Hair transplantation is a wonderful treatment option to permanently improve the appearance of your hair. The procedure involves moving existing hair (donor hairs) from the back of your scalp, where hairs are resistant to genetic causes of hair loss, to areas of hair loss or thinning along the hairline or crown. Superior, natural-appearing results rely on realistic surgical planning based on your number of available donor hairs, compared to the size and necessary density of the treatment area. Patients with early onset, rapid, or severe hair loss, unfortunately, may eventually develop a “donor mismatch” where they don’t have enough donor hairs to naturally treat the entire area of hair loss. This can be managed artfully in patients whose hair loss has stabilized. Unfortunately, young patients—under 30—continue to lose hair. So I strongly recommend to my patients at this age or earlier starting an oral or topical finasteride or dutasteride and a topical minoxidil. Based on my patients’ needs, I may add other topical treatments and/or minimally invasive procedures that introduce growth factors to the scalp. All of these treatments work to maximize your existing hair, prevent further loss, preserve your donor hair, and reduce downtime after transplantation once your hair loss has stabilized.
