Pandemic-Era Hair Transplants – Why They are Popular
The idea of having a hair transplant has been considered by many men over the years but some of them have not taken any action or steps towards having a treatment. Some of the reasons given in the past included not being able to take time off work as well as being unwilling to recover from the surgery in front of friends, family, and their fellow employees. This all changed for many people in 2020 when the pandemic started to become the main factor in making decisions across the country.
Hair Transplants and the Pandemic – Connection Revealed
Once the “shelter in place” order started to lift across the country, patients interested in having plastic surgery started to schedule procedures. The majority of workers across the United States were still able to work from home which meant they could have a cosmetic treatment and recover in the privacy of their household. The desire to have a hair transplant on the part of male patients can be seen as the equivalent of female patients having a facelift or Botox during the pandemic. All of these procedures give a person a youthful and rejuvenated look while also increasing their self-image and confidence in their appearance.
The increase in surgeons performing hair transplants has not been limited to the United States. It has been reported that some patients are going overseas to popular “medical tourism” destinations such as Turkey and Portugal. According to statistics released by Forbes Business Insights, the global hair transplant market is predicted to reach a total of 43.13-billion dollars by 2026. This number is an increase of sevenfold over the total of 5.94-billion dollars that was reported in 2018.
Even though many men experience some degree of hair loss during their lifetime, the pandemic was generally not an ideal time for the hairlines of some patients. The American Academy of Dermatology reported that COVID-19, and stress related to the ongoing pandemic, resulted in a loss of hair in some citizens of the United States. Plus, those experiencing some amount of thinning or balding were often not happy with their appearance on Zoom calls for work. Instead of occasionally seeing their thinning hair in the mirror once or twice per day, workers were staring at a computer screen all day and viewing the look of their scalp on a Zoom or Teams call.
Hair Transplant Stigma – Not as Prominent as in the Past
There used to be a stigma associated with having a hair transplant and part of the negative feelings towards having a procedure was associated with the less than natural results that used to be provided by surgeons. The fact that the results looked “pluggy” in appearance was due to the available technology at the time and not because of the skill level of the surgeons. Hair restoration technology and procedures have advanced greatly in the past few decades which means the results of a hair transplant are both long-lasting and natural in appearance.
In addition, there have been some celebrities discussing their hair transplants with the public which also helps to lessen the stigma associated with the procedure. Two prominent examples of celebrities who have discussed their hair transplant journey include designer Marc Jacobs and actor Cheyenne Jackson. The fact that these celebrities are open and willing to discuss their hair restoration decision and surgery is helping to inspire the public to contact surgeons about the treatment.
Even with less stigma surrounding the treatment, patients also wanted to take advantage of being able to recover at home instead of having to be in an office with other workers. It can take anywhere from twelve to eighteen months for the final results of a hair transplant to become visible. Working at home for an extended period of time gave hair transplant patients the time they needed to make a full recovery before having to meet with others in person.
Hair Transplant – How to Get Started
The first step in undergoing a hair transplant is making sure the person who wants the procedure is an ideal candidate for the surgery. A consultation appointment needs to be scheduled so the scalp of the patient can be examined. The doctor will assess the current level of balding and also identify the reason the hair loss is occurring on the scalp. The surgeon will also let the patient know the amount of available donor hair they have on the body in order to set realistic expectations and give the person a better idea of the type of results they can expect to see on the scalp.
The consultation appointment is also an opportunity for a person to ask any questions they have in mind and voice any concerns they have about undergoing a hair transplant. Once the patient has all of the information they need to know about their specific case of hair loss, they can make an educated decision about having a hair transplant.
