Well, I just gotta add my two cents into the discussion.

I want to point out that even though I started losing my hair very young, have been through two hair restoration procedures, and have been involved with these forums and the Hair Transplant Network for the past two years, I am absolutely horrible at spotting hair pieces. It just isn't on my mind, I guess.

For instance, the last time I "noticed" that a guy was wearing one, it was actually pointed out to me by a young lady I was with. I had been talking to the guy for well over ten minutes and then walked away to grab a drink when she yanked my shirt and asked me about it. She said that his hair looked "kind of funny" and that she thought it may be a "wig." I just kind of looked over at him casually and noticed that, yeah, it looked bad. Very bad. The thing is, I hadn't even noticed it before. And I like to think that I am a pretty observant guy.

I guess my point is that 99.99% of the population is like me: they aren't going to give it a second thought unless there is a blatant reason to. If the piece is horrible, like this guy's was, then of course someone should pull him to the side. But if it looks like Jerry's (which, in my opinion, looks great) and the change from natural to wearing the piece wasn't so abrupt that young children would know, then I don't see the problem. Surgery isn't for everyone. And a piece can be a fine alternative for those that have been the victim of botched hair plug and hair flap surgeries.

I guess it's all relative. I mean, there are people on forums that swear that they can spot a hair transplant on anyone. But I challenge those guys to spot me in a room. Because it's not happening. I know that my results look great and completely natural.

And you know what? Even if I was spotted by some "hair geek" in the corner that could somehow tell I had a transplant done, I would be fine with that, because the odds are overwhelming that he would be a hair loss sufferer himself and would never call me out on it. If anything, he'd probably just pull me to the side and ask who my doctor was.

So I guess I can see both sides of the issue. If a piece looks awful, then I do think that someone should alert the wearer to that fact. Gently, of course. However, if someone really has to look for a flaw, then I say let it ride.

Jerry, I welcome you to the forums and once again I want to reitterate that it looks great and natural to this untrained eye. Wear it well, my friend.

-Robert

I see your point Robert, but my point isnt if it looks good or bad; a guy can paint his head with magic marker for all I care, its the matinence/cost part. As I said before If havent been through it you dont see that side. They arent wash and wear like you might think, it takes ALOT of time and effort to make it look good. When you spot a bad one its probably because they really need replacing every 4 months because they look worn;or the stylist didnt cut it right; or you didnt have time to carefully check everything before you went out; tons of things. Im sure that guy you mentioned thought everything looked fine. All I am saying is if you have a lot of extra time,(and money) you can make it work and look undetectable. If you are active and not a lot of time to fuss, its hard to maintain the natural look. Its great to support people for what ever they choose, but would you like to be the guy your lady friend was tallking about?

To each his own, I suppose.

The more I'm involved with the forum, while I want to offer every ounce of support I have for those who post here, I feel then need to express my opinion honestly..........even at times if it isn't the popular opinion.

For this thread...........if Jerry is happy with the way the hairpiece looks then he should go with it. When I looked at the "after" pics, it reminded me of another individual I know who wears a hairpiece that looks very similar to it............most everyone knows he wears one. For this reason, I felt compelled to share my earlier post with Jerry. I hope he wasn't offended because that would be my last intention.

For some unknown reason, I've always been one of those balding types who can spot a hairpiece. As a matter of fact, my wife thinks I'm obessessed with it (probably am )..........kind of a running joke between us! Maybe I'm in the minority here but it seems like most balding types are in tune to hairpieces, guys losing their hair..etc.

If I ended up with a HT that was detectable, I hope someone would care enough to tell me so I could do something about it rather than get stares everytime I walk by those that notice. By the same token, if I was one who chose to wear a piece and it was noticable, I would hope someone would tell me.

I don't know how Jerry's hairpiece looks in person...........maybe it looks great . Looking at the pics posted, I felt it was suspect to be a hairpiece. Maybe it isn't?? Hopefully, for his sake, it looks great and is undetectable.

Great posts everyone and great discussion.

I definately appreciate the honesty of everyone here, because I think Jerry or any other person reading these posts should have all the facts in order to make an educated decision.

Brent, I can see why your so passionate about being anti-hairpiece. As I said I never wore one, so I don't know first hand what the hassle could be and the constant worry of maintenance and wondering if people know you're wearing a hairpiece. We can't see our head 100% of the time and if we turn funny and something shifts, well...the rest is bad news. Perhaps even the best wig can shift funny and look like a rat's nest on someone's head. So in summation Brent, I think it's great that you are here and sharing your opinion for sure. Passion is great, as long as we use it to help people. So by all means, continue to share your experiences and how we can best serve Jerry or any others that are looking into a hairpiece. You, much more than I, will have something to offer as far as experience with a hairpiece. I can only go by my speculation of the hassle...you lived it first hand.

