Considering Hair Restoration Surgery - Time for a Consult

Preparing for a hair restoration procedure starts with education. Learning everything a patient can about the procedure and what to expect is the first step to ensure realistic expectations for results. The next step is the consultation. Dr. Verret does not employ salespeople or consultants, he performs all consultations himself. During the consultation, patients should discuss any other medical conditions they may have with Dr. Verret. There are few conditions which make hair transplant impossible but Dr. Verret can determine if medical clearance is required before undergoing the procedure.

To minimize the amount of bleeding during the procedure and bruising after the procedure, patients should avoid medications that increase the tendency to bleed. Some medications will need to be stopped 1-2 weeks before the procedure. Patients must discuss these withDr. Verret as some medications, especially prescription medications can run significant life threatening risks if stopped.

The consultation is the time that Dr. Verret talks with his patients about expectations for the procedure as well as educates them about the importance of hairline design and implantation. Most consultations last 30-60 minutes but Dr. Verret will take as long as needed to ensure that his patients are comfortable and have all of their questions answered.

Best Candidates for Hair Transplant Surgery

Ideal candidates for follicular unit transplantation have minimal contrast between hair and the background skin, have enough donor hair, are realistic about their results, and are old enough to be able to project future balding. For Caucasian patients, the best transplant candidates are those with gray hair.

Unfortunately there is only a limited donor area for hair. After this donor area is used, no further transplants can be undertaken. Working with a limited resource makes it vitally important to consult with Dr. Verret before undergoing any transplant procedure.

Age is an important factor in hair transplantation. Age and degree of hair loss can give a surgeon some idea of how much hair loss may progress over time. For an older patient with a long history of stable hair loss, additional loss is not expected. For a younger patient with a slowly progressive hair loss, additional loss is the norm. When performing a transplant it must be remembered that the native hair can still fall out with time though the transplanted hair will remain permanently. If a younger person has just the crown area transplanted, they can expect that with time the frontal hairline will recede. This will create an unnatural appearance as the crown and frontal hairline are expected to recede together and will necessitate further surgery to correct the abnormality.

Quotes

Before leaving the office, Dr. Verret will provide all patients with a quote for the procedure. It is important to break down the cost to a per hair cost. For more information about cost structures for hair transplants, see Dr. Verret's article on hair restoration costs in the articles section.