Response to Reddit poster on my article about Hair Systems, SMP and Hair Transplants as choices

Hair systems never look good, IMHO. I know a guy who makes a lot of money and went very detailed on hair system versus transplant and explained very well why he got the system and it’s the first thing I notice every time I see him. Yeah, I know he has it and I can’t unsee it. So that creates a bias, but even if I didn’t know there is no way I would think it’s hair.

Some transplants look terrible, too, especially when I see one on UK celebs for some reason. A lot of unnatural looking hairlines. But I’ve seen a lot of good natural looking transplants, too. Micropigmentation looks good but only for a very specific style.

When hair transplants or SMP is performed in the right hands, it looks natural. The key is to get someone who knows what they are doing. You wouldn’t say Elan Mush’s hair transplants looks bad, would you?


2020-11-23 11:33:02Response to Reddit poster on my article about Hair Systems, SMP and Hair Transplants as choices

Reddit comments on ‘After Hair Transplants, many doctors ignore patients’,

The Post: After Hair Transplants, many doctors ignore patients’ questions – why? was followed on Reddit where it was posted initially with the following responses. I think that my point was understood.

Comment 1: Yes I totally agree. I had a good transplant so I am ok and don’t had much to complain about (post here if interested), but indeed, the customer care service sucks. Went to Cinik (Istanbul), he is a pretty reliable surgeons nontheless. But the clinic went from super reactive to automated mails, not even translated in the language we used when scheduling the operation.

I think they have a shit tons of clients. They ask you right after the operation to leave comments here and there to boost their ranking. Which is not illegitimate, the hair business in Turkey is highly competitive, but you must be thoughful and update your comment when you can truly assess the success of your operation.

Another behavior I have witnessed through several testimonies is clinics’ tendecy to minimize / wrongly reassure the patients when their result is obv unsatisfactory. Like “It is normal”, “you have to wait 12 full months to assess the result” bla bla bla etc. If you have blank spots or below 40% of your hair grown back at the 5 or 6 month mark it is worrying. After 6 months the result will only get marginally better. All the hair should have popped out by then.

Comment 2: Good idea (i.e. ask to meet his patients one-on-one) but how would you ever get access to patients contacts? Answer: To make the sale, put the burden on the doctor to supply you access to his/her patients. The doctor then will be motivated to do so.

Comment 3: Because they already got paid.

Comment 4: This is exactly my experience. The doctor was very kind and patient and buddy like prior to surgery. A few days after I started to get a spot that looked a bit dark. I came in and saw a “technician” who told me it was nothing to worry about, gave me some product to help the area and sent me home. That spot turned into an area that became a total nightmare with me concerned that my skin was dying (necrotic). I would send photos, they would bring me in to see this “technician” every week or so. Never did I see that doctor again.

Comment 5: This is exactly my case. My Turkish Dr. (Real Dr) is barely responsive since my surgery. I am exploring getting PRP to help regrowth and wanted to know his thoughts. Crickets.

Comment 6: you are right about the fact that one should be evaluated by an expert who specializes in hair transplantation, and is honest and doesn’t do it just for the money he gets from you

Comment 7: I took a really long time to heal. Lots of bleeding and oozing and anxiety about going out in public for a long time.

Comment 8: I am going to do a big write up at the 6 month point about my experience of going to Turkey. I wont deny it was the price point that pushed it into affordability but at the same time, and as of my experience right now, I would consider encouraging someone to spend the money to see a US Dr like Rassman even it it meant doing it sooner rather than later, and by assuming some debt. That says quite a bit coming from a financial planner.

Comment 9: Thank you so much. You just saved me some money. I’m completely serious about possibly visiting you next time I’m in LA. Perhaps even having you touch up whatever does not take with my Turkish hair procedure. Thanks for what you do for the sub.

Comment 10. (12/15) I think it depends on your expectations, how carefully you selected the doctor, and how much you need to interact with the doctor after the surgery. I had FUT x 2 and did interact with the doctor afterwards and felt the interaction was just fine i.e. it was what I needed when I needed it. After FUT #1 I had some questions and was able to reach the doctor by text (during the evening after the procedure) and later on by email, which was fine. The surgeon did call me on my cell the day after surgery to ask how I was feeling which was good as well. After FUT #2 (same doctor) he again called me the day after surgery to see how I was doing. About 10 days after that surgery I had some issues and communicated with him by phone and email and got my issues resolved, so I was happy. I have said in a few posts that you really, REALLY, REALLY need to choose your doctor carefully. If you are not 100% confident in your doctor and the procedure you should not do it. (I AGREE)

 

 


2019-12-15 18:29:32Reddit comments on ‘After Hair Transplants, many doctors ignore patients’,

Response from Propecia in 49 Year Old Man (with Photos)

I am often asked if Propecia can really make a difference. I want to state that I am not a salesman for Merck. I own no stock in the company and my only focus here is to educate the readership and share the things I see in my very large hair practice in the hope that I can help people.

