How to choose a good hair transplant centre

When choosing a hair transplant centre, the surgeon's qualifications and the team's methods matter most. The points below are what to look for and ask about.

Checklist

1. Qualified doctors

   A good centre has highly qualified doctors. Surgeons certified by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS) are preferred; you can check a surgeon in the ABHRS website.

2. Up to date with the field

   Membership of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) shows that a doctor keeps up with developments in hair restoration. You can search the ISHRS website.

3. Emergency training

   Doctors trained in ACLS and BLS (life-support courses recommended by the American Heart Association) are better prepared to handle any emergency.

4. A trained team

   A hair transplant is not a one-person job. It needs a team of surgical assistants who are skilled at dissecting and implanting grafts.

5. Microscopes

   The centre should have the equipment for the procedure and a team able to use stereo and Mantis microscopes for dissection.

6. Larger sessions and open-method dissection

   The number of grafts transplanted in one session plays a major role in the outcome. The open method of dissection reduces the damage to follicles (transection).

7. Micro-blade incisions and dense packing

   Check whether the surgeon makes small incisions with micro-blades [CHECK: of 0.7 to 0.9 mm]. They affect how natural the result looks and make dense packing possible.

8. Donor scar technique

   The doctors should be able to perform trichophytic closure, an advanced suturing method that minimises the scar in the donor area.

9. Comfort and sterility

   The centre should be able to carry out the procedure with minimal pain, and should follow strict sterilisation to reduce the chance of problems after surgery, such as facial swelling, pain or infection.

10. A full range of procedures

    The centre should be able to offer all types of hair transplant surgery: FUT, FUE, body hair transplantation, eyebrow and eyelash restoration, and beard and moustache reconstruction.

11. Focus on hair restoration

    Centres devoted only to hair transplant surgery are a good option, as are centres with a relaxed setting, qualified doctors, current techniques and proper safety precautions.

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