Researching Before Deciding

One of our International patients recently started a thread on a hair transplant forum to discuss how clinics and some forums market hair transplants. For the person researching it can be very difficult to get through to what is real. Our patient’s basic point was how hard it can be picking through the real, the marketing and the shills.

There are important aspects when researching and choosing the right doctor for you, and also deciding if a hair transplant is right for you in the first place. The forums can help, see the doctors before and after cases and also read the experiences of patients and other posters’ comments. This can help in many ways, everyone has their own opinion, some based on their experience and some based on what others tell them, so get through the marketing and hype and then decide on maybe three, four doctors who you like or would be interested to hear from them.

When possible have a personal consultation with multiple doctors, this can help have your donor density examined, the quality of your hair, have your hair line designed if needed, all the technical aspects. But another aspect you will find when you visit a clinic is do you like the doctor’s attitude and manner, does he come across as honest and open or closed and just interested in booking you for surgery. This can give you a good indication whether you trust the doctor, like the clinic and would use them. If you cannot personally visit the clinic then have a on line consultation, this can answer many questions, how efficient they are at answering your questions, how much information they offer you, and ensure it is the opinion of the doctor and not an agent, it is the doctor who has the responsibility and will perform your operation and the person who ultimately you will turn to for advise and help if required.

A hair transplant is elective surgery, so you should feel free to ask questions of the doctor and see how they answer. The more questions you can ask the better informed you will become and you will also see how open the clinic is. Important questions to see whether you agree with the doctor’s ethics and approach to a hair transplant. You need to then compare the approaches from different doctors and decide who you feel has the correct approach for you, who has your best interests and who can deliver the result you want.

Another important consideration to deciding on your doctor is past patients, talk to them by email or telephone if possible and even better meet them in person, there is nothing better than meeting a past patient and see a hair transplant in reality. Here are a few questions you should ask the doctor, please feel free to make comments and add to the questions, it will help newbies to become better educated.

Why did you begin doing hair transplants? (Although there is no right or wrong answer to this question, the response should offer some insight into the doctor’s motivation and personality.)

How long did you train with other doctors before you began performing the procedures?

What is the doctor’s assessment of your current situation and what does the doctor advise for you, the best technique for you to use and why, the number of grafts he intends to use and why, how many grafts you have remaining in your donor for future loss, should you take hair loss medications, for example.

Does the doctor perform both FUE and FUT and what are his thoughts on both techniques

Does the clinic ever turn away hair transplant candidates and if yes the reason why, if the answer is no be careful.

Do you think everyone is a good hair transplant candidate; if the answer is yes, again be careful.

Is it possible to meet with some of past patients with similar hair loss to mine, and who have grown out results?