Reunion Finds Melvin Mayer,
M.D. At The “Head” Of His Class

Twenty-year high school reunions are a time for many people to gaze clearly and candidly in the mirror of life, looking back over what they have accomplished; assessing how far they have come and whence they are headed.  Dr. Melvin Mayer’s 20th reunion - - although definitely a heady   experience - -  was a bit less esoteric, yet ultimately a lot more aesthetically and professionally fulfilling.

Not to split hairs, he was voted  “Baldest”  in his class.  The year was 1986, the first night of the rest of Dr. Mayer’s life.  

Thus Dr. Mayer’s interest in hair restoration began with his own head of hair; or rather, the lack of it.  The all-in-goo-fun election by his classmates to the bald hall of fame got the ball rolling.  “It was the catalyst that inspired me to research hair restoration in depth,”  says Dr. Mayer, laughing as he recalls the evening.

And indeed he got the last laugh, because now Dr. Mayer not only has hair, but a lucrative career.

The Doctor Became A Patient

Already a physician with a thriving family practice, Dr. Mayer began studying every article and book he could find on the subject of hair restoration.   Then, he moved forward to speaking with doctors and evaluating patients to determine the efficacy of diverse procedures.  And to get the real skinny of the procedure, (and to make sure he wouldn’t be the bald eagle at the next reunion), he underwent the procedure himself.

“It have me an even keener sense of what patients go through as they work through the decision-making process,”  he relates, describing what he learned first-hand and can now pass on to clients.

“I encourage my patients to start the restoration process early.   By waiting too long myself, I was almost bald before I turned to hair restoration.   Starting sooner means you’ll be happier sooner, too,”  he advises.

Plugging Into The Right
Surgeon Is The Key To Success

Dr. Mayer also stresses the importance of finding the right surgeon.   “One of my most memorable and satisfying experiences occurred when I worked with a patient who had undergone his first surgery at 18 years of age,”  re recalls.  “Later, he had large plugs placed in his temporal region by yet another surgeon.  By the time he came to me 12 years later, he had balded away from the plugs.”

The man confessed to Dr. Mayer that he was extremely depressed about the situation and had not appeared in public without a hot for ten years!

“I restored his hair,”  recounts Dr. Mayer joyfully, “connecting and/or removing the previous plugs.  The procedure was a success, resulting in a complete transformation of the man’s self-esteem.”

Obviously, what is and is not on a man’s head affects what goes on inside it, and that’s certainly understandable.  Restoring self-confidence is a key benefit of hair restoration.  The way in which it is achieved is as important as what is achieved.

Honest Testimonials Tell The Story

Dr, Mayer’s patients are in awe of his finesse and empathy.   One patient, who wishes to remain anonymous (his procedure as so successful that , to paraphrase an old commercial, only his doctor knows for sure), expressed his gratitude to Dr. Mayer.  “What I liked about him was that as a former patient, he knew what I was experiencing.  And let’s face it, you’re relying on a guy who is really going to alter your appearance, so you had better trust him.  I didn’t want to go from Charlie Brown to Elvis in one day!”

Saying,  “You have to be able to let the surgeon do what he has to do without second-guessing or wondering how it will turn out,” another patient praised Dr. Mayer for “taking all the anxiety out of the procedure.  He was so professional, and he really kept me at ease by explaining everything he was doing.”

He Has A Lock On His New Career

Hair restoration not only led Dr. Mayer to a new career, it enabled him to tap into new talents within himself.  A published authority on the subject of hair restoration, he is now a sought-after speak and lecturer on the subject.

Initially graduating with a B.A. in chemistry from Loma Linda University in 1970, Dr. Mayer’s professional life  has taken him to Florida and Greece, and then full circle back to Southern California.  Currently living in San Diego with his wife of 29 years, Dr. Mayer is proud of his son, a fourth-year student at UCLA studying film and Spanish literature, and of his daughter, a music major at SDSU.

A pilot and sports aficionado, the doc enjoys water and snow skiing, golf, tennis and participating in medical missions.  We bet he’s also going to enjoy his next high school reunion.

Transformations        
         

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