Hair loss can start at any age, with an average of 1-in-5 men noticing a loss or thinning of their hair by the time they hit 20. Although there are no age restrictions when it comes to the procedure, we recommend our patients wait until they’re at least 25 before considering it as hair loss is progressive and there’s still uncertainty as to what kind of hair loss and balding patterns you may experience in the future. As an example, if a patient is concerned about their hairline and has grafts in this area, there is still a potential for the surrounding hair to continue to recede and fall out, leaving a patchy result.
You should also be aware that your donor's hair is limited. If you have a transplant at an earlier age only to discover that more hair is falling out, you probably won’t have enough hair to keep “chasing” the hair loss. If you are under the age of 25 and are experiencing hair loss, while it is unfortunate, it is highly likely that you will still be dealing with it in the future. Your head only has a finite supply of hair that can be transplanted, so it needs to be used wisely. If you meet with Dr. Lao, this is something that he will be able to discuss with you and what sort of options you have.
Every case we are presented with is evaluated thoroughly on an individual basis, and several age-related factors play a part in candidate suitability for a hair transplant procedure.
The main consideration is the current degree of hair loss and the future implications of the patient’s hair loss patterns. We do as much as we can to help preserve the hair and prevent further hair loss for our younger patients. We also monitor the patient’s hair loss over a period of time, allowing us to then decide the most suitable time for a hair transplant procedure, permanently restoring the lost hair.