Hair Transplant Costs – Various Things to Consider

Hair is that part of our personality which we don’t pay much heed; but when we start losing them, we understand their value. To the relief of baldies that are increasing in number nowadays, hair transplant surgery can be done to restore the lost hair. However, the cost of the surgery is a major hurdle on the way of getting your hair back. People even try to keep away from the thought of getting this life-changing surgery done only because of the cost factor. However, it should be kept in mind that hair transplant costs depend on many factors.

Costs Matter

While advanced techniques have made hair transplant a very effective remedy for hair loss, its price is not always affordable. Therefore planning a budget to cover the huge costs has to be a prime important component of your preparation for the surgery.

However, there is good news too, that the costs of hair transplantation have reduced significantly during recent years because increasing number of clinics have obtained the technology to perform procedures like follicular unit transplantation. Also competition has become aggressive enough to bring the costs down.

Factors that Affect Hair Transplant Costs

Extent of Hair Loss: The extent to which you have lost or are losing hair is the biggest factor that can affect the hair transplant costs. It is a no-brainer that the larger the area of lost hair, the more will be the cost. Prices of hair transplantation are usually based on the number of grafts needed, with the average prices ranging from $4 to $9 per graft.

Most hair transplants fall in the following scales:

• Norwood 2: This includes early receding hairline and requires 500 to 800 grafts. So, the cost can be between $1500 and $6000.
• Norwood 3: This involves receding hairline where 800 to 1000 grafts are required. The cost ranges from $2500 to $7500.
• Norwood 4: This is male pattern baldness that includes crown and needs 1000 to 1500 grafts. So, cost ranges from $3000 to $11500.
• Norwood 7: This is severe male pattern baldness which needs up to 7500 grafts and is the most expensive. If the clinic you choose is particularly expensive, you may even have to expect paying more than $46000.

Surgeon: The surgeon who will be doing your surgery is also a decisive factor of the costs of hair transplant surgery. The more reputed, expert and qualified the surgeon, the more you will have to pay. Apart from the reputation, expertise and qualification of the surgeon, her/his location too decides the cost of the surgery. If s/he is located in a high end area like Harley Street in London, s/he is bound to charge far more than a surgeon located in a provincial clinic.

Abroad or Your Own Country: This too may be a decisive factor of the cost of hair transplant. If you choose to do hair transplant abroad, depending upon the country you choose, you may have to pay more or less. E.g. if you choose a European country or USA for the surgery, you may have to pay $4 to $9 per graft, whereas in countries like India, the Philippines, Dominican Republic or Turkey the cost comes down straight to $1 to $1.5 per graft. Of course, you will have to count the traveling expenses, if you will have to travel to another country for the surgery. Some foreign clinics may also offer travel and accommodation expenses.

With that said, it should be mentioned here, that a European country like Hungary offers much less price for hair transplant surgery while maintaining the same high standard of the procedure as that of the UK. The reason behind this is the average salary in Hungary is around one fifth of that in the UK, while the quality of medical education is of the same quality. So, the costs of the procedures automatically come down. Therefore you can get a high quality surgery done at much low cost in Hungary.

Hair Transplant Cost by FUE

FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) is by far the most sophisticated and successful technique of hair transplantation. It needs a great skill from your surgeon to source each single follicular unit. The average cost of a FUE session can cost from $3000 to $11000. You may require more than one session. The cost of hair transplantation by FUE is also based on the origin of hair follicles. If the origin of the follicles is the head itself, the cost is less than follicles sourced from elsewhere on the body. The price of FUE is charged per follicle and it decreases as number of follicles increases. E.g. you may have pay up to $9 per follicle for the first 2000 follicles; but beyond 2000 you will have to pay only half of this, thus the average costs come down.

Cost of Strip Harvesting

The technique of strip harvesting needs less time and expertise from your surgeon and therefore it costs less. However since it is hard to predict the number of follicles they can get from each strip, the clinics usually work out the costs of strip harvesting based on sessions, rather than by follicles.

Low Cost Hair Transplant – Are They Good?

It is advisable to shop around to find the cost of hair transplant at various places, clinics, surgeons and countries. You may be attracted to low costing hair transplants if you find one. But it should also be considered what you are getting in return. It is possible that a low costing surgery can ultimately result into high costs because you have to get some remedial work done, like touchups to poor work.

You can usually find cheaper offers in foreign countries, free traveling and accommodation. But if you would require a follow-up treatment, you won’t be able to return so easily.

Alternatives

Instead of undergoing a hair transplant surgery, you can consider alternative treatments like a hair rejuvenation therapy which prevents hair loss and stimulates hair growth. It can cost you much less for its supply for 3 months or so, than a hair transplant surgery. But you should carefully choose such a therapy and weigh its pros and cons beforehand, because some of these therapies are known to be ineffective once the user stops using them and whatever good effect they caused declines over time.

All in all, you will have to consider the cost factor regarding hair transplantation from various angles and choose the most affordable one, but should not forget that it should be of high quality.