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- Surgical hair restoration is one of the fastest growing cosmetic
surgery. Over 50,000 hair restoration procedures will be performed in 1995, four times
more than in 1985. Demand is expected to surge with the aging baby boomers. According to
Dr. Waldman of the Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Lexington,
Kentucky, "this is an extremely lucrative area of medicine".
- In fact, many physicians from other specialties are rushing into
hair restoration surgeries.
- According to Gary Hitzig, a New York hair transplant surgeon,
there were only 20 to 30 people attending hair transplants conferences five years ago. Now
there are as many as 400 to 500 people attending the conference. And most of the attendees
do not have the slightest idea about hair transplantation.
- Hair transplants technology has improved significantly compared
to about 15 to 20 years ago. in the past, :dime-sized plugs" of hair are removed from
the back or the side of the scalp and inserted into the bald scalp. The procedures usually
left behind visible scars and unsightly hairlines. With modern technology, surgeons can
now transplant one hair graft at a time without coring out large areas of bald scalp. As a
result, scarring can be reduced to a minimal and almost invisible in some cases.
- Usually, more than one session of hair transplantation is
required to achieve acceptable results, even for someone who is moderately bald.
- Besides hair transplantation, there are other surgical hair
restoration procedures that are available. For example, in scalp reduction, the bald skin
of the patient is surgically removed and the hair-bearing scalp areas are pulled together
so that the patient's bald scalp can be significantly reduced. It is similar to performing
a face lift on top of your head. With these more radical procedures also comes side
effects. According to Dr. Ivan Cohen of Yale, over time the scalp may sag and fall back to
its original position.
- in US, there is no federal regulations governing the licensing of
physicians and as a result, "any M.D. can legally proclaim himself a
specialist....". Similarly, there is no medical institution guidelines and
qualifications requirements for hair transplantation. In order words, there is no uniform
criteria in determining whether a surgeon is "qualified" to perform surgical
hair restoration procedures or not. Quality control in the field is non-existent.
- Sales tactics in the industry is also worth mentioning. There are
companies that operates like some kind of transplant mills or factories. For example, the
Bosley Medical Group, one of the largest in US with over 20 regional offices in the
country. The company is never stingy when it comes to advertising and promotion. In fact,
anyone who calls Bosley Medical Group will be overwhelmed with colorful brochures, a
videotape about the Group, numerous follow up letters and promotional offers etc. The
Group's biggest selling point is the founder, L. Lee Bosley, who lays claims to certain of
the latest techniques in the industry. However, patients who want to have the procedure
performed by Dr. Bosley will have to pay three times more than the price quoted on the
Group's price list. In fact, a majority of the procedures at Bosley Medical Group are
performed by associated physicians. Hair transplantation at Bosley Medical Group are also
more expensive than the average due to higher overhead as a result of the enormous amount
of advertising and promotion about the Group.
- Besides the Bosley Medical Group, there is Dr. Dominic Brandy who
markets not only to the patients, but also to other doctors. In a medical journal, Dr.
Brandy advertises an "Income Alternative" seminar to his fellow physicians. Dr.
Brandy offers training seminars for physicians who want to learn his surgical techniques
on hair transplants. The fee is US $10,000 for a five day training course.
- Yet Ivari Centre International Capillaire has another original
idea. For US $60,000, the company will give you a full head of natural hair by means of an
"implant" procedure. Besides the hefty price tag, there is another catch to the
story. The procedure is not approved by the US regulatory authority and has to be
performed in France. The procedure involves sourcing from someone else's hair, putting the
hair in some kind of micro-cylinders and inserting those cylinders into the patient's
scalp. Such procedures not only carry hefty price tag, but also high risk of complications
and tissue rejection.
- Last but not least, don't be surprised if your hair transplant
surgeon is practicing medicine without a state license. In Kentucky state, Dr. Charles
Olaf was charged with practicing medicine without a license. He was found guilty and
sentenced to probation with a fine.
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