Hair Transplant- Are you an Ideal Candidate?

Are you facing hair loss? Do you want to find a solution to this problem? Maybe you are planning on getting a hair transplant done? Hair transplant has brought exceptional results to many people who were facing baldness issues.

Hair transplant is a surgical procedure of removing hair follicles from one area of the scalp called the donor site and implanting them to the balding area hair called the recipient site.

A hair transplant surgeon may use different techniques to perform the surgery.

There are two main techniques involved:

• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT):

In FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation), the surgeon will remove a strip of scalp from the back of your head and then stitch it back. He will then separate this strip into smaller sections called grafts under a microscope. Next, he will make tiny holes in the recipient area and gently place those grafts in them.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE):

FUE (follicular unit extraction) is an advanced method of hair transplantation. It involves removing the follicular units, each containing 2-3 hair follicles, from a donor area of the scalp. Then, these follicular units are implanted carefully into the balding area.

So, these are the two main hair transplant techniques. Now let us give you some parameters to find out if you are an ideal candidate for the surgery.

Are you an Ideal Candidate for a Hair Transplant?

Hair transplant treatment is an option for hair loss. But this is not the best or most suitable option for everyone.

You must be wondering why this is not the best treatment option and who is the wrong candidate for hair transplant.

Hair transplant is a very intricate and essential surgery. It is crucial to know whether or not you are the correct candidate for this procedure before getting it done.

No hair transplant surgeon or plastic surgeon will recommend this procedure to you without first confirming that you are the right candidate.

Let’s discuss the factors that determine if you are the right or wrong candidate for a hair transplant process.

Recipient area (Baldness grade)

 

The recipient area is the area on which the hair grafts are implanted. Your doctor calculates the baldness grade between 1 and 7 on the Norwood scale. How much has the baldness progressed? Has it just started? Or has it reached an advanced stage? How fast are you losing hair? These are the factors that your surgeon will assess to determine if you are a viable candidate for a hair transplant.

Availability of the donor area

Your donor area is the area from where your surgeon will take the hair grafts. This area is generally on the back and sides of the head, your beard and body hair can also be effective donor areas. These areas are permanent hair zones and are not affected by Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. Your doctor studies the donor area to determine the density before deciding if you are a viable candidate. If you do not have a suitable donor area, you cannot get a hair transplant done.

Age

Hair transplant is conducted only on candidates above the age of 25. Your hair loss and baldness stabilize after the age of 25.

Physical fitness

Hair transplant is a lengthy procedure, and in some cases, the surgery is divided into multiple sessions. So it would help if you were physically fit to withstand this procedure.

Previous illness or surgery

If you have alopecia areata, or a keloidal tendency or a skin disease called lichen planopilaris, you are not the right candidate. If someone has a body dysmorphic disorder which is a disease in which individuals feel disgusted towards their own body. They always think that they have extremely flawed bodies; they are not the right candidates for hair transplant. These type of people will never be happy with the results of the procedure.

Unrealistic expectations

If a middle-aged person wants hair like a teenager, this is an unrealistic expectation. You should have age-appropriate expectations. Your bald patches and scars will get covered; you will have hair on your head as per your age and body tendency. Your hair transplant will also improve the visual density of your head. But it would be best if you also kept in mind the limitations of your hair. If you are unable to keep realistic expectations, your doctor may not recommend a hair transplant.

Stabilization of hair loss

There are many hair loss treatments, like Minoxidil, Finasteride. Also, medical procedures like platelet-rich plasma therapy, mesotherapy & low-level laser light therapy. If you have undergone these treatments and they have not worked for more than 6 months, you are the right candidate for a hair transplant. Your hair loss must stabilize for you to be the right candidate for hair transplant.

If you fit in the requirements of each factor that we mentioned above, then you can get a hair transplant. Ensure to consult your doctor about the procedure in detail and how hair transplant can help your baldness issues.