Is Hair Transplant Surgery Effective for Patients with Advanced Hair Loss?

The following response, posted on our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums was written by recommended hair restoration surgeon Dr. Tejinder Bhatti:

I’m 34 years old and a 6 on the Norwood Scale for hair loss. I started losing hair when I was 20. I’ve worn hairpieces for the last 3 years but I’m not really happy about it, it feels fake and a lot of work.

I miss the feeling of my own hair. Before I lost too much hair (I was maybe 24-25) I had a pretty bald crown and a little bit of thinning hairline but I was happy with it. I’m not looking to cover my whole head with high density. I would be happy with a bald crown, but some coverage on the first half of the head.

I’ve measured the area I would like to cover, it is about 100 square centimeters. Is it possible to think I could get some decent coverage for that area if I leave the crown bald? How many grafts would you think would be needed?

You have a lot to think about. It is imperative to first address the idea that you are young at 34 years of age and you have obviously had a lot of hair loss. The progression has not ended as you will lose more. Propecia (finasteride) is a consideration or else your future loss is a guarantee. The crown will enlarge and the sides might recede downward.

With these issues in mind you must then decide which procedure you would like to undertake. A follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) or follicular unit extraction (FUE)? FUE will allow you to have shorter hair styles and specific size grafts can be targeted to help you get the best coverage possible. Your case could require as little as 3000 grafts if you only wish for the front and not the back. This will require a mature placement for your hairline and the coverage will have reduced density as the hair is placed further away from the hairline. This makes the final result natural so there is a blend from the hair zone to the bald zone.

You should contact a hair restoration clinic that you find promising and submit your photos and video for evaluation. If you can try to have contact with the hair transplant surgeon directly for a one on one consultation, this is the best. If you cannot visit in person then you can use Skype.

Dr. Tejinder Bhatti
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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.

Technorati Tags: Norwood Scale, hair loss, bald, Propecia, finasteride, follicular unit strip surgery, FUSS, follicular unit extraction, FUE, hair restoration