We all know the thrill. There’s such satisfaction in discovering a deal, whether we’re shopping for something small or something as significant as a new house. We like the feeling of winning that comes from getting what we want at a lower cost, yet the context for each saving scenario matters a lot. In real estate, for instance, paying less for the same piece of land or building is a win, no matter how you slice it. However, in Toronto, hair transplant clinics vary in quality and service. Can you imagine how much hair transplant standards vary around the world? Keep reading to find out why going overseas for hair transplant surgery could be your worst decision ever.
We’re going on a deep-dive into some serious considerations for “cosmetic tourism” and bargain shopping when it comes to hair transplant surgery. Before you book a flight in anticipation of a great holiday and a new head of hair, please read this guide and arm yourself with the knowledge that will keep you safe and happy in the long term.
Medical tourism is equal parts tempting and disappointing
To be fair, “abroad” from Toronto, Canada, could mean a number of things, and there are well-known, reputable clinics across the U.S. and U.K. that you could travel to and receive excellent service. The cost of doing so in those cases would not be less than at home. In fact, the cost would be considerably higher, so patients are not beating a path to the airport to travel to first-world elite hair transplant clinics. Instead, they are drawn in by the slick marketing of cheaper, less regulated destinations.
Over the past few years, the number of Canadians travelling to places such as India and the Middle East for hair transplants (and other cosmetic surgery) has increased dramatically. Popular cosmetic tourism locations include Mexico, the Dominican Republic, India, Turkey, Thailand, and Hungary.
Walking around Istanbul last year, you would have seen a surge of foreigners with their heads wrapped in bandages or soft hats. General tourism has declined in Turkey, but according to Emin Cakmak, who is head of the council for health tourism there, roughly 750,000 health tourists visited in 2017, 60,000 of them for hair transplants alone. The numbers have been steadily increasing, along with disaster stories of the conditions, the methods, and scarred outcomes. Some reports from Turkey have suggested that up to 200 procedures are carried out each day. Other locations with similar stats include India, where the industry is only very loosely regulated, so the consistency of safety and care are unpredictable.*
Have you considered these additional expenses?
Travel and hotel
Going abroad for a hair transplant, unlike Toronto, may involve multiple flights or land travel, plus accommodations before and after your procedure. There are often unforeseen changes to itineraries or hotel rooms as well, so having an expense buffer is useful in case you get stuck in an undesirable situation.
If you need to return to that clinic for a check-up or to correct an issue in the future, those travel expenses will all be repeated.
Not all hair restoration results are the same
Though it may seem like a very straightforward process of plugging in hairs like seeds in the ground, the modern, natural-looking hair transplant results that have wowed you in pictures were not achieved by inexperienced techs. Simply implanting grafts in a scalp doesn’t guarantee they will thrive, and it definitely doesn’t mean they will grow naturally with the angle and density to mimic real hair.
The look of an obvious hair transplant is a cringe-worthy picture we’ve all seen before: hair plugs in bunches, growing in rows like doll hair and standing up at unusual angles from the scalp. Hairlines that end in hard, unnatural edges on the forehead also come to mind. These common mistakes are “tells” of an unprofessional hair transplant.
The many nuanced factors that contribute to a flawless result are achieved by medical professionals who have extensive training and an artistic eye. The craft of doing this well comes from years of experience and research.
At the Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic, we utilize the industry’s most advanced FUE devices to increase the take rate, minimize trauma and scarring, and deliver exceptional outcomes. Our Toronto hair transplant surgical facility is first class and fully accredited. We have experienced medical staff who devote undivided attention to each individual patient.
