Hair Loss Affects People of All Ages
By Sara Wasserbauer | Published on August 11, 2010 | 0 Comments
When most people think of hair loss, they tend to imagine older men slowly showing more and more scalp with age, or older women with visibly thinning hair. Hair loss isn’t just for older men and women, but is a condition that can affect people of all ages – . Dr. Sara Wasserbauer is a seasoned hair transplant surgeon who is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, and according to her, plenty of the patients who visit her Walnut Creek, California practice are younger than most would expect.
Hair loss can be especially troublesome for younger patients – especially those who are the first among their peers to experience this condition. When folks in their early to mid 20s first become aware that hair loss is a problem, many tend to rush over to their local hair restoration clinics to learn about their options. While some patients may be suitable candidates for hair transplant surgery, this is not always the case.
According to Dr. Wasserbauer, there are a couple of reasons why hair transplant surgery is not necessarily the best idea for a younger patient. First of all, patients should understand that while the field of hair restoration today offers truly remarkable results, the hair transplant procedure itself relies on a supply of donor hair from which transplantable grafts are created and placed. If a patient uses up their supply of donor hair at a younger age before the full extent of their hair loss sets in, then they could end up limiting their transplantation options down the road.
In fact, Dr. Wasserbauer says that she is generally wary of the idea of transplanting hairs in the crown area at the back of a younger patient’s head because this area is not as prominent as the frontal portion of the hairline; and if a patient were to use up all of their donor hair to fill in the crown only to find themselves needing work on their hairline down the road, then they could end up running into a bit of a cosmetic conundrum.
Another reason why Dr. Wasserbauer often advises younger patients to wait before undergoing hair transplantation surgery is that in many cases, the progression of baldness can be difficult to predict from an aesthetic perspective. A successful hair transplant, says Dr. Wasserbauer, is one that produces results that are as natural as they are visually pleasing. Therefore, if a younger patient undergoes a transplant, but their baldness progresses in a manner that comes to make their hairline look unnatural, then they may end up dissatisfied with their choices down the road.
According to Dr. Wasserbauer, as much as hair loss may be an upsetting condition with which to contend, it’s not always worth it for a young patient to have a hair transplant only to lose the rest of his hair within a few years. In many cases, it’s better to wait and see how the pattern of baldness progresses before opting for surgery.
So is there an age-related “cut off date” that surgeons should follow as far as younger hair loss patients are concerned? According to Dr. Wasserbauer, not necessarily. Although some professionals in the industry may impose age restrictions on transplantation options, Dr. Wasserbauer prefers to evaluate each patient on an individual basis. In some cases, a hair transplant can make sense even for a younger patient, though most doctors will agree that it’s best to first try other forms of therapy such as medication before resorting to surgery. Either way, Dr. Wasserbauer likes to emphasize the fact that hair loss treatment is available to patients of all ages, and that there’s no such thing as being “too young” to get help.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.