Hair transplantation (also called hair replacement surgery) is the only permanent solution to hair loss. In the hands of a qualified physician, the procedure yields natural-looking results that can be maintained without an endless regimen of drugs or a monthly drain on the pocketbook. You may have decided to go the route of hair replacement surgery to solve a hair-loss problem of your own.

If so, know that the most important factor in your success will be your choice of a qualified physician. It is a sad fact that not all hair transplant specialists are created equal. The skilled doctor, highly experienced and knowledgeable in state-of-the-art techniques, is still rare and hard to find. He is a true artist that has done thousands of cases personally. Far more common are large groups that import surgeons with less than 10 years experience.

Be sure to ask how many hair transplants the doctor has done himself and ask to speak with many, many happy patients. If the doctor has done thousands of surgeries he will be able to comply. Anyone who can't may be using outdated practices with limited understanding of this new field of medicine. Most of the time such procedures yield embarrassing or unsightly results.

In your search for a doctor, look until you find one who performs hair transplants every day. Ask to view a surgery in progress and be prepared to travel when you find a doctor that is able to comply. The chances of locating a qualified specialist practicing down the street from you are slim indeed. If you find your prospective physician unwilling to answer your questions or making excuses as to why you can't meet former patients or view a live procedure, know this is a sign that the doctor is probably not the highly skilled specialist you are seeking. Another question to ask is how many assistants work with the doctor on any given day.

The right answer will be ten or more. Many assistants are needed to harvest and separate the up to 3,000 miniscule hair follicles a qualified doctor will plant in your scalp during your three-to-five-hour session. If only a few assistants are involved, many sessions will be needed, at high cost and trouble to you, before you achieve good hair coverage.

Save yourself thousands of dollars by selecting a doctor with a large staff, ensuring your work probably will be done in one or two sessions. Choosing the wrong physician can result in nightmares: phenomena like scarring, freaky-looking hairlines, doll-head hair (holes poked into the scalp and inserted with small clumps of hair), and other unnatural disasters. Don't be a victim of ineptitude. Permanent hair replacement is a once-in-a-lifetime gift you give yourself.

Do it right the first time, and you'll never look back in regret.

Dr. Lawrence Shapiro has performed over 10,000 permanent surgeries in the last 18 years in his hair transplant Florida clinics. He was the first U.S. doctor to practice strip-incision and micro-mini grafts/follicular unit techniques. Call him at 1-800-799-4247, or visit his website.