POSTED UNDER Hair Transplant Reviews
Left with a 32cm Long 4-7mm Wide Fut Scar. 26k Not Worth It
ORIGINAL POST
Left with a 32cm Long 4-7mm Wide Fut Scar. 26k Not Worth It
$26,000
I received an FUT hair transplant from Dr. Joseph L. Williams at Advanced Medical Hair Institute in Las Vegas on July 10, 2024. I paid over $26,000 for a procedure that ended up being more than 3,800 grafts.
My main issue is the donor scar. My FUT scar has since been documented at approximately 32 cm long and 4–7 mm wide. I wore my hair short before surgery, and that was known. I came into the clinic with short hair and discussed the fact that I wear my hair short.
The only reason I chose FUT was because I believed I was paying a premium price for a premium surgical result and because I was led to believe the scar would be “end of a comb” thin. To me, that meant something around 1–2 mm, which is what I believed I was paying for with a well-executed cosmetic procedure. A scar measuring 4–7 mm wide across 32 cm is not close to that.
In my experience, the clinic seemed more focused on graft count than on how a linear FUT scar would affect a patient who clearly wore short hair.
Before surgery, I understood the plan to be about $25,000 for 3,500 grafts. After pricing had already been discussed and surgery was moving forward, I was offered additional grafts beyond 3,500 so they supposedly would not “go to waste.” This was presented the day of surgery, when I was anxious and already committed to the procedure. I felt pressured in that moment, agreed, and the final cost went above $26,000.
After surgery, my head wrap almost came off during the first night, and I had to return the next day. When the wrap was removed, an assistant was counting grafts that had been dislodged. As she counted upward, Dr. Williams interrupted and minimized the number. The office later documented about 8 grafts lost, but to this day, my left hairline appears noticeably thinner than the other side, and I believe the visible difference is more than what I would expect from only 8 grafts.
My follow-up visits did not restore my confidence. My concerns about the scar, density, and asymmetry did not feel seriously addressed. Instead, the visits felt focused on showing me that my hair was miniaturized and steering me toward the clinic’s in-house dutasteride/minoxidil product.
I raised concerns about side effects and was encouraged toward a 2.5 mg dutasteride regimen. That is five times the standard 0.5 mg labeled dutasteride dose. Medication information I later reviewed showed higher sexual side-effect rates reported at 2.5 mg compared with 0.5 mg. For hair-loss patients, side effects are not a small detail. That conversation should have been handled very carefully and transparently.
I later pursued SMP because I was trying to camouflage the scar and wear my hair shorter, especially because the results on top were underwhelming. The clinic recommended SMP as the fast/easy solution, and I went to the SMP artist associated with/recommended by the clinic. In my experience, that did not solve the problem. I spent about $4,000 on SMP and corrective SMP, and the scar remains difficult to hide because of its width and length. The SMP artist also told me in writing that the scar is difficult to camouflage and wider than an average FUT scar.
When I contacted the clinic about the scar, the response was that my scar had been marked “Good” during follow-up visits. To my knowledge, no objective scar measurements were taken during those visits. I do not understand how a scar later documented around 32 cm long and 4–7 mm wide could be described internally as “Good” without measurement, especially for a short-hair patient.
I also consulted another hair transplant surgeon regarding scar repair. While my main concern is the donor scar, that surgeon told me, in his opinion, the density on top did not look indicative of a 3,800+ graft procedure. That reinforced my concern that I paid for a large, expensive procedure but was left questioning both the donor scar outcome and the visible cosmetic density.
I tried to resolve this privately before posting publicly. The clinic relied on arbitration language stating that negative comments had to be held. When I asked for the arbitration agreement, administrator, rules, and filing procedures, I did not receive a workable process. At one point, the office stated that “no further communication” with their office was necessary.
That was frustrating because I attempted to resolve the matter privately and asked for the basic information needed to proceed through the process they referenced. Instead, communication was effectively cut off.
This is my experience after paying more than $26,000 for a cosmetic surgical procedure. I accepted FUT because I expected an extremely thin scar. I followed the recommended SMP path. I spent thousands more trying to camouflage the scar. I am still left with a visible 32 cm linear donor scar that affects how I can wear my hair.
As a smaller example of the disconnect between premium pricing and the actual experience, the “VIP lunch” during my $26,000+ procedure was Chick-fil-A.
I am posting this because prospective hair transplant patients, especially short-hair patients considering FUT, should see real donor-area outcomes and ask very direct questions before committing.
Questions I wish I had asked more aggressively:
What will the donor scar realistically look like at short haircut lengths?
Will FUE be meaningfully discussed as an alternative?
Will the scar be objectively measured during follow-up?
What happens if the scar is wider than expected?
Who pays for correction if SMP does not adequately camouflage it?
What exact dose of dutasteride is being recommended, and what are the side-effect differences between standard dosing and higher-dose regimens?
Are additional graft costs or add-ons going to be presented the day of surgery?
