Can I Have a Hair Transplant for Female Hair Loss Due to Thyroid?

This question, from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums, was answered by a staff physician from Coalition hair transplant clinic Shapiro Medical:

I’m a female suffering from severe hair loss for last 2 years. I had thyroid problems, so my doctors told me that it caused my thinning hair but shedding increased even after treating the thyroid condition.

I am really upset and scared with my condition. Now I am planning for a hair transplant, I had searched for advanced hair transplant techniques in Toronto and got the idea of FUT. Still, I wonder whether the transplanted hair affects the surrounding hairs. Does FUT affect my surrounding hair?

It appears that you have two issues at this point. First of all, you have hair loss, possibly from thyroid disease which appears to be continuing despite treatment. Secondly, you are concerned with the possibility of shock loss after follicular unit transplantation (FUT).

The first issue of your underlying balding may not be as simple as you think. If you have not had your female hair loss evaluated by a dermatologist specializing in hair or by a hair transplant surgeon, I would recommend doing so. You might actually have other causes for your hair loss. While thyroid disease is a valid concern, your physician may also want to look at your diet, recent weight loss, history of pregnancy, family history of female pattern hair loss, just to name a few. Also, depending on how long you have been on thyroid therapy, you may not yet have benefited from treatment.

The second issue, shock loss, can and does happen. For some women it may only be very subtle and for others a great amount of native surrounding hair may shed the first few months after hair restoration surgery. For the most part, this hair does return over time. Now, some of the fine miniaturized (thinning) hair that sheds may not come back. This is hair that would have fallen out sooner or later anyway. Your current history of active hair loss may or not affect how you do with shock loss. Again, a dermatologist or a hair transplant surgeon can help assess with a good history and physical exam.

-Shapiro Medical
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David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

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