Online/Skype consultations! How reliable are they?

[leindub]

If you're planning to have your hair transplant abroad, is it possible through close up photos of your donor hair sent to the physician and perhaps a Skype consultation to get an exact idea of how good your donor hair is and the availability of grafts?

 

Or is it the case, that you really need a face to face consultation? Obviously if you're not planning to get work done in your home country, this could make things more complicated.

[Al - Moderator]

I personally think you should always have an in person consultation with the Dr whenever possible, but I realize it's not always possible.

 

To your question though, I would say a lot of it depends on several factors. If you're a NW 3, over 40 years old, been losing hair very slowly over 20 years, and still have thick hair in the donor area then unless there are other non hair related health issues, you are probably a good candidate and an in person consultation isn't necessary if you know enough about the procedure. A good estimate of what is required can probably be given to you.

 

If, however, you are NW 5, under 30 years old, not sure if the donor has thinned any, then it will be harder to tell by pictures. I'd say a skype or other live video chat is certainly better than just sending photos, but I still think it will be much harder to know how many grafts and how much area can be covered without actually seeing you in person and being able to examine your hair for density, texture, etc.

[sl]

Skype consultations are not a replacement for a real in person meeting and often the video quality is far worse than what good photos offer.

 

Good to speak to a doctor if possible to get an idea of an assessment but it will not give the real data that seeing in person and under magnification will give.

[gillenator]

Photos or Skyping can never replace the advantages of an in-person consultation.

 

Scalp elasticity, donor density calculations and microscopic examination for diffusion and miniaturization can only be done in person.

 

Yet photos or virtual consultations can at least provide the doctor an idea of how much hair has been lost, what Norwood scale the individual is at, and at least a glance at the donor zone.

 

Once the patient shows up on the day of surgery, the doctor can do a preliminary evaluation to make sure everything checks out and confirms the candidacy for the procedure.

 

A complete medical history however should be provided the doctor of choice well ahead of the procedure date.