A 1984 Bosley Patient

[ericdiablo]

Zip,

Your best bet is to find a great plastic surgeon to determine if they can minimize your scars through excision and laser treatments.

Other users have made a great point in this thread. Many of the doctors listed on the IAHRS website performed scalp reductions years ago. These same doctors are now profiteering by selling "corrective" procedures for their own work.

Until the hair transplant industry becomes regulated by the American Medical Association, like all other doctors are, predatory practices will simple continue.

Thank you for your post and I wish you the best.

ED

[topcat]

Zip, Eric also makes some good points. Do not believe what you read on an internet forum. Do not believe you can simply consult with doctors off a list someone puts together. I suggest making connections with patients and those that work in the industry. Once you get a better understanding, some of the sources you develop over time and that you feel can be trusted can help you in making a better decision. If the doctor you choose happens to be on a list then great but don’t choose him simply because he is on a list.

Just like anything else in life those that you feel you can trust along with those that are close to you usually have your best interest in mind. Don’t believe some bozo that posts on an internet chat forum and that includes me. It will take you a whole lot longer as in my case over 10 years in moving forward with a repair while the road for me began over 25 years ago.

I still stay connected with many of the sources I have come to know over the years and we still chat about how bad this industry is but it’s like that with many others where the greed takes over.

Several of these internet chat forums are filled with posters that are not even real patients or prospective patients but simply shills trying to persuade others to follow a certain direction. It’s all a big business generating huge amounts of money and you could very well be the sucker again.

Anyone that doesn't not know that doctors on lists are still causing damage to patients today does not know jack shit and is completely clueless and that is reality.

[534623]

Do not believe what you read on an internet forum. .

okay, I stopped reading your post.

[zip]

I consider my Bosley experience, if not the biggest, at least one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Everytime I see one of their commercials on TV it is a little bit painful. But the one thing about getting older is that it is easier to live with, and I know the surest way to compound this mistake is to go out and do something stupid. Meaning, go to another doctor and just make the situation worse, or spend time and money only to find it does not help one bit. Learning from your mistakes is one of the most important things a person can do in this life. And learning to live with them is another. We all make bad choices and have to live them, but to me, to repeat such a serious mistake is inexcusible. Learning to have a sense of humor about the way it looks, as hard as that is, is a long term goal of mine. I say long term, because I really have to work at it. There is a guy who rides around my neighborhood selling treats from a bicycle cart and his face is terribly disfigured. It is much worse than what I have to deal with. He always has a smile on his face and I find that people are not the least bit turned off by the guy because he has a great attitude. There is a lesson to be learned there.

Another goal at this point is to not lose any more hair in either the transplanted or donor areas, if that is possible. And to keep it looking healthy. That is really why I posted.

I think it would take some pretty special technology, and a lot of convincing, to get me to go back to a doctor.

[topcat]

Zip it gets easier to deal with as time passes. I will be 50 soon so I have had plenty of time to learn there are more important things in life. In many ways it has been such a valuable lesson for me as I became to realize not just how corrupt the practice of medicine happens to be but many businesses in general. Having that experience and pursing more knowledge in this area has benefitted me and those around me tremendously. And I have always had a good laugh when speaking in person or on the phone with other repair patients as we speak about some of our experiences and talk about the industry. I mean really all you can really do is laugh.

What I think is most important of all is trying to help others by telling of our own experiences. This business is filled with scumbags and predators and there is just no nice way to put it. Too many come to the forums expecting to be hand fed information and which doctor to choose if they do decide to go the HT route. It’s completely insane in my opinion and I’m not shy to say it. You need to research for yourself. See the work in person and meet the people involved with the clinic. Judge their character but getting to know them over time no matter how long it takes.