To read part one of why you should consider multiple hair transplants, click here.
Individuals needing more than 3500 grafts are typically those who have rather severe hair loss spanning across the top of the scalp, crown, and hairline. If you are one of these individuals who requires over 3500 grafts to achieve your hair goals, there are benefits to considering breaking the hair transplant into multiple procedures. The reason has to do with safety and healing. Transplanting more than 3500 grafts in one procedure can have extremely damaging effects that may be counter-productive to your goals.
Hair transplants exceeding 4000 grafts are categorized as ‘mega-sessions.’ Mega-sessions have many unfortunate side effects such as trauma-induced hair loss, increased risk of visibly unappealing scarring, graft failure, and the list goes on. The research has shown that if a patient is in need of a high number of grafts, the best practice is to break the hair transplant into two or more procedures in order to allow the scalp to conduct its normal healing processes and to not overload or ‘shock’ the scalp.
So, how is a hair transplant ‘split’ into multiple procedures? The ideal way of splitting the hair transplant is to focus on one or two areas that the patient wishes to treat per procedure. In other words, the first procedure could be for the hairline and top of scalp, while the second addresses the crown. This allows the patient to maintain a nice, even, symmetrical look on the scalp as the hair grows in.
How long do I have to wait in between multiple hair transplants? The hair transplant healing process typically takes about a year. This is the minimum recommended time to wait before conducting another hair transplant procedure. This year will allow the scalp to fully heal and be in the best condition for the next procedure.
Something to keep in mind when getting quotes is that some doctor’s quote a very high number such as 5000-6000 grafts needed for the patient and to be transplanted during the procedure when not only does the patient not need that many grafts, but in fact they are not actually transplanting that many during your procedure. This is a tactic some doctors use to drive the price of hair transplantation up and make the patient believe they are getting more for their money. This is an extremely dishonest and unfortunate way of practicing. Be cautious of this when getting quotes. We always recommend our patients ‘shop’ around and get multiple quotes, not to try and get the ‘best deal,’ but to ensure they are getting a proper evaluation.
If you’d like to find out more about hair transplantation and get a quote for a graft count as well as a price estimate, give us a call today.
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Why you should consider multiple hair transplants
When it comes to hair transplantation, there are limitations on what is a safe number of grafts to transplant per surgery. A typical hair transplant transplants anywhere from 500-3500 grafts on average. Some individuals seeking hair transplantation need many more grafts than the prior mentioned 3500. Many of these individuals go forward with a higher number graft transplant, not fully aware of the risks associated.
So, what are these individuals to do – if an individual needs a high number of grafts should they go for it in one sitting or accept their fate of not being able to get the coverage they desire and go with a smaller number? We recommend splitting the hair transplant into multiple procedures rather than transplant over 4000 grafts in one sitting. Below, we explain the reasoning behind this, by going deeper into the why behind the numbers. And no, it has nothing to do with money. In fact, the reason may surprise you.
Individuals needing more than 3500 grafts are typically those who have rather severe hair loss spanning across the top of the scalp, crown, and hairline. If you are one of these individuals who requires over 3500 grafts to achieve your hair goals, there are benefits to considering breaking the hair transplant into multiple procedures. The reason has to do with safety and healing. Transplanting more than 3500 grafts in one procedure can have extremely damaging effects that may be counter-productive to your goals.
Hair transplants exceeding 4000 grafts are categorized as ‘mega-sessions.’ Mega-sessions have many unfortunate side effects such as trauma-induced hair loss, increased risk of visibly unappealing scarring, graft failure, and the list goes on. The research has shown that if a patient is in need of a high number of grafts, the best practice is to break the hair transplant into two or more procedures in order to allow the scalp to conduct its normal healing processes and to not overload or ‘shock’ the scalp. To read more about mega-sessions and their damaging effects, click here.
If you’d like to find out more about hair transplantation and get a quote for a graft count as well as a price estimate, give us a call today.
