The decision to have a hair transplant must be made intelligently. This depends on developing a thorough understanding of numerous issues.

First and foremost, the person considering a transplant must determine whether his expectations are realistic. Most men assume they will be able to have their baldness filled in entirely. If someone has a few small areas to repair, that is possible, but if someone’s balding is advanced, he probably will not have enough hair to donate to fill in all of the areas. It must be remembered that we are rearranging hair, not creating new hair. On occasion, I suggest to patients in consultation that with their high levels of expectation regarding the amount of hair they will need to be happy, that they should probably purchase a hairpiece instead of a transplant.

How much coverage someone can expect is dependent on several factors. Not surprisingly, the greatest is the degree of hair loss. A person with advanced balding (Norwood type V-VII) should probably not expect to have all of the areas of hair loss transplanted. Also of paramount of importance is the quality of the donor hair. The greater the caliber of the hair shaft and the greater the curl, the better the results will be.

A patient with large caliber, wavy hair may appear to get double or triple the coverage compared with someone with very fine, straight hair if the same number of follicular units are moved in each patient. Obviously, the number of follicular units moved and the number of sessions will play a role in the amount of coverage. Single transplant sessions of 2000 to 3000 follicular units are now the norm in many clinics. Other variables include the density of the donor hair (the greater, the better, of course) and the laxity of the scalp. After each session, the area where the donor strip is removed is sutured shut. In most men after a transplant, the skin in the donor area of the scalp gradually relaxes. If that patient still has adequate donor hair, additional strips can be removed and again sutured. Unfortunately, after transplants in some men, the back of the scalp starts to become tighter, making subsequent excisions and repairs limited or impossible. Finally, the patient’s age must be taken into consideration.

-Content Provided By Blaine Lehr, MD
Web: http://www.norwood-lehr.com
Email: lehr@norwood-lehr.com
IAHRS Recommended Hair Transplant Surgeon