"Trust but verify" – Old Russian Expression

This forum is dedicated to presenting first hand information about visits to leading hair transplant clinics worldwide.

As a hair transplant patient and the publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center and the Hair Restoration Network I know how widely hair transplant results vary. And given the life long impact of surgery, I'm committed to only promoting those hair transplant surgeons who I believe are highly ethical and who perform truly state of the art follicular unit hair transplantation.

All the physicians recommended on all of our websites are carefully reviewed. Part of this review process includes viewing patient photos, physician credentials, their technique and reputation, as well as feed back from patients on this forum and in emails. I have also attended over a dozen international hair restoration conferences in which leading hair transplant surgeons present their ideas and techniques.

But ultimately it's all about walking the talk. That is why I strive to visit as many hair restoration clinics as possible to verify their commitment to quality techniques and results. Over the past seven years I have visited dozens of hair transplant clinics and seen their physicians and staff in surgery. I learn a lot from each visit about surgery, current techniques and each clinic's actual ability to walk the talk.

In the past I did not generally publicize these clinic visits. But I think that sharing what I find directly on this forum will make the process of how and why physicians are recommended more understandable and transparent.

The reports posted in this forum from these on site visits will generally be positive because I do not intend to waste time visiting clinics that I do not believe are top notch. Those clinics who are found to not be performing state of the art hair transplantation will not be presented in this forum.

I also welcome input and suggestions from those in this community. Together we have a vast amount of collective knowledge about the actual results being produced at various clinics . Please feel free to comment on any and all topics in this new forum.

To learn more about our criteria for recommending physicians, click here.

For a list of all the hair restoration physicians we recommend, click here.

Best wishes for achieving truly natural new hair growth.

Patrick Hennessey, Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center and the Hair Restoration Network

Pat, I highly recommend visiting Dr. Christopher Gencheff of the Madison hair transplant clinic if you're in the Wisconsin area. I've had 3 transplants there and was very impressed. His techniques and his staff are amazing.

Mike,

Thanks for the suggestion. I will be driving through Wisconsin on my way to Minneapolis this coming month and perhaps I can see him in action.

Pat

I think you do a fantastic job with your visits to all the different doctors. Was just curious if you have or are planning any trips out west to visit Keene and Alexander as well as other docs anytime soon. Would love to see some visits to the west coast doctors! Thanks

tkerr22

tkerr22,

Thanks for appreciating the difference between simply creating a physician directory for anyone who offers money and a carefully selected group of surgeons who have a proven track record of using state of the art techniques.

Given that the results of hair transplant surgery will be life long, we can't be too thorough in evaluating surgeons and their results.

I do plan on making another extensive road trip through Texas, Arizona and California as soon as possible. I try to visit all clinics in an areas who I believe are providing state of the art techniques and results.

I will certainly be visiting Dr. Keene and Dr. Alexander. Any other suggestions for quality clinic's to visit in Texas, Arizona and California will be appreciated.

I generally do not waste time visiting clinics that I believe are doing sub pare work. Often they are unwilling to have me visit in any case. They know enough to know better.

However, it is amazing how much you learn about all surgeons in an area, including those doing awful work, when you are in the actual area and asking lots of questions.

Feedback from actual patients over the past several years has also been enormously helpful.

Thanks again, Pat

sounds great. Just try and come to AZ in the winter when it's not as hot as the surface of the moon!

quote:

Originally posted by tkerr22:
sounds great. Just try and come to AZ in the winter when it's not as hot as the surface of the moon!

The moon is hot?

quote:

Originally posted by baldcasanova:

quote:

Originally posted by tkerr22:
sounds great. Just try and come to AZ in the winter when it's not as hot as the surface of the moon!

The moon is hot?

It depends on the time of day and location. The surface temperature can range from roughly -250 F to +250 F.

There is my (almost) useless trivia of the day.



-Robert

Has anyone heard from Pat? I wanted to hear updates of his from the midwest clinics.

Any good clinics in the Dallas TX area?

Maybe Limmer.

quote:

Originally posted by diamond:
Any good clinics in the Dallas TX area?

Yeah the Limmer gang is the only one recommended for Texas

Pat,

Will you be visiting any clinics outside of North America like Asia or Europe?

GuitarPlayer

GuitarPlayer,

I have attended some hair transplant meetings in Europe and visited some clinics outside of North America. Generally North America has the highest concentration of outstanding hair restoration surgeons in my opinion.

