Plea For Age Limits On Hair Transplant Surgery

Main Category: Transplants / Organ Donations
Also Included In: Dermatology
Article Date: 12 Nov 2009 - 1:00 PST

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One of the UK's leading cosmetic surgeons is calling for age restrictions on hair transplant surgery, after seeing an alarming rise in the number of teenage boys wanting to go under the knife.

Dr Bessam Farjo, co-founder of The Farjo Medical Centre and past President of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, has seen a 23 per cent increase in enquiries coming from men aged 20 years or under over the past 12 months. Some of the enquiries the centre has received have come from the parents of boys as young as 16-years-old.

Dr Farjo explained: "Hair loss can be quite unpredictable in its early stages, with the full extent of loss difficult to determine in men under the age of 30. Men under this age should consider taking preventative drugs such as propecia, in an effort to slow down or stop their hair loss. However, a few online sources and commercial clinics are encouraging very young men to consider surgery to restore both their follicles and self-esteem."

He added: "Whilst there are many regulated forums and websites which offer sound advice, there is also a lot of inaccurate information being passed around on social networking forums."

"Surgery may improve the hairline of very young men in the short term; however, if further hair loss occurs they could find themselves with inconsistent coverage, giving them a 'patchy' look."

"Sadly, some clinics appear to be taking advantage of these vulnerable patients by agreeing to perform surgery and not advising them of the potential long-term results."

Whilst nothing can be done to stop incorrect advice being given over the internet or through non-medical sales people, Dr Farjo insists it is the responsibility of the professionals offering the treatment to advise when surgery is not an appropriate course of action. He also wants to see legal guidelines put into place to protect vulnerable and younger men.

As the UK's leading hair transplant specialists, The Farjo Medical Centre operates a strict screening process and will not treat anyone who they feel is not suitable for surgery. The centre also offers a genetic test which indicates the extent of expected hair loss, be it a slightly receding hair-line or complete hair loss.

Dr Bessam Farjo and his wife, fellow surgeon Dr Nilofer Farjo, carry out more than 300 operations each year at their Manchester clinic. More than 4,000 people have travelled from across the UK, Europe and as far as the Middle East, Australia and the United States, to the Farjo Medical Centre.

The centre has an international reputation for not only using the latest hair transplantation techniques - recognised throughout the surgical field - but for placing significant emphasis on developing pioneering ways to counter hair loss.

Source
The Farjo Medical Centre