Samson's Philosophy: Assisting you in Making the Best Choice for Your Future
In choosing a hair restoration practice, it is important to know as much about it as possible. This website has been developed to help you learn about Samson Hair Restoration. But, the information presented here can only take you so far. Of necessity, it is incomplete. We encourage you to visit our facilities, speak to our representatives, or email us to learn more.
"We will assist you in making the best decision possible, even if that means you have a procedure with someone other than Samson Hair Restoration or you do nothing at all."
Hair restoration surgery can and should be one of the most joyful experiences in a person's life.
The transplantation technology has advanced to the point that, in the right hands, a person can achieve truly natural-looking and undetectable results. A number of surgeons today do beautiful work. People suffering with hair loss now have a fantastic option for treating it. But, just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be. While the vast majority of people with hair loss are candidates for transplantation, some are not.
Time spent learning about hair restoration and the surgical practice you are considering is necessary in order to achieve the type of honest collaboration that enables both you and the surgeon to apply what is artistically possible with what is appropriate for you. So, take your time.
Why Samson
Today, there are a number of doctors who can perform quality hair transplantation procedures, unlike even a few years ago. Most doctors have refined their techniques and few still do the unnatural-looking plug procedures that so stigmatized this field. And, while the overall quality of the results from hair transplantation procedures is much better, you still need to be careful in who you select to perform your procedure.
There are a few things that distinguish Samson Hair Restoration from other companies in this field: Customer - Centered, Outstanding Physicians, Outstanding Results and An Outstanding Value.
Customer - Centered
The Founders of Samson Hair Restoration recognize that traditional medical practices generally provide poor service. Even in the field of elective medicine, such as hair transplantation, the service tends to be cold and impersonal. In addition, many of these elective medical practices utilize aggressive sales and marketing techniques in an effort to "push" people into having procedures. They often tell only part of the story to prospective patients. At Samson Hair Restoration, we do things very differently.
"In designing all our processes, we have looked first to the needs of our customers."
We have tried to make it easier for prospective clients to understand hair restoration and its benefits and limitations. Our Zone Restoration Approach and Zone Pricing Plan were developed so that people could make a more informed decision about the procedure as compared to the "by the graft" sales approach. For example, with the "by the graft" approach, the prospective patient is usually given a wide range of possible grafts and is left to pick an amount of grafts depending upon his budget. This seems irresponsible to us. We believe the medical practice should be able to be much more specific in its recommendations based upon the needs and goals of that prospective patient.
We recognize that the decision to have hair transplantation is a big one. For some, it can be scary, even though the procedures are actually quite simple. We seek to give you the best, most complete information in a warm, relaxed atmosphere so that you can make the best possible decision for you. Whether you decide to have hair restoration or not, or if you decide to have a procedure somewhere other than Samson, we want you to be fully informed. That is the essence of our philosophy.
Outstanding Physicians, Outstanding Results
There are many factors that influence the ultimate outcome of any hair transplantation procedure, perhaps most important among those factors is the quality of the physician. We choose only medical doctors with outstanding academic and surgical credentials to join Samson. This standard is considerably higher than what is legally required for this type of procedure. For example, non-surgeons are legally permitted to perform hair restoration surgery. Non-MDs also perform hair restoration. And, while some of these other practitioners can perform quality hair transplantation, we at Samson Hair Restoration have made a decision to utilize only Board Certified Surgeons. This policy goes a long way toward insuring an outstanding result for our clients.
But that is not enough. We are careful to select physicians who have the requisite temperament, judgment and ethics to be great hair transplant surgeons. These issues are subtle, but very important to the quality of the result that our client experiences. There is a great deal of variation in physicians and we have experienced recruitment professionals on staff selecting the physicians for Samson.
"At Samson Hair Restoration we utilize only Board Certified Surgeons."
An Outstanding Value
Hair transplantation procedures are expensive when performed by the large national chains. These companies have large advertising costs and expensive facilities costs that inevitably must be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher fees. We at Samson Hair Restoration utilize very little advertising. We have chosen to develop each Samson office primarily through word of mouth or referrals.
The result of our marketing approach is twofold: First, we have a lower volume of people coming into our offices. Therefore, we can spend much more time with each person, giving him or her the information needed to make a truly informed decision. Samson will never be a hair transplant mill. It is not how our physicians care to practice, nor is it in the best interests of our clients. The second result of our marketing approach is that we can charge much lower fees for our services. At the large, national chains, marketing costs can easily exceed half the total costs of a procedure. We avoid almost all of those costs and can pass the savings on to our clients.
