Is it Crazy to Travel Across the Country for a Consultation?

After reading your blog from end to end, I am tempted to travel to LA at some point in the future just to consult with you. This is despite the availability of excellent doctors in New York some of whom I have met. Is it crazy to want to do this? Has anyone done this before?

I do not think it is out of the ordinary to travel a distance to seek a medical option from a doctor you trust for an issue that is important to you. Personally, if I have a medical issue and I have the resources to seek the best doctor in the field, I would even fly across the continent and around the world. I often have a few patients a month that do exactly that, or come from other countries. Sometimes they plan a trip around the visit, but that isn’t always the case.

Just off the top of my head, in recent months I’ve had one patient take a red-eye flight from Florida with a 6 hour layover, and another patient fly in for a visit from England only to fly back 6 hours later. A couple years ago a patient flew over from Italy with a 12 hour layover just for a consultation, but he did not need surgery as he just had a maturing hairline (not recession from a balding prospective). I am hopeful that he scheduled a full trip out of that though to enjoy Los Angeles.

I do not recommend surgery to some of these patients and they are grateful of the advice despite the long trip. Many people drive hours from distant cities as well. Hey, at the least none of them had to pay to see me, as my consultation is free! Many times photos can clue me in on what your hair loss situation is so that we can have a consultation over the phone, but many patients prefer the one-on-one exam in person. If you’re planning on visiting Los Angeles anyway, by all means call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR to setup an appointment!