Am I a good candidate for hair transplant?
The five clinical candidacy criteria
1. Stable hair loss
Hair loss must be substantially stable — not progressing rapidly. A patient whose hairline is actively receding month by month is not ready for surgery: the transplant would be placed in a moving target zone. Stability is typically defined as less than 5% change over 12 months on trichoscopy assessment. Finasteride use for 12+ months prior to surgery significantly improves stability.
2. Adequate donor density
The donor zone (back and sides of the scalp) must contain sufficient healthy follicles to harvest for the recipient zone without creating visible thinning. Trichoscopy scanning at the consultation quantifies this. Typical adequate donor density: 60–90 follicular units per cm². Low donor density does not automatically exclude candidacy — it determines the maximum safe session size.
3. Realistic expectations
Hair transplant redistributes existing hair — it does not create new hair. A patient with a severely limited donor supply cannot achieve full coverage regardless of graft count. Understanding this before surgery is essential to satisfaction with the result.
4. Age
Patients under 25 present a planning challenge: their ultimate hair loss pattern may not yet be established. A 22-year-old with early recession may progress to Norwood VI — and a transplant designed for their current Norwood III may look dramatically wrong in 15 years. For patients under 25, a conservative approach with medical management is usually recommended first.
5. General health
Hair transplant is performed under local anaesthesia and is well-tolerated by most patients. Conditions requiring additional assessment: uncontrolled diabetes (affects healing), active autoimmune conditions, bleeding disorders, and certain medications (blood thinners, immunosuppressants). None of these are absolute contraindications — they require assessment and management.
Who should wait — and what to do first
If you are not yet an ideal candidate, the appropriate steps are:
- Begin Finasteride: Slows DHT-driven miniaturisation, stabilises hair loss over 12–18 months, and may recover some thinning hair
- Add Minoxidil: Extends the anagen phase and thickens miniaturised hairs in early-stage loss areas
- Reassess in 12–18 months: Stable hair loss after medical management creates the optimal conditions for surgery
At Hairmedico, Dr. Arslan provides an honest candidacy assessment at every consultation — including recommending that a patient waits when surgery is premature. A free assessment is available via WhatsApp photo analysis within 24 hours.
