Do You Use a Computer Program to Show What a Completed Procedure Will Look Like?

Hey Doctor. Just wanted to know if there was a system you use for demonstrating to a patient what the result of your work will look like when it is completed? Particularly in a restored juvenile hair line case.

Although some doctors may use programs to simulate the anticipated look after hair transplant surgery, we feel that the use of these programs rarely reflect the end results of what you would actually look like. For example, coarse hair will show a very different frontal look than fine hair. Computer simulations show just one look and although it might be a reasonable prediction for a person with coarse hair, it would not reflect the final look for a more see-through fine haired person that might require more than one session. Hair restoration is a complex process and there are several factors that could influence the final result.

So although using a computerized simulating system sounds like a neat idea, in reality the pictures are misleading at times and the final results may be considerably different from those shown on the computer screen. When used as a selling tool, it is great, but I don’t want to face the patient if the results do not compare to the ‘dream transplant’.