When you want to enhance your appearance, do you go to any medical office that claims to perform cosmetic surgery procedures, and assume that the doctor is properly trained? Unfortunately, this can be the farthest from the truth.
Any doctor performing hair transplants should be formally trained in a medical residency or fellowship on this specialized procedure. A residency is when the doctor perfects their skill under the watchful eyes of their clinical professors. But there are many doctors and technicians who believe that they can be trained in hair loss and hair transplant surgery during a weekend course or by learning on their patients.
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Just because an overseas clinic, local spa, or mega-session business claims to perform hair transplant surgeries doesn’t mean that they should. Just like any other medical procedure, make sure that the person performing surgery on you is an actual medical doctor who was formally trained during their medical residency or fellowship on the actual surgery that you are having.
Equally as important, make sure your initial consultation is performed by the actual surgeon who will be performing your surgery, not a sales consultant trying to sell a surgery. This original consultation is vitally important in determining if the patient is realistic about their hair loss goals and is a good hair transplant candidate. A properly trained and ethical physician sometimes has to do what’s in the patient’s best interest, and that is not to perform the surgery at all.
Many of the big hair transplant clinics try to distract an unsuspecting patient away from their doctors’ lack of training and inadequate background by talking about all the latest tools they use for their transplant process. This is a big “red flag”. We all know that a pencil does not determine an individual’s test score; it’s the person behind the pencil that determines the ultimate outcome. To make matters worse, these untrained doctors frequently allow their technicians without medical licenses to illegally perform the surgery.
It’s critically important for anyone considering a hair transplant to do an immense amount of research on the background of the doctor performing their surgery. If your doctor is a qualified hair transplant surgeon, he/she should be able to perform both FUT & FUE procedures.
Dermatologists are the masterminds and specialists trained in the pathophysiology of the various hair loss disorders and the medical/surgical treatments. Dermatologists were the pioneers of the science and art of hair transplant surgery (FUT & FUE), and they continue to be at the forefront in the advancement of hair surgery at the major teaching hospitals & universities.
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A hair transplant will frame your face for the rest of your life. A good one will look completely natural; however, a bad one will look completely unnatural for the rest of your life. Since you have one chance to do it completely right, it’s imperative that you do your research into the education and background of the doctor you choose to perform hair transplant surgery.
Look for a doctor who’s been formally trained in a residency on the artistic skills of hair transplants and the scientific knowledge to give you the best and natural-looking results with your hair transplant procedure. Look for a doctor who has the resume and qualifications to teach hair transplant surgery to the residents at a formal teaching university. Look for a doctor who has garnered the respect of his colleagues by selecting him for major roles in the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS) and the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS). If you do your homework, you’ll find the best hair transplant surgeon for you.
Dr. Paul J. McAndrews is a world-renowned expert in hair loss and hair restoration, and one of only two physicians to have served as President of both the ISHRS and ABHRS. He is a Clinical Professor at USC/LAC Medical Center and an Expert Medical Reviewer for the California Medical Board. Known for his artistic, patient-focused approach, Dr. McAndrews performs one hair transplant per day to ensure exceptional, individualized results.