There is no age limit for hair transplantation. There is no age limit, as long as the patient has a good donor area.
The old technique of punch (wrist hair) that was used in hair transplantation in the specialty of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, was only performed in patients who were already bald. As the grafts were very large, it was necessary to remove a skin cylinder of half a centimeter in diameter in order to place the graft. Today, the grafts are so small that it is possible to make micro incisions to place them.
How is the hair transplant performed?
These micro incisions are blended into the patient’s hair without damaging it. The grafted hair is mixed between the less populated areas and the patient not only gains in density but the most important thing is that he/she will not become bald, since as he/she loses his/her hair, the grafted hair will remain. Here is the secret of hair transplantation, an early start.
I have performed hair transplants on 16 year old patients, but also on 70 year old patients. It is necessary to keep in mind that the final result of the hair transplant will always depend on the quality of the donor hair. The extreme case is in patients with a very evident baldness, either because of age or because of a very early onset of hair loss. If the patient has a good donor area there are no age limits.
This photograph was taken in 1992 on a graph paper background. It clearly shows the difference in the evolution of the technique: the size of the grafts. The smaller the graft size, the greater the number of grafts that can be placed. On the left, the size of the ¨macetas ¨ used for the punch or wrist hair technique is shown. The difference in size is evident over the years. Today micrografts are even less than 1 millimeter.