In recent years, the “hair transplant economy” has continued to heat up. Hair transplant advertisements can be seen everywhere in elevators, subways, and on the streets. Many people choose to improve their image through hair transplants due to “hair loss anxiety”. However, journalists’ investigation found that the hair transplant industry is plagued by frequent chaos. Problems such as false advertising, induced loans, and difficulty in protecting rights after surgery have caused great distress to consumers.
Case Report: Promised Survival Rate Turns into an “Empty Promise
Ms. Zhang, a woman in her twenties from Shenzhen, underwent hair transplantation at a certain medical aesthetics institution a year ago. The institution had promised that the survival rate of hair follicles could reach 95%. But after the operation, she found that the hair in the implant area was sparse and the actual survival rate was much lower than the advertised rate. When she questioned, the institution shirked responsibility on the grounds of “insufficient vitality of hair follicles”. “Since I knew it might not be achievable, I shouldn’t have boasted in the first place.” ” Ms. Zhang said helplessly.
The experience of Mr. Wu, a citizen of Suzhou, is even more lamentable. After two hair transplants at Suzhou Xinsheng Medical Aesthetic Clinic, he still had a large area of baldness on his head, and the clinic was already deserted when it came to replanting. “Money was spent but to no avail. Now, I can’t even find anyone to protect my rights.” ” Mr. Wu disclosed that the institution had guided him to apply for online loan hair transplantation. Now the loan is still being repaid, but the store has long gone bankrupt.
Industry chaos: Inducing loans, technology substituting inferior products for superior ones
Journalists’ investigation found that Xincheng Medical, one of the “Big Four Hair Transplant Companies”, once claimed to serve over 200,000 customers, but suddenly closed all its stores across the country last year, leaving a large number of consumers in a situation of “losing both money and goods”. Ms. Liu, an employee of former, disclosed that institutions often recommend high-interest online loans to customers with no money. Some consumers take out loans of tens of thousands of yuan, with interest rates as high as several thousand yuan. Some even face repayment pressure before the surgery is completed.
In addition, hair transplantation techniques also hold hidden mysteries. Ms. Liu introduced that the store mainly adopts the FUE technology (follicular Unit Extraction), commonly known as “robbing Paul to pay Paul”, which means extracting hair follicles from the back of the head and transplanting them to the bald areas. However, some low-cost hair transplantation projects may be carried out by interns. “Doctors with good skills may achieve okay results, but those who are too eager for bargains might encounter novices.”
Experts warn: The promotion of survival rates is suspected of being illegal, and the difficulty in identification has become a bottleneck for rights protection
Li Jialun, an expert from the China Association of Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Aesthetics, pointed out that hair transplantation surgery requires professional doctors to perform, and the technical requirements for extracting hair follicles are high. Improper operation may permanently damage the hair follicles. However, the industry has no clear regulations on whether “doctors should participate throughout the process” or “nurses should take over the shift”. He emphasized that legitimate institutions do not promise a “guaranteed survival rate”, and an actual survival rate of over 70% is already considered a relatively high level. However, the “95% survival rate” promoted by some institutions might be a “word game”, confusing the concepts of “hair follicle units” and “hair transplantation units”, and misleading consumers.
Chen Yinjiang, an expert on the Consumer Rights Protection Law of the China Law Society, said that claiming a “95% hair follicle survival rate” violates the Advertising Law and is an improper commitment to medical effects. What is more troublesome is that in hair transplant disputes, it is almost impossible to conduct survival rate assessment. Court judgments often fail to determine the responsibility of institutions due to insufficient evidence. Consumers often have to endure the pain of replanting, and the cost of safeguarding their rights is extremely high. Li Jialun said.
Rational reminder: Hair transplantation is not a “panacea”, and careful selection is the key
Experts appeal that hair transplantation is a medical procedure and is not suitable for all types of hair loss. Hair loss in young people may be related to factors such as stress and lifestyle. It can be improved by adjusting lifestyle first. Hair follicles are non-renewable resources. Once the transplantation fails, they cannot be retrieved. Li Jialun suggests that consumers must choose regular medical institutions, clearly understand the doctor’s qualifications and technical details before the operation, and must not easily believe exaggerated advertisements such as “100% effective”.
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