When it comes to researching hair transplant surgery, today’s hair transplant patients are in more danger than ever. With the creation of product manufacturer “credentials,” and cosmetic surgery website “Top Doc” logos, the deck is stacked against consumers to make truly informed decisions. . Even our Undercover Tech has no clue what many of the “designations” actually mean.

Anonymous Tech: Hi. I think until a standard is created, until there is something that they're striving for, because right now, these physicians are just striving to be RealSelf Top Docs, or you know ... When you go on the artist's website, and you search in your area to see what physicians offer this technology around you, it will give you the list, and it will say if they're a silver member, or a gold member, or a platinum member. And I work with this device. Doctors who offer this device on a weekly basis, I'm working with these physicians, and I have no idea what that means. I have no idea what those labels mean.

But they want them. People want these labels. Patients want to go to doctors that have these labels.

Spencer Kobren: I can tell you what it means. When it comes to Real Self, essentially to become a RealSelf Top Doc, there's a certain ... It's fee based, like any other group or any other website, but essentially they have to answer a certain amount of questions initially to get that status. Create content for Real Self, and then they have a minimal amount of questions that they need to answer per month in order to maintain that RealSelf Top Doc status.

Joe Tillman did a great video on his YouTube channel. Just look up Joe ... Anyone who wants to see it, Joe Tillman YouTube, or Joe Tillman hair transplant mentor YouTube, and it explains what all these different symbols and insignias or certification seals actually mean when you go to a doctor's site.

Now, from what I understand, when it comes to becoming an artist gold member or silver member or platinum member, whatever it is, that is based on the number of attempts. And again, I could be wrong about this, but this is what I've been told. But it's essentially just based on the number of attempts they've made using the device, or the numbers of procedures and attempts, number of grafts extracted. So, if someone extracts a certain number of grafts in one year, they may become a gold member. If they extract a certain amount of grafts in a year and a half, they may become a platinum member.

So it's really about device use more than their true expertise.