Hair transplant results: before | after

Once a patient has decided to undergo a hair transplant procedure, from our experience, we know that many questions come to mind. It is a common impulse for those suffering from alopecia, a problem that is always better to solve sooner rather than later.

Regarding when is the best time to undergo a hair transplant, the answer varies, as not all cases are the same. Contrary to what many believe, age is not a determining factor when deciding whether or not to perform a hair transplant procedure. What is crucial is the absence of patient pathologies, the availability of a donor area, and that these areas have specific densities.

While there is no 'standard' age for transplanting hair follicles, many specialists prefer to operate on patients who have reached their thirties to better study future hair loss patterns.

Those under 25, although they can undergo a transplant, are not the best candidates because, often, hair loss has not stabilized before this age. This prevents specialists from predicting the evolution of the ongoing hair loss.

Regarding the question of when the final result can be appreciated, the answer is again variable, starting from the fact that the result is not achieved overnight.

Once the scalp has been operated on, it goes through a healing process where each transplanted hair settles into its new location. During the first few weeks, a natural shedding of follicles occurs, leaving the transplanted bulb internally to start developing a new, strong hair. Therefore, there is no need to be alarmed if the transplanted hairs progressively fall out in the first days after the procedure.

It won't be until the third month that the birth of those new strong hairs emerging from the grafts starts to be seen, in what is medically known as the anagen phase. Once the new hair begins to emerge, some normalcy will be seen in the scalp and the results we will eventually have.

Regarding whether a hair transplant is permanent or if it must be gradually renewed with more interventions, it must be emphasized that transplanted follicles are hairs that should last a lifetime. This means that, obviously, as with hair in any other area, it will fall out and grow back following the natural hair cycle.

This does not mean, evidently, that the hair does not age as the person carrying it does. Therefore, some follicle loss may occur, which, however, will have nothing to do with alopecia or the hair loss that led the patient to undergo a transplant treatment.

Finally, regarding which areas of the human body are suitable for hair transplant surgery,