Dr Jeffrey Epstein - help and recommendations needed please?

[Trepidation]

Hi there,

Guys, I really need your help with regards to recommendations for the afformentioned Doctor and comments/experiences that you feel are appropriate.

Basically, I got an hair transplant close to a year ago and have lived to regret it ever since. It has been the bane of my existance for too long and it has changed all aspects of my life for the worse. Just getting through the days are hard enough but not knowing wether I can sort this makes it worse.

So I've embarked on a proactive plan to remove and reverse my transplant. After much discussion with various Doctors and an assessment of my family's hairloss I feel it is best to get out now. I'm only 24 and to continue on this heart wrenching hair transplant road would be one that I'd live to regret - if only for the fact I don't think my donar supply would be able to maintain my hair. So my main aim is to remove the 400 grafts or so and revise the scar whilst putting some FUE into it at a later date.

Dr Epstein has been a true gent in assisting me off late and has said that he can conduct this over two procedures. Removal of 200 and a scar revision first then removal of another 200 which will be put into the scar a few months down the line. I understand this is not a straight forward process and some grafts will grow back but I'm prepared for that. I believe FUE removal will assist in reurning my skin to the best condition possible.

Any comments on my situation and the Dr Epstein would be much appreciated. I need all the help I can get. Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Trepidation can i ask why you want them out? Was the procedure a disaster? Do you have pics so i can see why you want them out? You must have being young to have it done hey?


Damo

 

[Trepidation]

Damien, thanks for your question - basically I'm too young to continue on this road. If I continue now I'll need multiple procedures in the future which I both couldn't handle and something I don't think my donar supply would keep up with. Therefore due to the samll (relatively!) number of grafts I have received I feel it is best just to remove them.

Dr Epstein believes he can do this for me in a two step process. If I remove the first batch (i.e. move my hairline up about two cms) and there is too much skin disturbance (which I don't think there will be as hopefully FUE will remove some of the scar tissue) then I might get a slight peppering of hairs to surround the remainder and just be done with it. Ideally I'd just like to reverse it though. Don't have the photos with me here but if you click on the following link to another forum you can see them there.

http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/mess ... TARTPAGE=3

Hopfeully this will explain the dilemma I'm in.

 

[Mahair]

Trepidation,Good luck .I think you will be alright with that approach.

 

[Guest]

As Mahair said you should be right.I suppose you are lucky that you only got 400 grafts and not 2000 like some people.WHen are you thinking of getting it done?

Damo

 

[Trepidation]

Thanks Damien, to be honest I don't know - I need to explore all my options first before I jump into anything. I had a wee taster treatment of electrolysis today and it went alright although the pock marks left behind aren't good so I think I can discount that option. Over the next few weeks I'm going to speak to various Docs and hopefully I can come up with a plan, got a web consult with Dr Cole next week, a phone convo with Dr Wong tomorrow and hopefully a bit more input from Dr Epstein. From there, hopefully I'll be in a good position to make a final plan.

 

[Guest]

Let me know what the different doctors say im interested in their feedback!

Damo

 

[Trepidation]

Damien,

Here's my current state of play. Just spoke to Dr Wong and what he advised they could do for me (!!) is documented below, what I believe to be my current options are also listed, its a copy from another listing I made so sorry if its a bit incoherent in places:

1/ Remove the grafts via laser or electrolysis and be done with it whilst getting a scar revision or FUE into the donar scar. My main concern here is the underlying skin and to be able to pull off the bald look without any looks/comments etc about the state of my scalp. My initial taster treatment of electrolysis revealed some pitting, marking and scarring which has made me sceptical about reacing my preferred result.

2/ FUE removal of all grafts which I have been told can remove some of the scar tissue. Dr Jeffrey Epstein of Florida has stated he can do this, but there will be signs of regrowth and again I'm concerned at the state of my underlying scalp and how this will be left. This would include two passes - first one being 150-200 removal and a scar revision using the tricophytic technique then second pass would be 150-200 removal again and put into my now hopefully smaller scar. There will be approximately 30% regrowth which will then require laser/electrolysis to finish it off.

3/ Hasson and Wong approach. Brow lift (!) of the first cm or so of grafts to restore the hairline to a natural position, wait 3 1/2 months then a strip hair transplant to restore frontal third and encorporate scar revision at the same time. Just spoke to Dr Wong and this was his recommendation.

4/ FUE removal of the lower part of the hairline (see front19 below the blue line) then hair transplant (prob about 2500) to restore the frontal third and create a natural hairline. Probably Cole or Feller if they would be happy to take this approach.

5/ hair transplant of probably 3500+ grafts to cover where the existing grafts are placed and give me what in effect would be an unnaturally low hairline in the future.

I am in a kinda catch 22 situation, there's a history of hair loss in my family (Norwood 5-6 largely) and I am far more receded than my Dad and Grandads at my age, so to conservatively presume I will be a Norwood 6. If I'm going to go down the hair transplant approach it will firm up my frontal third, Proscar should assist with the middle and the crown but I believe I will have to rely on BHT or HM in the future, hopefully 15 years down the line this will be a feasible option. Its a risk but whatever I do I will be risking something, its just about minimising that risk.