Here is an unusual response from Propecia in a 49 year old man who had been on Propecia for just 3 months. The hair in the frontal area filled in very nicely and will probably fill in further. If the drug works, most of the results are usually seen in the first 8-9 months when the hair has had the opportunity to grow some length and pass through a hair cycle. In most cases, some continued growth can be seen as far out as 2 years into the treatment process. What makes this unusual is the patient’s age. When I see such results, they are more often in young men in their 20s, but periodically I see them in men 40-70 years old as well, just less common.

I suggest that those readers that find this of interest to zoom into the photos and actually look at the hairs to estimate hair counts on their own. The darkness of the picture on the right is a photographic problem and I apologize for it. I am trying to get this patient back to get better photographs and a more advanced view of his growth over more time.

Before photo is on the left — after photo is on the right. Click to enlarge.


2007-03-07 15:17:38Response from Propecia in 49 Year Old Man (with Photos)

In Response to My February 9 2018 Post on the Dermaroller

There is more than circumstantial evidence, as posted on https://www.pubmed.com, as to the efficacy of dermarolling. In their study, they used rollers with 1.5mm needles and essentially rolled over the entire balding area, going in many different directions. The rolling was completed once the skin was a pinkish color, with small droplets of blood visible. This was in addition to the use of topical minoxidil. The theory is either (1) the light wounding cause stem cells to create new hair follicles instead of skin (much like follica’s procedure), or (2) it allowed the Minoxidil to penetrate more deeply into the dermis. This was done twice per week, NOT everyday. As to the possible infection aspect, all I can say is…DUH!!! Basic antiseptic procedures MUST be followed when doing a procedure like this, especially if blood is produced. Spraying the dermaroller with a high concentration of alcohol (perhaps EverClear), washing the scalp, then using a high quality antiseptic solution on the scalp prior to the treatment is an absolute MUST. I would not be at all surprised to learn that those who do indeed acquire post-rolling infections are not adhering to basic pre-procedure antiseptic techniques. I have been derma-rolling for the past 3 years with NO adverse bacterial effect.

I have read this and agree with you. Thanks.


2018-08-17 09:23:01In Response to My February 9 2018 Post on the Dermaroller

Research on hair growth at UCI

With male pattern baldness, large (terminal) hairs convert into small (vellus) hairs. This is the negative effect of testosterone and DHT, a potent testosterone derivative, on hair follicle stem cells. Despite lack of visible hair growth, hair stem cells remain largely intact in the bald scalp skin!

Human hair loss conditions result from abnormalities in the so-called hair growth cycle, the recurrent process of hair production separated by periods of inactivity. Current anti-hair loss treatments modulate only part of this cyclic process e.g., Finasteride lengthens hair production phase leading to longer hairs, but it cannot activate re-entry of dormant hairs into new growth phase. Because of this, such treatments show extremely slow and incomplete recovery from hair loss, especially when the condition is advanced. Additionally, the efficacy of new hair regeneration via stem cell therapy or the so-called hair cloning was never conclusively demonstrated in the clinical settings. Inspired by the naturally occurring human condition of excessive hair growth, UCI researchers have discovered that re-entry of dormant hairs into active growth cycle can be efficiently stimulated when hairs are exposed to a specialized type of pigment-producing cell or to the signaling molecules that this type of cell actively makes. This suggests that either transplanting cells into the skin or simply injecting their bioactive molecules is sufficient to drive new hair growth on the scalp.

UCI scientists also found that hair growth-inducing effect of pigment-producing cells is potentiated by other naturally occurring cells derived from blood. Moreover, they investigated the profile of secreted signaling molecules and determined that a wide range of skin specific cells, beyond pigment producing cells, can be coaxed to make them due to shared profiles of secreted factors. Injecting a synthesized cocktail of signaling molecules in to an area with dormant hairs in vivo in animal model induced rapid new hair growth. Prospective plans involve testing these effects on human skin. Targeting a signaling pathway for naturally robust hair growth in humans presents a promising approach for treating hair loss conditions.

The hairy nevus is a common, benign birthmark where vellus hairs convert into the terminal hairs normally found on the scalp. UCI scientists believe that this occurs because of a protein signaling molecule that is produced by the hairy nevus and UCI has identified key proteins that they believe is responsible for the hair growth.

The way UCI scientists will Microinject hair-growth promoting molecules, derived from the hairy nevus birthmark, into the scalp skin affected by male pattern baldness. The hope is that these molecules will act as a signal to dormant stem cells (as it happens in the vellus hair follicles of the hairy nevus). It is hoped that this will result in vellus-to-terminal hair transformation and a cosmetically desirable hair growth restoration in the balding male

 

Reports of Rogaine Shedding Have Me Worried!

