Hair Transplants and Young Patients

[TheHairLossCure]

Hair transplant surgery has come a long way over the years. Not only are more natural and even undetectable results achievable, but we also have techniques available that can expand the donor area to levels that were once considered impossible. This is all good news for patients suffering with hair loss, but many of the risks associated with transplanting young patients remain. In the fog of new technologies and marketing, sometimes people lose sight of the fact that hair transplant surgery addresses a progressive disease. Since, there is no hair loss cure (aside from my handle), I feel it is healthy to periodically revisit the discussion of surgical hair restoration for young patients

 

Treating young patients is a delicate topic. If a patient begins hair restoration when he is too young, he may find his progressive hair loss surpasses his donor hair supply. To compound this issue, future hair loss is not easily predicted in young individuals. Many patients who begin their hair procedures too early regret this as their hair loss worsens. Some surgery patients wish they had opted for a less aggressive treatment and still others wish they had not done surgery at all. As a general rule, the younger one is at the onset of male pattern baldness, the more hair they are likely to lose. Patients with advanced hair loss in their twenties should be cautious with restoration surgery, even with state-of-the-art procedures. Young guys with lesser degrees of baldness may be good candidates, but they too must be cautious about the procedure and the potential for future loss.

 

Most patients should try treating his hair loss with medical therapy before considering hair restoration surgery. Treatments such as finasteride, minoxidil, etc. can slow down or stop hair loss. Hopefully these therapies may halt the progression long enough for the patient to identify the ideal solution (or simply move on as the case may be).

 

Sorry if I am beating a dead horse but, as I said, I feel it is healthy to revisit the discussion of HT surgery for young patients.

[TheHairLossCure]

Hair transplant surgery has come a long way over the years. Not only are more natural and even undetectable results achievable, but we also have techniques available that can expand the donor area to levels that were once considered impossible. This is all good news for patients suffering with hair loss, but many of the risks associated with transplanting young patients remain. In the fog of new technologies and marketing, sometimes people lose sight of the fact that hair transplant surgery addresses a progressive disease. Since, there is no hair loss cure (aside from my handle), I feel it is healthy to periodically revisit the discussion of surgical hair restoration for young patients

 

Treating young patients is a delicate topic. If a patient begins hair restoration when he is too young, he may find his progressive hair loss surpasses his donor hair supply. To compound this issue, future hair loss is not easily predicted in young individuals. Many patients who begin their hair procedures too early regret this as their hair loss worsens. Some surgery patients wish they had opted for a less aggressive treatment and still others wish they had not done surgery at all. As a general rule, the younger one is at the onset of male pattern baldness, the more hair they are likely to lose. Patients with advanced hair loss in their twenties should be cautious with restoration surgery, even with state-of-the-art procedures. Young guys with lesser degrees of baldness may be good candidates, but they too must be cautious about the procedure and the potential for future loss.

 

Most patients should try treating his hair loss with medical therapy before considering hair restoration surgery. Treatments such as finasteride, minoxidil, etc. can slow down or stop hair loss. Hopefully these therapies may halt the progression long enough for the patient to identify the ideal solution (or simply move on as the case may be).

 

Sorry if I am beating a dead horse but, as I said, I feel it is healthy to revisit the discussion of HT surgery for young patients.

[its752]

HairLossCure, I think you made an excellent point and aren't beating a dead horse at all but might have saved a newbie's donor area for another few years or so. In the worst case scenario a hack-job clinic gets ahold of him and that's it. Thanks, again!

[Bill - Seemiller]

TheHairlossCure,

 

I agree and I don't think you are beating a dead horse either...

 

Keeping this topic on the surface in this community is ALWAYS a good idea since there are always new people surfing looking for advice and answers.

 

One rebuttal I've gotten from young people regarding this topic has been, "I don't care what I look like when I'm older...I want to enjoy my youth now".

 

This is a dangerous and very untrue statement. It is the statement of an emotional person (very understandably so) who desperately wants their hair back today. As much as I can certainly understand that, and have BEEN there myself...here are some truths.

 

1. You WILL care about how you look when you are older! I guarantee it! Don't believe me now? In 10 years, you'll hear the words "I told you so" ringing in your ears!

