- Renewed confidence for the patient
- Achievement of desired cosmetic appearance
- Better quality of life
- Restored interpersonal relationships
- An enriched social life
Hair Transplant Results : WHEN WILL I SEE GROWTH?
Once you’ve been through your hair restoration procedure, you can expect:
- Scabbing in the donor area for 1 week
- Scabbing in the recipient area for 2 weeks
- Bumps/pimples in the recipient area starting at 4 to 12 weeks
- New growth starting at 3 to 4 months
- Maximum health, thickness, and maturity of hair at 18 months
The long-term hair transplant results, which manifest at 18 months, are the real moment of truth. This is when you can determine the success or failure of your procedure.
SURGEON: CHOOSING THE MOST QUALIFIED DOCTOR
Before ever committing to surgical technique or surgeon (especially the surgeon) you MUST scrutinize video and photo documentation of the hair transplant results of his/her prior patients. Taking the time to investigate whether or not a surgeon performs with consistent satisfactory outcomes puts the success or failure of your procedure in your own hands. It is the most power you have throughout the process. And no matter how many videos and photos you must watch, bear in mind that a hair transplant lasts a lifetime. This is a major investment.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF HAIR TRANSPLANT PATIENTS
The “before and after” photographs of prior patients is a valuable piece of information for first glances. These images may be able to give a preliminary account of whether the surgeon is worth further investigation. When reviewing photos, always be aware of:
- Obvious (or inconspicuous) retouching. Photos are easy to manipulate with programs like Adobe Photoshop.
- Dim lighting. A surgeon may purposely take the “after” photos in dim lighting so the results are obscured and the scalp appears fuller than it actually is.
- Photographs that avoid unflattering angles, such as a top view of the head or direct rear view of the crown.
The best way to get honest insight into a surgeon’s skill level is to review video documentation of his/her work on prior patients.
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PATIENT VIDEOS
**The following are videos of the same cases presented above via photograph.
Once you’ve reviewed the photos, it’s time to move on to the videos. DO NOT SELECT A SURGEON WHO DOESN’T HAVE VIDEO DOCUMENTATION TO SHOW. It is paramount to have a clear idea of your surgeon’s capability based on his/her past successes. A photo is simple not enough evidence to confidently go on. Videos are better because:
- They show the hair as malleable, durable, and soft by combing it or moving it around. The viewer can see that it is real, permanent hair!
- They feature the patient, in motion, gesturing and talking about his/her hair transplant results. Sometimes the face or voice is obscured for confidentiality, but you can still get a sense of the level of satisfaction.
- They are not as easy to manipulate as photos. (Still be ware of the low-lighting trick, though.)
- They show ongoing views of the patient, rather than a snippet in time. The best videos will even show a streaming 360 degree circle of the patient without interruption—this means they can’t avoid certain angles and have nothing to hide.
Follicular Unit Extraction is a versatile hair transplant procedure. It can even utilize hair follicles from the body to augment the donor pool. And when performed properly, this procedure can produce very natural looking results. Click here to see more Hair Transplant Results.