There has been a vast increase in recent years in the number of hair transplant clinics which are not registered with the Care Quality Commission – the NHS’s independent regulator of all health and social care services in England. This is a worrying thought, as the level of detail, experience and care that is required to perform a successful hair transplant is paramount.
Since the turn of the last decade when high profile celebrities such as Wayne Rooney and Callum Best began to sport the results of their hair transplants in public, the popularity of the procedure has continued to soar. It’s no longer unusual to see stars of the screen sporting brand new hairlines. Because of this openness, some men now happily discuss the prospect of having work done and more than ever are undergoing the procedure.
According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), hair restoration procedures increased by 60% between 2014 and 2016, with just under 650,000 procedures being successfully undertaken during the period. However, as the popularity of hair transplants have increased, so has the number of unlicensed hair transplant clinics. Today, the percentage of overall transplants being performed by qualified clinicians is frighteningly low.
Ensure Your Surgeon is Qualified and Experienced
You may have read in the media that hair transplant surgery can cost up to £30-40k. In today’s marketplace, it’s possible to find practitioners offering them for as little as £1k. To patients, such low prices should be an immediate warning sign.
Poor clinics work with no oversight and sometimes the results can be devastating, damaging the confidence of the patient and costing them a large sum of money as they later had to invest in recovery work.
Some patients have reported that on the day of their transplant, a surgeon came into the room and introduced themselves, but did not perform the transplant.
Dr Shahmalak, Head Surgeon at Crown Clinic, encourages patients to ask, ‘what were they doing yesterday?’ as he fears that many ‘technicians’ are underqualified and under-experienced to perform the job.
In recent times, the surgeons here at Crown Clinic have spent more and more of their time attempting to remedy the shoddy work of cowboy doctors. Common injuries include;
Excessive Pain
Swelling
Asymmetry
Haemorrhage bleeding
Visible scarring
Folliculitis
Crusting
Long term damage to the donor
Poorly placed grafts
If you experience any of these symptoms too excess, contact a doctor immediately.
Get in touch with Crown Clinic to find out more about hair transplants
Can a Surgeon Correct a Poorly Executed Hair Transplant?
A hair transplant procedure will give a patient a more natural-looking hairline and thicker hair. The transplanted grafts should blend perfectly with the patient’s natural hair. For many, this restores their self-esteem and leads them to live a happier and more fulfilled life. A poorly executed hair transplant results in the opposite happening. The importance of using an experienced surgeon cannot be stressed enough.
If you are already suffering from the results of a bad transplant, you have several possible options. There are no guarantees that it can be remedied, but that’s not to say that excellent results are not possible. Dr Shahmalak has undertaken and saved many patients from disastrous results. If there is ample donor tissue available, there is a possibility to save the transplant.
For those that have had hair loss since their transplant, it’s essential to wait until the situation has stabilised before undergoing another procedure.
Find Out About the ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery)
The ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery) is the world’s leading authority medical association for Hair Transplant Surgery. Their role is to ensure that work is being carried out to the highest possible standards. They currently have 1100 members from 70 countries and can help you to find a qualified and experienced surgeon to perform your transplant.
If you like to arrange a consultation with Dr Shahmalak or find out more about his skills and experience as a hair transplant surgeon contact us today on 03455 2 100 300.