Home | Consult Us | Hair Loss Blog

Hair Loss Article

Hair Transplantation and Age: Am I Too Young? - Thursday, November 15, 2007

Am I Too Young For a Hair Transplant?

Many young hair loss sufferers seeking hair loss help come to our hair restoration forum asking about hair transplantation as a possible means to regrow hair. Though hair restoration surgery may be an option, there are several things to consider. The truth is, that young hair loss sufferers, especially those who just started to lose hair are typically not good hair transplant candidates. Admittedly, this topic is very controversial.

The purpose of this article is to discuss and present all the issues surrounding the risks of younger hair transplant patients undergoing a hair transplant procedure.

Education is vital and knowledge is power. The more those seeking hair restoration know, the better decision can be made. Let me stop here to caution the reader that it is extremely easy to make an emotional decision and jump into hair transplant surgery with the hope and dream of restoring a full head of hair. Let me assure you that I can certainly understand and empathize with the pain and grief you are experiencing while suffering from hair loss - but it is important to do this right. Making an emotional decision may just end up making your hair loss situation worse. I'll explain in this article. Keep reading.

It is extremely important that you understand what the hair transplant process process, the benefits, risks, and limitations that go along with it. Undergoing hair transplantation is especially risk for younger patients for the following reasons.

• Hair loss is a progressive condition and is unpredictable. Younger hair loss sufferers with minimal hair loss are very likely to continue losing hair. It's a sad reality however, it is very probable. Because hair transplantation is not a hair loss cure and does nothing to help combat future hair loss - getting a hair transplant at such an early age is risky and subsequent hair transplant procedures will most certainly be necessary as more hair is lost.
  
  
• The younger a hair loss sufferer starts losing hair, the more hair you MAY lose. This is not a definite however, the risks are increaesd.
  
  
• Donor hair supply is limited. Keeping in mind the unpredictability of hair loss in and it's progressive nature, a hair transplant patient also has a limited amount of donor hair - that is, hair that can be used for transplanting in the balding regions. Planning conservatively therefore is important for those losing hair with minimal hair loss. Though many hair transplant patients typically need more than one hair transplant procedure, younger hair transplant patients will most likely need more in order to stay looking natural (though staying ahead of hair loss with hair transplantation is a misnomer). This is why lowering the hairline significantly for younger hair transplant patients is highly unethical. Using a finite supply of donor hair to restore an ultra dense packed hairline will leave less donor hair in reserve in the event of probable future hair loss. The good news is, if a hair transplant patient does not lose more hair, they can always go back later to lower the hairline, or fill in areas to add hair density. Transplanting hair in the crown with minimal hair loss can also prove to be problematic. Additional hair loss around the crown may result in the "halo effect" leaving a ring of scalp around a patch of transplanted hair. See why it might be best to wait transplanting hair in the crown by reading the following hair loss Q&A blog.
  
  
• Hair transplantation is a financial committment. Many people think that one hair transplant surgery will be enough for them, and though it might be, it is rare. But those who are just starting to lose hair, hair transplantation might NOT be the answer immediately, especially if you need follow up procedures to try to keep up with your hair loss. Younger hair loss sufferers are typically not in the best finanicial situations. If there is only enough money for one hair transplant procedure and it is unknown more money will become available, it may not be a good idea to get a hair transplant.

But if these are all serious risks to be considered, why do ethical hair transplant doctors sometimes do hair transplantation on younger patients? Haven’t we decided that it’s too risky for a younger candidate to jump in the chair?

Each case must be taken individually. Answering whether a young hair loss sufferer is a good candidate is not a simple "yes" or "no" answer.

Below are a list of conditions that, if met, I feel it MIGHT be appropriate for younger hair loss suffererers to undergo hair restoration surgery:

1. The hair transplant patient is educated about hair transplantation and aware of all the benefits, risks, and limitations associated with hair transplantation.
2. The hair transplant patient is on Propecia or Proscar (both contain active ingredient finasteride which has been FDA approved as a hair loss medication) for at least one year before having an hair transplant.
3. The hair transplant clinic has gone over all of the benefits, limitations, and risks with the hair transplant patient
4. The hair restoration patient knows that subsequent hair transplant procedures will most likely be necessary to cover future hair loss loss.
5. The hair transplant surgeon creates a very conservative hairline that the hair transplant patient agrees to.
6. If hair loss is minimal, a conservative number of follicular unit grafts are used keeping a large reservation of donor hair for the potential future need.
7. Long term hair restoration goals are discussed in great detail mapping out a very specific game plan that is fitting for both the hair transplant physician and hair transplant patient.

Ethical Issues:

Many hair loss sufferers will try to keep up with their hair loss and go to hair transplant doctors who will give the patient what they want. You know the motto “the customer is always right”? This should NOT be the motto for the medical profession. In my opinion, hair restoration physicians who try to satisfy the immediate desires of the hair transplant patient without considering the future are highly unethical. These surgeons are more concerned about money in their pockets that the long term care of the hair transplant patient. For example: Dense packing a hairline with 3000 follicular unit grafts on a 20 year old hair transplant patient when they only just started losing their hair is EXTREMELY risky. Even if this particular patient has 7000 available donor hair grafts, this means they only have 4000 available grafts to for the rest of the scalp in the event of additional hair loss. Remember, hair loss is progressive and highly unpredictable. What if the hair transplant patient becomes a level 6 or 7 on the Norwood Scale? This hair restoration patient will ultimately be stuck with a low hairline and very thin hair behind it, leaving an unnatural look. Planning conservatively therefore, is extremely important for those of a younger age, especially those of a younger age with minimal hair loss.