How many grafts is one of the most commonly asked questions at RESTORE. Understandably, prospective patients are curious because the total number of grafts is invariably tied to the final price very closely.
Frustratingly, it’s challenging to deliver an answer to this question in advance. To give you a totally accurate answer, we will need to meet you, see your head, evaluate your current state of hair loss, and gain a sense of your restoration goals (conservative or aggressive). However, for the sake of this blog we will speak in rough generalities.
Understanding the Donor Area:
The average man has roughly 6,000 grafts available in the “safe zone” of the donor area, although some have as many as 8,000 as some as few as 4,000. These follicles are critically important, because they exist within the “horseshoe” pattern around the back and the sides of the head that are typically genetically resistant to hair loss.
Although every man is different, harvesting close to (or more) than 6,000 grafts risks “overharvesting” and producing an undesirable aesthetic around the back and sides of the head. Therefore, for most men, 6,000 grafts, can be considered the absolute ceiling except under abnormal circumstances.
Additionally, moving 6,000 grafts is considered a substantially large surgery, and may require more than one day, more than one doctor, and additional help in the surgery room. For this reason, some doctors won’t transplant 6,000 grafts in one surgery. Consequently men who wish to move the maximum amount will often do so spread across two hair transplants, often space 6-12 months apart.
Understanding the Balding Area:
For the sake of simplicity, we can divide the head into two areas. The front half and hairline, which is approximately 100cm squared, plus the back half and crown, which is an additional 100cm squared. Thus, the rough total area of a balding head is 200cm squared.
Theoretically, a man who is completely bald would need to place grafts across all 200cm. However, men typically prefer packing the front of the head and hairline with a substantially higher density than the back half. For nearly all men, this results in a more desirable aesthetic as opposed to the “even distribution” approach across both areas.
For example, in a case where 6,000 grafts are needed, doctors will often recommend transplant 4,000 grafts into the front half of the head, with the remaining 2,000 for the back half.
Understanding Your Hair Loss:
Simply put, if you’re more bald, you’ll require more hair to be transplanted.
This particular part of the answer is the most challenging part of the equation, because we would strongly prefer to assess your head and hair loss in person. However, for some very rough estimates, a receded hairline with no accompanying hair loss whatsoever in the back of the head might require between 1,200 and 2,000 grafts.
As the amount of hair loss progresses, the number of grafts increases accordingly. However, it’s important to remember the earlier point about aesthetics, as it’s typically considered more desirable to pack the front of the hairline rather than the back of the head. Therefore, baldness in the back of the head does not typically require as many grafts as balding in the front of the head.
Free Consultation
Ultimately, you should consult with a doctor to determine your exact needs and the price. Thankfully RESTORE offers quick, easy, 100% free consultations, and we encourage you to contact us so that you can have concrete answers!