GENEVA, IL. – April 7, 2009. While lately most people are skeptical about their return on investment from stocks, some seem to be more inclined to invest in their locks.
According to a new online survey conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), 59.8 percent of people who were asked whether they would rather have more hair, more money or more friends chose more hair. By comparison, only 26.2 percent of respondents chose more money and 13.9 percent said they would rather have more friends. Of the 1,407 people polled, slightly more women (64.2 percent) than men (59.1 percent) indicated they wanted more hair than more money or more friends.
"This survey confirms that even during tough economic times, the desire for more hair is undeniably strong and seen by many as an investment with real dividends – both personally and professionally,” said William M. Parsley, M.D., president of the ISHRS. “These days, men and women are looking for any edge in this tight job market. Getting their hair restored can help make people more marketable to employers in looking more youthful, not to mention more confident in their overall appearance."
Other key findings of the survey include:
- When asked to identify a male hair transplant recipient in two separate sets of four photographs each, more than 60 percent of respondents were not able to correctly identify the male hair transplant recipient in each set.
- When asked to identify a female hair transplant recipient from a series of four photographs of women, about half of respondents (47.2 percent) were not able to correctly identify the hair transplant recipient.
- More than half of respondents (54.8 percent) said yes to the question ‘if celebrities or public figures were more open about hair restoration surgery would you be more inclined to consider having a hair transplant?’ When analyzed by gender, men were more likely to agree with this statement than women – 56.8 percent said yes among men vs. 45.3 percent said yes among women.
- When asked what locations hair can be transplanted to, a surprising 46.7 percent of respondents answered that hair can only be transplanted to the scalp. In reality, hair can be transplanted to several areas of the body, including the eyebrows, beard, eyelashes, and pubic areas.
An estimated 80 million American men and women suffer from male or female pattern hair loss. 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.
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 750 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.
Study Background
The purpose of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery’s (ISHRS) Hair Transplant Challenge Survey was to gather information on attitudes towards hair loss; knowledge about hair loss and hair restoration; and to test respondents’ ability to identify hair transplant patients.
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 May of 2008 and continued through January of 2009. As of January 2009, 1,878 respondents had participated in the survey and provided valid responses. A sample size of 1,878 has a margin of error of about +/- 2.3% at the 95% confidence level. For a full reprint of the Hair Transplant Challenge Survey report, prepared by RH Research of Chicago, IL, visit Hair Restoration Surgery Statistics
About the ISHRS
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is a global non-profit medical association and the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration with more than 1,100 members throughout 70 countries worldwide. Above all, the ISHRS is dedicated to achieving excellence in patient outcomes by promoting the highest standards of medical practice, medical ethics, and research in the medical hair restoration industry. The ISHRS also provides continuing medical education to physicians specializing in hair transplant surgery and is committed to delivering the latest information on medical and surgical treatments to consumers suffering from hair loss, and most commonly from androgenetic alopecia–male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss. It was founded in 1993 as the first international society to promote continuing quality improvement and education for professionals in the field of hair restoration surgery. For more information and to locate a physician, visit www.ishrs.org.
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