Censorship in its purest forms is the suppression of free speech; whether we agree with something or not, free speech is essential. Unfortunately, there is a history in the industry of suppressing negative reviews, unhappy patients, and even hiding the truth from the public. The Hair Transplant Network has fought long and hard to uphold the patients right to exercise free speech. In this article, we will be discussing why censorship is not only wrong but also skews public perception unfairly.
Why Censorship Is Bad
Censorship affects our everyday lives. Depending on where you live, the government may withhold information from the public, and in some countries, you may even go to jail for having critical comments. At the core, censorship and corruption go hand in hand. There needs to be checks and balances in place to ensure that censorship is not occurring for the sake of withholding vital information from the public for monetary gain.
Censored Hair Transplant Patients
There are some unscrupulous hair transplant surgeons, clinics, and even websites that will block unhappy patients from sharing their experience. This suppression can come in various forms, and some patients are given a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before having surgery- this protects the clinic if the patient is unhappy, they are not allowed to share their genuine experience to anyone, anywhere.
In other instances, patients may come to a website to share their experience, and shortly after may find themselves banned, blocked, and silenced. Every hair transplant surgeon, at one point or another, will have an unhappy patient for various reasons. Some people are impossible to please. How a surgeon deals with these unhappy patients shows their standard of ethics and integrity.
Free Speech and Accountability On The Hair Restoration Network Forum
In the twenty-first century, the Hair Transplant Network forum has fought several lawsuits that were brought on by unhappy surgeons angry about patients sharing their experiences on the forum. It would have been a lot cheaper to silence those patients by banning them and removing their comments. Rather than compromise, we fought to preserve the integrity of the community.
We learned a valuable lesson; freedom of expression is far from free, but you cannot put a price on integrity. The goal of our community has been to bring accountability to an industry that lacked any for so long. We must hold physicians accountable, as well as patients. The scale must be balanced so that every participant patient or physician can participate freely.
Agenda posting, which involves posting false information with malice intent for financial gain, does not constitute free speech. Ridding the forum of agenda posting is also vital for maintaining a fair and balanced environment. Building trust through transparency is our motto, and perhaps this is why our hair loss forum has maintained its popularity for the past two decades.
Conclusion
Belonging to a transparent community that keeps physicians accountable is vital for any potential hair transplant patient. The hair transplant industry has evolved from the days of transplanting 'doll' hair plugs because of accountability. When the field of hair restoration is held accountable, it creates necessity, and innovation is the mother of necessity. Be careful and learn from other patients first before choosing a hair transplant surgeon.