How To Avoid Hair Transplant Regret

• May 1, 2022
• Dr. Joshua Wee

Last updated on June 3, 2024

Hair transplants are truly remarkable despite some of the media scare stories. The ability to take hairs that are alive and thriving from one part of the scalp and move them to another shows how amazing science can be. A hair transplant can be a life-changing decision, and thankfully, according to realself.com, 94% of people who get one are delighted with the results.

Although it’s not always the case, as there are patients who have had hair transplants that deeply regret their decision. They thought that the transplant would change their life for the better and give them back confidence, but it instead gave them a new set of problems.

If you’re considering a hair transplant, it’s important to learn from the mistakes of others so that you don’t end up regretting your decision. This article looks at the five most common types of patients who have regretted their hair transplants, so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not this procedure is right for you.

Let’s start with the first type of patient who often ends up wishing they hadn’t had a hair transplant:

The patient didn’t do enough research

Getting a hair transplant is a big decision. Like moving house, choosing a school for your children, buying a car. Most people wouldn’t dream of making big decisions like these without first carefully researching and asking questions. What’s the house like? Does the school have a good reputation? How many miles has the car travelled?

Yet some hair transplant patients act on impulse. They decide to get surgery on a whim, book a surgeon and expect a miracle. Rushed decisions are often rash decisions. Unsurprisingly, hair transplant patients who don’t prepare thoroughly and who hurry into getting a transplant not only end up regretting it, they end up losing money too.

The patient chased their losses—and lost again

Although not all hair transplants produce ideal results, it is worth trying again if the initial attempt is unsuccessful. However, this should not be done hastily – be sure to consult with your surgeon and carefully plan your second attempt. Even if the hair transplant surgeon who botched the first job offers to put things right, don’t be tempted to accept.

Take some time to consider things before booking more surgery. Yes, you’ll have to live with the embarrassment of the poor results for a little while. But you need to find out why the first one failed. It might be down to the surgeon’s incompetence.

Or it could be something health related, like autoimmune or inflammatory issues in the scalp. Surgery can even fail due to undiagnosed scarring alopecia. These factors need to be ruled out before you proceed with more surgery, otherwise you risk more failure, and more expense.

The patient had active scarring alopecia

Any surgery on patients with scarring alopecia is a big risk, as there’s no guarantee of success. Transplanted hairs might grow and delight the patient. Or this delight might be short-lived, with new hair growth falling out after a few years. It might be the case that no new hair grows at all. Worse still, the hair transplant could actually trigger the disease, leading to worse symptoms than previously experienced.

The fact is that any hair transplant on a patient with scarring alopecia is very difficult. Any surgeon worth their salt will know that a procedure should only be attempted if symptoms of the disease have been absent for at least two years. So, it’s vital to make sure your scalp is safe for surgery before the hair transplant process begins.

The patient was too young

No doubt, losing your hair in your teens or early twenties is an unpleasant, even traumatic experience. It can be tempting to get a hair transplant as soon as possible. However, patients younger than 23 often aren’t satisfied with the results.

Of course, there are some young customers who are delighted with their hair transplant. But the problem with hair transplanting too young is there’s no sure-fire way to predict what further hair loss the patient will experience.

The danger is that after the transplant takes place, more hair loss occurs, causing the transplanted area to look unnatural. The result? Another transplant is needed to correct this. One hair transplant is likely to be beyond the financial means of many under 23 years old. But multiple surgeries? That’s virtually impossible.

Give your hair transplant the best chance of success

By avoiding making the mistakes listed above, you can reduce your chances of being a hair transplant patient who regrets their decision. You should always look for long term satisfaction from what is a very expensive procedure. Short term gain might be tempting, but if you need more surgery a few years down the line, you’re going to spend a small fortune.

An ethical and experienced hair transplant surgeon will not agree to perform surgery if he or she doesn’t believe it is in the patient’s best interests.

If someone is too young, if their hair loss is too extreme, or if they have unrealistic expectations of what can be done for them, she may counsel them against surgery.

Although a hair transplant can be very effective in reducing the appearance of hair loss, it is important to keep in mind that the surgery will not stop hair loss from occurring altogether. In some cases, multiple transplants may be necessary, especially for young patients whose hair loss is still progressing.

That said, no one should be put off getting a hair transplant. It’s a revolutionary procedure that can be rewarding and revitalising for patients who take time to research their options, find a great hair transplant surgeon and discover whether they are suitable for such a procedure.

To find out the cause of your hair loss and a treatment plan that is right for you, please call us for a confidential consultation on 08 9389 6000.