Can hair in the "safe zone" thin over time?

[FutureFue]

Does hair in the "safe zone", such as hair at the back and side of the head, thin over time as part of the general ageing process? If so, will the density of the hair you transplant from the "safe zone" generally decline as you get older?

 

[sl]

Hi FutureFUE

The "safe zone" can thin naturally but usually only a small percentage and having miniaturisation there measured can also give an idea of possibly thinning in time but a small percentage of future loss is natural


Some will thin more dramatically but usually this is picked up before surgery and if a high percentage of miniaturisation then usually not deemed a candidate but there is no agreed protocol on what is deemed high and I see a variation in approach from clinics. There is also DUPA whereby the donor is badly effected and again candidacy would be ruled out but this is usually easily spotted.

Having the donor checked for density and miniaturisation is important and knowing the ultimate "safe zone" the patient will have and harvesting from there only and looking for retrograde alopecia also in terms of above ears and nape thinning.

For the most part the transplant is safe if harvested from safe areas and the donor has been sufficiently checked.


A Strip usually is taken from a rich and well defined area and FUE is more universally spread in the donor for extraction but both if done well will yield good results and ones that have longevity.

 

[FutureFue]

Hey Sl - thanks for the advice.

 

[Bigmac]

As Sl states, it is possible for it to thin out, if you're destined to be a high Norwood you could possibly lose most of your donor/safe zone.

 

[FutureFue]

One thing I don't get is that if hair in the safe zone is not sensitive to DHT, how can a man theoretically lose hair there?

 

[bullitnut]

FutureFue wrote:

One thing I don't get is that if hair in the safe zone is not sensitive to DHT, how can a man theoretically lose hair there?

Good question....is it down to DHT though when they get a lot older or could it be another hormonal thing in some people. I ask because my Grandads safe zone started to thin when he reached 70 but at the same time i noticed when we went on holiday a few years back and he wore shorts his leg hairs were hardly visible too compared to years earlier*nl.

 

[DHI]

Regarding the so called safe donor area.
This term was initially used for strip surgeries for locating the area from which skin should be taken.
Still in FUE method we also leave some limits regarding mainly the frontal border (towards the vertex) of the donor area.
Androgenetic alopecia affects the whole scalp and a man may present thin hairs or less hair density all over the scalp actually. The term diffuse androgenetic exists. This condition may develop through time and finally in high Norwood only a small strip of hairs remain at the lower place of the occipital area.