Every hair on our body has a genetic program. It is programmed to grow to a certain length at a certain time and to stop at a certain time. It has periods when it naturally falls out and regenerates and it has a programmed time to fall out and never regenerate. Think about our eyelashes, for example, which grow to a certain length and then stop growing, or our eyebrows unchanging not grow back if they are removed.

So how do we know what will happen to our hair? A good way to predict future hair loss is by looking at the male members of your family particularly on your mother's side. Hair in the temple or on the top of the head, may be programmed depending on its genetics to grow for 30 to 60 years and then fall out. It is imperative therefore to be honest about predicting what type of hair loss pattern you will have prior to undergoing any transplant surgery. Some patients are just not good candidates for this surgery. These would be people who have had significant hair loss at a very young age and have uncles and grandparents who have significant hair loss with low-lying fringes of hair remaining. On the other hand, people with gradual recessions and thinning hair who have a family history of thicker hair in their family members at later ages are good candidates for transplanting. Before coming to our clinic for a consultation you should be prepared to discuss your family history of hair loss. Look at old photographs of members of your family and help us map out when and to what extent their hair loss occurred. This helps us estimate better what is most appropriate for you.

Hair transplant before and after photo