Q: Can I tell before I start to bald if I will be a candidate for a hair transplant. — T.E., New York, NY

A: Usually not. The main reason one is either a candidate or not is the stability (permanency) of the hair in the back and sides of ones scalp – the donor area. Since the top of the scalp usually thins first, if the top has not started to thin, the donor area will always appear to be OK. It is only when you have significant thinning on the front or top of your scalp can we actually begin to assess the stability of the donor area with any degree of accuracy.

Read more about how a hair transplant physician evaluates a candidate for hair transplant.