Doing research before making any decisions - what does that entail?

[ShinyMan89]

Hi HRN 👋

I think this is my first time posting here but I'm a long-time lurker otherwise. I have read quite a few posts and made good use of the recommended surgeon list as I'm very interested to get HT at some point this year. 

I'm using topical Min (18 months) and Fin (1 month [due to having 2 very negative experiences with oral Fin]), so I know I'm a good 5 months off getting a HT. 

My question to you all is really what should I be looking for? I've read a lot of conversations and threads and one theme that always comes up is "do at least 6 months of research", which is absolutely fair enough and something I agree with. 

However, that's a tad vague. For example, the list of recommended surgeons to me anyway seems to be a fairly replete way of identifying the right person for me. Beyond that though, what else should I be looking for - i.e. are there different benefits of their practice that might suit my preferences (if so, how do I determine that)? 

Sorry for the very elementary questions, but at the moment this is what's holding me back from feeling confident about picking one of the surgeons listed here. 

Many thanks! 

[Rafael Manelli]

Learn the science of hair loss, the science of hair transplantation and other treatments, and find a particular surgeon who does good work and suits you.

Youtube has a lot of good info. JT, Alan Feller and BHR clinic have good educational videos.

As for picking a doctor, you need to assure quality of work and ethics. Those for me are mandatory. They must be able to reliably produce high yield, natural looking results. Look for surgeons who show off their work in detail, with high quality videos and photos. Avoid anyone who seems to use too many marketing tricks and who doesn’t show off their results in high detail. Then decide what else you care about such as price, distance and the number of grafts they can do in one session. Some surgeons are good but only tend to do smaller sessions.

[hairlines]

It would be great to hear more about the process before and after travel, how much detail is locked in before going over etc. Do you find a good surgeon and book them inl knowing that the details of surgery will need to be worked out one you arrive and they can get hands on with your hair to inspect it?

[Rafael Manelli]

Also you’ll need to learn about FUE vs FUT. There are some very informative threads here.

[ShinyMan89]

Thanks for your comments. TBH a lot of this stuff i've picked up which is why i'm looking for FUE and am comfortable with the state of my hair loss and what it will mean long term.

As for finding the right surgeons that's all some good advice - I'll be sure to be rigorous. Likewise in relation to the before and after-care side of things. I guess it can be tricky getting that appraisal from a surgeon if you don't live in their country - but I'm sure that's a detail that can be figured out.  

[Rafael Manelli]

Ah underrated factor to consider is language. If you want a good, detailed, properly in depth consultation - try to find someone fluent in your language. Especially if you're something of a perfectionist with regards to design.