Hair transplants are performed to add additional hair to a thinning or balding area on the head. It is achieved by removing hair from thicker sections of the scalp, or other areas of the body, and transplanting it into the scalp’s thinning or balding area.

Hair loss affects close to 60 percent of males and 50 percent of females.  Some individuals use over-the-counter drugs to combat this, including topical medications such as minoxidil (Rogaine). Hair transplantation is also another method for regenerating balding hair.

In 1939 the first transplant was done with single scalp hairs in Japan. In the decades that followed, the “plug” technique was developed by doctors.  This entails the transplantation of large hair tufts from other sections of the scalp.

With time, the use of mini- and micro-grafts was adopted by surgeons to reduce the appearance of transplanted hair on the scalp.

Do hair transplants really work?

Usually hair transplants are more effective than over-the-counter hair regeneration products. However, there are other considerations to take into account:

• Somewhere between 10 and 80 percent of the transplanted hair should grow back entirely within an average three to four months.
• The transplanted hair will thin over time just like normal hair.
• People with dead hair follicles (sacs normally containing hair under the skin but no longer developing hair) may have less successful transplants, however research indicates that plasma therapy may allow up to 75 percent or more of the transplanted hair to completely regrow.
• Hair transplants aren’t always successful. hey are often used to restore hair in cases of balding or thinning, or hair loss due to injury.

Most transplants are performed using the patient’s own hair, as a result, it is not an effective treatment for:

• Intense thinning and balding of hair
• Loss of hair associated with chemotherapy or other drug reactions
• Thick scalp scars from injuries

The Cost of Hair Transplants Around the World

The cost of hair transplants varies according to these variables:

• Scope of the transplant operation
• Accessibility of plastic surgeons in your region
• Experience level of your surgeon
• Preferred surgical procedure (FUT or FUE)

Many medical tourists opt for clinic overseas for hair transplants or hair restoration. In general, the costs are lower than in the United Kingdom, and in the United States and the clinics offer quality service. We’ve looked at hair transplant pricing in some of the world’s most common countries conducting the procedure. It is important to remember that some clinics are charging a set fee while others are charging a set fee per graft. Some are inclusive of accommodation, and some consider hotel costs, and other things like medicines as additional expenses. And here is what we have found…

Canada

Average Price: $14,000

Just like in the UK, it’s expensive to have a hair transplant in Canada and the cost varies significantly throughout the country. On the others hand the quality of the hair transplants are known to be one of the best around the world, due to the extensive regulations and training required from Docotors to perform these procedures.

There are clinics in Toronto quoting their average hair transplant cost at $7,100 while in Ontario it’s $17,000 elsewhere. Both cover the cost of an FUE hair transplant surgery minus accommodation.

Germany

Average Price: $8,000

Many UK and US-based hair-transplant clinics are now opening branches in Europe, especially Germany, in the cities of Munich and Berlin. Moreover, there are many new clinics formed with German origins.

In Germany, many hair clinics keep their pricing structure private until you have had a consultation. However, the available online prices vary between $6,000 and $8,900. All clinics offer the hair transplant procedure FUE instead of the FUT.

Others even offer scalp micropigmentation; this is a tattooing technique which colors the scalp to look like shortly cropped hair.

U.S.

Average Price:  $7,000

United States similar to Canada are know to offer leading specialists in the field, but since it is a massive country, the cost of a hair transplant can vary considerably from facility to state. In New York for example, the average cost is $5,300, while in California it can costs $9,300. There also high end Surgens offering procedures well over 50,000$, but if these produces are 8x better then from regular facilities can be debated.

Czech Republic

Average Price: $6,000

The Czech Republic’s city of Prague is yet another up and coming hair transplant place which attracted more Patients over the past 10 years. Many Prague hair restore clinics keep their pricing hidden until you have had a consultation. However, there are some that give rough estimates.

The packages available start from $1,300 to $1,500 for 300 grafts, and from $4,700 and $9,500 respectively for 2,000 and 3,000 grafts. Some Prague clinics also break down their prices, so you might have to pay separately for consultation ($40), hair growth supplements ($80), and PRP treatment (around $125) in addition to those prices.

 Poland

Average Price: $ 5,000 (with accomodation)

Polish hair transplant clinics tend to charge for each graft with a single FUE graft priced at $2- $5. Usually, this also includes accommodation costs, but usually the accomoations dont feature a 5 Star environment.  Most of Poland’s hair transplant surgeons receive their training overseas.

There are facilities offering a 2,500-3,000-graft surgical procedure for between $4,700 and $7,000.

Italy

Average Price $5,000

Italy is not particularly famous for its hair transplant facilities but they do exist. Clinics offering hair transplant procedures in Italy tend to offer all-inclusive packages, much like those offered in Turkey.

Costs in Italy however tend to be more expensive than in Turkey. The packages for 2,500 grafts range from $3,000 to $6,000. These clinics offer free consultation, so you would know what cost to expect before signing up to anything. Packages include round-the-clock care, all medical and drug expenses, airport VIP transfers and 3 nights hotel accommodation nearby.

Turkey

Average Price: $ 2,500

Turkey is the world leader according to how many hair transplant tourists enter the country. Here is where you are more likely to find all-inclusive packages. Turkey has really established itself as a center of excellence for hair restoration and annually sees thousands of patients from abroad.

Packages in Turkey range from $2000 for 2,000 FUE grafts to $3000 for 3,000 grafts.  Some hospitals claim to offer their services for as low as $1,900 but haven’t specified how many grafts were included.

   India

Average Price: $1,500

The cost of a hair transplant in India as you would expect is one of the lowest on the world. The market for hair transplants is growing considerably in India.

Many Indian hair clinics offer free consultation with some packages even including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. Costs are generally grouped per 1,000 FUE grafts. So, the cost for 1,000 grafts is usually set at around $1,200 and for 2,500-3,000 grafts expect to pay somewhere around $4,000.

What is a hair transplant?

Practically speaking, a hair transplant extracts hair you already have and applies it to a balding region. The hair is ordinarily collected from the back of the head but it can be drawn from other areas of the body as well.

Prior to beginning a hair transplant procedure, the surgeon disinfects the region where the hair will be extracted from, then numbs it using a local anesthetic. You can also ask for sedation to remain unconscious during the operation.

Afterwards the surgeon attempts one of two kinds of transplant procedures: FUE or FUT.

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT)

Otherwise referred to as Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS), an FUT procedure involves the following steps undertaken by the surgeon: Your surgeon takes those moves to conduct a FUT procedure:

1. The surgeon cuts off a slice of your scalp with a scalpel, generally from the back of your head. The recommended length of the strip should be between 6 and 10 inches, but can extend from ear to ear.
2. Closing of close the region where stitches were taken from the scalp.
3. The surgeon and his assistants break the strip of scalp using a scalpel into tinier sections. The small strip from the scalp can be divided into more than two thousand pieces, known as grafts. Some of these grafts may contain as little as one hair follicle each.
4. The surgeon punctures small holes in the scalp using a scalpel or needle, at the point where the hair is to be transplanted.
5. The surgeon then implants hair from the grafts into the previously punctured holes. This process is known as grafting.
6. Next, the surgical sites are covered with bandages or gauze.

The specific amount of grafts you get depends on the following:

• Your hair types
• Size of the site of transplantation
• Hair quality (including hair thickness)
• Color of the hair

Follicular Extraction Unit (FUE)

Your surgeon takes the following steps to conduct a FUE procedure:

1. The hair on the back of your head is shaved off.
2. Then, the surgeon extracts single follicles from the skin of the scalp. Tiny marks can be observed in the regions where hair follicles have been removed.
3. The surgeon, as in the FUT operation, makes little openings in the scalp and grafts the hair follicles into the openings.
4. They then cover the surgical site with bandages or gauze over the surgery site.

Healing and Recovery

Both FUE and FUT do take several hours to several days to recover completely. In part, recovery depends on how much work the surgeon performs. You will be discharged the day after the operation, after ruling out any complications to continue with recovery at home.

Once the procedure is complete, the surgeon gently removes all bandages. The region may have a bit of swelling, for which the surgeon can inject triamcinolone into the region.

At the hair transplant area as well as in the region from which hair was removed, you’ll probably experience discomfort or soreness. Your surgeon can prescribe the following in the next few days:

• Pain killers, for example ibuprofen (Advil)
• antibiotics to reduce risk of infection
• Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as steroids, to alleviate swelling
• drugs such as finasteride (Propecia) or minoxidil (Rogaine) to aid in stimulating hair growth

Here are a few aftercare guidelines for hair transplant operations:

• Do not wash your hair until a few days after the surgery. For the first couple of weeks just use gentle shampoos.
• After around 3 days you ought to be able to go back to work or to normal routines.
• Do not comb down over or press a brush over the new grafts for around 3 weeks.
• Do not wear caps or coats or jackets until the doctor thinks it’s safe.
• Do not work out for about a week.
• If any hairs come out, don’t fret. That is part of the process. For a few months, transplanted hair does not grow much, or fit with the hair surrounding it smoothly.

How Long Do Hair Transplants Last?

When you are beginning to explore hair regeneration as a cure to your hair loss, it is natural to inquire, “How long does a hair transplant last? Would I need to go back for surgery every couple of years just to preserve my transplanted hair? Since hair transplant surgery removes good hair follicles from the thinning or balding areas and transplants them to the balding areas, the transplanted hair preserves the features of where it comes from, irrespective of the area it was put in the scalp.   Hence hair transplant surgery is the only effective hair loss cure.

Hair loss is a progressive phenomenon. As such, there’s a natural limitation to one hair transplant surgery can do, some patients prefer to undergo numerous surgeries in order to enhance their hair density.

Side Effects of Hair Transplants   

Scarring is the most common side effect, and no treatment will mitigate this. Other adverse effects that may be experienced include:

• Site infection
• itchiness, inflammation, and discomfort
• Hair follicle infection (folliculitis);
• Blood discharge
• Numbness at surgical sites
• Visible spots unmatching (the hairs do not align or are smaller than the others) or thinner hairs
• You may begin to lose hair (shock loss)

Even Minoxidil and Propecia may have side effects like:

• Itchy scalp
• chest pain
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Abnormal heart rate
• Swelling of the hands, feet or breasts
• Sexual dysfunction

How to Locate a Surgeon Near You   

Visit the website of the American Academy of Plastic Surgeons for a guide to surgeons who conduct hair transplants near you. Here are few tips for hair transplant surgeons while you are looking:

• Choose an approved, licensed physician.
• Check reports of successful transplantation operations — request to see their portfolio.

Take note:

Consult with a doctor or a plastic surgeon making the decision to get a hair transplant procedure done.

Understand that there is no guarantee that any surgery would be successful and that scarring is a possibility. Also, you may not be suitable for the surgery based on the volume or quality of your hair.