Question:
I have been thinking more and more of getting a hair transplant. I think I would like to make the next step and schedule a consultation but I am still hesitant, I suppose because I have no idea what to expect. Can you tell me what happens during the consultation?
Answer:
I am happy to walk you through a typical consultation. When you come to the office, you are signed in and all appropriate information is given to the nurse, such as your medical condition, any kind of medications that you may be on, anything that would put you at any particular medical risk, and allergies and other things that are important for any surgeon to know. Once all that information has be given to us and once we know the condition of your medical situation, you are then brought to a private room where you will meet with both the doctor and a patient consultant. At that point, the doctor examines you after finding out what your particular concerns are and he then shows you what the likely results from a hair transplant would be and what the best procedure is for you. Then we will show you lots of pictures of before and after, especially patients who have the same similar kind of hair loss. After that is done and you know what to expect from the surgery, the patient consultant will go over all the aspects of cost and scheduling with you. We make the consultation as comfortable as possible and make sure that all of your questions are answered and that when you leave you have a clear idea exactly what the procedure involves, who the people are that will be working on you, what the costs are and what you have to plan for in terms of recovery at home.
Posted by Richard Galitz, MD, FACS