Looking for a surgeon !

[SL.Sussex]

Hi all. Have just started looking into a hair transplant and would appreciate some advice on a suitable surgeon. I have a budget of £8-10K. I think most of the names I have seen on here are out of my price range. In my unqualified estimation I believe I would need at least 4000 grafts. Agreed? I would prefer not to go abroad. I think that would be a huge hassle. I also don;t fancy going through an airport and onto a flight looking like that. However if there were someone highly recommended I would consider it. I guess there are so many people that go to Turkey for example that there must be some good surgeons. Also a cheap price over there doesn;t have to mean poor job? Right?Taking into account premises, staff, insurance etc here would cost more than Turkey so therefore you are not necessarily paying more for a better job? I have only spoken to one clinic with a highly recommended surgeon on here. That surgeon was past my budget however they offered me £10K for 4000 grafts from a surgeon they have trained. He didn't sound that experienced. I suppose they have to protect their reputation so would not use someone who could not do a good job. I would like a good job of course even if anything is going to look better than what I have. It is quite daunting looking for someone as you are not just considering a surgeon here but also Turkey or somewhere else. I would also say it would be difficult for me to know what is a good job and a very good job as I am not a surgeon.

Is the margin of error with hair transplants quite big? What would be a bad one?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[Understanding Hair]

Hi @SL.Sussex

Now, you are roughly a Norwood 5 (NW5) hair loss pattern, meaning hair loss extends from the temples to the crown, with the crown still high, and has not dropped down the back of your head. Age and genetics may mean this could change. While four thousand grafts would give you a decent hair coverage, it may not give you total restoration. Depending on your hair characteristics and planning, full hair coverage and a natural, full looking hair density from hairline to crown may not be possible. As a result, it may require more grafts, over multiple sessions or a potential compromise on your expectations, depending on what they are.

Your expectations are important. A poorly performed hair transplant can leave you in a much worse situation/look than today. Today you are naturally balding, may not be perfect, but it´s natural. A poorly performed hair transplant can leave you with an unnatural looking hairline, or pattern of hair growth, wrong angles and orientation, visible scarring, and a depleted donor resource leaving you with little options to repair to a satisfactory level.

Don´t rely on online reviews unless backed up with data, evidence, you can receive good help and suggestions here, but you must make your own research and decision. Try not to look at this from country to country, or price to price, rather look at clinic to clinic, regardless of cost or location, at least initially until you understand more the process and refine your search.

To take it down to a macro level when researching, and for some this can be true, if you don´t want to leave your county, look at clinics in your area, if you cannot find a suitable clinic that meets your demands you have a decision to make, Forget having a hair transplant or expand your reach, while maintaining your standards and expectations. You can keep expanding your reach until you find a clinic you are happy with or feel you must compromise and then make the decision whether the compromise out ways your level of risk or expectations.

Choosing a clinic based on cost can complicate the research process, ideally the cost should be the last consideration. If possible, research the work primarily, their approach and protocols to hair restoration. How involved is the doctor in your surgery, are there multiple doctors, the number of patients the doctor has per day. Their approach to graft numbers per session, donor hair management protocols, who does what on the day. What happens if you have a problem, is there after care, and a clear process to deal with your concerns. Can you speak to a client, and ideally see a grown-out result.

Your decision is made on research and how they can meet your needs and expectations. Understanding how clinics differ, pros and cons to how clinics approach hair restoration. As they do differ greatly, and while operating costs may play a role in the cost of surgery around the world, to consider this a deciding factor, that standards, protocols, care and quality must all be similar regardless of cost, or even that the most expensive is of course the best for you would also be wrong to assume.

 

[SL.Sussex]

I must say I your post hasn't left me feeling positive. You make the whole thing seem very daunting or maybe that's because it is with the risks very high. It would be nice if I could ignore the price and not make it important however when I win the lottery that should be ok. I would prefer one procedure.By that I mean for example I spoke to a clinic yesterday and the 4000 grafts they could perform would be over two surgeries spread over two days. They only do a max of 2500 in one surgery. I suppose maybe I could have 2 x 2500 over two days if needed. I don't want to go back in a year for more surgery so want to do it at the same time.

I don't want a poorly performed transplant however can it be guaranteed I won't have one if I had a good surgeon? I don't know. I don't have to find a clinic in my area even if that would be very convenient. Somewhere I suppose within a 300mile radius would be good.