If the procedure is more than 3,500 grafts, what visible density should the patient reasonably expect?
This review is based on my personal experience, my photos, documented scar measurements, costs, outside consultations, medication information I later reviewed, and written correspondence with the clinic.
My main issue is the donor scar. My FUT scar has since been documented at approximately 32 cm long and 4–7 mm wide. I wore my hair short before surgery, and that was known. I came into the clinic with short hair and discussed the fact that I wear my hair short.
The only reason I chose FUT was because I believed I was paying a premium price for a premium surgical result and because I was led to believe the scar would be “end of a comb” thin. To me, that meant something around 1–2 mm, which is what I believed I was paying for with a well-executed cosmetic procedure. A scar measuring 4–7 mm wide across 32 cm is not close to that.
In my experience, the clinic seemed more focused on graft count than on how a linear FUT scar would affect a patient who clearly wore short hair.
Before surgery, I understood the plan to be about $25,000 for 3,500 grafts. After pricing had already been discussed and surgery was moving forward, I was offered additional grafts beyond 3,500 so they supposedly would not “go to waste.” This was presented the day of surgery, when I was anxious and already committed to the procedure. I felt pressured in that moment, agreed, and the final cost went above $26,000.
After surgery, my head wrap almost came off during the first night, and I had to return the next day. When the wrap was removed, an assistant was counting grafts that had been dislodged. As she counted upward, Dr. Williams interrupted and minimized the number. The office later documented about 8 grafts lost, but to this day, my left hairline appears noticeably thinner than the other side, and I believe the visible difference is more than what I would expect from only 8 grafts.
My follow-up visits did not restore my confidence. My concerns about the scar, density, and asymmetry did not feel seriously addressed. Instead, the visits felt focused on showing me that my hair was miniaturized and steering me toward the clinic’s in-house dutasteride/minoxidil product.
I raised concerns about side effects and was encouraged toward a 2.5 mg dutasteride regimen. That is five times the standard 0.5 mg labeled dutasteride dose. Medication information I later reviewed showed higher sexual side-effect rates reported at 2.5 mg compared with 0.5 mg. For hair-loss patients, side effects are not a small detail. That conversation should have been handled very carefully and transparently.
I later pursued SMP because I was trying to camouflage the scar and wear my hair shorter, especially because the results on top were underwhelming. The clinic recommended SMP as the fast/easy solution, and I went to the SMP artist associated with/recommended by the clinic. In my experience, that did not solve the problem. I spent about $4,000 on SMP and corrective SMP, and the scar remains difficult to hide because of its width and length. The SMP artist also told me in writing that the scar is difficult to camouflage and wider than an average FUT scar.
When I contacted the clinic about the scar, the response was that my scar had been marked “Good” during follow-up visits. To my knowledge, no objective scar measurements were taken during those visits. I do not understand how a scar later documented around 32 cm long and 4–7 mm wide could be described internally as “Good” without measurement, especially for a short-hair patient.
I also consulted another hair transplant surgeon regarding scar repair. While my main concern is the donor scar, that surgeon told me, in his opinion, the density on top did not look indicative of a 3,800+ graft procedure. That reinforced my concern that I paid for a large, expensive procedure but was left questioning both the donor scar outcome and the visible cosmetic density.
I tried to resolve this privately before posting publicly. The clinic relied on arbitration language stating that negative comments had to be held. When I asked for the arbitration agreement, administrator, rules, and filing procedures, I did not receive a workable process. At one point, the office stated that “no further communication” with their office was necessary.
That was frustrating because I attempted to resolve the matter privately and asked for the basic information needed to proceed through the process they referenced. Instead, communication was effectively cut off.
This is my experience after paying more than $26,000 for a cosmetic surgical procedure. I accepted FUT because I expected an extremely thin scar. I followed the recommended SMP path. I spent thousands more trying to camouflage the scar. I am still left with a visible 32 cm linear donor scar that affects how I can wear my hair.
As a smaller example of the disconnect between premium pricing and the actual experience, the “VIP lunch” during my $26,000+ procedure was Chick-fil-A.
I am posting this because prospective hair transplant patients, especially short-hair patients considering FUT, should see real donor-area outcomes and ask very direct questions before committing.
Questions I wish I had asked more aggressively:
What will the donor scar realistically look like at short haircut lengths?
Will FUE be meaningfully discussed as an alternative?
Will the scar be objectively measured during follow-up?
What happens if the scar is wider than expected?
Who pays for correction if SMP does not adequately camouflage it?
What exact dose of dutasteride is being recommended, and what are the side-effect differences between standard dosing and higher-dose regimens?
Are additional graft costs or add-ons going to be presented the day of surgery?
If the procedure is more than 3,500 grafts, what visible density should the patient reasonably expect?
This review is based on my personal experience, my photos, documented scar measurements, costs, outside consultations, medication information I later reviewed, and written correspondence with the clinic.
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