The three broad qualities above help define Samson Hair Restoration. Feel welcome to explore our website to learn more.
The Big Three
Samson is focused on sustained excellence in three broad areas: the naturalness of the transplanted area, the minimization of donor area scarring and the overall comfort level of our clients. Before even beginning to market our services in any significant way, the Samson Founders devoted years to refining their procedures in each of these areas.
The Front Hairline. As mentioned above, the naturalness of a hair transplant procedure is largely determined by the appearance of the front hairline. Samson uses a proprietary technique called the Quadrian Hairline Technique to insure the most natural front hairlines.
Donor Area Scar. Similarly, Samson has developed proprietary techniques to minimize donor area scarring. Many physicians consider donor area scarring to be an unimportant issue since the client's hair covers the scar. As a result, their suturing techniques are somewhat elementary and rushed. Samson surgeons all utilize plastic surgery techniques in closing the donor area. These techniques require more time and attention from the surgeon. Samson surgeons take whatever time is necessary to do the finest donor closure. Their goal is to create the absolute minimum scar possible, whether that scar is visible or not.
Customer Service. Customer service in the field of hair transplantation is highly variable. Some practices deliver outstanding service and some are surprisingly remiss. At Samson, customer service is of paramount importance. In our pursuit of excellent service, we have developed a more informative consultation process so that prospective clients can make a much more informed decision about whether hair transplantation is right for them or not. At Samson we would rather talk a person out of having a procedure by providing more information, than talk a person into a procedure by providing less.
"The Samson Founders devoted years to refining their procedures."
One of the most important elements of customer service in this field comes in the management of the pain of the procedures. Fear of pain, or the actual experience of pain, is a major factor in a person's satisfaction. Samson has developed its Pyllo Anesthesia System to dramatically reduce the pain of the procedure. Some patients have gone so far as to report that the Pyllo system results in a painless procedure.
In addition to their management of pain, Samson physicians take extra steps to make the entire post-operative experience as benign as possible.
Physicians
1. The Nature of Hair Transplantation
Hair transplantation is thought of as a medical procedure because it involves surgical manipulation of human tissue and must be performed by a doctor. This view of the field, while technically accurate, is somewhat misleading. It is true that the procedures must be performed by licensed physicians, but hair transplantation is much more like sculpture than it is like having one's appendix removed or having a broken bone repaired. And, while the medical issues are well-understood by many hair transplant physicians, the aesthetic issues often are not.
In a traditional surgical procedure such as an appendix removal, the surgeon follows a carefully prescribed set of steps to accomplish the procedure with maximum safety to the patient. There is no place for creativity. The surgeon either follows the steps or risks harm to the patient and liability to himself. There are little to no aesthetic considerations associated with such procedures. The doctor thinks first, and only, about taking care of the problem of the moment. And, in most cases, the problem is of an urgent nature.
Hair transplantation procedures are quite different. The procedures are entirely elective. Nobody has to have hair transplantation to survive. In addition, much greater emphasis must be given to the aesthetic considerations involved. Also, the doctor must plan for the problem of future hair loss that might, or might not, occur. Hair loss is a multi-decades long phenomenon of uncertain progression. This is a very different environment from what most physicians are trained for, and accustomed to. This calls for a very different set of skills on the part of the physicians. What makes for a great surgeon in traditional medicine often makes for a less capable hair transplant surgeon. Paper qualifications mean very little.
"One of history's greatest artists, Leonardo da Vinci, is probably the single most significant influence on our Unique Hair Transplant & Hair Restoration Procedure."
Medical Success, Aesthetic Failure
Medically speaking, hair transplantation procedures are quite simple. The procedures simply involve moving hair from one part of the head to another. It is very easy to do this successfully. A physician with even very rudimentary training can move hair and get it to grow. In fact, the results pictured below are examples of hair that was successfully moved from one location on the head to another. And, while one might call these examples "medical successes" because the relocated hair is growing well in its new location, they are clearly aesthetic failures.
example of poor hair transplants
example of poor hair transplants
By far, hair transplantation procedures are more influenced by aesthetic considerations than medical ones. As one of the pioneers in the field of hair transplantation put it, "hair transplantation is about 10% medicine and 90% art." Think of it as sculpture where the medium is human tissue rather than marble or clay or bronze. The same issues that a sculptor must think about if sculpting a human face, facial proportions, location and shape of the hairline, for example, are issues the doctor must consider in hair transplantation. In fact, one of history's greatest artists, Leonardo da Vinci, is probably the single most significant influence on the procedure. It was da Vinci who analyzed and published detailed sketches of facial proportions hundreds of years ago. He discovered the rule of 1/3rds that governs the location of hairlines in males (see drawing below). This rule is the starting point for all hairline reconstruction.
hairline sketch by Leonardo da Vinci.
