One challenge in life and this is valid from buying a suitcase, a pizza, booking a holiday, or indeed having medical surgery or a hair transplant, is the product reality can often be far removed from the promise and promotion. This has always been the case and always will be. We see the nice food photos from burger chains, yet the semi-cold, squashed and tasteless product in the bag or on the tray is somehow far less glamorous, or the hotel with a beach view but they forgot to mention the building site just to the left of it.
We need to understand that there are factors that we cannot and will never be able to change, it is part of the deal, and by en large, we get it.. we are programmed to accept it and usually do not make such a fuss..deep down we know what to expect and that there will be a disconnect between promise and product. We get it and the marketers and suppliers know it also, and often the punter is given a half-truth or at most a very biased and limited view of the whole situation that like those hotel photos, will show what they want and omit the rest.
This is also the same for videos or online content, the clickbait or thumb will be there to entice, to get the click, to make exaggerated or outlandish statements and claims but often the content falls far short. Again, who cares, we wasted time watching something but it is not the end of the world, soon we will have forgotten the product or the video and moved on!
We live in this fast-paced, instant decision, live for the now society, that often and for some important choices we forget the potential consequences. Thankfully for most, it is not life-changing, but at times it will be, and what do you do when it is?
Okay, you get the scene and hopefully, see where this is going. Most of us make bad decisions, mistakes, have accidents, and regrets, but we move on fairly fast also, we learn from it and will be better for it, in fact, it is what moulds us and makes us what we are and forms part of our experience of life.
Other decisions, however, once done are pretty permanent or very hard to change and yes, you got it, yes, hair transplantation is one of them. This is where the patient needs to look beyond the influencer, the glossy photos, the super-time sensitive deals, the “all you can eat”, mentality to graft amounts, the one price and indeed one hairline fits all approach, and do some as they say in the industry “due diligence” of research.
The photo below and indeed the video here show an extreme example of why education is important but above all, listening to education. When young, and I was also once, I understand the living for the now mentality and seeing anything over 40 as old and irrelevant, tutting or lifting my eyes up in disapproval at the advice given, but sadly, for some things I also had to learn the hard way, and often it was at a cost, regrettable also.
This patient here, unfortunately, made some mistakes that have evidently cost him. Hair loss at a young age, [usually it will be aggressive], surgery at 19, [a doctor or clinic who agrees this is already unethical], unless the loss is already fully blown NW6 so they know what to expect and plan accordingly. Not being able to tolerate hair loss medication and therefore no real plan for stability or taking into account future loss that is definitely going to come. Designing a hairline that is harsh and not natural and using grafts from the occipital area, [a very common approach], meaning firstly it will not be refined and have the micro-patterns and soft hairs needed, but also the richest part of the donor will be exhausted or severely damaged, leaving little left for future loss while eating up the larger units that could and should be in reserve for other areas.
Once the hairline is in it is there, it is fixed and unless the patient has further surgery or laser or electrolysis, it is permanent also. Easy to put in but harder to get out, a bit like driving a car into a ditch. The hairline will also now extend the area of loss or baldness as it is a permanent fixture to measure from the lowest part of the crown, so now the balding area has front and back boundaries. The result as in this case becomes very quickly stand-alone and has no connection at the sides or the rear of it, it is in effect on the island.
One question comes to mind..was this the scenario the patient was sold at 19? Probably not..so, it is always worth listening often to inconvenient truths rather than lies or promises that can make you feel good about yourself and confident to take the plunge but in reality, will create more problems. It is okay when it is a poor burger or a hotel with horrible views, we move on, but for a hair transplant, we really do need to listen to clinics that say no and who prefer to make no money rather than pushing a deal that is not in the best interest of the patient, and it is a message we have given for two decades.
Be a victor and not a victim, make sure to listen to the experts and let us know if we can help you on that journey. Remember if a reputable clinic says no, it is not because they have too much money or too many patients, it is because they know from experience that it is not going to age well for you! Learn and don’t make the mistakes of others!
Best,
Stephen
