New Survey Finds Majority of People Cannot Detect a Hair Transplant

Our survey clearly shows that it is nearly impossible to detect a modern-day hair transplant

Sept 2010

For those who think they could identify a person who has had a hair transplant, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) has news for you.

According to a new online survey conducted by the ISHRS, the majority of people could not identify a hair transplant in a series of photos between real patients and men and women who have not had hair restoration surgery.

Specifically, when asked to identify a female hair transplant recipient from a series of four photographs with only one actual patient, 88.3 percent of respondents were not able to correctly identify the hair transplant recipient.

Similarly, when the same question was asked for photos of four men, 65.5 percent of respondents could not pick the male hair transplant recipient.

"Our survey clearly shows that it is nearly impossible to detect a modern-day hair transplant, as the results we can achieve today with the latest surgical techniques consistently produce natural-looking, permanent results," said Edwin S. Epstein, MD, ISHRS president. "That's why more and more men, and women, of all ages are turning to hair restoration surgery to combat hair loss."

Other key findings of the survey include:

Nearly all respondents (91 percent) felt that hair restoration was more accepted now than it was 10 years ago.

When asked to view photos of four popular male celebrities and select which one had the best hair, more than half of respondents (54.1 percent) thought Patrick Dempsey had the best hair, followed by Hugh Jackman (24.1 percent), Tom Cruise (11.5 percent) and Johnny Depp (10.3 percent).

When asked to view photos of four popular female celebrities and select which one had the best hair, Penelope Cruz edged out Jennifer Aniston (39.6 percent vs. 33.6 percent, respectively) as the female celebrity with the most coveted hair, followed by Kim Kardashian (17.5 percent) and Beyonce Knowles (9.3 percent).

More than three in five respondents (61.9 percent) felt having more hair would help them be more successful in getting a job or advancing in their career.

As many as seven in 10 respondents (73.1 percent) would trade a "treasured personal possession" for more hair.

Hair loss affects 50 percent of all men and over 25 percent of women worldwide and has been shown to have a significant impact on a person's self-esteem and overall quality of life. Fortunately, recent scientific breakthroughs have made hair restoration an option for almost everyone. Hair restoration surgery and proven medical treatments are an effective combination in treating people with thinning hair and limiting future hair loss.

The world's leading physician authorities on hair loss and restoration will gather at the ISHRS's 18th Annual Scientific Meeting, October 20-24, 2010, in Boston, Mass., USA. The theme being "Revolution & Evolution: Revolutionary Concepts and Evolutionary Techniques in Hair Restoration."

About the ISHRS

Founded in 1993, the ISHRS is a non-profit medical association dedicated to the advancement of the art and science of hair restoration. With a membership of over 800 physicians worldwide, the ISHRS provides continuing medical education to physicians specializing in hair loss and restoration surgery and serves as a resource for the public on the latest medical and surgical hair restoration treatments for hair loss. For more information and to locate a physician, visit www.ishrs.org.

Study Background

The purpose of the ISHRS 2010 Hair Transplant Challenge Survey was to gather information on attitudes towards hair loss and hair restoration and to test respondents' ability to identify hair transplant patients.

About the Survey

Conducted by RH Research of Chicago, IL, the survey was made available on the ISHRS website to visitors interested in participating in the Hair Transplant Challenge Survey. Data collection began in late March and continued through August of 2010. As of August, 595 respondents participated in the survey and provided valid responses. A sample size of 595 has a margin of error of about +/- 4.0% at the 95% confidence level. For a full reprint of the Hair Transplant Challenge Survey report, visit www.ishrs.org/mediacenter/media-statistics.htm.

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