Transplant Terror Stories

Before proceeding with two consecutive hair transplants, I specifically asked the doctor as to whether of not I’d have to take medication (beyond the healing process) after the plugs were in place. (Note: I can’t take medication for unrelated health reasons.) He clearly said “no” to my question..
Fast forward to a year or so later, after my final transplant: The doctor then indicated that I, like “all of his transplant patients”, would be seeing him a couple of times a year. ALSO, I was to visit his clinic every month to sit under some kind of lamp. This was expensive. (Of course, none of these “services” were part of the price of the transplant.) Worst of all, I was to start taking Propecia! I couldn’t believe my ears: I had been told an outright lie (that medication was not necessary). When I pointed this out to the doctor, he denied he ever said I wouldn’t have to take meds. Well, I declined his ongoing “service” plan (i.e., automatic charges to my credit card) by not signing a contract. He responded by dropping me as a patient and will not see me for follow-up appointments. Since then, my plugs have been falling out and I can’t do anything about it. Though I thought I had researched the topic carefully before I ever got the plugs put in, and expected a sales pitch, I was not expecting to told an outright lie from the (MD) doctor himself.. I should have gotten his responses in writing! (Note: I can’t give his name for legal reasons, be here’s a hint: He’s the biggest hair transplanter in the Providence/Boston area. BEWARE!

Tony, I have a question. I decided to have the surgery 3 times starting in 2002. I have since abandoned trying to “re grow my hair” and now I’m wearing it shaved. I’m African American and had been told by many people that I looked great bald before I even went to make this horrible mistake. My question is, are there any good doctors out there for donor scar revision? I would like to make that look look less noticeable.

Cris, you mention “However this surgery allowed me to shave my entire head, and with a little high quality makeup in the back, to cover the white scars, I look like a champ.”

Can you tell me about the makeup, where to buy it, and how to apply? Thank you.

Hiya. I get the feeling this is a U.S. site (apologies in advance if I’m wrong). I’m English and it seems the attitudes are more or less the same i.e. insecurities etc. But mate, forget the transplants and all that stuff. I’m 35 and have been shaving it off since 25. I used to try and hide it by brushing my hair in a certain way and my brother saw it and said ‘Shave it, it looks obvious and a bit shit’. Just do it and live with yourself. Honestly you’ll feel better, it’s only hair. Transplants and the pressure to have them seem more evident in the U.S. In Europe it’s less so I think.

Do not even think about the plugs, no matter what anyone tells you. It is a neverending process.
I made a huge mistake doing a couple of procedures in the early 90s, and finally said f-it and shaved it all off. Looks 50 times better, even with the road map in the back of my head. I call it tribal art, not by choice.

Wow does that story hit home. Unfortunately for me it’s too late. I got my first plug session at the age of 26. Second and third at 28 and 29. I’ve got a scar ear from ear so I can’t shave my head, only problem is, I can’t grow out my hair either because even after 3 sessions, there still isn’t enough hair to cover the top and crown. I’m currently 32 years old, single and depressed. If funny reading some of the comments talking about how the like being bald. And I have to agree that I wish I could just shave my head, but I can’t. Most people think I’m in my late 30’s to mid 40’s. How’s that for a confidence boost?

I’ve always been a good looking guy (so I’ve was told), I’ve got a muscular build, I’ve got a successful career and I own my condo. But now that I look back, I realized that the success I had with women, was when I shaved my head. Funny thing is, when I started shaving my head even back in highschool when I was 14. It just worked for me, girls eat it up. NOW, I avoid most mirrors, don’t let my photo be taken and don’t socialize with friends as much anymore. Every day is a battle for me, struggling to deal with the choices I made that will haunt me till the day I die.

Nice to see this place. My story is I’m an 1980s guys so hair was big then obviously and I fashioned my blonde do from the likes of Duran Duran to Billie Idol and then it grow even longer after high school during all the hair band days. This was around 1989, but even before then my hair high started thinning out a little around 87 when I got a short haircut and my cousin said it looked like I had the mange LOL.

Even though looking back at the time I still had a cool head of hair ala Andre Agassi before his shave, I started to notice my hair line receding more and more, i began to obsess about it. My freshman year of college, I bought my first hair saving product called “omexin” and started to use it. only to realize later it was a bunch of crap. I then went through all the rogaine, etc with minimal results for a lot of maintenance and it never helped replace the hairline. So it was time to go for the hair transplant around 1990, it was bad, but I had so much existing hair at the time it wasnt really noticeable, it was ok at the time, fast forward another 5 years and it was worse, thinned out more and the doll hair was noticeable and I was always self concious about it, if the wind blew in a certain direction, I thought everyone was staring at it, so then I decided to get another transplant, this would be the final one I though, solve all my problems.

