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  1. #1
    Dr Representative Spex's Avatar
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    Exclamation Venturing into Hair Transplants ?

    What should I be asking myself?


    There’s another bit of research that is critical to your decision process when considering hair transplantation and that is the questions you need to ask of yourself.

    It’s all too easy in your panic and desperation to rush off to the nearest or cheapest HT clinic. Just don’t do it! A reputable and good surgeon won’t in any case just pop you in a chair and start moving your hair around your head – but there are those that will! HT should be the last method you resort to in managing your hair loss and you need to ask yourself some probing questions before you even make contact with an HT clinic. Questions such as these:

    1. What level of baldness do I actually have?

    2. Do I – to the best of my knowledge – have a healthy area of donor hair?

    3. Do I understand the realities of what a hair transplant can and cannot do?

    4. Have I exhausted other alternatives? (Even if you have male pattern baldness, which could eventually be helped by transplant, hair loss at its earliest stage is best treated with medication. The use of medication may forestall a transplant for years.)

    5. Have I researched this thoroughly and given the matter considerable thought from every angle? Do I know what I am going to lose by going down this route and what I am going to gain? Do I understand all the consequences of doing this, including things like time off work, all the financial costs, the cost to my relationships, etc?



    Particularly if you are under 25 years you should ask yourself the following questions:

     Have I looked into other options?

    1. Have I given medication a try and waited long enough to see the results?

    2.  Have I thought through the financial implications of multiple surgeries over my lifetime?

    3. What will happen if I continue to lose hair after the surgery is done

    4. What balding pattern does the doctor think I’m heading for?

    5. And the big question you need to consider at any age is: What is my aim in going down the HT route?

    Now, the answer might seem obvious – I want my hair back, dumbo! – but there are deeper questions you need to explore.



    Here’s a little exercise to help you:



    Imagine yourself with the head of hair that you really want. Imagine what your life is like with that head of hair – what do you see, hear and most importantly, feel now that you have it? Now focusing on those feelings write down three words that describe how you feel – use simple words e.g. confident, energised, focused, light, motivated, etc rather than complicated phrases.

    Now focus on those three words. What do you already do or have in your life right now that gives you those feelings? What else would give you those feelings now or in the future? Survey your life for anything (I mean anything) that can be described with any of those three words.

    Putting your attention on those aspects of your life where you already have those feelings, or that could give you those feelings, will help you feel happier right now and help you put your potential HT into perspective. Because having an HT is not a panacea for making your life better. It won’t solve all your problems nor will it automatically make you happy. It certainly might help and it certainly will make you feel better about your image. But it isn’t the only way. Be certain that your motivation for having that HT is a realistic one and that you aren’t just pinning all your hopes for more happiness in your life on that one thing.

    Your expectations

    When you are venturing into HTs it’s vital, in my opinion and experience, to have a very good understanding of YOUR expectations. It’s important that you understand that your hair's characteristics, donor supply, donor density, laxity, physiology play the most vital role in the short/long-term success of your HT. A competent doctor should work with you to plan the best surgery to get the results you want to achieve, but it needs to be an achievable result. The best doctors are good, and some can even perform miracles, but you need to help them with realistic expectations.

    You need to understand that Patient X's hair characteristics may provide them with a completely different cosmetic result compared to yours – even though they had similar graft counts.


    Obviously we all try to compare our own situations to various posters or pictures of other guys with similar loss patterns and we all obviously hope for amazing results. BUT although you might feel you are very similar to patient X, it doesn't necessarily mean you are going to end up with the same result - especially not first time round - and this is where your expectations need to be kept realistic.


    Everyone wants to have their situations resolved first time round via HTs but this is very rare. No one gets just one HT - even guys with minimal loss will obtain hair greed and want even more. It’s the nature of the beast: hair and money – we always want more.

    The point I am trying to get across here is have a realistic expectation of what you are setting out to achieve - and be aware that YOU the patient need to be aware of the variables that you bring to the table ( your hair characteristics, donor supply, loss pattern, personal goal, donor density, laxity, physiology, previous surgery, etc).


    The experience of the surgeon is applied to you as an individual in order to enable YOU to reach the maximum potential from YOUR session. Male pattern baldness might be a common affliction but your hair, your density, your thinning areas are all unique to you.


    When you are considering the transplantation route you should always meet with the surgeon in person before the day if possible. Once the surgeon can see you in person then the exact and most appropriate plan can be established, combining your personal goal and their experience for the best way to go.

    Even if you have not met with the surgeon before the day, you should discuss your personal goal in great detail and go through the design and hairline position, plus all the personal factors mentioned above before letting him go near your scalp with a knife! This discussion will also determine which method of harvesting is going to be most appropriate for you.



    Regards
    Spex
    Visit my website: SPEXHAIR

    Watch regular segments and interviews on The Bald Truth UK show

    View Media interviews www.spexhair.media

    Subscribe to my YouTube Channel : SpexHair Youtube

    I am not a doctor or medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions expressed are my own unless stated otherwise. Always consult with your own family doctor prior to embarking on any form of hair loss treatment or surgery.

  2. #2
    Dr Representative Spex's Avatar
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    Default

    Bump for new readers :-)
    Spex
    Visit my website: SPEXHAIR

    Watch regular segments and interviews on The Bald Truth UK show

    View Media interviews www.spexhair.media

    Subscribe to my YouTube Channel : SpexHair Youtube

    I am not a doctor or medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions expressed are my own unless stated otherwise. Always consult with your own family doctor prior to embarking on any form of hair loss treatment or surgery.

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