Well, you may ask yourself, why have they written about
the patient’s perspective? I’ll find out exactly
what that is myself, if I decide to have a hair transplant;
I’ll be in the chair myself, experiencing it first
hand. I don’t need anyone else to interpret this
event for me.
Our feeling is that "forewarned is forearmed".
After all, this book is entitled, "Patient Guide
to Medical and Surgical Hair Restoration". So we
wish to guide you on what amounts to a significant journey
in your total life experience. We have spent much time
discussing the significance of hair, baldness, thinning
hair, hair loss, and the balding process, the indications
for follicular unit transplantation, the nuts and bolts
of the procedure itself, and how it is carried out in
various situations and in different areas of the scalp.
However, if you decide to actually undergo the surgery,
the fewer surprises, the better. Until you are actually
in the chair, having the procedure, your understanding
of the experience will be, to some extent, incomplete.
This is where our collective experience may be of help.
Even a hair transplant surgeon cannot fully grasp the
subjective sensations of being "on the receiving
end" unless they have. Some of us, however, have
done both; our experiences both in the chair and out of
it, may be invaluable in preparing and reassuring you,
the patient, so that your experience of the procedure
can be as pleasant and positive as possible.
First of all, it is natural and understandable for any
person undergoing hair transplant surgery to feel somewhat
conflicted, to have some slight misgivings, even if we
find it hard to admit it to ourselves. I know I did. After
all, we are spending significant money, and no matter
how well prepared we are, a part of us is unsure what
the outcome will be (although we’ve been told the
result is forever!) Follicular unit transplantation is
definitely not for those who require immediate gratification.
It may be as much as a year before we see the full cosmetic
effect of the surgery.
There may also be some degree of fear regarding the surgery
itself. Some people, like myself, have minimal concern
about the actual procedure. Others, however, may have
ingrained memories from childhood, or from other surgeries,
that grant them a great deal of anxiety in dealing with
just about any medical procedure. The sense of being "in
control" is very important to some patients, and
giving over their well-being to others, even briefly,
brings on a feeling of vulnerability.
This sense of vulnerability, however, may stem from many
other potential factors. For one, although we are in some
ways the center of attention, we may at times feel ignored.
We may not know the staff as well as we do the doctor,
and we sometimes hear strange and unfamiliar terminology
being used. At intervals, such as during the creation
of graft sites, silence may be necessary, and the normally
chatty staff may become mute. We may be sedated, which
can be helpful, but feeling a little "foggy",
being unable to see what is going on, and experiencing
unfamiliar sensations may add to this impression of vulnerability.
Many people being treated by a hair restoration specialist
also have issues with privacy, and a desire to have no
one else know they are being transplanted. They may obsess
about how they will appear after the procedure, and be
concerned with being "discovered" or appearing
foolish in some way. This may be due to perceived societal
stigmas regarding "vanity", or "superficiality".
These are concerns we all must deal with in our own way
(I certainly did!) There is certainly no harm in wanting
to improve one’s appearance; almost all people take
steps to do so on a daily basis. Moreover, it really is
no one else’s business what we are doing for ourselves.
The staff and physician are bound to rules and laws of
confidentiality, and are most supportive of your efforts
to improve your quality of life. This knowledge alone
goes a long way toward calming any fears patients have;
also, the presence of a supportive spouse or friend before
and after the surgery is a great comfort.