I’m 26 and have been thinning for the past year on top/crown and my hairline is receding a little. I have finally started rogaine and just found out about “shedding”. This makes me very nervous, and I have some questions:

  1. What percentage of men who use rogaine experience shedding?
  2. What are the side effects if I discontinue rogaine during the shedding phase?
  3. How many men who report shedding also report not regrowing the hair that was shed?
  4. Are there other drugs that can be used besides propecia that contain finasteride?
  5. If rogaine only regrows hair and doesn’t prevent hair loss how is it helpful in maintaining a full head of hair?
  6. How many of your patients who use rogaine see results?
  7. Do you recommend Propecia and, if so, why?

Thank you very much

RogaineCalm your nerves!

  1. Shedding from Rogaine (minoxidil) is really not that common, but I don’t have actual percentage statistics to back that up. I’m just going by my experiences with patients. It might seem like there are a lot of incidents as reported on the Internet, but remember that those with a complaint will often want to alert others, and those with no problems just go about their day.
  2. If you have taken Rogaine for some time (more than 3 months) you can shed hair when stopping it, as there is a dependence on Rogaine in some people.
  3. I can not answer this question. I’ve got no statistical info.
  4. There are two pills available that contain finasteride. They are Propecia (1mg finasteride for hair loss) and Proscar (5mg finasteride for prostate). Plus, generics depending on your country. You do not want to take Proscar for hair loss treatment though.
  5. Rogaine does not work all that well for most patients. Sure, there are some results, but I’ve never seen Rogaine give anyone a full head of hair. Hair growth is a side effect of the drug.
  6. My candid view is that minoxidil generally does not yield much regrowth in most patients. Again, I don’t have actual stats to tell me how many patients that just use a single medication have had positive results. This is the kind of information that is gathered by doing a focused study, of which I have no interest in doing. Plus, many patients that use Rogaine will also take Propecia, making it difficult to say which medication is providing benefits.
  7. I do recommend Propecia. For known genetic balding, finasteride is the drug of choice to stop, slow, or reverse hair loss.


2010-02-25 13:58:48Reports of Rogaine Shedding Have Me Worried!

Report Summary of the hair loss industry

This report was produced to sell a larger report to businesses interested in the hair loss business segment; nevertheless, I have shown the introductory part of this report because it outlines the various problems that contribute to hair loss. If you look at the post from today called “AS Hairs Grow Longer, they lose their thickness’ just below, you can imagine that this technology can actually tell you what would be the impact of taking supplements as it can track the value of the supplements on your hair as it grows. It would be much less expensive to have a way to measure the value of the supplement rather than take it blindly, spending a lot of money moving from one supplement to another and never knowing it your approach to treating your hair loss is working or not. https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hair-supplements-market.html


2020-01-03 11:06:34Report Summary of the hair loss industry

RepliCel

Greetings from a loyal reader! I did a quick search, and saw that this topic hasn’t been covered on your blog. I was wondering if you’ve ever heard of Replicel? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

I haven’t heard about it before, but I’ve looked into it since your email. RepliCel recently completed the acquisition of TrichoScience, a company that worked with hair multiplication. This sounds like more of the same. From the FAQ: “With RepliCel’s treatment a very small punch biopsy is taken and new hair cells are replicated eliminating the need for a large hair donor site to be moved to the bald area.

Their site says that they’re currently conducting a clinical trial with data expected to become available in the first quarter of 2012. So there’s really not much to know yet, as they’re still testing things and have months of work yet to go.

I would want to know if the investigators obtained an approval from an Institutional Review Board for the research on humans. That might make them credible as these boards are very tight giving approvals on anything less than solid evidence.

Replacing Hair System with Transplant

I read with great interest, your answer to the person who wore a hair system that stunk. Systems stink and it’s not only the smell that I am talking about. This is only one of the problems I am faced with. I don’t have a lot of money. If I did, the place where my system is serviced would take care of me as often as I want. They suggest once a week, but they want $60 for a full service. Frankly that is alot of money when you consider that I have to take off from work to have it done. In the past 10 years, I have spent over $10,000 in hair systems and the costs of replacing the one I have now will be another few thousand dollars. It really does need to be replaced. I want to know how much will a hair transplant cost me and how many transplant procedures will I have to suffer through? I am 35 years old.

Most people who are 35 have already established a mature pattern of hair loss, so first you need to find out what Class of hair loss you have. Read Assessing Hair Loss and then get back to me with photos of yourself with wet hair and dry hair, showing the full extent of the hair loss. A phone consultation with me will be specifically focused on your individual needs. Generally, the less the balding, the less expensive will be the process. A Class 3 reconstruction might run between $3000-$6000 and if your hair loss is stable, then more surgeries may not be necessary. For the very bald person, the cost can climb to range between $10,000-$15,000 (these prices are based upon our least expensive Standby program). Please see Fees and Financing for more information.