How to Find a Good Hair Transplant Surgeon
There is no law in the US that requires a doctor to have any special credentials to perform hair transplant surgery, other than basic licensing as a physician.
This leaves many potential candidates for the surgery in the dark. It is difficult to know the difference between a good hair transplant surgeon and an inexperienced one.
If you know someone who has had hair transplant surgery, you have at least one person to whom you can go for advice. You will know from looking at their hair whether the job was done well.
You can ask the person whether you were treated professionally. That person will also know how much the total cost was, and if there were any hidden fees.
You might not know anyone who has had a hair transplant procedure. In this case, you might go to the telephone directory. This is just a starting point.
Many of the doctors who advertise there are simply trying to start up a practice in the field. They may have little or no experience. This is just a way to get names that you can check out.
When you contact a hair restoration surgeon, ask to see a portfolio of patients’ photos before and after hair transplant surgery.
You should be suspicious if you are shown less than a dozen or so sets of pictures. This may mean the doctor does not have much experience to brag about. The pictures should be of good quality so that you can really see what kind of job was done.
Next, ask for names and phone numbers of patients the surgeon has treated. A doctor who has done many successful hair transplant procedures will have a list of people willing to talk about their experience. You can call each one and ask about how the procedure went for them.
Be aware that not all hair transplant doctors are scrupulous businesspeople. Many will try to fool you into believing they are more experienced than they are.
Sometimes, they will try to make you believe they do better work than they do. They will show you pictures that are not true examples of their own work.
They might show you photos that they have taken using lighting tricks to make the hair look thicker and healthier than it is. It is often hard to spot such tricks, but knowing that some surgeons do them will help you to watch out for them.
You will get some good advice if you go to certain associations for assistance. The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons will give you information on surgeons that are affiliated with them. The American Academy of Dermatology is another fine institution that has data on hair transplant surgeons.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is known for supporting good cosmetic surgery, which hair transplant procedures are. Finally, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery deals exclusively with these types of procedures.
It can be quite difficult to find the right surgeon to do your hair transplant procedure. Do not give up. There are plenty of skilled surgeons who can perform these operations well. You just need to take the time you need to find them.
Costs and Financing Options for Hair Transplant Procedures?
Hair transplant surgery would not be considered cheap by most people. In fact, some people cannot afford to have it done at all. However, a great number of people have the option of getting financing for their procedures.
The costs for hair transplant surgery vary from doctor to doctor. They even vary within one doctor’s practice. A common quote for hair transplants is between $2 and $10 per graft. The reason for the wide variance is mainly because the price per graft decreases the more grafts you have done.
Often, the price per hair transplant session is quoted. This may be a lunchtime session. For example, 200 grafts may be done in a short session for $2000. That equals $10 per graft, of course, but you are getting a special time slot, and a very low number of grafts per session.
Prices for specialty hair transplant work tend to be higher as well. For the grafts that are taken from body hair, the price per graft may be anywhere from $12 to $15.
Facial hair grafts for those who have lost eyebrows or eyelashes are also high, at $11 to $15. These are specialized procedures.
Follicular Unit Extraction hair transplant costs more than micro-grafts. FUE may cost as much as $15 per graft. Mega-sessions in which large numbers of grafts are completed at one time are cheaper per graft. Figured into the fee is the use of highly skilled technicians to help the doctor.
Repair work is also done at a per graft price. This includes taking out hair plugs from past hair transplant procedures gone wrong. The price may be around $12 per graft when other grafts are being put in at the same time.
If the plugs are just being removed, the price is higher, about $15 per graft. Scar revision surgery is usually done at a flat fee, perhaps around $1000 for the procedure.
The normal hair transplant procedure will cost differently depending on the number of grafts even though the cost per graft goes down the more grafts you have.
For example, 100 grafts may cost you $1500, while 3000 grafts may cost about $12,000. The price per graft goes down, but the amount of money you have to come up with soars.
