If I’m Too Young for a Hair Transplant, Can I Just Have a Forehead Reduction Now?
Hi,
I have done a lot of research in relation to hair transplants and forehead reduction as I have been experiencing hair loss over the last few years and I also have a large forehead. As I am only 20 years old I know it’s not recommended to have a hair transplant as there may not be enough donor hair to be transplanted to keep up with further hair loss I may experience over time.
Would it be possible to have forehead reduction surgery to lower my hairline and reduce the size of my forehead and also have a hair transplant to replace hair that I have already lost? I have dark red, wavy/straight hair and my hair is thick at the back where the donor area would be (not sure if this would make a difference).
I’m currently at the Norwood II stage and I am already extremely self conscious about my hairloss and large forehead and it has effected my confidence. I’ve considered using Propecia and Rogaine but I’m terrified in case I experience excessive shedding or erection problems from Propecia as I have read a lot of reviews from people who experienced these side effects.
I am getting desperate now so any advice you could give me would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Great question. I assume you are a male. This makes a difference, as females with this problem can safely have a hairline lowering procedure, as they will not lose the hair above that was moved down. A male with active hair loss will most likely lose the lower hairline and be no better off (possibly worse off) after a hairline lowering procedure.
At 20 years old with no clear examination or diagnosis of male pattern baldness, a forehead reduction may make things worse if you progress to a Norwood 6 (for example). You need a Master Plan and a clear diagnosis. You are young, so let’s start it right, come pay us a visit at the New Hair Institute to have the degree of your hair loss diagnosed.
I’d think a forehead reduction could potentially be a disaster. At 20, it’s pretty difficult to tell how your hair loss will develop. If you use a reduction to lower your hairline now and end up balding to a NW6, you’d have to transplant awfully low to cover the scar, and you certainly wouldn’t have enough hair to cover the entire NW6 pattern. Basically, if you’re headed to an advanced balding pattern, you don’t want to be tethered to a low / juvenile hairline, because the donor hair just isn’t there. What I’ve always read is that forehead reductions are for men who haven’t experienced hair loss and have no family history of loss. Seeing as though you’re experiencing loss at a pretty young age, I’d think that a reduction would be off the table. I know it’s tough to lose hair at a young age, but an ill-advised reduction could leave you feeling disfigured for life if you ultimately experience advanced loss. I’m certainly not a doctor, but my gut instinct would be to avoid a reduction at all costs.