Many young men in their early twenties struggle with male pattern hair loss. However, conventional hair transplant clinics often reject them as candidates for surgery. This is because they are unclear about the extent of hair loss. Patients may or may not have enough head hair grafts. If they don’t, conventional clinics would not have a way to adequately cover any large areas of baldness that develop behind the transplanted area. However, despite being in his early twenties, this patient from Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles, did manage to experience a successful hair restoration outcome. Instead of general hair transplantation, which only uses head hair, he opted for a Dr.UGraft™ body hair to head procedure. As a result, he could defy his odds and benefit from a hair transplant at age 23.
Article Update August 2022
Did you know that approximately 16% of men between 18 and 29 have undergone moderate to extensive hair loss [1]?
Hair loss may come to us at unexpected moments, and taking action as quickly as possible is essential to prevent hair loss from worsening.
Top 4 Reasons Why Young Men Experience Hair Loss
Below lists the top 6 reasons why young men under the age of 25 may experience hair loss:
- Medical conditions (thyroid disorders, fungal infections, autoimmune diseases, hormone imbalances)
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Medications (beta-blockers, amphetamines, anticoagulants)
- Physical damage to hair or scalp
For example, male pattern baldness may be first noticed in your 20s. If you believe you’re experiencing more than average hair loss, it may be time to visit a licensed and experienced dermatologist to see what can be done to protect your hair.
Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles Patient Before His Early 20’s Hair Transplant
This patient started losing his hair at just sixteen years old. He experienced thinning and the recession of his hairline. By age 23, he had reached the Norwood 6 stage of baldness, considered severe. This hair loss caused him to look much older than his actual age.
Here are his photos taken a right before his Dr.UGraft hair transplant.
Procedure Photos – Dr.UGraft™ Hair Transplant At Early Age
The patient longed to have the youthful hairline that most male peers have. Dr. Umar designed a new hairline and corresponding temple points based on his existing facial shape and features. He established the goals of achieving:
- a conservative hairline
- more fullness in the frontal areas and parts of the crown.
Borders of new hairline and temples showed on the patient before his Dr. UGraft™’s hair transplant at age 23.
At the Norwood 6 stage of baldness, the patient did not have enough head donor grafts for a sufficient restoration. However, Dr. Umar produced a donor pool of 4500 grafts by extracting follicles from the head and other body areas. These included:
- scalp
- nape
- beard
- neck/shoulders
Harvesting body hair requires a more specialized approach compared to regular head hair. This is due to the sharp angles of growth. The angle of the hair as it exits the skin differs from the hair angle below the surface. Surgeons can only align a basic, cylinder-shaped Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) punch with the visible part of the hair angle. However, as they push this instrument in the same direction, they risk cutting through the graft entirely [2].
Dr. UGraft™’s rotary punch takes a much different approach. This device exerts a firm grip on the area of the tissue surrounding the hair follicle and pulls it upward. Following hair angles is unnecessary to extract the graft with this unique mechanism safely. Due to this unique patented engineering, surgeons can use a reliable means to harvest large quantities of body hair grafts [3].
Before and After Results of Dr.UGraft™ Hair Transplant at Age 23
Here are before and after photos showing improvements in the patient’s overall appearance. The images of the final results were taken by the patient himself, fifteen months after his surgery.
VIDEO: Dr. U’s Young Patient Video Proves There is No Minimum Age For A Hair Transplant
Watch this video to learn more about this patient’s procedure. With the conservative quantity of 4500 grafts, Dr. Umar significantly improved at a modest hair transplant cost. Most of all, the outcome helped this young patient feel more confident about his appearance at work and socially. He no longer has to wear a hat to cover his head. And he is delighted that he has more freedom to style his hair.
Young Man Norwood Level 6 Baldness – FUE Hair Restoration Transplant Results by Dr. U
https://dru.com/free-consultation/Free Online Consultation (viewed within 24 hours by Dr. Umar): Dr. Umar Hair & Skin Clinic is located in Manhattan Beach, C…
FAQ – Hair Transplant at Age 23
Why do many clinics specify age parameters for when to get a hair transplant?
Many hair transplant providers prefer using age parameters to avoid disastrous outcomes that may occur in patients who undergo surgery too early in life. As discussed earlier, young men will likely continue losing hair after their procedure. However, conventional clinics are not confident about how much hair a patient will continue to shed in the long term. More significant amounts of hair loss would produce unsightly areas of baldness behind the transplanted region of hair. Therefore, it is much safer to recommend that patients wait until later in life before they undergo a hair restoration procedure.
Should all young men in their early twenties get a body hair transplant if they are experiencing hair loss?
Although the patient above was able to undergo a body hair transplant, this is not necessarily the course of treatment recommended for every patient in their early twenties. Some individuals may be able to utilize donor hair from their scalp. Dr. Umar developed his diagnostic Shave Test to know which patients are more likely to reach severe baldness in their lifetime. This is performed by shaving the entire head and noticing the hair distribution patterns. This provides a reliable way to tell if a young-aged hair transplant patient can rely on head hair only or will need to plan for using body hair through the implementation of a Dr.UGraft™ surgery.
Once you get a hair transplant early, can you get more grafts later on?
Yes, doctors who perform a hair transplants for younger patients will need to make long-term plans. This involves conserving hair transplant grafts, whether they are from the head or body. At a later point, this enables the patient to add more grafts to improve upon their initial outcome.
To speak to Dr. Umar about undergoing a Dr.UGraft™ hair transplant surgery in your 20s, click the button below to sign up for a complimentary online consultation.
For any additional questions you may have, you can submit them through our online portal:
Further Reading
Meet a 26-year-old who benefited from a Dr.UGraft™ hair transplant surgery
References
- “Graft (Surgery).” Wikipedia, 26 Sept. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graft_(surgery).
- “Hair Transplantation.” Wikipedia, 3 Nov. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_transplantation.
