According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery 2022 Practice Census, only 1% of first hair restoration procedures exceed 4000 grafts [1]. 6000 graft hair transplants are even less common and potentially problematic, as they carry a risk of hair transplant overharvesting. However, only patients with very advanced hair loss require such a high-volume surgery to achieve satisfactory hair coverage.
This article will tell you all you need to know about 6000 graft hair transplants, such as:
Normally, patients who require an extensive 6000 graft hair transplant are in the final stages of androgenetic alopecia. For men, that means Norwood stage 6 or 7.
Women who might need a 6000 graft hair transplant would be stage 3 of the Ludwig scale. However, it is not very common for women with female pattern baldness to require such extensive hair restoration even at advanced stages.
You may need a 6000 hair graft hair transplant if you have advanced hair loss that covers a large surface of your scalp. If you are unsure whether you need 6000 grafts, you can estimate how many hair grafts you need. However, only a surgeon can tell you for certain how many grafts you will require for optimum results.
Not everyone can achieve a 6000 graft hair transplant. The feasibility of such a procedure depends on several patient characteristics, such as the amount of healthy hair in their donor area, their scalp properties, their state of health and their expectations for the end result.
If all the necessary criteria are met, it’s possible to get a successful 6000 hair transplant. However, only a hair transplant surgeon can assess whether you can benefit from such an extensive hair transplant.
It must be kept in mind that most people only have about 6000 safely harvestable follicular units in total in their donor areas [2]. So this extensive procedure often pushes the limits of creating a discreet, natural-looking hair transplant.
Like every surgery, hair transplants can have side effects. However, aside from the expected temporary discomfort, bruising and swelling that can normally accompany hair restoration surgeries, a 6000 graft procedure can raise its own set of concerns.
The greatest risk that your surgeon will want to avoid is hair transplant overharvesting. This occurs when too many hair grafts are removed from your donor area, leading to scarring and visible hair thinning at the back of your head.
Experts recommend that only 1 in 4 follicular units be harvested for transplantation. However, if the surgeon is inexperienced or careless and the patient has insufficient donor area hair density for a 6000 graft procedure, this ratio can be easily exceeded.
Furthermore, since you normally only have about 6000 follicular units to spare on your donor area, using them all up for your hair transplant means you will have none left should you need a follow-up procedure. Not all patients need multiple hair transplants, but it’s often a good idea to keep this option open (for example, if you are unsatisfied with your results or experience continued thinning).
Most surgeons prefer to perform large-scale procedures over at least 2 sessions because it can take as long as 14 hours to complete. While there are documented cases of 6000 graft hair transplants performed in a single megasession (with good results [3]), doing so would likely require a large medical team and 2 or more surgeons operating simultaneously.
A single-session 6000 graft hair restoration surgery would likely be more expensive and may also be more taxing on you. So most surgeons recommend splitting it over 2 days (you don’t need to stay in hospital overnight; you can go home between your sessions).
That largely depends on whether you are planning to have a single megasession or whether you opt for getting your hair transplant over two days.
Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) is normally preferred for surgeries that involve a large number of grafts because it takes less time to harvest them. This shortens the overall surgery duration and it also reduces the time that the grafts spend outside the body, giving them better chances of survival. It also means FUT is often more cost effective for patients requiring a high graft volume. However, the disadvantage is that you will have a fine, but visible scar on your donor area.
If you are planning to have several sessions, follicular unit extraction (FUE) may be a better choice. That is because while more time-consuming, it is also less invasive, leaves virtually no scarring and has a shorter healing period. Moreover, if you don’t have enough hair in your donor area and plan to use some from your beard or your body, FUE is most often used to harvest this hair [4].
In the end, both FUE and FUT can be used successfully for a 6000 graft hair transplant. Your surgeon will likely present you both options and list their advantages and disadvantages, then make a recommendation based on their experience and your particular situation. It is a good idea to consider this recommendation, as your surgeon’s aim is to provide you with the best results and the most comfortable surgical experience.
Given the large number of grafts needed for this procedure, you can expect your hair transplant cost to run higher than most. In the UK, the average price per hair graft is £3.25. This means that, on average, your procedure should amount to around £19,500.
However, hair restoration costs depend on a number of factors, such as the clinic you choose, your surgeon’s level of experience, and any additional services you may opt for. So it is a good idea to get hair transplant price estimates from several clinics.
When trying to find the best price-quality ratio, please be wary of offers that seem too good to be true, especially if they come from abroad. They are often a clear sign that corners are being cut, sometimes at the expense of patient health and safety.
