Deceptive Advertising in Hair Transplantation

I have had several hair transplant procedures over the past 15 years. The first hair transplant procedure was the old hair plugs technique and then Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) in order to help hide the “pluggy” look in the front of my scalp. My hair loss isn’t too extreme but I have been classified as a level 5 on the norwood scale.Onto my question:  I see hair transplant photos on almost every hair transplant clinc’s website that shows men with advanced levels of baldness with a full head of hair.   I know this isn’t possible and yet hair transplantation is  marketed this way.   How can these companies get away with this false manipulation?

Thank you for your inquiry.

Firstly, you are absolutely 100% correct.   Achieving a “full head of hair” with hair transplantation, especially in those hair loss  sufferers with advanced degrees of balding is hardly possible.   Marketing at best, in many cases will tend to exaggerate in order to sell a product.   Sadly, this is also true with hair transplantation.   How some companies can get away with this type of marketing is beyond me especially because it  can be  completely deceiving to the perspective consumer.    

What can be achieved in the hands of a first-rate  hair restoration physician   depending on the  physiology of the hair transplant patient is an illusion of hair density.

These physiological characteristics include:

• The amount of donor hair available  (follicular unit grafts) which depends upon a hair transplant patient’s scalp elasticity and hair density
• The hair transplant patient’s hair characteristics  (size of the hair shaft, hair color, etc.)

Thankfully, the Hair Transplant Network, our  Hair Restoration Discussion Forum  community, and other online hair loss resources help educate seeking hair transplant patients about hair transplantation and developing realistic hair restoration  goals.

The good news is, hair transplantation has come a long way in the last 15 years.   With today’s state of the art ultra refined follicular unit hair transplantation, hair transplant surgeon’s can dense pack follicular unit grafts more tightly together helping their patients meet their hair restoration goals with fewer hair transplant sessions.

If it weren’t for hair transplantation, I’d be a complete level 6 on the norwood scale.   What I have now is a nice illusion of hair density that stands up very well in most lighting though obviously thinner hair  than a “full head of hair”.   I’ve achieved this look with 7550 follicular unit grafts transplanted out over a large bald area.   Click here  to read my story and view my detailed hair transplant pictures.   Be sure to follow the links to my surgical experiences that show a number of honest progressive hair transplant photos.

I’m not suggesting that hair restoration surgery is for everyone.   It is extremely important that a seeking hair loss sufferer do diligent research to determine whether hair transplantation is the right solution for them.

Bill
Associate Publisher of the  Hair Transplant Network  and the  Hair Loss Learning Center
View  my Hair Loss Weblog

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