When is the Best Time for Hair Transplant?

Hair loss at a young age

In a society where a full head of hair can symbolize attractiveness, youth, and success, experiencing hair loss at a young age can be particularly distressing. The majority of men will experience male pattern baldness at some point in their life, a condition which is passed down through family generations via specific genetic markers. However, male pattern baldness usually develops later on in life – between the ages of 30 and 40. If you are experiencing hair loss at a younger age, it is likely that another factor is causing the hair loss. There are many different reasons why someone might be experiencing hair loss at a young age, including certain skin conditions, excessive styling or tension on the hair, and more. However, living with these conditions and the psychological impact of hair loss can be mitigated, and transplantation surgery could provide an effective long-term solution.

How to prevent hair loss at a young age

It is commonly believed that hair loss is inherited from the mother’s father. However, preventing hair loss in early stages is more efficient than searching for a cure when the problem has worsened. The most standout preventive measure for all types of hair loss is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This is very essential to combat hair problems as poor dietary habits constitute a major cause for hair loss. Moreover, it is necessary to ensure that hair remains clean. This implies regular shampooing and good hair hygiene. In addition, poor circulation to the scalp will only result in poor hair condition. This is mainly due to the fact that the scalp does not receive sufficient blood flow, necessary for obtaining the right amount of oxygen and nutrients to the hair. I’m advised not to use medicinal remedies such as « hair tonics » that are advertised to be effective in maintaining a ‘good crop of hair’. This is mainly because the use of such agents could further damage the hair. Last but not least, stress can be one of the main contributing factors to hair loss. It is believed that a greater percentage of men with hair loss problems are mainly as a result of having a genetic predisposition to the problem and at the same time, be overstressed. Hence, it is recommended that daily exercise is committed. This will help a great deal in relieving stress and in balancing hormonal levels in the body. This will further send a message to the effect that hair health is being given a top priority.

At what age can you get a hair transplant?

Picking the right time to get a hair transplant is really important. This is because after a transplant, it takes time for the hair to grow and for the final result to show. Also, you need to have some hair at the back and sides of your head, as these are the places that the doctor will take hair follicles from and transplant them to the place where you’re losing hair. This is because the hairs in these areas are less likely to fall out, and so the hair will continue to grow after it’s been transplanted. So, is there a minimum age for having a hair transplant?  some hair transplant clinics won’t do the surgery on younger adults. This is because their hair loss might not have finished yet. It’s really common for men to start losing hair in their early 20s and for the hair loss to continue. If you have a hair transplant and then carry on losing hair, it could leave you with a patch of healthy hair in the middle of a bald area. Also, younger people typically don’t have much spare money, and hair transplants can be expensive. But, maybe the most important thing to think about is the reason why you are losing hair and how this might change in the future. There are lots of different reasons why people have thinning hair, and some of the other causes of hair loss can look a bit like the common type that can be treated by surgery. For example, an illness or a stressful life event could make your hair start to fall out, and maybe it seems like you’ve got the common male type of hair loss when actually it’s something different. This is why if you’re under 25, most doctors will only recommend medicine to stop the hair loss, like finasteride or minoxidil. Also, you talk about if you are happy with having a scar at the back of your head, as a hair transplant does leave a small linear scar that will be hidden by your hair once it’s grown back. Finally, make sure that you are having the surgery for the right reasons. It’s usually best to wait until you’re older so that you’re more likely to be at a stable point with the hair loss. And don’t forget to think about whether you might want a second hair transplant in the future, if you do carry on losing hair all the way until you are allowed to get a hair transplant. Because of all these things, it is better to wait until a suitable age to get a hair transplant.

What is the best age for a hair transplant?

Some suggest that the best age for a hair transplant is between 30 and 40. The main reason for this is that hair loss at this age is usually moderate to severe. Patients tend to have clear balding patterns and their hair loss is ongoing, which allows their doctor to make a more accurate assessment of future hair loss. Placing too many grafts in the frontal hairline at a younger age can cause the patient to run out of donor hair that’s placed in the front. Because hair transplant surgery is usually performed with the patient under local anaesthetic, some doctors will not perform surgery on patients under the age of 25 due to the ethical and moral implications. This is because younger men may have a developing pattern of hair loss that makes it more difficult to predict where their hair is going to go, and over time they may have a very different pattern of hair loss. It is important to consider that each patient will be different and may require a bespoke consultation to decide the best course of action for their age and their pattern of hair loss. Some patients may be better suited to alternative treatments such as medication or low-level laser therapy. In these cases, a hair transplant may be postponed until a later date. However, those who choose to have a hair transplant when they are young could end up needing additional surgery in the future, particularly if their hair loss continues. In general, doctors agree that older patients make better candidates for hair transplant surgery. This is because their hair loss has « stabilised » and they are less likely to require further surgery as they get older. However, no matter what age a patient is, it is important to continue to use a hair loss medication after a hair transplant to ensure the longest possible lifespan for each hair graft that is transplanted. Another reason why older patients are generally better candidates for hair transplants is their general health. As a patient gets older, they are more likely to develop age-related conditions that could affect the success of the hair transplant. For instance, compared to a younger person, an older patient could take longer to heal from a hair transplant and is also more likely to develop an infection. As previously mentioned, the transplanted hair is programmed to be permanent, however the existing hair surrounding the grafts is still subject to the effects of DHT (dihydrotestosterone), the hormone that causes hair loss. This means that the patient’s hair on and around the transplanted grafts is likely to still thin over time and therefore patients must continue to use a hair loss medication post surgery, regardless of their age. Gradual thinning of the hair is a completely natural part of the ageing process and generally notice no significant hair loss before the age of 40. The most common cause of hair loss is a genetic condition called « androgenetic alopecia », also known as male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness affects around half of all men by the age of 50 and some experience the condition at a much younger age. It usually starts with a receding hairline and thinning on the crown.

