Candidacy evaluation for women requires a far more nuanced approach than for men, because female pattern hair loss follows a fundamentally different pattern.

The Core Difference

While men typically lose hair in a predictable pattern (temples, crown), women's loss most often follows a diffuse pattern spread across the entire scalp. This makes finding a "safe" donor area much harder.

Hormonal Factors

Female-specific hormonal factors โ€” pregnancy, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) โ€” can trigger or accelerate hair loss and must be addressed before surgery is considered.

The Best Female Candidates

Women with localized thinning (e.g., traction alopecia, a receded hairline) or those who are post-menopausal with stable hormones and a loss pattern that has plateaued tend to be the strongest candidates.

Key point: Evaluation for female patients must include the DPA vs. DUPA distinction (see related article) โ€” a "yes" given without that distinction can be risky.

You can classify your stage with the Ludwig Scale and get an estimated graft range using the "Female type" option in the Graft Calculator.