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Hair Transplant Cost, Complications, & Alternative Treatments

In this article, we’re going to talk about hair transplant costs, influences to cost, complications, and alternative treatments.

Read on

Across the United States, 30 million women and 50 million men deal with hair loss every day. One, rather intense, hair loss solution that is increasing in popularity is hair transplant procedures. However, these are not cheap and come with a set of surgical complication risks.

In this article, we’re going to talk about hair transplant costs, influences to cost, complications, and alternative treatments.

What is a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is an outpatient procedure that involves taking healthy hair from one part of the scalp and transplanting it to another part.

For instance, if the patient is dealing with a receding hairline, surgeons will take healthy hair follicles from the back of the head, and transplant it to the front to create a fuller hairline.

Two transplant approaches

There are two main approaches when it comes to hair transplants.

  1. Follicular unit (strip) transplantation (FUT)
  2. Follicular unit extraction (FUE).

FUT, which is also called follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS), takes a full strip of naturally occurring hair patterns and this piece is used for transplantation.

FUE is a more intricate process wherein the surgeon takes single hair follicles (units) and inserts them individually into the scalp to create a new pattern.

Cost of a hair transplant

That being said, there is a large variation in cost. A hair transplant might run you anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000. One thing is for sure, they are not cheap!

These costs are also entirely out of pocket because hair transplants are considered a cosmetic procedure and are not generally covered by insurance.

This large cost variation is dependent on a number of factors.

5 things that can impact the cost of a hair transplant procedure

The cost of a hair transplant varies pretty widely. The cost might depend on a few things such as:

1. Where you’re getting the procedure

A hair transplant procedure in LA might differ in price from a procedure in Wyoming.

2. The skill of your surgeon

The adage you get what you pay for is true here. The skill and experience of your hair transplant surgeon can determine the cost per graft.

3. How many grafts are needed

One of the bigger determining factors is how many grafts you will need to get your desired results. A hair transplant could involve 2,000 - 3,000 hair grafts. The more restoration needed, the higher the overall cost will be.

4. The type of procedure

There is a difference between the cost of the follicular unit (strip) transplantation (FUT) procedure and the follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure.

Generally speaking, the follicular unit extraction (FUE) procedure can run higher as the grafting of individual units takes more time and skin to perform.

5. Patient’s overall hair goals

In the same vein as grafting needs, the patient’s overall hair goals can greatly determine the procedure’s cost. If a patient wants to go from balding to McDreamy level locks, this could definitely make the procedure more costly.

Complications of a hair transplant

Like with any surgical procedure, there are associated risks.

The risks of hair transplant surgery might include:

  • Bleeding
  • Infection
  • Swelling of scalp
  • Local anesthesia complications
  • Heart problems during surgery
  • Patient dissatisfaction
  • Sudden but typically temporary loss of the transplanted hair
  • Unnatural-looking tufts of hair

Alternatives to hair transplants

If you are thinking about getting a hair transplant, you might want to exhaust all other options before investing in a costly surgery. There are topical and oral medications that can help with hair loss.

Remember to treat underlying issues. If your scalp is sensitive to DHT and your hair loss is DHT-related, it's possible that the transplanted hair could be a victim to the same DHT-related issue.

Because of this, your hair surgeon might prescribe hair loss medication finasteride and or minoxidil to help minimize hair loss after the procedure.

Strut treats hair loss online

Make sure that you reach out to a hair doctor or hair specialist to exhaust your other options before undergoing a medical procedure.

Strut offers free online hair loss consultations. We’re here to help you get a strut back in your step!

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