When it comes to hair restoration it’s not just men who are reaching out to clinics, here and abroad, for help, but more women are opting for treatments.
A growing yet often overlooked issue, female hair loss, impacts eight million women in the UK, with causes ranging from androgenic alopecia (affecting 40% of women over 50) to stress, trauma, and hormonal changes.
With an increasing number of clinics abroad offering lower-cost solutions, it’s often tempting to consider travelling for such treatments but Lisburn Road-based Paradigm Clinic, a specialist in hair restoration led by Belfast based Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Brendan Fogarty FRCS (Plast) says “it’s essential to consider the risks and why going local is often the safest, most reliable option.”
Paradigm Clinic is the only clinic in the UK that offers a tailored, female-friendly approach to hair transplants, using its unique Growth Optimised Follicular Unit Extraction (GOFUE) technique, which has been responsible for fantastic results amongst its client base including men and women.
While one cannot treat alopecia, the clinic specialises in female hair transplants for those suffering hair loss from other conditions. “A good transplant frees women from constantly thinking about their hair. It’s the same for men, but unlike men, women can’t just shave their heads and move on,” Brendan begins.
As part of the process, Brendan explains that the transplant is carefully planned around each woman’s hairstyle. “We discuss their styling preferences and tailor the transplant to address them,” he says. “If they’d like, I can also liaise with their hairdresser to ensure the best possible outcome.”
Natural looking results, without having to shave the head for the procedure, is very attractive to Paradigm patients. “We don’t require women (or men) to shave their heads for a transplant, which is a major advantage over other clinics. Our technique ensures natural-looking results, while preserving the option to style your hair as you wish.”
Travelling abroad for treatment is understandably tempting, albeit this is a route more popular with men than women.
“Surgical tourism may offer cheap treatments, but patients need to be aware of the hidden costs. Inexperienced doctors, unregulated facilities and no follow-up can result in permanent problems such as failure of hair-growth, unnatural hairlines, and permanent scarring”, Brendan advises.
“In the majority of poor outcome transplant cases who are referred to me, I encounter patients with irreparable results while the ‘lucky’ patient needs to spend even more to correct issues as they are now on the back foot with limited donor hair remaining.
Brendan adds: “Hair transplants should be viewed as an investment in both appearance and self-esteem. When done correctly, the results can last a lifetime and are definitely in my highest patient satisfaction group of all the plastic surgery procedures I perform. When patients have a bad transplant elsewhere, they will regret it every time they look in the mirror.”
One of the key risks of traveling abroad for a procedure is the lack of follow-up care. Joanne Scannell, Nursing Lead at Paradigm, discusses: “At Paradigm, we prioritisecontinuity of care. We don’t just perform the surgery, we establish a relationship with our patients. That’s critical for ensuring the best possible long term outcome.”
Choosing a clinic you can trust is crucial. Brendan advises potential patients to “take your time and choose a surgeon based on experience, not cost. Meet the surgeon in person, ask about their qualifications and ensure you feel comfortable with their approach and their results.”
“We believe hair restoration is about improving quality of life,” says Brendan. “At Paradigm, we don’t just change your hair—we change how you feel about yourself.”
https://www.paradigmclinic.co.uk
Discover more from LoveBelfast
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
