9/graft which would put this procedure out of my price range. Any suggestions would be much appreciated and I do understand the value of expertise here but just can not afford this procedure at that price. I've been told I will need 1200-1500 grafts. Thanks!

I think McAndrews is the guy to see in LA, but San Diego is close enough too. so have you checked with Dr. William Reed, Dr. Brandon Ross or Dr. James DeYarman? They are all in San Diego so maybe you could have a san diego consult day and see all three.

[surfla]

I think McAndrews is the guy to see in LA, but San Diego is close enough too. so have you checked with Dr. William Reed, Dr. Brandon Ross or Dr. James DeYarman? They are all in San Diego so maybe you could have a san diego consult day and see all three.

no, but i've spoken to them all on the phone. any suggestions or ideas between the three? tooooo much info to sift through LOL. that is a great idea however.

[Barrie]

Hair Transplant Consultation Whirlwind Weekend

no, but i've spoken to them all on the phone. any suggestions or ideas between the three? tooooo much info to sift through LOL. that is a great idea however.

Well I wish I had more knowledge of these guys to offer up a direction but I don't. I think most doctors don't actually charge for consultations so if it was me I would just see all of them. I'm am a crazy neurotic person and I'd come equipped with pre prepared questions, a camera, I'd ask to see photos and is possible a live walking patient. I'd probably ask if I could call a patient of theirs. And I'd do that with lots of docs before sitting down in a chair for the procedure. I hate leaving things to the unknown and would want to find the right one I felt most comfortable with. Take someone along too to get their opinion of the whole thing, preferably someone who is compassionate and understands hair loss. Plus san diego is a great place, so have dinner with a friend there after your consultation whirlwind weekend.

Or just wait for others to respond. LOL that is just what I would do.

[surfla]

Well I wish I had more knowledge of these guys to offer up a direction but I don't. I think most doctors don't actually charge for consultations so if it was me I would just see all of them. I'm am a crazy neurotic person and I'd come equipped with pre prepared questions, a camera, I'd ask to see photos and is possible a live walking patient. I'd probably ask if I could call a patient of theirs. And I'd do that with lots of docs before sitting down in a chair for the procedure. I hate leaving things to the unknown and would want to find the right one I felt most comfortable with. Take someone along too to get their opinion of the whole thing, preferably someone who is compassionate and understands hair loss. Plus san diego is a great place, so have dinner with a friend there after your consultation whirlwind weekend.

Or just wait for others to respond. LOL that is just what I would do.

right on. does anyone know of or have any feedback on Dr. Rassman in LA?

[Jkel]

Dr. McAndrews seems to be very well known, He probably charges so much because he is very sought after and people in LA have the money to spend, so good for him.

I don't know anything about Dr. Rassman, but he ‘s the doctor who was quoted in the LA time article. http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=700

I went to his blog and saw a huge banner promoting something called a BALDING BAILOUT program. Very tacky if you ask me, he’s riding the government bailout situation and using it as a marketing vehicle. It makes a mockery of hair transplant surgery and hair loss. I was shocked to see a promotion like this on a doctors website and I could never trust any doctor who promoted himself like this. Maybe he does do good surgery and has happy patients but this really turns me off.

[Winston]

Now I’ve seen everything, balding bailout, I’m speechless.

[the B spot]

Surfla---is there some reason you are unwilling to travel for a HT? It seems as if cost is just as important as quality to you and given these tough times, it should be.

On the west coast I recommend a consult with Hasson and Wong in Vancouver or Dr. Gabel in Oregon. The pricing of these clinics are in the 5.00 per graft range.

Market economics for just about everything in SoCal demand a higher cost than most regions of the country--people should not look poorly upon clinics who have fees higher than others---there are always other options, you just have to do some research.

Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Take Care,
Jason

[TeeJay73]

Surfla,

I had a hair transplant with Doctor McAndrews of Los Angeles in February of 2008, and I've been very happy with the outcome. I had 1,661 grafts, and it wasn't exactly cheap. But I would do it all over again in a heartbeat -- and I plan to do so sometime this year (2009). I am very pleased with my results and my experience. Doc McAndrews is a phenomenal guy -- a true advocate for his patients, caring, understanding, and real. For me, it was incredibly refreshing to have an HT with him after a previous experience that I entirely disliked with Bosley.

I'd say that if you can stretch your budget a little bit, then definitely consider Doctor McAndrews. I truly believe in his conservative philosophies and approach to HTs. And if you only need 1200 to 1500 grafts (assuming this ifo has come to you from a doctor, your hair loss has stabilized, and you're on Propecia, or something like this assortment of assumptions), then Doc McAndrews may the right fit for you. He does about 1600 grafts maximum per session, I believe.

I say consider Doc McAndrews because when it comes to physical appearance, I don't believe in price shopping. I certainly believe in price shopping for run-of-the-mill groceries or high definition televisions, but not when it comes to physical appearance. And one of the reasons Doc McAndrews can command a higher price, I believe, is not just because he is in LA, but because he produces results -- they key in any HT. I don't really see why LA would drive his prices. In my mind, he could command his prices anywhere -- Chicago, Tennessee, Egypt, Jupiter, you name it :-) And I have heard Spencer say numerous times that not one person has ever complained about their experience or results from Doc McAndrews.

At the same time, I do understand the money thing. I'm not rich and it took me quite some time (years) to afford my HT. And, luckily for guys like us, we ca SAFELY price-shop for HTs under the umbrella of the IAHRS. Especially with clinics like Hasson & Wong (they're incredible!) and the many others.

Well, good luck man, keep us posted.

TeeJay

[the B spot]

Teejay-I am glad you have had a great experience with Dr. McAndrews. I am always heartened to hear positive experiences over the all too many negative ones

However, I think your looking at this the wrong way. There are 2 places in the US that command a noticeably higher cost for services: SoCal and N.Y. ---The reason being EVERYTHING costs more in these 2 locations--higher cost for office space, technicians, insurance, and in general a higher cost of living. This certainly has an effect on the price of cosmetic surgery.

Another point is that if you do proper research and you are considering 3-4 fantastic clinics, why would you consent to pay more when each of the clinics are for all intents and purposes equal? If you want a 2009 Cadillac CTS and you check 2-3 dealerships--do you pay the highest price for the same car? Or do buy the same car at another dealership for less?


Take Care,
Jason

[Jeffrey Epstein, MD]

It's a small world out there

Surfla- The beautiful thing about technology is that it allows the prospective patient to choose amongst doctors from throughout the world. Email, plane travel that makes it possible to have a procedure from a doctor outside of your state and be back at home the very next day, live web consults using a webcam, and websites that allow you to compare different doctors' work- empowers the patient to find the very best doctor for himself/herself.
Studies in medicine have chosen that when it comes to medical procedures/treatments, there is in fact tremendous variability in treatment outcomes, and that patients should have a way to gather this information to find the very best doctor- and you have that ability by sites such as this!
Dr. McAndrews is an excellent surgeon- and a great guy- and of course being local it is an advantage, so I encourage you to strongly consider him. Cost should always be an important consideration, but not the most important, because this is a result you will be "wearing" for the rest of your life- the number of reparative procedures I perform weekly gives testimony to the problems caused by poorly performed transplants. You need to truly find the best surgeon and make sure you get your transplant procedure done right.
Good luck.

[TeeJay73]

Teejay-I am glad you have had a great experience with Dr. McAndrews. I am always heartened to hear positive experiences over the all too many negative ones

However, I think your looking at this the wrong way. There are 2 places in the US that command a noticeably higher cost for services: SoCal and N.Y. ---The reason being EVERYTHING costs more in these 2 locations--higher cost for office space, technicians, insurance, and in general a higher cost of living. This certainly has an effect on the price of cosmetic surgery.

Another point is that if you do proper research and you are considering 3-4 fantastic clinics, why would you consent to pay more when each of the clinics are for all intents and purposes equal? If you want a 2009 Cadillac CTS and you check 2-3 dealerships--do you pay the highest price for the same car? Or do buy the same car at another dealership for less?


