Hair transplant is a frequently sought procedure to regrow the lost hair on the top of the head or any other area like scar of an old accident, both in men and women throughout the world. Although a very effective method in reversing the male pattern baldness (Alopecia Androgenetica – the scientific name for the common baldness in men), it has been out of reach for many because of the expense involved. For example in the United States each hair graft can cost between US$ 2 and US$7 averaging from 5,000 to 7,000 USD to get one session of transplant. Because of this particular reason, many patients look for a cheaper yet quality procedure and this is where the hair transplant in Pakistan has gained its popularity on the world’s map. Many Pakistani descent highly acclaimed doctors from the US and western Europe have returned to their homeland and opened clinics and hospitals in Pakistan that are at par with any best clinic in the west. This is exactly why many “hair transplant tourists” find Pakistan a heaven to get their procedure. They get the best bang for their buck when they get their hair transplant in Pakistan rather than anywhere else in the world. They get some of the finest surgeons to perform their procedure in Pakistan at fraction of the cost that one would have to pay for example in the United States. One would only pay between 1,000 to 2,000 USD for the same surgeon that would charge them between 7,000 to 10,000 USD in the United States. It is the same surgeon, same technique, same instruments and same quality but at ¼ to 1/5th of the cost when they get their procedure in Pakistan. Of course the cost depends upon the quality and the qualifications of the surgeon, the number of grafts transplanted and in many occasions how heavily the money was spent by the surgery center for advertising. More overhead costs including advertising can lead to higher charges. Many highly competent surgeons actually charge less as they do not depend on advertising because of their heavy word of mouth referrals.
In 1952, a dermatologist in New York City, Dr. Norman Orantreich made the breakthrough invention of hair transplant and since then dermatologists have been on the forefront of refining this intricate surgery. In most of the developed countries the practice of medicine is very well regulated by governmental agencies and peer review bodies. Before embarking upon any surgical procedure the doctor has to be Board Eligible or Board Certified in certain specialty in the United States for example. Similarly in the United Kingdom, most of the good surgeons are accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons and now even have to go through a rigorous training of specialists registrar or “SPR” training for several years. In Pakistan, however, the situation is quite different as no accreditation is enforced by the governmental agencies in case of hair transplant. The consequence is the various levels of trained doctors or even non-doctors are performing the hair transplant surgery in Pakistan. Many times the procedure technicians or nurses trained by good hair transplant surgeons open their own clinic and start performing the hair transplant in Pakistan. Of course this huge variability in the competences leads to an extremely large spectrum of surgical outcomes and results. If performed by a highly qualified hair transplant specialist and preferably a hair specialists or dermatologist who is also good at performing procedure, patient can get the best of both the worlds – as one physician can diagnose the hair disease first and then can decide if the surgery would be the right choice for a particular patient. On the other hand, if a patient runs into someone who is not even a doctor let alone a hair transplant surgeon – he/she may be doomed for a disaster.
The matter even becomes more complex owing to the fact that many of these clinics advertise so heavily that even highly educated patients get the impression that these non-certified “doctors” are the authentic procedure specialists. Many “wig specialists’ are now “hair transplant surgeons”. In the absence of any particular certification by the governmental agencies, it is advisable for the prospective patients especially who take the pains to travel to Pakistan from thousands of miles away (typically the ex-pats from Europe and the US) seeking a cost-effective hair transplant in Pakistan, to carefully evaluate the credentials of the surgeon. If one makes the claims of being trained in the United States – ask for the Board Certification in Dermatology or Plastic Surgery and a current or expired license to prove that they in fact do or did practice in the United States. This information is available on the internet as well. Many physicians who move to Pakistan sometimes opt not to renew their license in the United States but an expired license or it’s information on the state medical board should suffice. Mere “fellowship” or membership in any “international” hair transplant organization does not mean that the surgeon has been trained properly or is accredited or competent to perform high quality procedures. It merely means that he is interested in the field. Similarly looking for a specialist registrar training in the field of plastic surgery in the United Kingdom should be the first step in establishing the credibility of a hair transplant surgeon in Pakistan who claims to be trained in the U.K. Next one should ask for the specific proficiency in procedure. Taking a little time to research for a competent doctor can save the prospective patients a lot of hassles especially if one is planning to get hair transplant in Pakistan.
Dr. Azim J. Khan is the only American trained skin specialist, laser & cosmetic surgeon in Pakistan with the unusual trio of accredited training in Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery from the U.S., and is Board Certified by both American Board of Internal Medicine as well as American Board of Dermatology. Looking for more information about Hair transplant in Pakistan? Check out hair transplant in pakistan for all your answers.