Patients at times do get overwhelmed when they start to lose hair or see thinning regions on their scalp. Their mind first jumps to a hair transplant, however, it is crucial to understand that there are many steps to treatment involved before surgery. 1. The first step is to identify the root cause of the problem. The physician will diagnose the issue by checking if the hair fall/loss is caused due to stress, telogen effluvium (mechanical sources: pulling, tugging, twisting), hormonal imbalance, nutritional imbalance or genetic conditions like male pattern baldness. 2. Once the diagnosis is confirmed treatment protocol is followed. In males, male pattern baldness is most likely the progressive cause for hair loss. In that case: Early-onset – The early detection of male pattern baldness is an advantage. Supplements and medication approved by the FDA USA can be used to not only block DHT accumulation on receptors but also keep the hair shaft in the anagen phase for a longer period. Treatments like plasma rich plasma might work for some patients as well. However, it is important to remember that since this condition is genetic, the available treatment is not permanent and can only post-pone the effects of what is to come. 3. The progress of treatments, medication and the thinning or baldness will be assessed by the physician who will tweak the treatment as necessary. For most patients, the effects of balding can be prolonged with the right combination of medication and additional treatments. 4. Once the baldness has significantly progressed is when hair transplant will be suggested as the last resort. This is because the number of viable grafts are limited on the scalp.