Physician Answered Q & As

Is It Possible To Have a Successful Hair Transplant Just In The Crown?

I’m 28 years old and my hair loss seems to be isolated to the top top of my head. My hairline is still very thick and has not receded as far as I can tell. After reading information online it seems that having a hair transplant just for the crown at my age is a bit controversial. Do you think it is possible to have a successful hair transplant just in the crown of my head without complications?I am on Propecia for a year now and everything seems to be stable.

The crown can be a difficult area to transplant and create problems as you age. If you have a defined bald spot with distinct borders a transplant could be considered. If however, you are just thinning in the crown you should not transplant. When transplanting a thinning crown and the hairs are miniaturized you will experience shock loss in the area.

I am always amazed when I see a man with total baldness and when you ask him what bothers him the most often times it is the hair loss in the crown. You have to accept a thinning look in the crown.
The first thing you need to do is see a hair restoration specialist and have your situation evaluated. Your hair loss needs to be photographed and staged. It is important to evaluate the surrounding area for the amount of miniaturized hair. Your donor area needs to be examined microscopically and photographed. Your head size and shape has to be evaluated and scalp elasticity. We need to predict the worst and if you were to become a Norwood 7 is there enough hair to create an acceptable cosmetic result.
You should use everything medically for treatment for hair loss before you do the hair transplant and even though you feel you are stable, I can guarantee you that you will experience more hair loss.

When treating hair loss medically I like to see the patient every 6 months. The head should be photograph with the hair dry and in a wet condition . This is the best method to predict your future hair loss. When the hair transplant is started don’t waste a lot of hair in the back of your head. The lateral slit is an excellent method to reproduce the whorl and create a blending pattern of transplanted hair into the surrounding area. You have to accept a thinning result in the crown and save the donor hair for mid-scalp and front. Try and hold off the hair transplant for at least another year. Young men are never ready for hair loss but don’t do something that you will regret later in life.

Dr. James DeYarman

Comments

Find A Surgeon

The International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons is a consumer organization that selectively screens skilled and ethical hair transplant surgeons. The IAHRS does not offer an open membership policy to doctors practicing hair transplatation, and is the only group that recognizes that all surgeons are not equal in their skill and technique. Its elite membership seeks to represent the best in the discipline, the true leaders in the field of surgical hair restoration.