An insider’s view to choosing the best hair transplant surgeon for your surgery

Hair transplant surgery is an incredibly important decision therefore anyone considering this procedure has to be careful. Here are some questions you need to think about. These will help you choose the best Hair Transplant Surgeon and the best clinic in London.

How experienced is your surgeon?

You need to be able trust that your surgeon is highly experienced. Therefore he or she should have a track record of thousands of successful procedures. This means your surgeon should have at least ten years of solid experience doing solely hair transplant surgery. An experienced surgeon will understand the technicalities of each unique patient and their needs. Every patient’s skin and hair are different because you have unique specific needs in terms of hair loss.

Your surgeon should be extremely confident in ensuring you get a fantastic result. These should be taken from the thousands of patients they have performed surgery on. Some of these should be very similar to your own case, so you know what to expect. You should therefore ask  to see the surgeon prior to surgery for a consultation so you can see example of their work.If you are refused then there is something wrong and you should look elsewhere.The ISHRS is a good reputable place to search.

Your consultation process

You should never have to undergo something as important as surgery without meeting the surgeon. It’s important to  be empowered to make the right decision. Therefore it goes without saying that a thorough consultation is important  and educational in tackling your hair loss. Beware of any  consultation less than thirty minutes as it is a hard sell.

During a consultation you should expect that your hair should be examined. Following this a discussion should follow regarding your hair loss needs. You should be able to see the number of grafts and not individual hairs that you will need to restore your hair. This should be discussed with you and should be estimated.

Whilst you are in a consultation, you should also expect the surgeon to discuss and draw any new hairlines. Any good surgeon will manage the consultation, so you feel at ease. During the consultation you should be comfortable for you to say what outcomes you are expecting out of your surgery.

Managing your Expectations 

During your consultation with the surgeon your expectations should be honestly discussed with you. Every patient’s donor hair and degree of hair loss is different. An expert FUE hair transplant surgeon will never promise you the hair that you had when you were a teenager. Surgery can restore hair loss and come as close as possible to nature but can never recreate nature itself. Your consultation with the surgeon should involve discussion of all possible solutions including non-surgical.

Be careful of middle sales men who offer to remove all your donor hair at the back of your head with huge numbers of grafts. They are just trying to make money by over extraction of hair.This will simply shift the problem from the front to the back of your head. A good surgeon will discuss respecting and preserving your donor area and managing your precious “account of donor hair.” This is by not over extracting. We want you to restore your hair loss, so you will be happy long term with your hair transplantation.

Thinking carefully afterwards the cooling off period

After your consultation all possible solutions would have been discussed with you in addition to surgery. You may have been advised to wait a few months before your surgery to try out other very cost effective non-surgical options. These prepare you for the best possible results after surgery. Sometimes surgery may not be the right solution, but you can only find this out by having a consultation with the surgeon. It is always best to reflect upon the surgeon’s advice and not rush into surgery.

Who is going to be doing your actual surgery?

Another consideration for you  should be whether your surgery will be passed over to less experienced hair technicians.This is done by some cheaper clinics in the “extraction stage.” If this is the case, you should not choose that particular surgeon. If a clinic is promising very cheap prices this is because are using Hair Technicians to carry your hair transplant surgery.This means you cannot be guaranteed good results.

How many patients will the surgeon be treating in one day?

If it’s more than one patient, you know it is hair technicians who are doing the work not the surgeon. A good surgeon will only do one patient a day as it’s extremely time consuming and requires dedication.

Having to undergo surgery twice because you haven’t got a good result  is  costly and upsetting.

Prices

 The decision for you to go ahead should be a no pressure, no obligation consultation WITH THE SURGEON.

How much will it cost?

Some clinics will charge extortionate prices. This does not mean you will get better results.

Patients are overcharged by clinics quoting a surgery price using numbers of hairs rather than numbers of grafts. This is not accurate. Each graft  contains multiples of two, three and four hairs as this is how they naturally grow. Going by graft numbers is a fairer way of pricing for the patient.

Is your surgeon part of regulatory bodies in the field of Hair Transplant Surgery?

Thirdly your surgeon should have membership of good professional bodies who regulate and educate surgeons.

The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.

ISHRS is a highly select body featuring all the very best hair transplant surgeons in the world.Only surgeons regarded as excellent are able to join.

Testimonials and patient reviews during your consultation.

It is worth checking the testimonials on any surgeon’s website. What you are looking for is lots of happy, recent clients. Some clinics write false testimonials.Ask your surgeon for video testimonials of patients talking about a successful procedure with your surgeon. You should be able to see genuine original paper reviews from patients.

Excellent clinic facilities 

Expect the very highest standards of care and hygiene at your clinic. Request to see the surgical room prior preferably after your consultation has been finished. Have a look at some examples of professional  hair transplant clinic premises  by visiting our clinic website.

This way you can make an informed decision about choosing your surgeon who is right for you.

Aftercare

Make sure that there is a proper aftercare plan in place .If this does not seem comprehensive enough or there isn’t one, choose another surgeon.

Thank you for reading this article and you can contact us here.

Farzana

The Clinic Manager