Do you know the density of your hair? It’s important if you’re considering a transplant. Density can affect both the transplant procedure the kind of results you can expect to see.
What is Hair Density?
Natural hair density is simply how thick your hair appears. If you look in the mirror and can see some of your scalp without moving any hair, density is low. Medium density requires pushing hair around to get a glimpse of your scalp, and high density makes it almost impossible to see any skin at all.
Density differs from person to person, and characteristics like how straight or curly individual strands are may make low- and medium-density hair look thicker.
From a surgical perspective, density is the number of hair follicles per square centimeter of scalp. This means areas of hair loss are considered less dense than areas of healthy hair.
Why is Hair Density Important for Transplants?
When assessing candidates for transplant surgery, surgeons use density to determine:
• The viability of donor sites
• The number of hair follicles available for transplanting
• If the patient’s desired results can be achieved using these follicles
• How much hair the transplant site can realistically support
Are You a Good Candidate for a Hair Transplant?
Because both your natural density and the amount of hair loss you’ve experienced have an impact on the degree of success you can expect from a hair transplant procedure, you should discuss any potential limitations with the surgeon in advance.
It’s not possible to make your hair appear denser than it used to be through hair transplantation, and if only a minimal number of grafts are available, the surgeon may not be able to cover all areas of loss. Additionally, low density in donor areas may limit not only the extent of your hair transplant but also the number of subsequent transplants you’re able to have. However, having low hair density or a high percentage of overall loss doesn’t automatically disqualify you from a transplant. As long as you have healthy donor follicles, an experienced surgeon may be able to perform the procedure with good results.Other hair restoration procedures can also be paired with hair transplantation to help you achieve your desired look.
Factors other than density can affect your eligibility for a hair transplant or make a particular type of procedure a better choice. Talk with Dr. Bared about your expectations to determine the best option for restoring a natural appearance to thinning or balding areas.
