As a problem that affects both men and women, hair loss is more common than most might think. According to statistics, two out of three men and one in every five women in the Emirates suffer hair loss. This problem has led to the search for hair loss treatment solutions, from topical applications to hair transplant, and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).
According to recent statistics by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), hair restoration surgery is currently having a moment. The worldwide volume of surgical hair restoration procedures performed from 2014 to 2016 rose 60 percent, with 635,189 procedures performed in 2016.
SEE ALSO: Dental Implants – What to Expect
Middle East among the leading destinations for hair transplant
Still, on the ISHRS survey, of the 635,189 surgical hair restoration procedures performed, Asia led the way with 195,284 procedures, followed by the Middle East with 149,400 and the U.S. with 133,136 procedures. Overall, the number of surgical, and non-surgical, hair restoration patients has increased in the last couple of years. Specifically, 597,181 surgical patients sought treatment in 2016 (a 67 percent increase from 2014), with 1,241,764 nonsurgical patients treated in 2016 (a 78 percent increase).
Dr Cagatay Sezgin, Celebrity Hair Transplant Surgeon at Hair Transplant Clinic – Dubai, agrees with the statistics, adding that at his hair transplant center in Dubai, so far in the last one year, the clinic has seen an increase of about 25% in the number of people seeking hair transplantation compared to the previous years. “This leads us to believe that the increase is not only in our clinic but across the UAE, not to mention the tens of new hair restoration clinics that have come up.”
Why the current increase?
The leading reason for the increase in hair transplant cases, notes Dr. Sezgin, is because most people have realized that there is an option of having a full head of hair instead of leading a bald life. “Also, UAE as one of the leading hair transplant destinations is best placed to perform this minimally invasive procedure due to the amount of effort and involvement the Ministry Of Health (MOH) has invested in. This is in addition to plastic surgeons being required to perform the procedure in comparison to hair technicians found in some other formerly popular destinations.”
“For instance, when you look at former top hair transplant destinations like Turkey, Iran, and India, you will find that the benefits enjoyed by patients here in the UAE cannot be found there,” explains Dr Sezgin, adding that most of these countries’ procedures are not regulated by the governing health body and the hair transplant itself is relegated to technicians who do not have any/sufficient medical training.
READ MORE: Understanding, Managing and Treating Melasma
UAE as a leading medical tourism destination
In the UAE, each and every hair transplant procedure is done by experienced and board-certified plastic surgeons, who do the craft with precision, making sure the results are as natural as they can be. “If you would compare our prices to Turkey, it’s true that we are a bit pricier but then our services and results are of the highest quality.”
And since the UAE as a destination has also seen an increase in medical tourism, this is another reason as to why locals and residents should consider to not travel to other countries in search of the same treatments and procedure we are offering here, states the Doctor.
“When you have the procedure in the Emirates, you can be rest assured that you will avail all the necessary follow-up appointments and growth factor sessions (if necessary), and if you are from outside the UAE, we arrange for your movements while you are here, hotel bookings as well as your flights, making your trip one to remember.”