Whew!

The good doctor is not complaining, but he certainly did not expect this.

Last week, I wrote about Quezon City’s "secret weapon", Dr. Juan "Jim" Sanchez, eminent cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon. What for me was quite amazing is the fact that, with hundreds, no make that thousands, of people who have benefited from Dr. Jim’s skillful hands and the imaginative application of such skills, he has not made enough waves to make him a by-word in the field. I guess marketing is still the name of the game – no matter how good you are, the one with excellent marketing skills will still beat you in the numbers game. Really?

Well, I got the surprise of my life when I opened my mail Monday morning after the column came out and saw a flood of e-mail from my readers. The response was tremendous – everybody wanted to know about Dr. Jim. Some asked about his famous Asian Rhinoplasty, others wanted to know more about his newest baby – state-of-the-art hair transplant. Before this breakthrough, about the only ray of hope for balding people were toupees or hair pieces that had to be woven into your remaining hair. While admittedly more natural-looking than toupees, this is a very tedious process. The thing is, some balding men tend to overdo it and ask for really lush, thick new hair, literally going back 20 years. The result is disastrous – the new image is drastic, the change severe, and this just defeats the purpose and negates the natural look they set out to achieve in the first place.

I appreciate that such recourse is still open to people who need it. Most people will eventually find himself in the balding stage at some point, and though some may choose to let nature take its course and just grin and bear the jokes, most, I think, would secretly love to get effective solutions to this problem. It is particularly pathetic to men (or women) who have to go through it years before their time. Pre-mature baldness is real, and it is hitting more people than we care to admit. Maybe it’s the stress of the world we live in now, the pressure of "making it" early on and beating everybody to the finish line. Maybe it’s the pollution we have to live with day in and day out, the chemicals we put on our hair which are never really completely washed out even before the next application comes. Maybe it’s the stress that we subject our pate to – hot water showers, hot-air styling, gels and sprays. Or maybe it is just the reality of having baldness in our genes. This one’s particularly distressing as, no matter what, you know you will get there no matter how careful you are. All the preventive measures can’t face up to the reality of genetics.

This brings us back to Dr. Jim. Sensitive to such needs, he has developed a new method for hair transplant which cuts the actual transplant time in half. In two hours or so, the patient is ready to go home, with no further need for post-op care. Just a lot of de-stressing rest in bed will have the patient up and about in a few days. This is because a whole team of five or six are simultaneously working on the patient. The team is composed of men and women trained meticulously in the cutting edge technology of hair transplant. Best of all, you get to have your own hair transplanted from a thick patch somewhere to the balding spot.

For out-of-town patients, Dr. Jim is providing options for post-op recovery. There is a well-furnished condo nearby, or accommodations can be arranged with out-of-town resorts. This is particularly interesting for patients traveling to Manila for this procedure with their family in tow. It can be turned into a vacation package really, and since the transplant procedure is not really an invasive one, the patient need not be in a somber mood. And definitely his family does not need to be in that state as well.

Did I mention that ALL of the e-mails I got last week were from males? That’s right – I think the male population sat up when they read about the revolutionary technique now available for balding men and women. I guess the women folk are still approaching this problem with much trepidation, even though there is no going around the problem, short of wearing a wig of course.

We can’t possibly print all the inquiries or reactions we received relative to last week’s column. Here are some, though, that we picked out. Others were too long, or just reactionary. Dr. Jim, though, promises to look into each and every e-mail and will get back to you.

From R. Bunggay, "Was reading the topic on Medical Tourism and is it possible to get the web address or business address of Dr. Sanchez please. Thanks."

From M. Cubelo, "Just read on the Philstar about Dr. Jim’s hair transplant. I must say this is exciting news for those who may want to avail of his expertise. We’ll wait for your future articles on this when he has opened his clinic/s in Metro Manila."

From, "I read with interest your column in yesterday’s issue of Philippine Star. I would like to request the contact number of Dr. Jim Sanchez, if it is possible."

From Edgar, "Where is Dr. Jim’s clinic in Quezon City? PLEASE."

From N. Porras, "I came across this article, and would like to get the contact address of Dr. Jim."

From N. Glocada, "I’m glad that a writer from a popular newspaper would devote his time outlining the many qualifications of Dr. Sanchez in his field and his effort to bring his expertise to as many Filipinos including the "have nots". This is typical of Jim knowing his humble beginnings in Kamuning, Q.C. The other project you should know is Jim distributes used clothing, footwear, etc. to the poor and the needy. Although it is not a huge endeavor, whenever he gets donations from friends in the Philippines and abroad and these articles find themselves in the hands of those who need them most. Most recent recipients were victims of the Bicol calamity. Our UST batch 76 is proud of Dr. Jim "Juan" Sanchez in his continued success and untiring service to the community.

Note: Apparently, letter writer, who wrote in from Toronto, Canada, was a classmate of Dr. Jim. Although not a regular reader of mine, he says friends who are alerted him on the article.

Another schoolmate of Dr. Jim e-mailed as well. Mr. Valentine Arroco Arroco, Administrative Officer-in-Charge of the Dar Al Miawiah Outdoor Advertising Co. Ltd. in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia says that …"Dr. Sanchez is a silent operator, so to speak… Fame and fortune are not his cup of tea. What is paramount to him is that in his conscience he is able to help socially those unfortunate and needy. A typical Dr. Sanchez even in his school days. More power to Dr. Sanchez and let others have the limelight – after all, what counts most in this life is what makes us complete and fulfilled".

Note: Amen to that. Mr. Arroco further states in his e-mail that Dr. Jim was a classmate of his in UST in a pre-med course. Thanks for writing in.

So sorry but we can’t print all the letters here. We will just make sure Dr. Jim receives your e-mails.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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