Hair Loss Discussion Forums

[Valeri]

Hi Macguy,

Thanks for posting your story. I've had a hard time finding any reviews on HairClub and I'm glad I finally found someone's experience...only I'm reading it late.
I know you guys go through a lot with the effects of hairloss but being a girl with thinning hair is just as bad and maybe even worse because we can't just shave our heads. My hair is thin but not balding but I wanted to do something about my hairloss since it constantly falls during the day, I feel it on my arms and yes it an be very nerve wrecking. Specially considering that my aunt and my cousins have been dealing with hairloss for years so I started to worry I decided to schedule a "free consultation" with HairClub for women. Going into that room with that 10 minute video, I didn't know what to expect, but I had a consultant who says she's been through the same thing ( I don't believe her, I need to see pictures). She seemed like she cared about my problem but obviously, that's not what she's there for. She asked me this weird question , How much was I willing to give to bring back my thick hair? I though that was such a sales pitch because basically she wants to know how much money I'm willing to spend. Let me tell you, the price you paid $1,300.00 was a lot cheaper than mine which was $3,000 plus tax. I got the minoxidil treatment with the conditioner, shampoo and a spray for 1 year. Another sales pitch the "consultant" uses is that this is the only time they'll let you buy the product, there's won't be another opportunity. Just like buying a car, but at that point i was so broken down and so desperate to find a solution that I just said "what the heck" and just bought it. I've been using this treatment for one month, they said hairloss stops after four months of usage. When I use the shampoo and conditioner, it leaves my hair silky smooth and bouncy, but it falls off even more than before with the regular shampoos. At the beginning, i was freaking out because there was so much hair loss but now I see thicker hairs growing on the "thinning" section so I'm going to give it a couple more months. My hair has grown faster and a friend of mine told me that my hair looks thicker than before. Maybe it's too early to tell but honestly, I still don't recommend HairClub because it's insanely expensive! If any of y'all are still on time to use minoxidil, see if you can find it online with a better price tag. I feel like I didn't have time to do that, but I wish I would have tried something else. Another drawback from the Minoxidil it's that it needs to be used for life, which is another thing my "consultant" lied about. She told me that after a year I wouldn't need to use it which is a big lie, but hey, they don't care. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, just looking at reality. N-e-ways, I don't understand why they can't find better cures for hair loss but good luck guys! Hope you find something that works!

[MikeT]

[pdxtodd]

I started losing my hair in my early 20's and at that time there wasn't much you could do about it (early 1980's). When rogaine hit the market as a prescription drug - I was first in line to get a prescription. I religiously applied it to my head - at a cost of $120/month (in 1987 dollars). I saw virtually no difference after years of rogaine and heard about propecia (before it was called propecia is was proscar - a prostate related drug). I begged my doctor for a proscar prescription and again spent $$$ on a prescription that did nothing other than mess with my hormones (testosterone blocker). Frustrated that nothing was working I decided to take matters into my own hands and went to HCM (in 2003) and immediately signed up. Like everyone else - I was impressed by the videos and the printed materials -- amazed at how real it looked. I paid something like $2300 up front for a years worth of hair and waited for 6 weeks. The magical day arrived and I went in for "attachment". They shaved the top of my head and taped the unit to my scalp. Like others -- the front hair line looked like the Cliffs of Dover -- this very obvious line across the front of my head. I complained about the edge and the suggestion was to "have bangs". I went home with this hot, itcy, stiff, fake looking "dead animal" on the top of my head. The reaction of others was chuckling and it was clearly obvious that I was wearing a hair piece. I went back to HCM that week - desperate for an answer. HCM's recommendation was to upgrade from "Silver" to "Gold" -- which would be a higher quality unit with better hair and a less obvious hair line. I paid another $1200 and waited for 6 weeks for my new system to come in. When I went in - the new system was definitely lighter on my head - but the front edge was still horrendous. After two months on "Gold" I upgraded to "Diamond" -- yet another $2000. Diamond has a lace front and is definitely less visible but its still obvious that you're wearing a wig.

I continued on the diamond plan for several years -- shelling out $600 a month for something that looked like a dead animal on top of my head. I finally came to the end of my contract for that year and threw in the towel. $7,200 a year for something that still looked like a hair piece -- nothing close to what they show you in the advertisements. I finally took control of my situation and shaved my head. Now I'm in control of how I look -- I don't look like someone who is trying to cover up my hair loss -- my confidence level is through the roof -- and I'm saving $700 a month. I thought it would be difficult to make the transition and it was -- but only in my own mind. I've had nothing but compliments on my new look -- people have said "thank god you got rid of that 'thing'" on your head -- and women who would never come over and chat are now walking up and starting conversations with me.

