For men and women who are concerned about thinning hair, a well-performed hair transplant can truly be a life-changing procedure. However, poorly performed hair transplants often result in unnatural-looking results that can be even worse than going bald.
Hair transplantation pioneer Dr Robert Jones and his partner, Dr Jonathan Huber are dedicated to providing all their patients with truly aesthetic and natural-appearing results. Though their practice is based in the greater Toronto area, they have helped patients from as far away as Africa and Asia regrow their hair with innovative techniques and technologies.
Here are the Toronto Hair Transplant Centre’s top tips for choosing the best person to perform your hair transplant surgery.
1. Do your homework to find the right surgeon and team.
Your experience with the hair surgeon and his or her staff is by far the most important consideration for anyone considering a hair transplant procedure. Due diligence on your part is essential. Just as you wouldn’t hire an unlicensed home contractor to upgrade your house, you should make sure any surgeon you are considering is highly qualified to perform your hair transplant. Ask about the doctor’s credentials, such as their affiliation with a respected professional organization such as the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS).
The ISHRS is a highly select body featuring the world’s leading hair transplant surgeons, and only those whose peers hold them in high regard get invited to join. To maintain this status, a surgeon must continue to meet established educational criteria over time, such as serving in leadership positions, publishing scientific papers and teaching at scientific programs.
It is not just the surgeon who is important, but the team behind them. Make sure the doctor’s staff is friendly and approachable, and that they have a patient-first mentality that makes you feel like a valued client from the moment you reach out to schedule your consultation.
2. Ask to tour the surgical facility.
All hair transplant patients should expect the very highest standards of care, safety and cleanliness at their chosen clinic. Ask about the facility and request a tour. Does the equipment look modern and advanced? What steps will the doctor and his team take to ensure your comfort and safety during the procedure?
HairSite.com, a leading hair restoration website, has recognized the state-of-the-art Toronto Hair Transplant Centre as the No. 1 hair transplant facility in Toronto.
3. Will you be able to have an in-person consultation?
Any trustworthy hair transplant surgeon will insist on doing a personal consultation with all potential patients before undergoing a procedure. During this consultation, the surgeon will evaluate your degree of hair loss and discuss your expectations and desired hair coverage. The goal of this meeting will be to assess whether it is possible to achieve your desired results.
Be wary of any hair transplantation clinic where a salesperson is your first point of contact. At the Toronto Hair Transplant Centre, we offer complimentary private consultations to all potential patients who are deciding whether to go through with a hair transplant procedure. Meeting each patient in person is the only way our doctors can fully evaluate your hair loss and give you a realistic idea of what outcomes you can expect from your hair restoration surgery.
4. Experience is paramount.
There are different approaches to hair transplantation, and not all hair transplant professionals specialize in the same techniques. If your surgeon is not a full-time specialist in hair restoration, be sure to ask what percentage of his/her practice is dedicated to the procedure.
The most cutting-edge hair transplant procedure is follicular unit excision or FUE. With this method, the surgeon removes individual donor grafts in small groups and then implants them into the balding areas. FUE has become the world’s leading method of hair transplantation because, unlike older approaches, it does not require a lengthy incision resulting in a linear scar. When an experienced medical professional performs FUE, the results look totally natural.
As one of the pioneers of FUE, Dr Jones was the first doctor in the world to perform large sessions using this method. Teaming with Dr Huber (who is the only surgeon to train exclusively with Dr Jones), we regularly perform 3,000- to 4,000-graft FUE cases in a single day.
5. Review patient testimonials.
Any reputable hair transplant surgeon will be happy to share recent patient testimonials with potential clients, which is why many of the best surgeons make testimonials a prominent part of their website. When reading testimonials, the most important thing to look for is people who say they are happy with their outcomes and the level of care they received.
6. Request to see before-and-after pictures.
In addition to reading testimonials, you should also look at pictures – after all, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Looking through before-and-after photos of former patients is the best way to determine a doctor’s level of skill and get a sense of the results you can expect to achieve from your surgery. In particular, look for photos of patients who have a similar degree of baldness as what you are experiencing.
Don’t forget, it takes up to a year for transplanted hair to grow in fully, so don’t be alarmed if you have hair surgery and don’t immediately see a full head of hair growing in.
7. Ask about pricing.
When you see a hair transplantation doctor advertising claims or prices that seem too good to be true, that’s probably because they are. If you find a doctor or hair transplant clinic that says they offer “discount pricing,” make sure you research their credentials and what procedure or technique they perform.
Unfortunately, the hair transplant industry is rife with scams and misinformation, and there are some unscrupulous people who claim to be hair transplant specialists, but who are not medical professionals. Do your research to ensure you are getting the best and most reliable hair transplant procedure available.
The two main costs of a hair transplant are the surgeon’s time and clinic/hospital fees. Low prices could be a red flag of inexperienced or unqualified surgeons and ill-equipped or sometimes unhygienic facilities. When it comes to the satisfaction you’ll get from your hair transplant surgery, it really is true that you get what you pay for.
8. Will you receive care after the procedure?
All reputable hair transplant providers focus not just on the procedure itself, but on providing comprehensive aftercare. A true commitment to patient care means following up after the surgery to ensure all patients are 100 percent satisfied with their results.
At Toronto Hair Transplant Centre, we are committed to being not just the best hair transplant clinic in the Toronto area, but the preeminent hair transplant provider in the world. Book a no-cost virtual consultation today!