The Consumer Council on Monday expressed concerns about the sales tactics used by some hair transplant and growth treatment companies, noting frequent complaints involving large sums of money.

In one case, a man paid HK$170,000 for 2,000 artificial strands of hair.

The watchdog said he suffered scalp inflammation after two treatments and almost all the strands implanted fell out within a year, despite claims they would last for at least six years.

Another complainant spent HK$88,000 on hair restoration procedures and laser treatment. But he said a number of treatments were ineffective, falling short of the claim that there would be a visible effect after one session.

Both firms refused to offer a refund, and the council has referred the first case to the Department of Health.

The watchdog's chief executive, Alaina Shum, said a hair transplant is considered to be a medical procedure and should only be conducted by a registered medical practitioner at a place with a valid licence.

"The council considered that if the relevant treatment had far-reaching implications for the effectiveness of the hair transplant, the trader should have taken a more proactive approach in contacting the consumer for follow-up, so as to improve both the effectiveness of the hair transplant service and the consumer experience while also helping to avoid unnecessary disputes," she said.

Shum said the public should bear in mind that the effectiveness of such procedures varies in each individual case and they should not be too quick to believe adverts and sales pitches.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden