John E. Frank, MD

!!!6 months update!!*************
Exceeded all expectations! The eyebrows are just glorious!!
I feel liberated first time in decades I can wake up and go without painting my eyebrows. I went to hot yoga yesterday sweat dripping all over my face and did not have to worry about wiping my eyebrows off
Or and I just look great with eyebrows ????
Thank you so much dear dr Frank and Janet
I know it takes a year and I cannot wait to see results in 6 months.
Eyebrows transplant
Absolutely love it! It’s been only 2 weeks since procedure but I love it. I have completely lost my eyebrows due to over plucking and had to pencil them for a wry long time. Dr Frank and his staff /Janet have been just wonderful. Dr Frank did exceptional job with eyebrows shape that really suits my facial features. Given the fact I needed a lot of grafts - I had fast recovery post opt. So far the result exceeded my expectations. I cannot wait to start growth in 3 -4 months. Will update then

Updated on 16 May 2023:

Dr Frank is amazing! I was a woman with male pattern baldness. I went to 3 doctors to find out why I was losing my hair, but they didn;t have an answer. Finally, I was referred to Dr Frank for a hair transplant by a Columbus plastic surgeon. I was shocked and scared to have ths procedure. After I met Dr Frank I knew I made the right decision. He is knowledgeable, skilled and very comforting. He told me I would be very happy with the results and he was right!! I started seeing positive results after 3 months. It has been almost one year and I am so happy. I love going to the hair salon again. Also, Dr Frank has a great staff. The procedure was painless. If you have any questions or are nervous about having a hair transplant, don't hesitate to contact Dr Frank.

I'm an AA women in my early 40s with natural hair and I've been suffering from traction alopecia for over a decade at the upper temple areas, which I think was made worse by post-partum associated loss and stress. The original loss was caused by weaves and microbraids and it's gotten progressively worse. Having the bald spots on my edges means I'm so limited in what I can do with my hair, and wearing wigs and braids to hide the problem is just not what I want to do for the rest of my life.

So I decided to take the plunge and get a hair transplant, after combing the internet for reviews for a few months, and consulting with several doctors. My procedure was August 2021. What I found in my search for information was that there are not a lot of reviews available from black women specifically so I want to do my part in sharing my experience and results with other women with curly texture who may be considering the procedure. These weaves, braids, and other hairstyles are killing the edges softly lol. I chose the doctor I did mostly because he had good reviews here, he has experience with AA hair, his pricing was reasonable, and he promised he didn't need to shave my recipient area like I've seen in the videos on YouTube. That was important because I did not want to walk around with the entire front of my scalp shaved for months.

The procedure:

As for the procedure itself, it was not bad at all. I had the FUT which is strongly recommended for afro textured hair vs. FUE. The procedure sounds awful - I mean cutting away a piece of your scalp?! But for me it was completely painless - the only pain was a few sharp jabs when putting in the anesthetic to numb the scalp. I was comfortable and even slept through part of the procedure thanks to the sedative.

Post-op

I wasn't taking any chances so I slept on my couch upright for an entire week, though the doctor said this wasn't necessary, especially past the 3rd day. That was probably the worst part, but not too bad because my couch is comfy. As advised, I spritzed with saline solution religiously for 5 days, I wore the tape on my forehead for three full days and had very minimal swelling. After 5 days I washed with baby shampoo, and after 2 weeks I gently removed most of the scabs and was able to give my hair a good wash.

Obviously at one month out, no results but I'm prepared to wait patiently and hopefully start to see results after Thanksgiving which would make the 4 months when grow may start. Because my hair wasn't shaved it's easier to conceal though it doesn't look great.

I will say that I went with a doctor located in NYC, feel free to contact me for info about the practice I used. I am waiting to post that info pending my results. I will also post some photos of before and progress.



Updated on 12 Sep 2022:
So...14 months later and I can say that the FUT procedure was worth it and I had a great doctor. Here is a breakdown of my experience:

Month 0 - 1 post-op: Was super careful about not messing around with the grafts - very gentle. I slept upright on my couch for a week even though that was only required for a night or two. I used the saline spray quite a bit to keep the environment moist. No forehead swelling - the tape really helps! Very gentle about how I washed it. Just mostly wore it in an pineapple with hair scarves and headbands. Boring but we were in the middle of a pandemic and luckily I work remotely so this was easier to pull off. Getting the stitches out was easy peasy.

Months 2 - 3: No progress, continued to be careful and wear my hair in an afro with headbands. The hair started shedding in this time period.

Months 4-5: The shedding continued big time, and honestly looked worse than before the transplant as the hair around the transplanted area also fell out. I started to get concerned but doctor assured me the shock loss is normal.

Months 6-7: The shedding stopped and the hair grew back to look exactly as it did pre-transplant.

Months 8-9: At this point I finally felt comfortable enough about not damaging my results to do a braided fulani cornrow style but I made sure the stylist did not braid the transplant area and instead let the hair drape across the bald area. At this point I could finally see peach fuzz in the transplant area and a clearly defined hairline (but quite weird looking because the hair was so short).

Month 10: Peach fuzz grew out a little but still looked really weird to have such short hair in that area, but definitely showed real progress and a defined hairline.

Month 11-12: More growth of the peach fuzz and by the one year mark felt comfortable wearing my hair back again. Had some knotless braids installed which were done very gently.

