My facebook feed is unbelievable ! In between my friends selfies, i read about brand new FUE hair transplant techniques recently added to the market ! And for a great bargain in Turkey too, lucky me!
My instagram is filled with great looking guys with no hair loss. They are telling me about with their great new FUE techniques which will end my baldness for good.
It’s great to live in 2019 !
“When it’s too good to be true… it is probably a fraud” Ron Weber
When hair transplant is "too good to be true"
In 2018 the emergency alarms of the scientific community on the hair transplant scams have never been so loud! Rightfully so, as repair cases and testimonies from dissapointed patients are multiplying themselves.
Hair transplant qualified professionals have to deal with more and more botch hair transplant. At the same time, the teams responsible for those botch hair transplant are are being pushed forward on social networks by marketing teams, claiming for fantasy technology and attracting naive customers.
At Hairmed, 2018 has given a clear sight on how a big portion of customers are well responding to this marketing. In 2018, 1 out of 6 demand was for patients already badly operated and asking for repair work.
For the other 5 other demands, reminiscent questions: Do you offer “DHI” ?, can you use smaller “punches” ?, can you use gold tip punches?
Hair transplant industry, the truth about technology
Today it’s simply impossible to claim that the basic principles of hair transplant have changed since FUE harvest method has come to the market.
Manufacturers of surgery tools are fine-tuning their product. New motorised punchs are made with more variables, speed, rotations… Implanters are modified and improved….
But is that a technical “revolution” ?, or even a new technique all together ?
The answer is : Absolutely not !
Here are a couple of examples that every patient can verify very easily:
- CHOï implanter was first invented in 1992, and the implanter has advantages and disadvantages and it isn’t necessarily applicable to all patients. Dr Choi original article of Dec 1992
- The use of cold in surgery to improve grafts survival is used for decades and no one remotely serious about hair transplant has waited 2019 to start using cold during the surgery process. (« Ice FUE » isn’t a new technique, it’s a marketing scam, an elaborate hoax).
- Bio-compatible materials such as titanium and gold are used in medicine for decades. And the use of one or the other has no particular effect on scaring. ( « Gold FUE » is as the previous example, a scam). forum thread on Realself
- Saphire looks great on your watch or your girlfriend necklace. So does diamonds and other gems. But it really has no use in a surgery room. There are far better product out there, and moreover, there is absolutely ZERO scientific evidence of a single advantage to start using saphire for your Hair Transplant. “Saphire FUE” is a cool name, but it’s like the other examples: great marketing to promote a scam.
Do your research: DHI, Ice FUE, Gold FUE, Saphire FUE…..
It isn’t a revolution. It’s great marketing.
As a non professional , how can I sort the different offers ?
As patient, remember one core principle: It is the practitionner who guides your surgery. He/She is the one using the tool to get you the result that you discussed together. The tool isn’t guiding the practitioner !
You may have the most beautiful car in the world… if you can’t drive, you will crash…
Why are FUE punches not the most important factor in your surgery?
To answer this question, one must go back to the central question: “what makes a successful hair transplant ?”
- If the success of your hair transplant is your donor area after the transplant, then, yes, Punches are a key factor.
- If the success of your hair transplant is your new hair and your new look, then the punch has very little to do on your hair density, your hair angle and your hairline design.
To make a long story short: the FUE punch is a tool used on 1 out 4 steps in the FUE hair transplant. Using a smaller punch has no influence on how you implant, therefore, density, angle and design are not affected by the punch diameter.
However, the smaller the punch, the worst is the survival rate of your follicular units.
You must trust your doctor to find the right balance between the punch size and your follicular units characteristics.
False claims of false technology and good marketing
Remember that a lot of hair transplant offers are being marketed just like another pair of shoes on social network. Just like fake news, hoax hair transplant technologies are out there.
Most of the claims you will read are advertising, not scientific facts. Since there are many hair transplant offers around the world they don’t all obey to the same rules – if they abide to any rule at all!
Take everything with a pinch of salt, remember medicine isn’t a exact science. Starting with our very own article that you are reading now ! Don’t hesitate to ask questions!
Check your facts ! Then double check these again !
Most importantly, a Hair Transplant is for the rest of your life. Take the time to do your research.
All professionals will actually tell you that it’s much harder to repair a bad hair transplant than to have a good hair transplant to start with. So no rush, do your homework !
Photo credits : 123RF / StockImage / Google Image.
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