I had a friend last year that was going through some emotional problems and was suffering from panic attacks. She thought it would be a good idea to seek the help of a doctor who immediately put her on an SSRI and sleep medication. Unfortunately she did not understand that she could possibly be digging herself a deeper hole. After a few days she started to feel very suicidal and since she has no family here she came ringing my doorbell at about 2:00 AM. Well of course I welcomed her in and did everything I could to help her get past her crisis which lasted several weeks and always late into the night.
The point of this experience is that she has over 1000 Facebook friends and even bragged to me in the past about it. What’s really funny is that I am not one of her Facebook friends as I rarely use the site. But when she really needed a real friend and real help she knew where she could go.
My suggestion for those that are seeking to have a hairtransplant procedure is to speak and meet real people. The internet and forums are a great start but sometimes it’s not real. It’s sad to continually see patients in dire straits, suicidal or become reclusive because they thought they knew all there was to know. When in reality, it was just something they read on the internet.
Stop being ashamed and embarrassed. Meet and speak to people in person. A few minutes of shame and embarrassment are a small price to pay when compared to a lifetime of shame and embarrassment.
Don’t believe everything you read and that includes what I post. Question everything and most importantly speak to people on the phone and if possible meet them in person. I know many here already know this, but there are still many here they don’t.
“My suggestion for those that are seeking to have a hairtransplant procedure is to speak and meet real people. The internet and forums are a great start but sometimes it’s not real” Great advice good post. Thankfully is something I learned a long time ago.
Its good advice.
A lot of what is presented as photographic proof that a transplant is good does not hold up in real life (3D). I’ve been able to spot transplant on people from quite some distance off and it looks goofy at times. I don’t know if the people with the transplants even realise they have been spotted at such great distance.
Meet and see different patients with different levels of baldness. A Norwood 6 or 7 will not look as good in a “Sales” Brochure as a Norwood 1 or 2. See these people with high norwood scales to get a good Idea of what is possible and what is not. I like this site but there are way too many sales people on here. Get a better Idea by spending a couple of days in a doctors office and see the Real results of people in person. This surgery is a “Treatment” not a cure by any means. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Remember there are many bald people out there who want their hair back too. If this were a cure for EVERY person, No one would be bald. Be very cautious and do not expect miracles. That being said it can be a true blessing for many if done properly. That is the big problem, many are not done correctly and then you have a lifetime problem which can be improved but can never be 100%. No transplant is 100%. I read that in counseling patients that even the best results are not perfect. PLEASE Keep this in mind.
To me I see this as not even the problem
Lets assume that all docs out there can give you an undetectable transplant. even if that was the case and everyone looked great after the transplant, to me thats only a temporary solution and its like selling your soul to the devil in some respects.
99 percent of patients continue to thin and will be forced to get transplants in the future to cover this new thinning up. They either get follow up transplants, and pay for them (what if they do not have the money) or they are going to look like a freak. A ring or halo of bald skin will form around the crown (assuming they had this area transplanted.) The side hair at the partline when this continues to recede downward, that will leave a bald partline area and below that, that MUST be fixed somehow. How are you going to fix this ever growing bald area with this ever shrinking donor area?
That is why to me HT are temporary fixes that paint you into a lifetime corner of financial stress and depression
much better to be naturally bald than walk around with newly bald areas on your head that look freakish, Hair loss is depressing enough to begin with without being trapped into a lifetime of touchups you cant afford and dont have the donor hair anyways to fix.
Here is a very good article on this subject: http://ezinearticles.com/?Counseling-at-a-Hair-Transplant-Centre,-is-It-All-that-Essential?&id=60901. Every person should read this before considering this surgery.
diamond6, that article is in part just an apology for HT surgeons, if an HT customer has unrealistic expectations then the HT doctor should not operate on that customer - but of course that will cost HT surgeons some of their business and that would never do…
» diamond6, that article is in part just an apology for HT surgeons, if an HT
» customer has unrealistic expectations then the HT doctor should not operate
» on that customer - but of course that will cost HT surgeons some of their
» business and that would never do…
How about the part that states that even with the best of results that no person can be totally happy. That is a “Realistic Expectation” Understatement. I can say though that in my repair I am totally happy with what was done. Although It could never be that full head of hair. I never thought it would come this far so for me I am ok with it. The whole entire thing before though was devastating and something no person should have to go through.
» The whole entire
» thing before though was devastating and something no person should have to
» go through.
if you could rewind your life, would you have gotten a hair transplant at all ? sorry i’m not familiar with your story.
» » The whole entire
» » thing before though was devastating and something no person should have
» to
» » go through.
»
» if you could rewind your life, would you have gotten a hair transplant at
» all ? sorry i’m not familiar with your story.
I am not sure how to answer that. The ones in the 1980s- No I would not have had done again. I had transplants since 1986 so the ones in the 80s were very disfiguring. Add to that the Hairlift by Dr. Brandy which really made me look like a freak was devastating. I always did get good growth but lost several hundred grafts in the process. They were thrown out when the Hairlift was performed. The only ones that helped me were done by Dr. Woods. It has taken out a lot of my life though. I lost all of my youth. 20’s-30’s. Bald for me has always been freakish even at age 6 I saw my dad bald and remember thinking I never ever want that. I feel there needs to be a cure for this and all we have currently are treatments that can improve things but no miracles. If one can be happy bald I would say stay that way. Many though including me could never have been happy bald so I would say get a transplant but be cautious and keep your expectations in check. The more you get the more you want. This is one thing I think all HT patients feel. After all we all want a full head of hair. We remember how we looked and felt with a full head of hair so truly that is what all people want. I am somewhat close to that but of course to get a full head of “Elvis” hair is not possible for most patients. That is what I can advise you on this subject. Good luck.
» I am somewhat close to that but of course to get a full head
» of “Elvis” hair is not possible for most patients.
when you say ’ you are somewhat close to that’, what it the ‘that’ you are referring to. is it a full head or hair or the fact that you want a full head of hair?
also, are you on propecia/avodart and if not how do you maintain your transplanted hair?
» » I am somewhat close to that but of course to get a full head
» » of “Elvis” hair is not possible for most patients.
»
» when you say ’ you are somewhat close to that’, what it the ‘that’ you are
» referring to. is it a full head or hair or the fact that you want a full
» head of hair?
»
» also, are you on propecia/avodart and if not how do you maintain your
» transplanted hair?
I Look like I have quite a bit of hair but some thin spots. I have used Propecia for over 1 year and I use a product called Apple-Poly. It is the best product I have used so far. From what I read others have had good results but did not have the same results after 6 months. They tell me though it is still the best product they have used. I think it makes the hair shaft fuller/ does not grow hair, although a few claim this. I will be posting some pics in the near future. It will be 5 months since my last session in sept-2010. I am seeing some sprouts and am sure I will see more in the next few months.