Hair loss will affect a large percentage of men throughout their lifetime. Up to 40% of men have noticeable hair loss by age 35, 65% by age 60, and 80% by age 80. If you’re experiencing hair loss, you’re in good company.
Some people look into hair transplant surgery quite early in their hair loss. That’s understandable. It can be distressing to discover your hair line is receding or hair density is thinning. Depending on your circumstances, your hair transplant surgeon may take a number of approaches.
Follicular Unit Extraction Hair Transplant
If the hair loss has reached stage 3 or stage 3-vertex on the Norwood Classification System for male pattern hair loss, ie: frontal hairline recession plus loss at vertex - crown of the head, your hair loss surgeon may suggest FUE hair transplant as the most effective next step.
Here’s how FUE works. A specifically designed series of instruments are used to extract hair follicles one by one from a ‘donor’ area of hair; often the back of the scalp is a good donor area and is generally not affected by Dihydrotestosterone. Once extracted, the follicles are dissected into sections of 1-4 hairs each. These are then implanted into the scalp to lower the hairline or increase density in the desired area. Great care is taken to ensure no trauma is caused to the follicles. This ensures the hair will grow well in its new position.
When is the optimal time to get a hair transplant?
The technologies and pharmaceuticals available to us these days mean that regardless of how far hair loss has advanced, whether it be early stages or advanced, there is a treatment to minimise further loss or restore your desired hairline.
Key Takeaways from this Post
- Your first step to restore hair loss may not be FUE; Platelet Rich Plasma and Topical/Oral Medication are good options for early- to mid-stage hair loss.
- Later stages of hair loss may require FUE transplant to restore more extensive loss.
- To find out more book an appointment with the doctor.
