Hey techprof, thanks for the nice words.
Actually, I like this site, but I haven't been on the boards much lately in general.
I guess I made a mistake with the way I came into the forum, as I just assumed (I know, bad move) that my posting on other forums was enough to show that I wasn't a newbie. So I came into this forum acting as if I had been here for a long time, and people took it the wrong way, so that was my mistake. Guys on these boards get very argumentative very quickly, but it doesn't bother me, I'm used to it. But it was my mistake coming in here having a strong opinion since most people associate that with being a shill. That's why I tried to point out that I posted a lot on other boards, and just happened to discover this board...but doesn't really matter I guess, once people get something in their head it's difficult to fight it.
As far as Cole, his situation is unique. He has stated in other forums that he both loves his job and hates his job, and that he feels obligated to help out patients that have been damaged by unethical hair transplant docs in the past. He was a standout strip Doctor for a long time, and has many outstanding results to show for it.
But he developed his FUE technique a few years back out of necessity, since repair patients that were out of donor laxity needed alternatives that weren't previously available.
Some people will say he developed his Fue technique to make more money. Maybe. I mean, it is more expensive, but it's also more time consuming and more physically taxing. It requires double or triple the work of strip. He could have just coasted as a top notch strip Doctor and done fine ala H&W or Shapiro. So did he just do it for money? Once again, maybe. But if he's using that money to make his techniques better, and he's giving help to people who need it, is that a bad thing? He is not really making money off the repair patient and feels an obligation to help us out, so I'm not complaining.
As far as Cole and his "front office problems," here is a quote from Cole on another site:
"Jackson, I am humbled by yor response, but I am embarrassed to say that we do not do enough to help those who need help. I have a limited number of spots open on my schedule each month. If they do not fill, my staff is advised to place those in need of financial help in those slots. One of my problems is that each case takes time. Sometimes people ask for more than they are scheduled for or they need more than they are scheduled for. This takes time away from others. As i write this i feel ashamed that i do not do more, but i also recogize that my staff has limits to their lives. As i see them leave the office at 8 or 9pm each day, I feel for their boys and girls who wait at home each night for their parents, as well as my 8 and 10 year old. Hair loss is a terrible plight. I feel so guilty to my patients, my staff, and my children. I hope God, my family, and others will some day be able to forgive me for not doing more."
If anyone wants to read the whole thread it's here:
http://www.hairsite4.com/dc/dcboard.php ... &mode=full
The reason I mention this is because I've experience firsthand what Cole does for the repair patient: He regularly works 12-14 hr days doing way more work than the repair patient paid for because he knows how critical the surgery is to people trying to get on with their lives, and that time is of the essence. He worked on me for about 12 hrs, including another Doctor and 3-5 techs at any given time. He had to keep front office staff available as well during that time. So, what would you do? How much do you think it costs to keep those people in the office for 12-14 hrs? I mean, a nosejob costs 3-6k, and that only takes maybe 2hrs. If you knew what I paid for 12 hrs of work by three docs and 3-5 techs you would understand what I'm saying. People are coming in to his clinic from all over the world to get their lives back, he can't really say "oh it's 5pm now, I have to stop working on you..good luck!" Unfortunately, not everyone in the office can live this way. So there is turnover. His technical team is very proficient though, and at any given time Dr. Cole, Dr. Mwamba, and/or Dr. Bridges is overseeing and working with the techs, so that nothing is missed. He has said he doesn't really have time to deal with the "front office" and he's admitted that he's had problems with turnover because he has high demands on their time and their efforts, and that he is at heart kind of a hair geek, obsessed with refining his tools and improving his work. He is a pariah to the strip world to an extent, because while the strip docs are sleepwalking and talking about tricho (a closure technique that has been around for a very long time), they can only do strip, and cannot repair guys who don't have any laxity left but need more hair..that's a fact. While Dr. Cole is constantly refining his techniques, much to the thanks of guys like me who were SOL a few years ago when his techniques were not available.
He is a surgeon with unmatched passion..and I've talked to several other patients who experienced the same thing. So you can say what you want about him, but he walks the walk, and i don't think anyone who's seen his hairlines would disagree that he is extremely talented. And he maintains the opinion that people under 30 shouldn't get strip, because they may decide as they get older and continue to bald that they just want to go bald, and not having a strip is a big advantage- you can just keep your hair shorter and move on w/out a strip scar.
