Cristiano Ronaldo is not the first person we think of when it comes to surgical hair restoration. In fact, he gives many of us hair loss sufferers hair envy, because his hair always seems perfectly styled and thick as ever. However, it appears that Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7) wants to help the less follicularly fortunate by opening up a hair transplant clinic in Madrid, Spain.
The clinic is called Insparya Hair Company. According to Ronaldo, self-care and image are important and he wants to help others have some control over how they present themselves to the world. When asked if he has or ever would have a procedure, he replied "when I think it's necessary to have a transplant, of course I'll do it", squashing the rumors that he had already had a procedure done.
What Do We Know About Insparya Hair Clinic
So far we know that Ronaldo (CR7) has invested a reported 1 million euros in to the business venture and over the next three to four years he will invest another 25 million. The facility will employ up to 150 hair loss professionals with 18 surgical rooms and a capacity to perform 18 hair transplant procedures per day.
In recent years, there has been an explosion in popularity for men and women to travel to countries such as India or Turkey to receive a hair transplant procedure at a low-cost. However, the Insparya Hair Company is being touted and promoted as an alternative to Turkish and Indian low-cost hair transplant clinics. According to the president of Insparya Hair Clinic Paulo Ramos, the plan is to open the hair transplant clinic in 2020.
Cons of The Low-Cost Hair Transplant Clinic Business Model
While hair transplant cost is a factor and will always be a factor for many hair loss sufferers, it should not be the main determining factor. Generally, low-cost hair transplant clinics focus on performing the maximum amount of procedures a day to maximize profits. This model can be dangerous, especially if the procedures are being entirely performed by unlicensed technicians.
Hair transplant surgery is a complex procedure that takes years of experience, skill and practice to master. Unfortunately, many of the technicians hired by low-cost hair transplant clinics have almost no experience or certification.
At this time, surgical hair restoration isn't a specifically practiced field in medicine. Much of the experience and skill that new surgeons learn is through an internship with other more experienced and seasoned hair transplant surgeons. Unfortunately, this model is not practiced by low-cost hair transplant clinics, the technicians that are hired can have little to no experience and begin working on real patients. Needless to say, that is a recipe for disaster.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, not much is known about the Insparya Hair Clinic, so an objective impartial view cannot be given at this time. However, based on the little facts we know, it appears that the clinic will be operated similar to the low-cost hair transplant clinics in Turkey and India. Now, this doesn't mean that the clinic will be bad, but it does raise some valid concerns amongst the hair restoration industry, especially since "black market FUE" clinics remain to be one of the biggest issues in the industry.
That said, all of this is speculation, it could be a huge facility that employs 18 hair transplant surgeons that perform ultra-refined hair transplant surgery on a scale that the world has never seen only time will tell. It is important to choose a hair transplant surgeon/clinic that has a proven track record of producing excellent patient results. Moreover, prospective patients should chose a surgeon who is accredited through a credible organization like the Hair Transplant Network.