Hair loss might be a problem the majority of people face in their lives, but not everyone is a suitable candidate for hair transplants as its solution. Several factors—hair, general health, and some other characteristics—will determine one’s suitability.
It is simply not enough to just want to bet on a hair transplant procedure and jump on the offer of the first surgeon. No, you have to be very careful and approach the procedure slowly and cautiously. The first thing to do is determine if, in fact, you are a candidate for hair transplant surgery.
Are You a Good Candidate for Hair Transplant Surgery?
You, your lifestyle, and the state of your scalp and hair will determine if you are really a good candidate for hair transplant surgery. Those factors are the following.
Your Age
Hair transplants are not necessarily a young man’s game at all. Rather, you might want to wait to be a little older to get one. The ideal candidate is between 25 to 49 years of age, while some remain viable candidates up until 59. Even though people are experiencing hair loss at increasingly younger ages, the procedure is not for someone in their early 20s.
This is because, even if they are starting to bald more noticeably, they might still have a long way to go. If someone that is not done balding has a hair transplant and after the procedure continues balding, it will result in an odd look.
They’ll have a permanent hairline but also have new bald spots behind it. Not good, right. So it is always better to wait until the hair loss advances to a level 3 in the Norwood Scale. Consult your doctor to know more.
Your Hair Density
This is crucial. How much hair you have got left in your donor area is what the whole surgery hinges on. The hair from the donor area is thinning-resistant, so normally it does not go away with balding like the hair on top of your head.
However, suffering from conditions like alopecia areata for long periods of time can and will weaken it. The surgeon will check the density of your donor area before moving forward with the surgery. This is crucial for determining if you are a good candidate for hair transplant surgery.
Your General Health
As said before, suffering from conditions such as alopecia areata or any chronical illness is detrimental. Treatments might include medications, such as blood thinners, that can interfere with the surgery. Disclose to your surgeon any conditions and medications you are on during the initial consultation.
Your Scalp Laxity
If your scalp happens to be too tight, then hair transplant surgery is not for you. Scalp skin that is a little loose is the ideal for a successful surgery; the opposite is not. A tight scalp makes both extracting and grafting hair follicles significantly more challenging.
The results might be worse off because of it. Scalp laxity tends to not be something modifiable during life, regardless of any weight changes in the patient.
Your Expectations
This is rather a mentality issue that you need to be aware of. The results from a hair transplant are great and are the best out of all forms of hair restoration. But they will not have you looking like an 18-year-old again.
You need to set realistic expectations for yourself in order to be happy with the results afterwards. See before and after hair transplant procedures photos; your surgeon will have some. And then internalise what you’ll get and see if that is enough for you.