What happens during an FUE hair transplant?

During an FUE hair transplant, a highly experienced doctor extracts hair follicles from the donor area, typically the back of the neck, using a specialized extraction instrument less than 1mm in diameter. Follicles are then transferred to the recipient area on the scalp and implanted using a powerful stereo microscope. This step is critical to ensure that the newly transplanted hair grows in a natural direction and that the hair transplant results will appear natural and dense. Unlike more invasive hair transplant treatments, this leaves no linear scarring and healing time is significantly reduced so patients can get back to their lives much more quickly. The removal of individual follicles is what sets the FUE method apart from any other hair transplant treatment. It’s a time-consuming process but, done properly, will offer a great cosmetic result. Before removing a follicle, the doctor separates the surrounding tissue from the follicle, then frees and extracts the follicle. As a result, the follicular units come out with the hair still attached to the follicle. Once enough follicular units have been extracted, the doctor will move on to the next stage of the procedure. The surgeon then cleans and numbs the area where the hair will be transplanted to and creates holes or slits using a needle or blade. This is where the experience of the surgeon is critical – creating the right angle and direction for the transplanted hair is what will make it look natural and ensure the best possible hair restoration. Every follicle, no matter what hair transplant method is being used, must be treated in a sterile way to ensure a good take of grafts and prevent the possibility of any scalp infections. All these small details add up to a great result. Once the slits have been made, the doctor will carefully and gently place each graft in one of the holes. Varying sized grafts are used with the smallest most densely packed at the front and the largest at the back. This stage of the hair transplant procedure is pivotal because this is where the cosmetic art of hair transplant surgery comes into play. Placing the hair in the right way and angle is what will make the hair look natural and avoid that ‘pluggy’ look. Much of the skill is in the design and with a good specialist, the end results of FUE hair transplant are very beautiful and permanent.

What happens if you get an FUE hair transplant too young?

Users are informed that individuals under the age of 25 are not considered good candidates for hair transplants, but the reality is that most individuals will experience some degree of hair loss by the time they’re in their 30s. However, people in their 20s want to know « why not me? » The reality is that there are a variety of reasons why individuals under the age of 25 are not considered good candidates for a hair transplant. The first is that their hair loss pattern may not yet be established. So, we can be in a situation where we lower the hair in one area and then another area starts thinning and we’ve got to chase the patient’s hair loss, moving hair around: It just doesn’t work. Another consequence is the psychological effect on a young patient if the results are not what they expect.  The possible impact that a hair transplant can have on the donor hair at the back of the head is also a reason why individuals under the age of 25 are not considered good candidates for the surgery.

Can you be too old to get an FUE hair transplant?

Actually, hair transplantation methods such as FUE and FUT, removal of hair roots from the nape area one by one, can be applied to everyone who has healthy hair roots regardless of age. However, factors such as the speed of wound healing and the regrowth bear special importance for older patients. The curative power of the skin decreases in individuals who are above 65. Therefore, it takes longer for the scars to disappear. However, hair transplantation ensures a permanent solution as well as a natural appearance. The important issue here is to employ state-of-the-art technology, the most advanced and reliable methods, as well as a successful and specialized staff in a risk-minimized environment. So, by this way, success can be achieved at greater rates in hair implantation operations of old patients. On the other hand, hair transplantation becomes a process that is more inclined to yielding good results in younger patient groups. The main reason for this is that younger patients typically have fewer health issues and a stronger immune system, making the hair regrowth faster and more effective. In this way, it becomes easy to get over the processes such as the day when hair roots are removed and the day when the hair starts to grow. The success in hair transplantation is not only associated with age but also depends on the type of hair and its characteristics. For example, the success rate is higher in wavy hair when compared to straight hair. However, the differences are not such groundbreaking stats. As long as a reliable and successful clinic is selected, the most appropriate treatments are recommended by the healthcare providers, and the given instructions at every stage of the operation are strictly followed, old patients do not have to worry about not having good results.