Hair transplant is a procedure that calls for certain factors for you to be considered a good candidate. It’s not to give an air of exclusivity, rather it’s more of protecting the patient. With the right candidate, hair transplant will definitely create a significant improvement in one’s appearance. So, why then can’t anybody suffering from hair loss immediately qualify for hair restoration surgery?
If you think that going for surgery is a practical answer to your hair loss, then you might want to read on further. This is not to dissuade you against surgery, but to help you make an informed decision. Here are the reasons that will tell you whether you are a good candidate or not.
Finite amount of donors
Upon assessment, the surgeon will determine how much hair is viable and available for use. The donor site, found at the back of the head, is evaluated to see which among those strands would make for good potential grafts. Considering the area and the amount of hair that it contains, you can see that there is a finite amount of hair grafts that can be moved to the recipient site.
When there isn’t enough hair to cover the thinning or bald areas, or if it is not used efficiently, then hair transplant might just be a futile exercise as it could fail in providing you the coverage you want.
So when you go for a consultation, remember to keep an open mind. A good surgeon would not be afraid to tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly part of the situation.
Age
There is no hard set limit as to the age of a hair transplant candidate, however, surgeons are most careful in dealing with patients under 18. Since the pattern that the hair loss is evolving into is yet to be determined, surgeons would prefer that they be fully mature. It is crucial that the patient has realistic expectations of how their hair loss might potentially unfold.
Younger patients have immature hair loss which means the shedding will only continue to progress as they age. Therefore, getting a hair transplant too early would require other procedures in the future to maintain the results because hair loss will still continue to progress.
Experts would say that the right patients would be those at least around 30 years of age. It is usually at this time that the hair loss pattern has already been well established. Therefore, any hair restoration procedure done are more likely to provide natural-looking results over the years.
Severity
The severity of hair loss can also make or break a person’s candidacy for a hair transplant. In relation to the first factor discussed earlier, the extent of your hair loss will also determine the amount of hair grafts needed. So if you hit Class 7 on the Norwood Scale for men or Class 3 for women, which are actually classified as severe hair loss cases. Since the amount of hair largely determines the results, your surgeon will open you up to more details about other hair restoration options.
General Health
Another important consideration prior to any surgery is that patients ought to be healthy enough to undergo a certain invasive procedure. It is important that any serious medical condition should be treated first since a healthy immune system is a step forward to surgical success.
There are certain medical maladies such as diabetes which could affect your recovery process. Bleeding problems, or medications that might increase its tendency, can also be a deterrent. Furthermore, thyroid problems should also be managed first before a hair transplant surgery is considered.
Given that you fall within the four mentioned above, it shouldn’t readily mean that you just leave surgical option off your list. Talk to a surgeon and know what available options are there for your specific case.
After a consultation, the surgeon will then make an evaluation to point out the root cause of your hair loss and from there he would be able to recommend the appropriate treatment option.
So who then would be a good candidate?
It would be an individual who is generally healthy without any contraindications for the surgery. The absence of any family history of severe male pattern baldness and ideally it should be one who has already tried medications to reduce hair loss.
In most cases, those who can most benefit from surgical hair restoration include the following:
- Men and women with male pattern hair loss
- Those who wish to cover scars obtained from surgery, injuries or skin disease
- Men and women who wish to restore or change the shape of their hairline
- Individuals who wish to thicken or restore the volume of their eyebrows or beard.
- Those who wish to correct a previous hair transplant
The criteria set by surgeons may slightly vary, but overall, a good one would be conscientious of the red flags in certain cases they encounter. With that, it would tell you that your choice of surgeon is crucial to your surgical success. For you might not be a good candidate and yet here comes an unscrupulous practitioner who would lure you into immediately going for a surgery.
So now that you know, keep an open mind and ensure to hold on to realistic expectations. Surgery may seem like the end-all and be-all but it is still best to determine whether if it is indeed the right course of action for your case.
If you have more questions, book your consultation today and allow us to help you know more about the potential treatments that would be suitable for you!
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