If you’re considering a hair transplant, you need to understand how many grafts are needed to get the best results for you. The amount of hair grafts that you need depends on your level of hair loss according to the Norwood Scale (for male pattern baldness) or the Ludwig Scale (for female pattern baldness).
In this article, we will look at what you can expect from a 4000-graft hair transplant, the cost of a hair transplant of this size, the coverage 4,000 grafts provide, and the results you should expect.
Hair grafts are clusters of hair follicles that have been removed from a healthy donor area of the scalp, in order to be implanted into the balding area.
Once the hair grafts have been implanted, new hair growth is stimulated, eventually filling the affected area with healthy hair.
Depending on how many grafts are needed for your transplant, the cost and hair transplant recovery time will vary. More severe hair loss will require more grafts. According to the most recent ISHRS census, only 1% of patients received a 4000 grafts hair transplant in 2022 [1].
If you have been told that you will need a 4000 grafts hair transplant, you are likely at Norwood stage 5 to 7. 7 is the most advanced stage of hair loss on the Norwood scale. At this stage, you are likely experiencing substantial crown and temple hair loss and possibly near baldness. This is why a 4000 grafts hair transplant procedure would be necessary.
A 4000 grafts hair transplant will be able to fill in your crown and temples, establishing a natural-looking hairline. Here, you can see some previous Wimpole Clinic hair transplant patients’ before and after photos:
4000 grafts: FUT/FUE hair transplant combo after 14 months
With 4000-4500 hair grafts implanted in a hairline transplant and crown hair transplant, you’ll see increased hair density across your scalp. Once these implanted hair follicles produce new and fuller growth, you will also have the ability to try out a variety of different hairstyles. Many women choose to have a 4000 grafts hair transplant if they see substantial hair loss across the scalp.
The average graft is made up of around 2-5 hair follicles, meaning that there could be as many as 20,000 hairs in 4000 grafts. This probably seems like a lot, and some people may be concerned that retrieving this amount of hair from the donor area is dangerous.
However, research suggests that you can transplant up to 6000 grafts without significantly affecting the donor area [2]. Though, a good hair transplant surgeon should not extract more than 25% of the follicular units from the donor area during a single hair transplant procedure, so be wary of clinics that offer 6000+ graft transplants [3].
There is a ‘safe donor area’ that surgeons use to ensure that they can avoid hair transplant overharvesting and other transplant complications. Research suggests that donor area can decrease in size as you age, so your surgeon should keep this in mind [4].
While most people tend to opt for an FUE hair transplant, some people find that an FUT transplant works for them. There are a few FUT and FUE differences in regard to invasiveness, cost, time, and hair transplant scarring.
The FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) technique is a more modern approach. It’s less invasive than the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) technique, and tends to cost slightly less. FUT hair transplant surgery is more invasive and can cause visible scarring.
When it comes to graft numbers, there is very little difference between the two in terms of the number of hair grafts, although some research states that the transection rate is higher in an FUE transplant, therefore graft survival may be lower [5].
The average UK hair transplant costs £3.25 per graft, so a 4000 grafts transplant should come up at around £13,000. Of course, this depends on the surgeon and the clinic.
Prospective patients should be wary of clinics that majorly undercharge for services. See how price can indicate quality using our UK hair transplant cost analysis.
The cost of a hair transplant usually depends on three things:
It can be tempting to look for cheap hair transplant procedures. Sometimes, very low-cost clinics offer unqualified surgeons or unsafe facilities.
The ISHRS reported that 25% of hair transplant repair cases were due to black-market transplants [1]. So, while saving money on a hair transplant may seem like a good idea at the time, you may spend more money in the long run, due to lower success rates, and higher risk of infection and aesthetic issues.
If you are concerned about your hair health or are experiencing hair loss, the Wimpole Clinic is here to help. Our clinic and hair loss specialists have over 45 years of experience in delivering exceptional hair restoration services in scalp hair, eyebrow, and beard transplant procedures. Our expert team is on-hand to guide you in the best direction for your hair journey and answer any questions you may have.
Through contacting us, our team will examine your hair loss and provide you with a quote for the number of grafts needed, as well as discuss the best procedure for you.
Book your free consultation to get started. Before you talk to a hair loss specialist, find out more about the questions to ask before your hair transplant so that you can get the most value out of your consultation.
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