While a hair transplant is a safe and efficient way of giving someone a fuller head of hair, not everyone is a good candidate for this surgical procedure. And even though only a hair transplant doctor can determine someone’s eligibility for a hair transplant, there are certainly a few common factors to consider.
Though each hair transplant doctor have their own set of factors that they use when determining whether someone is a good candidate or not, there are definitely certain factors that many doctors can agree on. An ethical doctor will carefully consider all different aspects of the client’s eligibility for a hair transplant before deciding to perform one.
Other than being a healthy individual with no medical issues, one of the most important factors in determining someone’s candidacy for a hair transplant is age. Many doctors are not comfortable performing a hair transplant on a young client where the thinning has just started. The main concern is that the final hair loss pattern has not been established. Doing a hair transplant on a young client could be counter productive, because the hair loss will most likely continue in an unpredictable pattern, and could result in a unnatural look with hair in some areas and baldness in others. A young client might instead be recommended hair loss medication such as Finasteride. While many doctors have their own criterions, someone in their early 20’s is generally not a good candidate for a hair transplant.
A good hair transplant candidate should also have good donor supply, which simply refers to the amount of hair that is available for transplantation. High density is also of interest. Someone with high density will have more hair in the same size of area than someone with low density. Hair transplant doctors have a special tool called a hair densitometer to see how the hair density measures up. Enough donor supply in regards to how much hair is needed in the recipient area, is also essential. There should be enough hair to cover the area of hair loss.
Good donor laxity is also important, especially if choosing a Strip procedure for the hair transplant. High donor laxity refers to how loose and flexible the scalp is, and how much the doctor is able to pull the skin as needed. Someone with a tight scalp may not be able to undergo a Strip procedure, because it could result in a tight and painful scar that could stretch and widen as time goes by.
Realistic expectations are also a key factor in determining if someone is a good candidate for a hair transplant. Understanding that hair transplant doctors cannot grow hair, but only re-distribute hair that is already there is also important, especially in order to avoid disappointment. A quality hair transplant doctor will do his or her best to optimize the hair transplant given that the client is a good candidate to begin with.
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