Month 13: When I took the knotless braids out, I was very pleased with the progress. The hairline was defined, and the transplanted hair is catching up to the rest of my hair. No one looking at my hairline would think I previously had a serious issue, it's pretty normal looking now, though still short.

Month 14: Did a big chop so now all of my hair can grow out at the same rate, and definitely no one could tell that there was ever a serious problem at this point.

I'm still waiting for month 18 for my final results but I'm happy with what I've achieved. I think the keys to success are definitely patience - I can't say I started getting "happy" about the results until month 12-13 so be prepared to wait. Keep the hair spritzed with water/moisturized often, and I liked Haitian Castor oil. No braided styles or wigs until at least 6 months. I'd give up weaves and microbraids forever as though are the worst for traction alopecia. Any style should avoid direct tension on the problem areas - go to a good stylist who can find creative ways to leave the edges of the hair out or make it very little tension.
Updated on 13 Sep 2022:
I highly recommend Dr. Frank for African American/afro textured hair. I'm an AA female with 4B hair who was suffering from traction alopecia that really zapped my confidence. I was looking for an FUT doctor with experience with afro-textured hair and I saw a few reviews from Black women on here so I decided to check him out. Our hair type needs a very experienced doctor due to the curl pattern of the follicle. He was nice, very patient, and music to my ears that I wouldn't have to shave off the front of my hair.

Dare I say the FUT experience itself was actually pleasant, it was painless and I definitely fell asleep. His staff was very nice to chat with and I got to listen to my music of choice and have lunch. It was over in 5 hours and I was able to go back to work (working an office job at home) 2 days later. Be prepared to be gentle with your grafts for a month and to wait 12-18 months for the final result, but it's worth the wait. Also be prepared to avoid making the same mistakes that snatched your edges out in the first place - when we know better, we must do better with the excessive weaves, tight braids, and cornrows. While this is a big investment, his pricing was the most reasonable of any of the doctors I contacted. Don't go the rest of your life with no edges and hiding your hairline from the world. This was definitely worth the investment. Hope this helps another woman with textured hair looking for the right doctor.

I imagine like many people I had a bit of nervousness and apprehension about the procedure prior to having the work done. Dr. Frank and his team were nothing short of wonderful. They calmly and professionally took me through every step I would experience before, during, and after the procedure, and made sure I was comfortable and confident in the process. On a personal note, Dr. Frank has a personal empathy, kindness, and sincere concern for his clients which is rare in this world. Those qualities made this experience for me something I will remember fondly. I cannot recommend more highly my satisfaction with this experience and would enthusiastically recommend Dr. Frank and his team should you ever consider having this type of procedure.

I'm 46 years old and was losing my hair pretty badly, I started my first procedure 8 years ago then 2 more times afterwards. During that time i had to speak with the doctor a lot, he treated me like an old friend each time i have grown to like and respect him more. I now walk around feeling like im 26 .It was the best decision i ever made ,not only getting it done but getting it done by Dr. Frank. I recommend him 1000%

Fantastic Experience. Where can you find a practice that combines skill and compassion in one place. There is a level of expertise here that I can not imagine is exceeded elsewhere. The Doctor's staff is also friendly and welcoming and it's just an overall good experience.

Let me just say that Dr.Frank is one of the coolest, most down to earth professional people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. He and his staff where very exceptional. I came in unsure what to expect, then Dr. Frank walks in and immediately has a calm demeanor, he answered all my questions even reiterated kindly, and ensured I well understood what the procedure was about, and what to expect. all he has is a straightforward interest in helping the individual reach their goal, he is a perfectionist at his craft with great skill & precision. His staff didn’t make me feel awkward at all, they treated me like a good friend. Dr. Frank really instilled great confidence in me and I felt no worries during the whole process I’m glad I went with Dr.Frank he and his staff where amazing.

Dr. Frank and his staff were absolutely extraordinary. I was able to complete my initial consult with Dr. Frank over the phone which was super convenient. He was very responsive and took time to answer all of my questions. I took several months to make a decision to move forward with my procedure and Dr. Frank was very patient despite my indecisiveness. When I arrived his staff was very friendly and accommodating to all of my needs. I was very concerned about the pain of this procedure but Dr. Frank was able to minimize the pain considerably. I am able to perform normal activities and can not wait to see my results.

I had a transplant with Dr. Frank a little over 3 years ago and being happy with these results I went back to Dr Frank for hairline restoration and just was it completed yesterday. I know that hairlines have a lot of underlying complexions to it, let me say me say unequivocally, Dr Frank nailed it. He was able to listen to what I wanted in the hairline and it couldn’t of come out better. I will update with pictures soon to see the progress.

After suffering a cerebral hemorrhage playing football in high school I was left with a disfiguring scar from ear to ear along with a visible depression in my skull that had been shaved for life-saving surgery. I was a teenager and remember looking in the mirror every day waiting for my hair to grow back to cover it all. I just wanted to look like a normal kid again and eventually I did. Now, mid-life hair loss began to reveal those scars again. The last thing I wanted was to have unnatural hair graphs bringing more attention to my scarred scalp. After networking with a lot of men my age who had tell-tale graphs I saw the difference that Dr. Frank offered. His outstanding talent gave me healthy hair growth again and restored confidence.