Dr. John Diep

Founder and sole treating surgeon·Medical Hair Transplant & Aesthetics (MHTA)

Los Gatos, United States

Background

John Diep, MD founded Medical Hair Transplant & Aesthetics (MHTA) in 2007, which he states grew out of training gaps he identified in achieving natural hairlines and in supporting African hair types, especially for women, and made it his post-training specialty.1 MHTA operates from Los Gatos and San Francisco, California.5 The clinic describes Dr. Diep as operating independently, "bringing a personal touch to every procedure," and states he personally harvests FUE grafts for every patient.1 It says it serves patients from the U.S., Europe, Asia, the UK, Dubai and Nigeria.2

Procedures and techniques

MHTA offers FUE, FUT, facial hair, eyebrow, crown/vertex, hairline, transgender and African-American/curly-hair restoration, plug correction and pre/post-operative care.1 Dr. Diep uses manual FUE extraction rather than a robotic system, with a proprietary method, DFC (Diep FUE Curved), for curly or African-American hair, and states he has perfected the technique to harvest up to 2,500 grafts per session.2 His hairline design is described as driven by artistic assessment of facial features, ethnicity and face shape, stating he does not believe in one straight hairline for everyone.1 The FUT page describes that technique as "known for delivering high graft yield and excellent hair density, making it ideal for patients seeking significant coverage..."4 The clinic also states Dr. Diep specializes in advanced hair loss cases, stage 3 and up, using mega hair transplant sessions.1 FUE candidacy is described as requiring good overall health and realistic expectations.3

Pricing

No graft, package or total price figures are published on either domain; the FUT page states pricing is transparent with no hidden fees and financing is available, with cost discussed at consultation.4 The financing application is said to take about 5 minutes.2 Consultations are advertised as free.5

Booking and aftercare

The FUE page states aftercare includes regular follow-up appointments to monitor progress, alongside written aftercare instructions and access to expert advice.3

Credentials and memberships

Dr. Diep is a diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery and a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, both independently confirmed in the respective organizations' member listings.1

Sources

Facts on this page were compiled from these pages, checked July 2026. Archived copies are kept for every citation.

What patients say on reddit

156 people shared their experience with Dr. John Diep across 329 reddit threads between 2015 and 2026. Every graft count, price and verdict is linked to the original thread.

u/himothyhimstein patient account since 2023

2,000 grafts surgery 2023
- results have been great source ↗
- Diep gave him the results he wanted source ↗
- price on the higher end source ↗
- donor area looked worse than shown source ↗
- corner density still light two years later source ↗
- ongoing shedding, unsure about a second HT source ↗
himothyhimstein had FUE with Dr. Diep in California in 2023 (2,000 grafts per his own count, paid about $12,000), and at 2 months out said 'I can't say he fucked up my procedure.' By 6-7 months he called the outcome positive, saying Diep 'gave me the results I wanted' and 'my results have been great,' though he flagged the price as high and said he'd have gone to Turkey for less. By his roughly 2-year update his tone had turned mixed: he described corner density as 'super light' with thinning corroborated by a commenter, reported ongoing shedding despite minoxidil and finasteride, and said he doesn't know if he should get a second procedure done elsewhere.
7 threads they wrote in
1. May 2025 Diffuse Thinning? Should I do a second HT? ↗
2. May 2025 Am I cooked? ↗
3. Mar 2025 DR. DIEP PROCEDURE ↗
4. Jun 2024 Best Doctor or clinic to go to for coarse hair (USA or International locations)& how many grafts ↗
5. May 2024 6 Month Progress ↗
6. Dec 2023 Donor after giving myself a fade 3.5 months post transplant ↗
7. Dec 2023 10 days post op from Dr. Diep ↗
u/Lopsided_Pair5727 patient account since 2022

NW3 2,337 grafts surgery 2020
- grafts placed in unnatural visible rows source ↗
- donor area overharvested and scarred source ↗
- woke up mid-surgery in pain source ↗
- regrets having had the surgery at all source ↗
- receded hairline corners did fill in source ↗
- needed separate repair surgery to fix result source ↗
u/Lopsided_Pair5727 had a 2,337-graft FUE hair transplant with Dr. John Diep in July 2020 as a Norwood 3, paying roughly $19,000–20,000. Across dozens of posts from 2022 through early 2024 they describe the result as unnatural and pluggy, with grafts placed in visible 'corn row' patterns and a donor area they say was overharvested and scarred, and recount waking mid-procedure in pain during surgery. They ultimately underwent repair surgery with Dr. Luis Nader, documented in a multi-part update series, which they say camouflaged (not fully reversed) Diep's work and brought relief after what they called 'years of sorrow,' though faint evidence of the original rows reportedly remained visible when hair was wet even post-repair. Their overall verdict stayed consistently negative, repeatedly warning others to avoid Diep and describing themselves as a 'Diep victim/survivor.'
63 threads they wrote in
u/PrettyAd31 patient account since 2025