If you're thinking about lotions, potions, and rugs -- think about what you're doing to your body, how much money you'll be spending to look like you're wearing a hair piece, and consider just accepting your hair loss and taking control. I did -- albeit after about $72,000 in hair systems that are all now in a landfill somewhere.

If you're thinking about the option of shaving your head there are a number of support groups on the web. The group of folks at slybaldguys dot com were the ones that helped me come to grips with who I am. Before you spend a dime -- talk to people who have gone through what you're experiencing. There are options.

[biker-ur2b12]

I was wanting to do something about my hairloss and I had a good friend that had been going to HCM for about 6 months. I called him and told him I wanted to do the same thing and asked him for advice on how he liked it or if he would do it again. He told me no he wouldn't advise anyone to do it and that he regreted doing it himself. But due to my vanity thinking I would look better with more hair I proceeded to HCM. I used their "systems" from 1995 to 2000. Man what a waste of money and time! The whole time I was so worried that people were looking at my hair, that they were staring at me...and guess what, they were. I was constantly battleling with my "system". Believe me I wasted 5 years of my life worrying about what I looked like. Thank God that I finally manned-up and shaved my head. Now I don't worry about anybody looking at me because I look natural. It use to consume me, now I never even think about it. To be honest, now I really don't care what anyone thinks about my head. Maybe it took 5 years of hell to get me to that frame of mind. I can say thank you to HCM for that. Take it from me, please don't waste your time or money on hair systems. If you are worried about what people think of you then work on getting fit. I can tell you from experience that women would rather be with a man that has confidence in himself anyday then a man that's worried about himself all the time. Hair systems won't give you a life....they will drain it from you!

[Proni]

Many advertised treatments have no proven benefit. Hair grows about 1/2 " a month. You can speed this by taking good care of your hair and eating a well balanced diet. Eat whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean meats and low fat dairy. Make sure you are drinking at least eight glasses of water a day.

[sk4543]

Hi,

I have been a client for 12 years and have been reasonably satisfied. However, in the last 2-3 years it was bought by a Corporation and my HCM center was no longer a franchise.

This resulted in the personal service being gone and attempts to 'increase revenue' and the pushing of contracts that self renew. I would read the contract carefully and send them a letter, NOT to RENEW till the new terms are understood ( also make sure that you still have a job and the $ 2-3,000 is still worth it)

[Snoozler]

Thank you so much for sharing this piece of information.

[xseoer]

[marcus]

I would not agree that the HCC staff are well meaning, I think it is purely a money making game that plays on one's insecurities. I was humiliated and lied to from the beginning. I went to them after a divorce and at a time when I was reentering the dating world. They convinced me that all transplants were bad and that I would not be a candidate. They lead me to believe that they would fill in places where my hair was thinning up front. I made an initial payment ($1500, I think). They did an analysis of hair texture, color and gray proportion. The agreement was that my salt and pepper look would be retained. I returned 2 weeks later. Only then did they explain that they were going to shave my head and glue on a wig (rather than fill in thin areas). I asked to see someone who had actually had the procedure who was in for a touch up. They told me that men would be uncomfortable having another man inspect their head close up....I felt like running but thought why not proceed since I had already paid. If I didn't like it, my hair would grow back. Then they brought in the wig they were going to glue on. It was solid brown - no gray. I protested, that this did not match my gray proportion analysis. They said, "most men who have the process want to look younger so this is what we recommend." No apologies, nothing. They refused a refund bacause the wig had already been made --- even though it was nothing like my natural hair color. I was too embarassed to try to sue or pursue the matter further. I felt like a fool for having not done more investigation before paying. A year later (that was 8 years ago), I had a transplant. Total cost of $7000 and I have been very pleased. When I have a new barber I have to tell him not to too short in the back because a thin scar will show where the graft was taken. The barbers have been amazed becuase they can't believe that my frontal hairline is a transplant. Only goes to show that Hair Club was wrong. There are good transplants. We only notice the bad ones.

[fseoer2010]

I had the same experience . And now my hair loss problem is more and more serious. who can help me?