HCM Toronto Bio-Matrix debacle.

[mistertrapdoor]

Recently, I heard of a family friend's associate who went to the Hair Club for men and a had non-surgical procedure (erroneously described to me as a 'weave' by said family friend) to combat his baldness. Now, I'm not fully bald, but I've been losing hair since I was 17 and - as a 22 year old now - it's quite significant. I know that a lot of people recommend getting a really detailed physical if they lose hair that young, because it's usually a sign of something wrong. I do have some other miscellaneous health stuff in my history (heart surgery at 3 and I take medication for an unrelated thing as of three weeks ago), but nothing that would cause my hair to fall out - I just have a family lineage of men on my mom's side that lose their hair young. It tends to skip a generation. Lucky me; my grandfather was balder than I was at my age.

Anyhow, I went to Hair Club on Wednesday. They seemed friendly and enthusiastic and recommended for me (I don't really want to do a surgical transplant right now - I did one at 18 and it didn't take full effect, plus I'm still losing hair. Once I'm done losing the hair that's going to fall out, I plan on surgically transplanting. They talked to be about the bio-matrix system affixed with Polymer, etc. I met with a few people - some claiming to be using the bio-matrix system at that time, and it looked fairly natural. The way that they described the process was that my own hair would seamlessly integrate with their system. It all seemed good and, optimistic, I gave them a deposit.

I didn't research the 'bio-matrix' thing before going because being there was the first I ever heard of it. Doing research seemed to reveal that the bio-matrix system was something that was not only dramatically different then advertised, but that very few people - I only found one or two - were happy or satisfied with it. Now, I know that people have a tendency to write more to complain, but even running a neutral search on Yahoo! returns results like 'Hair Club Sucks' and 'Pissed Consumer Reports' on the first page. I emailed the following to the consultant that I met with that day.

'Hey, [name withheld].

I'm very excited by the prospects of receiving a full head of hair, but I've been researching this Bio-Matrix system and it seems like various elements of how it works and what I can expect from it as described by you is subject to some omission and possible misdirection.

I can't find much in the way of positive reviews for the system - I've read that it's alleged that the polymer itself has not only become lesser in quality over time, but doesn't stick. The way that it was described to me - that I can shower with this hair, run my hands through it, etc. was portrayed as being an effortless thing. It appears from reading about this that not only do I have to maintain the bio-matrix with 5-10 products, but that I really can't have too much in the way of contact with the hair.

The way that the Polyfuse system was explained was that my hair - as is - would be part of the physical appearance of my head, that this bio-matrix would be a supplementary adhesive to the hair that I have at present. From reading about the product, it appears that not only does none of the hair that I have make it through the bio-matrix - which from the descriptions I've read is just a wig that is glued to my head -, my actual hair regions that the bio-matrix is applied to are shaved. This would make for a potentially uncomfortable hair situation were I to determine that the bio-matrix system was not for me, as it is very unlikely that a lot of the hair that I still possess in the loss regions would grow back.

I also hear that the adhesive is not as strong as advertised and that not only does it weaken and loosen easily with even moderate/normal head contact, but that it also develops an unpleasant smell and feeling.

These are all things I'd like further clarified and explained to me before I feel comfortable continuing. I really hope that we can work together to bring me increased confidence, but as you can understand from your hair issue affecting you so greatly, my more dramatic hair issue affects me as well. I just want to make sure that this is the right thing for me, and I hope it is.

Thanks again for all of your time today, it was a real pleasure meeting you!

Cheers,
Jonathan'

Heard nothing back yesterday, but this just arrived in my inbox now.

'Hello Jonathan

Thank you so much for getting back to me with your concerns. As someone who has gone through and freaked out over hair loss, I can completely understand where you are coming from, as with all internet forums that are un-policed the viewpoints that tend to predominate are those of the unsatisfied minority. They do not reflect the views of the over 90,000 clients we currently have in our data system.

