It is easy to take a good, thick head of hair for granted, but for many people—men and women alike—balding or thinning hair is a harsh reality. Some people find that hair transplant procedures are very successful in helping to bring back the appearance of a full head of hair. But are men and women equally eligible for these types of procedures? To answer this question, we’ll take a closer look at hair loss in women and how hair transplant procedures work.
What causes hair loss in women?
The most common type of hair loss in women is called diffuse hair loss, which is very different than male-pattern balding. This means that there is an overall thinning throughout all areas of the scalp, including the sides and back, which are usually used as the donor sites in men.
How do hair transplants work?
During a hair transplant procedure, individual hair follicles are surgically removed from a donor site, which is an area where hair is growing normally, and transplanted to the recipient site where the patient is experiencing balding or thinning.
What makes a good candidate for hair transplants?
Hair transplant procedures are typically used to treat androgenetic alopecia, also known as male-pattern baldness. This is because the traditional way that men bald involves certain hair follicles affected by the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes them to shrink and eventually stop producing hair. Usually, men will have what are called “stable sites” along the backs and sides of their heads that are not affected by this hormone and still have normally functioning follicles. These stable sites are able to become the donor sites that provide healthy follicles to the balding areas of their head.
Are women good candidates?
Since women typically have a different pattern of baldness than men, the usual areas that are used for donor sites are not as stable. Just like the rest of the head, these areas thin as well. This means that if you attempt to remove follicles from an unstable donor area, the hair will just end up falling out and the procedure will likely fail.
Therefore, any women who are experiencing female-pattern baldness will generally not be recommended for hair transplant surgery. However, there are some women who experience baldness for different reasons and may be eligible for this procedure. According to experts, only about 2% to 5% of women are candidates for hair transplant surgery. This figure includes:
- Women who have suffered hair loss because of reasons that are not related to hormone production
- Women who have had previous cosmetic surgery and are concerned about hair loss around the area of the incision site
- Women who have the same distinct pattern of baldness as men, including hairline recession, vertex thinning (thinning limited to the crown or top of scalp), and a donor site that is stable and not affected by the follicle-killing hormones
- Women who are experiencing hair loss due to trauma, such as scarring or chemical burns
