best age for a hair transplant

The Best Age for a Hair Transplant

 

Determining the best age to have a hair transplant is important because age is one of the factors in hair loss (alopecia). Late 20s to early 40s is the ideal age range for hair transplant surgery. Most people start to lose their hair in their 20s, but hormonal changes due to puberty can continue until the age of 25.

 

Younger candidates may not be ideal because their alopecia pattern may not be fully defined. Already, specialists don’t recommend surgery before emotional and physical development is complete. 


If you look at the structure of a strand of hair, you’ll notice that most of the structure is made up of keratin. This means that a protein-rich diet is an important part of the hair growth cycle. During your first or second consultation, your surgeon will analyze your hair structure and tell you the main reasons for your hair shedding.

 

Age, diet, lifestyle, genetic factors, certain medical conditions, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and high levels of the hormone DHT are all possible causes. If you want to know the exact time for your hair transplant, read on below.

What age is best to get a hair transplant?

 

The best age for hair transplantation varies from person to person. Some people may go bald in their late 20s or early 30s due to genetic factors or some disorders. From 20s to 70s if your overall health is ok and you have a strong donor area, you can be eligible to undergo a hair replacement surgery. 

 

Your criteria shouldn’t be only age. In a successful hair transplant clinic, hair transplantation is not the first choice. Before the treatment, your surgeon will learn all about your medical history regarding your scalp and hair follicles. 

 

Your surgeon may first choose to use medical therapies or injections with natural ingredients. If the results are positive, you may not need to continue your treatment with a surgery. However, you may need a surgical operation if you have advanced baldness. 

 

Is there an age limit for hair transplant?

 

Your general health will determine your maximum age. Typically, people in their 70s aren’t considered good candidates for hair transplant surgery. They tend to be in poor health, their scars take longer to heal and local anesthesia can be risky at this age. 

 

However, that’s not work for everyone. Many patients aged 70 or older have had successful procedures who still have dense and natural-looking hair. As more important than age factor, people with serious health complications including cicatricial alopecias, alopecia areata, diffuse unpatterned alopecia, some psychological disorders may not be suitable. 

Minimum age of hair transplant

Minimum age for hair transplant

The minimum age for a hair transplant can vary from clinic to clinic. Even some perform hair transplants on individuals under 18. However, they may not consider or care about physical development between 18 and 25.

Please avoid clinics that focus on making profit instead of prioritizing your overall health and well-being.

Maximum age of hair transplant

Maximum age for hair transplant

 

Most people 70+ who are in good health can have a successful operation. They can qualify for the procedure in the case of;

 

  • If there is enough donor space, 
  • has the amount of graft needed, 
  • comes to the clinic with realistic expectations,
  • surgical or non-surgical methods have been tried in the past and have not been successful,
  • has androgenetic alopecia, female pattern hair loss or male pattern baldness.
best time for hair transplant

When is the best time to get a hair transplant?

 

Hair transplant specialists prefer to wait for the hair loss to stabilize. While the hair loss is still severe, there are questions about the health of the grafts. They may use medication to stop the hair loss before treatment. They think the 40s is the best time to get a hair transplant because in most cases, it stops at this age and no future loss is observed rapidly. Plus, 40s is the ideal period for a successful hair transplant because of these situations as well;

 

  • Estimating case’s hair loss pattern is possible,
  • Understanding genetic explanations easily possible,
  • Patient can enlighten their surgeons about their hair loss past,
  • Patient may still have a strong donor site for extracting ideal hair graft number,
  • Patients can be more psychologically ready for a surgery.

 

Should I wait until I’m bald before getting a hair transplant?

 

No, it is not. Indeed, you can consider treatment before you are completely bald. According to the Norwood Hair Loss Scale, stage 7 (almost totally bald) is the worst stage for surgery. 

 

As more than half of entirely bald patients don’t have a donor area, they aren’t eligible for surgery and must turn to alternative treatments. They may have no options other than wigs, micropigmentation and similar methods. 

 

When is it too late for a hair transplant?

 

Nobody is too old to undergo a hair transplant, as long as they are in good health and have enough viable donor hair follicles. If you are completely bald, suffering from baldness, and there is no donor area, hair transplantation may not be possible anymore. In addition, patients who have a hair transplant failure and have an overharvesting of hair in their scalp may not have the opportunity for a 2nd surgery.

Do hair transplants last forever?

 

Most people’s hair transplants can last 20+ years. The list of conditions for a long-lasting hair transplantation procedure should be fulfilled:

For patient;

 

  • Follow the post-transplant instructions given by the clinic staff.
  • Use hair care products with natural ingredients post-hair transplant. 
  • Add zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B, vitamin E, minerals and aloe vera to your hair care routine.
  • Choose the right treatment for your specific condition, including, androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, high levels of DHT hormone, alopecia areata, traction alopecia or pattern hair loss. 
  • Stop your hair loss before surgery with the help of your surgeon & dermatologist. 

 

 

Poor hair transplant results are not only due to the patient but also to the inexperienced surgeon.

For surgeon;

 

  • When harvesting hair grafts from the donor area, the patient should be careful not to overestimate the amount of hair grafts (e.g. overharvesting). 
  • Choose the appropriate technique for the patient’s needs; DHI for a patient who needs few grafts, FUE for a patient who needs more grafts, Unshaven FUE for a patient who does not want to shave their hair.

 

What is the best age for a hair transplant to last long?

 

Although there is no exact age range, 25 to 45 is the most appropriate range. Both the grafts are more likely to be healthy and the rate of hair loss stabilizes after a certain age. It is easier to understand a person’s hair growth cycle. It can be determined which phase (e.g. telogen) the person is in. The surgeon will treat accordingly.

FAQs about The Best Age for Hair Transplant

A 20-year-old patient is more likely to experience future hair loss again after a long period of time (10-15 years). However, this candidate is also likely to be a suitable candidate for a second transplant. The patient can have surgery again in 40s, if;

 

  • the first surgery is successful, 
  • there are no permanent scars, 
  • the donor area remains healthy.

Yes it can under these conditions; you’re struggling with baldness, how you look makes you feel psychologically bad, you’ve lost %50 of your hair. 

No, 27 and up is ideal. For most sources, 27 to 40 is the ideal age. Please remember, circumstances may vary individually. 

Age 35 is often considered the best timing because it allows more accurate planning of the procedure. Patients usually still have a good amount of healhty donor hair available. They often have realistic expectations about final results. 

Not at all, even the 70s are not late. In contrast, hair transplantation is generally not recommended for patients with alopecia areata, DUPA, lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia and poor donor hair density. 

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