Hair fall or thinning is one of the major hair issues experienced by the people around the world. People suffering from hair fall try several methods to restore their hair. These methods range from magical hair restoration potions to wigs and hair extensions. With the technical advancement and sophistication, now there are options through which you can restore your lost and thinning hair follicles. Today, hair transplant has become a popular surgical procedure adopted by many people.
This surgical method to restore hair gives a natural look. Moreover, this procedure not only restores your hair but also help get back your lost your confidence. With hair transplant method, you can treat male pattern baldness, scarring, and facial rebuilding efforts. The procedure can be completed in the least time. Most often patients have witnessed positive results after enduring this procedure. The hair restored by surgery looks so natural that it becomes difficult for your friends and family member to tell whether it has been transplanted or not until you let them know the truth.
There are three different types of hair transplantation procedure. They are-
Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS)
In this hair transplant procedure, a patch of hair from different part (known as the donor region) is taken and implanted on the scalp area of thinning or balding. The donor area is closed using stitches and it takes a few days to heal completely. This procedure is the best option for the people with average to extreme balding. In this procedure, several grafts of hair can be transplanted in one session.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
This is the latest method and is more commonly opted than the first one. In this procedure, strands of hair are relocated from the back and sides of your head in sets of one up to four. It is so because our hair grows naturally in this way. As this procedure imitates the method of how human hair really grows, it delivers effective results that give a more natural look. It is more beneficial than the other procedure as it doesn’t involve major and deep cuttings in the scalp. Hence, it takes lesser time to heal and there are fewer scars as well.
Scalp Reduction
This is a rarely performed hair transplant procedure. In this procedure, the bald is removed from the scalp and the hair bearing scalp is stretched to cover the area that has been removed. This may result in tightening of the scalp that would further lead to its thinning. Moreover, this method is very costly in comparison to the other procedures.
Average Cost of Hair Transplant Procedure
The hair transplantation cost largely depends on the amount of hair that has to be but, it normally ranges from $4,000 to $15,000. Many clinics choose not to declare exactly how much a hair transplant will cost since the requirement of grafts varies from person to person. But, we can say that a hair transplant is not a cheap procedure. It will cost more if a patient requires session for the second time to give thicker volume to the hair. The cost of the procedure varies significantly depending on the following factors:
Physician
The cost of hair transplant largely depends on the physician who is doing the surgery and their experience.
The teams’ experience
The cost also varies according to the experience of the team that supports the head physician.
Location
It is an important factor that determines the cost of the procedure. Medical tourism now facilitates patients to travel to countries where transplantation procedures including hair transplants, grafts, FUE treatments etc are available at lower prices.
The Hair Transplant Procedure Chosen
The different procedure can cost you a different amount. For the strip procedure, the graft cost range between $3-6 per strip. While in the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) price may vary between $5 – 12 per graft. This is because it is a longer process than the stripping process. If you choose for scalp reduction process, it may again cost you more because it requires replacing the bald area by stretching the scalp with hair.
Anesthetic
Sometimes, the hair transplant cost doesn’t include the cost of anesthetic requiring you to pay for it differently. Hence make sure to ask if it is included in the procedure or not.
Post Surgery Support
After the hair transplantation surgery, you may need to visit the physician to know the condition of the surgery or how the graft is reacting to the scalp. It is better to ask your doctor whether post-consultations are included in the cost.
A follow-up graft
Many people want to increase the thickness of their hair and thus love to invest in hair transplants to get a full set of hair back on their head with the second session of a graft.
Risk of Hair Transplant and Treatment
Surgical hair transplantation procedure comes with risks like bleeding and infection. Other risks that may occur in one is scarring and new hair growth that looks unnatural and artificial. With the time, the new hair starts growing, some people may experience inflammation or infection of the hair follicles. This infection of the follicles is called folliculitis. You can treat this with antibiotics and compresses. Sudden loss of transplanted hair is another possible risk that one may suffer. This is called shock loss. However, this hair loss is seldom permanent.
If you are worried about your hair loss or thinning or balding, then hair transplantation is one of the best ways to restore your hair that will considerably enhance your appearance and boost self-confidence. However, it is important to realize that hair transplantation does not create new hair. It involves transplanting the already existing hair to the place of thinning or balding.
To lessen the risks and to make the surgery a success, it is most essential to undergo hair transplantation only if you are physically and mentally strong. Before you decide to opt for the surgical procedure, you should always discuss the probable risks and advantages of any surgery with your doctor.