Hair Transplants For Men In Their 20s - What Do The Experts Say?

Hair transplants at a young age may be a cause of regret at a later stage

It is not only the girls who are worried about their looks. Men are equally vain. They are also very conscious of their looks and can go to any extreme to appear more desirable to the opposite sex. A fine mop of hair forms an important part of one’s look. Falling hair or a receding hair line can be a big cause of embarrassment for both men and women. Premature hair loss in men can shatter their self-confidence and be a cause of low self-esteem. A recent study showed that nine out of ten men are more conscious of their appearance than ever before and if medications fail to arrest their hair fall, they would definitely consider hair transplantation surgery. 

Another fact that has come to light is that the age at which hair fall begins has been steadily reducing. More and more young men are facing the problem of hair loss and while it may be easier for older men to come to terms with their hair loss, it is very difficult for young men to cope up with the problem. In their desperation to continue looking young, more men in their 20s are going for hair transplants.

But is it okay for young men to resort to hair transplants? If experts are to be believed, hair transplant surgery in men while they are still in their 20s can have disastrous consequences. This is because the process of hair loss is not complete at that stage and the man who has undergone a hair transplant may continue to lose hair from other areas of his scalp. After some time, the transplanted strip of hair may appear as an isolated island with a bald scalp all around. This may look very unnatural.

Normally, surgeons performing a hair transplant carry out a procedure called as “Follicular unit transplantation (FUT).” In this procedure, a strip of hair, along with the hair follicles, from the back of the scalp, is removed and transplanted in the front. This is because the follicles at the back of the head are permanent and so the hair in this region are never shed off permanently. Surgeons take advantage of this fact and replant them wherever necessary. Suppose a young man undergoes FUT and his hairline is lowered by an inch or so. If he continues to lose hair, the hair on the transplanted strip would remain and beyond that would be an empty space devoid of any hair.

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As they often have a limited budget, they often land up at clinics with inexperienced surgeons. The latter may replant the skin from the back of the scalp at the temple regions to achieve the teenage hairstyle. But with subsequent hair loss, the grafts may appear inappropriately positioned as the patient may end up with hairy temples and a bald forehead. Therefore, the doctors caution against hair transplant before men are older than 30 years.

Identify The Cause Of Hair Loss Before Opting For A Hair Transplant

Experts point out that it is extremely important to find out the cause of hair loss before resorting to surgery. Many a times, young people flustered by sudden hair loss, may land at hair transplant chains run by inexperienced surgeons and end up undergoing hair transplant which was actually not required.

There are multiple causes of hair loss. It may be a result of malnutrition or be a side effect of some medicine that a person is taking. The person may be suffering from some disease or depression or may be having some hormonal problem. All these factors may lead to hair loss. It is important to go to a surgeon who specializes in hair transplant. Such a surgeon would begin by taking a detailed medical history and would like to identify the underlying cause behind the hair loss. 

Medicines like Minoxidil and Finasteride have been approved for halting and reversing male baldness pattern. Both these medicines, when taken together, exert a synergistic effect. They prevent hair fall and strengthen the existing hair. Thinning of hair is arrested, which gives the effect of new hair. Many men continue to reap the benefits of these medicines for a number of years before they have to consider hair transplant. It is advised that young men, who begin to lose hair in their 20s, should use these medicines till the time their hair loss pattern can be identified and an appropriate surgery can be undertaken.

Young men acting in haste and undergoing a hair transplant in their 20s may have to pay a heavy price subsequently. They may have to undergo many corrective surgeries before their look is normalized. Men, who have undergone FUT earlier, may have to undergo corrective procedures like Follicular unit extraction (FUE). In this method, individual hair clusters consisting of one to four hairs are taken out and replanted one by one. This procedure is very time consuming and may requiring multiple sittings before it is completed. However, the results obtained are more satisfying and the chances of scarring are also reduced.

See Also: Most Effective Hair Loss Treatments

By this time, their hair loss pattern is established and so the surgeon is in a better position to identify the correct region to place the graft. Men in their 30s are also more assured of their looks, do not want the teenage appearance with a low hairline, and are willing to get the grafts placed higher up. They also have more money at their disposal and can go for more hair grafts in every session. Hair transplant surgery is an effective tool for restoring the youthful look provided it is carried out at the right age, under the guidance of a trained hair transplant specialist.