Take Care,
Jason

Jason,

I don't believe I necessarily agree with you in this post. But the disagreement is a healthy one, and, one of the beauties of this forum is that it permits healthy debate and differences of opinion amongst its seasoned members. Ultimately this permits the seekers of information (i.e., the hair loss sufferers) the ability to gather as many perspectives as possible, to decide which perspective best suits him/her, before making his/her important and potentially life-changing decision in treating hair loss.

Here is my thinking. First, there are many clinics in Southern California that charge incredibly cheap prices for hair transplant surgery. This can be easily confirmed with Google searching. In fact, not too long ago, I had the privilege of being a guest on The Bald Truth radio show with Spencer Kobren. Outside of his studio, Spencer pointed me to a sign in front of an office building that very brightly illuminated "$2 bucks per graft", or something absurdly "cheap" like that. Not too far from it, there was another sign that advertised 69 cents per hair! Both of these signs belonged to hair transplant clinics that are in the very heart of Los Angeles, where, as you correctly say, the cost of living may be comparably high. But, what one clinic may not get obtain in revenue with low pricing per grafts, they can make up in volume. So, the unsuspecting hair loss sufferers may get cheap prices, and the clinic may get lots of patients due to the cheap prices (hence money), but the results in all likelihood will be poor and insignificant.

To me, this strongly supports the fact that an IAHRS surgeon like Doctor McAndrews, irrespective of location, could command higher pricing for his hair transplant surgeries. His results are PHENOMENAL, he is a true advocate of his patients, he has a record of ZERO complaints, he is directly involved in every step of every surgery, including graft placement, and he is an awesome guy. Sure, if Doctor McAndrews dropped his prices by half, he could make up for it in volume of patients, but with his directly-involved-in-every-step philosophy, he'd have so many patients that he'd probably lose any resemblance of a healthy life-balance. Doctor McAndrews doesn't command higher prices because he practices in Los Angeles, but rather because the prices he commands are directly congruent to the superiority of his services and results and directly in-line with what the market will bear for them.

Second, I can't seem to comprehend how one's cognitive mechanisms and thought processes behind buying a car could be the same as those involved in buying cosmetic surgery. In my humble opinion, they simply cannot be compared. When buying a car, of course I'd go for the lowest price. But when seeking a hair transplant, the first thing that I would personally do is eliminate price as a variable. I'd make perfectly certain that I have more-than-sufficient funds to finance my surgery at whatever clinic gave me the feeling of a "connection"; the kind of bond that can't be purchased or described, but gives me the gut-instinct comfort that the doctor who will lead the charge in a surgery that will physically and permanently alter my appearance to the world will truly care about my outcome and my results. To me, this is priceless.

TeeJay

[the B spot]

teejay---welcome the debate. However, I refuse to consider poor quality clinics in the equation. Hence the buying a car analogy.

You can consent to paying a particular fee for a particular clinic if your satisfied that a particular clinic meets your needs and your research tells you this particular doctor is the ONE for you. Then assuredly there is no reason to even mention price.

However, if everything is equal (ie it is essentially the same car) AFTER all your research, you typically measure cost/convenience/connection with a clinic to make a decision.

So, if your deciding between a convenient SoCal clinic that charges 9.00 per graft, or another clinic that produces the same level of work at roughly half the cost, where do you go?

My point isn't necessarily about price---but price should factor in the equation once all research is completed.

It is about fiscal responsibility more than anything---and it is nice for those who have money to make "cosmetic surgery decisions" without factoring in cost, but from most of the patients I speak with on a daily/weekly basis---cost is a HUGE issue.

The HT client has gotten younger, and therefore cost is an issue.

So again, cost IS important and just because you can afford a particular clinic, it does not lessen the value of another clinic that does amazing work at a substantially lower rate.

It also does nothing to diminish the clinic that charges double the other clinics rates either as long as the work is world class.

Take Care,
Jason