HAIR LOSS
Trichotillomania. Alopecia areata. Traction alopecia. Lupus. Diabetes. Anemia. Malnourishment. Pregnancy. Drug abuse. Severe stress. Thyroid dysfunction. Androgenic alopecia. What do all of these illnesses and ailments have in common? They all produce hair loss as a symptom. However, the last one, androgenic alopecia, is pattern baldness itself—the condition that descends the family tree through the X chromosomes, passing weak androgen receptors to generations of offspring, and leaving their children with hair that will be destroyed by the presence of DHT. Although DHT is a common hormone (dihydrotestosterone) present amid the scalp, it shrinks the hair down to almost nothing in the genetically susceptible. This, in turn, produces varying degree of baldness.
In women, baldness takes the form of an evenly-spread thinning across the scalp. In men, baldness is apparent in receding hairlines and sparse crowns.
HAIR RESTORATION
Patient videos can give us a good idea of what surgical hair restoration is capable of today. Follicular unit extraction is a minimally invasive surgery that excises the follicular units, or grafts, one by one from the patient’s donor area. (Which can be anywhere on the scalp or body, with BHT.) Using no scalpels, but rather a punching device with a .8-1.2mm diameter, these grafts are removed individually and retained in a preserving solution until the implantation process begins.
FUE relies heavily on the surgeon’s medical dexterity, precision, and artistic vision. A successful surgery entails a long, laborious process of excision to ensure the viability of each graft, keeping transection and graft burial rates extremely low. FUE hair transplant, in the care of an experienced and highly skilled surgeon, is able to:
- Restore hairlines
- Refine harsh hairlines, giving them a softer appearance
- Restore the crown area
- Use body hair to reverse hair loss in extreme cases
- Repair botched prior surgeries
Watching successful hair restoration videos, one will find that advanced pattern baldness can be reversed; or that a depleted donor source doesn’t make a patient inoperable anymore. FUE produces the ultimate aesthetic outcomes because it facilitates the selection of donor hairs with specific textures and temperaments to match the area of implantation. And it does so using no scalpels, needing no stitches or staples, producing no strip scar, leaving only negligible scarring overall, and making the healing process fast and easy for the patient.
FUE HAIR TRANSPLANT VIDEOS AND PHOTOS
Photos and videos are a demonstration of these outcomes. Like an art gallery for the artist, so this documentation of the “before and after” is a comparable display of the surgeon’s work. Any advanced FUE surgeon should be proud to show his/her prior patient results to prospective patients.
A video of a Follicular Unit Extraction patient should show the individual from several different angles both before and after, preferably in a streaming 360-degree circular pan so that the viewer knows there is nothing to hide. The footage should also be shot in focus, in a well-lit area. A bonus element that prospective patients can garner from videos that cannot be observed in photos is the demeanor of the patient, his/her degree of satisfaction, and a few words of testimony.
Things to look out for when scrutinizing photos and videos are hairline design, crown whorl detail, and global coverage/placement. These are all comprised of graft spacing, direction, and angulation. Also, always be aware of video footage or photos that look edited or retouched. Images that have been tampered with compromise honesty.
FAQ
Do patients get a discount if they consent to being featured in a video?
It is possible, depending on the clinic. Since all clinics need promotional materials to get future patients, ask your clinic if they will offer a discount on pricing in exchange for your consent to use your case in their FUE hair transplant videos and photos section of their websites.
What exactly do I look for in a good FUE surgeon?
Look for someone with a board certification in dermatology or plastic surgery who is well-known and respected in the field, has tons of experience, and a strong voice in the realm of research and developments (demonstrated by publications in reputable medical journals, etc). In addition, you always want a surgeon who uses handheld tools, as there is no other way to ensure the integrity of each graft extracted.
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