What makes a good candidate for hair transplant?

[stephennguyenspam]

I'd like to receive a hair transplant however I'm worried that I'm not a good candidate due to having thin donor hair region. Based off my pictures below, do you think i'll be able to receive a hair transplant? My goal is to be able to recover density on my scalp and lower my hairline.

[Melvin- Admin]

Someone with realistic expectations, a great donor supply and with financial resources. 
 

How low do you want to lower your hairline? It does appear like your on the lower end of donor density. You need yo have a good strategy for utilizing your finite grafts.

[Raphael84]

@stephennguyenspam

May I ask how old you are?

I would agree with you, your hair donor does not appear to have great density. Also please note what appears to retrograde alopecia. A general thinning, receding of hairs from the nape of the neck upwards. As this pattern progresses over time, it can also have a significant influence on hair density and quality above and around the ears, reducing potential safe zone of your donor even further.

Melvin asks a good question, what exactly do you mean in regards to lowering your hairline?

Are you currently taking any hair loss preventative medication?

[stephennguyenspam]

12 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

Someone with realistic expectations, a great donor supply and with financial resources. 
 

How low do you want to lower your hairline? It does appear like your on the lower end of donor density. You need yo have a good strategy for utilizing your finite grafts.

I was hoping I can restore my hair to how it was when I was 19, 5 years ago. That would be amazing but realistically i'm not sure it can happen with my donor hair.

[stephennguyenspam]

3 minutes ago, Raphael84 said:

@stephennguyenspam

May I ask how old you are?

I would agree with you, your hair donor does not appear to have great density. Also please note what appears to retrograde alopecia. A general thinning, receding of hairs from the nape of the neck upwards. As this pattern progresses over time, it can also have a significant influence on hair density and quality above and around the ears, reducing potential safe zone of your donor even further.

Melvin asks a good question, what exactly do you mean in regards to lowering your hairline?

Are you currently taking any hair loss preventative medication?

Sure,

I just turned 24 last month.

I'm taking finasteride once every other day.

[Raphael84]

Its a good thing that you are taking Finasteride in regards to trying to maintain your hair. 

As a younger guy of only 24 years, its extremely important to understand the very real situation and very high probability regarding further hair loss in the future. For any individual that has experienced hair loss, you are genetically pre-disposed to lose further hair. You would need to mitigate this as much as possible to preserve the best scenario long term for you. This is where Finasteride can and hopefully will help.

You are a young guy with a donor area that does not appear to be optimal. Your hair loss will continue. The state of your donor area is essential to be considered a good candidate for hair restoration surgery. As your hair loss continues to progress, your Norwood pattern will evolve, and the quality of your donor hair can also be effected, limiting the amount of grafts safely available for transplantation.

It is very normal for a young patient to want a hairline similar to their late teens. This is because this is the only reference point in time that you had when you were happy with your hair. It would be a mistake to approach any potential restoration with this plan. Even if you had incredible donor density and great hair characteristics, to recreate a hairline of a 19 year old in an young guy already showing signs of a significant Norwood pattern would be a mistake. How would you feel as a 50 year old guy with a 19 year olds hairline design and potentially little or no hair behind it?

The art of hair restoration is to create natural, undetectable results. Unfortunately, long term, what you are asking will not be either natural or undetectable and it is something that you will regret.

Its extremely important to understand your current situation before considering all options and committing to surgery.

Thats not to say that hair restoration can not be an option for you. My advice in your situation would be to hold off for a few years. See how Finasteride has assisted in stabilising things over a longer period of time, and  realistic expectations and a careful approach would be necessary. Ultimately your donor area will be essential on your decision making.

Im sorry if that isn't what you wanted to hear, but I have posted it with the best of intentions. Be careful how you proceed.

How long have you been taking Finasteride? Do you feel things have stabilised at all in this timeframe?

[stephennguyenspam]

5 minutes ago, Raphael84 said:

Its a good thing that you are taking Finasteride in regards to trying to maintain your hair. 

As a younger guy of only 24 years, its extremely important to understand the very real situation and very high probability regarding further hair loss in the future. For any individual that has experienced hair loss, you are genetically pre-disposed to lose further hair. You would need to mitigate this as much as possible to preserve the best scenario long term for you. This is where Finasteride can and hopefully will help.

You are a young guy with a donor area that does not appear to be optimal. Your hair loss will continue. The state of your donor area is essential to be considered a good candidate for hair restoration surgery. As your hair loss continues to progress, your Norwood pattern will evolve, and the quality of your donor hair can also be effected, limiting the amount of grafts safely available for transplantation.

It is very normal for a young patient to want a hairline similar to their late teens. This is because this is the only reference point in time that you had when you were happy with your hair. It would be a mistake to approach any potential restoration with this plan. Even if you had incredible donor density and great hair characteristics, to recreate a hairline of a 19 year old in an young guy already showing signs of a significant Norwood pattern would be a mistake. How would you feel as a 50 year old guy with a 19 year olds hairline design and potentially little or no hair behind it?

The art of hair restoration is to create natural, undetectable results. Unfortunately, long term, what you are asking will not be either natural or undetectable and it is something that you will regret.

Its extremely important to understand your current situation before considering all options and committing to surgery.

Thats not to say that hair restoration can not be an option for you. My advice in your situation would be to hold off for a few years. See how Finasteride has assisted in stabilising things over a longer period of time, and  realistic expectations and a careful approach would be necessary. Ultimately your donor area will be essential on your decision making.

Im sorry if that isn't what you wanted to hear, but I have posted it with the best of intentions. Be careful how you proceed.

How long have you been taking Finasteride? Do you feel things have stabilised at all in this timeframe?

Thank you for your advice, I appreciate you taking the time to write to me.

I've been taking finasteride since March 2018 and noticed regrowth however I stopped March 2019 due to lowered libido and I think it might have been causing depression. I started losing a lot of hair after going off the pill but I went on the pill again in September but this time once every other day and I haven't been having any side effects since then. I'm starting to keep my hair short now since it's easier to apply minoxidil and I notice that more hair falls out when my hair is longer.

Do you think PRP would be a good option for me?

[pkipling]

Hey Stephen - Happy you found this forum so you can equip yourself with as much info and knowledge as possible.

A few things to consider:

1) I encourage you to let go of the idea of getting your hairline back to how it was when you were 19. Hairlines change and it's perfectly normal/natural for the hairline to be a little bit higher as we get older. 

2) You do seem to have a somewhat limited donor. Combine that with the current state of your hair loss and your still relatively young age, what you're requesting doesn't seem realistic. 

3) As Raphael said, this doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have any options at all. You very well may. What it does mean is that your options are fairly limited and you would really need to adjust your expectations accordingly before moving forward (should you end up deciding to).

4) If you're still considering it, get at least 3 consultations with reputable surgeons before you even come close to making a decision. I would take my time, ask lots of questions, and make sure you remain open to the possibility that not getting a procedure may be in your best interest.

Happy learning - and keep your head up! 

[Raphael84]

Great advice from @pkipling

 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Raphael84