Why do HT surgeons recommend their patients use Fin and Minox?

[MrBlonde]

I have seen people who are bald on top been recommended to take Fin or use Minox before undergoing a HT by the surgeon.

I thought the hair at the back and sides of the head was immune to hairloss and if so why is the medication needed? It seems over cautious on their part and unnecessary.

Is it that its not the hair but the area its going into. Maybe high DHT levels will eat away at the transplanted hair also once its in the area hair has previously shed from?

Can some HT surgeons weigh in on this topic please

[LMS]

No, its hopefully to prevent further loss of sensitive hair on top of your head, and perhaps induce some regrowth to lower the amount of grafts needed.

[greatjob!]

If you're talking about say a NW 5 who is having a transplant, I think you are, with zero hair on top, they recommend preventative meds to keep the sides and back from dropping into NW 7 territory. If the patient has sufficient donor it may be possible to give adequate coverage, but if their sides and back drop they will likely not have the donor to keep up. Remember with hair transplants there is absolutely no substitute for native hair, so the more you can hold on to the better.

And to the other issue, generally speaking the hair from the safe zone is immune to DHT, so the meds are not needed for the transplanted hair to grow. Rare occasions do exist where the patient has general thinning even in the donor, but most good doctors can spot that and will hopefully turn the patient away.