One of the great concerns of patients when they arrive at our clinic is if they are a candidate for a hair transplant. In order to undergo surgery, a series of requirements must be met that must be evaluated by the Doctor. And there are certain cases in which the transplant can not be carried out.

Among the cases in which a person cannot be operable via hair transplant are the types of alopecia that are not treatable, a poor donor area or very wide baldness, the age of the patient, concomitant diseases, or the type of hair. This must be determined by the doctor in the diagnostic and assessment consultation who, in the worst case, can offer you an alternative treatment.

The first thing that must be evaluated is the situation of the patient’s hair. There may be an alopecia too great, commonly called as universal and that involves the total loss of hair, not only in the head, but throughout the body. On the other hand, there may be a poor donor area, from where the follicles are taken to fill the recipient area. If there are not enough to perform a good hair transplant with an optimal result, the doctor may consider you as unfit.

The age of the patient can also influence the diagnosis. A patient too young may have active alopecia. That keeps moving forward over time. Several studies show that from the age of 30 alopecia is stabilized and hair loss happens more gradually. Even so, it is always important to take oral medication to stop alopecia and improve areas with native hair. 

On the other hand, the patient’s hair type must be considered. Its shape, thickness, texture… They make up a morphology that can lead to hair transplantation being successful or not. At the Instituto Médico del Prado we have an intelligent dermatoscope (HairMetrix by Candfield), which will make the doctor make a more accurate assessment.

Candidate for hair transplant: alternative treatments

There are other types of treatments for those who are not, at first, candidates for a hair transplant. Among them is oral medication, intradermal treatments, or micropigmentation. Thanks to the first two, the situation may be reversed enough to be a transplant candidate in a few months.

With intradermal and oral treatments, native hair will grow stronger. In the case of Dr. Espinosa Custodio, it is common for the patient to be prescribed with oral medication, as it will help both in the preparation for surgery and in the evolution. 

Micropigmentation, on the other hand, will help generate a feeling of density in our scalp. It will therefore be a more than acceptable alternative.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I know if I am a candidate for a hair transplant?

Going to a diagnostic appointment with a doctor is the best way to know if you can be a candidate for a hair transplant. In the case of the Instituto Médico del Prado we offer the option of making a free online diagnosis in which the doctor can give you some guides of what the hair transplant could be.

Will my donor area improve if I take oral medication?

Yes, the most common scenario is that it will improve if oral medication is taken. The use of these drugs helps to solve the miniaturization of the follicles, increasing the thickness and, in addition, slowing down alopecia.

Dr. Espinosa Custodio works at Instituto Médico del Prado, his hair clinic in Madrid, and performs hair transplants in Mexico, twice a year. If you would like to make an appointment, you can contact us on +34 912 468 664, on WhatsApp +34 627 396 322 or on the contact page of our website. From Mexico you can contact us at +52 55 4590 9909.