This is why many people finance their hair transplant surgeries. To get the results they want, they would have to come up with more money than they can gather at one time. Some examples of financing options are credit cards, finance companies, and bank loans.
Some finance companies are geared especially to people who are getting cosmetic surgery. They may offer loans with no proof of income,
available within a day or two of the application. You can finance your entire hair transplant operation with no down payment. You may get 12 months same as cash or 12% interest on a 36 month loan.
Hair transplant is costly, but with the right financing, you can do it if you choose to do it. Financing gives you the opportunity to use the doctor you want to do, have the procedures done as quickly as possible, and have as many procedures done as possible.
How Surgeons Hide Donor Scars during Hair Transplant Surgery
Hair transplant procedures leave scars. It is just a fact of life. However, if the surgeries are handled in the proper manner, the scars are barely noticeable.
They are thin to the point that they can barely be seen in most cases. Skilled doctors have ways of making the scars practically disappear.
First of all, the surgeon must be very skilled in choosing the site of the path where he harvests the donor tissue for the hair transplant.
Its width should be no more than one centimeter in most instances. This allows the scalp to close completely when sutured back into place.
If the hair transplant procedure is done well, the scar will not be noticeable even if the patient likes to wear his hair in a short style.
The scar will only become unsightly if the patient is genetically predisposed to keloid scarring. People who have this kind of problem need special treatment.
If a patient is known to suffer from keloid scarring, the first thing a reputable doctor will do before hair transplant surgery is to explain the possibility of unsightly scars. This requires a very honest surgeon, since the patient may decide the procedure is not worth the scarring it will cause.
The next step with such a patient would be to discuss ways the keloid could be covered. It could be camouflaged by wearing the hair just a little longer.
Other patients have rubbery skin that stretches too much and so causes wide donor scars. These two groups add up to about 5% of the patients who have hair transplant surgery.
The other 95% of patients have no problems with their tiny scars at all. The hair transplant doctors are able to keep the donor strips very thin.
They also use a double layer closure method to help the skin heal properly. As long as the surgeon knows what she is doing, the scars are a minor consideration.
Another aspect of scarring is when doctors go in for multiple hair transplant surgeries. A new strip of donor tissue has to be
taken each time to supply the grafts for the new transplant. It would seem that this would lead to a large number of scars on the back and sides of the head.
Actually, there is a hair transplant procedure that keeps the scarring to one thin line. It consists of cutting the new thin donor strip immediately above the original scar.
In most cases, the old scar is removed at the same time. When the wound is stitched up, the entire area of both the old scar and the new cut are sewn into one line. If multiple surgeries are done, this procedure is used every time.
Hair transplant surgery leaves scars. That much is certain. If you are one of the unlucky few who scar easily, you might have scars big enough that you have to hide them. Yet, if you are like most people, you will not have scars that anyone will notice at all.
Preparing for Hair Transplant Surgery
Hair transplant can make you look younger and more attractive. Your doctor will need to prepare you for the surgery so that you will know exactly what to do to make the procedure go better. If you follow instructions, you will have a much better outcome.
When the doctor sees you a couple of weeks before surgery day, she will go over again exactly what procedure you are getting.
The surgery will be explained to you in detail so that it will be fresh in your mind before you make that final commitment. She will go over any problems she sees that might come up during the hair transplant procedure.
Then, you will be given instructions to make your hair transplant surgery go better. Some of the items on the list might seem like the doctor is interfering with your life, but they are truly necessary if you are to get the best outcome.
You will be told to quit smoking, at least until after you have healed from the surgery, if you are a smoker before the hair transplant procedure. This is important because smoking makes you heal slower by inhibiting blood from flowing to your skin.
It may be hard to do, but if you quit smoking just for the surgery, it might not be so hard. Then, once you have done that,
you may find that you want to stay off the cigarettes or cigars even after the hair transplant have healed. If not, then at least you will have allowed your skin to heal.
