Who Qualifies for Medical Hair Restoration?

[Posted on August 13th, 2014 by Dr. Carlos Puig]

Hair loss is a scary, often embarassing condition that affects millions of men and women of almost all ages and walks of life. The good news is that hair loss is relatively harmless in most cases, and perhaps more importantly, there are many ways to combat it. We are highly experienced at Puig Hair Restoration, and we have all the latest, most effective methods of medical hair restoration to help our clients regain real hair growth and their self confidence.

So, who qualifies for restoration treatment?

Those who suffer from male pattern baldness (also called “androgenic alopecia”, “androgenetic alopecia” or “alopecia androgenetica”) are the common candidates for medical hair restoration. While we can make the official diagnosis, there are a few key indicators of this condition (though it is worth mentioning that not every case will fit each indicator):

• Hair began to recede at the hairline, gradually moving back
• Is first noticeable when the patient is in their 20s or older
• History (on mother’s side of the family) of male pattern baldness

The reason sufferers of male pattern baldness tend to make great candidates for hair restoration treatments is because even though their hair follicles are no longer growing hair, the follicles themselves often stay “alive” for a long time. This means it is possible to regrow hair via various treatments (including medication), but the sooner treatment is begun, the better the results.

Of course, not all of our patients suffer from male pattern baldness. Many of our patients are female, suffering from both genetic and hormonal hair loss conditions. And of course, others are males suffering from other conditions resulting in hair loss.

Regardless of the cause, we work with each patient to find the root of the problem and the best hair restoration options. In many cases, the best option is a procedure known as “follicular unit extraction“. This is where hair follicles are literally extracted from one area and transplanted one by one into the area that is no longer growing hair as it should. The results are natural-looking and genuine, especially because we like to use the patients own hair for the procedure, no fake “wig” hair plugs or animal hair is used here. Those who best qualify for this treatment are patients who have not yet lost all of their hair and are healthy enough for basic medical procedures.

Many people who suffer from hair loss tend to let their embarrassment take over, leading them to delay seeking treatment. While we can (and do) treat many patients who have been suffering from hair loss for years upon years, we highly recommend that anyone experiencing hair loss start medical hair restoration treatment as soon as possible for the best results. Most types of hair loss qualify for at least some kind of treatment, so there’s no reason to wait.