Despite popular belief, both men and women experience hair loss.
- About 50% of women and 60% of men of various age brackets can undergo hair loss globally.
- About two-thirds of men experience hair loss before they reach the age of 35.
- Around 85% of men experience hair thinning and hair loss by the time they get to 50 years old.
- One-third of the 50% of women who go through hair loss attribute it to female pattern hair loss.
Many hair loss conditions are caused by male or female pattern baldness. This is often due to genetics and changes in hormones.
Hair loss can affect your self-confidence since it changes your appearance, especially if you occur at a younger age. This may lead you to think of hair restoration solutions like getting a hair transplant.
Before choosing a hair restoration specialist, you need to go through their hair transplant before and after photos. This will help you measure whether you will get desired results or not.
What is the Best Age to Get a Hair Transplant?
To know whether you are eligible for hair restoration surgery, a dermatologist needs to determine the cause of your hair loss.
It is hard to get the true cause of hair loss if you are younger than 20 years. This means that young people don’t need to get a hair transplant procedure.
Hair transplant surgeons evaluate various aspects before deciding on a suitable procedure. They include hair loss pattern, hair loss type, condition of the donor’s hair, and size of the balding part.
There are two forms of hair restoration surgery, including the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). This method involves removing singular hair follicles from the donor area and implanting them in the affected area.
The other method is Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). This technique involves cutting out a strip of the scalp skin that contains healthy hair. The surgeon will extract follicular unique from the strip of skin and transplant them to the balding areas.
The FUE hair transplant ensures that you get minimal scarring if that is an issue of concern for you.
The newly transplanted hair follicles start falling out within a few weeks after the procedure. You should not worry because it will grow back again.
For a more natural look, the doctor should factor in the severity of the hair loss and your facial features. Since the severity of hair loss is not fully determined yet for younger patients, the best possible age for a hair transplant is 30 and above.
How to Control Hair Loss at a Young Age?
Hair loss can be caused by a number of factors, including genetics, physical or emotional stress, pregnancy, hormonal changes in menopause, and cancer treatments.
Here are some ways to control hair loss at a young age:
- Limit the use of heat styling tools such as blow dryers and curling irons.
- Avoid pulling your hair back tightly into a ponytail or bun.
- Make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet.
But there are many ways to prevent hair loss at a young age. One way is to cut down on smoking and drinking alcohol since these two habits can cause additional damage to the scalp and lead to increased hair loss.
What Happens When a Person Doesn’t Wait to Get the Hair Transplant?
When a younger person under the age of 30 goes ahead to get a hair transplant, there may be serious consequences.
One is that the transplanted hair will remain intact while you are still going through hair loss on other parts of your head. The more you age, the more hair you lose.
Therefore, you get a very unnatural look. You might even consider getting another transplant done, which is an added cost. Even though it may seem like a quick solution, we recommend being patient.
If you are too concerned about your hair at a younger age, there are some options for hair restoration. This includes opting for over-the-counter medications like Minoxidil and Finasteride.
These medications work by increasing blood circulation to the scalp. This helps to stimulate hair growth. Another option is to get a preliminary transplant to make your hairline denser.
What is the Hair Transplant Procedure like?
It poses such a challenge to decide whether to get a hair transplant procedure or not. This is especially because it involves surgery.
However, there is no need to fear because the experts will help guide you on what to expect during a hair transplant. FUE is one of the most popular procedures because it is typically less invasive and leaves a patient with less noticeable scarring.
Ensure that you do extensive research to be better prepared before undergoing the procedure. You should also look up information about recovery and the precautions you need to take.
Can you be too Late to Get a Hair Transplant?
Balding differs in patients; hence it is important to not compare yourself to others. You should figure out your own condition and what the best cause of action is with the help of a professional.
If you wait until after your forties, then it reduces your viability for a hair transplant because it makes it difficult to treat the hair loss.
If you are wondering whether you can use donated follicles from another person, you can’t because your body will reject DNA that is not it is own; hence the procedure will not work.
Conclusion on When Should I Get a Hair Transplant?
If you are struggling with hair loss, do not hesitate to consult a professional to discuss your options and to advise you on what is best for you, be it a surgical or nonsurgical procedure.
You can check out hair graft calculators to get a concept of how many grafts you require. Remember to look up the cost of the procedure and set aside a budget in order to be adequately prepared.
