Hair loss is a common problem that affects men and women of all ages but is more commonly seen in men. Hair loss and balding do not just affect the physical appearance of a person but also have a negative psychological effect.
Young men who undergo balding can have low self-esteem and confidence due to hair loss. This can impact their personal, professional, and social life. There is an increased trend of such people looking for various methods and treatments to solve their hair loss problems.
A hair transplant is a common type of treatment recommended to solve all hair loss and balding problems. However, the big question is what is the correct age for undergoing a hair transplant surgery? In this article, we will be discussing the ideal age to undergo a hair transplant.
What is a Hair Transplant Surgery?
A hair transplant surgery is a minimally-invasive type of surgical procedure that involves harvesting or taking healthy hair follicles from a donor site, which is usually the backside of the scalp where the hair is usually the thickest, and transplanting these hair follicles to the recipient areas having hair thinning or hair loss.
The hair follicles harvested from the back of the scalp have properties that make them resistant to hair loss or balding. Therefore, when these hair follicles are transplanted to another area on the scalp, the results are usually permanent and the hair continues to grow for the rest of the person’s life.
What is the Ideal Age to Undergo a Hair Transplant Surgery?
Anyone above 18 years of age is eligible to undergo hair transplant surgery. This gives time for the balding pattern in an individual to fully take shape and settle. Undergoing the procedure too early can lead to disappointing results later on.
There is no upper age limit for undergoing a hair transplant surgery. A healthy person can undergo hair transplant surgery at an advanced age as well. However, the best results for a hair transplant surgery are seen in individuals who undergo the procedure between 30 and 50 years of age.
Why Do I Have Hair Loss at a Young Age?
Hair loss, also known as alopecia, is a natural process that most people experience with an increase in age. However, hair loss could occur at any age depending on factors like genetics, hormonal fluctuations, and environmental factors.
Some common reasons for hair loss which may or may not be related to advanced age and could lead to hair loss even at a young age are:
- Genetics: This is the most common cause of hair loss that happens with aging. This condition is known as male-pattern or female-pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia. An increase in age can lead to the gradual shrinking of the hair follicles, which results in weaker, thinner hair strands.
- Hormonal changes: Conditions like thyroid disorders, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause can lead to hormonal changes that may result in hair loss.
- Health conditions: Certain medical conditions like alopecia areata (an autoimmune disorder) and trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) can result in hair loss.
- Use of certain medications: Certain medications used to treat arthritis, cancer (chemotherapy), depression, blood pressure, and heart problems can lead to side effects like hair loss.
- Radiation therapy: Cancer treatment using radiation therapy in the head region can prevent hair from growing in the same way as before.
- Stress: Many people could experience hair thinning many months after a physical or mental shock. This type of hair loss is usually temporary.
- Hair treatments and hairstyles: Using chemicals on the hair or different types of hair treatments can result in hair loss. Hairstyles that pull the hair tight or excessive hairstyling can also lead to hair loss.
Medications like Minoxidil and Finasteride may be prescribed to treat hair loss. If these medications fail to treat the condition, the doctor could suggest undergoing hair transplant surgery after 25 years of age.
How Does Age Affect Hair Transplant Surgery?
Your age is an important factor that could affect various aspects of hair transplant surgery, including the following:
- Quality of hair follicles: The quality of hair follicles deteriorates with age. The weaker hair follicles have a tendency to fall off as their protein cell turns weak. The harvesting and transplantation procedure will, therefore, become more difficult.
- Elasticity of the skin: The skin on the scalp and other parts of the body lose their elasticity with an increase in age. This can affect the flexibility and tension of the scalp during hair transplantation.
- Medical conditions: Most people with advanced age have certain underlying medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, etc., or may be taking medicines to manage these conditions. This could negatively affect the safety and success of a hair transplant procedure.
- Treatment outcomes: Your treatment outcome will depend on your body’s immune system. If you have a strong immune system, regardless of whether you are young or old, you are likely to get good hair transplant treatment results.
Can I Undergo a Hair Transplant Surgery Before 25 Years of Age?
Although legally you can undergo a hair transplant surgery after 18 years of age, doctors strongly recommend not to undergo the procedure before 25 years of age. This is because of the following reasons:
- Ongoing hair loss: The hair loss pattern is still ongoing in a young adult less than 25 years of age. If a hair transplant procedure is performed before this age, hair loss may accelerate and impact the area around the transplanted hairs, resulting in poor appearance and a failed hair transplant procedure.
- Hormonal changes: Hormonal fluctuations are common during young age, which could result in a misdiagnosed cause of hair loss. Additionally, the DHT or dihydrotestosterone hormone, which is mainly responsible for male pattern baldness does not mature completely before 25 years of age.
- Variable rate of hair loss: The rate of hair loss at a young age is variable and rapid, whereas hair loss follows a more predictable pattern after 25 years of age depending on a person’s hair loss history, resulting in better treatment outcomes.
- Need to undergo another hair transplant surgery: If you undergo a hair transplant surgery at an early age, your hair loss may progress even after a hair transplant surgery. You may therefore require additional hair transplant procedures later on in life, which is usually after the age of 40 or even earlier in cases of severe hair loss or poor treatment outcomes.
- Running out of healthy hair follicles: Every individual has a limited number of healthy hair follicles. If a person undergoes a hair transplant procedure before 25 years of age, he or she could run out of the healthy hair follicles which could be needed for another hair transplantation procedure that may be required after the age of 40.
Having a hair transplant at an early can only provide a temporary hair restoration solution and while your transplanted hair may continue to look good, the hair around it could continue to fall off due to an ongoing hair loss pattern. This will result in a strange combination of thick and thin hair, and could even lead to balding patches. It is therefore recommended to wait till you are at least 25 years old and your hair loss pattern has stabilized before undergoing a hair transplant.
What Age Is Too Old to Undergo a Hair Transplant Surgery?
There is no particular age that is considered to be too old to undergo a hair transplant surgery. An experienced plastic surgeon will check the patient’s medical history and overall health thoroughly before making a treatment plan for the patient.
Undergoing a hair transplant surgery under the care of a skilled cosmetic or plastic surgeon will ensure optimal treatment results even in old age.
Will Younger Patients Have Better Hair Transplant Results Than Older Patients?
Any individual who has good general health, no underlying medical conditions, no smoking habit, and has realistic expectations from the procedure can get good hair transplant treatment results regardless of his or her age. In fact, an old patient can get treatment results equivalent to or even superior to the results obtained for a younger patient depending on the degree of hair loss present and the general health of the patient.
The key is to consult a skilled and experienced cosmetic surgeon who can evaluate you properly and determine if you are a good candidate for undergoing hair transplant surgery regardless of your age.
Hair Transplant Surgery at ALCS Clinic, Jaipur
At ALCS clinic, Jaipur we can provide you with the best hair transplant surgery results at an affordable price. Our plastic surgeon, Dr. Sunil Arora has performed many successful hair transplant surgeries to date. Equipped with the latest medical technology, we can assure you of a comfortable and successful hair transplant procedure with desirable results.To get the best hair transplant experience, book your appointment with ALCS clinic, Jaipur today.
