I'm 24 yrs old, How Many Grafts Do I Need to Cover Bald Areas? (photo)

Thank you for your question!  At my office in Matthews, North Carolina, I typically recommend a holistic approach to your hair loss.  This incorporates the use of oral supplements known to assist in hair loss prevention, light treatments, platelet rich plasma/fibrin matrix injections, topicals, and eventually hair transplantation.  In your case, since you are not interested in medications, then hair transplantation is worthy of use.  You need to realize though, that hair loss is a dynamic process and that it will continue despite your transplants.  This means you will most likely need multiple hair transplant treatments.  I would start by estimating 2500 grafts at a far glance.  Follicular unit extraction technique would be a good option for you.  Ask your local surgeon more questions about this technique and the ancillary procedures that may help in your hair care!I hope this helps!

Hi, and thanks for you question. You have hair on top of your scalp now, but you will lose these hairs with time. So I recommend maximum follicles transplantation for you. You have hair on top of your scalp, during the transplantation, we have to protect your existing hair. For this reason I recommend DHI (CHOİ PEN) technique for you and 5000-5500 hair follicles can be transplanted in one season.

Dear topgun1111Thanks for the question. After a proper hair consultation , any hair surgeon will advice you to keep on with Propecia for a year and then it would be good to consider a hair transplant surgery. As far as I can see even there are some new hair coming up in the area in which you request surgery. I wish you all the best.

Hello, Thank you for your question. I could say with min 3000 grafts, we could get a very successful and dense view. However actual number of graft will be decided after a face to face consultation.

With your picture I can say around 1500 – 2000 grafts. This amount need to be confirm on consultation.

I think the most important thing is to set proper expectations on what you may and may not be able to achieve with a hair transplant.  You are likely to continue to lose hair, and medical treatment can help to slow or even stop that process.  Hair transplant may be useful to try to maintain the current status of your hair, and starting with 1500-2000 grafts is not unreasonable, but you must understand that hair loss can be relentless and progressive.  It is likely that you would need more transplant sessions in the future, and other therapies (medication, topicals, PRP, light therapy, etc) can help to maintain or improve your surgical results.
Keeping your hair very short does make it somewhat more difficult as well.  This makes it somewhat harder to improve hair "mass" or density on the top, and depending on how short it is kept on the sides, may even make it difficult to camouflage the donor area (depending on harvest technique).  You would probably be fine to proceed with an FUE technique (like Neograft) without being able to see any scarring at the donor area as long as some hair length is maintained at the donor site.
An in-person exam with a fellowship-trained hair restoration surgeon is definitely recommended in order to review all of your options in detail.
All the best,

If you keep your hair as short as you on the photo, surgery will not help.  Surgery may actually make it worse and leave you with scarring even if you use the FUE method of harvest.  You must consider that you may go on to lose all your hair as a possibility.  There is nothing wrong with wanting surgery but you probably need to see a doctor for a proper exam before considering the option.  Photos cannot substitute for an exam.

Thanks for the photos. Based on your desire, you would need a rather large grafting session of atleast 3,000 hairs.  Perhaps 4000 will fill out the areas you wish to restore "dense packing".  You likely have the resources.

Thanks for the thorough and detailed information you provided. It looks like approximately 3,000 grafts would be enough to provide you with the hairline and density you desire. However, this would need to be ultimately determined through an in-office consultation. Also, considering you wear a buzz cut and need hairline work, I recommend using FUE hair transplant. FUE produces the least amount of scarring and is an excellent procedure for creating soft, natural-looking hairlines through the use of nape hair. Best of luck to you.

Hair transplanting is a surgical system that will support in the re-distribution of the hair follicles from one section of the scalp, called the 'donor site', to a smooth or balding bit of the scalp known as the 'recipient site'. It is employed as a last resort to manage hair loss and balding.

What provokes hair loss?
Hair loss can be the effect of ancestry, hormonal variations, underlying pathological conditions, or a natural part of aging. Anybody can lose hair on their head, but it's known to be more prevalent in men. Baldness typically attributes to excessive hair loss from your scalp. Paternal hair loss with age, otherwise known as male pattern baldness is the most probable cause of baldness.

What is the prevailing treatment plan for hair loss?
Early-onset – The quick detection of male pattern baldness is an asset. Supplements and medication like; minoxidil and finasteride recognized by the FDA USA can be used to not only block DHT accumulation on receptors but also hinder the hair shaft in the anagen phase for a longer period.
Strategies like platelet rich plasma might work for some patients as well. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that since this condition is genetic, the available approach is not permanent and can only post-pone the outcomes of what is to come.
Later stages – Any of the above treatments may not be as efficient during the later stages of male pattern baldness. Hair transplantation is the best option for cases at this end of the spectrum.

How many grafts do I need?
It is important to note the different graft zones first;
1. The safe zone – 3,000 to 3,500 grafts can be grafted from this region. These are very robust and strong graft follicles.
2. The standard zone – 4,000 to 4,500 grafts can be transplanted from this segment. The grafts obtained from this region can experience thinning post-surgery.
3. The extended zone – 5,000 to 5,500 grafts can be transplanted from this part. The follicles grafted can encounter thinning post-procedure.
4. Beard – 1,000 to 1,500 grafts can be transplanted from this area onto the scalp.
In your case, 3000 to 4000 grafts are possible but it would also depend on their viability.

Should I receive a hair transplantation in my 20’s?
Ideally, a hair transplant should be the ultimate reserve for a subject diagnosed with male pattern baldness. The first goal is to control the hair loss, if that is not taken care of then, the grafted hair follicles may also fall out. Thus, it is more beneficial to save the healthy grafts for more advanced stages rather than getting a hair transplant procedure done quicker than required.
Hair transplants are long-lasting solutions to the predicament of baldness and thinning hair. For some patients, hair transplanting will alone satisfy and they do not require any supplementary procedures.
Some cases may opt for PRP hair fall therapy or laser hair therapy later. Nonetheless, this depends on the view of their aesthetic specialist.