A: Both Propecia and Minoxidil definitely can work in the front of the scalp as long as there is some hair in the area. Although their mechanisms of action are different, both Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) act to thicken miniaturized hair wherever it’s location. Neither of these medications can grow hair on a bald scalp. I would ignore the package insert in this case, because the FDA limits the indications only to the areas tested in the clinical trials. That is why doctors have the liberty to prescribe medication the way they see fit.

I suggest to stay on the medications for at least a year – results can take this long. If you have not gotten satisfactory growth by that time then a hair transplant can be considered.

We all know that hair loss is common among both men and women, and that hair transplant and hair restoration procedures are becoming more and more popular around the world. But what thoughts go through the head of your average hair loss sufferer before, during, and after a hair transplant?

The answer to that question may now be revealed. ABC News correspondent Cari Nierenberg and associate producer Ryan Stevenson take us directly into the mind and life of Bernstein Medical patient Adam Khoudja in a three-part video diary and feature on hair loss and hair restoration. As for the diary:

You’ll hear from Khoudja — and his wife — in the days and weeks before his follicular unit hair transplant. You’ll see him undergo the procedure and meet his surgeon, dermatologist Dr. Robert Bernstein of Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration in New York City. And then you’ll be privy to his recovery process as he heals afterwards.

View each video diary and accompanying article at ABCNews.com:

Before hair transplant:

• Coping with a Receding Hair Line — Video Diary
• Coping with a Receding Hair Line

During hair transplant:

• The Bald Truth About Hair Transplant — Video Diary
• The Bald Truth About Hair Transplant

After hair transplant:

• A New Outlook With a New Head of Hair — Video Diary
• A New Outlook With a New Head of Hair

While all three videos are well worth watching, the middle video — The Bald Truth About Hair Transplant — might be especially valuable to prospective patients as it shows Dr. Bernstein and staff performing the actual hair transplant and with commentary about the procedure.

Learn more about the hair transplant procedure and visit our own hair transplant patient photo journal.

A: We generally do not consider hair transplantation until a person is at least 25. There are a number of reasons why hair transplants are not indicated in someone younger than this.

When hair loss starts at an early age, the pattern is unpredictable and the hair loss has a greater chance of being extensive in the future. Also, the permanency of the donor area cannot be determined (see the Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) page on the Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration website).

If hair loss is going to be extensive, then the best that one can expect from a hair transplant is to replace hair on the front and top of the scalp. There would usually not be enough hair to fill in the temples or the crown. This look is fine for a person in their 30’s or 40’s who is losing hair, but having a thin or bald crown is not generally acceptable for someone in their 20’s.

Hair transplants are more efficient if performed in relatively large sessions. Multiple, small incisions in the back of the scalp (either by Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)) consume more hair than when the hair is harvested through a single incision. In addition, when hair loss is early and there is a lot of miniaturized hair in the area to be transplanted, the hair transplants can actually accelerate hair loss in the area in the vicinity of the procedure.

If one were to try and fill in the temples of a young person, a substantial amount of hair would be needed so that the density of the transplanted hair would match the density of the surrounding (already existing) hair. As the person continued to lose hair in the center, the densely transplanted hair in the temples would stand out as two permanent “horns” of hair. Hair placed in the crown would create the same problem, as enough density to satisfy a young person would result in a pony tail as the hair loss in the crown progressed and the bald area expanded around the transplanted area. With advanced baldness, there may not be enough donor hair to connect these areas together, so the result will be a very unnatural look.

In the adult male, the frontal hairline is normally recessed at the temples, so this should not be restored unless the patient’s donor density is very high and the ultimate hair loss pattern limited – two conditions that cannot be determined when a person is young.

On the other hand, medical therapy with finasteride (Propecia) can be very effective in early hair loss by possibly growing some hair back and more importantly by slowing or halting the balding process for many years. The sooner the medication is started the more useful it is, because it works far better in preventing hair loss than bringing it back once the hair is gone. Unfortunately, it will not grow hair back in the temples if this area is completely devoid of hair. Medications work by reversing the miniaturization process, so there must be some existing hair in the area for it to act on.

In sum, it is best to wait until you are a bit older before considering surgical hair restoration. By having hair transplants at a slightly older age, your expectations may be closer to what can actually be accomplished, and your eventual hair loss pattern will be easier to determine. In the meantime, medical treatment with Finasteride, is a good option.

A: Yes, curly hair grows as well after a hair transplant surgery as straight hair.

After the hair restoration, the transplanted hair will take on the characteristics of the hair that was originally in the area, so it will match perfectly with respect to curl and wave.

A: Less than 10% of female hair loss is in a frontal pattern that is similar to the pattern of genetic hair loss seen in men.

Women with this pattern can often be good candidates for hair transplantation, particularly if the donor area is stable.