2. Understanding Physician Qualifications
With the number of hair restoration physicians advertising their various impressive-sounding credentials, someone considering hair restoration can quickly become confused about what it all means. How do you objectively evaluate a physician? How do you know if a doctor does good hair transplantation procedures? What credentials really matter? What can you discern about a physician from his background? Below, is a brief primer on physician qualifications, which includes information to help you evaluate their education, training, credentials and licensing. This information is general, but should serve as a good starting point as you evaluate the physician you are considering.
"You should feel comfortable requesting a copy of the doctor's CV before scheduling your procedure."
The CV
A physician's CV or curriculum vitae, is in essence, a resume. It summarizes the physician's education, training, and credentials. Most hair restoration physicians have CVs available upon request. You should feel comfortable requesting a copy of the doctor's CV before scheduling your procedure. Any failure to provide you with this information should give you pause. It is standard in the hair restoration field to have one.
Education
Every doctor attends medical school after college. In the United States, there are two main types of schools of medical education: traditional medical schools from which graduates earned an MD or Doctor of Medicine degree, and schools of osteopathic medicine from which graduates earn DO or Doctor of Osteopathy degrees. Typically, physicians will list these initials following their name, for example James Smith, MD or James Smith, DO. If a person refers to himself simply as Dr. James Smith, you do not know which, if any, degree he has.
While US medical schools are among the finest in the world, there are many fine medical schools outside of the United States as well. There are also some schools whose standards are noticeably weaker. If a physician has attended a school with which you are unfamiliar, you can do independent research to find out more about the school.
Any MD or DO (doctor of osteopathy) Can Perform Hair Transplantation
Any graduate of a medical school who gets licensed in a particular state, can immediately begin practicing hair restoration, whether he or she has any experience in the field or not. That person may have no surgical experience at all. The fact is, physicians' skills in the field of hair restoration vary widely. This is why it is so important to investigate the background of the physician you are considering.
Training
Following medical school, a physician will typically complete an internship and residency. The internship training is the final year of training before licensure as a physician, and a residency is directed toward a particular specialty. Since there is no recognized hair transplantation specialty within traditional medical education, the information about a person's residency and internship will not be immediately helpful in assessing his qualifications.
However, a little deeper understanding can tell you a lot more. Medicine is broken down into two main branches: surgery and medicine. This is confusing to many, but perhaps the easiest way to think about the distinction is that medical specialists treat patients with medications, while surgical specialists also do operations. While medical specialists are MDs, they are not surgeons and do not perform operations. To perform traditional surgery, a physician must complete a surgical residency (curiously, a physician can legally perform hair restoration surgery without any surgical training).
Generally, a physician with experience in traditional surgery will tend to have better skills in the surgical aspect of a hair transplantation procedure. He or she will tend to have a greater knowledge of how to minimize scarring for example, which can be a problem in a patient's donor area. A trained surgeon will tend to have the skills to insure a smooth, uneventful procedure and to deal with unexpected occurrences with ease.
It is true that an untrained surgeon may perform fine hair transplantation procedures as well. But, you would be wise to question such a physician about his/her qualifications before undergoing a procedure.
Licensing
Every physician must have a license in the state where he or she practices medicine. In most states, there are separate licensing organizations for medical doctors and osteopathic doctors. Usually a physician will include his license number on his CV. You can contact the relevant licensing organization to check to see if a physician's license is current and "in good standing." The organizations will happily provide this information if you give them the physician's license number. If there are complaints or actions taken against a physician, this information will typically be available when you inquire.
Board Certification
Board certification is also an area of great confusion. There are recognized boards, certification by which establishes that the physician has demonstrated knowledge and proficiency beyond basic medical education. Those boards have rigorous standards that a physician must meet before testing to earn board certification. There are also "boards" that are basically marketing vehicles that physicians can use in advertising to convey the impression of specialized knowledge and training when they, in fact, may have none. With some of these types of boards, a physician may only need to pay a fee to obtain "board certification."
