There is always the question as to why there is little talk of women getting hair transplantations?
This question and others about female hair loss treatment options are commonly asked about. The answer is found in the differences between common male hair loss and that of women. Some of the differences between male and female hair loss are:
- When looking at female hair loss in its most common type, it is not nearly as common as typical male hair loss, also known as male patterned baldness.
- Women’s hair loss rarely leads to complete baldness. It often presents itself merely as thinning.
- FPB, or Female Patterned Baldness, usually touches the entire scalp with no donor hair protected in the back, unlike men with Male Patterned Baldness (MPB).
- Women suffering from hair loss are much less accepted than men. MPB hair loss is known as a normal variation among men rather than a disease because most men have some degrees of hair loss after the age of 50.
Many women may benefit from hair restoration surgeries by restoring their hair in the balding areas. The most important factor that determines a woman’s ability to receive a hair transplant is their donor recipient area. That is to say, women whose hair loss is more similar to male patterned hair loss are far better candidates for a hair restoration procedure.
When considering their candidacy we need to keep in mind the common differences of balding between men and women. A hair transplantation surgeon should be intentional in setting realistic expectations. A man suffering class VI hair loss, having no hair on top of his head, might be thrilled about having a mere 40% of his original density on the bald areas after a procedure. For a women, having only 40% density, will probably not be acceptable.
Women who desire close to 100% density in the bald areas should be told the truth which is they might need more than one hair transplant surgery. Although women hair restorations can help most female patients, the candidacy for hair restoration in women should be carefully calculated before planning a hair transplant surgery.
These are the factors which should be met for determining proper candidacy for women regarding hair restoration surgery and before finalizing the surgical plan for female hair restoration:
- Donor/Recipient mismatch: This means the donor hair on the back and sides of the woman’s head should be better quality than balding areas
- Limited balding area: This means the area suffering balding or thinning must be limited. Women with diffused hair loss wanting increased density everywhere are generally not good candidates for female hair restoration surgery.
- Realistic Expectations: The reality is hair transplant surgery only moves hair from one area to the other. It is not about creating new hair. Because of this, women need to understand hair restoration helps them to redistribute hair to cover the areas that are more important to them. Creating 100% original density requires more than one hair transplant surgery.
A final important factor for women who are looking into a hair loss procedure is to consider finding the right hair transplant surgeon who has experience handling hair restoration procedures in women. Female hair restoration is an art in itself and should be considered properly.
Female hair restoration is not simply another version of the common hair transplantation done in men. The common size of a woman’s skull, the dynamics of the scalp skin, and the precision of making sites for the new grafts are important skills for a surgeon to understand. A good, well knowledgeable, and experienced surgeon will be on top of these things and do the best job possible to help reach the desired goals.