Is Every Patient of Hair Loss a Candidate for Hair Transplant? Deciding Surgical Candidacy in Pattern Hair Loss
October 2021
in “
Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
”
hair transplant patterned hair loss male pattern hair loss MPHL androgenic alopecia AGA female pattern hair loss FPHL diffuse unpatterned alopecia DUPA cicatricial alopecia CA body dysmorphic disorder BDD trichotillomania male pattern baldness female pattern baldness scarring alopecia hair-pulling disorder
TLDR Not all hair loss patients are suitable for hair transplant due to various conditions like unstable hair loss, insufficient hair loss, very young age, unrealistic expectations, certain psychological disorders, and medical unfitness.
The paper "Is Every Patient of Hair Loss a Candidate for Hair Transplant?—Deciding Surgical Candidacy in Pattern Hair Loss" discusses that while patterned hair loss, including male pattern hair loss (MPHL) or androgenic alopecia (AGA) and female pattern hair loss (FPHL), is the most common reason for hair transplant surgery, not all patients with these conditions are suitable candidates. Eight conditions make patients unsuitable for hair transplants: diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA), cicatricial alopecia (CA), unstable hair loss, insufficient hair loss, very young age, unrealistic expectations, psychological disorders like body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and trichotillomania, and medical unfitness. Some patients may only achieve limited results from hair transplantation and should only proceed if they understand and accept this. Identifying these patients requires a detailed history and examination during consultation.
