I am scheduled for an upcoming hair transplant, and I am worried about having Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA). The surgeon didn’t understand when I asked him about DUPA in my donor area, and I don’t want to go forward if I have DUPA. Please help me with the diagnosis. Here are four pictures from my donor area.
The picture on the Right qualifies for DUPA. The one on the left appears ok or marginal. I define DUPA as miniaturization over 20% of the hairs. The picture on the right is well over 20% miniaturized hair, which you can count easily. I would want a more extensive evaluation of your donor area before tackling a hair transplant. Shame on the doctor for (1) not understanding your question and (2) not listening to your concern. Some doctors just do this for the money and really don’t care what happens to you after the surgery. Is this a doctor you trust? This is a critical question everyone should ask before allowing them to work on your scalp.
I outlined in a circle (the third picture is the same photo as #2) with arrows and circles showing the hairs in the field that I think are miniaturized. As this is in part of the donor area, it would worry me a great deal if a hair transplant was on the agenda unless, that is, a better and more comprehensive assessment of the donor area is performed. Click on the photo to enlarge it.
Dr. Robert Bernstein and I discussed DUPA and concluded that Finasteride works in most men to some degree. It is worth trying this for a year and then reassessing your situation as you have great before pictures to compare what it will look like in a year.
