May marks the 73rd annual Mental Health Awareness Month. In the years since Mental Health Awareness Month began; we’ve been developing a greater understanding of mental health, the problems people face, and how to properly handle those issues.
And – while we may not want to admit it – our physical appearance does impact our mental health. Despite the fact that the vast majority of men will experience some level of hair loss over time, going bald is linked to the development of mental health issues… including depression, anxiety, and poor self-image.
Having a positive self-image is an important aspect of maintaining good mental health. If baldness is having a negative impact on your self-image, hair restoration through surgery is a helpful option. But how do you know if you’re a good candidate for a hair transplant?
Who Is A Good Candidate For A Hair Transplant?
While there are different approaches to maintaining and restoring your hair, when it comes to transplant surgery there are people who make better candidates than others. The reason for the hair loss will be a factor in determining who is a good candidate. It needs to be a type of hair loss that leaves donor hair – as opposed to one that damages all hair follicles.
In some cases, addressing the hair loss early is a good option. In other cases, a good candidate for surgical hair transplant is someone who has gone bald and been bald for a long enough time that their hairline has stabilized. For example, hair transplant surgery itself can’t stop the progression of male pattern baldness… so some hair loss can occur even after hair transplant surgery. That’s why selecting the right donor hair is crucial for long-term results.
Those who have been experiencing hair loss for a few years and have a stabilized donor hair area are generally better candidates. People suffering hair loss due to physical trauma or resulting from other procedures (including facelifts) could also be good candidates.
Who Is Not Suitable For Hair Transplants?
There are some medical conditions that can make hair transplant surgery more complicated and prevent you from being a suitable candidate. Hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes are three of the bigger medical conditions that can affect your suitability.
Being a smoker would also make it difficult as smoking affects your circulation. While quitting smoking is the best course of action, you shouldn’t smoke for at least three weeks before going into surgery to reduce the chances of complications.
Hair transplantation is also not recommended for certain kinds of hair loss. One such kind is Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia, or DUPA. This kind of alopecia lacks a logical pattern for the hair loss making it difficult to pinpoint where the hair loss could occur next. Unpatterned and unstable forms of hair loss aren’t ideal for successful hair transplant.
Who Is A Good Candidate For FUE?
A good candidate for FUE hair restoration surgery is someone who does have enough healthy hair on their scalp to be used as donor hair for their procedure. You can also make yourself a good candidate for this (or most surgeries) by taking good care of yourself. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight will reduce the risk of complications.
RHRLI’s Hair Restoration Experts Can Determine If You’re A Good Candidate
For many people, having a healthy head of hair helps to give them a positive self-image and promotes good mental health. At RHRLI, we offer many services – both surgical and non-surgical – to restore your hair including the ARTAS® Robotic Hair Transplant System. Our FUE hair transplant procedure is minimally invasive and will get you back to your day-to-day life quickly. Let us restore your hair and your confidence. To learn more and schedule a consultation, contact us today.