For example, you may have heard of lower hair transplant costs in Turkey, but they also carry a higher risk. Unauthorised clinics often employ insufficiently trained technicians to perform hair restorations. This can result in graft overharvesting, increased rates of postsurgical complications, results that don’t look natural and even hair transplant failure. And by the time you realise something went wrong with your procedure, you will likely be back in the UK, with no possibility for a follow-up appointment.
A 6000 graft hair transplant can significantly improve your hair density and cover large areas of your scalp. However, if your alopecia is very advanced, it is unlikely that your hair will be restored to the same fullness it had before it first started thinning. That is why it is important to have an open conversation with your surgeon about what kind of results you can realistically expect.
Here are some photos that can give you an idea of the kind of coverage a 6000 graft hair transplant can provide:
Find out more about the coverage, results and costs of different volume hair transplants in our series:
If you are not a good candidate for a high-volume hair transplant or don’t feel like this surgery is the best option for you, there are still things you can try to enhance your look. Here are some of the most effective.
Wigs come in all shapes and sizes. High-quality, natural hair wigs can be indistinguishable from your real hair. They also give you the option to change your look effortlessly. Here is the ultimate guide to buying a human hair wig that looks great on you.
And if you don’t want to go through the hassle of having to constantly remove your wig and then put it back on, you can use a hair system. Hair systems are semi-permanent wigs that are glued or taped to your scalp so you can wear them continuously for 3-6 months.
Scalp micropigmentation (SMP) is often known as a hair tattoo for men. However, women who wear their hair short can also benefit from this procedure. It involves using a tattoo machine to insert microdots of pigment into the balding areas on your scalp to resemble your natural hair pattern.
In those with minimal hair loss, SMP reduces the colour contrast between your skin and hair and creates the illusion that your scalp is well-covered. But if your baldness is advanced, SMP works best with very short haircuts, such as buzz cuts. That’s because SMP is unlikely to effectively create the impression of true density unless your hair is very short. This cosmetic procedure can also be used to create the illusion of higher hair density in the areas of your scalp that remain sparse after a hair transplant. However, it is only effective if you have darker-coloured hair – sadly, blond and light-coloured hair people cannot benefit from it.
There is no outfit you cannot match with an eye-catching hat, cap or scarf. Get yourself a collection of headwear for every occasion.
It’s now normal to wear a beanie, bandana, turban or headscarf both inside the house and out and about. Choosing the right headcovers can make you look stylish and sophisticated and mask your hair loss at the same time.
If you are tired of constantly covering up your hair loss, the easiest thing you can do is simply embrace your baldness. Shaving your head can be liberating and give you a daring, adventurous look. If you are a man, growing out your beard is a great way to compensate for a buzz cut, as the bald with a beard style is very much in fashion.
If you are experiencing advanced hair loss and wondering if you can benefit from a high-volume hair restoration surgery, we are here to help. Book a free, no-obligation hair transplant consultation with one of our top-tier surgeons. They will perform a thorough examination of your hair and scalp and determine whether you are a good candidate for a natural-looking hair transplant. If so, they will work together with you to determine the optimal number of grafts, sessions and the type of procedure that will get you the best possible outcome.
We at the Wimpole Clinic take great pride in our 50-year legacy of hair restoration excellence, with a success rate of over 97%. So you can be confident that your hair is in good hands and you will be able to enjoy the results of your hair transplant after 10 years and more.
Find out more about 6000 graft hair transplants by reading the answers to these frequently asked questions.
While hair transplant costs per hair graft are lower in Turkey than in the UK, according to our research into Turkish hair transplant costs, hair clinics in that country are known to quote 75% more grafts than UK clinics for the same procedure. Graft inflation is a known Turkish hair transplant clinic red flag, as it allows them to charge more for unnecessary graft extraction.
For example, where you could have a successful 3500 graft hair transplant in the UK, a Turkish clinic (especially a black market one) may perform a 6000 graft hair transplant instead, without generating improved results. This puts you at risk of unnecessary hair transplant overharvesting.
6000 graft hair transplants are no different than other hair restoration surgeries when it comes to recovery time. This means you can expect to start seeing hair regrowth within 3-4 months of your surgery, but it will take about 1 year before you can expect to see your final results.
While that depends from one patient to another, beard hair is sometimes used to complete the necessary number of grafts in patients who do not have sufficient hair in their scalp donor area. This hair is usually harvested from the area under your chin. However, only your surgeon can determine whether your beard hair is sufficient and suitable for this purpose.
Each hair graft contains a follicular unit containing 1-4 hairs. This means that 6000 grafts would get you anywhere between 6000 – 24000 hairs. On average, however, most patients grow around 12000-18000 new hairs from their 6000 grafts.
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