Deciding to have a hair transplant is a big decision. For one thing, you are doing this to improve the way you look and feel. So, it’s important you make the correct decision. The FUE technique is by far the most popular hair restoration technique in 2019. According to a recent article, hair restoration will only increase in popularity. As a result, let’s take a look at 5 important FUE hair transplant questions for you.
Once you have decided to restore your hair the next step is understanding the process. Choosing to have any medical procedure comes with natural concerns and apprehensions. So, it’s important to alleviate these concerns before making your decision. Deciding on a FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) hair transplant is no different. An ethical hair restoration specialist will also be looking at a candidates suitability to achieve a pleasing, natural hair transplant result. Often a candidate’s research and questions will overlap with those of the hair transplant Doctors. Here are 5 important FUE hair transplant questions a hair restoration specialist will be looking at.
Key to a successful FUE
A hair transplant Doctor will be looking at a number of basic points to evaluate whether they feel you are a good hair transplant candidate. These are normally your age and your current hair loss stage as well as your potential for future hair loss and your natural hair characteristics. The 5th being your goals and expectations. If all 5 add up to a positive then a FUE hair transplant can be performed successfully and achieve a natural long-term result.
Planning is always an important consideration for an ethical hair transplant specialist. As much as the immediate goal is to change the look and feel-good factor of their patient today they must also consider the future look.
Age
Male and female genetic hair loss can start at any time. Even as soon as the early 20s. A FUE hair transplant is not a hair loss cure so timing is important. The early stages of hair loss at a young age can often be treated more effectively with a hair loss treatment programme. The younger man still has vivid memories of his old hairline. Generally, he will want to recreate the same. This may well be possible technically but whether it can be sustained long-term is an important question. Age can greatly impact on the decision to wait or undergo a FUE hair transplant. At a younger age, it is often the correct decision to wait and look into a hair loss treatment regime to stabilise your current hair stage.
Current hair loss stage
Leading on from age will be the current hair loss stage. Genetic hair loss is progressive. As a result, there is a Norwood Scale depicting progressive hair loss in men and Ludwig Scale simulating progressive hair loss for women. Your current hair loss stage will dictate how large or small a FUE hair transplant procedure will be. Minimal hair loss will require a minimum of grafts or hair follicles. Often rebuilding only a thinning or receding hairline. A more advanced hair loss stage can be easier to predict and plan for. That said the more advanced the hair loss stage, the more it presents other concerns. One being whether enough hair follicles are available to treat the entire area. Occasionally it may be necessary to undergo multiple FUE hair transplant procedures to achieve the necessary hair coverage and density.
Future hair loss concerns
There is an obvious pattern building here in the planning of your successful FUE hair restoration. Considering your current age, your current hair loss stage and the potential for future hair loss. Male pattern baldness is inherited from either the mother or fathers family. As a result, looking at family members can give an indication to your potential hair loss pattern. If there is a strong pattern of advanced hair loss in both sides of the family tree it is probably ill-advised to start hair restoration with fixing a low, adolescent hairline. As a natural look of hair coverage and density cannot always be maintained as the hair loss stage advances. Planning your FUE hair restoration is important. It can mean the difference between achieving a natural-looking hair coverage and long-term happiness and partial low hair density results that look unnatural and hard to repair satisfactorily.
Natural hair characteristics
This can make or break whether you are suitable for any hair transplant in the first place. As well as influence the approach to your hair restoration and result. Hair characteristics can range from hair colour, calibre or diameter of the hair, fine or thick if the hair is curly or straight, to the contrast of the hair against the skin complexion. All these aspects carry an important role for the doctor when planning your hair transplant procedure. The better your hair characteristics the greater help in creating a natural-looking density and maximum coverage when rebuilding a new head of hair, especially in more advanced Norwood cases. Planning for further hair loss also becomes easier, as the hair calibre allows for wider coverage whilst maintaining a good density.
Goals and expectations
Even taking into consideration 4 of the 5 important FUE hair transplant questions if the 5th cannot be satisfied then a successful result can not be reached. Ultimately for someone to be a good hair transplant candidate it is going to be down to their personal expectations and goals both short and long term. Hair loss is an emotive issue that touches people of all ages. There are no boundaries for hair loss; wanting to regain a good head of hair crosses age, wealth, and lifestyle. The temptation is to want to return to a stage before hair loss was obvious, but this is generally not feasible. Those who do not understand this can find themselves being unhappy long term because their initial goals cannot be met and either they did not listen to the education they were given or did not receive the information in the first place.
Starting your FUE hair transplant
There is no one country that all the best FUE Doctors are located. It is important to keep an open mind and travel to the best, most qualified Doctor for you; the FUE specialist that meets your expectations and ticks all the boxes to meet your demands for a natural hair transplant result.
You can start with an online consultation. This is simple and requires little effort initially. Send your details and clear images of your hair loss for an online assessment. Checking that the Doctor will be making the assessment is important. It also allows time to ask questions regarding the Clinics standards and protocols. Don’t assume all standards are equal. Especially do not judge the best as standard as results can vary greatly.
