What should I do if I am told I have a weaker donor area?

Question

Is there away to make it stronger by taking FDA approved medication? Or should I forget about transplantation all together.?

Gregory DeLange, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. Unfortunately there is not any medication that will make new hair grow, it will only help retain the hair that you have.

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

There is no medication for poor donor area.  Having a "weak" donor area means you are not likely a candidate for surgery.

Ashley R. Curtis, MD · Answer

While I would, of course, have to examine your scalp in person before I made any real diagnosis, I can say that if you were told that you have a “weaker donor area” it is most likely because you have fewer hair follicles available in this area for transplant. There are several different medications and non-surgical treatment options that can encourage existing hair follicles to produce thicker or fuller hair, but without a large number of healthy donor follicles to draw from, an extensive hair transplantation procedure that restores the fullness you once had will be challenging.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) techniques, because they are able to draw scattered individual follicles from a more diffuse area, may be able to provide you with sufficient hair follicles to add coverage in specific areas. Depending on the extent of your hair loss, this approach may be able to provide you with the desired aesthetic effect. Moreover, even though medications like minoxidil and finasteride may not be able to make your donor area “stronger,” they have been shown to significantly slow the progression of many forms of hair loss, and in some cases to even regrow hair. Advanced hair restoration procedures like platelet rich plasma or red light therapy may also be able to do a great deal to help you keep the hair that you already have. Most forms of hair loss are progressive, and so a hair transplant without some other form of preventative maintenance plan will not prevent further hair loss from occurring. Fortunately, hair transplantation procedures are not your only hair restoration option. I would recommend that you consult a doctor with extensive experience treating hair loss so that you can figure out what approach is best for you.

Justin Misko, MD · Answer

I recommend you visit with a physician for an office consultation.  You need to clarify if there is actual loss or miniaturization in the donor or that you have a lower density.  If you have a lower density in the donor it shouldn't eliminate you from candidacy, although that may vary from physician to physician. Lower density may simply mean there are few grafts available for a transplant.

William Woessner, MD · Answer

DUPA, or Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia is a diagnosis of an overall thinning of hair globally across the scalp. I saw that a person below mentioned DUPA however did not explain the acronym. Yes there can be some interventions if properly diagnosed by a hair restoration physician. Finasteride and minoxidil may help. I definitely encourage you to have  a serious consultation to determine the DUPA or not.

What should I do if I am told I have a weaker donor area?

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Answer: Weak Donor

Answer: Weak Donor

Answer: What should I do if I am told I have a weaker donor area?

Answer: What should I do if I am told I have a weaker donor area?

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What should I do if I am told I have a weaker donor area?

Answers (8)

Answer: Weak Donor

Answer: Weak Donor

Answer: What should I do if I am told I have a weaker donor area?

Answer: What should I do if I am told I have a weaker donor area?

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Everything you need to know about Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.