The Do's and Don'ts To Hair Transplant Surgery

[Melvin- Admin]

What are your guys top do's and don'ts? I'd love to hear some thoughts.

The Do's and Don'ts To Hair Transplant Surgery

[LaserCap]

transplantedphil

The other side of the coin.......

You've hit on something......and it's a problem in the industry-particularly when starting out.

All a doctor has to do is go to the local library, read up on the subject, and start doing transplants. Here you have several problems, (is the material outdated, is it correct? etc), and what follows is truly terrifying......

I saw this first hand.  Doctor educated himself and started doing work. looked like rows. A year later, when the patient arrived for his post op, the doctor said, "hmmm, I could have done this, this and this to make it look better."  The next patient came in and he applied what he learned.  A year later that patient came in......It took 7 years for him to truly become a master at his craft.  And, in the meantime, he had to deal with a number of patients that had less than natural work.

It's always been my opinion a doctor should not be allowed to practice despite him reading a book on the subject.  A fellowship should also be required.  (The doctors in the industry should be more than happy to guide them in the right direction as everyone in the industry suffers when things go wrong). 

Now...some do's and don'ts of the patient:

Read a transplant manual? Doubt is going to happen and should not be necessary.  

Educate yourself...Totally agree. Research the surgeon, review his work and photos. How many procedures does the clinic do per week? A doctor that does 1 or 2 per week is just not enough to get the experience needed.

Schedule several consultations with different doctors and compare notes. Be aware of current techniques and don't settle on an outdated one.

Don't stop medical therapy during the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Melvin- Admin]

Great points from both of you guys. @LaserCap this surgeon you worked for didn’t have an apprenticeship? 

[LaserCap]

1 minute ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

Great points from both of you guys. @LaserCap this surgeon you worked for didn’t have an apprenticeship? 

I don't think so.  I think they got him off the street, did a month of training....and got going.

And with the company realizing it or not...now they've put the consultant in a tough spot...."Oh, Mr patient, I am so glad to tell you that you will be the very first patient this doctor has ever worked with." And all future conversations - particularly about the work which is less than natural.

[Melvin- Admin]

Wow that’s insane. I guess that’s what you get with commercial chains. Not all, but a lot. 

[RecessionProof]

Great thread! Here are a few thoughts:

Don’t look at price as the determining factor when choosing your hair transplant surgeon. Your results will affect your appearance for life and you only have so much donor hair — one bad surgery can seriously compromise your long term results.

Do be willing to travel for your hair transplant. It’s such an minor inconvenience and expense compared to the surgery itself, and you really want to go with whomever you consider the best surgeon in the world for your situation. Even if you live in a major city, it’s worth considering some of the top docs in Canada, the Midwest, and overseas.

Do be open to the possibility of waiting a few years or deciding not to have surgery entirely. Hair loss can be super unpredictable and your best bet is to try finasteride and see if you’re able to maintain for a while. 

Do understand that sooner or later, you will lose more hair. Will you be ok with this when it happens? If not, are you open to a lifetime commitment of future procedures?

Edited November 14, 2019 by RecessionProof

[Melvin- Admin]

1 hour ago, RecessionProof said:

Great thread! Here are a few thoughts:

Don’t look at price as the determining factor when choosing your hair transplant surgeon. Your results will affect your appearance for life and you only have so much donor hair — one bad surgery can seriously compromise your long term results.

Do be willing to travel for your hair transplant. It’s such an minor inconvenience and expense compared to the surgery itself, and you really want to go with whomever you consider the best surgeon in the world for your situation. Even if you live in a major city, it’s worth considering some of the top docs in Canada, the Midwest, and overseas.

Do be open to the possibility of waiting a few years or deciding not to have surgery entirely. Hair loss can be super unpredictable and your best bet is to try finasteride and see if you’re able to maintain for a while. 

Do understand that sooner or later, you will lose more hair. Will you be ok with this when it happens? If not, are you open to a lifetime commitment of future procedures?

Great post I agree with all your points. Guys visiting this thread will learn a lot from it so kudos to you.

[LaserCap]

9 hours ago, transplantedphil said:

@RecessionProofSolid advice!

@lasercap ... man you have must have some wild stories about all the strange stuff that goes in this industry

You have no idea.  Some brilliant doctors with no common sense, others  great bed side manners but could put grafts in a broomstick if they could.  And everything in between.

Had a patient once, lived secluded in the mountains.  Came in with his bear coat, (he killed the animal), and had a dead raccoon hanging from it.  Wild all right!