Question:
I am a 20 year old male diagnosed with alopecia areata. I have some frontal hairline and side hair baldness. My question is will hair transplant surgery restore a complete hairline? When hair follicles are removed and transplanted in the front, do they become permanent and does the area where the hair follicle was removed get affected in any way?
Answer:
It depends on what you mean by a "complete" hairline. Complete hair restoration, restoring full coverage and original hair density is virtually impossible in most cases. However, in an isolated area of Alopecia Areata, it may be possible.
That said, it may be worth attempting to restore your bald spot non-surgically first. In some cases, hair loss caused by Alopecia Areata will reverse itself even without any treatment. Some medical treatment might help stimulate hair regrowth.
In my opinion, consult with a dermatologist and pursue your non-surgical options. Also be sure to take the time to learn what causes and the short term and long term effects of Alopecia Areata. A hair restoration physician can work with you to help you develop a long term hair restoration plan.
If you are a hair transplant candidate, hair removed from the donor area will not grow back. They will however, will be DHT resistant (protected against androgenetic alopecia). Since alopecia areata may be reoccurring or impact other areas of the scalp, I think it would be difficult for any surgeon to guarantee permanency.
All Articles by Bill Seemiller
Bill is the managing publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and The Hair Loss Learning Center. He is 4 time hair transplant patient and has over 15,000 helpful posts on our hair restoration discussion forum. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a Master’s in Christian Counseling. In addition to his work in helping hair loss experiencing men and women finding the best hair transplant surgeons, he helps people with various addiction and mental health related issues in his free time. He enjoys weight lifting, kickboxing, movies, researching conspiracy related topics and spending time with his family.
