In Mr Michael Mouzakis’ recent Instagram Q&A session, the question that came up time and time again was: ‘am I a suitable candidate for a hair transplant?’ So we thought it was worth dedicating a post to the topic.
If you’ve been considering a hair transplant, chances are your hairline is receding, and a hair transplant is the one procedure that is virtually guaranteed to solve that problem. However, there are some things to consider before you take the plunge:
How far along the hair loss journey are you?
Some practitioners like to talk about age as a factor, but the real question is how far your hairline has receded. If you have been losing your hair for a number of years already, whether you’re 25 or 55, you are likely to be a good candidate for a hair transplant.
If you have only recently started to lose your hair, a transplant will still be effective. But you may find you need to have further surgery at a later stage. Whilst the transplant will replace hair that has already been lost, it won’t prevent you losing hair in the future. So there is a strong chance that your hairline will continue to recede behind the line of implantation.
However, there is another option if you are still keen to undergo a hair transplant. You can combine a hair transplant with the use of drugs or topical treatments that counter the effects of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) on the hair follicles.
2. What type of hair loss do you have?
Another major factor when considering whether somebody is a suitable candidate for hair transplant is the density of hair in the donor area.
These days, the surgery is performed using a technique known as FUE (follicular unit extraction). Follicles are harvested individually from across a fairly large donor site. The results after FUE surgery are more natural with no scarring. And the missing follicles are pretty much imperceptible to the naked eye. However, it does mean that you need to have enough donor hair available.
People who have male or female pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia) are usually the best candidates for a hair transplant. This is because the hair follicles at the back and sides of the head are far less susceptible to the effects of DHT. So there is usually a good donor area from which to take the follicles.
Other forms of hair loss, such as alopecia areata or telogen effluvium can affect any of the hair follicles. These are not easily treatable with hair transplant surgery. The good news, however, is that these conditions usually right themselves over time.
3. How good is your general health?
As with any form of surgery, it is important to be in fairly good health generally. If you have any underlying medical conditions, you must make your surgeon aware of this as it may impact on the surgery.
If you are keen to find out more about your personal eligibility for hair transplant surgery, book an appointment with Mr Michael Mouzakis at The Private Clinic of Harley Street, call us on 020 3325 6540.
