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Hair Transplant Expectations and Realities

Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
When a patient first starts out on their Hair Restoration journey its very important that they do as much research as possible.They need to be well informed of the risks involved,limitations and the realities of what they are venturing into.

Lots of patients need more than one Hair Transplant to restore their hair to what they are happy with,this is totally acceptable if the patient fully understands this and is well informed of this by their choice in doctor.

Factors such as available donor hair,density,laxity and even future financial planning all come into play.

In this modern age of Hair Transplants there are more and more docs emerging who produce excellent work and have the patients best interests at heart.These doctors will fully inform the patient of what can be achieved and that they may need another surgery.

I`ve read many times of patients needing for example their hairlines refined as its too course/gappy looking.These patients went into surgery believing that this HT would be sorting their hairline out and never thought they would have to have it refined by having another surgery.

A good doctor should be able to get it right first time round where the hairline looks totally natural and can stand alone if the patient experiences future loss.This will be down to the doctors abilities and artistry.

What are your views on this.

Cheers bm.

 
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beardywierdy

What a Tool
Good Post.

It is also important to realise that you are having SURGERY and no matter how much people dress it up and argue that it is only a 'minor' skin procedure etc, there are risks involved. You are going to have a long scar on the back of your head- even when the scar is 'invisible', you will not be able to shave your head. All too often, I have heard people say that it easier than going to the dentist - rubbish. I severely underestimated the post-op period and found it quite tough.

I am not regretting having work done (as long as it grows and looks natural) but It didn't really hit me until after the procedure i.e. the realisation of what I had actually done- it's like eating Pringles - once you start, you cannot stop.
 
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azza786

Valued member---
in my opinion, going through the whole process of a HT from start to finish is probably the most toughest phase in most cases one will experience in their life- i know it is for me...just makes me think that if i can get through this succesfully, then i can accomplish anything. you certainly have to be realistic though
 
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Petchsky

Valued member
We all have a variety of expectations and its not unheard of to require a touch up in troublesome or stubborn areas especially if the patients are repair patients to my knowledge. I do not think any TOP clinic will honestly say they have never had a patient who was unsatisfied and didn't required further work to refine certain areas especially on the hairline. Even Bspot commented on this recently i remember on HLH.

It's down to you doing the research IMO, totally different story if the doc leads you to believe you're set for life, but if you do your research you avoid those charlatans.
 
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TOMMYTWO

TOMMYTWO

Valued member
Beirdy weirdy you,ll be right mate when it all grows out and you,ll want more! ha ha! Your right tho the post op period is tough, uncomfortable, even a liitle humbling on a personal level! But in the end its worth it for sure. Im still more than happy i went thru with it but i still want more, so will probably go thru it again. Doh!

I think on reflection my expecations were met as i experienced a massive cosmetic improvement but i would still like a little refinement/thickening up.
 
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Tubs

Valued member
Bigmac wrote:

A good doctor should be able to get it right first time round where the hairline looks totally natural and can stand alone if the patient experiences future loss.This will be down to the doctors abilities and artistry.



BM - This sounds almost naive for such an experienced "HT-er", I agree top docs should produce consistently good results, but there is no clinic that can produce 100% all the time.

Also worth bearing in mind it is easier to modify / enhance an existing hairline than create a "new" hairline.

Tubs




 
Spencer Kobren

Spencer Kobren

Member
Prospective patients have to understand that hair transplantation is a not a one size fits all cosmetic procedure. Even in the best hands, future refinement is ALWAYS a possibility and most patients will have more than one procedure for various reasons, be it to add more density or to refine specific areas. It €™s just the way it is.

For those who are well informed, this usually isn't an issue. It only becomes an issue when a patient is under the impression that hair transplantation is simply a one time procedure that restores your hair to its former glory.

Stay informed and your experiences will be good ones.

All the best,
Spencer
 
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Philb

Member
I wrote this ages ago but never posted it at the time, as the topic has come up it seems appropriate.



Why are not all h/t patient 100% happy with their result; big question that opens up many questions and answers. If we assume that the surgery has been carried out well and not €œbutchered € because that assumes the doc is bad and then we are talking about something very different. To say 100% happy doesn €™t mean it was a bad h/t but only means that the person may have been expecting more or less or something a little different; human expectations cannot be measured that easily or due to medical complications not every aspect was able to be treated to the persons €™ satisfaction.

Firstly it must be understood that be it a first/second procedure or a repair surgery a hair transplant is not a miracle cure, it does not hold the answers to hair loss, it cannot give you back the exact hair you have lost and may not meet your expectations because of medical boundaries and the simple fact that perfection is not a reality. Then there is the care taken by the patient and the patient €™s natural healing attributes, two aspects that are not liked to be discussed because it is felt removes blame from the doctor, but none the less it is a factor that has to be considered; medicine is not an exact science and many parameters go into a result, and each member has a part to play, the doctor to ensure he does his job technically, medically and cosmetically to a high standard and the patient to ensure he cares for the healing as much as possible.

As with any hair transplant there needs to be an honest and open dialogue between doctor and patient so both understand and agree the goals and the patient is aware that limitations can apply to what can be achieved. This is very important because a natural result can be achieved but if the patient €™s expectations were greater they still will see themselves as flawed without understanding why the procedure only went so far. On occasions it may be necessary for the doctor to override the wishes of the patient and only agree to proceed if the patient can dramatically re-evaluate their goals because they are too high, unachievable or will not resolve aspects of the look. This is not going to be easy for the patient to do obviously and a disappointment, but better that than go through more trauma later and potentially end up in a worse situation.

