By Dr. John Frank, M.D. – IAHRS, ABHRS,ISHRS, AHLA, XM Radio: ‘The Bald Truth’, NYC, January 27, 2011
Do hair transplants last a lifetime? Ideally, yes. However, many factors affect hair transplant outcomes
There’s no question that hair transplants work, and, under the appropriate conditions, they work wonderfully well: they create a completely natural look, and, ideally, they’ll last a lifetime.
However, there are many factors that can compromise not only the durability of a hair transplant but also its quality. A big part of your hair transplant doctor’s initial job is to identify any risk factors that might prevent a lasting and high quality hair transplant result.
What Factors Determine the Best Hair Transplant Results?
There are several factors:
- Type of Hair Loss. Hair transplants work well for many individuals who have Androgenetic alopecia (or ‘male pattern hair loss’). Alopecia causes hair loss on some parts of the head but not others, but the location of hair loss is not random – it’s quite predictable. In fact, the pattern is so predictable that doctors have come up with a classification scheme, called the Norwood classification of hair loss, to help diagnose Alopecia. Other types of hair loss such as Traction Alopecia are readily transplantable with good results, whereas somebody suffering from the active stages of Alopecia Areata will not have results.
- Adequate Donor Hair. Because hair transplantation involves extracting hair follicles from one part of the head that has hair (called the ‘donor’ area) and ‘transplanting’ them into an area that has gone bald, it’s critical that the hair follicles in the donor area are healthy and able to produce hair after the transplant.
- Extent and Stage of Hair Loss. Young individuals with (early stage) Androgenetic Alopecia may not be the best candidates for hair transplant because the rate of ongoing hair loss may exceed the rate at which hair can be transplanted. They may also deplete the valuable donor hair available for transplanting.
- Color and Texture of Hair. African American and other types of curly hair may have better results that somebody with coarse hair. Salt and pepper hair can show exceedingly good results as can white and gray hair.
- Surgeon. Many technical factors can effect the outcome of a hair transplant from the judgment and artistry to the manner in which the surgery is performed. All hair transplant surgeons use a team of surgical assistants and their skills are also paramount to the success of the hair transplant.
In short, the best way to insure the best and longest lasting hair transplant outcome is to be a highly qualified candidate and to get in the hands of a qualified hair transplant surgeon.
However, you don’t need to be a “perfect” hair transplant candidate to get a successful hair transplant. Few people are “perfect” candidates for a hair transplant, but only a qualified hair transplant surgeon can assess your particular risks, and a qualified doctor would never let you proceed with a hair restoration surgery if he or she thought you were a high risk candidate. It is critical that you find and work with only a highly qualified and experienced hair loss doctor with a demonstrated track record of success.
Reasons Why a Hair Transplant May Not Last or Have a Poor Outcome
While modern hair transplant techniques represent the state of the art in hair replacement solutions and offer unparallel quality, hair transplants will not work for everyone. The following factors are contraindicated for a hair transplant:
- You have “Telogen Effluvium” or Rapid, Temporary Hair Loss. This condition is simply an aberration of the hair cell cycle resulting in rapid and severe loss of hair, often pulled out in a clumps. This is usually a temporary condition resulting from some abnormal stress and reverts back to normal within six months to one year.
- You have Alopecia Areata. This condition can effect men and women of all ages and is an autoimmune type of condition that can cause permanent hair loss. The scalp in this condition can be felt as very smooth and will not support a hair transplant. Fortunately for some, the condition is temporary and reversible.
- You’re under the age of 21. Although this is not a hard and fast rule, most competent hair surgeons will be reluctant to perform a transplant on you. In fact, many won’t touch you until you’re in your late twenties. The reason is that it’s very difficult to predict the long term amount of hair loss in the early stages, and this can have disastrous ramifications in hair transplant.
Other Factors That Can Negatively Affect Hair Transplant Outcomes
- Hair loss shock. After hair restoration surgery, you could experience temporary hair loss due to the surgery itself. This type of post-surgical hair loss is not permanent and all of the hair should return within six months to one year.
- Working with an unqualified hair loss doctor and/or using older hair transplant techniques. Make no mistake that hair transplantation is a medical procedure. It is real surgery. Transplanting hair follicles is an exacting technique requiring great skill, experience, and advanced hair transplant technology. Working with an unqualified doctor and/or using less than state of the art equipment and techniques risks a poor hair transplant outcome or one that will not last.
In sum, modern scientific understanding of hair loss coupled with advanced follicular unit extraction and transplantation technologies has created a superb, almost perfect, hair loss solution. Expertly performed hair transplants produce highly natural looking results that are almost impossible to detect. Ideally, a good hair transplant will last a lifetime assuming that you are a good candidate for a hair transplant to begin with. Only a medically trained hair loss surgeon can identify those risk factors that could prevent you from having a lasting and high quality hair transplant result.
