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Are You a Good Candidate For Hair Transplant?

Hair transplant procedure is an ever-evolving treatment that is widely practised in Turkey. When it comes to hair transplant, the first thing patient  usually ask is, “Am I Suitable For Hair Transplant?” Given that hair transplantation has come a long way, it seems appropriate to state that hair transplantation is suitable for many people. However, does being suitable for hair transplant mean that you will have a successful result? People who are not suitable for transplantation are usually assumed to be having some kind of health problem. However, there can be candidates that are not eligible for hair transplant even though they have no health issues. In this article, we are going to explain required criteria for getting a hair transplant and answer the questions about the health problems that can pose a problem regarding hair transplantation. The first thing to consider when planning hair transplant operation is that the legal age for undergoing a hair transplant is 18. However, for beard transplant, patients are expected to be at least 20 years old. The reason for this is that, beard hair continues to grow until mid-to-late 20s or even later.

Quality of The Donor Area

Donor Area is the name given to the region where the strongest and healthy hair follicles that are resistant to hair loss are extracted from and it refers to the region located at the back of the head. Although the nape region is the first area that comes to mind as donor area, in Dr. Serkan Aygın Clinic, hair follicles extracted from beard  area are almost used in every operation and they can be included in donor area. Hair in the chest or other parts of the body can also be considered as the donor area if it is necessary. In conclusion, hair transplantation can be planned with hair taken from other parts of the body Elements that determine the quality of the donor area can be listed as follows: hair color, hair diameter, hair shape(curly or straight) and follicular density. To perform an ideal hair transplant, the following informations should be considered:
  1. Before hair transplant operation, basic blood tests must be carried out. For those with Chronic diseases, a detailed blood test or doctor’s report may be requested. In this way, eligibility for hair transplant can be detected.
  2. If a patient has a chronic disease, he/she needs to be checked before the operation. We will also mention these diseases in this article.
  3. Past medical history of a patient about his/her anesthesia allergy is questioned before operation.

Deciding on the Number of Grafts

With the latest advancement in hair transplant, doctors are able to achieve sufficient number of grafts and are consistently developing existing methods. The primary source of donor hair that is used in hair transplantation located in the nape area. The condition of the hair in this area significantly determines the capacity of the operation. Grafts that can be extracted from the nape area are limited. Although this amount varies from patient to patient, it is between 4000 to 5000 grafts at the most in an average session. If the operation requires more grafts to be implanted, a second operation can be planned. The reason for this is to ensure that the patient gets maximum result with minimal damage to his scalp. If the number of hair follicles extracted from the nape area in a single session is exceeded, it can result in an unnatural appearance of the nape region after the operation. Donor area eligibility plays a significant role in hair transplant procedure. In some patients, the grafts number extracted from the nape area is not sufficient enough for the area to be implanted. In such circumstances, body hair also can be used as donor area. These hair are extracted from beard and chest areas. Measuring the hair density in the donor area is as important as the stage of hair loss. The amount of hair per cm2 is called ‘hair density’. During teenage years, the number of hair follicles is between 90-120, that is, 200-300 hair strands. However in adults, this number drops to 60 to 80 hair follicles that is 130-170 hair strands.

Androgenetic Alopecia( Male Pattern Hair Loss)

It can be said that 99% of hair loss in men is due to Androgenetic Alopecia. Testosterone is secreted from the age of 13 and begins to give individuals masculine characteristics. This hormone affects hair as well as other parts of the body. The earlier the male pattern hair loss starts in an individual’s life, the higher the risk of moving to the next stage. For this reason, ‘Norwood Scale’ is a useful guide to classify the stages of male pattern hair loss of an individual. The stages are described with a number from 2(mild) to 7(severe). However these stages alone can not determine whether hair transplant operation can be performed. For more accurate results, it is significant to ask the doctors for an opinion.

Diseases that may negatively affect hair transplant

If diseases such as diabetes, thyroid or blood pressure are observed in candidates, hair transplant operation can only be performed after obtaining approval from their doctor following the necessary controls. Patients with hypothyroidism may experience hair thinning and hair loss in their lives. After thyroid hormone treatment hair transplantation can be performed on a patient Hair transplantation cannot be performed on patients with chronic diseases such as liver failure, kidney failure, heart failure or who have received chemotherapy due to cancer. In addition, hair transplantation can be performed on candidates with diseases such as Hepatitis A and B. The reason for this is that our doctors and medical team had Hepatitis A and B vaccines to be protected against these diseases. Apart from the diseases we mentioned above, other diseases are analysed individually, and then the suitability for the operation can be determined.

Hair Transplant for Women

However, this does not mean that women will not experience hair loss or need hair transplantation. For this reason, hair transplant operation should also be planned for each patient specifically since the reason for hair loss in female and male hair loss is completely different and hair loss can be observed in different regions of the hair. Conditions for hair transplantation in female patients are as follows:
  • Women experiencing Androgenetic Alopecia(male pattern hair loss) This includes crown thinning and other areas that are not affected by Androgenetic Alopecia. Women with this type of hair loss are also suitable candidates for hair transplantation.
  • Women experiencing hair loss due to Traction Alopecia:” Hair transplantation is a very suitable operation for women experiencing Traction Alopecia,  also known as hair loss caused by pulling force being applied to the hair. It usually occurs in women who wear tight hairstyles or are pulling their hair for many years. Their hairlines move backwards and donor areas become suitable for hair transplantation.
  • Women suffering from hair loss due to trauma involving burn or damage on hair or women who experience hair loss because of external factors such as surgery, are also suitable for hair transplantation.
  • Hypothyroidism is one of the most common causes of hair loss in women. Once their diseases are brought under control, hair transplantation can be performed.
  • Women experiencing hair loss due to Polycystic Ovary syndrome. Since ovary contains a large number of cysts, women experience hormone imbalances. Hair loss is frequently observed in women due to this imbalance. If planned carefully, hair transplant operation can be applied to these patients.

Hair Quality and Importance of Hair Loss Types

Hair transplantation is an effective procedure to regain lost hair. And it can have an immense impact on candidates who obtain this procedure. Of course, more successful result can be achieved if a patient experiences hair loss mildly. However, even if the hair loss reaches medium stage, thickness of hair to be implanted are also among the factors that increase success. Factors that increase the success of hair transplantation; number of grafts, hair density, size of the area to be transplanted, quality of the hair to be transplanted and hair loss type. Before anything else, it is important to know about the type of hair loss and the areas where hair transplantation will be performed should be planned carefully. For this reason, before hair transplant operation, it is significant to ask yourself this: “Am I suitable for hair transplantation?” You can also take the first step through our Online Consultation Form and consult our doctors about your suitability for hair transplantation.