I’m Not Convinced Hair Transplants Are Forever, Since Mine Keep Falling Out

I’ve had 2 procedures with a prominent surgeon for a total of around 3700 grafts. My first was at age 51, second 54. I felt I was a good candidate since the hair on the back and sides of my head was thick. My first procedure grew-in nicely but I had a lot of dry, itchy, flaking scalp issues. I began to notice thinning hair in the transplant area about 1.5 years ago. The 2nd procedure is still thickening up but I suspect it will thin as well in a year or so. I think this is partially due to my age since all my hair is getting thinner.

I’m not convinced HT’s last as long as the hype would like you to believe. I’m really concerned for guys in their 20’s going through this procedure expecting it to last a lifetime.

There are many patients who undergo hair transplant surgery in their 20’s and 30’s that still have a full head of transplanted hair in their 50’s. There is a small minority of patients who were never properly diagnosed and perhaps do not have genetic androgenic alopecia, but rather have another type of balding (such as diffuse unpatterned alopecia), that underwent hair transplant procedures that were not permanent. Or it’s possible the grafts were taken from a non-permanent zone.

When patients have transplants into thinning hair, the results are generally good for the first few years until their original non-transplanted hair starts to fall out (as they would have without the surgery) and those initial results become less impressive. This makes them think that the transplanted hair is falling out, as patients do not see (or were not properly informed) that hair loss is an ongoing dynamic process. Even with the native hairs falling out, the transplanted hair should be enough to provide a better overall look to the individual, as long as there was a proper Master Plan made.