Who shouldn't get a hair transplant?

Author: Matilde Sanford  |  Last update: Wednesday, December 24, 2025

You are young or it is too early in your hair loss. If you have a hair transplant during this initial hair loss period, further hair loss may occur and make the coverage look odd. For example, early hair loss is often at the temples and receding hairline.

Who is a bad candidate for hair transplant?

Being a Poor Candidate

Factors such as the extent of hair loss, the quality and quantity of donor hair, and the patient's overall health and scalp (such as extensive sun damage) play a crucial role in determining suitability. Patients with extensive hair loss and limited donor hair may not achieve the desired density.

Which people can't do hair transplants?

  • Hair transplantation is generally not recommended for patients with DUPA or Alopecia areata.
  • Lichen planopilaris and frontal fibrosing alopecia patients are not ideal candidates for hair transplant surgery.
  • Male patient with depleted donor area after several failed hair transplants.
  • Rich vs poor donor hair density.

Who is unsuitable for a hair transplant?

This may be the case if you have psoriasis, lupus, or eczema. If you have alopecia areata along with pattern baldness, you have to wait for the condition to resolve to get treatment. If you have scars on your scalp, also known as cicatricial alopecia, you're likely unsuitable for a hair transplant surgery.

What disqualifies you from getting a hair transplant?

Generally speaking, the following reasons would make someone NOT a candidate for surgery: younger than age 25, various medical reasons/conditions, type of thinning (diffuse rather than pattern alopecia), lack of hair in donor area (this is the most common disqualifying reason that we see) and most importantly, ...

10 Reasons - Do Not Get A Hair Transplant

Who is unfit for hair transplant?

These are: diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA), cicatricial alopecia (CA), patients with unstable hair loss, patients with insufficient hair loss, very young patients, patients with unrealistic expectations, patients with psychologic disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and trichotillomania, and patients ...

What disqualifies you from the transplant list?

Contraindications
  • Major systemic disease.
  • Age inappropriateness (70 years of age)
  • Cancer in the last 5 years except localized skin (not melanoma) or stage I breast or prostate.
  • Active smoker (less than 6 months since quitting)
  • Active substance abuse.
  • HIV.
  • Severe local or systemic infection.
  • Severe neurologic deficits.

What is the drawback of hair transplant?

Folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles), is one of the possible side effects of hair transplant in India, but is easily treatable. Altered sensation: There is the risk of nerve damage resulting in loss or decreased sensation to areas of your scalp.

What happens 10 years after a hair transplant?

By the 10-year mark, transplanted hairs remain while some surrounding non-transplanted hairs might thin, potentially affecting overall look and density.

Can a completely bald person get a hair transplant?

However, in most cases of total baldness, there is no available hair follicle harvest site on the scalp, and so a hair transplant procedure can't be performed on a totally bald head. Fortunately, in some cases, it is possible to perform hair restoration surgery on individuals who have suffered extensive hair loss.

Why hair transplant is not recommended?

Family History of Extensive Baldness or Early Balding

Likewise, if you have a history of extensive baldness, there may not be much that a transplant can do to help. There is only so much hair that can be moved around on the scalp, and once it's harvested from one area, it won't grow back in those areas.

Why do most hair transplants fail?

Common causes of poor outcomes include inexperienced surgeons, low-quality grafts, outdated surgical techniques, and insufficient graft numbers, leading to unnatural results and visible scars.

How painful is a hair transplant?

The modern hair transplant is virtually pain-free thanks to advanced techniques in follicular unit extraction (FUE). With devices like ATERA and NeoGraft, restoring your thinning hair is much simpler than it used to be.

Who cannot have a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is suitable for people with permanent baldness, the type that runs in families. It's not usually suitable for people with other types of hair loss, such as the type that causes bald patches (alopecia areata).

What are cons to hair transplants?

Complications of hair transplant surgery
  • risks of general anaesthesia, including allergic reaction, which may (rarely) be fatal.
  • surgical risks such as bleeding or infection.
  • scars that may be severe, raised, reddened and itchy.
  • nerve damage, including permanent loss of sensation.
  • death of the skin grafts.

At what point can you not get a hair transplant?

This chart gives an indication of the degree of hair loss you'll see at each stage of the Norwood scale. It's generally agreed that balding and hair thinning can be treated up to Norwood stage 6. If your hair loss pattern has progressed beyond stage 6, it may be too late to consider a hair transplant.

What is the best age for hair transplant?

The best age patients should be considering hair transplant surgery is when they are between 30-45. The most common age patients have surgery tends to be when they have turned 30 or older.

What do hair transplants look like 20 years later?

Transplanted hair follicles generally continue to grow throughout a person's lifetime.” With proper care of your scalp and hair post-surgery, your hair transplant should still look good after 2 decades. However, it's important to note that natural aging processes can cause changes in your hair transplant's appearance.

Does anyone regret hair transplant?

In other cases, too much hair is transplanted or at the wrong angle, creating an unnatural result. This often results in regret as a result. A good consultation from a knowledgeable doctor with a lot of experience can prevent this kind of unpleasant experience.

How much does a hair transplant cost in the USA?

Hair transplant surgery can range from $3,000 to more than $15,000. The average cost is $6,000 to $12,000. Hair restoration surgery can be successful for men and women. Your costs will vary based on the type of procedure, where you have the treatment, your surgeon's fees, and other factors.

Can hair loss be reversed?

Effective treatments for some types of hair loss are available. You might be able to reverse hair loss, or at least slow it. With some conditions, such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regrow without treatment within a year. Treatments for hair loss include medications and surgery.

Who is not eligible for transplant?

Advancing age, sarcopenia, acute on chronic liver failure, and non-liver-related medical co-morbidities are common conditions that arise while on the wait-list that can render a patient too sick for transplant.

What kicks you off the transplant list?

The transplant team will discuss these with you when you start your evaluation. In general, health issues that may keep you from having surgery or taking long-term medication may be reasons not to list you. Examples can include current or recent cancer diagnosis or morbid obesity.

Does insurance cover transplant surgery?

The good news is that your social worker, transplant center and financial counselor will be able to guide you through the process. Private insurance typically will cover most of the cost of the transplant itself and many plans will also help cover the cost of medications.

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