Surgical Hair Restoration and the Young Patient

Hair transplant surgery for young patients is a delicate topic. If a patient begins hair restoration when he is too young, he may find his eventual hair loss far surpasses his donor hair recourses. Remember future hair loss cannot be accurately predicted. Many patients who begin their hair transplant surgeries at a young age regret this choice as their hair loss progresses. Often these patients wish they had opted for a less aggressive course or wish they could return to their natural state of hair loss. As a rule, the younger one is at the onset of male pattern baldness, the more hair they are likely to lose over time. Hair loss is a progressive condition that continues throughout life. Patients with advanced hair loss in their early twenties should avoid hair restoration surgery unless they are well educated about hair transplants and have realistic short and long-term goals. Patients with lesser degrees of loss may be good candidates but they too must be educated about the procedure and the potential for future loss.

The patient in his early twenties should try treating his hair loss with medical therapy before considering hair restoration surgery. Treatments such as finasteride, minoxidil, and topical spironolactone can slow or temporarily stop hair loss. These measures temper the progression and buy the patient time for better medical and surgical solutions to emerge.

A hair transplant result that might dissapoint a 21-year-old patient may thrill a 40-year-old patient. Self-perceptions changes over time and older patients tend to have expectations that are more in line with what is realistically possible in hair restoration. This yet is another reason for younger patient to delay surgical intervention when possible.