What Determines if a Woman is a Good Candidate for Hair Transplantation Surgery?

By age 50, about 30-40 % of women will develop androgenetic alopecia. More and more women are asking about hair transplantation. In fact, a recent survey of members of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, indicated that hair transplant procedures for women increased from 11.4 % in 2004 to 15.1 % in 2008.  What determines if a woman with androgenetic alopecia is a good candidate for hair transplantation?

1. Women with androgenetic alopecia with a good density and quality of donor hair at the back of the scalp and hair loss that is limited to the front and top of the scalp are good candidates for hair transplantation.

2. Women with androgenetic alopecia showing diffuse hair loss, whereby thinning is seen in the front, back and sides of the scalp are not good candidates for hair transplantation.

A careful evaluation of the scalp will determine the pattern of hair loss for each woman. Women who have good density in the back of the scalp and have hair thinning primarily in the front of the scalp are good candidates for hair transplantation.