When you say total restoration I presume you mean hair as I had when I was 20 however I assume that is just not possible. My assumption has been that it's possible to maybe achieve 70% of what someone had before hair loss. After all when I had all my hair I would assume the area that would be covered with 4000 grafts, if we say that's 8000 hairs for example then that is far far less than what use to be there? I actually think my expectations are low compared to alot of other people who may think their hair will be as before. Maybe I am just a pessimistic person. I am probably going to over research this, overthink it and not go ahead. I should probably just pick a good surgeon recommended on here and say do your thing and don;t spend forever online.

I am not expecting to have the hair I had at age 20 as nice as it would be. The crown does not have to be perfect as it is out of my eye's reach. So long as the front and middle have good coverage that would be good. Even if I won't have the density I had when I was 20 it will of course be better than what I have now. I get it if I stood under a light then probably I would be able to see my scalp so it would not be so dense that it's covered. I'm new to this so I am learning what is possible.

Thankyou for your post

 

[Understanding Hair]

Hi @SL.Sussex

I say with kindness, I don´t apologise if my comments did not make you feel positive, as they contrasted with your approach which seemed simplistic and underthought for such a major decision.

Don´t be fixated on cost, not that it is not important, but money does not buy happiness, you do by making the correct decisions. Your higher budget is not a small number and if you research you may well find a well-respected clinic that achieve the results with which you are happy. But you need to research the pros and cons, measure your expectations, and then come to a decision.

For instance, you seem to dismiss that important aspects do vary, such as standards, protocols, care and quality, technical issues such as donor management, planning, procedure size, who does what and competence. You mention risk, there is a risk, so you mitigate any risk, not increase it, or ignore it, you go to the best you can or not have the procedure at all. You have a choice. Under your logic, simply search all clinics under 10K within a radius and stick a pin in one, if they are all much of of a muchness, same risk, results don´t vary a great deal from top to bottom, what can go wrong.

For the record having work done over consecutive days is considered one procedure/surgery . It´s not two independent procedures. 4-5000 grafts is a large procedure and increases the risk of negative consequences. Hence, finding other doctors unwilling to perform such large procedures, as it increases the risk of poor growth and healing. But if you are willing to increase the risk, take the risk, it is your choice, but understand the risk first, don´t assume on such a prominent issue.

Who is the doctor you are speaking with now, the one recommended to you? Maybe forum members can give opinion on their work, maybe someone has been to them, and can give you a first-hand experience. That would help you a great deal on that specific doctor at least.

 

[SL.Sussex]

Hi @SL.Sussex

I say with kindness, I don´t apologise if my comments did not make you feel positive, as they contrasted with your approach which seemed simplistic and underthought for such a major decision.

Don´t be fixated on cost, not that it is not important, but money does not buy happiness, you do by making the correct decisions. Your higher budget is not a small number and if you research you may well find a well-respected clinic that achieve the results with which you are happy. But you need to research the pros and cons, measure your expectations, and then come to a decision.

For instance, you seem to dismiss that important aspects do vary, such as standards, protocols, care and quality, technical issues such as donor management, planning, procedure size, who does what and competence. You mention risk, there is a risk, so you mitigate any risk, not increase it, or ignore it, you go to the best you can or not have the procedure at all. You have a choice. Under your logic, simply search all clinics under 10K within a radius and stick a pin in one, if they are all much of of a muchness, same risk, results don´t vary a great deal from top to bottom, what can go wrong.

For the record having work done over consecutive days is considered one procedure/surgery . It´s not two independent procedures. 4-5000 grafts is a large procedure and increases the risk of negative consequences. Hence, finding other doctors unwilling to perform such large procedures, as it increases the risk of poor growth and healing. But if you are willing to increase the risk, take the risk, it is your choice, but understand the risk first, don´t assume on such a prominent issue.

Who is the doctor you are speaking with now, the one recommended to you? Maybe forum members can give opinion on their work, maybe someone has been to them, and can give you a first-hand experience. That would help you a great deal on that specific doctor at least.

My approach is not simplistic or underthought. I have only just started researching so I will learn more and be able to make a more informed decision as time goes on even if there is a risk of getting fed up and giving up the more I look into it. I am not fixated on cost but I am not loaded so yes I have to consider it. Not everyone looking for a hair transplant has limitless cash so I don't understand why you keep saying this. If I did have limitless cash then this would of course all be alot easier. I would just pick out a top surgeon in the UK and go with it. However as I have a limited budget then it's much more complicated for me and I have to do alot more research. I have not dismissed important protocols at all. That's ridiculous. If that were the case I would get on a plane and get a £3000 job in Turkey !
I'm sure there are good surgeons over there as in other countries however I don't think it is for me. I may change my mind.

