Best questions to ask during an FUE hair transplant consultation?

[Mixed93]

Hey all, apologies if a thread like this exists already.

I’m wondering what the best / most important questions are that you should prepare to ask during an initial consultation for an FUE hair transplant, in order to determine whether you’re picking the right doctor/clinic. I feel like the list of questions could potentially be endless, but I’d appreciate your input!

Note: Do you think it’s essential to meet the doctor for an in-person consultation prior to selecting them? My initial consultations will be over FaceTime.

Thanks guys.

[pkipling]

Hi there! Check out this thread that Melvin made earlier this year. It's a good starting point to get your wheels turning, and then feel free to ask any followup questions. 

As for in-person vs. Virtual... Personally, nothing would beat an in-person consultation. However, that's simply not always possible for various reasons. The good thing about virtual consultations is that it allows you to meet with more doctors than you would be able to otherwise, and one of the most important rules of getting a HT is consulting with at least 3 different surgeons before making a decision. Hope this helps!

 

[Mixed93]

Thanks a lot!! @pkipling

[Fue3361]

Great thread that was linked up there ^
 

 in addition, I’d personally make sure certain things are going to happen.  I’d ask just to make sure they're only using singles in the hairline, I’d ask what kind of density I should expect, if I get to give feedback on the hairline design, etc.

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

Mixed93,

Below was a list of questions that our clinic feels is important for prospective patients to ask prior to undergoing FUE surgery.  I've also provided information about each question and what you ultimately should be looking for.

1. Do they specialize (only do) hair transplants?  Doctors who specialize in hair transplantation have more skill and experience which provides their patients with a more natural looking and dense head of hair.

2. Do they only do fue? Vs. strip?  Doctors who only do the occasional FUE procedure or mix it with strip are doing fewer FUE procedures and thus, aren't as experienced.

3. Do they specialize in hairlines? Those who specialize in hairlines can create the most natural looking hairlines.

4. Do they use small punch sizes smaller than 1mm for all types of grafts?  Using larger punches can cause more damage to the donor area, making scarring more visible and can make it so less donor hair is available for transplanting.  Some doctors will argue that larger punches cause less damage to the grafts but doctors with more experience and skill won't cause any damage to the grafts using smaller punches as well.

5. Do they offer every type of fue (manual, motorized)?  Most doctors use the device/tool they are most comfortable with for every FUE procedure.  However, all patients are different and one approach isn't always best for everyone.  It's important to select a physician who adapts their technique and uses various devices depending on the patients needs rather than what's easiest for the doctor.

6. Do they inspect each graft under magnification?  Many surgeons claim to have a transection rate of less than 5%?  But how many of them really evaluate this?  Inspecting each graft under magnification during surgery is the only way a surgeon can truly measure transection rates and the truth is, very few clinics are doing this.  Many who report low transection rates are basing this off of a single experiment from one patient rather than ongoing data analysis based on the average of many patients.  Thus, it's always better to select a surgeon who inspects each graft prior to implantation and actually quantifies transection rates.

7. Do they store the grafts in hypothermosol solution? We use for heart transplant)? Most surgeons use a basic saline (salt and water) solution to store grafts while they are outside of the body.  Hypothermosol is a more advanced solution that preserves hair cells and tissue longer and is the same solution used in more advanced organ transplants such as the heart and liver.

8. Do they use 5x magnification when implanting?  Using magnification while implanting is important in order for the doctor and technicians to adequately see what they are doing.  This reduces the possibility of damage to the follicles.  Most clinics will use some kind of magnification, but using 5X magnification is considered optimal.

6. Do they use a “no touch technique” for implantation? (we use KEEP to implant).   Typically, technicians use forceps to place grafts into recipient sites however, grafts can easily be squeezed or crushed, causing irreparable damage.  "No touch" devices such as the K.E.E.P. (Koray Erdogan Embedding Placer) were developed to eliminate damage during implantation and thus, it's important to consider this when selecting a physician to perform your procedure.

7. Have they performed strip before or have they only ever performed FUE?  Doctors who used to specialize in strip are typically more versatile and understand the need to inspect grafts after extraction, use high magnification during implantation and customize a hair transplant based on an individual's needs rather than using a "one size fits all" approach.

-----

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

[Fue3361]

17 hours ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

Mixed93,

Below was a list of questions that our clinic feels is important for prospective patients to ask prior to undergoing FUE surgery.  I've also provided information about each question and what you ultimately should be looking for.

1. Do they specialize (only do) hair transplants?  Doctors who specialize in hair transplantation have more skill and experience which provides their patients with a more natural looking and dense head of hair.

2. Do they only do fue? Vs. strip?  Doctors who only do the occasional FUE procedure or mix it with strip are doing fewer FUE procedures and thus, aren't as experienced.

3. Do they specialize in hairlines? Those who specialize in hairlines can create the most natural looking hairlines.

4. Do they use small punch sizes smaller than 1mm for all types of grafts?  Using larger punches can cause more damage to the donor area, making scarring more visible and can make it so less donor hair is available for transplanting.  Some doctors will argue that larger punches cause less damage to the grafts but doctors with more experience and skill won't cause any damage to the grafts using smaller punches as well.

5. Do they offer every type of fue (manual, motorized)?  Most doctors use the device/tool they are most comfortable with for every FUE procedure.  However, all patients are different and one approach isn't always best for everyone.  It's important to select a physician who adapts their technique and uses various devices depending on the patients needs rather than what's easiest for the doctor.

6. Do they inspect each graft under magnification?  Many surgeons claim to have a transection rate of less than 5%?  But how many of them really evaluate this?  Inspecting each graft under magnification during surgery is the only way a surgeon can truly measure transection rates and the truth is, very few clinics are doing this.  Many who report low transection rates are basing this off of a single experiment from one patient rather than ongoing data analysis based on the average of many patients.  Thus, it's always better to select a surgeon who inspects each graft prior to implantation and actually quantifies transection rates.

7. Do they store the grafts in hypothermosol solution? We use for heart transplant)? Most surgeons use a basic saline (salt and water) solution to store grafts while they are outside of the body.  Hypothermosol is a more advanced solution that preserves hair cells and tissue longer and is the same solution used in more advanced organ transplants such as the heart and liver.

8. Do they use 5x magnification when implanting?  Using magnification while implanting is important in order for the doctor and technicians to adequately see what they are doing.  This reduces the possibility of damage to the follicles.  Most clinics will use some kind of magnification, but using 5X magnification is considered optimal.

6. Do they use a “no touch technique” for implantation? (we use KEEP to implant).   Typically, technicians use forceps to place grafts into recipient sites however, grafts can easily be squeezed or crushed, causing irreparable damage.  "No touch" devices such as the K.E.E.P. (Koray Erdogan Embedding Placer) were developed to eliminate damage during implantation and thus, it's important to consider this when selecting a physician to perform your procedure.

7. Have they performed strip before or have they only ever performed FUE?  Doctors who used to specialize in strip are typically more versatile and understand the need to inspect grafts after extraction, use high magnification during implantation and customize a hair transplant based on an individual's needs rather than using a "one size fits all" approach.

-----

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

Those are some GREAT questions!

[Mixed93]

@Rahal Hair Transplantthose are some really great questions. Thanks a lot for your input - I’ll definitely be asking some of these.