The rise in people flying abroad each year for cut-price hair transplants has, predictably, meant that the number of people seeking surgery to fix their poor results has risen too.
Every year, people are drawn to clinics in countries like Turkey, which often boast all-inclusive deals where patients can pay a low set fee for their FUE or FUT surgery, hotel and flights, rarely stopping to question why the prices are so low.
Of course, considering that many of the clinics are unlicensed, unregulated and staffed by inexperienced practitioners, its not uncommon for patients to end up with severe scarring, infections, poorly placed hair grafts and damage to the scalp and donor area.
Repairing a bad hair transplant
Fixing a botched hair transplant is harder than carrying out first-time surgery on a patient, requiring for more experience and knowledge from the surgeon. The type of repair work needed depends on the issues the patient is presenting with. For example, if there is significant scarring, it may be possible for a surgeon to excise the scars and then close the area, or to transplant hair in the scarred area.
If a patient has very noticeable, ‘plug’-style hair follicles as a result of their previous surgeon using outdated techniques, these grafts may be removed and replanted to make them look more natural. A poorly executed hairline can also be corrected by an experienced surgeon in many cases.
However, it’s worth noting that you’ll need to have a consultation with your surgeon first to assess the level of damage. Unfortunately, not everyone will be a suitable candidate for hair transplant repair work. Some patients discover that the donor area on their scalp has been ‘over-harvested’, meaning that too much hair has been removed, so that there isn’t a large enough supply of hair left to transplant.
Although the prices of overseas clinics may sound tempting at first, it’s impossible to predict the outcome of your surgery, meaning that you could end up having to pay for additional surgery further down the line to fix the original damage. Not to mention the emotional toll that it can have for many patients, who find that their self-esteem suffers as the result of their failed transplants.
Crown Clinic’s hair transplant surgeon, Dr Asim Shahmalak, is one of the world’s most respected and talented hair restoration specialists. Dr Shahmalak can repair damage from failed operations and help to improve the look of your hair, whether it’s transplanting new hair to balding areas or removing and re-implanting grafts to give you the hairline you have always wanted.
If you’d like to arrange a consultation to find out how Crown Clinic can help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.