Reportage: Botched work and fraud – the business of beautiful hair

One in four women and a large proportion of men suffer from hair loss during their lifetime. It is a major burden for those affected, especially when it begins at a young age.

But what can you do if your hair is getting thinner and thinner? For many people, a hair transplant is the solution. But it is not only expensive, it can also go wrong!

For the MDR series "exactly", reporter Jonas Juckeland gets to know those affected. How do they deal with hair loss at a young age and what solutions have they found for themselves?

Would these be something for him personally? The report “Botched jobs and fraud: The business of beautiful hair” can be seen from June 27th in the ARD media library and on the YouTube channel “MDR Investigativ”.

"It's just hair, why don't you shave it off? You look like an old man!" Jacob M. started losing his hair at 18. Such comments often hurt him. Today, Jacob is practically an expert on the subject.

On his YouTube channel, he speaks openly about the socially taboo subject of hair loss. But it wasn't always like this. In "exactly," Jacob talks about his long and emotionally stressful search for a solution to hair loss.

Among other things, he took medication containing the active ingredient finasteride. This stopped the hair loss, but had side effects. "The main side effect, which in turn took away a lot of my joy in life, was erectile dysfunction."

The dermatologist Dr. med. Abdou Zarzour from Halle (Saale) is critical of active ingredients such as finasteride. He says he has already treated 10.000 patients and emphasizes that medication, shampoos or other cosmetics should not be used indiscriminately to combat hair loss.

In men, hair loss is often hereditary. And more and more people want to conceal it with a hair transplant. Hair surgeon Reza Azar shows how such an operation is carried out. It is work that takes many hours and comes at a price.

This also makes hair transplantation a lucrative business model. For "exactly", an injured patient reports how he was "ripped off and disfigured". Lawyer Christoph Bomke shows photos of his over 800 affected clients whose hair transplants went wrong.

In your mid-twenties and suddenly losing your hair - an emotional topic. Because it's not just about hair. Rather, it's a socially taboo subject that is discussed openly and honestly in the film.

And it is also a very personal search for clues by the MDR reporter with the question: Why is our hair so important to us?

The solution that Jonas Juckeland finds for himself can be seen in the new episode of the report series “exactly” and on August 10th from 20.45:XNUMX p.m. on MDR television in the series “Exakt – Die Story”.

© Photo: Towfiqu Barbhuiya, Unsplash