Discerning the differences between real board certification and the image of board certification is difficult. However, generally, the authentic boards are recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). If a physician claims ABMS board certification, you can trust that this is evidence of proficiency. It is by no means a guarantee, simply one more piece of evidence by which to judge your physician. There is no ABMS recognized board in hair restoration or hair transplantation. Relevant boards to consider as you evaluate your prospective physician are the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Certification by either of these boards is meaningful about a physician's abilities.
Below you can be connected to each State's Medical Board. The menu contains links to Medical and where appropriate, Osteopathic Boards: Medical Boards
Specific Training in Hair Transplantation
Physicians receive no formal training in hair transplantation during medical school and little, if any, exposure to hair transplants after medical school. Some plastic surgeons learn the basics of hair transplantation surgery during their residency. Most physicians either take a course in hair transplantation surgery (which can be as little as one weekend in duration), or affiliate with another surgeon or surgical group, before opening their own practices. Not surprisingly, the quality of the training in the field of hair transplantation varies widely.
You should inquire about where and how the physician you are considering got his/her training in hair transplantation. Who was the supervising surgeon? How long has he/she been practicing? How long was the training program? How many patients did the physician see? How many procedures did he perform under supervision? What were the sizes of the cases (number of grafts involved) on average?
Practice Experience
Perhaps most relevant in evaluating the ability of your prospective surgeon is his experience in practice. You should inquire about how long he/she has been practicing hair transplantation surgery specifically, not just surgery. How many cases has the surgeon performed? What is the average size of the case? Are there particular types of cases that the physician prefers? Who does the physician think are particularly unsuitable candidates for hair restoration procedures?
Personal Characteristics
Developing a comfortable relationship with your surgeon will also be helpful as you embark on a course of treatment in hair restoration. You should feel free to ask about any aspect of the procedure and get an honest and unhurried explanation. You should avoid a surgeon who you feel is pushing you to have a procedure, or with whom you are uncomfortable. Remember, these procedures are entirely elective. There are a number of practitioners that perform them. You should take as much time as you need to make a comfortable decision for you.
"You should take as much time as you need to make a comfortable decision for you."
Summary
Hair transplantation procedures are an excellent solution to the problem of hair loss for most people. There are many qualified practitioners in the field. There are also some less qualified. Take your time and investigate the physician you are considering before consenting to a procedure. This brief guide is a good first step.
3. Samson Physicians
Not just any physician can join Samson. All Samson surgeons are Board-Certified Medical Doctors with outstanding medical credentials. But, in addition, Samson physicians must possess unusual aesthetic sensitivity. Samson seeks only those physicians that first demonstrate an awareness of, and appreciation for, aesthetic issues. Further, the physician must demonstrate an openness to learning. Each receives in-depth training in the Samson Method. Samson does not need to teach the doctors about medicine. They've already learned that in medical school. But nowhere in their medical training do physicians ever learn about aesthetics, in particular, facial aesthetics. There is no such class in medical school. Even plastic surgeons receive little such training. The Samson Method gives them this training.
"Samson physicians must possess unusual aesthetic sensitivity."
In addition to a strong aesthetic appreciation, Samson seeks out physicians who have the requisite temperament and integrity to be outstanding hair transplant surgeons. It is important that the doctor possess a patient-centered attitude and the ability to function well on a team. These are not common qualities among physicians. He or she must be willing and able to communicate both the pros and cons of hair transplantation procedures. Medical ethics require nothing less.
Samson Employees
Each person who joins the Samson Hair Restoration team has been selected according to very rigorous standards. Foremost among the attributes we seek in people is their ability to care about others. That is the essence of what we do at Samson Hair Restoration.
Perhaps surprisingly, the most important group of people to Samson Hair Restoration is NOT our clients. While extremely important and the reason we exist, our clients must come second to our employees. Without exceptional people, Samson Hair Restoration is just another business that clients can choose or not.
If Samson Hair Restoration were not to exist, clients would still be in the marketplace having hair restoration, just as they did before Samson Hair Restoration. We cannot be the company we strive to be without outstanding employees to deliver our services. The quality of the results Samson Hair Restoration provides, and that our clients demand and deserve, requires great employees. Those employees will ensure that our clients get the best.
"We cannot be the company we strive to be without outstanding employees"
Concierge
Traditionally, the Concierge is a staff member of a hotel or apartment complex who assists guests or residents. The term is synonymous with high quality service. Because we think of our clients as our guests, and because it is our aim to provide you with extremely high quality service, we have staffed each Samson Hair Restoration office with a Concierge to serve you. Your Samson Hair Restoration Concierge is there to help insure that you have an outstanding experience. Below, are numerous ways they can be of service, but this list is by no means exhaustive. Do not hesitate to tell us how else we may be of service to you.
(Arrange air travel, car service, hotels; ask question; arrange financing; schedule appt)
Military Discount
Samson Hair Restoration recognizes the sacrifices of the men and women who protect our freedom. As a thank you to them, Samson offers current members of our Armed Forces a credit of 20% toward the cost of any procedure(s). It is the least we can do to show our appreciation.
Community Service
The people of Samson Hair Restoration feel an obligation to make a contribution to the communities in which they operate. It is their way of "giving something back." In each city with a Samson facility, the company dedicates both time and money to help support some of the worthy causes locally. Below are some of the ways Samson Hair Restoration helps support the community.
By Referral
Most physicians in the hair restoration field are aggressive advertisers. They recognize that hair transplantation is an elective procedure and they need to attract attention to their services. This is perfectly acceptable behavior in business, including medical businesses such as hair transplantation companies.
Perhaps two of the most notable examples of this marketing approach are Medical Hair Restoration and Bosley Medical (recently renamed just "Bosley"). Both companies produce very professional commercials and infomercials that inform people about their services. We make no negative judgment about that approach. It works well for them. We at Samson Hair Restoration have, however, chosen to avoid the expense and limitations of a heavy advertising-based marketing approach in favor of marketing based upon traditional word of mouth or referrals.
We have chosen a referral-based marketing approach for a number of reasons: First, advertising, and in particular television advertising, is very expensive. The costs of the advertising must be passed on to the clients in the fees those companies charge. Second, with any advertising medium, there is a limited amount of time and space in which to communicate with clients. Some important information must be left out. We are not comfortable with some of the limitations on what can be communicated through television. Finally, our marketing approach means lower volume: fewer prospective clients in our offices. However, for those that do come, we can spend more time with them. We think this permits us to deliver higher quality service to our clients.
"Our marketing approach means lower volume for those that do come, we can spend more time with them."
Our Spokesperson: Richard Dalton
Richard Dalton, former hairdresser to the late Diana, Princess of Wales and internationally acclaimed hair designer is the spokesperson for Samson Hair Restoration. About a year ago, Richard Dalton, aware that his hair loss was progressive, started looking into the options available for treating hair loss these included hair restoration treatments. With the help of his contacts in the industry, he discovered that transplant technology had progressed to the point that, in the right hands, transplantation would achieve natural-looking, virtually undetectable permanent results. "I was concerned about the obvious-looking hair plug transplants and the unnatural hair line I had seen over the years," Dalton explains. "My research led me to Samson Hair Restoration and its Hair Restoration Physicians and the high quality artistic work they do for patients based on their individual needs."
Richard's first procedure in August of 2003 took place in Samson's Atlanta office. Under the direction of Dr. Stephen Leonard, Richard had 2,072 "follicular units" of hair transplanted from the "donor site" at the back of his scalp. With the administration of local anesthetics, the transplantation process was very tolerable. "It was a lot easier than I expected" says Richard, "I watched a movie, ate lunch and talked with Dr Leonard throughout the procedure. There was very little discomfort. After this first procedure, I am not the least bit hesitant in having a second or third procedure if required."
Salons We Work With: Referred by the World's Top Hair Stylists
The Samson Founders felt their refined procedures were so good that they could withstand the scrutiny of the most discerning eyes. Hair stylists, in general, had a very negative view of hair transplants because most had seen clients with terrible results. Stylists were far more likely to try to talk someone out of having transplants rather than the reverse. Samson decided to test the naturalness of their procedures by presenting their results to the hair styling community. The response was highly favorable and as a result, Samson promotes its work almost exclusively through hair salons and barbershops. And, as mentioned above, Samson even recruited one of the world's most famous hair stylists, Richard Dalton, as a spokesperson.
"Samson promotes its work almost exclusively through hair salons and barbershops."
In addition to Richard, Samson counts a number of the world's most accomplished hair stylists among its clients.
Samson does almost no advertising, preferring to develop its practice by word of mouth. Referrals from satisfied clients and hair stylists comprise the vast majority of Samson clients.
