Men’s Health February 2005 page: 12 You ask, We Answer:
Q: I’ve seen some real hair-transplant tragedies. How do I go about finding a skilled doctor?
A: You’re referring to the “Barbie head” or “baby doll” look: scalps sporting visible holes out of which plugs of hair sprout. You can avoid that by enlisting a board-certified hair-transplant surgeon who practices microscopic dissection follicular-unit extraction (or FUE), says Robert Jones, M.D. of the Toronto Hair Transplant Surgeons. In this procedure, the surgeon removes one to three hair follicular units from one part of your scalp using needles that are narrower than 1 millimeter. FUE is state-of-the-art and carries a big price tag: A transplant could cost more than $8,000. But it’s worth it, in our opinion. The best way to evaluate a doctor’s skill is to examine his or her work up close and personal. Ask for the names and contact information of former clients who are willing to meet with you in person. “Some doctors will show you photographs of patients, but don’t bother with them-it’s impossible to tell the quality of the work that way,” says Dr. Jones. “A good transplant is one you can’t notice.” And a good surgeon has flesh-and-blood clients who are willing to help others make the right choice.
