Hair Transplantation-Finding the right doctor

 

Currently no government or medical community in the world regulates the field of surgical hair restoration. Any licensed physician can legally perform hair transplant surgery without any prior surgical training or accreditation of any kind. I have even had dentists, chiropractors and other non-medical health care professionals ask to come to my office for hair transplant training.

            However, a handful of extremely skilled and ethical physicians do perform excellent hair transplantation in North America and around the world. These physicians have had extensive training in surgical hair restoration and are at the top of their field. Their state-of-the-art techniques are truly transforming lives.

When performed by qualified, ethical physicians, hair transplantation can yield excellent results. However, finding a qualified hair transplant surgeon can be challenging. Do not underestimate the complexity of this important task. Consider the following advice:

           

Avoid turning to the Yellow Pages when seeking a hair transplant surgeon.

 

Avoid referrals from your dermatologist or family practitioner. While your family doctor or dermatologist might mean well, the fact is that most physicians in this country know very little about the scope and pitfalls of this demanding cosmetic procedure. Unless your doctor has personal experience with the hair transplant physician he is recommending, don’t be too quick to act on his or her advice.

            Avoid large hair transplant groups or practices that employ or contract physicians to perform hair transplantation under a common umbrella. In most instances, experienced hair restoration surgeons would not consider working for a large hair restoration group or chain. Most of the time, the cost of the procedure will be more and the experience of the doctor will be less.

            Avoid practices advertising on television infomercials. While these larger groups have the ability to influence public opinion through expensive and flashy television, print, and radio marketing, you may not get superior surgical results. High advertising budgets only mean more expense to you and do not offer any advantage.

            Finally, remember, just because a "company" or "practice" claims to be one of the largest does not mean that it is one of the best. Although these practices do employ some ethical physicians and it is possible to attain satisfactory results, there is still less chance of obtaining a good result than from a good, independent physician. Do your homework first before you decide on a surgeon.

            Many doctors practice hair restoration on a part-time basis on their own or in a multi-center clinic, allowing economic factors to guide their decision making, and the concerns and wants of the patient are rarely considered. In many clinics, the only person to see the patient prior to surgery is a consultant, not the doctor. His only interest is to put the patient on the operating table. The surgeon meets the patient for the first time at the time of the surgery, and this is not right! The surgeon should feel a moral obligation to assess the patient’s needs prior to surgery, and offer advice based on the patient's needs independent of economic factors.

  

What to look for in a surgeon

 

Realize that hair transplantation is a team effort. During your procedure, the surgeon will remove the donor tissue from the back of your scalp, suture the area closed, and then hand the tissue to his or her technicians to dissect it into grafts. A team of technicians, with the guidance of the surgeon, then places the grafts. Using medical technicians to perform hair transplantation as a team effort is what makes it possible to perform sessions whereby thousands of grafts are placed in a single procedure.

Ask prospective surgeons how long they have been working with their team. Some of the larger clinics have a much higher staff turnover rate, so it's usually best to go with the smaller individual practitioner or group. Also, the better medical technicians usually gravitate to the smaller practices.

You should also keep the following in mind:

1. Can your hair transplant doctor provide you with a minimum of 10 sets of before and after photos taken at the same angle, the same background, and the same lighting? Make sure the photos are of the doctor you are considering for your surgery and not someone else in his group. Also, ask if the doctor can provide you with photographs of donor scars, which are left behind on the back of the scalp after the strip of hair-bearing tissue is removed for transplantation.

2. Ask for the names and phone numbers of at least three patients you can contact to discuss their experiences with the hair transplant physician and staff that you are considering. If possible, ask to speak with one or two physicians who have had the procedure performed by the hair transplant doctor you are researching.

3. If the hair transplant doctor or hair transplant group you are considering claims to be performing follicular unit hair transplantation, ask the following questions:

            a. Are the grafts microscopically dissected?

b. Do all the technicians use stereo-microscopes?

c. How long have the technicians been using microscopes to dissect follicular   units?

d. How many stereo-microscopes are being used during a procedure?

e. Does your hair transplant doctor use a single-bladed knife to excise the donor strip? You want the answer to be "yes." A multi-bladed knife transects a lot of follicles, thereby decreasing yield.

 

4. Contact your state or provincial medical board to see if any complaints have been filed against the hair transplant doctor or hair transplant group.

5. During your initial consultation, be sure to meet with the hair transplant doctor who will be performing your surgery. If the hair transplant doctor is not available, leave immediately and do not have a hair transplant performed by that hair transplant physician or hair transplant group. If you meet with a "medical consultant", remember the following:

a. The consultant should be there to provide you with basic information on the hair transplant procedure.

b. He or she is most likely not a medical professional and should not provide you with specific medical or surgical recommendations.

c. Consultants do have their place in this field, but they cannot replace medical professionals when you are faced with a difficult decision.

 

6. Is your hair transplant doctor's practice dedicated solely to surgical hair restoration? If not, what percentage of his/her practice is?

            Having a hair transplant or considering non-surgical options is a big decision that can be exciting and truly uplifting, allowing you to shelve worries that confront you each time you stare in the mirror. But I have seen patients for whom the decision to have a transplant is sadly regrettable. Go to your doctor equipped with the right questions. Spend time educating yourself about the industry before making a decision about your hair.