Post Hair Loss Questions and Get Answers

This question comes from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums: 

Recently I went to a local hair transplant clinic and consulted with one of the physicians. While I liked this doctor and feel confident with his skills, there are several other physicians in the practice and I’m concerned one of these surgeons may actually be the one performing the surgery. I’ve heard of this happening before, but I’m not sure if it still occurs? Do any recommended or Coalition hair transplant surgeons operate like this?

Unfortunately, there was a time in the hair transplant field where large, mostly unregulated clinics did utilize the practice of consulting with one physician and operating with another. Patients would come to the clinic and consult with one doctor, but when returning for the procedure, they found themselves going “under the knife” with a completely unfamiliar associate physician.

Knowing this, I’m pleased to say the following: not only is this practice diminishing in general (with the help of transparent online communities like the Hair Transplant Network), but physicians we recommend at the Hair Transplant Network perform all their own consultations and surgeries.

In my opinion, this practice is questionable and no patient should undergo surgery with a physician they have never met. Patients spend countless hours researching surgical results, online reviews, and patient recommendations, and being subjected to hair transplant surgery with a completely unknown doctor completely nullifies this responsible planning.

Dr. Joseph Williams is an upstanding member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians and performs world class hair transplants in Las Vegas, Nevada.  We are pleased to announce that Dr. Williams has recently opened up a new hair transplant clinic in California in order to provide hair loss suffering men and women of the Santa Barbara area with ultra refined follicular unit hair transplant surgery.

Dr. Joseph Williams isn’t as well known by members of our hair loss forum as other leading hair transplant surgeons.  However, his dedication and passion for performing state of the art hair restoration is second to none, as is his results.

For those considering hair transplant surgery in Montecito and the Santa Barbara areas, you are encouraged to consult with Dr. Joseph Williams at his new hair restoration clinic in Montecito, California.  You can find information regarding how to contact and schedule with him at his new clinic below.

Coast Village Plaza
1187 Coast Village Road Suite # 8
Montecito, CA 93108
Phone: 805-969-6069

For more information about Dr. Williams experience, technique and to view examples of his hair transplant results, visit his Coalition profile.

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Bill Seemiller

Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

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This question comes from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums: 

I’m interested in follicular unit extraction (FUE), but don’t have enough money at the moment to visit a recommended hair transplant surgeon. I’ve found some physicians with much cheaper prices, but I’m wondering if this could lead to poor results. Is it okay to “price shop” hair transplant surgery? Will shopping for the cheapest hair transplant surgeon lead to a less than ideal outcome?

While price isn’t necessarily an indication of quality, it’s vital to select a hair transplant surgeon based on their proven ability to produce excellent results and not make a decision solely on price.

Look at it this way:

Say a state of the art follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure with an excellent physician costs around $10,000 (this is simply for example sake). One shot, $10,000, and you are satisfied.

Now, say you bargain shop and end up paying $5,000 for a FUE procedure with a different clinic. If the clinic has less experience with FUE or makes up cost by cutting corners, your result COULD be less than ideal and within 12 months, you could find yourself seeking a second (or possibly even repair) procedure. Because you don’t want to undergo the same experience again, you now see a hair transplant surgeon with more experience and end up paying somewhere around $8,000 (remember, these numbers are completely theoretical). Now, you’ve paid $13,000, spent 2 years undergoing hair restoration, and may be left with the results of a repair instead of the results of work on a virgin scalp.

I have noticed that a number of doctors, including Dr. Jerry Wong and Dr. Victor Hasson, recommended by the Hair Transplant Network are not certified by the ABMS or ABPS, but rather the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS). Is this a credible institution and what is the value of ABHRS credentials? Is there a reason it is not a Member Board? Should I rule out hair transplant surgeons that are only certified by the ABHRS, or can I trust they are as skilled as an ABMS/ABPS certified doctor? Thank you!

Neither the ABMS nor the ABPS offer certifications specific to hair transplants. While some hair restoration surgeons do have a background in plastic surgery, many more do not. Thus, it has become necessary to develop alternative methods for evaluating hair transplant surgeons. The American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS) is one organization that has attempted to do so and, while not perfect, we applaud any sincere attempts to demonstrates a physician’s dedication to ongoing education. However, it’s very important to note that this certification does not validate a surgeon’s ability to produce desirable results.

Should you rule out a physician that is “only” a member of the ABHRS? Certainly not, as there are really very few other institutions specific to the evaluation of hair restoration physicians and even fewer that attempt to do so with any degree of transparency. But, memberships such as these should not be the deciding factor when searching for a skilled and experienced surgeon. Some of the world’s leading hair loss doctors have chosen to undergo ABHRS certification while many others have opted out. Ultimately, we believe that the best method for evaluating a hair transplant physician is through the results themselves via patient-based communities like our own.

Recently, recommended hair restoration surgeon Dr. Carlos Wesley was selected to present a segment on hair transplantation during the 2012 “Advances in Facial Reconstruction and Cosmetic Surgery” Spring symposium.

According to the official press release:

Selected by his professional colleagues, Carlos K. Wesley, M.D. will serve as a featured lecturer at the 2012 Spring Symposium “Advances in Facial Reconstruction and Cosmetic Surgery”.  The meeting will be attended by many of the nation’s top dermatologic and plastic surgeons and will be held at the Mount Sinai Medical Center on April 14-15, 2012.  

Dr. Wesley will discuss the various ways in which hair restoration surgery can be utilized to correct or serve as an adjunct to various forms of facial surgery.  Drawing from experiences concealing scars after patients undergo facelifts and brow lifts, camouflaging skin grafts and flaps after patients have undergone various reconstructive surgeries from skin cancer excisions, and simply softening unnatural “pluggy” hairlines from patients who have undergone hair transplantation using outdated methods, Dr. Wesley will share the various “pearls” to help patients achieve a more natural appearance.

