Women’s hair transplant FAQ – Is hair restoration surgery good for women

What kind of baldness affects women?

In women, unlike in men the hair is diffused and thinning occurs in all areas of the head, including at the side and the back. In men on the other hand, the sides and the back act as the donor areas of hair to the front! These sites are often labelled as the stable sites and hair follicles in these areas are hardly affected by baldness. In women, the picture is different.

How different is hair thinning in women?

The donor areas of hair follicles are vastly unstable throughout the scalp. Women are more affected by the follicle killing DHT. There are frankly no good donor areas of hair in women who cite balding as a condition for hair transplant. A doctor who nevertheless attempts to undertake an operation is actually taking advantage of a female’s desperation for economic gains. Another vastly different case is the question of frontal hairline. Many hair transplants in women will only move hair from one area to another without making any significant difference to volume.

What kinds of cases warrant a hair transplant in women?

Many doctors who are established hair surgeons will tell you that a majority of women should not opt for hair transplant. Only about 2 to 55 per cent of women should actually go for surgery. So the question is who?

Here are some of the women who should opt for a surgery in the scalp:

• Women who have suffered untimely hair fall due to non hormonal causes.
• Women who have undergone cosmetic surgery, and are facing hair loss around the sites of incision.
• Women who face baldness akin to androgenic baldness should also find themselves goof candidates for a hair transplant surgery. Hairline recession and vertex thinning ( the top of the scalp sees no hair growth) are regular reasons for a woman to seek surgery.
• Those of you, who suffer from alopecia marginalis, a serious medical condition that is similar to traction alopecia, can also seek help to restore hair in their scalp.

What are the other common causes of female pattern baldness?

Hair loss has some common causes that are overlooked for the more serious ones. Here are lists of conditions that may affect you with baldness:

• Hormonal imbalance such as seen in pregnancy and menopause
• Major surgery
• Crash diets or lack of nutrition
• Extreme stress conditions
• Endocrine imbalance that affect thyroid function
• Systemic diseases like lupus
• Taking too ,many birth control pills
• Hairstyles that stress the scalp (traction alopecia)
• Genetics Iron deficiency Medications