Well at first it did, I let my hair grow out and it blended in well, all though, some chicks would stare and stare intently at my reconstructed hair line if they got real close and it was like they just couldnt figure it out for sure, but I knew, and I knew they noticed something wasnt natural. Fast forward 17 years later, 2 kids and a wife. I started to lose hair at the crown and was developing a bald spot in the back of my head I hadnt really paid attention to, but what looked weird was the plugs were still there in all there shining glory, it looked like a reverse mohawak, LOL.

In my time a lot of girls thought of me a cute and I could pull the women at one time, but I started letting myself get out of shape and the hair thing was just aging me also. It took a traumatic set of personal events to get my life back on track and back in the gym 5-6 days a week religously cutting weight and lifting, and I went and found an old fashioned barber rather than all the girly hair salons my wife had wanted me to go to and got me a good flat top. One night I was staring at the top where the plugs were because they had never been that short before and even though it looked neat, the plugs were apparent and with my hair that short, mr bald spot in the back was a main attraction. I grabbed the scissors and cut the plugs off then shaved them, I then realized, the crap was still thick on the back and sides and give me this old man look, so I said I guess I have to go all the way with this, so I cut and shaved it all off. Only issue had was the stupid looking frankenstein scar at the back, the plugs shave down very smooth and you cant notice, but if they grow back it looks like planted corn and feels like a brillow pad. My mother freaked out, (;Ime 42 almost btw), said not to even set by her at church LOL, my wife who Ime now seperated from said she hated it, funny thing is, I was suddenly getting looks from younger chicks, big smiles and conversation that they initiated. I felt it was of the most freeing and empowering things I ever did, lotis more confidence, the only issue I was having was the scar and decding if I should let the back grow in just enough to cover it, but its a fine line between having the 5oclock shadow in the back with the scar showing or grow it out to much and get the older look. I just got plain mad and said screw it, screw that scar and screw anyone else who made a big deal out if it, it really looks better SLY to be honest..

I just did this a couple of weeks ago but my mom and ex keep wanting me to let my hair grow back out, but I keep finding my self back in front of the mirror with my hand on the razor with shaving cream in hand and a bottle of jergens natural tan doing my thing. Its so much less time, so much worry free, not having to worry how the wind blows, throwing away the stupid hats and just embrace the world and live life. Any young guys out there don’t get a transplant and if you did get one, say to heck with it, be a man and free yourself despite the scar, give it a while you will thank yourself in the end.

Hi Everybody!

After reading all these horrifying stories about the Hair Transplant results esp. from people living in US (which is considered to be an advanced nation in medicine), I wonder about this whole non-sense of HT…or….may be these guys are talking of old and outdated HT procedures and that too performed by inexperienced doctors? What about the HT procedures being done these days – they can’t be so bad? OK,…let’s not talk about 1980’s, 1990’s or even 2000’s ….let’s talk about the latest HT procedures of the present times… can anyone suggest, please?

Bobby (from India)

Can anyone tell me if propecia works? And if there are any side effects?

True Story:

I went to a large, well known North Carolina hair transplant practice (not Bosley) to relocate about 2000 hairs from the back of my head to rebuild my hairline which had receded about a half inch. They used the usual method to remove a flap of skin at the back of my head and harvested the hairs.

After being mildly sedated on Valium and with many painful injections of Lidocaine – I went home and realized they’d only paid lip-service to the receding hairline – just a few ridiculous follicles inserted, Instead they’d populated the area on top of my head that – someday – might thin out and need work.

While I agreed for them to put a few hairs up there – they knew my priority was the half inch area where the hair had actually receded. After all, money doesn’t grow on trees.

Instead of giving a full faith effort to rebuild the receding frontal area at a cost of $ 10,000 (ten grand) they essentially under-performed in that area to ensure that I’d have to return for another $ 10,000 procedure to do the job I’d originally asked for.

When I returned for my follow up – they said I needed another 1,000 hairs done – when we all knew I still needed those 2,000 hairs done – so not only were they planning from the outset to get me back for a second session – they were already trying to under-perform again to get me back for a third.

All I wanted was to spend ten grand – not thirty!

If you were paying ten grand to have your car painted like this – would they dare pull a stunt like this ?

I finally went elsewhere (a smaller clinic) and told them what happened and that I wanted their assurance they’d do the job right – and in one sitting. I got a great job and good results – but I’m ten grand poorer than I should be at this point.

Be prepared for this tactic! When you’re in the chair – doped up and in pain – the only question in your mind is ‘how much longer will the procedure take”? – not “Are they really doing what I asked for “?

Dana