Comments on: Melba’s Hair Transplant Story

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 01:12:29 +0000

Has anyone gone to dr bernstein in nyc and would appreciate comments. I have thick hair on back and sides but temples and center front have loss and have lost volume on top.

By: Deborah Hulsewede

Deborah Hulsewede — Sun, 17 May 2015 01:36:31 +0000

I’m currently consulting a derm-hair transplant specialist. He will be performing several scalp biopsies to determine if I’m a good candidate for transplant. I previously scheduled a transplant with platelet rich plasma infusion, but canceled because the doctor wouldn’t send me info to contact previous patients. The staff told me 3 times that he would do so. I spoke with a transplant patient that went to another out of town center. She told me how painful it was. She had two transplants. She wasn’t satisfied with the first one at all. I’m a skeptic. I worked in the healthcare field for 30 years and now how things can go wrong. I’m glad the doc I’m seeing is doing all the necessary diagnostics.

By: poohbah

poohbah — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 02:36:34 +0000

Melissa,

I am in Philadelphia and would like the names of Drs in Phila and NY,

By: mary

mary — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:51:26 +0000

Hi, I was wondering if there´s anybody here who has had a hair transplant in´Bryssels at Dr Bisangas clinic? Please write to me if you have! Regards / Mary

By: Melissa

Melissa — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:36:34 +0000

Having gone through the pain of hair loss myself for the last 15 years (since I was 14 years old)), I’m offended that you think I would ever want to push someone in the wrong direction. The only thing that I’ve said “emphatically” is that they should explore the option, if in fact their hair loss is not diffuse at this point. If what you mention here happens: “Women should consider all their options, but realize that a woman could read your post and think your result will be typical and she’ll undergo a hair transplant based on your story,” then they have not thoroughly researched the procedure, and met with multiple surgeons. I would NEVER invest the kind of money involved solely based on someone else’s experience, and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to do that either. Certainly I shouldn’t be held accountable for their decision making.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:30:55 +0000

Women should explore all options and find an ethical surgeon. I will continue to say that if my hair transplants give me even 10 more years of happiness with my hair, it was worth the money and slight inconvenience of surgery and healing. I don’t see what young women have to lose by exploring it as option. Might I eventually lose my hair in a more diffuse pattern? Yes. In the meantime, however, I have stabilized my hair loss to a point where it’s manageable. I can’t imagine what I’d look like today without my transplants. I just am thankful to not have to wear a wig. Again, even if I’ve gotten 10 more years with my own hair, it’s better than nothing. From what I’ve read in my research I’d discourage young men before young women because if they end up getting transplants too early they risk not having enough donor hair and being left with a scar that will leave then unable to get a buzz cut. Women have more options for concealing scars later down the line. I’m troubled by the fact that your opinion is limited to interactions. I would encourage you to seek out women who have has positive experiences. It is unlikely that you would come across many in this forum since they are pleased with their results. Again, I never said this was good for all women, but I think young women should explore the option to give them more time with their real hair. I think it’s a shame that you are so dismissive of someone who has thoroughly researched the procedure over 10 years, met with multiple, all ethical, experienced surgeons and has first hand experience with the procedure. Even if this isn’t a long term fix, again, why not get extra time with you OWN hair?

By: admin

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:28:09 +0000

Dear Melissa – Unfortunately I have to disagree with you. Melba’s story is NOT atypical in the respect that many women who are not candidates and do undergo hair transplant surgery – many times don’t have the result they had anticipated and are extremely unhappy. This is my experience after years of interacting with women suffering with hair loss.

Are there women who are candidates? Yes. I don’t deny that, and I list some of the instances above where I think a woman can be a candidate. But a woman suffering from diffuse hair loss, meaning it’s falling out from all over the head (top, sides, back) is in my opinion, is not an ideal candidate. Some women do only have a thinning part or thinning sides – and that’s different, they may very well be a candidate if the rest of their hair has maintained the majority of it’s density. I’m not a doctor and I state that all the time, this is simply my opinion – and one that has been continually formed after coming across many many women who had wished they had not undergone a hair transplant. Having said that, I have also come across a couple women like yourself, where this was a good option for them and they are happy with the result. But I still do not believe this is a realistic option for the majority of women dealing with hair loss.

