Hair loss can be an unpleasant experience for many men, which can leave them feeling low on both self-esteem and confidence. The sad truth is: when it comes to taking action, be that through medication or hair transplant (or both, as we often advise), there are companies that will take advantage of that vulnerability and coax men into low cost and low-quality services. This can result in an endless tailspin of requiring more and more procedures to correct previous unsatisfactory results.
But this is just one side of the story. The science behind hair transplants has advanced leaps and bounds in the last decade, and there has never been a better time to tackle your hair loss concerns. There are now clinics and doctors out there who can offer premium services and aftercare with positive and life-changing results. All you have to do is search them out.
So, to help find the right hair transplant clinic for you, we have compiled our four golden rules.
DON’T DO IT ON THE CHEAP
If you’ve found a clinic offering hair transplant fees that seem too good to be true, then they probably are. Our general advice is that good quality treatment in the UK will typically cost upwards of £3,000-6,000, depending on whether you’ve gone for FUE (follicular unit extraction – the more popular and contemporary method) or FUT (follicular unit transportation – the more traditional and cost-effective method). This advice is based on simple logic: the cost of the service is mainly based on the time of the surgeon and the use of the hospital or clinic facility. Great doctors and great facilities cost money, substandard ones don’t. In the long run, these substandard procedures can cost you more as you are forced to seek corrective procedures to undo their bad work. How bad could it possibly go, you might ask? Well, we recommend joining a few of the hair loss community groups on Facebook and you’ll quite quickly become aware of the horror stories that sadly haunt those who have taken the risk on cheap clinics!
FIND THE RIGHT DOCTOR AND CLINIC
Top-quality hair transplant surgeons aren’t the easiest to find, and a keen doctor offering to do the procedure in a quick time frame for a low price should ring alarm bells. This is why you need to have good search criteria in mind. First, we’d strongly recommend looking for a doctor who is a member of the BAHRS (British Association Of Hair Restoration Surgery) or IAHRS (International Alliance Of Hair Restoration Surgeons). You should be wary of any doctor that isn’t registered with their national medical council and cannot evidence at least five years of hair transplant experience. The technicians that form the doctor’s team are also important, as they will often be responsible for vital elements of the procedure – ask your doctor about their skills and experience. The clinic itself is critical too, as even a great doctor requires good facilities and a high level of hygiene. When it comes to clinics, quite often the proof is in the pudding: a good facility should have experienced staff, a wealth of before and after photos from previous surgeries, and zero or very few negative testimonials.
ASK DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
Above all, you need to make sure you trust the clinic that’s performing your hair transplant. With that in mind, a thorough consultation is vital. This not only helps you get a feel for the clinic itself and its dedication to customer care and professionalism, but also means you can have a detailed and honest discussion with your doctor about the process. Every hair transplant procedure is different depending on the patient, and the doctor can explain to you the recommended route and the results you can expect from it. During these conversations, be wary of clinics that are too pushy or seem to be offering things that are too good to be true. Ask them complex questions, and see if they can share testimonials from previous patients with you. Integrity is important – bargains and add-ons, less so.
DON’T WASTE TIME
While it’s important not to rush into these things, it’s also important not to leave it too late. While there is no real age limit on qualifying for a hair transplant, it does affect your chances of a successful surgery. After all, a successful hair transplant surgery usually involves having a decent amount of donor hair for the surgeon to work with. So, if hair loss has become an issue in your life, it’s worth considering your options, making a decision and then pursuing it using the golden rules we have laid out here. After all, being completely bald is the one time when a hair transplant is too late.
LET MANUAL DO THE WORK FOR YOU
Here at Manual, we know that people don’t often have the spare time and energy to undertake all of this research. That’s why we’ve done that work for you. We’ve tracked down and forged partnerships with the best quality clinics around, and can offer discounts to those who access them via our service. We have a comprehensive range of treatments available, and with our proven track record in men’s health, we can offer support and advice to all of our customers. Hair transplants used to have a false misconception of being scary, but the modern experience is far from it. Through our help and expertise, we can help you make this a smooth and life-affirming experience.
