While there are several causes of hair loss, nearly 95% of all hair loss is caused by a condition known as "androgenic alopecia", commonly referred to in men as "male pattern baldness." There are several factors which lead to the onset of this condition, including the following:
1) a genetic predisposition to hair loss;
(2) the presence of dihydrotestosterone, a male hormone; and
(3) age. On average, individuals typically lose some 100 hairs daily. These hairs should regrow several months later, and it is only until the hair loss exceeds the new hair growth that baldness results. Once hair loss starts, however, it is a progressive condition and will continue for a lifetime.

Androgeneic Alopecia is the most common form of hair loss and is known more readily in men as "male pattern baldness". It is a progressive disease which, once begun, worsens with age. There are several factors which lead to the onset of this condition, including genetics, age, and the presence of the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Hair transplantation is really about relocating (transplanting) the bald-resistant hair follicles from the back of the head to the balding areas on the top of the head. This process works for a lifetime because the hair follicles taken from the back of the head are genetically resistant to baldness, regardless of where they are relocated to.

Patients are given local anesthesia in the donor and recipient areas. Most patients find that once the anesthesia is given they feel no pain or discomfort during the surgery. Following surgery patients will typically feel some amount of numbness, with some mild discomfort. Most patients are pleasantly surprised by how minimal the discomfort from the surgical procedure is.
I am a 26 years old male and have been losing my hair for the past about one year. Hair density throughout my scalp and especially the crown area has become sparse. My hairline is receding too. When my hair is dry, only my hairline is obvious. What do you advise regarding time of surgery?
It really depends on how much your hair loss is bothering you. The right time for surgery is once hair loss really starts to bother you. If that time is now, you certainly could be a candidate for surgery, but should understand that given your young age, completely filling in the crown area is not the best idea as you will likely continue to lose hair from there. You need to take a considered opinion of a qualified dermatologist.

Patients usually range in age from 21 to 80. However, since hair loss is not limited to a particular age, hair transplantation really has no minimum age requirement. Regardless of your age, the best thing to do is address your hair loss as soon as possible.
At just 21 I am getting uneasy about my hair loss. I wonder if there is any way to know how much more hair I will lose.
You can't really guess as to how much further hair loss will occur, though you can estimate, and not necessarily very accurately, your potential for future hair loss by looking at your relatives. Generally speaking, there is a greater chance of further hair loss progression the younger the age of onset.

Any person who is concerned about his/her hair loss and willing to undergo a minimally invasive procedure is a potential candidate for the procedure. Indian doctors have seen a wide range of patients who have been as young as in their late teens to as old as in their late 80's. They have had hair loss patterns ranging in severity from minimal hairline recession and early thinning to advanced baldness where nothing but a rim of hair was left along the back and sides of the scalp. But you need to see a doctor before you get a considered opinion.

Cloning hair is not an option today, though perhaps it will be in the future. With the proper procedure, you need not worry about wasting your donor hair at the expense of achieving great results.

For someone with no eyebrow hair, a single procedure can provide enough volume to make the eyebrows appear thin but natural appearing. Unless this thin appearance is sufficient, most patients find that they need to continue to pencil in their eyebrows in order to complete the look. In order to provide more density, a second and even a third procedure can be performed in the future.

You can wear a concealer like Toppik(Hair fibres). Typically you would not wear the hairpiece for the first 3 weeks. After this you can then wear it regularly but on the advice of your treating doctor. One way to make the best transition would be to get the hair piece cut thinner and thinner, then go away for a week and return with a goatee. Believe it or not, most people won't realize the difference.

Facial hair transplants involve a similar recuperation process to the usual hair transplant. Tiny crusts will occur where each graft of one and 2 hairs were placed and will last for about one week. For another week or two after that, you will have the little hairs but without the crusts. By the third week, the transplanted hair will fall out, about 70% or so, while the remaining 30% stick around and continue to grow. At this point, the transplanted areas will look nearly undetectable until, one to three months later, the hair begin to regrow.

Within 1-3 days patients are typically able to return to work and most of their social activities. All activities, including most exercise can be resumed within four to six days.

If you're not looking to spend some time visiting India, you can fly home after 3 days of surgery.

A qualified doctor will only shave those hairs from the back of the scalp that are to be transplanted. After the procedure you can expect tiny crusts to form where the grafts were placed, and these last for about one week. While most patients require more than 1,000 grafts to achieve any degree of density while maintaining a completely natural result, it would take about 2-3 hours to complete a 1,000 graft procedure.

The results of hair transplantation really are permanent. The hair will grow and continue to do so for the rest of your life because the hair transplanted from the donor area is not sensitive to the balding process.

