Before considering a hair transplant, the following thoughts should be kept in mind:
Transplants are not a cure for someone suffering from pattern baldness, regardless of gender. A transplant will not counteract the effect of hair loss in areas that are bald or that have been bald for a long time.
If there is little hair on the head before the transplant, without the inclusion of hair regrowth drugs, the length of the hair transplant may remain the same and not be stimulated to grow more.
How much does a hair transplant cost?
Many clinics are reluctant to say exactly how much a hair transplant will cost, due in part to the uniqueness of each person’s hair loss requirements.
All in all, it is not cheap, especially since some patients require a second session to achieve a greater amount of hair. The cost will vary greatly depending on the following factors:
1. Doctor: who performs the surgery and their level of experience.
2. The experience of the teams that supports the chief physician.
3. Location – Where the procedure is performed, i.e. medical tourism now caters to patients traveling to countries with a lower cost base for hair loss procedures including hair transplants, grafts, FUE treatments, etc.
4. The chosen hair transplant method-
(I) Strip method (on average): the cost of the graft is between $3 and $6 per strip
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(II) Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) (on average): As this is a longer process, it is more time consuming for the doctor. therefore, prices are normally double the stripe method. The price can vary between $5 – 12 per graft.
A graft is a follicular unit and is how hair appears in its natural form.
For example, you may have a particular graft that has 1, 2, 3, or 4 hair units. Each has the same cost.
In terms of a total price, think of your hand folded up to the size of a fist and place your fist over the place where there is a bald area. That space is approximately 1500 grafts.
Often patients will want to double the amount or have a second session to achieve higher density. An estimate of the cost of the procedure can range from 3,000 to 6,000 grafts, depending on the patient’s desire for thicker hair density.
Then multiply that by the number of grafts required.
There will be some patients who want a second session to ensure they have maximum coverage. The range is wide and only when you have had an inquiry will you know a ballpark figure for your requirements.
So expect an average cost of between $3000 and $30,000.
5. Anesthetic – Sometimes this may not be included in the total cost of hair transplantation. Be sure to ask if it’s included.
6. Post Surgery Support: After hair transplant surgery, 1-2 follow-up sessions may be required to determine how the graft is adapting to the scalp. Ask your surgeon if subsequent consultations are included.
7. Time off work: It is normal for people to take time off work to minimize the likelihood of infection by reducing contact with the public.
This is another cost (loss of income period) that must be included in your plan. If you choose this procedure due to an accident at work, or if something outside of your control occurred that resulted in hair loss, you may want to talk to your health insurance company or employer about financial support for related expenses.
8. A follow-up graft: For many people, they are happy to invest in hair transplants to return to a full head of hair.
But unfortunately, it’s not always as simple as a one-time cost. Evidence has shown that the younger a person is when they receive a transplant, the greater the propensity for their hair to fall out more quickly.
This is partly because donor skin sites are not genetically resistant to hair loss. As sad as it is, the ideal candidates for hair transplants are generally middle-aged men with moderate hair loss.
health considerations
A doctor should perform a complete medical examination before undergoing a hair transplant. This may also include seeking your doctor’s professional opinion about the procedure and how it should be performed considering the medication involved during and after the procedure.
Care must be taken when considering the type of anesthetic used during the procedure if a person is already taking medication.
It is important that the doctor and anesthetist know how the surgery medication will react with any medication the patient is currently taking.
Pain relief medications should also be considered in this equation, as should the person’s medical history.
Today’s most contemporary transplants involve the following:
A hair consultation is first done with a reputable and certified doctor. This includes a review of a person’s hair growth pattern, rate and level of hair loss, family history/genetics of hair loss. Within this consultation, the doctor will review any previous treatment for hair loss or past surgeries and their results.
Once the procedure is agreed upon, it is simply to book for the procedure when an appointment is available and arrange for time off work.
The actual hair transplant procedure tends to follow the following format:
A. Hair is cut at sites on the scalp chosen to be the “donor” areas (where hair has been chosen to be removed).
b. Hair follicles on the back and sides of the scalp are removed. These follicles generally have a greater ability to hold and hold hair. During this process local anesthesia is used as it is an uncomfortable procedure.
vs The extracted hair follicles are inserted (or grafted) into areas of the scalp where bald patches are evident. They are mostly inserted just above the forehead and the top of the scalp or the crown of the head.
d. Care is taken during step (c) to insert the hair follicle into areas of the scalp where blood flow is good and the follicle is likely to be stimulated to grow hair.
my. After the operation, side effects such as bruising, swelling, pain and general palpitations may occur. This can be managed with a pain relief treatment plan.
Sometimes the hair transplant area will be covered with bandages that will need to be removed within a short period of time after the operation.
F. The physician will advise against exercise, strenuous activity, or any activity that increases blood pressure or friction on the scalp.
Due to the inability after surgery to participate in any strenuous activity, this will also include small physical activities such as grocery shopping and walking the animals.
Make sure you have everything you need, such as food, pet care, and the support you need to help you with your daily activities.
Arrange for someone to help you while you are in your recovery period if you live alone.
Alternatives to a hair transplant
Other hair transplant options include:
A. ‘Scalp reduction surgery’ – involves a local anesthetic followed by a strip of bald skin being cut from the scalp. The scalp is then brought together along the removed portion and sutured to close the gap in the scalp.
b. ‘Flap Surgery’ – This is an extensive hair transplant whereby a large amount of skin tissue from the scalp is prepared over a period of time for the cells to grow. Once the cells have grown, a large part of a bald section of the scalp is removed, to be replaced by hair that has been primed to grow. Generally, due to the complexity of this procedure, a hospital stay of several days may be required.
The transplant itself can take several hours (3-7 hours) and patients typically return for several scalp-covering treatments.
A pain relief treatment plan is provided at the end of the process, as the areas where the follicles were removed and then inserted are quite tender and will take time to heal.
It is important to note that there may be challenges during the process, which may include:
Infection: Since the surface of the skin has been disrupted and exposed to the open air, it is important to minimize the risk of germs entering open wounds.
Antibiotics are usually prescribed to minimize the chance of infection.
Allergic reaction to the procedure or medication.
Bleeding and Scarring: Bleeding is usually contained by cleaning at the end of the procedure and minimized by careful treatment of the scalp.
There may be scarring as a result of piercing the skin. The doctor will prescribe a treatment and care plan to minimize scarring.
Nerve damage – when a person no longer feels any tenderness or tenderness at the scalp site involved in the procedure.
What to consider before undergoing a hair transplant?
It is extremely important to validate the credentials and license of your prospective doctor who can perform the procedure.
There are many unscrupulous characters who have set up hair clinics to perform this type of surgery at a lower cost. It is important that you do your homework to validate that the prospective hair transplant doctor has successfully performed this operation many times before.
Testimonials: Don’t just take the written word of past patients or the doctor’s good word. Ask to see and speak with people who have gone through the same process with the same doctor before.
This has two purposes. One is that you will be able to see for yourself the success of hair transplantation. Second, you can ask the person any questions they may have related to the procedure and post-operative support.
Not all hair transplants are successful, and this may not be known until 9 months after the operation.
Hair can only start to grow after 9 months as it takes a while to get used to its new environment and during this time the cell or tissues can die.
It is important to remember that this procedure does not guarantee successful hair growth and the transplanted hair may fall out after several months.
But, the good news is that there are plenty of people walking around with thick, full hair, the result of a hair transplant that looks like 100% natural hair growth.