When considering a hair transplant, one of the most often asked questions is how many grafts will be needed? You’ll see a difference in the outcome of your procedure depending on how many grafts you obtain in total. If you go for too few graft, your appearance may suffer, and if you go for too many grafts, you may find yourself paying an excessive amount of money for them. So, how many grafts are required for a hair transplant procedure is the question most people seems to ask?
The thickness of a patient’s current hair dictates the quantity of grafts they will need for a hair transplant. To achieve a pleasing result, the total number of transplants will be influenced by the grade of donor hair available.
What is a Hair Graft?
A hair graft is a small piece of tissue that comprises of 1-4 hair bulbs or follicles (the brain of the hair), and skin-tissue around the follicles that supplies nourishment and nutrition to the hair. Healthy and robust hair grafts are extracted from a person’s donor area and then transplanted to locations where hair follicles are weaker, fewer, or dead, as the case may be. Donor Dominance is the concept of relocating a hair transplant and having it survive in its new environment.
How Are Hair Grafts Transplanted?
When it comes to moving hair grafts from one location to another, Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) are the two main types of treatments that can be used. While a FUT procedure involves the removal of a strip of donor tissue (which may include hair grafts or donor follicles) at a time, a FUE procedure involves the removal of hair grafts or donor follicles from the scalp in individual units as they are harvested. It is the same procedure for both treatments when it comes to implanting the device. A highly competent team of medical technicians works with high-powered stereo microscopes to prepare the follicles for implantation by clipping away superfluous tissue from around them in the time between their removal (harvesting) and transplantation.
When a patient undergoes a hair transplant treatment, the donor area is typically located in the back of their head. This is due to the fact that the hair in such areas is not vulnerable to the hair thinning hormone DHT (Dihydrotestosterone). In a FUT process, a strip of skin tissue is removed all at once, whereas in a FUE operation, a strip of skin tissue is removed piece by piece. A 1mm diameter device is utilised in the FUE technique to circumscribe the hair graft and penetrate the skin around the follicle without harming the follicle. After that, the hair graft is removed with the use of a surgical tweezer.
What determines how many grafts are needed for a hair transplant?
Many criteria must be considered before you determine the amount of grafts necessary for your procedure. Your hair thinning and the locations where hair loss has already happened are crucial factors to consider when estimating how much donor hair is needed to cover up your baldness. Your own scalp’s donor hair quality might also influence what kind or amount of hair is needed on an individual basis and which approach works best for success (FUT vs FUE).
Types of Hair Loss Patterns
Hair loss patterns might vary from person to person, but those who suffer from male pattern baldness usually have a distinct thinning of their hair. By using The Norwood Scale below, you can identify the various phases and patterns of hair loss.
To help clinicians establish a more precise diagnosis and find the best treatment options for each patient, this approach provides an easy-to-understand scale.
Norwood scale for Hair Loss
In order to determine whether or not a patient would benefit from a hair transplant, the patient must first determine the number of grafts that they require. Patients who have identified the type of hair loss pattern they are experiencing may be able to estimate the quantity of grafts they will require after surgery by using either the Norwood Scale or a hair graft calculator once they have identified the pattern they are experiencing. Please keep in mind that any estimations are only approximations, and that consulting with a hair transplant surgeon for an accurate assessment is highly recommended. According to the Norwood Scale, the following is the number of grafts that are required:
| Norwood Scale | Operation Needs | Location | Number of Grafts Needed |
| 1 | No | N/A | 0 |
| 2 | No, but it can be made symmetrically better. | 500 – 800 | |
| 2a | Yes | Centre | 500-800 |
| 3 | Yes | Front and temples | 1000 – 1,400 |
| 3a | Yes | Front and crown | Front: 1000 – 1,400
Crown: 500 – 1000 |
| 4 | Yes | Front and crown | Front: 1,200 – 1,600
Crown: 800 – 1,100 |
| 4a | Yes | Front | 1,700 – 2,500 |
| 5 | Yes | Front and crown | Front: 1,800 – 2,200 Crown: 1000 – 1,500 |
| 5a | Yes | Front and crown | 2,500 – 3,200 |
| 6+ | Yes | Front and crown | Front: 1,800 – 2,500
Crown: 1,500 – 1,700 |
The Table shows the Norwood Scale in relation to the amount of grafts a patient will require. Norwood 3 is one of the most common causes of male pattern baldness and Norwood 3 typically requires 1000-1400 hair grafts.
How many hair are there in one graft?
Hair grows in clusters of 1-4 hairs per hair follicle on average, however this varies from person to person. 1 graft equals 1-4 hairs.
How many grafts are required to cover an entire head?
For a complete head, you’ll need anything from 4000-6000 grafts on average. Your surgeon will go over the specifics of your case with you to determine the best course of action.
How many grafts does a half-head require?
The surface area of the front of the head measures around 100cm2. For a half-head of hair, you’ll need anything from 1000 to 3000 hair transplants on average. Your surgeon will go over the specifics of your case with you to determine the best course of action.
How many grafts are required for a frontal hairline?
The amount of grafts in the frontal hairline will be determined by the hairline’s depth. This is usually between 10 and 30 centimetres squared. This usually necessitates between 500 and 1500 grafts.
How many grafts are needed for the crown?
The crown is typically 60-100cm2 in size, requiring 800-1200 grafts for the best aesthetic result.
For a beard transplant, how many grafts do you need?
The amount of grafts needed for a beard varies from person to person, but on average, 1000-3000 grafts are needed to cover the entire beard.
How much area are 1200 hair grafts supposed to cover?
At 40 grafts per square centre metre, 1200 grafts would cover little over 34 square centimetre of the head. This is about a third of a full head of hair.
How much hair is covered by 2000 grafts?
Between one-third and half of a head of hair can be covered with 2000 grafts. The exact amount is determined by the size of the head and the quality of the donor hair.
What is the area covered by 4000 grafts?
In some cases, 4000 grafts are sufficient to cover the entire head, while in others, they will only cover one-third of the head.
In a single session, how many hair grafts can I get?
The donor area, which is usually the back of the head, is used to remove hair grafts. The FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) procedure may transplant around 4,000 hair grafts in a single hair transplant session. Around 2,000 hair grafts can be implanted in one session using FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction). Each hair graft normally contains two hairs, equating to around 4,000 follicles in the FUE process and 8,000 strands in the FUT method. For certain patients, the donor area may not have enough hair grafts to complete the transplant process. As a result, it’s critical to speak with a surgeon who can assess your situation and ensure that you have enough grafts to extract and transplant.
Costing up a hair transplant
Hair transplants can be expensive, although the price varies from patient to patient. Without first consulting a hair transplant specialist, a precise estimate is impossible to provide. The cost is calculated based on the total number of grafts required by the patient. The cost will be ascertained after the number of grafts has been determined. It’s important to keep in mind that prices may vary depending on a variety of circumstances, which includes:
- Type of hair
- The quantity of grafts you’ll need and their density
- Chance of losing more hair.
- Will the hair transplant operation to be unshaved or shaved
- How may donor hair be used to the best advantage?
- The appearance of hair
Finally, the food, ambiance, expert counselling, a hair transplant aftercare and recuperation package, and a follow-up appointment will all be factored into the final price.
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