'It was horrific': UK hair transplant patients left disfigured and scarred

Hair transplant patients have been left disfigured and with extensive scarring following an increasing number of ‘black market’ treatments in the UK, according to the industry body.

It has prompted the British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (BAHRS) to call for better regulation of the sector, including a requirement that only licensed medical doctors carry out the procedure.

The industry body has warned against cheap procedures advertised on social media being carried out by ‘unlicensed’ providers, leading many patients to fork out thousands of pounds to have the procedure fixed.

A 60-year-old man in Kent says he opted to have a hair transplant done in the UK, believing it would be safer and more regulated than overseas.

But he now says he wished he had never gone to the practice he did after two failed surgeries.

“I didn’t trust the Turkish clinics, so decided to stay in the UK,” the man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said.

“However, my experience was extremely poor, and I know that some of the incisions were made by non-doctors.

“The results were very disappointing.

“My head was sore for at least two months afterwards.”

The aftermath of a 60-year-old Kent man’s failed hair transplants. / Credit: BAHRS

The BAHRS said the man’s experience was far from unique and many people have had to undergo restorative procedures to fix damage with a properly trained surgeon.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson called the reports “shocking” and promised to “clamp down on dodgy practitioners.”

Hair transplant surgeon Greg Williams, who is the BAHRS vice president, said it was crucial that Follicular Unit Excisions (FUE) – which involve harvesting hair from the back and sides of the head and grafting it into tiny cuts made to balding areas of the scalp – were carried out by licensed and qualified doctors.

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“There is a problematic rise in unlicensed technicians being allowed to perform the skin incision step rather than just the graft extraction step,” he said.

“The decisions involved in harvesting follicular units rely on the knowledge and experience of the hair transplant surgeon and requires judgement.

“It is not just a simple technical skill.”

The BAHRS says there were many reputable and qualified providers in the UK, but warned patients against making “poorly researched” decisions.

A Brighton man says he wished he had done more research after finding his clinic through an advert on Facebook which offered hair transplant surgery for £2,000.

“With my first surgery, the incisions felt like and made the same noise as a fork going into polystyrene,” he said.

“It was horrific.

“I had pain and discomfort for six to 12 months.

“I was left with deep head scarring, long term pain and psychological damage after ‘black market’ hair transplant surgery.”

A Brighton man had a poor result from his surgery in 2020. / Credit:

It is recommended to ask questions and check the registration of the clinic before having any work done:

Hair transplant clinics in England by law must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You can check the clinic name on the CQC’s website.
Make sure you know who your hair transplant surgeon is. Beware of clinics that do not name the doctors along with their qualifications and experience.
Ensure the transplant surgeon is a licensed medical doctor. Confirm this again on the day of the procedure.

More than 735,000 hair transplant procedures are carried out around the world each year.

The hair transplant market is expected to be worth up to £12 billion globally by 2030.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is shocking people are being left physically and emotionally scarred from these procedures.

“We will clamp down on dodgy practitioners and protect people by introducing new rules which mean only qualified healthcare professionals will be able to perform the highest risk procedures.

“If you are considering a cosmetic procedure, please check your provider’s qualifications and insurance – and avoid treatments that appear suspiciously cheap.”