Female hair loss and hair thinning are becoming an increasing concern and not just for women of a certain age. 40% of women under the age of 50 experience hair loss, and women as young as 25 may be affected [1]. As a result, more women than ever are considering a hair transplant.
Just like men, most women can have a hair transplant if they are needed. However, unlike male pattern baldness, it’s not always obvious if a woman has genetic female pattern hair loss, or if there’s a different underlying cause that needs to be addressed.
In this article, you’ll learn about the difficulty in diagnosing female hair loss, see female hair transplant statistics, and learn why hair transplants are the most effective hair restoration methods for women in 2023.
There are several potential causes of hair loss in women. Some reasons why someone would lose hair include:
Some of these hair-loss conditions are only temporary, meaning that within a couple of months or so, women will most likely be able to see hair growth return. However, there are some hair loss conditions that are more serious and may lead to permanent hair loss.
It should be noted that many women’s hair loss conditions have similar symptoms which make it tricky for medical professionals to differentiate from one another. For example, one symptom in particular, diffuse thinning where hair thins across the scalp. This type of hair thinning can be caused by a variety of factors.
Therefore, in order to properly diagnose a hair loss condition, doctors use the Ludwig Scale along with blood tests as a way to diagnose female hair thinning. Blood tests can determine if there’s an underlying cause, or if hair loss is due to genetic factors. Among other metrics, hair loss blood tests measure:
Not all hair loss conditions are suitable for hair transplantation. In most cases, only female pattern hair loss can be addressed with hair transplant surgery. That’s why it’s essential to get a proper diagnosis at a reputable hair transplant clinic before opting for a hair transplant procedure.
Many bald women worry more about the effect of hair loss than the cause. They fear they may have to wear a wig every day to conceal their thinning hair, and that people will know they’re wearing a wig or hairpiece [2].
Wigs are a temporary solution, however. When you go to bed or dip in the pool, you need to remove your wig and expose your natural hair. This can lead to a serious dip in confidence and how attractive you feel. 40% of women have reported problems in their marriage due to hair loss, and 63% say their career has been impacted [3]. This is a concern even with more realistic human hair wigs.
Hair transplants offer a more permanent, realistic solution to hair loss. Female hair transplants are gaining popularity as women seek hair restoration treatment that makes them feel more confident about their tresses.
The majority of female patients were aged 40-49 at the time of the hair transplant procedure. However, patients ranged from younger than 20 to older than 60, meaning that age isn’t always a factor in eligibility. Instead, opting for hair transplant surgery is more likely to depend on the patient’s specific hair loss condition and the amount of hair they have already lost.
Almost all female hair transplant patients seek scalp hair replacement. The second most popular type is an eyebrow transplant, followed by scar repair and black-market transplant repair. Choosing an experienced, high-quality clinic in the first place can help you avoid the need for hair transplant repair.
The majority of men will experience some degree of male pattern baldness in their lifetime. It’s the most common type of hair loss by far and therefore it makes sense that more men turn to hair transplant treatment.
Although not as popular with women as it is with men, it should be mentioned that female hair restoration surgery is equally as effective as a treatment for lost or thinning hair. Many famous women including Ricki Lake and Stephanie Davis have turned to female hair transplant surgery to thicken their tresses, straighten their hairlines, or disguise a big forehead with a hairline-lowering hair transplant. See these female celebrities with hair loss to learn more.
Forehead reduction surgery is more popular with women than with men. This involves changing the shape or height of your natural hairline to make your forehead appear smaller.
At your initial consultation, your consultant will assess your female hair loss type and see if you’re eligible for a female hair transplant procedure. This may include taking blood tests to check for any underlying causes.
Note that some clinics are overeager to get patients in the chair, so we recommend you consult with multiple hair transplant clinics to find the right team to perform your female hair transplant.
The surgical process takes around 5-10 hours depending on how many hair grafts are needed.
Female hair transplant operations are fairly painless. During the surgery, patients will be given a local anaesthetic to make the hair transplant procedure as painless as possible. After the surgery, there will be redness, swelling, and some minor pain. However, your hair transplant surgeon should prescribe you some medication to reduce inflammation and aid with pain.
After surgery, patients will need to follow a comprehensive aftercare process as recommended by their hair transplant care team. It’s important to adhere to this as closely as possible to make sure you get the hair growth results you want.
Hair transplants for both men and women provide permanent solutions to restore lost hair caused by androgenetic alopecia. However, since androgenetic alopecia presents differently in men than it does in women, the areas where hair transplantation is needed are different.
Male pattern hair loss is more common and noticeable. Male hair loss is often characterised by a receding hairline and crown hair loss. Female pattern hair loss however is slower to present and is characterised by overall hair thinning which results in a wide parting on top of the scalp.
Since the hair restoration needs are different in each pattern hair loss condition, female hair transplant procedures are therefore conducted differently.
Just like in a male hair transplant, healthy hair follicles that are viable for transplantation are chosen and taken from an area of hair growth that is resistant to female hair loss (this is usually the lower back of the head).
Unlike male hair transplants, female hair transplants do not require this donor area to be shaved in order to be harvested. Instead, female hair transplant patients can choose to have a long-hair transplant.
In a male hair restoration surgery, hair grafts are transplanted into areas where there is sparse or no existing remaining hair. However, since female pattern baldness causes overall thinning hair, the goal of a female hair transplant is to transplant hair grafts between existing hairs.
This will require a lot more skill and expertise from the hair transplant surgeon who will need to take into account the direction of the existing hair and therefore will need to transplant hair follicles at the right angle so that they can produce natural-looking results without damage to the neighboring hair follicles.
Most eligible female hair transplant patients can have either FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) or FUE(Follicular Unit Extraction) surgery. Many women choose FUT over the FUE hair transplant procedure as longer hair can hide the FUT scar.
Both hair transplant options offer exceptional results. So whichever choice you make regarding a hair transplant, consider your specific hair loss treatment needs and hair restoration goals.
Women’s hair transplant procedures will vary in cost and be dependent on a variety of factors including:
At Wimpole Clinic, our start at £3,499. The best way to calculate the entire cost of a hair transplant procedure is to visit a qualified hair loss specialist who can accurately assess eligibility for a female hair transplant and create a treatment plan specific to your needs.
Furthermore, some clinics can also provide patients with finance options which can make getting a hair transplant more affordable.
A female hair transplant isn’t the only hair restoration option. Some women are looking for a less invasive or more affordable solution. Alternative hair loss treatments offer painless, non-surgical intervention. A hair loss consultation will help you find the best course of action.
There are also some prescription and over-the-counter medications that can help to stimulate hair regrowth. Minoxidil can be very effective for women with hair loss, as these Minoxidil before and after photos show.
However, some commonly prescribed medications such as Finasteride aren’t suitable for women, so it’s important to see a specialist before starting a course of medication. Learn more about Finasteride for women.
Many women can and do have highly successful hair transplants. At the Wimpole Clinic, we have an unrivalled track record of helping hundreds of women restore their hair.
Take a look at our before and after hair transplant gallery to see our previous patients. Then book a consultation with an experienced trichologist at the Wimpole Clinic to diagnose and treat your female hair loss today.
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