It’s
not often that a bad hair cut is cause for celebration.
However,
in Ryan Gaw’s case an irritating incident over a really bad hair
cut was short lived after he reminded himself that such an experience
wouldn’t have been possible a few years earlier.
Ryan,
31, who spent a big part of his late teens and twenties trying to
conceal his hair loss, is mindful that unlike baldness, a bad haircut
can be grown out within a few weeks.
“I
recall being pretty upset about a bad haircut,” Ryan says.
“But
by the time I’d gotten home and had another look in the mirror I
started to see it as a good thing.
“I
was actually grateful for the experience. A few years earlier I
would’ve been hiding my hair loss with a hat or shaving it at home
with my clippers.”
Ryan,
who became affected by androgenetic alopecia during his late teens,
sought medical help for his condition with renowned hair restoration
physician Dr Jennifer Martinick in 2008.
Having
since had two hair transplant procedures – a 2,000 graft and 1500
graft hair transplant – he no longer shows any signs of the hair
loss that once affected his self-esteem and interaction in social and
professional situations.
Motivated
by personal experience and a passion for helping others (men) whose
self-esteem has been affected by hair loss, Ryan trained to gain
employment as a consultant for Dr Jennifer Martinick in February
2009.
Ryan
says his career path, which has seen him undertaking further training
to work as a technician and assistant in surgery since March 2011,
couldn’t be more perfect.
Having
endured years of feeling bad about his thinning hair, he is keen to
share the positive life changes that can occur when patients are
counselled toward proven medical treatments.
“I’ve heard lots of stories from patients about how they’ve
wasted money on (inappropriate),” Ryan says.
“The level of empathy for someone affected by hair loss is
obviously very high when one has had the same experience.
“I’ve
built a lot of close relationships with patients. They say they
appreciate being able to speak to someone who has been through the
same thing.
“In
particular, a lot of men are deeply affected by hair loss, but don’t
share their feelings because they think their concerns will be
trivialised.
“But
the fact is there is a real way to treat the condition and enjoy all
the benefits that come from renewed self-esteem.
“It
really means a lot to people to be able to look in the mirror and
feel good about what they see.”
Ryan
says like many of the people he has consulted, his own life changed
considerably after he had a hair transplant with Dr Jennifer Martinick.
In
the three years since having a hair transplant, he has met his
partner, started a new career and is moving forward with other life
goals.
“My
lifestyle has also improved significantly because I’m no longer
restricted by a former preoccupation with covering up with a hat.
“I
have greater self-esteem and this is reflected in my relationships,
because I now have the confidence to relate to people on a deeper
level.”
