My FUT experience at MHTA Clinic

here’s one more photo that shows the hairline a little more clear in a room light. You can see the cornrows where the hairline is squared off. There was no nape hair used making the hairline look unnatural along it’s edges. None of this equates to what he advertises in his videos.

this is my 9 month update- It’s exactly what I was afraid of. Thickened plugs and coarse hairs that are perpendicular to my scalp. Even when I try to push the hair from the back of my head over the transplanted area, the hair remains raised. You can see the scarred skin and cobblestoning in areas around my temples. The temples don’t connect to the rest of the hair on my scalp as you can see in the photo below. All of this indicates poor technique and I know because I’ve visited two separate clinics since then. Between the dented scar on the back of my head and the way transplanted area looks, I would consider this botched. Notice how the hairline is basically a 90 degree angle at the temples and is too high set over the widows peak.
It’s been a long year to say the least...

I had an FUT procedure with doctor Diep on June 9th. I had so many issues with his office beforehand but tried to sift through it all because I heard he was so good and had seen his YouTube. My other options were Dr. Craig Zeiring or H&W. It was during the beginning of the pandemic. It all appeared perfect because Dr. Diep could get me in earlier than these other two doctors and he lived 45 minutes away from me.
He recommended FUT so he could he could harvest the maximum number of grafts (3500-4000) since I was missing almost all my hair at the top of my head. That sounded right and he was kind over Skype, so I moved forward.
I started to get weirded out when his staff couldn’t give a straight answer or response to anything. I’d be tossed from one employee to another, trying to schedule and get a deposit down for a quote that continually changed. I knew the price would be high and I understood this his “fine work” was not based on price. however, I found it so off putting that the people handling his finances were undertrained or had no experience at all- also rude if I may add. Their office originally quoted me 3500 grafts for 15k and then within hours changed it to 17.5k. Then on top it f that said they couldn’t even achieve the 4000 grafts as discussed. I will attach my email thread below.
When I questioned why the information kept changing, Allison recommended I cancel my appointment. This was after I had put my deposit down. I kind of felt bullied into my operation, but I kept telling myself, this is doctor is good, he will take care of me.
Day of procedure:
I knew the drill - the pills I had to take, all the forms. I read through the pre-op thoroughly (because no one told me what to look for.) Everyone complains about the arbitration agreement, but almost every cosmetic doctor has you sign one before hand, so it didn’t really freak me out like I guess it should have. I figured “I’m a healthy 27yo guy, this is a reputable doctor, what’s the worst that can happen?”
He drew my hairline which looked optimal in the office. He explained that I will most likely need another procedure later down the road, but I should take propecia/minoxidil to preserve the crown. Even then I figured 3500 grafts would give me great density for the top/frontal portion of my head.
Once I was in the chair and my head was shaved I felt ok, then knocked out from the meds. I woke up a few times to two women working on my sides. I knew his techs would be working on the implants- that is standard. however their bedside manner was TERRIBLE and I don’t think they were medically trained whatsoever. For three hours I said my lower back hurt and I kept uncomfortably moving to which the tech said “please stop moving.” I asked for a pillow and she said “we don’t have any extra pillows here.” ....??? Doctor Diep then reappeared while I was watching a movie and grabbed me one after I asked again.
This part was the scariest for me- he was speaking English to his techs and then mid sentence switched to his first language pointing at my head. It made me feel as if something was wrong. I asked “is everything alright?” He said “you’re going to love it.”
The procedure ended at 3:30pm, which seemed early in comparison to what I’d seen in the videos. But it was over and I could look forward to the results, right?
I was excited about the initial growth at about 3 months in, and then saw how the hairs were growing in. Regardless of what phase they were, these cornrow, multi hair grafts started to show which was the exact opposite of what he preached in his videos: “dense, zig-zagged towards the front, sparse and random towards the back.” (That is quoted directly from his videos by the way.)
so here I am at 4.5 months. My hair is growing in patchy and uneven which is normal, but I can see where the techs completely screwed me. My right side was done totally different than my left as you can see in the pics below: thick cornrows on the right top and hairs facing the wrong direction on the left temple. My scar is also beginning to stretch and I took care of it so well. I’ve been told time and time again that “I’m still healing, full results in a year.” I can only imagine how much worse and amplified this will look by then.
I play in a fairly reputable music group in the US and have thought about putting this experience on my social media what do you guys think?
Below I attached my head photos, the email thread of the appointment, and an unsettling text straight from Dr. Diep’s cell phone.
Edit: RealSelf says my photos are too big? But I will gladly send these photos to anyone who asks. I also posted them on the Hair Transplant Network in another review.
Hope this helps.