70 Years Old And Considering a Hair Transplant, Am I a Candidate?

Written by Blaine Lehr, MD on March 20, 2008

I am 70 years old and considering a hair transplant. My wife thinks it is complete absurdity and won’t even discuss it with me, but it is something I would like to do for myself. What else am I going to spend my money on? I can’t take it with me when I die, so why not have more hair for the rest of my time on this earth. My hair probably most resembles Jack Nicholson in hair loss pattern and thinness. Do I qualify for this procedure?
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I see no reason why your age would disqualify you. If your hair loss bothers you, why not take advantage of a relatively easy but consistently successful procedure? Follicular unit hair transplantation is a minimally invasive, outpatient operation with an easy recuperation period and very few side effects (almost all of which would fall in the nuisance category rather than dangerous). If your hair resembles Jack Nicholson’s, it would be simple to create a hairline that reframes the upper portion of your face.

Being 70 years old actually offers 2 small advantages. First, at your age the necessity of utilizing medications such as Propecia or Rogaine to save the remaining hair is less important. Second, the donor scar in older patients tends to be much less noticeable. However, your age could also be a disadvantage. There is a separate form of hair loss different from male pattern balding known as senile (defined as “resulting from old age”) alopecia. With this type of hair loss, individuals notice a diffuse thinning across the entire scalp frequently beginning around age 70. Generally, transplanted hair is considered permanent hair, but with senile alopecia, even transplanted hair can thin over time. Not everyone develops senile alopecia, but if you did, it could make the results of your transplant less impressive. Unfortunately, Propecia and Rogaine do not seem to be effective at preventing this form of hair loss.

Blaine Lehr, M.D.
Member, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons

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