Trouble judging quality of doctor

[Anon94]

Hey guys! 

I’m currently trying to figure out where I could get my transplant. Sadly I’m very inflexible in terms of when I can take time off, which definitely doesn’t help when trying to find dates. 
 

Now, I’m fully aware that the best doctors will command a premium. But I definitely won’t be able to afford the likes of Bisanga - even though I really like the results - since their prices seem to rise faster than I can save up money. 
 

For example I contacted Pinto (no dates available) and some clinics in Spain, who showed good results on the spanish forum. 
I was also interested in Dr. Gur from Fuecapilar, since I read good things about them here, and that clinic actually was very easy to coordinate with. 

However, I can only find 2 well documented examples of his work online. There are lots of posts, but they all seem to stop updating before results become apparent. I like the shape of their hairlines, but I really don’t want to end up with lots of doubles in my hairline for example. 
 

Do you guys think it might be too big of a gamble to go with that clinic?

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

Anon, 

Personally, I always suggest that men and women seriously considering hair transplant surgery select a surgeon based on a proven ability to produce outstanding results consistently.  But “proven ability” ultimately means that there is enough evidence publicly available to discern that a particular surgeon/clinic actually produces excellent results consistently.

This isn’t to say that this particular surgeon or any that don’t have a lot of results publicly available are doing bad work or aren’t good at what they do. However, the bottom line is, it’s a risk for anyone to go to a surgeon strictly based on what the clinic shows and tells you.  Even the most reputable clinics will always present the best of their results.  And while reputable clinics and surgeons are reliable, at the end of the day the best and most authentic results are those posted and presented by real patients.  This is why I always tell people researching a particular surgeon to view results posted by both the clinic and their patients - not just one or the other.

I will say upfront that every surgeon has cases of less than optimal results out there. But the best of the best will have a lot more exceptional examples than ones that are less than optimal.  The Internet is an invaluable tool and frankly surgeons/clinics that don’t take advantage of getting their work out there or suggesting their patients share theirresults are losing out and for good reason.

The clinic/surgeon you’ve mentioned may be good. But if there’s no evidence to support it, you’re taking an unnecessary risk.

I don’t know what your work schedule is like and I understand that everybody has to work within their means. But please remember that hair transplant surgery is an elective procedure and not something that you have to do. It would be far better for you to wait even a year or two or even longer to undergo hair transplant surgery with a surgeon with a stellar reputation based on consistent results than to select one that meets your current scheduling criteria with no real evidence one way or another.

Below is what I share with everybody who is considering hair transplantation on how to select an outstanding surgeon best for you.

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How to Select an outstanding hair transplant surgeon. 

1.  Start by looking at the surgeons recommended by this community, in particular the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  Surgeons recommended by this community have met a demanding set of standards and are approved based on meeting those high standards.  Many online hair surgeon memberships don’t have any criteria other than to pay a membership fee.  Furthermore, physician members of the coalition have met an even higher and more demanding set of standards and have proven to be amongst the best of the best in the profession.

2. Now even amongst a list of outstanding surgeons, not all surgeons are created equally. Therefore, while it’s tempting to select a surgeon based on price or location, try to avoid this as many individuals travel great distances to undergo surgery with an elite surgeon they are most impressed with. Thus choose a surgeon based on their proven ability to produce outstanding results rather than because of cost or location.

3. Narrow your selection down to 3 to 5 surgeons you are most impressed with.  You can do this by using this discussion forum and others to view examples of patient results posted by both the clinic and their patients.  Speak with and meet with real patients in person if possible. If not, video chat works pretty well.

4. Come up with a list of consult questions to ask each surgeon/clinic you are considering. I’ve created several different posts on this forum with good questions to ask doctors.  If you need help coming up with a list of good questions, please let me know.

5. Consult with each doctor you are considering and ultimately, choose the surgeon you feel can best meet your goals.

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in addition to the above, there’s The discussion of what consul questions you should ask a prospective surgeon/clinic to determine if they are using state of the art techniques and tools   For example, it is always far better to select a specialist then a jack of all trades surgeon. For example, is the surgeon you’re considering strictly performing hair transplant surgery? Or do they perform other cosmetic procedures?  And if you’re strictly looking for an FUE doctor, does the surgeon you’re considering do only FUE or do they do mostly strip with some FUE thrown in?   Do you understand what I mean? I have a list of criteria and questions that you could ask potential clinics which can also help you determine whether or not they are specialists and using all the latest and greatest tools and techniques.  So if you need help with that, let me know and I can post those as well

I hope this helps  

Rahal Hair Transplant