A Guide On How Your Hair Transplant Eligibility Is Decided

Hair loss has been an ongoing and distressing issue that affects a significant portion of the population, including up to 85% of men and 40% of women.¹ The chances of getting hair loss only increases as we age. Although hair loss types depend on cause and symptoms, the most common is androgenic alopecia, also known as female/male pattern hair loss.¹

While there are non-surgical methods, such as minoxidil and low-level laser light therapy, recent advancements in surgical hair restoration have increased the effectiveness, safety, and reliability of hair transplantations.¹

Hence, transplanting is one of the most popular treatment options among those with significant hair loss. Two of the most well-known hair transplant procedures are Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE). Both have been successfully performed to correct hair loss conditions.²

However, the question remains: How do dermatologists decide if the patient is suited for a hair transplant?

How hair transplant candidacy is decided

When identifying patients with patterned hair loss (PHL), dermatologists must perform a thorough medical examination, especially in the scalp area.

Because some cases can be subtle and missed without detailed and expert evaluation, the dermatologist or hair surgeon must be fully trained and experienced in performing these examinations.³

Here are some questions the dermatologists may consider when determining the patient’s eligibility for a hair transplant in Singapore:

Does the hair loss have a pattern?³
Is there a form of hair loss that will preclude hair transplantation such as active scarring forms of hair loss (e.g. lichen planopilaris) or frontal fibrosing alopecia, or active autoimmune forms of hair loss such as alopecia areata?
Is the hair loss more than 50% in any part of the scalp?³
Does the scalp look healthy?³
What is the quality and quantity of hair for the donor region?³
Does the hair loss seem unstable?³
Are the patient’s expectations realistic?³
Does the patient have any medical or dermatologic conditions that could affect the surgery?³

For all patients, they may do the following to avoid any misdiagnosis:

Study the general medical and hair loss-specific history thoroughly

By studying the patient’s history, it allows the dermatologist to identify any conditions that could be the cause of their hair loss, or could affect the surgery. Moreover, the hair loss history can also help answer the following questions:

When did the hair loss start?³
Is the hair loss now stable, or it’s worsening?³
Did the hair loss happen in family history? If so, who and what kind of hair loss was it?³
What treatments have been used in the past, and did it work? For this question, they may consult diagnoses done by other doctors.³

Examine the entire scalp

Usually, dermatologists check the donor and recipient areas of both the hair and the scalp. This means they will comb through the scalp to determine the quality, especially the hair density.³During the examination, they will pay attention to these factors:

The miniaturisation of hair (the tell-tale sign of PHL)³
Density variations³
Scaling or redness of the scalp³
Loss of follicular Ostia and shininess.³

This allows dermatologists to get information on whether there is significant evidence of hair loss and how much hair loss has occurred in each location. Moreover, it also allows them to find out if the hair loss is patchy or diffusive.³In men’s cases, they may also check the non-scalp donor areas, such as the beard.

Constantly use dermoscopy/densitometry.

Dermoscopy/densitometry can be used on the recipient and donor areas to measure the miniaturisation and percentage of hair density loss to map out any further issues on the scalp.³

In general, fine hair is between 60 to 65 microns (or follicular units), medium hair is 65-80 microns, and coarse hair is above 80 microns. It’s considered low density if the donor region falls below 60 microns.³

Hair transplantation may be performed if there is a donor area of suitable density.³ However, if hair loss patterns are erratic or the donor area has low density, further evaluation is needed before the dermatologist can safely recommend transplantation. This means they may advise the patient to undergo evaluation with further blood test investigations and possibly even undergo a scalp biopsy.³

Conclusion

Hair transplants can be an excellent solution for those who have experienced hair loss. However, it’s crucial to find a reputable hair transplant surgery clinic and an experienced surgeon that can perform this delicate and complex procedure with precision and confidence.

After all, not only would a skilled hair transplant surgeon increase the chances of success, they would be able to yield the best, most natural-looking results, along with a quick recovery time and minimal scarring.

As a highly experienced dermatologist and accredited hair transplant specialist, Dr Yong offers treatments that combines surgical, cosmetic and medical aspects that allows for natural hair restoration with minimal side effects.

Moreover, she has extensive international experience including a fellowship in Hair Transplantation, Cosmetic and Procedural Dermatology in Mt Sinai Hospital in New York, and is a member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. She was also the founding consultant of the hair transplant service in the National Skin Centre, Singapore.

Today, she advocates healthy hair and skin for everyone at her dermatology clinic, offering a variety of hair restoration techniques, including FUE and FUT procedures, that can be designed to meet each patient’s unique needs and preferences.

Should you be in need for suitable hair loss treatment, contact us at AYD today.

References

Raggio, B. S., & Zito, P. M. (2021, November 15). Hair Transplantation. StatPearls. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547740/

Sharma, R., & Ranjan, A. (2019). Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) Hair Transplant: Curves Ahead. Journal of maxillofacial and oral surgery, 18(4), 509–517. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12663-019-01245-6

True R. H. (2021). Is Every Patient of Hair Loss a Candidate for Hair Transplant?-Deciding Surgical Candidacy in Pattern Hair Loss. Indian journal of plastic surgery: official publication of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India, 54(4), 435–440. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1739247

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A Guide On How Your Hair Transplant Eligibility Is Decided