You may be given specific guidelines for eating in the weeks leading up to the hair transplant surgery. Excessive drinking may be a problem due to
anesthesia and medications you have to take in the course of having your hair transplant done, so you may be asked to refrain from drinking until your head has healed. You may even be told whether or not to take certain vitamins and medications.
The doctor will discuss where your hair transplant procedure will take place. She may even have a nurse or helper give you a tour of the facility.
It will most likely be a doctor’s clinic or an outpatient surgery center. You will be made to feel as comfortable as possible. Unless you are one of a very tiny group, you will not have to stay in the hospital overnight.
You will have time to discuss anesthesia with the doctor. She will probably tell you that you will be sedated and given a local anesthesia.
This will be enough to help you relax and keep pain from being a part of the hair transplant procedure. You will only feel pressure on your scalp.
Finally, you will be told to make arrangement to be taken home on the day of the hair transplant surgery. You will not be fit to drive because of the sedation; at least,
it would not be wise to do so. Since you probably need to take it easy the first day or two, you might want to ask someone to stay with you, although that is purely optional.
If you follow all your doctor’s recommendations, you will be thoroughly prepared for you hair transplant surgery when the day comes. It is a big deal to you, so you might as well treat it with the seriousness it deserves.
How You Can Avoid Dishonest Hair Transplant Doctors
It is easy to assume that any doctor will do everything in his power to do right by you. However, it would be naïve to think that there are no
hair transplant doctors that are dishonestly trying to use you to make money and nothing more. There are a few things to take into consideration.
1. Watch out for high pressure tactics. One example is when a promotion is run guaranteeing a special price if you schedule your procedure by a certain date.
Most reputable doctors charge a fair price for the hair transplant surgery and so do not need to discount it. Another example is when you go in and the doctor or other people in his office will not take no for an answer. Any good doctor knows the decision is yours to make.
2. Try not to use a doctor who starts you off with a salesman or other person who has nothing to do with the health occupations.
You need a person with good training to show you all you need to make your mind up about the surgery. You do not need a person whose only agenda is to sell you on getting hair transplant procedures done.
3. You should start to get concerned if your doctor has no specific good stories to tell about hair transplant surgery they have done. You need to see before and after photos.
You need a way to contact former patients. If at all possible, you need to be able to visit with patients the doctor has treated so they can show you the results in person. You are not asking too much – it is a major commitment you are making.
4. If your doctor says to try a few hair transplant grafts and then decide, run. This is never a good idea. Once you start having the grafts done, you are committing to a full set of procedures. Otherwise, your hair will end up looking out of balance.
5. Do not get involved with a doctor who does not listen. A good doctor knows how important the hair transplant is to you.
He will listen to your questions about hair transplant and provide intelligent answers. He will also try to find out what your goals are to see if they are realistic.
6. Keep it realistic. If the doctor says the hair transplant will cost an exorbitant amount of time or money, be wary.
You should have a basic idea of the going rates before you make this decision. On the other hand, if the doctor talks about how
little it will cost and how quick and easy it will be, be suspicious of that too. The answer should lie somewhere in the middle.
7. Not all hair transplant stories are good ones. If the doctor you consult with claims that his are, you cannot trust what he says.
Virtually every doctor has some procedure that has gone wrong to some degree. A good doctor will admit this and provide a plan to avoid it.
There are hair transplant stories that would make most people think twice about having the surgery. However, it is not a good representation of the fine work that most hair restoration surgeons are doing. Just make sure you find one of those good surgeons.
What to Do About Bad Hair Transplants
If you had a hair transplant operation during past decades, you might not be happy with the result. You may have the type of hair transplant called hair plugs.
These make the hair stick up out of your head like the bristles of a toothbrush. If you want to take advantage of modern methods, it is not too late to have more natural-looking hair.
The first thing you need to do is to find a hair transplant surgeon who has done many hair transplant repair surgeries. Fixing bad hair transplants is somewhat of a specialty for certain doctors.