female 1,300 grafts surgery 2023
- hairs grew in coarse, like beard hair source ↗
- donor scar healed large, high on scalp source ↗
- result sparse with big gaps, too low source ↗
- offered paid revision instead of free fix source ↗
- would not recommend him at all source ↗
OP had a roughly 1,300-graft FUT with Dr. John Diep in Los Gatos, California in 2023, quoted/paid a total of $12,600, to camouflage scarring from an earlier hairline-lowering surgery. Reporting back around three years post-op, she says the transplanted hairs grew in coarse ('like beard hair'), sparsely placed with big gaps and set too low on her forehead, and her donor scar healed unusually large and high on her scalp. When she raised the issues, Diep offered a paid revision (quoted $9k, later dropped to $5,600 or a $1k partial fix) rather than a free correction, which upset her enough that she never returned. She calls him 'SWINDLED. CON ARTIST' and says 'I would not recommend him at all!!'
2 threads they wrote in
1. Apr 2026 Trans woman here, hi. I was insecure about forehead length for a long time, no balding though. Started hormones at 18, 32 years old now, I’m botched. I have COARSE TRANSPLANTS GROWING IN, STAY AWAY FROM Medical Hair Transplant & Aesthetics in Los Gatos, California, Dr. John Diep ↗
2. Sept 2025 Choosing a surgeon ↗
u/Virtual_Strain2097 patient account since 2025

1,300 grafts surgery 2024
- donor scar ended up wide and visible source ↗
- graft count secretly raised while sedated source ↗
- threatened with $100,000 lawsuit source ↗
- donor area patchy, moth-eaten, permanently depleted source ↗
- needed SMP to camouflage ongoing damage source ↗
OP had an FUT transplant with Dr. John Diep in April 2023, followed by a 'corrective' FUE procedure in May 2024 in which the consented graft count was raised from 1,100 to 1,300 while OP was sedated. OP reports the FUT left a wide, visible donor scar and unnatural double-row hairline, and the FUE caused uneven overharvesting and further hairline damage, stating plainly, 'My donor area remains visibly damaged.' By August 2025 OP needed scalp micropigmentation to camouflage ongoing donor depletion, says Dr. Diep threatened a $100,000 lawsuit when told OP would post about the experience, and has filed complaints with the California Medical Board and ISHRS.
3 threads they wrote in
u/u/Lopsided_Pair5727 patient

2,337 grafts
- Called the result unnatural source ↗
- Reported needing repair work source ↗
- Reported prolonged post-op redness source ↗
- Reported severe swelling and pain source ↗
- Criticized row implantation source ↗
u/Lopsided_Pair5727 reports having a 2,337-graft FUE procedure with John Diep for $18,696; no surgery date is stated. They consistently characterized the outcome negatively, calling it unnatural and describing it as work that needed repair by Dr. Nader. They also reported severe swelling, persistent pain during recovery, and redness that took five months to pass.
13 threads they wrote in
u/No_Impact_1657 patient account since 2025

2,900 grafts surgery 2025
- donor area left with large chunks out source ↗
- billing altered without his consent source ↗
- post-op supplies felt inadequate for price source ↗
- losing faith after reading other reviews source ↗
- still thin in the back at 2 months source ↗
- stays optimistic results will still improve source ↗
OP had an FUE procedure with Dr. John Diep at MHTA in 2025, ~2,900 grafts, paid $20,000. A week post-op he flagged a rough donor area with 'large chunks out in some places' and a billing dispute over extra grafts he says involved a forged initial on his paperwork, writing 'I am starting to think my initial benefit of the doubt is unfounded...' By his '2 MONTH 1 WEEK UPDATE' he still reported being 'thin in the back unfortunately,' but overall struck a wait-and-see tone: 'I am still optimistic the overall results will be okay. time will tell.'
2 threads they wrote in
1. Mar 2025 DR. DIEP PROCEDURE ↗
2. Mar 2025 DR. DIEP MHTA_ FUE_2900 graphs ↗
u/certified_source patient account since 2021

5,200 grafts
- donor area didn't look overharvested source ↗
- Diep pricey but 'a great surgeon' source ↗
- still some density issues behind temples source ↗
- density behind hairline still very subpar source ↗
- frustrated repeat-patient discount wasn't better source ↗
- ultimately accepted the result as a failure source ↗
u/certified_source had two FUE transplants with Dr. Diep totaling roughly 5,000 grafts, paying about $31,000 total ($15k for the first, $16k for the second). At 1.5 years post-op he called himself 'pretty satisfied with where I'm at,' though he already noted density issues behind the temples. By mid-2023, facing a $14,000 quote for a third procedure, he said his density behind the hairline was 'still very subpar' and that results 'weren't amazing,' and he ultimately decided to cancel and look elsewhere. Three years after the second surgery, he said he had 'finally accepted' the outcome as a failure and was weighing other clinics instead of returning to Diep.
4 threads they wrote in
1. Oct 2023 Solve Clinic vs 3rd with Diep vs Turkey? 🤔 ↗
2. Jul 2023 Diep Updates? ↗
3. May 2021 1.5 Year FUE Update (African American) ↗
4. May 2021 1.5 Year FUE Update (African American) ↗
u/Similar-Affect2048 patient account since 2022

