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I am only 17 years old. How Long Do Hair Transplant Results Last?

I am only 17 years old but I have been going bald for a while from the front to the back. Both left and right hand sides in the front are gone. I was thinking about having hair transplant, but how long would the hair stay on for? Or is this not a good idea?

Doctor Answers 7

Hair transplant results are for life.

August 5th, 2015
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Hair transplant results are for life as long as it was taken from permanent donor hair zones. The issue for hair transplant surgery for a young 17 year old is that you may have continued hair loss of your native hair and you would need to a Master Plan to address the continued hair loss. In addition, a hair transplant surgery can accelerate the hair loss.
Jae Pak, MD


Los Angeles Hair Restoration Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 84 reviews

Is Hair Transplant feasible for Young Patients?

January 16th, 2012
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I do not do hair transplants on teenagers that are undergoing massive hair loss.  The problem is you have no idea where the good donor hair is and you can spend a lot of money and the hair will be quickly lost.

Jack Fisher, MD

Jack Fisher, MD
Nashville Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 4 reviews

Hair Transplant at Young Age

April 5th, 2011
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At 17, you are likely not an appropriate candidate for a transplant procedure, instead are best treated conservatively with Propecia. While the transplants are considered “permanent”, as you get older and experience more hair loss, you will likely run out of donor hair to cover up the areas of future hair loss.

Web reference: http://www.foundhair.com/pages/hairtransplant.shtml

Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS

Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS
Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.7 out of 5 stars 109 reviews

Hair Transplants are Permanent, But at Your Age...

November 28th, 2009
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I totally agree with the other docs. At 17 if you are losing hair, you would most likely lose much more over your lifetime meaning that you would eventually run out of usable donor hair and because hair transplants are permanent would most likely be left with an unnatural result that would be glaringly obvious and terrible.

You are interestingly an excellent candidate for medical management or could be because these medications (see video) work particularly well on the younger patient with early hair loss, so-called miniaturization. hope that helps as a start.

best,

dr. sam lam

Samuel Lam, MD

Samuel Lam, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.6 out of 5 stars 53 reviews

Hair Transplant Success

November 8th, 2009
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All males have a genetic program which determines how much hair you will lose and where on your scalp this will occur. Hair transplants last a lifetime if the hair is taken from an area of the scalp where baldness will not occur. Unfortunately, the ultimate extent of the alopecia cannot be determined at your age with rapidly progressing hair loss. I suggest you see a transplant surgeon to document your baldness and perhaps prescribe a medical treatment. I don't recommend surgery at this time.

Richard W. Fleming, MD

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 36 reviews

Get a thorough evaluation

November 6th, 2009
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Alex,

You should definitely see a hair loss expert who can recommend the best 'total approach' for you to follow. Hair transplantation is permanent, but there are other medications such as Propecia (finasteride 1mg) which can help slow down your hair loss and keep you from thinning at such a rapid rate. With Propecia, up to 90% of men will actually regrow hair for up to 2 years after starting, and then maintain a plateau for many years afterwards. This is a safe medicine that has been on the US market since 1997. Consult with your dermatologist or primary doctor to at least get started on this before you try to pursue hair transplantation!

Nicole E. Rogers, MD

Nicole E. Rogers, MD
New Orleans Dermatologist
4.0 out of 5 stars 2 reviews

This is not a good idea now.

November 3rd, 2009
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You need to wait a few years to determine if you will have enough hair to proceed. Otherwise, the hair transplants(which last forever) might be out there by themselves on the front of your head and not enough hair to finish the job! 

Toby Mayer, MD

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 32 reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.