IPOH (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A healthcare salesman wanted more hair but ended up poorer and getting scarred.

The 35-year-old paid RM30,000 (S$9,900) for a transplant procedure in Taiwan that promised to solve his receding hairline problem within a year.

"I went for the treatment on Oct 17 last year but there was no improvement at all.

"In fact, my hairline is still receding and it looks worse than before," said the man who wished to be known only as Yau.

"I now have a 2.5cm scar on the back of my head," he said, adding that he had opted for the Taiwan treatment because it cost a fraction of the price compared to those available in Malaysia.

Yau tried to get a refund from the Taipei-based company but without success.

"I last spoke to one of its representatives on WeChat in October. They did not offer any compensation and instead told me to go back to Taiwan to undergo another procedure," he said.

Yau later found numerous negative reviews about the company on the Internet.

"The company has changed its name and is actively promoting its services in Malaysia," he told a press conference held by Perak DAP Public Complaints Bureau chief Steven Chaw here yesterday.

Yau hopes his bad experience would prompt those planning to get hair treatment to do a prior background check on the service provider.

"People need to be careful. I hope they will not be like me," he said.

Chaw said he would discuss with his party's legal bureau on how best to help Yau get compensation from the company.

"It will be hard because the company is based in Taiwan, but we will try.

"My advice to the public is: Always seek out companies based in Malaysia in case you want a refund if the service is unsatisfactory," he said.