There are a multitude of different questions that a patient is going to ask his or her surgeon when discussing a hair implantation procedure, however, one of the most ubiquitous and prevalent questions has to be “Hair Grafts – how many will I need?”. To answer this question, its necessary for the patient to discuss individual requirements with their surgeon, however, it’s possible to give a general guideline pertaining to this question.
How many grafts will you need?
Many patients considering hair transplants are at the very early stages of hair thinning and loss. Some patients, particularly male, may be experiencing a reduction of hair on the temporal points, creating that classic “widow’s peak” that is synonymous with the preliminary stages of balding.
However, there are others that have suffered from a more rapid form of hair loss or have maybe reached a point where they no longer wish to continue with the level of hair thinning that they’ve been experiencing over a number of years. Whichever the case, the number of hair grafts required are clearly going to be determined by the level of thinning you’re encountering, and the donor hair supply available.
Below is a guide to approximative numbers relevant to the required grafts for hair loss patients :
- An initial loss of hair along the temporal and hairline areas, an approximate zone area of 10 to 30 cm², will depend on whether the patient requires the surgeon to concentrate on simply the temporal regions or if the patients wishes for the hairline to be brought down. On average, it’s recommended that each temporal zone receives approximately 150 hair grafts on either side with an further 1000 to 1500 grafts, should the hairline require additional attention.
- Temporal areas with light loss on the central and hairline zones, covering an approximate area of 70 cm², would ideally require, at minimum, 2000 to 2500 grafts to create a sufficiently compacted quantity that will give the appearance of natural density.
- For hair loss on the fore half of the cranium, ranging up to two thirds of the frontal zone, it is recommended that anything between 2500 grafts for up to 100 cm² of hair loss and with up to 4000 hair grafts for a more dominant 120 cm².
It is vital to take note, that should you be in the initial stages of hair loss, albeit that a transplant will certainly remedy the problem zones, you may be required to return at a later date to rectify any area that will suffer from subsequent natural hair loss. It’s highly recommended that you discuss all of your hair transplant requirements and the different stages of hair loss with your physician in advance of any surgical procedures.