 

2. Younger people tend to have higher expectations. They want a FULL head of hair back with no evidence of thinning/balding:

 

I recommend reading this thread I posted here: http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=569...161071123#6161071123

 

3. People don't make good decisions when they are highly emotional. It's a known fact. Making an EDUCATED decision is key to determine successful short and long term hair restoration!

 

Feel free to read more on my thread here:

 

Am I Too Young For a Hair Transplant?

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=152790

 

Cheers,

 

Bill

[Aquarius]

Excellent post Bill,

I might add that those very people usually end up looking far worse and unnatural, chasing hairloss and scarred up for their efforts.

Remember that as soon as you walk through the door you are a candidate.

If you are looking to find out if you NEED a ht you are sorely mistaken.... Get in the chair STAT.

They might think, Bill was a n/w 5 and look what it did for him and I am only a n/w 2. Just imagine what it could do for me. Wrong.

[Bill_the_bald]

You WILL care about how you look when you are older! I guarantee it!

 

You are absolutely right Bill! Take my 70-year-old father for example, he is a full NW6 with completely bald front, midscalp, and crown. However, he grows what's left of his native hair very long, and combs them sideways to cover up the mid portion, so when you look at him from the front, it would appear he is only bald in the frontal 1/3.

 

My dad and I drove to a nearby beach during Memorial Day couple months ago, and we took some pictures. The wind was strong that day, blew all his native hair aside, and completely exposed his bald area. When he saw his photos, he was SHOCKED at how bald he was!!! He even half-jokingly said he might consider a HT

 

So bottom line: if you still care about your hair at 70, chances are hair will be important to you for the rest of your life.

[Al - Moderator]

One rebuttal I've gotten from young people regarding this topic has been, "I don't care what I look like when I'm older...I want to enjoy my youth now".

 

I think that statement is misunderstood. They are not saying that they won't care what they look like later in life. What they are saying is some hair loss is more acceptable later in life. I don't know anyone who does not agree with that. Put it this way, if you HAD to be bald for 20 years, would you rather be bald from age 20 to 40 or would you rather be bald from age 40 to 60? Thinning and balding after age 40 is more acceptable both to men and women. You can be bald over 40 and get dates, but try being bald and dating at age 20. Unless you can pull off the shaved head and goatee look (which I don't like on myself) you're stuck with dating women 10 years older than you who think you are 10 years older than you are... and once they find out your real age they run away screaming because they are dating a kid.

 

Their thinking is if you are going to wait until you are 40 to just get the front 1/3 or 1/2 filled in, then why not just do that at 20? Why be bald for 20 years to do it?

 

I'm attaching an old picture of myself at age 22. Sorry about the low quality. What would be the problem of filling in the front portion at that age rather than waiting 15 or 20 years to fill in the same area?

[SlowlyThinning@59]

Excellent posts guys and you are correct, you will most definately care what you look like at an older age. I will be 60 this year and care about the way I look now as I did when I was 20. I started losing my hair in my late 40s's and just had my HT the first week of this month and am very pleased with the way my grafts were placed and covered my balding areas. My doctor told me that I still have a good 3000-5000 grafts in my donor area should I decide to add some more later but if my grafts take, I will have plenty of hair to last the rest of my life. I guess my older age is an advantage I have over the younger generation but enjoy your life, even if you are losing your hair, life is really too short. Medical science is progressing very well and there might be a baldness cure in the near future for all you young people. Best to all of you. John

[Bill - Seemiller]

BeHappy,

 

I've heard variations of the above posted rebuttal.

 

Some are as you say...stating that they'd prefer if hairloss happened later in life. I would agree with this statement...however, people don't like it at any age.

 

However, those who are ready to jump the gun without thought of future consequence, I believe are due to the following:

 

Some are as I say...and really believe they won't care.

 

Some say this not because they really believe they won't care...but because they are highly emotional and upset over their current hair loss condition.

 

Either way, it does NOT change the fact that jumping into surgery at a young age with minimal hair loss is a bad idea.

 

The point of my post is that they WILL care when they are older, therefore bad decisions early in life will impact them later in life.

 

Try also to remember that I'm not COMPLETELY opposed to young people having an HT if they meet certain conditions. Read the following thread if you have not already:

 

Am I Too Young For a Hair Transplant?

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=152790

 

Bill