Hair Transplant Surgery and Female Pattern Baldness

Balding is not a problem that only men have to deal with. Women also have to contend with baldness, and this typically happens as they advance in years. It's common among men to undergo hair transplant surgery, but it's not quite as common among women.

It's not because women are reluctant to undergo hair transplant surgery to address their problem with baldness. It has more to do with the fact that a lot of women are actually not good candidates for this type of surgery.

Contrary to what you may think, hair loss or balding is not the same for men and women. There is a difference between male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness.

In men, baldness occurs on the top of the head. If you observe older men with male pattern baldness, you'll notice that they're balding on the top of their head while the sides and back are still covered with hair. Men who have this balding pattern usually have successful hair transplant surgery. The donor hair survives the procedure and continues to grow on the new scalp.

So why is it that the hair on the top of the head is typically the first to go in men? The answer is DHT, a chemical that it the byproduct of the combination of a naturally-occurring enzyme in the body and testosterone. DHT is what's responsible for the balding pattern on the top of men's heads.

DHT in most cases, however, does not have any adverse effect on the sides and back of the head. Typically, these areas of the head have healthy hair follicles, and the hair in these areas is excellent for use in hair transplant surgery. Referred to as stable sites, the hair follicles in these areas don't shrink or affected by DHT.

Women, on the other hand, typically don't have these stable sites wherein balding-resistant hair follicles can be found. Unlike men, women are likely to go bald not just on the top of their head but also on the sides, back and front. All areas of a woman's head are affected by DHT.

This makes women not good candidates for hair transplant surgery. Since the hair follicles in basically all areas of a woman's head are affected by DHT, any attempt to move them to the balding areas of the head is futile; the transplanted hair is simply going to fall out. Since the hair follicle is already damaged by the DHT in the first place, transplanting them to the balding area on the head is not going to solve the problem of baldness.

Note also that unlike men, women typically don't have to deal with receding hairlines. Instead, baldness in women occurs in a more diffuse manner, with uniformly thinning all over the head. In the case of female pattern baldness, the problem is more of how much hair is left on the head than where the baldness is occurring.

That said, a small percentage of women (approximately 5%) with baldness problems that can benefit from hair transplant surgery. These women tend to have areas (donor sites) in their head that have healthy hair follicles.

For instance, women who have mechanical or traction Alopecia make good candidates for hair transplant surgery. These women may have lost their hair from prolonged and excessive scratching, using tight rollers, or any kind of pulling or stretching of hair. In most cases, these women would have areas on their head that have not been affected. Thus, they can undergo hair transplant surgery since healthy hair follicles are available on their head.

Women who have undergone cosmetic surgery and as result suffered hair loss around incision sites are also good candidates for hair transplant surgery. So too are women whose hair loss pattern is very much like male pattern baldness. And lastly, women who have had traumatic accidents or burns can undergo hair transplant surgery.

If you notice signs of baldness on your head, talk to your doctor and see if hair transplant surgery is a viable option for you.