Although hair restoration procedures are most commonly associated with men, hair transplant for women is also a commonly sought after procedure.
The eligibility of a female for these surgeries will depend on the availability of suitable donor grafts. Hair transplantation of all types relies on having the right number of follicles to create desired levels of coverage.
Female Hair Restoration for Genetic Pattern Thinning
Genetic pattern hair loss manifests in women differently compared to men. As opposed to progressively losing specific regions of hair, females are more likely to experience thinning as their hair follicles miniaturize. This often starts at the top of the head where the hair parts. Over time, the thinning regions start to manifest more globally across the scalp.
Hair transplant for women may be possible in certain patients if sufficient numbers of healthy, non-miniaturized follicles can be harvested to produce long-term improvement. However, determining candidacy will vary on a case by case basis.
Ruling Out Secondary Hair Loss Causes in Women
Besides genetics, hair loss in women may also be caused by secondary factors such as:
- side effects of medications
- tightly pulling hairstyles (e.g. extensions, ponytails)
- parasites (e.g. lice)
- menopause
- stress or trauma
- diet and poor nutrition (e.g. low intake of protein, iron and vitamin D)
- excess intake of supplements
Dr. Umar will perform a detailed examination to rule out secondary causes of hair loss before recommending hair transplant surgery
Los Angeles Forehead Reduction, Hair Transplant Surgery for Women
The shape and position of the hairline and temples relative to the rest of the face play a significant role in how attractive a person is perceived to be.
Dr. Umar is an expert when it comes applying Follicular Unit Extraction hair transplant techniques to improve facial aesthetics for individual patients.
Women who are concerned with the size of their forehead can undergo a forehead reduction procedure. Dr. Umar performs these surgeries by designing the right hairline and temple shape and planning the appropriate placement on the forehead for the best looking results.
Using specialized patented technology that he designed, including intelligent FUE punch, the Dr.UPunch i ™, he is able to harvest nape hair to recreate the soft outer hairline edge. This is an important detail for the most realistically natural-looking results. Additional follicles from discrete areas of the scalp are also extracted to fill in necessary areas to lower the patient’s hairline at a more desired level.
Hair Transplantation for Females With Traction Alopecia
Traction alopecia is a hair loss condition caused by the mechanical pulling of hair. Over time, the sustained tension will create permanent forms of damage to the follicles, impairing their ability to grow new hair.
Traction alopecia tends to affect the margins of the head, around the sides. However, female (or male) patients will often still have abundant quantities of healthy follicles on other regions of their scalp. Dr. Umar is able to harvest and transplant them to fill in the areas affected by hair loss.
Hair Transplant For Women By Los Angeles Surgeon, Dr. Umar
Dr. Sanusi Umar offers Follicular Unit Extraction hair transplantation procedures for women patients at his clinic in Los Angeles.
Understandably, many females prefer keeping their original hair length without shaving their head in the same way that men do for a hair transplant procedure. With this in mind, Dr. Umar implements a practical, solutions-oriented approach to hair transplant for women by using a discrete head-shaving technique that he developed.
To extract follicles from the donor area, he shaves a horizontal, rectangular shaped zone on the back of the patient’s head which can then be kept covered with long hair. Women who undergo a Follicular Unit Extraction procedure with Dr. Umar are then able to wear their hair down and maintain a normal, everyday appearance without letting others know that they’ve undergone surgery.
To speak to Dr. Umar about undergoing a hair transplant procedure for women and would like to sign up for a complimentary consultation, click this button below.
Frequently Asked Questions – Hair Transplant for Women
Can women hair loss patients benefit from using Minoxidil?
Minoxidil in 2-5% formulations is certainly available over the counter for female hair loss patients. This drug primarily works by improving blood supply to the scalp. The use of Minoxidil by women will not guarantee the regrowth of hair and the restoration of normal hair thickness. In cases where the hair follicles have reached a very advanced stage of miniaturization, this would be a very difficult challenge to overcome. However, Minoxidil can be used to help slow down the rate of hair loss and thinning.
Is it possible to reverse my traction alopecia hair loss, or is it absolutely necessary that I undergo a hair transplant surgery?
When caught early, it may be possible to reverse traction alopecia simply by changing one’s hair styling practices. Looser hairstyles should be chosen in place of extensions, cornrows, dreadlocks, braids or tight ponytails. The ability to reverse TA depends on the extent of damage inflicted on the hair follicles due to sustained pulling. If the trauma is minor, putting a stop to tightly pulling hair styling practices may be sufficient for helping the follicles heal and recover their ability to grow new hair.
Which is better, a forehead reduction surgery or a hair transplant procedure if I think my forehead is too big?
A forehead reduction surgery will involve using a scalpel to actually remove a section of the forehead in order to reduce its size. This is a very invasive approach and will leave a permanent linear scar. With Follicular Unit Extraction, it is possible to use tiny surgical punches to transplant hair and recreate a lower hairline. Patients are not left with linear scarring. Because this approach is less invasive, downtime and potential risks to the patient are more minimal.
Further Reading
Discover how thicker, fuller eyebrows can be created using eyebrow transplant surgery