Have you ever noticed more hair in the shower or that your scalp is a little more visible than you would like? Yes, I’m talking about hair loss. Just thinking about it stirs up a lot of emotion and makes people cringe at the possibility. The reality is most of us may experience hair thinning at some point in our lives. The important first step is to identify the type of hair loss you have and then tailor treatment to that.
But have you ever wondered about hair transplants? You might be a good candidate for a hair transplant if you have male or female pattern baldness, what we call androgenetic alopecia, and if you have healthy hair follicles that can serve as a donor. Good hair transplant candidates also have relatively stable hair loss and are in good health overall. While most people think hair transplants are for just the scalp, that’s not the case. You can also do hair transplants for thinning eyebrows, beard or mustache areas. Sometimes hair transplants can also be done for scarring forms of hair loss. Regardless of the cause, hair loss needs to be treated for a few years and relatively stable before moving forward with a transplant.
The basic concept behind a transplant is moving healthy hair follicles from part of the scalp to an area that is thinning or bald. What’s interesting is that the hair above the ears and on the back of the scalp tends to be resistant to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone responsible for androgenetic alopecia, and doesn’t thin over time like the crown and front of the scalp. As a result, the back and sides of the scalp make the perfect donor location. You can also take hair from other parts of the body as well for transplant.
If you look back, surgical treatment for hair loss dates back to the 1930s in Japan. Some of you may even remember that back in the 1990s hair plugs were all the rage but now it’s considered an outdated procedure and no longer performed. Over time, hair transplant techniques have improved. The two most common methods used today include follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE). FUT involves removing a strip of skin from the back of the head with multiple follicles, while FUE involves extracting individual hair follicles one by one. Both options have advantages and drawbacks. In general, FUT might be a better option for those with large areas of hair loss while FUE might be better for those who are more concerned with scarring.
Hair transplants can be expensive, averaging around $10,000, and cost can vary depending on several factors like technique and the amount of hair to be transplanted. Unfortunately, hair transplants are considered cosmetic procedures and typically not covered by insurance. If you are considering a hair transplant, they are often performed by physicians in various specialties such as plastic surgery or dermatology and it’s important to verify the credentials and training of your provider. After undergoing a transplant, it can take up to a year to get full results and “touch ups” might be needed to achieve your best results. And when it’s all said and done–it is possible for transplanted hair to thin over time too, so it’s important to continue with your medical treatment for your hair loss.
Trotter’s Take: If you think a hair transplant might be a good option for you, consult your hair restoration specialist to see if you are a good candidate.
Wondering about the hair restoration process? Check out my podcast with Dr. Ross Kopelman and our conversation about hair transplants.