From your post it sounds like you don’t have diffuse hair loss because you wrote, “Are all women good candidates? No. I suspect older women, especially, with more diffuse thinning should not even consider it.” But MANY MANY young women are dealing with diffuse hair loss as well, including myself.

So my goal is not to misinform women about hair transplants, but rather to give them the opportunity to know the reality of them. Then, they can make an educated decision for themselves. I was troubled by reading your post, not because you share your opinion, but because you are suggesting emphatically that this is a realistic solution and women should consider it. Women should consider all their options, but realize that a woman could read your post and think your result will be typical and she’ll undergo a hair transplant based on your story. Then, perhaps due to not seeing an ethical doctor and not getting the proper evaluation about her candidate status — she’ll be devastated. Perhaps, simply from subpar results, or simply that no results occurred and she was left exactly where she was before, but now with a scar on the back of her head.

I’m happy that you have found something that works for you, it’s the goal for us all – to find something that can help get us through to the next day. I wish you the best on your upcoming surgery.

xoxo

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 04:03:42 +0000

sorry – meant second procedure at age 24.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 04:02:44 +0000

I have to say, you are giving women and incorrect impression of hair transplants. Melba’s story is atypical, and she seems a bit misguided, which is the fault of her doctor. I do have to just briefly say that is it perfectly normal for the hairs in the transplanted follicles to fall out almost immediately after the transplants. They do not begin to grow back for about 3 months – the doctors are transplanting the FOLLICLES, not the hairs. As for the “shock loss” only hair that was already programmed to fall out would be expedited by the procedure. I also would not look to a hair stylist for advice on what is a cosmetic medical procedure.

I have had 2 hair transplants (first at age 19, second at age 14). I am now 29 and scheduled for my 3rd and final in two weeks. In the last two days, I’ve been for consults with two doctors since mine retired unexpectedly. They both told me that 70% of the hair on the top of my head was transplanted. With another 1800 grafts at this last procedure, almost all of the hair in my thinning areas will be permanent. I cried today in this doctor’s office as I imagined my life without the constant stress of hair loss. Will my hair by thick? No, but I expect my thinning to be virtually undetectable. All I can say is that I am pleased with my last 2 procedures. Someone with badly thinning hair should NOT expect to solve their problems with one procedure. This is something that, when you start, you know you are in for several. The whole goal is to transplant more hairs than you will naturally use. This last surgery for me will finally close that deficit. Are all women good candidates? No. I suspect older women, especially, with more diffuse thinning should not even consider it. Any ethical doctor will tell you this upfront and not let you undergo the procedure. For younger women, however, with thinning on the top of their head, and a healthy donor area, this absolutely is a possible solution to their problems. It has been a decade since my first transplant, and cannot imagine what my life would be like today if 70% of the hair on my head had not been transplanted. Even if some day the hair in the back of my head does fall out, and the “permanent” transplants are gone, that will hopefully be in the very distant future. I plan to celebrate my 30th birthday next year with an almost full head of hair, made possible by transplants. Please try not to discourage women, especially young women, from exploring this option, as it can dramatically effect their lives. Research the doctors that do the procedure because there are alot out there who are underqualified. If anyone is in the Philadelphia area, I’d be happy to share my experience.

By: Beth S.

Beth S. — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:50:38 +0000

Rex
Just to update you, it has been one year now, and I am pretty happy with the results — it is enough to keep me out of a wig. Remember, you will never regain the thick hair of your youth, but if covering bald spots with fine hair is enough for you, this is an option to consider. I can side part my hair or pull it back in a ponytail because my hairline is pretty good now. However, with a center part, or wet hair, one can tell I have pretty thin hair. so as I said before make sure your expectations are realistic. Also…depending on the extent of your hair loss, you may want to have a second procedure. (One transplant session should cost you btwn $4,000 – $6,000.)

The doctor I used is located in Englewood, NJ. His name is Herbert Feinberg and he has specialized in hair transplant surgery for many years.