After much research, you have decided to use the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) method for your hair restoration procedure. Although not all patients are good candidates for this type of method, FUE does have its benefits.
First, dot scars instead of a linear scar are left in the donor area after harvesting. This allows the patient to experience a quicker and more comfortable healing process, not to mention gives the patient the option of wearing a tighter hairstyle. The Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) also has its benefits over the FUE method, however, it leaves a linear scar in the donor area, thus forcing the patient to use his/her hair a bit longer in order to not reveal the scar.
All this being said, there is a “little secret” that patients don’t know about pertaining to the FUE method. Since many doctors offering hair transplantation purchase their FUE equipment from manufacturers, they also enter into a royalty contract with them, charging patients an extra $1/graft that goes back to the pockets of the equipment manufacturers. Yes folks, you heard it right! Not only are royalties paid in the fast food industry, but now also in the hair restoration business for every graft harvested. But, this can be avoided altogether by having your FUE procedure performed by a skilled and experienced doctor who uses other FUE tools that don’t require a royalty to be paid back to the manufacturer. There are numerous automated FUE tools that allow a doctor to deliver excellent, if not better, results than those using royalty related FUE equipment.
So how do you go about finding the right hair restoration specialist using great FUE tools without having to pay the extra fee??? You do extensive research and ask the right questions during your consultations. Ask the doctor directly what type of FUE tool he/she uses and if they pay back royalties to their manufacturer. If they are honest and ethical, they will tell you the truth. Another way is to Google “hair transplantation” and you’ll find there are two companies that stand out in advertising their machines. Ask yourself why a manufacturing company, after selling their equipment to doctors for $85k – 250k would still be advertising it to actual patients. It’s because they don’t only make money from selling the machines, but also make long-term royalties from every graft harvested.
If you take your time doing your research and ask the right questions during your consultations, you’ll not only obtain great results, but also keep a good amount of money in your pockets instead of someone else’s.