Has anyone ever heard or used the technique that is used by Elliott and True where they take metal pins that look like small nails and place them in the donor sites before the hair follical is transplanted? I was told that this "opens" the site so that the donor hair will go in easily. Seems like a lot of trauma to the recipiant site to me. Any feedback?

It's an outdated technique that should be avoided. Dr. True says he gave it up years ago.

The "dilators" are there to make the techs job easier. The problem is that a percentage of patients will have pitting or other problems like additional scarring, when this technique is used.

You don't want big holes to put the grafts in, you want the smallest possible grafts in the smallest possible holes.

Any doctor who still uses this technique is 10 years behind the times.

Very true. My recommended butchered from this site used a lighting blade ( makes a small rhumboid hole). The point is I am fair skinned so a larger hole did take more time to heal. Larger holes can leave noticable scarring. I had lateral slits from Dr. Jones and had no noticable scarring.
Don't use Dr. Gallagher from this site.

Dr. Gallagher makes holes?

That is a major no-no.

I had this procedure done and in fact I do have some ugly scarring on my head. In fact it is right in the front where the hair line is most critcal. I went back to Dr. Elliott and they refused to correct it so now I feel like a total freak. Too shy to sue. Some docs have suggested that they can fix it. Would love to know if anyone else has had this repair work done?

"I went back to Dr. Elliott and they refused to correct it so now I feel like a total freak."

It doesn't sound like Dr. Elliott can stand behind his own work. What year was it when Dr. Elliot used the dilators on you?

Wow, how long ago did this happen? I just logged onto the website and read your post. I went to Dr Elliott several years ago and he didn't use these dilators you describe. Was it a long time ago? I actually had a great experience there. In fact, I was referred by a friend who went there and they had a great experience and great results, too. I have referred several clients who also had wonderful results. Dr Elliott is a very honest, easy going person. I am sure if you confront him with your feelings, he is the type of doctor to go out of his way for people. This doesn't seem like something he would do. Again, I have referred several who had a wonderful experience and great results.

quote:

Originally posted by arfy:
"I went back to Dr. Elliott and they refused to correct it so now I feel like a total freak."

It doesn't sound like Dr. Elliott can stand behind his own work. What year was it when Dr. Elliot used the dilators on you?

Isn't it scary how some of the outdated procedures used to be?

Anyway, be wary of recommendations from people who don't truly know how state-of-the-art hair transplants can be today. To think, just over 6-months ago (before getting onto this site for the first time) I would have still recommended Bosley to friends! Why - you ask? Because I thought that what I received was as 'good as HT's got'. I mean, they grew, didn't they? How was I to know that 'virtually undetectable' has long since been replaced with 'fully undetectable' when one visits the likes of Shapiro, H&W, etc.

MattBBBB,

The date posted on this was 4/7/04 so it's been dead for awhile. Just wanted to point this out to you to help when you're searching the site.