Hair Transplants in Young Men

I just answered a question about transplanting in older men, so I’ll answer one on the other side of the age scale. “Youngtoo” asks…

Why exactly is 20 too young if the hair is taken from the permanent growth zone? I am 23 and a doctor also told me that I was too young without giving a real justifiable reason. thanks for your time.

There are many reasons why transplanting a very young man is not a good idea. I will list some of them:

1. The final balding patterns start to become evident on a men in his mid-20s. Earlier than that, one may not be able to determine the final pattern so that surgical planning becomes difficult. If a 20 year old is destined to become very bald (e.g. the most extreme Class 7 pattern) then he may not have enough hair to tackle the balding pattern, so planning is critical. On the other hand, a man with only mild balding can be aggressively treated after the pattern is clear without putting him at significant risk for placing his limited donor supply in the wrong places.
2. The ability to slow or halt the balding process with Propecia needs to be determined. For those men in their early 20s who do not respond to this drug and continue to bald, the future prognosis is far more bleak than for those who are drug controlled. I generally like to get a ‘feel’ for the aggressiveness of the balding process.
3. This is a life-time decision, a decision that many people at age 20 are either not equipped for or do not have the financial follow-through capabilities to manage. Maturity on a 20 year old is different than a 30 year old.
4. We change as we get older and along with that change, our priorities change. Once the decision to start a surgical hair restoration course has begun, there is no going back.

I never make absolute rules and each person is different. I have done transplants on some men around the age of 20, but when I have, I was able to get to know and become comfortable with them, their maturity and their decision process. I also ask men of that age to bring in a parent, a girlfriend or good friend to listen to the consultation and become involved in the decision process like a “brick wall” to bounce ideas off of.

I hope that this answers your question. With more time, I will add to this list of ‘reasons’ to slow down the transplant process for a 20 year old.