Is the Hair Transplant Industry Getting Oversaturated?

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I’m a pre-medical student, applying to medical school next year, and ever since discovering sites like ‘hair transplant network’ and doing independent research, I’ve decided I have a great interest in entering the hair transplant field. However, I recently read an abstract you published in 2003 regarding the status of the transplant market for both the consumer and the physician, and it lead me to believe that by the time I get out of medical school and residency, hair transplants may be an over saturated commodity? I may have interpreted the results of your work a tad harshly, but I was wondering if you had any advice for someone in my situation? Do you think there will still be potential for a successful, innovative private practice, or would it be akin to opening a laser clinic on Rodeo in 2009 -aka you’ve missed the cusp of the wave and it’s too late to break in now? I realize that you can’t predict the future, but I’d appreciate any advice or insight you can give me. Thank you very much.

I think that the issue is classic capitalism (supply and demand). With today’s economics, hair transplantation is not a necessity so there are clearly more providers than patients, but who knows 10 years down the road. The miracles I see daily in my practice will be better understood by the balding population and will, almost certainly, cause an upswing in patients seeking this service, but who know if the physicians skilled in the art will multiply faster than the demand for services. Ask our economists, who seem to know the answers to everything in our present economic climate.