Both men and women enjoy having a full head of hair, but genetics can cause unwanted hair loss. Fortunately, there are now effective, modern solutions for hair restoration. At Facial Aesthetic Concepts, Dr. Bryan Brandon offers NeoGraft®, which borrows donor hair from the back of the scalp (without taking a full strip that creates scarring) and transplants follicles in the front where hair is missing. In this blog, he discusses whether you may be a good candidate for this procedure.

You Are in Good Health

Although NeoGraft is a minimally invasive procedure, because it is an elective procedure, it is only recommended for patients who are in good health and free of medical conditions that may complicate the procedure. You may not be a good candidate if you smoke or vape.

Early into Your Hair Loss

NeoGraft works best on patients who have mild to moderate hair loss. For optimal results, you may want to schedule a consultation with our experts at the first signs of hair loss. Those who delay treatment — even with serious hair loss — can still see results from NeoGraft. However, there is no point in procrastinating if you want to maintain as much hair as possible.

The reason is that Dr. Brandon can harvest a limited number of hair follicles in a single NeoGraft session. If you have a lot of missing hair you would like to replace, you may be a more appropriate candidate for strip hair transplant, which can move more hair at once.

Your Hair Loss Has Stabilized

NeoGraft replaces hair that has fallen out, but it cannot stop a progressively receding hairline. If hair continues to fall out, using NeoGraft to replace the front hair could look less than ideal as hair in the middle slowly disappears. To help stabilize your hair loss ahead of NeoGraft, you might try medication like minoxidil or finasteride (better known as Rogaine and Propecia).

You Are Patient

Hair restoration with NeoGraft is a process. After a week or two, the transplanted follicles will fall out, and then grow back several months later. It can take a year or more for hair to come in thicker, so it is important that you set your expectations accordingly rather than expecting fast results.

Fortunately, you do not need to worry about pain or discomfort during this period. You can generally return to work the day after your procedure and can wear a short hairstyle that hides the fact that hair has been transplanted from the back.

Schedule a Consultation

The best way to determine if you are a good candidate is to meet with Dr. Brandon. After listening to your concerns and examining your head, he can give you a realistic idea of what NeoGraft can accomplish for you or discuss other hair restoration options that may suit you better. For a consultation in Aliso Viejo, please call (949) 313-2600.