To see an FUE hair transplant video online is no big deal but to see Dr. Ron Shapiro in an FUE hair transplant video is quite rare. This is part three of my hair transplant documentary series featuring Hair Transplant Mentor™ partner Dr. Ron Shapiro of Shapiro Medical in Minneapolis, Minnesota. To recap part one and part two, I shared what the accommodations are like for patients that travel to have their hair transplant with Dr. Shapiro (which is most of his patient base) and how to get to the clinic. Next, Dr. Shapiro took us on a tour of the clinic for a first of it's kind "behind the scenes" look at how Shapiro Medical operates. You also met Kelly who is the gatekeeper for the clinic and helps with answering patient questions and coordinates the surgical schedule.
Here is why I consider this video to be a big deal. Dr. Ron Shapiro is basically the biggest name in hair restoration for the past fifteen years. There are a lot of other big names that sometimes may get more attention but it usually appears that somehow, at some time, Dr. Ron tends to be brought back into the discussion. He's credited with a lot of accomplishments including setting the standard for how hairlines should be addressed. Even some of the other big names in hair restoration that are known for their own hairline designs and philosophy will admit, either publically (rare) or privately, that they based their hairline designs off of the innovations of Dr. Ron Shapiro, including doctors I've worked for in the past. Because of this he seems to have developed this aura online of being bigger than life, which is well deserved of course, but I think this fue hair transplant video is a big deal because you get to see that Dr. Ron is more than a name and he's more than a doctor that does hair restoration. He's the most recognized name in hair restoration doing the patient prep himself. He's the original hairline master setting up the chair for the patient to sit in and telling him about the Apple TV that is set up for the patient to watch movies on. He's proud of his Apple TV:) He's the hair restoration legend that's shaving the patient's head and walking him through from start to finish.
This kind of attitude is what I look for in the doctors I work with. Some may think it's silly but I think it is important because if your doctor has enough interest in your procedure to do a lot of the pre-surgical duties himself that means he's got enough interest in the patient's well being and ultimately in their final result and happiness to be involved on a personal level. I know it doesn't dictate quality but it's a good step in that direction. I know doctors that don't show up to the clinic till the staff has had time to get the patient ready so that all he needs to do is come in and get to work with the actual surgery. I know some doctors that will actually LEAVE the clinic to go home and take a nap! This isn't what this fue hair transplant video is about but it bears mentioning.
One thing you might notice in this fue hair transplant video is that at the start of the video, during the pre-operative consultation, Dr. Shapiro (and his brother Paul) discussed the patient's unusual pattern of hair loss. I noticed it too and it looks like a pattern one might see if the patient is dealing with alopecia areata. The thing that stood out to me was the circle of loss in the front. The tissue looked smooth, hairless and circular which is a clear sign of alopecia areata. The doctors confirmed it was not alopecia areata by using a follicle scope that transmits a macro image to a computer screen. You can see that the hairs look normal and healthy which was a big relief.
You also get to see in this fue hair transplant video how a nerve block is performed. This is a way to reduce the amount of injections (discomfort) that the patient has to endure and also reduces the amount of anesthesia that is injected into the patient's system. It really is quite fascinating to see and to realize that with a few injections below the eyebrow that the majority of the scalp will become numb.
Remember, this is only part three of an ongoing documentary series showing Dr. Ron Shapiro and what makes him tick. The next video will show some interesting information that will be very interesting, not to mention educational.
