Am I a candidate for a hair transplant? (photos)

Question

am a male , 46 years old , healthy and active . few days i sent my head pictures to a reputable hair transplant clinic in turky for a HT conseltation and the doctor told me that am not eligible for a Hair transplant . should i give up ? or i should pursue my dream to have my hair back ? my expectations are very realistic i just want some hait on my frontal hair line

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your photos and providing details about your health and expectations. I completely understand your desire to restore your frontal hairline—it’s a very common concern and your expectations seem realistic.

Hair transplant eligibility depends on several factors beyond age and overall health. These include:

The quality and density of your donor hair (typically from the back and sides of your scalp)

The pattern and extent of hair loss

Skin and scalp characteristics

Previous procedures or scalp conditions

From your photos, it looks like your donor area may be limited, which is often why some clinics might consider you not an ideal candidate. This doesn’t mean giving up on your goal—it just means that traditional hair transplantation might not provide the results you’re hoping for.

Other options to explore include:

Medical therapy: Finasteride or topical minoxidil can help maintain and potentially regrow some hair.

Scalp micropigmentation: A non-surgical technique to create the appearance of density along the hairline.

Combination approaches: Some patients achieve good results with partial hair transplant plus medical therapy or cosmetic techniques.

The key is to choose an approach that is safe, realistic, and preserves your existing hair. Sometimes, patience and a staged approach yield the best long-term results.

Ross Kopelman, DO · Answer

If the doctor in Turkey deemed you ineligible for a hair transplant, it’s likely due to factors such as insufficient donor hair or the extent of your hair loss. Given that, it's possible you're not an ideal candidate for a successful transplant. Hair transplants require a strong donor area, typically on the back or sides of the scalp, to harvest healthy grafts. If that area is too thin or compromised, the procedure might not yield the results you're hoping for.
In your case, if your donor area isn't strong enough or the extent of your hair loss is too advanced, pursuing a hair transplant could lead to disappointing results. However, there are still non-surgical options that may help improve the appearance of your hairline, such as:
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma): This treatment can stimulate hair growth and improve the health of your existing hair.
Minoxidil or Finasteride: These medications can help slow further hair loss and, in some cases, regrow hair.
Scalp Micropigmentation: If you're looking for a cosmetic improvement, this technique can create the appearance of fuller hair without surgery.
While a hair transplant may not be in the cards, you still have options to improve your hairline and appearance.

Taner Karahan, MD · Answer

I hope this answer finds you well.First of my answer will be regarding your realistic expactation and from my point of view as a hair transplant surgeon.There can be some revision options but I will tell about 'my own best' treatment plan.1.Natural and good looking hairs is not possible without a suitable hairline design.Your hairline is more afro type of hairline(flat) and lower then it should be.(Da Vinci 1/3 rule).Despite the fact that SMP Works well in selected cases,for me it is not a good idea to do that in frontal hairline zone without any hairs.So it would be great if SMP in frontal hairline zone (1-2 cm upwards) and in temporal regions will be removed first to be able to re-create a natural (considering age,race,gender etc) one.2.Second step:HT. Your donor area is not really perfect but considering your expactation is realistic and limited with frontal zone,some natural result can be achieved.Frontal zone(not only hairline but all frontal zone) is approximately 70 cm2,and a good density is around 30 FU per cm2.so you will need 2100 FU grafts for frontal zone and a couple of hundreds grafts to restore temporal peaks.Your donor area can afford that.SMP with other areas (midscalp and crown) still is usefull espacially you have hair in frontal zone which frame your face in a very natural way.I hope it helps.Best Regards..

Wipawan Vathananai, MD · Answer

First of all, the hairline created by tattooing is way too low at the moment. In order to reach the level which you got the tattoo done, lots of grafts will be needed and your donor hair might not be enough. I would recommend you to get tattoo removal laser first so the hairline could be achieved higher. 
From the photos, it seems to me that you also have retrograde alopecia which obviously limits the donor safe zone.
With the combination fo FUE and FUT, around 4,000 grafts could be harvested from the donor area. However, you will have to keep your hair at least 2 cm long to cover the FUT scar.
Another option is using your beard as the donor hair which could probably provides around 800-1,000 grafts
I hope this help

Ilhan Serdaroglu, MD · Answer

You  are a candidate for  a  hair  transplant  surgery but When I look to your donor site that is poor and has a limited area that we are not able to get enough number of follicles to cover all bald spot and restore preexisting hair in one  session  of  hair  transplant . So I can cover  only  1/3  of your  whole  bald  area . So  I may planning to restore a frontal hairline first that is propotional to your face and hair transplantation near to projection of ears. We would restore rest of area (almost  ½ or  2/3 of  all  bald  area) that is remained untransplanted/bare in second or  third  sessions those  would  be planned at least 6 months aparts after first one.We may also plan to do a body FUE and harvesting grafts as much as possible in order to get high number of follicles to try to cover all bald spot and restore almost  whole preexisting hair.

Matt Tahsini, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. My clinic is very close to Long Beach, I'm in Torrance and I would love to meet you and offer you a free consultation. I pride myself on giving you my honest assessment with no pressure. Going overseas can sometimes be problematic, if you have an issue it's tough to get it resolved. Give me a call and we'll talk.

Thank you,
Dr. Matt Tahsini
(877) 925-3974

Thank you,
Dr. Matt Tahsini
(877) 925-3974

Am I a candidate for a hair transplant? (photos)

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