Does Hair Transplant Surgery Cure Active Hair Loss?

This question comes from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums: 

Recently I started investigating hair transplant surgery, but I’m now confused: how does removing grafts from the back of the scalp and implanting them in balding scalp regions (the definition of hair transplantation) actually stop progressive, genetic hair loss? Does hair transplant surgery actually stop hair loss?

Although hair transplant surgery is a proven, excellent technique, it is a reactive, restorative process and, like any other surgical technique, it fixes a problem, but does not reverse an ailing process.

Hair transplantation simply extracts healthy, “hair loss resistant” follicles and implants them into regions of the scalp affected by androgenic alopecia (genetic hair loss). However, this treatment does nothing to stop the progressive miniaturization of the native follicles.

Because of this, hair restoration physicians normally advise patients to start proven hair loss medications, like Propecia (finasteride) or Rogaine (minoxidil), to actually stabilize and potentially reverse some of the progressive hair loss in conjunction with the hair transplant surgery. This combination allows for both a complete restoration and ensures that the progressive hair loss will not render the transplant aesthetically insufficient.

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Blake Bloxham – formerly “Future_HT_Doc”

Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

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