I know for certain that I have pointed out, especially to my wife, people who are balding or people who I suspect might be wearing a hairpiece. I may or may not be correct in my assessments, which is why I use the word "suspect"...but either way...this is what turned me off from a hairpiece to begin with in all honesty. I just didn't want to walk around worrying if I looked natural all day/night wherever I went. To be honest, this is why I don't use any concealers either...I used Dermatch twice and even though the mirrors told me everything was ok, I constantly worried that it looked unnatural even though my wife told me 80 times that it looks fine. There's always that one lighting that could reveal some kind of flaw and people sometimes will notice those things regardless of whether or not they are hairloss sufferers. So like hairbank, I too am a bit obsessed...blah! I don't want to be...but it seems to be in the nature of people. We want to be able to relate to people...so I'm constantly looking for other hairloss sufferers...hoping I'm not the only balding man in the room, etc. So I am extra sensitive to it.

One other reason why I didn't opt for a hairpiece is because I didn't want to be a slave to it. What happens if I wanted to take it off and go legit? All of the sudden I go from having a full head of hair to none at all. To me, I rather go bald naturally and slowly and let people see a gradual process. Of course, because I chose HTs (thank the Lord for this option in my case), instead of going gradually more bald, I'll gradually get more hair that is permanent and real and authentically mine, never to fall out and with no extra maintenance as having a full head of native hair.

So Jerry (if you are still reading these posts), good luck to you...the pictures look great. I hope that it works out for you. The good news is, if you ever decide you don't want to continue with it, you can always opt for an HT later.

Falc

"I had some time to waste, so downloaded this guy's http://www.hairlosstalk.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?t...hlight=michiganbaldy video; he claims to be, and is held as an expert on wigs. Supposedly he makes good ones, but I can spot it from a 3/4th of a mile away. And this is strictly based on detectability alone, not maintaining it, cost, risk of being exposed, problems with women, etc."

John, I dont make wigs. All I do is make videos, thats it.
My message, and the purpose of my videos, are to explain to people and show them first hand what they will be getting themselves into if they want to go to a hair replacement center, club, salon or whatever so that people can see for themselves what it really is (a rug)

I do wear one myself and have made this work for me, I`ve never meant to promote this as something that is the end all solution for hairloss.
In fact, it is my intent only to provide for people the following:
If you want to go the hairsystem/wig/rug/ route, you can buy a hairpiece online for a fraction of the cost what charge you at the centers, and do the maintenance yourself. It does not take a "professional" to superglue a wig to your head and trim the hairs off and get it to look good, and thats a fact.

I had made that free video to show people what its like and if you pay attention tto what I say in it you`ll see that all I`m trying to do is provide the truth, thats it.

quote:

Originally posted by MichiganBaldy:
John, I dont make wigs. All I do is make videos, thats it.
My message, and the purpose of my videos, are to explain to people and show them first hand what they will be getting themselves into if they want to go to a hair replacement center, club, salon or whatever so that people can see for themselves what it really is (a rug)

I do wear one myself and have made this work for me, I`ve never meant to promote this as something that is the end all solution for hairloss.
In fact, it is my intent only to provide for people the following:
If you want to go the hairsystem/wig/rug/ route, you can buy a hairpiece online for a fraction of the cost what charge you at the centers, and do the maintenance yourself. It does not take a "professional" to superglue a wig to your head and trim the hairs off and get it to look good, and thats a fact.

I had made that free video to show people what its like and if you pay attention tto what I say in it you`ll see that all I`m trying to do is provide the truth, thats it.

I also took the time to watch this video, but I believe that you are not just trying to provide 'truth'. You are trying to dissuade people from getting hair transplants or getting on medication when it may do a lot of good.

You say that Propecia and Rogaine do not work and they are a 'scam'. Very untrue. There are great success stories - do a search. In combination they have halted my crown thinning and restored it to a thick head of hair. No work is now required on my crown at all.

Then you mention the side effects, such as 'erectile dysfunction', which is no greater than those on a placebo. Anyway.

You also talk about Hair Transplants with the same bad tone that you give for Hair Club for Men and their wigs. In other words, yes, Bosley is as bad as Hair Club for Men, but the Coalition doctors found on this site are superior and amazing results can be had. Again - do a search.

It is highly unfair to someone considering a hair transplant or medication to stop them immediately by using scare tactics.

As for your wig - it is quite good, but still noticeable to me (but I'll admit that those of us who have had HT work can likely spot any wig a mile away as our eyes are so trained).

What I would ask and what I think may be more valuable is to instead of showing it under different lights, show how long it takes it put it in place, to remove it and reattach it every day, the maintenance, etc. Comb your hair where the wig is, etc.

Here's my two cents: The beauty of a hair transplant, for those who are candidates - including me, is that I never have to tell anyone that I have had it done. I can get married, etc. and never have to share this detail to her nor her friends, nor my friends, nor even my hairdresser. That's impossible if you have remove your hairpiece every evening... It reminds me of someone who had an obvious wig. You could always count on two outfits: formal with a wig or casual with a baseball hat (and the wig left at home).

quote:

http://www.hairlosstalk.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?t...hlight=michiganbaldy

Unless I'm missing something, the above link does not work.

Falc

MichiganBaldy,

Why not upload the video on YouTube or Google Video and repost the link here on the forums? That link does not work for me either.

-Robert

I dont need to do a search, there is just as much negative to be found in a search as there is positive about many of the hairloss solutions out there, and especially the ones that I point out in my video.

We could go back and forth, back and forth for hours about that, but I`ll put an end to any arguement about it by asking you this:
How prevalent are you in the hairloss world?
I personally know literally hundreds of people from countries all across the world whom I have regular contact with regarding hairloss, all of whom have shared their stories with me.
There are alot of similarities in these peoples complaints about their experiences with hairloss drugs, doctors and hair replacment centers.
And you know how many, maybe a few dozen people from posting in forums? Come on man, you aint made it around the block even once yet.

I have hundreds of people talking to me about this stuff, so I know what I`m talking about.

I think people need to see the negatives that arent normally discussed during consultations.
Oh yes, I know theres good surgeons out there, hell theres even good honest hair replacement centers that charge a reasonable price
(like 3 of them) but theres plenty of bad too.

Dont take the video too seriously, it wasnt meant to offend anyone who likes their drugs or transplants, it wasnt meant to tell people that they need to get a rug instead of drugs or plugs.
It was meant to show my "personal opinion" of those solutions for my "own situation" and "my" attitude that it dont work for "me," while at the same time steer people away from clubs and salons.
Especially that part.

Michigan,

Any chance of posting a working link to this video?

Falc

Go to this link- http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JNLWCF0Z
and in the upper right hand corner you will see "download" it might be covered up by a pop-up ad so you`ll need to close that first.
Anyhow, you will see 3 letters that say please enter (the letters) here.
Enter the letters you see into the box then click download. You should see a timer that counts to 45 seconds, then your default media player will start to play the video.

MichiganBaldy,

Interesting video. I actually got a good laugh out of some of the things you said in the begining. It's true that a lot of things out there don't work...even Propecia and Minoxodil don't work as well as we'd like them to. I always advocate them in my advice as worth a try...especially for those who just started losing their hair. The one thing I'd say, however, is that you tend to over-emphasize the side effects of these medicines. Perhaps you are just stating your opinion and your concerns, but statistically, side effects are very low with these medications. I've been on Propecia for over 2 years with absolutely no side effects. However, I have stopped Minoxodil many years ago because of scalp irritation.

Wouldn't it be great if there was some kind of wonder drug or miracle potion that would grow all your hair back and quickly? But unfortunately there is not.

So the hairpiece or "wig" is definately a viable option for people with hairloss, just as the HT is. As I've said...I opted for the HT, knowing full well the risks, but mostly because I didn't want to have to deal with the maintenance of a hair "system". To me, it seems messy and I'd know full well that I'm wearing a wig. I'd constantly worry that it doesn't look right or that something will happen for it to fall off. I mean, occasionally I have women messing with me and touching my head or something...what if one of these girls knock it out of place? So for me personally, I'd rather have a thinner head of hair that is mine than a thicker looking one that I have to take off and maintain every night.

I wish there was a perfect method to restore hair...I mean REALLY restore hair. Maybe when hair cloning is perfected than this will be possible. In the meantime...I'm glad your hairpiece is working for you.

Falc

quote:

Originally posted by MichiganBaldy:
John, I dont make wigs. All I do is make videos, thats it.
My message, and the purpose of my videos, are to explain to people and show them first hand what they will be getting themselves into if they want to go to a hair replacement center, club, salon or whatever so that people can see for themselves what it really is (a rug)

I do wear one myself and have made this work for me, I`ve never meant to promote this as something that is the end all solution for hairloss.
In fact, it is my intent only to provide for people the following:
If you want to go the hairsystem/wig/rug/ route, you can buy a hairpiece online for a fraction of the cost what charge you at the centers, and do the maintenance yourself. It does not take a "professional" to superglue a wig to your head and trim the hairs off and get it to look good, and thats a fact.

