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These are the important considerations:
-age: the younger you are, the more likely significant progression of the hair loss is
-family history: the stronger your family history, ie the more men in your family with early or extensive baldness, the higher your risk
-willingness to take medicine: Finasteride gives you a high probability of keeping what you have; most men will have more hair five years after beginning it than we they started taking it.
-motivation: transplanting a hairline implies a commitment to restoring and maintaining your hair; think hard whether this is the right decision for you; going bald naturally or shaving your head are easy, cheap alternatives. I have my patients think it over and contact me later to schedule the surgery. I want them to be sure they’re making the right decision for themselves. Read more
Written by Jerry Cooley, MD on April 10, 2008
I am 22 years old and I have a receding hairline. My father started thinning in the front in his early 50’s and has a pretty decent head of hear. My mom’s father and brothers only experience a receding hairline and never had any hair loss in the crown area. I have very thick hair but the front has receded, am I a candidate for hair restoration?
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This is an excellent question. Whether to perform a hair transplant on a young man is a very controversial area among hair transplant specialists. My approach to this situation is based on the following considerations:
1. Hair loss when you are young (e.g. early 20’s) can be especially difficult because this is the time of life when you are typically entering the job world and actively dating. Hair loss can have a significant effect on self confidence and self esteem.
2. Hair loss due to male pattern baldness is a life long progressive condition. Any treatment plan has to be based on this fact. Having a strong family history of extensive baldness in one or both sides of the family makes it more likely you will experience the same fate. This makes a hair transplant more risky. Read more
Written by Jerry Cooley, MD on December 14, 2007
My 17 year old daughter was in a car accident about 4 months ago. Thankfully she is recovering well with no permanent injuries, however during the accident her head hit the dashboard of the car causing tremendous bruising. About 2 weeks after the accident all of the hair in that area just began falling out. the hair has not returned. Could there have been some permanent damage to the hair follicles so that the hair will not grow back and if it does not grow back will a hair transplant work to replace the lost hair?
The cause of the hair loss is what we call ‘anagen effluvium’ assuming that there is no severe scar tissue in the area of hair loss. This means that the trauma caused an acute lack of blood supply (oxygen) to the hair follicles, causing them to shed hair. Normally, we would expect all the hair to regrow. If it does not all regrow, this would suggest that there have been some scarring under the skin that resulted in permanent follicles damage. It would be best to wait at least 6 months to see if there is good hair regrowth, in which case a transplant would be unnecessary. If there is no growth at that time, a transplant should be considered.
Jerry Cooley, MD
Member, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons
