Hair Transplants Gone Wrong
Hair Transplants Gone Wrong! The Hidden Risk of Medical Tourism
Hair transplants are one of the most popular hair restoration methods for anyone struggling with balding, hair thinning, or alopecia. This hair loss procedure is safe and effective, but ONLY if performed by a reputable professional who can provide top treatments, support during hair transplant recovery, and aftercare tips.
The truth is that there are many dangers surrounding the hair restoration industry, including the hidden risks of medical tourism. Learn more about what happens when hair transplants go wrong and the dangers of medical tourism.
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What is Medical Tourism?
Hair transplants are a popular surgery because they help individuals living with balding, hair thinning, or even the medical diagnosis of alopecia get a second chance at having a lush, full head of hair. However, while it is effective and popular, hair transplants are also expensive. This is why medical tourism is growing.
In Turkey specifically, medical tourism is high. Emin Çakmak, the head of the development council of health tourism of Turkey, told the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet that “around 750,000 health tourists visited Turkey last year, with 60,000 visiting for hair transplantation.” Huyesin Kirk, the chairman of the Middle East Tourism and Travel Agencies Association, estimates that 150 to 500 hair transplants occur weekly in Turkey.
Why Do People Travel for Hair Transplants?
If you have personally researched hair transplantation, you know that this popular procedure is not cheap. In fact, the average cost for a professional hair transplant in the United States and Europe is around $25,000. However, in Istanbul, a hair transplant cost ranges from $600 to $2,000. Cheap hair transplants are one of the only things bringing visitors to the country. While financially it is easy to see why so many people travel for hair transplants, it does not outweigh the risks associated with this dangerous trend.
What Happens When a Hair Transplant Goes Wrong?
So, what exactly happens when a hair transplant goes wrong? The most notable things are the health risks involved with medical tourism. Most of the procedures are not done with licensed doctors, proper surgical equipment, or proper sanitation. This can lead to serious risks such as infection, scarring, and even death if not properly treated. In addition to these risks, many people struggle with scalp necrosis, the death of tissue on the scalp leaving the area black in color permanently.
Here are some ways hair transplants can go wrong when performed by an unqualified doctor and what you can do if any of these complications happen to you.
Excessive Scarring
Qualified hair transplant doctors are highly skilled at utilizing techniques to minimize scarring. They know how to achieve exceptional results while causing minimal disruption to the scalp. They also know how to provide proper aftercare instructions and follow-up care to facilitate proper healing and achieve the best possible outcome.
If you go to a subpar hair transplant doctor who uses outdated methods, you may experience excessive scarring. Fortunately, there are ways to cover up scarring from a botched hair transplant. The first method may surprise you because it involves undergoing another hair transplant procedure (by a skilled surgeon this time).
To cover scarring from a bad hair transplant, Dr. Cesar may recommend using the FUE technique to transplant hair into the scarred areas. As the new hair grows, it camouflages the scars so they’re no longer as noticeable.
You may also be able to cover up the lighter color of scars left behind by outdated female hair transplant procedures by receiving scalp micropigmentation. This procedure mimics the appearance of hair follicles using cutting-edge micropigmentation techniques.
Post-Procedure Infection
Patients can develop infections when surgeons practice poor hygiene and fail to follow medical standards during hair transplants. These may range from mild to severe and can cause symptoms like:
- Redness
- Abscesses
- Itchiness
- Pus
- Excessive swelling at the hair transplant sites
If left untreated, even mild infections can develop into life-threatening complications like sepsis. Sepsis is a serious condition when the body’s organs begin to shut down in reaction to a systemic infection. If you experience signs of an infection after a poorly conducted hair transplant, seek medical attention immediately.
Necrosis (Tissue Damage)
Necrosis is a condition that occurs when tissue loses its blood supply, dies, and becomes black. Fortunately, it’s rare to experience necrosis after female hair transplants. However, your likelihood of developing this complication increases when you take your chances with an unqualified surgeon. Necrosis may occur after an untreated infection due to poor hygiene standards during treatment. It can also happen as a result of poor wound management after a hair transplant.
In some cases, unskilled surgeons may give a patient too much epinephrine to avoid excessive bleeding during and after surgery. Unfortunately, this can reduce the blood supply to the treatment site too much and lead to tissue death.
If you experience scalp necrosis from a bad hair transplant, see a skilled surgeon as soon as possible. They may recommend removing the dead skin, and then disinfecting and sealing the surgical site to avoid further infection.
Problems With Unnatural-Looking New Hair Growth
Outdated or poorly conducted hair transplant techniques can lead to unnatural hair regrowth. When this happens, you may feel even more self-conscious than you did before receiving your transplant procedure. Here are a few ways hair transplants can lead to an unnatural appearance:
- Transplanted hair color or thickness doesn’t match the surrounding hair
- New hair regrowth goes in different directions from the natural hair
- Transplanted hair grows in sparsely and randomly
- Outdated transplant techniques leave visible, “doll’s hair” holes in both the donor and grafted areas
Any of these problems can lead to an unnatural appearance and diminished self-esteem. Fortunately, you can conceal most of these undesirable outcomes with modern hair transplants for women performed by a skilled surgeon. Advanced new techniques make it possible to mask unnatural hair transplant results and achieve a fuller, more natural-looking head of hair.
What To Do When a Hair Transplant Goes Wrong
Don’t let a botched hair transplant destroy your self-esteem or negatively impact your personal and professional relationships for the rest of your life. There are ways to fix most female hair transplant complications. However, you must go to a qualified, reputable surgeon for the best results. Don’t make the mistake of returning to the doctor who caused the problem in the first place and expecting a satisfactory solution.
To improve your chances of a successful outcome, schedule a consultation with Dr. Cesar at the first sign of a hair transplant gone wrong. After analyzing your specific case, he can provide a customized treatment plan to undo the damage and help you achieve a thicker, healthier head of hair using tried and proven techniques.
The Importance of Selecting a Licensed Hair Transplant Surgeon
To avoid life-threatening risks, leave the hair transplant to a licensed professional like Dr. Cesar Aristeiguieta. Dr. Cesar is the leading hair transplant provider in Houston, Texas, with over 20 years of experience. Not only is Dr. Cesar licensed to perform hair transplants, but he has the necessary knowledge, staff, equipment, and state-of-the-art facility to perform safe hair transplants.
Don’t trust just anyone when it comes to hair transplantation. Leave this surgery to the professionals! Contact ILEA Hair Restoration now by calling (882) 991-5411. Not only will you receive a safe procedure in our luxury facility, but you will also achieve a thicker, fuller head of hair you can show off without fear of those risks associated with medical tourism.
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