Photo set
Send a complete scalp photo set, not one selfie
A useful photo consultation should show the hairline, temples, mid-scalp, crown, donor back, donor left, donor right, and side profiles. One front-facing selfie is not enough to judge donor safety or graft priorities.
- Take front hairline, left temple, right temple, top, crown, back donor, left donor, and right donor photos.
- Add side-profile views so facial proportions and hairline height can be discussed.
- Use the same session and lighting to avoid misleading comparisons.
- Include both close and wider face-framing views where possible.
Lighting
Lighting should reveal the scalp without exaggerating loss
Photos taken in harsh flash, dark rooms, strong overhead light, or filtered camera modes can distort thinning. The clinic needs honest visibility, not flattering or alarming images.
- Use bright natural light or consistent indoor light.
- Avoid filters, beauty mode, fibres, sprays, or concealers.
- Do not use only wet-hair photos unless requested.
- If density is unclear, include dry and gently parted views.
Donor photos
Donor-area photos are essential for safe graft planning
Many patients send only thinning-area photos, but donor capacity is the limiting factor. Clear donor photos help identify density, previous scars, possible depletion, and whether in-person assessment may be needed.
- Photograph the back and both sides of the donor area.
- Show current hair length and any previous extraction or strip scars.
- Mention previous transplants, SMP, or donor-area concerns.
- Ask what cannot be confirmed from photos alone.
Medical history
Photos must be paired with medical and hair-loss history
Images do not explain diagnosis, stability, medicines, allergies, chronic illness, smoking, supplements, previous surgery, or family pattern. These details can change suitability and travel safety.
- State age, sex, hair-loss duration, family history, and recent shedding changes.
- List medicines, supplements, allergies, diabetes, blood pressure, and blood thinners.
- Mention scalp itching, redness, pain, scaling, or patchy loss.
- Share previous transplant details and any complications.
Expectations
State goals in priority order
A clinic cannot safely plan if every area is described as equally important. Patients should state whether their priority is hairline framing, mid-scalp coverage, crown improvement, repair, density, or camouflage.
- Rank hairline, mid-scalp, crown, temples, beard, eyebrow, or repair goals.
- State whether you prefer conservative naturalness or maximum density.
- Ask what goal is realistic with your donor supply.
- Ask what should be deferred if grafts are limited.
Limits
Photo consultation has safety limits
Photos can support triage, but they cannot fully replace in-person examination, dermoscopy, density measurement, medical clearance, scalp disease assessment, or final consent. Clinics should clearly state what remains provisional.
- Ask whether the graft quote is provisional until examination.
- Ask whether surgery can be reduced, postponed, or cancelled on medical grounds.
- Ask whether diagnosis is clear enough from photos.
- Ask whether you should see a UK dermatologist before travel.
Data and consent
Photo privacy should be explicit
Hair-loss photos are sensitive health-related images. Patients should ask how images are stored, who reviews them, whether they are used for marketing, and how consent can be withdrawn.
- Ask whether WhatsApp photos are stored in clinic records.
- Ask who can access your images.
- Ask whether images will ever be used in marketing.
- Ask how to request deletion or correction of records where applicable.