In my opinion, a hair transplant wasn't performed properly if you can tell that an individual had the procedure. A completely natural looking head of hair, one in which the hairline is so natural that the hair can be brushed back and even cut very short, is completely attainable using state-of-the-art techniques available .There is also a bit of artistic license here as the natural appearance is achieved by using the right combination of different sized follicular unit micro grafts transplanted at the proper angle, and by designing a hairline that is in harmony with the individual's facial proportions. Follicular unit transplantation is a technically demanding procedure, but by far creates, for most individuals, the most natural appearing results.

Once the transplanted hairs begin to grow, they will continue to do so for a lifetime. The growth process typically starts about 3 months after the procedure, while final coverage is evident within 8 to 12 months after the procedure.

Patients can expect 90-plus % of all transplanted hair to grow at the clinics of qualified dermatologists since they have acquired a degree of competence over years of practice. However, procedures performed in an area of scar tissue, it is more common for about 70% of the hairs to grow.
About a year and a half ago I started taking Propecia with very good results. I wasn't really considering a hair transplant until I came across your website! Though I have noticed that the hair in my mid scalp has continued to get thicker, I would be interested in getting approximately 500 grafts in and around my mid scalp. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion and how many grafts you would recommend. I'm also wondering if there is any chance that the grafts applied to my midscalp could damage my hair that's already there and stop the hair from growing. Thanks.
There is a risk of damaging already existing hairs by placing grafts into an area that already has hair. However, the risk is minimal when the microscopic technique is used. Patients can expect no more than 5% to 10% of temporary thinning in the area, allowing for that area to look significantly thicker once the newly transplanted hairs have grown in.

The risks associated with hair transplantation done at a one of our qualified doctor’s clinic are typically very rare and minimal. Patients will occasionally get a few pimples that clear up soon afterward, or on occasion may experience a little numbness of the scalp which clears up within six weeks.

A vacation is certainly a possibility and there are numerous options available in India.Our staff can also help you out in that.
Most activities are permitted the very next day, though we recommend that you take some precautions to cover or keep your head out of the sun. Several of our patients have enjoyed mini-vacations in India to the Taj Mahal, Goa, wild life sanctuaries and the hills following their procedure, including one who commented: "Only the first day was a little hectic. After that, everything was back to usual. Wearing a cap wasn't even a big deal!"

No, there are no negative impacts that can result from flying soon after the procedure.

While not necessary, it is always nice to have someone accompany you.
I'm a woman, 34 years old, and very depressed about my hair loss, which is in the immediate front like it's going to form a bald triangle above my forehead. It also seems to be thinning a lot along the side/front of my head, basically sideburn and the area above. I don't have any medical problems, no family history, no clue, and have had all blood tests done. I'm wondering if a transplant is a possibility for me and how long I should wait. Also, I just read a very informative article on your website about women's hair transplantation. Please advise me.
From your description, you sound like a very suitable candidate for hair transplantation. Typically, when hair loss is bothering you enough that you want to do something about it, that would be the right time to undergo the procedure.

The degree of hair loss that is considered “very visible” and “unacceptable” varies from person to person. Studies have shown that about 80% of premenopausal women who look for hair loss will discover some degree of thinning hair. At what point the hair loss becomes “unacceptable” is an individual assessment for each person. Some women will accept hair loss as a condition of ageing. Others will demand that hair loss be halted or reversed.
Hair loss patterns in women are typically different from those in men; that in women tends to be more diffuse than hair loss in men, but more typically male patterns do occur in some women. The more characteristic female pattern is diffuse thinning over a considerable area of scalp, or diffuse thinning in a “Christmas tree” pattern over the central scalp. An advanced form of diffuse hair thinning is called diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA) that involves the entire scalp.
A woman’s hair loss that is visible, progressive and unacceptable to the woman should be evaluated by a physician hair restoration specialist to determine (1) the cause of hair loss, and (2) whether hair loss can be halted or an acceptable appearance restored by medical or surgical treatment.
Hair transplantation is almost always the surgical treatment of choice for a woman. The procedure has a high rate of success in women and the great majority of women are very satisfied with the results. However, not all women are good candidates for hair transplantation. Factors that most frequently rule out hair transplantation for a woman are:

  • Because of diffuse thinning over a large area of scalp, there is not enough donor hair to carry out acceptable hair transplantation, or
  • A patient has unrealistic expectations that hair transplantation can completely restore her pre-thinning appearance of hair fullness and density, rejecting any significant improvement that is less than 100% restoration of pre-thinning appearance.

Pre-existing medical conditions are always a concern. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, please tell the doctor at the time of your consultation. We routinely perform a lot of successful hair restoration procedures for patients with diabetes and other medical illnesses.