Can Women Have Hair Transplant?

Hair transplant is long thought to be a man’s cure but, is it true? People often think that hair transplant in women is not possible. Let’s see what the truth is.

Availability of balding resistant hair follicles is a condition for hair transplant. Any patient who does not have these hair follicles should not be treated with hair restoration surgery. While men usually fulfill this condition, most women do not match the criterion and so, it is said that only men can have a hair transplant.

Although, unavailability of balding resistant hair follicles does not mean that the women cannot have the hair transplant usually, it is not considered wise to have a hair restoration surgery in such a situation. Your transplanted hair may not be permanent if the surgery is performed using regular, not balding resistant hair follicles. You may lose your hair in the treated area anytime in future.

How can I check if I have balding resistant hair follicles?

Hair follicles in the back and sides of your scalp are usually resistant to balding. This is the reason why we see men losing hair from their crown and front area but not from the back and sides of the scalp; a pattern which is called male pattern baldness. Some women also show this pattern when they experience a thinning crown and a receding frontal hairline. It indicates that they fulfill the suitability criterion of hair transplant by having balding resistant hair follicles in the back and sides of their scalp. And so, they are good candidates for hair transplant in women.

Following are some other scenarios when women usually make good candidates for hair restoration surgery.

· Hair loss due to non-hormonal reasons like mechanical or traction alopecia

· Hair loss at the incision site due to a previous surgery

· Hair loss due to a trauma like severe burns, scars from accidents etc.

· Hair loss due to alopecia marginalis

Other than scalp hair, women can also regrow their eyebrows and eyelashes.

When a woman cannot have a hair transplant?

Women who experience a general thinning of hair from all areas of their scalp, a pattern known as female pattern baldness, are not recommended to have a hair restoration surgery because they may lose their transplanted hair just like they have lost their hair previously.

Women who cannot have a surgery to regorow hair can benefit from medical hair restoration; use of hair growing medicines. They can use topical solutions like Minoxidil or oral medicine like Finasteride, according to surgeon’s prescription.

Hair transplant is an incredible treatment which grows hair on an area that has lost its hair growing ability permanently. While there are some other treatments as well which are sometimes used as alternatives for hair transplant like medicines and hairpieces, they do not give you permanent hair. In fact, hair transplant gives you permanent hair and this is the major reason behind its success.

Are you losing your hair? Avail free online consultation and see if you can have a hair transplant!