I appreciate totally a two day surgery is one procedure. I have been told by staff at one top surgeon's clinic (Farjo) that they can do a 4000 graft over two days. 2500 one day and 1500 the next. I was then told by staff at another top surgeon's clinic(Mittal) that they don't recommend 4000 over two days. More 2 x 2500 grafts spaced out over months. A little confusing even if they were not surgeons I was talking to. I had wanted it done in one go ( 2 days) however the idea of having a smaller 2500 graft to start with would be easier to deal with and I suppose success would be more guaranteed with two spaced out surgeries plus I could have another 1000 grafts. 2 x £8000 surgeries so not cheap and above my budget. Who knows. If 4000 in two days limits success then it's something to avoid. I'm learning. I was also told by staff today that their surgeons grafts have a 99% success rate. I suppose I had thought all grafts would be successful so I need to think about this also. There is alot to consider. Does limitless money even guarantee success. If lesser known surgeons can provide numerous good cases then I suppose they should be considered.

 

[Understanding Hair]

Hi @SL.Sussex,

To help with your question - “Does limitless money even guarantee success.” Answer – NO, limitless money does not guarantee success, all money does is give you more choices. You can still make the wrong decision and go to the wrong clinic.

I would wager almost every person that´s shared their experience here or reads the forum is in a comparable situation as yourself. For the vast % of people that have a hair transplant it will be one of the biggest financial commitments they are likely to make. They all want the best result they can get, and their clinic choice is personal in everyway and for every reason.

What´s important is knowing what you are getting into, how the clinics approach can vary, why they vary, for good or bad, here´s a few pointers to consider -

Your donor can only give so much hair without it looking depleted and moth eaten, so donor hair management is important as is how and who removes the hair.

Some offer large sessions and other prefer to do smaller, confirm the pros and cons to both.

The hairline design will determine the starting point of the hair restoration, so the lower the line the surface area to treat increases. Ask about the doctor´s approach to hairline design

On higher Norwood stages occasionally it´s not possible to cover the entire area with a natural looking hair coverage. This may result in having to compromise.

When you are paying any money, confirm who does what on your head, the doctor should be leading specific areas of your procedure, aided by the technicians. You don´t want to be surprised on the day.

Make sure you are clear about your expectations when discussing with the clinic and doctor. Don´t assume they understand you, and vice versa, if not sure ask for confirmation.

Confirm any results you are shown are from the doctor you are considering

What´s the chance of needing more surgery, not because you want to, but to maintain a natural hair coverage.

Always if you can speak and if possible, see previous clients in person, it is well worth the time and effort. Try to compare like for like results to yourself, similar hair loss, hair colour, and characteristics.

Best wishes starting your research

 

[SL.Sussex]

Hi @SL.Sussex,

To help with your question - “Does limitless money even guarantee success.” Answer – NO, limitless money does not guarantee success, all money does is give you more choices. You can still make the wrong decision and go to the wrong clinic.

I would wager almost every person that´s shared their experience here or reads the forum is in a comparable situation as yourself. For the vast % of people that have a hair transplant it will be one of the biggest financial commitments they are likely to make. They all want the best result they can get, and their clinic choice is personal in everyway and for every reason.

What´s important is knowing what you are getting into, how the clinics approach can vary, why they vary, for good or bad, here´s a few pointers to consider -

Your donor can only give so much hair without it looking depleted and moth eaten, so donor hair management is important as is how and who removes the hair.

Some offer large sessions and other prefer to do smaller, confirm the pros and cons to both.

The hairline design will determine the starting point of the hair restoration, so the lower the line the surface area to treat increases. Ask about the doctor´s approach to hairline design

On higher Norwood stages occasionally it´s not possible to cover the entire area with a natural looking hair coverage. This may result in having to compromise.

When you are paying any money, confirm who does what on your head, the doctor should be leading specific areas of your procedure, aided by the technicians. You don´t want to be surprised on the day.

Make sure you are clear about your expectations when discussing with the clinic and doctor. Don´t assume they understand you, and vice versa, if not sure ask for confirmation.

Confirm any results you are shown are from the doctor you are considering

What´s the chance of needing more surgery, not because you want to, but to maintain a natural hair coverage.

Always if you can speak and if possible, see previous clients in person, it is well worth the time and effort. Try to compare like for like results to yourself, similar hair loss, hair colour, and characteristics.

Best wishes starting your research

Thankyou for the advice.