1. Evaluate a Hair Transplant Doctor’s Credentials
   Is the hair transplant doctor an MD? In some states in the USA and in some countries hair transplant providers do not have to be doctors. Find out whether the doctor is a registered MD in good standing with his state or provincial board or “College” as it is sometimes known. Doctors who are MDs have attended medical school prior to becoming hair transplant doctors. Although it is possible that someone without this basic credential could perform hair transplant surgery, it, a thorough understanding of anatomy,  physiology, general surgical technique, can only be provided by the rigours of an accepted medical school. Hair transplant doctors who are MDs simply know more more than those who haven’t undergone the rigourous training.
2. Is the doctor a member in good standing of an established and respected hair transplant association?
   There are several hair transplant associations whose aim is to ensure that a high standard of care of is provided by doctors in the hair transplant field. Doctors who have applied to such organization have been scrutinized for ethical practice, skill, and consistently acceptable results. International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons, International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, American Hair Loss Association, and Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians, are associations that many qualified, experienced hair transplant doctors are members.
3. How long has the hair transplant doctor been in practice?
   Experience comes with time. A seasoned hair transplant doctor will have performed hundreds or even thousands of surgeries and may have been in practice for years. With each surgery, a doctor learns more and his skills become refined. Certainly, there are some doctors who have practiced for years that provide sub-standard results, but those who pass the other guidelines of this checklist and have years of experience are likely more able to provide a good result.
4. Is the hair transplant clinic using modern equipment, surgical instruments in an organized, clean environment?
   Hair transplant technique and the equipment that helps a doctor and his team of technicians perform excellent surgery must be accepted as the standard of care. Clinics that use outmoded equipment care more about keeping costs down than ensuring a quality hair transplant. One way to assess this is to read reviews of clinics by associations who know about the industry standard of care. An example of one such assessment and review of a hair transplant doctor’s operation was published by Pat Hennessey of Hair Transplant Network.
5. Are the doctor’s technicians experienced? What kind of training do they undergo?
   Technicians play a key role in hair transplant surgery. Technicians are usually responsible for dissecting grafts out of their naturally occurring bundles or follicular unit bundles (1-4 hairs), and often insert the grafts into the recipient sites made by the hair transplant doctor. Find out how long technicians have worked for the doctor. Ask how long they have been in the field (they may have worked for another hair transplant doctor). Seasoned, well trained technicians are vital to a successful hair transplant surgery.
6. Does the hair transplant doctor have a before and after photo gallery and high resolution video gallery?
   In this day and age, there is no excuse for the absense of before and after results. The importance of a results gallery cannot be overstated. A hair transplant doctor with years of experience should be able to show you tens of before and after photos and videos. Photos should be shot under natural lighting conditions using no camera flash (which makes results appear thicker than they are), with no exotic locations, or studio props that distract you from the results. Results are everything. Hair transplant videos should be shot close up and show all important angles of the result. They should include superimposed before photos so that a viewer can see the difference, and where applicable, the donor area should be revealed.
7. Does the doctor have positive reviews on hair transplant forums? Do patients blog about their experience with the clinic?
   Hair transplant forums are a great place to evaluate the reputation of a hair transplant doctor. At hair transplant forums, you’ll find reviews by patients of specific hair transplant doctors, and can read hair transplant patient blogs.
8. Hair Transplant Costs?
   Hair transplant costs vary widely. When pricing is explained it should be clear and estimates should be close to the actual cost once surgery is done, however, patients must understand that costs do change to a degree as the day of surgery will reveal much to the hair transplant doctor that a consultation cannot. Though hair transplant cost is a factor for most patients when choosing a hair transplant doctor, it should not be the deciding factor. The experience of the doctor and his  team, and the consistency of hair transplant results should be paramount when deciding on a clinic. A hair transplant is for life, and, you want the result to be right the first time.

If you are dediding which hair transplant doctor you should have surgery with, ensure that you evaluate their work. This seems to be obvious but many hair loss patients think about cost first and everything else later. With surgery that is equal parts skill and artistry, allowing things like the location of the clinics and the cost be the deciding factors that influence your choice of hair transplant doctor may result in less than desirable results. In the end hair transplant results are everything. If you are visiting a hair transplant clinic website and see few before and after photos or videos, you may want to seriously consider crossing them off of your list of prospective doctors. All we have as hair loss sufferers is what we are told by clinics (marketing), what we are told on hair transplant forums (opinions), and what we see (the result). Marketing is just that, selling. Opinions are as numerous as people, there are many and all different. Hair transplant results on the other hand, are everything. If you see a clinic has numerous results in both photo and high res video, and you see that the results are consistent, shot under natural conditions and show close-ups and many angles, that message is more powerful than any marketing blurb any well articulated opinion. Results are the key. If a clinic shows few, why? If they have no video…why? Videos are as near as we can get to seeing a hair transplant patient’s before and after results in person.

• View hair transplant videos on YouTube
• View hair transplant clinic videos on Facebook