Women's Hair Transplant
Since hair transplantation is a good option for nearly 90 percent of the
balding men in the country, women think that they will make a good
hair transplant candidate as well, but this is usually not the case. Very
few
women have the type of hair loss that would make them good candidates,
and that's because most women have what's called diffuse hair
loss. That
means
that women have an overall thinning in all areas of the head, including
the sides and back, these are the areas that act as donor sites
in men. It is from these sites that the hair is removed for hair transplantation
to other areas of the head. In men, the donor sites are called
stable sites,
which means that the hair and follicles in those areas are not
affected by the DHT that shrinks follicles elsewhere on the head in those
with androgenetic
alopecia, or what's commonly called male pattern baldness. In female
pattern baldness, however, these donor areas are usually unstable. They
are thinning,
just like the other areas of the head. The donor areas in women
are affected by follicle-killing DHT. That means that if you remove hair
and accompanying
follicles from these donor areas in women and transplant them to
other areas, it's just going to fall out. Any doctor who would attempt to
transplant
hair from an unstable donor site is unethical and just trying to
take economic advantage of the patient.
Another difference between male and female pattern baldness is
the frontal hairline. Unlike men, women experiencing hair loss still tend
to keep their frontal hairline. They don't have to worry about needing a
hair transplant to frame their face and are instead more concerned about
the loss of volume from the top and back. Hair transplants, though, don't
do much to increase volume. It just moves hair from one place to another.
Women and Hair Transplants - Are You a Good Candidate?
According to experts a very small percentage of women are actually
candidates for hair transplant surgery, approximately 2 - 5% will benefit
from this type of procedure. The only women who are potential candidates
for surgical hair restoration are:
Women who have suffered hair loss due to mechanical or traction
Alopecia (non hormonal)
Women who have had previous cosmetic or plastic surgery and are
concerned about hair loss around the incision sites.
Women who have a distinct pattern of baldness, similar to that
of male pattern baldness. This includes, hairline recession, vertex thinning,
and a donor area that is not affected by androgenetic Alopecia.
Women who suffer hair loss due to trauma, including burn victims,
scarring from accidents and chemical burns.
Women with alopecia marginalis, a condition that looks very similar
to traction alopecia.
Due to the lack of stability in women suffering with female pattern
baldness, women generally make very poor candidates for hair transplant
surgery. However, if your hair loss is caused by any of the above mentioned,
then you may benefit from this procedure.
Credits
- Information Provided By The American Hair Loss Association
Hair Transplant Adviser Blog
Provided by The International Alliance of
Hair Restoration Surgeons,
the Hair Transplant Adviser blog provides the opportunity for prospective
hair transplant patients to ask questions and find answers.