While I have visited a few clinic outside of North America, the language barrier has been a limiting factor and I've tended to focus on North America.

However, I would like to make a more extensive tour of Europe to learn more. There are a few excellent hair restoration clinics in Europe and most of them are recommended on the Hair Transplant Network.

I did visit Dr. Maurice Collins in Dublin, Ireland (the great nephew of the famous revelutionary - Micheal Collins) and I was very impressed by his very ethical and meticulous approach to doing all follicular unit grafting. He is an excellent choice for anyone seeking excellent surgery in Ireland. Unfortunately, due to some very strange laws in Ireland he can't present before and after photos online or even use his own name on his own website. Thus at least at this point I have not been able to present him on the Hair Transplant Network.

I do hope to have more first hand information about Europe this coming year.

South America has also been an area where I need to learn more. I have met many surgeons from South America at the ISHRS international meetings. But it is hard to assess their work from far away. However, I do suspect that there are a limited number of excellent hair transplant surgeons in Latin America.

I did visit Dr. Arthur Tykocinski in Sao Paulo, Brazil and his ultra refined follicular unit grafting is truly outstanding. He is right up there with the best of the best in North America.

I'd also like to some day visit Australia to learn more there as well.

I also expect to make another trip this year to visit leading clinics west of the Mississippi. I hope that those reading this forum find these first hand visits to be useful. I know they have helped me learn and verify the quality of work being done or not done.

I live in Portland, oregon. One of the local physicians recommended DR.Dow Stough in Arkansas.
Do anyone know any information about Dr. Dow Stough? Please let me know.

Pat, would you ever visit the clinic in NY or Chicago for the AlviArmani clinic? I am curious about their quality and long tern results. Considering he IS on the IAHRS list, I am surprised no one on this forum has much to say about him. Can you fill me in or PM me? Thanks!! ksbolt@gmail.com

quote:

Originally posted by Kansas:
Pat, would you ever visit the clinic in NY or Chicago for the AlviArmani clinic?

Pat has already answered that question here.

I read through the post, but I have a couple of questions. What are the qualifications needed to be named on the IAHRS list? How about an actual clinic visit, just like the other tours, where he could explain his techniques and you can actually see past and present clients. I would like to hear about the quality of his work from past clients. I am just on a mission to find the best value for my money. If this means that his great results now will end up not being so great in the future, OK, but I would like to know that info so myself and others like me can make a decision. That being said....I am still lost!! In this day and age where there are so many miracle promises, I am hesitant to believe anything on TV or the Internet that promises hair regrowth or restoration, without unbiased evidence and support.

Kansas,

I think virtually everyone on this forum shares your interest in identifying the physicians who provide the very best quality and value. Yet no one has perfect or definative information about what all clinics are really doing.

However, a great deal of information has been collectively gathered and shared over the past several years about which physicians and clinics are consistantly delivering quality results, ethical service and great prices. I regularly get emails and reports from patients about their actual surgical experiences, which some patients will simply not post on a public forum.

I've also visited many clinics over the years, to see who is really walking the talk. Some of these visits are presented in the forum - "Visits to Leading Hair Transplant Clinics".

This and other sources of information has determined, which phyicians are presented on our community.

But ultimately the patient must make the final decision on which physician or clinic, if any, is best for them. In my opinion the doctors recommended on the Hair Transplant Network provide many possible quality options. Those who are members of the Coalition meet an even higher standard that not only requires them to perform follicular unit grafting, but to do it at an ultra refined and minimally invasive level that enables them to provide "one pass" sessions (when appropriate). The members of the Coalition in my opinion have mastered follicular unit grafting and perform it at the highest level.

Although this community and those who use it and publish it will never have definative and or perfect information, the process of striving to identify and present the best we can find has real value for those considering hair transplantation.

I suggest that anyone use the "Find" feature on this forum to do a search on any surgeon they are considering before they make a final commitment. By doing such a search they are tapping into the collective mind of thousands of patients who have visited this forum over the past 5 plus years.

I very much appreciate the information that you and others provide on this forum. I have never been able t talk about my hair loss publicly. This site allows me to say what I feel, without ridicule or embarassment. I have tried to search in this site for this paricular doctor, who sparked my interest. I must say, before I read on this clinic, I had my mind set on another Dr, which I still might use. I am trying to get as much info as possible, before committing. It is a life decision, afterall. Thanks for your help!