No quality doctor goes out of his way to have a bad day and will do everything he can to do the best technical procedure possible, but medicine is medicine and no one can 100% predict how the body will react. Certainly a virgin scalp is easier to predict than a previously worked on scalp or a repair case; then everything can change, medically and psychologically for the patient. Once the scalp has been impaired in the donor and recipient then future procedures take on a different meaning. Sometimes a repair cannot be 100% treated in one procedure and there must be areas that have greater priority rather than trying to do everything 50% and achieving nothing significant. Also the desire of the repair patient to be €œfixed € is high and so are expectations many times, this is understandable but can be dangerous when educating because they may have had 2 bad procedures that may need three repairs to put right, but they want to do it all in one! Scalp healing and replacing in areas already treated, examples like pitting and ridging may impair the growth of newly placed hair yield, the donor may have extensive scarring, Keloid growth or fibrosis and this could impair the healing of a newly excised scar.

Going back to 100% happy, there are many good doctors out there, not all have the same principles of what a good hair transplant looks like but may all be technically proficient at what they do. Then happiness can be down to the choice you make as a person and on the doctor. You may like a low rounded hair line or a conservative approach to density and choosing your doctor that mirrors your likes or dislikes is important. If you narrow down your choice and are happy say with four docs that are €œgood € then choose the one whose work basically reflects your goals; don €™t necessarily go for one because of reputation but whose results are nothing like you are looking to achieve. You will be starting from very different fundamentals to each other and the chances of you reaching 100% happiness will be reduced. It is very personal and although pictures and meeting people can tell you a great deal, always best when possible to meet the doctor and see if your goals are reflected in his eyes, may sound simple but much can be found out from a personal meeting.

Then there is the case of €œjust not happy € and unwilling to except reality, this may be true or not of course. It is impossible to make everyone happy all the time, and even when you do your upmost to address the situation you may not appease some. Like I said, a good doctor is not knowingly going to have a bad day, and something €™s are out of their hands; but there is the other side that given the opportunity to assess the result what is then the outcome; as happiness can be on many levels and not purely the cosmetic result, but general well-being.


 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Great replies guys,thanks for your input.

I agree no doctor has a 100% record as there are other factors to consider which have been pointed out especially in Phils detailed post.

Tubs my wording probably didn`t reflect what i was thinking.It is meant as the result if no complications should be a natural look even if the patient loses more hair in that area and can stand alone as a natural thinning look etc.

Hope that clears up any confusion.

Cheers bm.
 
timuk

timuk

My member is cooler than NN's
The top clinics (baring any complications) should produce 100% natural HT's first time around. The only issue should be with density.

I think that a patient could be unhappy with density... but for ANY of the top surgeons / clinics to allow a patient to end up with anything less than a natural look would be criminal....

No matter how many grafts are placed they should look natural... and the hairline in particular...

Tim
 
the B spot

the B spot

Pick your Poison!
No clinic has 100% satisfied patients every time. It is impossible.

However, there is a big difference between a top clinic patient not being satisfied and a poor clinic patient not being satisfied.

1st-- a top clinic has EVERYTHING under control always, to make sure the potential problems are minimized as much as possible--this is the result of having a GREAT, long-term staff and a very strict surgical protocol, proper tools and organized OR's.
Poor clinics are all over the place, only concerned with the bottom line and only have great customer service on the front end---once the work is done--see ya!-- I truly hate having to listen to countless fellow patients tell me, "I wish I would have just gone to a top clinic, instead of the local clinic" especially since the wallet is tapped and they have a poor result.

2nd--a top clinic actually cares about their patients---even if sometimes the patient is at fault for poor results, the top clinic takes care of the patient, period. They do not make the patient feel as if they are begrudgingly taking care of them. Additionally, they want your feedback to make sure the work is consistently great. Make sure you take your time to see exactly how long a clinic has been doing VISIBLE business---there are clinics who are not visible who do great work, but it is best to find clinics who have great reputations among both peers, patients, and the internet/media.

There are clinics who have a great internet reputation, but have no reputation among their peers. There are clinics who have peer recognition, but no patient or internet reputation to speak of. Look for a clinic who has all of these when making a decision.

I know at SMG the natural, stand-alone hair transplant is the top priority. Timuk is right that a top clinic's only real issue is perhaps density. At SMG we have the occasional patient who is unhappy with density--never naturalness. Occasionally, we have a patient who is unhappy because we are a bit more conservative and they wanted to "go larger" or "go lower" on the hairline and we certainly will try to accomodate the patient--within reason.

The main thing is consistency. Consistency for YEARS--like 6-7-10-12+ years. Trust me when I say, if a clinic is doing poor work or they are experiencing a higher than usual unhappy patient rate it will come out at some point.

Take Care,
Jason


 
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beardywierdy

What a Tool
Hi Jason

I agree with your comments but there are some top class clinics doing excellent work, which do not have as much internet exposure as others. Reasons for this, I am not sure, but I don't think that you should dismiss a clinic on the basis that they do not have enough internet exposure, or the clinics doctor(s) are never on the forums. There are a number of surgeons quietly doing excellent work, with 100s of happy patients- the difference is is that these doctors don't court controversy. Also I think it is worth noting that in some countries HTs (and the notion of cosmetic surgery) are not as widely publicised/accepted, as they are in the USA for instance.

Cheers

BW
 
the B spot

the B spot

Pick your Poison!
Your 100% correct Beardy. My point is to show the difference between an elite visible clinic vs others.

I know clinics who do excellent work, but only advertise locally or gain business through word of mouth.

The idea behind my post is to point people toward clinics who have tremendous industry exposure where we as patients know a clinic has a reputation to protect.

IMHO--this provides the best type of security in an unregulated industry. As always, you must do research---the proper research will inevitably lead to a great clinic.

Take Care,
Jason
 
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