Does thinning hair exclude someone from a HT?

[HelpfulFriend]

We all know that virtually everyone will continue to lose hair.

On medical therapy, lots will have their loss slowed, but ultimately, they will continue to recede. 

Most people also suggest to stabilse one's loss before they get a HT, yet, it's never truly stable.

How do surgeons reconcile this? What does stabilise actually mean in the hair loss industry?

Is thinning acceptable but major unsteady loss isn't?

I ask as I often see HT's performed on people that have very heavy thinning over large areas, and have always wondered this.

Cheers!

[mister_25]

7 hours ago, HelpfulFriend said:

What does stabilise actually mean in the hair loss industry?

Stabilize means that you have significantly slowed your hair loss to the point of across a year there is no significant change.

7 hours ago, HelpfulFriend said:

On medical therapy, lots will have their loss slowed, but ultimately, they will continue to recede. 

Some people on medication actually truly stabilize your hair loss. Meaning that they do not lose any more and completely reconcile further miniturization. Rare but there are some examples on this forum. Most people slow it down so that they might need a top up 10-20-30 years down the track.

In the end as well regrowth is a somewhat common occurrence when beginning medication which obviously means something right?

7 hours ago, HelpfulFriend said:

Is thinning acceptable but major unsteady loss isn't?

I would describe "slow gradual thinning over the course of a decade" to be acceptable.

7 hours ago, HelpfulFriend said:

I ask as I often see HT's performed on people that have very heavy thinning over large areas, and have always wondered this.

Its safer to transplant where there is less hair as you are not risking the native/previously transplanted hair due to complications in surgery. This is why many clinics turn down those with mild diffuse thinning because they believe it poses a large amount of risk of damaging the native hair, which is either making the situation worse or just replacing healthy hair with transplanted hair with minimal increase in density.

 

 

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

@HelpfulFriend,

While surgical hair restoration can grow hair in completely bald areas and thicken up thinning areas, it does nothing to slow down or stop the progression of male pattern baldness.  As a result, men with ongoing hair loss are typically advised to use finasteride and sometimes minoxidil to “stabilize“ their hair loss. As you rightfully stated, there’s no guarantee that hair loss will stop completely however, non-surgical solutions such as finasteride can significantly slow down the process and make surgical hair restoration more effective. That said, most people who undergo hair transplant surgery end up requiring subsequent procedures in time.  Medication such as finasteride can substantially delay that process which is why it’s so crucial.

In fact, some men, such as those with aggressive hair loss who can’t or won’t take finasteride for one reason or another typically aren’t the best candidates for hair l transplant surgery. This is because hair transplantation is about supply and demand. If the demand for hair is much greater than the supply or it’s projected that it will be in only a short period of time, then there’s no sense in proceeding with surgery. 

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

Edited October 7, 2022 by Rahal Hair Transplant

[LaserCaps]

There are two types of loss, the type you see and the type you don't.  What you do see in the sink, pillowcase, brush, is normal.  The follicle gets tired and goes into a dormant period of 3-4 months.  The hair then returns.  This will happen randomly to all the hair in your head, and not all at the same time.  100 hairs a day is normal.  This type of thinning does not preclude anyone from moving forward with a procedure.  Hair loss is different, you don't see it.

Under a bright light, look at the hair on your temporal areas.  Look at each strand and pay particular attention to the caliber. Some thick and some thinner.  Some are so fine; you can't hardly see them.  We refer to this process as miniaturization.  Eventually the hair dissipates and disappears.  Once gone, the hair does not return. That's hair loss.  If you're experiencing this, the typical recommendation is to get on a medical regimen to help you retain and perhaps enhance the native hair.  It's important to recognize, if you've shown the propensity to lose, you'll continue losing.  Is this the thinning you're referring to?

There is a lot of value to an in person evaluation with a doctor.  This is the time you can confirm if you are truly a candidate for hair restoration.   

[Mike10]

I can only concur with the Rahal Representative. He is giving you the truth. Some patients like myself just do not need Propecia.