KOLLAM: The new generation of Keralites is losing hair much earlier than the old normal. While most youngsters are hardly losing sleep over it, they are not willing to just let that be either. Instead, they are embracing the trend of spending anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 5 lakh to tackle thinning locks and reclaim their crowning glory.
Hair transplant experts have noted a significant surge in the proportion of individuals aged from 18 to 25 seeking hair treatment in Kerala. Interestingly, there has been a rise in demand for hair replacement among women in the same age group as well.
“When we started our clinic in 2020, only two hair transplant surgeries were conducted per day. Now, it has increased to more than 17. It is clear that more people are opting for hair transplantation,” says Valsala, marketing manager at La Densitae Clinic, a hair treatment clinic in Kochi.
While the receding of hairline earlier began typically around 28 years, it is now starting at 18, experts point out. By 25, many youngsters are experiencing baldness. Long hours of work and high-calorie diets have been identified as reasons for the early receding of hairline. “In previous generations, hairline would begin to recede at 28 if heredity was the cause. But now, youngsters between 18 and 25 are experiencing hairline issues that are not linked to heredity,” says Dr Rajesh Nair, a hair transplant surgeon based in Thiruvananthapuram.
He cites stress and poor diet as contributing factors.
“Individuals have two options: lifelong treatments like PRP treatment and hormone therapy, which are expensive and time-consuming, or a complete hair transplant. Young people have resources, and since it’s a successful treatment, they opt for transplantation,” Dr Rajesh says.
Not everyone’s cup of tea
Hair transplantation isn’t an option for everyone. Clinical experts emphasise that it is possible only for those with an adequate hair donor area, meaning healthy hair on the scalp. “Hair will be collected from the donor area and transplanted to the bald area. The condition is that you should have healthy hair in the donor area. Otherwise, hair transplantation cannot take place,” Dr Rajesh says.
Meanwhile, psychologists point out that baldness is affecting many youngsters’ confidence, leading them to seek hair transplantation.
“Many youngsters with receding hairline become diffident, fearful that it might affect their professional or personal lives. That’s why many are seeking hair transplant treatment,” said Thressia N Johan, a psychologist in Kollam.