How to Know When You’re Ready for Hair Restoration
Surgical hair transplantation is the only permanent solution for male or female pattern baldness. It is often said, “you don’t know what you had until it’s gone,” and for anyone experiencing thinning or balding hair, you can attest to this statement. Baldness can occur for many reasons. Some include aging, genetics, stress, or other lifestyle factors for both men and women. If you’re thinking of undergoing hair restoration surgery, we’ve listed our top tips to help you know when you’re ready.
Timing Is Everything
Hair loss can take place any time after puberty, due to the hair follicle and its growth being strongly linked to testosterone levels. Most doctors advise waiting until you are at an appropriate age before undergoing surgery. Usually 30 plus years of age is a good starting point. For most men, this ensures there has been a significant time for hair loss to occur.
You’ve Been Balding for Awhile
Hair loss doesn’t happen all at once, so when you decide to undergo surgery you want to ensure your doctor has something to work with. Waiting a substantial amount of time will give your doctor a better understanding of your hair loss pattern. This will allow your doctor to tailor a plan, making sure you get the results you want. Hair transplantation is best approached after 5+ years of balding.
But Don’t Wait Too Long
We don’t want this point to contradict what we previously said, but there are some cases where people might have waited too long to get hair restoration. Procedures work by taking hair from donor areas, so ideally you’d want at least a 25/75 ratio of balding to health hair. This will give your doctor plenty to work with to ensure the results look natural.
Keep Your Expectations Realistic
Hair transplantation results take time to settle and grow. Usually, after the procedure takes place, the transplanted hairs fall back out again. They do grow back, but sometimes it can take months before you will be able to style, dye, and cut your hair like normal. Patience is key in this process and if you are willing to wait, the reward will be a natural healthy head of hair.
You Have No Medical Conditions
For transplantation surgery to work, you’ll need to assess any medications or medical conditions that might compete with the healing process. Certain types of medications list hair loss as a side effect and it’s important to talk to your doctor about alternative options if you’re thinking about transplantation surgery. It should also be noted that if you suffer from high levels of stress, your results might vary. Stress is hard on all aspects of the body and it plays a huge role in how your hair will recover from the surgery. To learn more about being an ideal candidate check out our previous blog post.
Here at Nashville Hair Clinic, we specialize in the most common hair restoration technique, for residents of Nashville and the surrounding Tennessee communities. If you are ready to see what our team can do for you, click here or call 615-329-3900 to book your consultation! For a limited time, when you sign up for a consultation you will receive $250 off your hair restoration procedure