Your own primary care physician may know of a surgeon who is involved in this sort of work. Otherwise, you can look for ads in the yellow pages to start your search. Contacting professional organizations is also a good idea.
Once you have found a doctor or doctors to consider, make sure they let you see examples of their work. It will not be enough to see what they can do with a virgin scalp.
You need to see how successful they have been in dealing with problems such as the ones you have. If you cannot see the patients directly, at least ask for a look at some photos.
Talk to the surgeon about what can be done to fix your inferior hair transplant job. If you have large hair plugs, ask if the doctor will be removing the plugs.
The surgeon may want to take them out, break them up into smaller units, and reinsert them. If your plugs are smaller, he may just want to add some new donor hair to lessen the effect of the doll head look.
If cost is an issue with you, discuss it with your surgeon. Cost is a very real problem for many who want to have bad hair transplants fixed.
It may be more expensive to do the correction than an original surgery would cost. If you do not have the cash, your doctor can usually point you to several different financing methods. That way, you do not have to come up with the money all at once.
Discuss healing with your hair transplant surgeon. Because you may be having plugs removed, you have more healing to do than someone who is having a routine hair transplant.
You need to let the plug sites heal as well as the new insertion sites and possible new donor sites. It may take special post-operative care and longer down-time.
Ask your doctor if she expects you to have more than one surgery session. You may need to have the plugs removed in one session and allow that to heal before going on to the next phase.
Your doctor may not know the answer to this until after she sees how your first surgery has gone. In any case, it is wise to go in expecting that you probably will need more than one hair transplant surgery.
Getting a bad hair transplant result is difficult to live with for years as many have done. The fact that there are surgeries that can correct these problems is music to their ears. It is hope they may have never dreamed possible.
What to Do About Bad Hair Transplants
If you had a hair transplant operation during past decades, you might not be happy with the result. You may have the type of hair transplant called hair plugs.
These make the hair stick up out of your head like the bristles of a toothbrush. If you want to take advantage of modern methods, it is not too late to have more natural-looking hair.
The first thing you need to do is to find a hair transplant surgeon who has done many hair transplant repair surgeries. Fixing bad hair transplants is somewhat of a specialty for certain doctors.
Your own primary care physician may know of a surgeon who is involved in this sort of work. Otherwise, you can look for ads in the yellow pages to start your search. Contacting professional organizations is also a good idea.
Once you have found a doctor or doctors to consider, make sure they let you see examples of their work. It will not be enough to see what they can do with a virgin scalp.
You need to see how successful they have been in dealing with problems such as the ones you have. If you cannot see the patients directly, at least ask for a look at some photos.
Talk to the surgeon about what can be done to fix your inferior hair transplant job. If you have large hair plugs, ask if the doctor will be removing the plugs.
The surgeon may want to take them out, break them up into smaller units, and reinsert them. If your plugs are smaller, he may just want to add some new donor hair to lessen the effect of the doll head look.
If cost is an issue with you, discuss it with your surgeon. Cost is a very real problem for many who want to have bad hair transplants fixed.
It may be more expensive to do the correction than an original surgery would cost. If you do not have the cash, your doctor can usually point you to several different financing methods. That way, you do not have to come up with the money all at once.
Discuss healing with your hair transplant surgeon. Because you may be having plugs removed, you have more healing to do than someone who is having a routine
hair transplant. You need to let the plug sites heal as well as the new insertion sites and possible new donor sites. It may take special post-operative care and longer down-time.
Ask your doctor if she expects you to have more than one surgery session. You may need to have the plugs removed in one session and allow that to heal before going on to the next phase.
Your doctor may not know the answer to this until after she sees how your first surgery has gone. In any case, it is wise to go in expecting that you probably will need more than one hair transplant surgery.
Getting a bad hair transplant result is difficult to live with for years as many have done. The fact that there are surgeries that can correct these problems is music to their ears. It is hope they may have never dreamed possible.
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