The polymer we use is exlcusive to our company and is only used by surgeons for open heart surgeries, it is of the highest quality and the most hygienic polymer on the market. It is completely water resistant and yet like the bio matrix itself is completely porous By all means you can completely run your hands through your hair, shower and sweat without there ever being an issue of sensitivity or odour ( we wouldn’t be in business if there were)

The bio matrix is only applied to the areas of hair that is balding, and blended into your existing hair, as you saw on Simon, some of the hair visible was the hair he was born with and some of It was not, the biomatrix is completely undetectable, some of our clients prefer the balding areas to be shaved upon application of the bio, some do not, we can do either and it will not effect the way the hair looks. More importantly we would never use products or anything that would damage or hurt your existing hair.

I can assure you that you will be incredibly happy with the way your new hair looks and feels. Based on your expectations of how you want to look and be treated, the Bio Matrix is the perfect soloution for you. I would also like to invite you to come in and we can schedule an appointment with one of our 900 current Bio clients. I can give you all the guarantees and promises but of course talking first hand to someone whos been a client for several years speaks much more.

Please let me know if you are interested and I can arrange for a meeting. Also you Mother was going to come in on Saturday, we can most certainly hold the refund policy till after you have met with someone, which could save a lot of back and forth on your end as well.

I am back in the office (slightly high from all the cough syrup) till about 5, please feel free to call me.'

---

Anyhow, I registered here to shed some light on what I should be considering and what I should avoid. I figure there's a lot of people here who understand how serious of a thing it can be to lose one's hair, and as such I would only expect there to be constructive ideas of how I can once again have that full head of hair I had when I was younger. It would certainly make me a more confident person. As such, sorry for the novel, but every detail feels necessary to me.

Let me know what you guys (and gals) think!

Cheers,
Jonathan

 

[mistertrapdoor]

No suggestions, really? I thought we helped our own here.

I got the refund, but what can I do for myself in the meantime that's temporary, gives me the appearance of a full head of hair, and can easily be added to/removed for when the time comes that I'm done losing the hair that I'm going to.

 

[cuebald]

If you got all of your money back, that's good, you almost wasted thousands.

There's a large "blog/forum" type website out there I presume you have read that details the HCM.
Every poster on here who has used them has never had a positive thing to say about them - and the one poster who didn't mind them over on HLH ended up jumping ship and just buying £200 units from Toplace anyway.

The main criticisms are:

The vastly overinflated cost.
The fact that they seem to be poly bases and not lace, so your scalp can't breathe - and since you can't do maintenance on the unit yourself, your hair will smell. Imagine not washing your hair for a month - that is the smell. One poster described it as akin to the smell you get when you take off a plaster cast that has been on for a month.
The stylists, although pleasant enough, expect big tips
One guy had his unit lift at the front on a Friday or Saturday night, and when he phoned HCM, they told him he would have to "deal with it" until they could fix it on Monday. He had to abandon his weekend plans, and ripped the unit off and demanded a refund shortly later.
The entire operation of some clinics seemed "shady" - when you went in for your initial consult, you would only sit with other "prospective buyers" - there was a separate area for returning customers, so you wouldn't get to speak to them - and some of the sales were very high pressure (and the salesmen had no real knowledge of male pattern baldness or hairsystems in general)
The systems themselves are always laughable - density much too high, colour doesn't match, cut in doesn't match, hairline detectable. They fit them and show you in dark lighting, so it looks alright while you're there - as soon as you walk out the door you can see how poor the units really are (and, as soon as you exit the premises - no refund!)


If you want to wear hair, head over to the Toplace forums. There are videos and instructions on, well, all parts of wearing hair, from attaching, to making templates, to cutting in, etc.
The good part about buying from online stores like this is that it's very cheap. You can spend £200 or so on a unit - meaning you can always buy a backup one if you need that too.
The bad part is that you must learn everything yourself - and it can be quite steep to learn. Adhering the unit to your head seems to be the hardest part to learn (but you must also make a template and send that in to get your system).
It's easier when you DIY to transition from being bald to having "hair" - so it doesn't look too obvious you've donned a wig. HCM often gets NW5's come in, convincing them "it'll just be subtle at first, nobody will notice" then they slap an 80% density rug on the guys head making him a laughing stock the next day in work.

I personally don't wear. I am 24 and I would be a laughing stock if found out, and I doubt any 25 year old woman would go anywhere near a guy wearing a wig.
You say you're not fully bald - have you receded or diffused?
If you've diffused you should try out Toppik or Nanogen or any of the other fibres - they can thicken up diffuse hair very well.
But for now be lucky you haven't wasted a fair bit of money.

Also, you had a hair transplant at 18? Who on earth did that?

 

[Noah]

Hi MisterTrapDoor

I agree with much, but not all, of what Cueball says. I wear a hair system, and I started off with a system from a HCM-style chain. Now I buy my hairpieces on the Net and do my own maintenance. I think hair systems are a good solution for lots of people, but it is best to avoid the HCMs of this world. I feel much better about saying that knowing that you got your money back.

The problems are as Cueball described. HCM's method is to glue the system on for a month at a time with what is essentially superglue. That has 3 effects - first, the system has to be very robust to survive being on your head for 4 weeks solid. Because it has to be very robust it cannot be one of the delicate lace systems which are the most undetectable. Instead, HCM systems (especially their entry-level systems) have coarse easily detectable bases. To make up for that they make them very high density (ie tons of hair) so you can't see the base. The result is the opposite of what any experienced hairpiece wearer would recommend for maximum undetectability, namely a delicate base and light hair density. Ergo HCM pieces are pretty easily detected, certainly to the touch and often to the sight, especially after you have been wearing them for a month solid. That is not what you want if you are a young guy in the dating market, and you don't have to settle for that.

Second effect - you have no control. The superglue is designed to be taken off by the salon only. You are totally tied to the salon for everything. If your stylist is off sick on the day of your monthly appointment, you're in a state of fear that the substitute will screw up your system. If something goes wrong - eg the piece comes loose - you're frantic.

Third effect - linked to the second, it simply isn't healthy to wear a hairpiece for 4 weeks solid. You wouldn't wear the same pair of underpants for 4 weeks, and wearing a piece is not much different. So of course there will be pimples and rashes and yuck and smells.

I respectfully differ from Cueball about two things. First, the alternative. It is really not that difficult to do a template and buy your own hairpieces on the Net. It is a small fraction of the price, you get a far better product, and you're totally in control. That is what most younger hair wearers are doing. I keep my piece on for a week at a time. You may also be able to get somewhere local to help you get started, depending where you are based. If you want more details of this option, please ask. Note, though, that this is not a particularly fast-moving board, so you may have to wait a few days to get a response.

Second, his comments on acceptability. I am also a younger guy, and I can say unequivocally that wearing a piece has improved my social life and my love life immensely. It is a myth that women generally won't date a guy who wears a piece. First, dates won't know unless you tell them. Second, my experience has been that if you do tell them women are fairly accepting of a little artifice if it is undetectable (so you're not embarrassing them in from of their friends) and if it makes you better looking. Sure, they would rather be dating Brad Pitt, but at the end of the day they are realists, and usually not above a bit of artificiality themselves.

This board, for whatever reason, has attracted a group of people who have had bad experiences of hair systems a long time ago and from HCM-style providers, and they are continually extrapolating that experience into the message that all systems are to be avoided at all costs. In my view that message is based on limited and now outdated information, and is downright misleading. I would encourage you to investigate and come to your own view. Let me know if I can help.

 

[HaroonSaeed]

Hi; I live in NYC.
I am 30 years old and have been losing my hair since 21.
At 25 i had the bald spot on the back/top of my head the size of a quarter going.
At 26 i shaved my head and it never grew back the same.
For the past 4 years i have worn hats and hoodies every time even when wearing suits i have had a hat on.
After 4 yrs of constantly bic'ing my head and not agreeing with the way i look; not recognizing myself as who i am; I went to HCM.

About 1 month ago i paid them a visit and gave them $500 and signed up for the Bio Matrix thing.

Because my head was completely shaved; i have to wait until my hair that does grow back; grows back. So I was told my first appointment is in 6 weeks.

Most of the comments ive been looking at on the internet are from 2003 2005 2007; nothing is up to date. I'm aware that i have to have a wig glued to my head now; the whole process for me is $4500; I don't know if that's super overpriced or not; I get the hair products. I havn't used shampoo in 5 yrs; so I have no idea really what to expect.

I read sh*t like "it will stink" "it will fall off in the wind"
Is all that still valid? Or have they upgraded after 7 yrs to something better?
Seriously....i can't stay bald; Transplants can cost about 20 grand; my head of hair is completely gone. I used to have a house of hair built on my head.

 

[andrei_eremenko]

hey don't waste those money for a hair club...you can use those money trying more supplieres...like hairdirect.com or toplace or coolpiece...they are selling the same thing but with less money...a piece price can vary from 150-500 dollars...no way 4500$!!!

 

[HaroonSaeed]

It is actually $3500+$500.
The extra $500 is for 6 months of follow-up service.

The $3500 covers the cost of "the system" and 5 follow up visits first 30 days.
It also covers 6 months of hair products (shampoo/conditioner/gel).
It also covers up to 3 systems (if and when i have to change it)

I felt that $500 for an extra 6 months of service was definitely worth it.
I care about the $ but in the end it is the best service i am looking for.
$4000 is alot of money but you can't put a price on confidence.
Taking money out of the equation; what other factors are there?

My appointment is set for Dec 14th.
I'm trying to get an earlier date as I'll be playing poker in the WSoP circuit events @ Harrahs.

Any feedback would be great!

 

[cuebald]

I#ve never worn a HCM unit but from what I hear they are meant to be quite poor, the old criticisms of

a) the poly base combined with the fact you must leave it on for weeks makes your scalp itch so bad many people have just ripped the wig off and never worn it since

b) the units are still too dense and everyone who posts about HCM posts they've been busted a few times (granted many people who wear custom units also get busted). The units aren't made to a custom template - all they do is colour match.

c) service isn't good once you've signed on the paper, the stylists guilt you into big tips, if your system comes loose outside of working hours, you are told "wear a hat - deal with it" - meaning people have cancelled weekend plans because of it

I wouldn't pay $4500 for that personally. I would just take the effort to actually learn how to apply a decent custom hairpiece with a fine mesh, realistic density (~70%), then I could apply it at will, take it off and wash my scalp when I want to rather than according to a schedule, and if I am not happy with how it looks I can adjust it myself.
Also with the HCM units after about a week or so your scalp is meant to itch and smell atrociously - like an arm that has been in a plaster cast for ages.

 

[person]

If you really want to spend thousands of dollars at least go to a decent hair replacement company like JA Alternatives; they did the bad dude from Titanic's hair system. They will charge you thousands. But realistically like users have stated a cheaper online company is the best bet plus there are loads of friendly people on the forum to help you out etc.
I don't know what to do about my current situation; I reckon I will go to a salon for my first cut in and template; and then use that template to order online; best go to someone for the beginning of this journey in my opinion.

 

[antonio666]

haroon,save your self money and order from coolpiece,hair4all or toplace and then source somebody to do a cut in and template or whatever.
you can get a hairpiece of better quality for $200 and then just pay someone to cut in for $40.....these people are scum and taking advantage of you.
p.s i hope everything works out for you

 

[mrflumon]

I use hairclub and am currently on the executive plan. Anything below platinum is crap because platinum and anything above it are premium systems and are part of hair clubs lace systems. Platinum uses superfine french lace while the executive uses superfine swiss. These systems look much more realistic than the cheaper systems not only because of the bases but because of the quality and fineness of the hair used. The negative aspects of hairclub is the enormous initiation cost, inflated monthyl costs, and the fact that your completely relying on a company for maintenance anplication. Also the fact that any system below the platinum is complete crap and uses extra thick hair and bases. Im currently looking for a cheaper alternative myself because 684 a month not including gas and tip (live three and a half hours away) is just too expensive. I mean the system I have is amazing and undetectable but I know there are much cheaper options which are of same quality or exceed the quality of my current system.

 

[Grimoire]

How does $1,500 - $2,000 per year sound - with no tipping?

You can do everything that HCM and similar companies do yourself, even cutting in your hairpiece, although, for most people, that is best left to a professional.

There are sites that instruct you on how to do everything from making a template to determining your hair density and color. They also tell you how to attach, remove, clean and maintain your hair system - and sell the necessary products to do so.

There is a learning curve of course, but after a while, you will be able to do EVERYTHING as well as HCM's people - for a fraction of the price.

The quality of HCM hair systems has improved over the last few years (they used to be awful), but they are still not as good as the best systems from the best on-line suppliers.

Hair replacement salons don't like to cut in hair systems that they didn't sell. Some will charge a ridiculous amount to do so, some will refuse to do it and others will intentionally cut it in poorly and then blame your supplier. And don't even think about taking it to a barber! My suggestion is to do what I do - I have a great stylist at a women's hair salon. She charges me $45 for a cut and I tip her $10.

Here is the math: 4 hairpieces per year (you may need only 3) @$300 each = $900 - $1,200. Supplies, including adhesives, adhesive removers, etc - about $100 - $150 per year. Four hairpiece cut-ins @$50 each = $200. Regular hair cuts = $250 - $350/year. So at the outside, you'll be paying less than $2,000 for everything.

 

[mrflumon]

Yeah it ist sucks cause hairclubs good systems are mad expensive. I've contemplated ordering a system online cause its must more cost effective but I live out in the middle of nowhere so finding someone go cut a system is near impossible. I thought about finding a good salon in albany. I mean im currently paying over 9k a year for my executive plan so switching over would be a much better idea. I've just gotta find s good stylist to cut the system

 

[agent00]

Thanks for all the posts regarding HCM. I live in Toronto and see commercials for these guys all the time. I'm diffusing on the top of my head and I can get by with concealers so I'm not quite at the hair system level yet.

I was initially intrigued, but all of these negative posts have scared me off.

Thanks for warning.

 

[mrflumon]

Yeah like I said before unless you buy at the premium lvl you wont get a quality piece. Even with that said, the platinum system is ok but it still has a detectable hairline. Most people that b**ch about hairclub having all shitty systems have never worn or have been able to afford a more expensive plan. The executive system is very nice but again its just superfine swiss lace that's overpriced. I can be more specific as to state the bases from gold plus. Gold is thicker mesh material, diamond is french lace, platinum is superfine french lace, executive is superfine Swiss lace, and the premium and presidential claim to share a base that's thinner than the executive. However when they showed me them side by side there was no difference I could see. The price for gold is 320 a month I believe, diamond is like 450 I believe, platinum is 581, executi e is 684, presidential is 840, and premium is 1400. They premium packages come with unlimited salon products/visits and for anything diamond or less it all varies

 

[mrflumon]

They can bleach the knots for you on any of the systems with more detectable hairlines and you can also choose to have the front hairlines have less density but I think realistically ordering off coolpiece another reputable place online would be much better. Oh and as for those plans, you get 8systems a year with gold, 10 with diamond, 12 with platinum, 17 with executive, 27 with presidential and 52 with premium.