Doctors are looked at as the professionals with all the answers. There is a great responsibility for doctors to provide accurate information. One piece of information doctors must know is the correct age range for different medicines, procedures, and treatments. As a hair transplant doctor would explain, hair loss is a common medical condition that many people will experience in their lifetime. According to the American Hair Loss Association, two-thirds of men will suffer from hair loss before they reach the age of thirty-five. In addition, almost 85% of men will experience some type of hair loss by the time they reach the age of fifty. It is also not uncommon for men in their twenties to start losing their hair.
There are multiple reasons for hair loss including genetics, medical conditions, stress, trauma, and diet. The loss of hair at a young age can be quite distressing to a person and have a negative impact on their self-image and confidence in their appearance. How young can you be to have a hair transplant?
Even if the hair loss occurs when you are in your twenties, you might not be an ideal candidate for hair restoration surgery. The main reason is that the severity, cause, and pattern of the hair loss might not be fully known by that point. Hair loss is considered to be a progressive condition, and this means that a person will lose more and more hair as they continue to age.
Therefore, someone who gets a hair transplant at a young age might continue to lose their hair around the area with the transplanted hair grafts. The hair that is transplanted is resistant to balding but the hair that surrounds it might not have the same resistance. You might need another hair transplant at some point in the future so it might be better to wait until the full extent of the hair loss is evident.
At this early age, it might be better to use a treatment option such as minoxidil or finasteride to try and thicken the hair that is thinning on the scalp. This option can continue into your thirties as the hair loss is likely to continue to progress as the years pass.
Patients that are in their 40s (or older) are often considered to be good candidates for a hair transplant because the pattern and severity of the hair loss are often evident by that point.
Regardless of your age, it is best to schedule a consultation appointment with a board-certified surgeon who is experienced in performing hair transplants. The surgeon can determine the cause of the hair loss and also recommend the ideal treatment to address the issue. A hair transplant is when hair grafts are removed from the donor area on the scalp, and this is usually the back and sides of the scalp as these areas are resistant to balding. Hair grafts can also be taken from the beard and scalp if there is not enough available high-quality donor hair on the back and sides of the scalp.
While your early twenties might not be the best age to have a hair transplant, it is still a good age to schedule a consultation appointment in order to learn more about your hair loss and to also plan ahead for the future.