Congratulations Dr. Wesley!
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Blake – aka Future_HT_Doc

Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog. To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community

Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Get Proven Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new online hair loss treatment shop.

As you may know, we seek input from hair restoration forum members before we approve a physician for recommendation or membership in the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Thus, we would like your input in considering Dr. Mike Beehner for Coalition membership.

Dr. Mike Beehner has been presenting examples of his high quality follicular unit hair transplant procedure on our forum for years and is highly regarded by his patients, colleagues and our overall community. Dr. Beehner is a true pioneer and leader in the field of hair restoration.

Recently, Dr. Beehner has dedicated his practice to performing larger, densely packed sessions of ultra refined follicular unit hair transplantation when appropriate for the patient. Thus, Dr. Beehner has the experience, skill and staff necessary to perform large, densely packed sessions exceeding 2500 follicular unit grafts in a single procedure when appropriate for the patient.

We invite you to view his surgical procedure, results and credentials and give your input regarding Dr. Beehner’s potential Coalition membership. To view this topic, visit the “Potential Coalition Membership for Dr. Mike Beehner of Saratoga Springs, New York”.

To see our criteria for recommendation and for Coalition membership, click here. To see the list of all current physicians recommended worldwide, click here.

Onwards and Upwards,

Pat, Bill, Dave and Blake – The Hair Restoration Team for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q & A Blog and the Hair Restoration Forum and Social Community

The experience and skill of hair transplant surgeons vary widely as do their results. Thus, selecting a quality hair transplant surgeon is critical in order to achieve a natural, full looking head of hair. But what do hair loss sufferers need to know before undergoing surgery at their local hair restoration clinic? Below we provide tips on how to select a qualified physician that can help not only to restore lost lustrous locks, but lost confidence as well.

At the Hair Transplant Network, we make selecting a quality hair transplant surgeon easy. Each physician recommended by our online community is carefully prescreened and selected based on their proven ability to produce fabulous, natural looking results. To see a list of surgeons we recommend, click here. To see our high standards for recommendation, click here.

While the best physicians using state of the art techniques can often successfully mimic nature, they are still limited to a finite donor hair supply and can only work within the boundaries of a patient’s physiology. Thus, researching our community and interaction with other forum and social community members can help patients find the best hair doctors and develop realistic expectations as to what hair restoration surgery can accomplish for them.

Hair loss suffering men and women are encouraged to learn all they can about hair transplantation and the doctors that perform it well before undergoing surgery. To learn from patients about which physicians are producing truly natural results, visit our hair restoration forum and social community.  You can also access our directory of prescreened hair transplant surgeons.

Selecting a quality hair restoration surgeon is crucial to obtaining dense and natural looking hair transplant results. This is why patients have the final say as to which physicians are recommended on the Hair Transplant Network.  Thus, we’d like your input regarding the potential recommendation of Dr. Sanusi Umar of Redondo Beach, California.

Dr. Umar is arguably the world’s foremost expert in BHT (Body Hair Transplants – transferring body hair follicles to balding areas of the scalp) and has been performing advanced follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedures at his clinic in Redondo Beach, California since 2005. Dr. Umar is very hands on and extracts and places all FUE and BHT grafts himself.

Dr. Umar developed a passion for alternative hair transplantation due to a botched 400 graft strip surgery he endured several years ago. Dr. Umar’s specialty is in state of the art FUE and specialty repair cases.

You are encouraged to view the Potential Recommendation of Dr. Sanusi Umar to view the highlights regarding Dr. Umar, his credentials and his patient photos.

To see our standards for recommendation, click here. To see the list of all current physicians recommended worldwide, click here.

We look forward to receiving your input.

Onwards and Upwards,

The Hair Restoration Network Team – Pat, Bill, Dave and Blake for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q & A Blog and the Hair Loss Forum and Social Community

Dr. Bessam Farjo and Dr. Nilofer Farjo, highly esteemed members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians, are the premier hair transplant surgeons in the United Kingdom. With offices in both Manchester and London, England, the Farjos offer ultra refined follicular unit hair transplantation in their state of the art hair restoration clinic to balding patients from Britain and beyond.

Recently, the Farjo Medical Centre announced the launch of its new and improved website. The new site offers exciting updates, including an online consultation facility and an updated multimedia gallery.  You can view their new website at www.farjo.net.

Anyone considering surgical or non-surgical hair loss treatments in the UK and beyond is highly encouraged to consult with the Farjo Medical Centre.To learn more about Doctors Farjo and the world-class hair restoration services they offer, visit their new website by clicking here.

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David (TakingThePlunge) Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Restoration Forum and Social Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

Get Proven Hair Loss Treatments at the Best Prices by visiting our new Online Hair Loss Product Store

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Dr. Paul Rose, a highly esteemed member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians is world renowned for performing ultra refined follicular unit hair transplantation with excellent results.  He is also one of the first physicians in the early 1990′s to develop and implement the follicular unit procedure.

Recently, Dr. Rose teamed up with Coalition member Dr. Bernard Nusbaum to continue his world renowned practice at his hair transplant clinic in Coral Gables, Florida near Miami.

Dr. Rose has a long history of producing natural looking hair transplant results and performs sessions exceeding 2500 follicular unit grafts when appropriate for the patient.  Thus, we encourage hair loss suffering men and women near and around Miami and Coral Gables to strongly consider Dr. Rose for their next hair restoration procedure.

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Bill Seemiller – Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Restoration Forum and Social Network, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

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