Now at the age of 24 I'm still too young for all this hair transplant stuff - I just wish I found these boards sooner and hadn't been talked into a procedure that has essentially made someone a quick buck. I respect all you guys who wait, I just wish I could be in your shoes now. Well thats where I'm at guys, I really am struggling here and would appreciate any advice/comments from all you seasoned posters. How I got myself into this situation I don't know, all I do know is that I want out and want it sorted. Sorry for the long post but hope you can help.

 

[Guest]

Trepidation,

Thank you for your courage in sharing your experience with the rest of us. I hear stories like yours almost on a daily basis. You definitely echo many of my opinions regarding surgical hair restoration on someone as young as you are.

Let's move on to the positives. First off, please allow me to highly commend you for keeping a level head and perspective of your situation AND for doing your homework. Your plan sounds well thought out and viable.

Second, Dr. Jeff Epstein is talented and I have read of other repair work he has done that his patients were very satisfied with. He is also ethical. He would just as soon pass on your case if he truly did not feel he could improve your situation. So believe me he is not doing it for the money.

Now, your thoughts on utilizing FUE technology to extract the FUs in the hairline area is a good approach PROVIDING you heal very well. My question is in the first procedure where are the first 200 graft extractions going to go? You mentioned the second 200 grafts would be implanted into your strip scar. I did clearly hear you on your point of not doing any more hair restoration in the future, so possibly you do not want the first 200 to be re-implanted elsewhere. Either way I think employing the isolated extration methods to remove the unwanted grafts is the least invasive way to go.

Please keep us posted as Damo suggested and I personally wish you the very best in resolving this so you can get on with your life.

 

[Trepidation]

Thanks for your response Gillenator, the first 200 would just be disposed off, wouldn't reuse them. Dr Jeffrey Epsteins my best hope for FUE removal I believe, he's not got back to me in a few days but I will hopefully hear from him soon. I'm just deeply concerned about the underlying skin, couldn't handle walking about with scars on my head and no way to remove them. Speaking to Dr Cole on Monday hopefully, if I get my webcam sorted so hopefully get some ideas then. Thanks again.

 

[Mahair]

It sounds like Dr. Epstein has a plan.Watch out for doctors that don't and just make promises.

 

[Trepidation]

Guys if you'd be so knid could you look at the following link and comment on my most recent post. I'm starting to wonder if complete removal is a lost dream now as a ersult of scarring etc in the recipient area and have formulated a hybrid approach as another option. Your comments would be much appreciated. Thanks again.

http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/mess ... adid=51797

 

[Guest]

Trepidation,

Your very welcome. Hang in there my friend, there is hope for you. I don't BS so I would never say there is hope if it were not true. Thank goodness you did not have a much larger prior session with lots of grafts needing removal.

I can certainly understand your concern of scarring especially in a high visual impact area. Since we already know that scar tissue is part of healing, the real issue for you IMO is "which method, technique of removal will be the least invasive" to minimize the development of scar tissue when the scalp begins the healing process. So ideally isolated extraction will produce less visible scarring vs having the grafts surgically removed and then possibly requiring a few sutures to keep the wound closed. Don't know if you spoke with any plastic surgeons who may favor the latter method but if they do many times it is probably because they do not pratice FUE methods. They may not even have any experience in surgical hair restoration! I still believe you are taking the right steps.

Don't worry, Dr. Epstein is genuine so he will get back to you and hey, you're making some progress!

 

[Trepidation]

Thanks Gillenator, as you say its knowing the best route to take that is the hardest part. I do believe that FUE removal of the grafts is the best way to go but FUE of them all will undoubtedly leave some scarring - aka my worst fear. Hence why I'm trying to cover all bases. I'm hoping this weeks going to be a good week:

- I'm speaking to Dr Cole on Monday, hopefully via a webcam consult but that depends if my webcam works!

- Should get a response via Specs from Dr Feller regarding his belief of the best course of action. He won't remove the extreme frontal grafts I don't believe but....

- I will hopefully hear back from Dr Bernstein, who's done quite a bit of repair work regarding removal of these grafts (I'd probably then go onto Feller for the hair transplant if this was my best course of action) and Dr J. Epstein concerning removal. That way I could do it all in New York in one shot so to speak, over a few weeks.

- Hopefully hear back from Alvi Armani concerning conducting both removal and further hair transplant.

After speaking to Dr Wong as well, I think I can discount their option of a brow-lift, too risky I believe and with the relatively small number of grafts to be removed I reckon FUE removal is a better approach. So thats where I'm at, got in touch with all the top dosc so what more acn I do? Surely one of them will be able to offer me a way out of this!?

 

[pluggy]

Hey Trep,

What about this Doctor in India Dr. A. He is using this donor sealing method for FUE extractions on the back of your head. Maybe this can be done for repair work at the front as well thus reducing the risk of scarring? In any case you could ask Dr. Cole's opinion about it.

-pluggy

 

[pluggy]

Here this donor sealing method is explained by Dr. Arvind. He uses it for BHT extractions as well. No idea whether this could work on your forhead?

 

[Trepidation]

Looks good pluggy, I've just not heard much about him so am unsure of his credentials so to speak. I really need to get the best Doctor possible, any comments on Dr Arvind Poswal?

 

[pluggy]

Dr. Arvind posts quite often at Hairsite. He is overhyped there and you are right he lacks of consistent results yet.

 

[pluggy]

So I just ask this Doctor on the above mentioned site. Let's wait for his reaction.

 

[Guest]

Have seen abit of his work and havent found it all that impressive yet!

Damo