female 4,000 grafts
- left with a nasty scar source ↗
- density never improved after surgery source ↗
- donor scar reduced future donor availability source ↗
- hair shed within first week source ↗
- clinic offered excuses, not support source ↗
- poor growth in temple area source ↗
Similar-Affect2048 (female) had two FUT hair transplant surgeries with Dr. John Diep, about 4,000 grafts to the hairline and frontal region in Los Gatos, California; no price or exact surgery date is stated. She calls the results "pretty poor," describing a nasty, inch-wide donor scar, density that "never improved," hair shedding within the first week, and poor growth in her temple area, and says Diep and his clinic "took the bare minimum of responsibility." She ultimately pursued repair surgery elsewhere (with Dr. Laorwong), warning others to "please reconsider" Diep and calling the offered aftercare excuses rather than support.
7 threads they wrote in
1. Jul 2023 Diep Updates? ↗
2. Jun 2023 Melvin hair transplant network. ↗
3. May 2023 Diep's Work Repaired by Dr. Luis Nader - 2 Month Update ↗
4. May 2023 Why does John Diep get such a bad rap? He has some great works on his youtube channel ↗ removed on reddit
5. Mar 2023 Repair surgery with Dr. Laorwong ↗
6. Feb 2023 I left a negative Yelp review for Dr. Diep and some positive reviews popped up pretty quickly afterwards. ↗
7. Jan 2023 Dr. Mwamba or Dr. Laorwong for repair surgery? ↗
u/ZinaSapphire patient account since 2021

female 2,005 grafts surgery 2021
- confident he's best for Afro-textured hair source ↗
- hairline design not shown until day-of source ↗
- didn't have a great bedside manner source ↗
- technicians, not surgeon, placed the grafts source ↗
- post-op area was very flaky source ↗
- still loves results years later source ↗
ZinaSapphire, a transgender woman, had an FUT procedure with Dr. Diep in May 2021 to feminize her hairline, ending up with 2005 grafts at a stated cost of $11,000. At 2 weeks post-op she called it 'a mixed experience' — she felt the day was rushed, wasn't shown her hairline design until surgery day, and was surprised technicians rather than Diep placed the grafts — but still said she was 'very happy for now.' By 6 months she remained positive despite a flaky post-op area, and in a 2026-04-07 update, years on, she confirmed lasting satisfaction: 'I love my results! Very happy with it.'
6 threads they wrote in
u/Badwhale29 patient account since 2024

4,500 grafts surgery 2024
- worried scar won't work out source ↗
- sharp FUT-scar pain, day 7 source ↗
- total scalp numbness source ↗
- feared the worst after criticism source ↗
Badwhale29 received 4,500 FUT grafts from Diep in 2024; no price was disclosed. At day 7 post-op they reported sharp FUT-scar pain and total scalp numbness, worrying openly about the scar and whether the result would work out. After commenters heavily criticized the graft placement and hairline design, they replied "That's what I was afraid of…" — their clearest overall verdict. No later update from the user appears to confirm final results.
1 thread they wrote in
1. Dec 2024 Day 7… I’m worried about the scar and whether this is going to work or what to do next…. ↗
u/MattTheCarey patient account since 2024

1,500 grafts surgery 2024
- donor area destroyed by surgery source ↗
- mortified by the result source ↗
- grid-like hairline pattern noticed source ↗
- worried he'll need a second transplant source ↗
MattTheCarey had about 1,500 FUE grafts placed by Dr. John Diep in 2024, posting roughly 8-9 days post-op across two threads. He said Diep 'destroyed my donor area' and that he was 'mortified' by the damage, while separately asking whether he would need 'a second transplant to fix this' after commenters flagged a grid-like hairline and a 'non-homogeneous donor area.' Diep reportedly told him the donor area was 'fine' and would 'fill back in in a few months,' but OP's own posts reflect ongoing worry rather than reassurance.
2 threads they wrote in
1. Feb 2024 Diep destroyed my donor area, need advice ↗
2. Feb 2024 Grid-like distribution ↗
u/mochidreams00 patient account since 2019

2,700 grafts
- called Diep 'the hairline master' source ↗
- found consultation welcoming and reassuring source ↗
- chose FUE to avoid a linear scar source ↗
- still calls it a positive experience years later source ↗
u/mochidreams00 had FUE with Dr. Diep at the Los Gatos clinic (post dated 2019-07-05, titled 2700 grafts, though the post body says 2500 were recommended at consultation); they chose FUE specifically to avoid a linear scar. They called Diep 'the hairline master' and described the consultation as welcoming and reassuring, though the post cuts off before covering growth or final results. In 2022 and 2023 comments they pushed back on fraud allegations against Diep circulating elsewhere on the forum, stating 'I don't think the clinic was lying to you about extracting extra grafts' and, referencing their own FUE '7-8 years ago,' said they 'had a positive experience.'
3 threads they wrote in
1. May 2023 Why does John Diep get such a bad rap? He has some great works on his youtube channel ↗ removed on reddit
2. Mar 2022 Dr. Diep is a fraud, and offers services to patients in exchange for reviews ↗
3. Jul 2019 2700 Grafts FUE with Dr. Diep ↗

To see more reviews and get the full picture: