These days, due to advanced medical techniques, the majority of hair transplants are very safe procedures. As with all treatments, there are risks associated with hair transplant surgery, although very few, most complications are usually avoidable with proper surgical technique and wound care. Finding out what the risks are and how to minimise their potential is essential tof any treatment at HHC Clinics.
At HHC Clinics, we have performed over 3000 successful hair transplants, so we know a thing or two about how to perform FUE and strip hair transplantation safely. With all the confusing, and sometimes misleading information online, we have outlined ways in which you can ensure your chances of complication during a hair transplant procedure are at an all-time low.
What are the risks?
When performed by a qualified, experienced hair transplant surgeon, hair transplants are considered minimally invasive procedures, with few risks. Typical risks include bleeding and infection, but can extend to visible scarring and unnatural looking hair growth if performed incorrectly.
Five ways to reduce risk:
Don’t leave the country
So you’ve heard that a hair transplant in Turkey is a more purse friendly option? It is worth considering at what cost this might be. Having hair transplant surgery in a foreign country such as Turkey is a gamble. Many are enticed by the professional online presence, a large social media following or heavily edited before and after images. It is only when you dig a little deeper that you realise the clinic may not be as reputable as it initially appeared.
The wave of clinics in cities like Istanbul saw many, offering unachievable results, using ill-judged information, and resulted in patients regretting their ‘dangerous’ procedures. It is likely that before booking a flight, you have decided on a clinic and surgeon, often including 5-star hotel stays, luxury transfers amongst many other methods of temptation. The stories we have read about hair transplantation in foreign countries include hard sells, dangerous, reckless methods and empty marketing. So if it’s a safe procedure you’re after, you are already in the best place, the UK.
Find an ethical surgeon
It is essential to find a trustworthy surgeon for any procedure, our ethical hair transplant article highlights the importance of finding a surgeon with a realistic and professional approach when advising on the maximum number of grafts available to you during hair transplantation. Having too many grafts taken, can lead to disappointing results, including compromising the density of the donor area.
How can you ensure your surgeon follows essential hair transplant ethics? There are a few things you can look for when heading to your initial consultation with your proposed hair transplant specialist:
- A Full Diagnosis:
Is your surgeon taking a closer look at the scalp, under a microscope, and discussing your hair loss, family and medical history? Getting a clinical diagnosis is essential to understanding whether your hair loss is permanent or temporary and whether a hair transplant is the correct resolve for you.
- Understanding Expectations:
Does your surgeon understand your desired outcome but manage anything that is not achievable? An ethical doctor will explain what is and isn’t possible honestly and ensure that, prior to you making the decision to go ahead, you fully understand the expectations.
- Detailed Information:
Are you being given full information about potential procedures for your hair loss? If hair transplantation is your only option, has your doctor explained how many grafts you should expect and shown you where the hair will be taken from, follow our guidance on ethical hair transplants.
- Tailored Choice:
Does your doctor offer both FUE and FUT hair transplantation? A clinic only doing FUE is probably doing that because the doctor cannot do an FUT procedure. It is very clear from research papers that the gold standard for transplantation is FUT, and a hair clinic should be able to offer both, and will give bespoke advice regarding which may give the results closest to your expectations.
Other things you can do to ensure you have a doctor with advanced clinical expertise:
- Check their GMC registration status
- Explore their expertise, qualification areas and achievements
- Check a trusted review site, like trust pilot, for genuine, unmoderated reviews
Having a trusted hair restoration surgeon with an intricate technique defines the appearance of scarring and success of grafted hairs. An expert will individualise every patient, and plan and operate with an aim to zero-down complications.
Ensuring a reputable and safe clinical environment
A HHC Clinics, we are proud to be a CQC Rated Excellent Clinic, with comments highlighting our dedication to control the risk of infection, by using equipment and control measures to protect our patients, ourselves and others, and how the design, maintenance and use of our facilities results in keeping people safe while in our care. Finding a reputable and safe clinic is crucial to keep the level of risk during hair transplantation at a minimum, you can do this easily by searching the Care Quality Commission website, who are the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
Employing a well-informed team
During hair transplantation, there are a number of clinical staff involved in your care, not just the surgeon. So ensuring the team are also caring and responsive is a must. Luckily, this information is also publicly available via CQC.
Our team at HHC Clinics have been championed for their level of care to patients, CQC’s comments included:
‘Staff consistently treated patients with compassion and kindness, and truly respected their privacy and dignity. There was a strong patient centred culture, which took account of patients’ individual needs. Staff provided emotional support to patients, families and carers to minimise their distress. They cared for a diverse patient group and truly understood the totality of patients’ personal, cultural and religious needs.’
Decades of research has shown that patient-centred care results in better outcomes for patients including, faster recovery, lower A&E rates and increased patient, family, and care team satisfaction. Finding a clinic with a well established team, will result in a procedure with fewer risks.
Following Suitable After Care Guidance
Complete recovery for a hair transplant typically takes around two weeks, we offer detailed post-transplant advice, as well as after-care from our team of hair restoration experts, with regular contact to see how you are recovering.
To find out more about the expectations of post-hair transplant life, you can read our side effects & recovery post.
The importance of correct after-care is crucial for a quick recovery and reducing the chances of infection or other complications. A trusted hair restoration team will give you full details on your procedure aftercare before you leave, and they will schedule an appointment for you, so they can check how well your scalp is healing.
HHC Clinics
Our specialist hair loss centre is a safe and relaxed environment, home to a team rich in knowledge and expertise in hair loss and restoration. We use the latest innovations to diagnose and treat our patients, applying a holistic and medical approach and an individualised restoration plan for each and every patient. We offer free, no-obligation, initial consultations to assess your hair loss and discuss your options in more detail, to arrange yours, get in touch with our friendly team.
