When is the best time to get a hair transplant? 

Question from Imran Khan.

I am a 24 year old male and I have started experiencing early signs of male pattern baldness. My hairline is starting to recede slightly, and I am definitely losing more hair than normal, on a daily basis. 

I feel like I am far too young to be going bald, and I would be lying if I said it didn't concern me, somewhat. Hair transplants in Turkey are becoming very popular, even for young guys around my age, but I am not sure how effective it will be in the long term.

Should I consider getting a hair transplant, and if so, when should I get the procedure done? Should I get one now, at an early stage, or should I wait for the hair loss to worsen? 

Answer: 

Male pattern baldness usually starts during the 30s and 40s, but it can affect men of all ages, even as young as their 20s. This is very normal, and not something you should be overly worried about just yet.

We live in an age whereby there are more treatment options than ever before. Science continues to evolve, and with that comes a growing array of hair loss treatments, some of which can be quite effective. 

Now, it should be made clear that there is no cure for male pattern baldness, in other words, hair loss cannot not be reversed to its original state. However, despite there being no cure, there are medical and non-medical treatments on the market that can help slow down hair fall, and support the healthy function of hair growth. Depending on how you react to the treatments individually, there is even a chance that your hair loss can be halted. 

At 24, and suffering from early stages of male pattern baldness, you should avoid getting a hair transplant at this stage in your life, and here's why...  

A hair transplant is a great fix for hair loss, because it's a restoration procedure. The hairs from your donor area (usually the back and sides of your head) are transferred to your balding areas, but surgeons will often tell you that it's best to have the procedure during more advanced stages of hair loss. 

Male pattern baldness affects us in different ways. For some men, hair loss can be a quick process, over a few years, but for other men, hair loss can be a slower process that progresses gradually over a much longer period. This is why, before you even consider getting a hair transplant, it is important to know how quickly, or slowly, your hair loss is likely to progress. 

Many men experiencing hair thinning and slight hairline recession in their 20s, yet still manage to have a full head of hair in their 30s and 40s. This could be a case of the hairline maturing. In this case, a hair transplant is not required. But even if your hair loss progresses at a quick rate, you should still hold off from getting a transplant for as long a possible. 

Hair transplants only fill in the balding areas of your scalp. So, if you get a hairline transplant, for example, that does not stop the rest of your head from balding. Men who get a hair transplant too early end up having a very patchy scalp, and are therefore in need of several procedures to keep on top of the balding. 

If you wait until your hair loss has progressed, you will be in a better position to know exactly what areas of the scalp need filling, and the whole procedure will look more natural.

Remember, there are only a limited amount of donor hairs that can be used for the hair transplant(s), so you don't want to go wasting most of them on one area of the scalp that is thinning now, when there are other areas of the scalp that are likely to thin in the future, which will also need filling. 

As you are suffering from very early stages of male pattern baldness, we would advise you to hold off from getting a hair transplant, and focus on ways to slow down and even halt the hair loss. 

There are various treatments on the market that you can consider. Medical treatments like finasteride and minoxidil have shown to be quite effective in combating early stages of hair loss, albeit to a limited extent. However, be sure to speak to your doctor before taking any medical treatments, and they do come with the risk of negative side-effects, some of which can be very severe, and long term. 

If you want to avoid harsh medical treatments, then there are some safe alternatives like HR23+ supplement, which has been shown to help slow down and halt hair loss, and also support the function of healthy hair cell growth. 

There is also the topical serum, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), which can also help reduce excessive hair shedding, and promote hair growth. This can be highly effective when used in conjunction with micro-needling. 

For a full breakdown of this highly effective hair loss treatment plan, see The Best Hair Loss Prevention Routine.

Hair loss prevention should be your main focus. Slowing down and stopping hair loss for a long period of time, will give you enough time to enjoy your hair throughout your younger years, and then, should the hair loss eventually progress into more advanced stages, you'll then be in a better position to get a hair transplantation procedure.