When it comes to hair, Americans are losing it and fast. The numbers don’t lie when it comes to Americans and hair loss:

• There are about 35 million men in the U.S. experiencing hair loss
• There are about 21 million women in the U.S. experiencing hair loss
• In the U.S., the Hair Loss Treatment Industry brought in $4 billion in 2017.

On average, people shed 50 to 100 hairs a day and for 82 percent of adults, they are aware that their hair loss is genetic. But hair loss isn’t a uniquely American problem either and people all over the world deal with hair loss in their own way. About 47 percent of hair loss sufferers say they’d spent their life savings to have a full head of hair again and 60 percent of hair loss sufferers say they would rather have more hair than money or friends.

For those folks having a hard time accepting their hair loss, the good news is that hair transplant surgery options are available. Hair transplant surgery typically involves the removal of a strip of hair from an area on the head and transplanting the follicles to thinning or bald areas on the head. During the Follicular Unit Extraction or FUE, individual follicular unit grafts (hair groupings of one to four hairs) are harvested one at a time.

You’re probably wondering, am I a good candidate for hair transplant surgery? These four factors can help you and a doctor determine just that.

• Lifestyle: Healthy lifestyle choices can go a long away in determining the success of a hair transplant. Eating a healthy diet, exercising and trying to avoid stress help boost the immune system. In the long run, that means those who undergo hair transplant surgery will have a lower risk of infection, less recovery time and less swelling. Keeping your body hydrated and healthy now can have a big payoff later.
• Age: Anyone can undergo hair transplant surgery, but precautions are usually taken based on age and expectations must be made clear. A young person having hair transplant surgery for example has already had hair loss at a young age and it’s only going to progress. Typical active hair loss can take anywhere from 10-20 years as the hair continues to thin and miniaturize before the balding process is complete.
  
  If a young person has hair transplant surgery early, chances are good that he/she will require some follow-up procedures as they grow older. The best candidates for hair transplant are usually older than 30 because their hair loss pattern has already been established the transplant surgery will give them a more natural looking head of hair.
• Type of Hair Loss: An obvious factor when it comes to hair transplant surgery is the type of hair loss a patient has. For men, hair loss ranges on the Norwood Scale with Type I being minimal hair loss to Type VII, being the most severe form of hair loss. For women, hair loss ranges on the Ludwig Scale with Type I being mild hair loss to Type III being severe hair loss.
• Aftercare: Another important factor in determine the success of the surgery is commitment to aftercare. Following a physician’s instructions will reduce the risk of infection, reduce recovery time and minimize discomfort. It’s important to follow the instructions to ensure that the transplant grows naturally and those undergoing surgery can enjoy the full benefits of the transplant.

Undergoing hair transplant surgery can do a lot to restore a person’s self-confidence. Before undergoing surgery. It’s important to consult a doctor to determine the severity of your hair loss and whether or not you’re a good candidate for surgery.