Hair transplant quality is obvious to the naked eye. Photographs, however, are another story. Specialists depend on hair transplant photos to showcase their results, just as patients are often reliant on said photos when deciding on a clinic.
Reasonably, patients can expect a bit of cleanup in the photo: faces can be airbrushed, for instance, to make them appear more attractive. While technically okay for promotional images, through, photoshopping faces can have the opposite effect: instead of inspiring confidence such images can inspire cynicism. After all, it is reasonable to expect those who view said images to assume that photoshopped faces will also lead to photoshopped hair. Such patients are smart to be weary; a bad hair transplant requires manual correction and sometimes is unsalvageable. Over 40% of Forhair patients request we correct previous work done by other clinics.
For these reasons, we emphasize photos that fully showcase the patient and his or her results. This is important both to highlight the caliber of skill Dr. Cole and Forhair offer, but also to set a standard for other hair transplant clinics. Always expect our before and after photos to truly present the actual result in its entirety. One of the most important aspects of said results is encouraging patients to recognize that a positive result, excellent as it is, should never be a generic result. Each person's hairline is unique as their face and Dr. Cole's artistry convincingly replicates the former.
Dishonest hair transplant photos use a number of effects to make a transplant seem more promising:
- Low resolution
- "Blur" distortions
- Darkening
- Selective lighting
- Hairstyle
- Toppik or other concealers
Hair transplant photos are great for showcasing a surgeon's skill, sure, but it also serves as a frame of reference. Prospective patients would do well to look at the before and after photos of patients with a similar degree of balding and transplant amount, as it gives them an idea of coverage. Each patient's results are different, however, so patients should also consider the thickness, color, and texture of their own hair before concluding their result will be identical as that in the before and after photos.