The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) has published the results of their biennial survey of hair restoration physicians from around the world. The survey — published in the November/December 2011 issue of Hair Transplant Forum International — asked members of the ISHRS to answer questions on patient demographics, surgical techniques, number of procedures, and more in order to gauge the state of the industry. Read the full article to see some of the key findings of the survey.

Q: I am 24 years old and just starting to thin. I was told by another doctor that it was too early to have a hair transplant, but the hair on the back and sides of my scalp seems really thick. Shouldn’t I have a hair transplant now, just in case I am not a candidate in the future?

A: The most important criteria in determining who will be a candidate for a hair transplant is the presence of sufficient permanent donor hair. When hair loss is early, it is often hard for the doctor to determine this, since early on the donor area can appear very stable. It is not until the front and/or top of the scalp has significant thinning that the donor area may also show thinning. Therefore, it is only at this time that the stability of the donor area can adequately be assessed.

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In the summer of 2009 the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) published the results of a survey of hair restoration practices around the world. The survey; published in the hair restoration journal Hair Transplant Forum International (July/August 2009, Volume 19, No. 4); looked at, “the volume of hair restoration procedures performed, patient demographics, surgical techniques, treatments used, and other practice dynamics,” to gauge the health of the industry.