Thanks for your response, Curious 25. I'm wondering if what those doctors are trying to communicate regarding the seemingly arbitrary 50% number is something along the lines of the following:
In androgen sensitive zones, some follicles will miniaturize faster that directly adjacent follicles. The faster a follicle miniaturizes, the faster the follicle approaches stem cell "death". What we're possibly seeing with slick bald people that recover decent coverage is the last man standing follicles that kept their stem cells "alive" had a chance to recover, whether that recovery be to 50% or 100% of its original diameter. I'm guessing at some point, a follicle's stem cell is in fact "dead" or so embedded in scar tissue that recovery is unachievable as these derms are opaquely communicating?
Lastly, I'd like to know what follicle "death" means, if anything.