I had made that free video to show people what its like and if you pay attention tto what I say in it you`ll see that all I`m trying to do is provide the truth, thats it.

MichiganBaldy,
let's be honest: you are against HTs and meds--you are pushing rugs /wigs /whatever. Maybe because you want people to buy your other video, maybe because you truly believe it, but you come off as much less than honest. That is clear. You post nonsense about the meds that many people here will know, and th most ridiculous part is when you didn't; get a HT because of the release form that the doctor wanted you to sign. It is a scare tactic and we're not stupid.

Try going to an oral surgeon to get a tooth pulled and read what you have to sign to get it done. Or read the disclaimer when you install a program on your computer. We know those are for extreme cases, and while they might happen--anything can happen in a surgery--the odds of it happening are extremely low, as these surgeries have become routine.

You have the right to say whatever you want, just don't insult our intelligence. And as far as the piece: sorry but it's NOT undetectable, regardless of how many time you tell yourself that it is. It maybe good by a rug's standard, but still not good enough.

John,

Hey buddy...take a deep breath and relax...everything will be ok . Kick your feet up and have a cold one or something .

I can't honestly speak for Michigan's intentions, but after viewing that entire video I don't get the impression that he is trying to sell wigs or say it's the only option for hairloss, nor insult those who want to get an HT. If anything, I think he is simply trying to help people save money if they are considering a hairpiece by getting a more affordable and realistic one. He uses the word "wig" and "rug" several times. If he were trying to decieve people making it sound like the end all of hairloss, he'd use those scientific terms he was criticizing.

Regarding HTs and medication...it's obvious that these solutions didn't sound good to him and may have overstated some of the negatives and understated the positive benefits. but I don't think he is trying to scare or persuade anyone not to research it or go with it. Of course, perhaps Michiganbaldy can explain his intentions if he is willing.

My advice to people is and will remain, research all your options before jumping into one or the other. An HT will not be for everyone...maybe medicine isn't either. I always think the medication is worth a try in the beginning stages of hairloss to see if you can regain existing hair or at least stop the hairloss, but for those who are already a NW6 and 7, medication may not be the way to go. Some people aren't even candidates for an HT...so a "hair replacement system" or "wig" may be the only option if someone indeed wants to cover their baldness. But nonetheless, many NW6 and 7s have had some pretty amazing transformations with HT because of a great surgeon and excellent donor hair. So to each their own on what satisfies them.

That being said, my advice to you Michiganbaldy, if you are sincerely trying to educate people, share all the facts, both the good and the bad about all forms of hairloss treatment, including medication and HTs.

Falc

Yes I use the word rug and wig all the time.
Thats what it is, and the hair replacement establishments out there dont try and sell it like that, they call it a system and try to steer people away from the fact that when you sign the purchase agrrement and come back for your "application" by a "technician" in 8 weeks, all they`re going to do is superglue a rug to your scalp.

Thats what they did to me and countless others whom are now my friends.

As far as drugs and topicals I tried them before I ever tried "systems" and it didnt work at all, not even one hair.
What are the percentages, really, of people who have success with it?
People get angry when a product doenst do what it`s intended to do.
It isnt right that someone can put a product on the market that "may or may not work for you, but we still get your money regardless."
I talk to people all the time who`ve had the same results as me.

So I got sort of miffed when alot of others have the same experience so I put my dissappointment in my video.
(and they cheered me on!)

Trust me when I tell you, my video doesnt have the impact on people shopping for hairloss that the deeply offended believe it does.
Trust me, I`ve shipped dozens of DVD copies of that video all over the world (for free) before the download was available, and most of the people I gave them to wrote to me and said great video, but I think I`m going to try this or that before deciding on a rug.
Others said thank you very much, I came very close to joining this or that hair studio for
5-6 grand a year but now I know if I want a toupee I can get one myself and strap it on at home.

your right, those establishments are a rip off. They sucker you in and charge an arm and a leg for dick all. The fact that you are putting out a video to save people from these places is great. If wigs were matinence free and 100% undetectable more of us would probably go down that route. But for the people who wear them you might as well save a ton of dough.

Yes people will wear them whether I make a video or not.
Some people wonder how on earth a guy could go about doing this and the answer is when you want hair, you have a tendancy to have an open mind about things.
When I went for my first rug, they didnt tell me it would be a rug. They told me it would be this and that, all blended and integrated with my own, etc.
When I went back and they brought it out and put it on, I just sat there thinking yup, this was bullshit.
I didnt like it and I told her to take it off. This lady put a real obvious rug on me, had my hairline like a half inch from my eyebrows.
Sheesh now that I think about it, I think what a dumb and unskilled idiot she was.
Theres more to the story but I`ll spare it for now.