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 [1], and certain types of alopecia can affect women at any age. As a result, more women than ever are considering a hair transplant.
Just like men, the cause of hair loss determines whether a hair transplant is suitable for women. However, unlike male pattern baldness, it’s not always obvious if a woman has female pattern hair loss, or if there’s a different underlying cause that needs to be addressed.
Are you considering a female hair transplant? We share everything you need to know about the procedure, including whether women can have hair transplants, why diagnosing female hair loss can be challenging, how female hair transplants work, what results to expect, and how they cost.
We’ve also included expert insights from a hair transplant surgeon, real patient experiences, and before and after photos.
Key takeaways
Here, Wimpole Clinic hair transplant surgeon Dr Peter Barron shares his insights and experiences with female hair transplants.
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 makes it tricky for medical professionals to differentiate from one another. For example, diffuse thinning (where hair thins across the whole scalp), 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 for hair loss 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. 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 [3].
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 [4]. 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.
It should be noted that hair transplants are a male-dominated procedure. However, a significant proportion of hair transplant patients (almost 13%) were women in 2021 [5]. By 2024, this had increased to 15.3%, which was a 16.5% increase in the ratio of female to male patients [2].
The 2025 census found that the majority of female patients were aged 30-39 at the time of the hair transplant procedure. However, patients ranged from younger than 20 to older than 60.
This shows that age isn’t always the deciding factor for eligibility — whether you’re suitable for a hair transplant often depends more on your specific hair loss condition and how much hair you’ve already lost.
Many types of hair loss can be addressed with non-surgical hair loss treatments like Minoxidil, especially in the early stages. More than 38% of non-surgical hair loss patients are women [2].
The majority (nearly 80%) of female hair transplant patients seek scalp hair replacement [2]. The second most popular type is an eyebrow transplant, followed by scar repair.
The majority of men will experience some degree of male pattern baldness in their lifetime [6]. 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 hairline lowering surgery.
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. However, this leaves a permanent scar at the hairline and is a more invasive procedure than a hair transplant.
At your initial consultation, your consultant will assess your 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 over-eager 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 relatively painless, in general. During the surgery, you’ll be given a local anaesthetic to make the hair transplant procedure as comfortable as possible.
However, as with all types of surgery, the risk of side effects and increased pain exists, but this is the exception rather than the norm. Hair transplants are very low-risk procedures, with minor complication rates of just 0.1% [7], meaning just 1 in 1,000 patients is likely to experience complications after FUE or FUT surgery.
After a successful procedure, there will still be redness, hair transplant swelling, and some minor pain. However, your hair transplant surgeon should prescribe you some medication to reduce inflammation and aid with pain.
After surgery, you will need to follow a comprehensive hair transplant aftercare process as recommended by your 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, temple hair loss and a bald spot on the crown. Female pattern hair loss, however, is slower to present and is characterised by diffuse thinning on top of the scalp and a wide parting.
The Ludwig Scale shows the three main stages of female pattern hair loss. Type 3 is the most extensive and would require the most grafts to correct with a hair transplant.
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).
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 on top of the head, the goal of a female hair transplant is to transplant hair grafts between existing hairs.
This will require much more skill and expertise from the hair transplant surgeon, who must carefully consider the direction of the existing hair. They will need to transplant hair follicles at the correct angle to achieve natural-looking results without damaging the neighbouring follicles.
Most women eligible for a hair transplant can have either FUT or FUE. While FUE is often the method of choice for men due to minimal scarring at the donor area, many women prefer FUT. Dr Peter Barron, a Wimpole Clinic hair transplant surgeon, explains why:
“Ladies typically prefer the FUT method for extraction because it doesn’t need as large an area of the donor area to be shaved, they’re less likely to see the linear scar as they will typically keep the hair at the back of their head longer than men.
Whereas men don’t mind shaving their donor area for FUE and can be versatile with hair styles at the back and sides… their hair may be short enough that an FUT scar would be more visible compared to the smaller, scattered FUE scars which are more discreet at shorter lengths.”
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 the Wimpole Clinic, prices 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.
Recovery after a female hair transplant is usually straightforward. You can normally return to most activities within a couple of weeks, although we recommend taking at least a week off work to maximise healing.
During the first couple of weeks, you’ll experience some swelling, mild pain, and redness. You’ll need to avoid wearing a hat or headscarf for these first two weeks.
It’s possible to get a hair transplant without shaving your head so you can preserve long hair, but be prepared for shock loss. Shock loss is a normal part of hair transplant recovery, and describes the process of the transplanted grafts falling out several weeks after the procedure.
This can be upsetting if you’re not expecting it, but don’t worry. The new hair follicles remain, and will start producing new hair growth around 3-4 months after surgery [7], with final results visible from 12-18 months post-op.
Unfortunately, a hair transplant can’t treat every female hair loss condition. Conditions that tend to respond well to hair transplantation include:
Conditions that don’t usually respond well to a hair transplant include:
A female hair transplant isn’t the only hair restoration option. Some women prefer a less invasive or more affordable solution, such as low-level laser therapy or PRP hair treatment. 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. Topical Minoxidil can be effective for women with certain types of hair loss, including female pattern hair loss [9], alopecia areata [10], and others.
Treatments like Minoxidil and PRP are often recommended as complementary therapies alongside a hair transplant. A small study suggests PRP may improve hair density after a hair transplant when used during the procedure itself [11].
Dr Barron adds his thoughts on complementary therapies:
The benefit of complementary therapies is mainly to do with thickening up native hairs. Maximising and keeping native hairs, in combination with adding new transplanted follicles to regions where hairs have been lost, is what is going to give the best results post transplant.
However, some commonly prescribed medications such as Finasteride aren’t suitable for many women, so it’s important to see a specialist before starting a course of medication. Learn more about Finasteride for women.
Female hair transplant experiences at the Wimpole Clinic are overwhelmingly positive. We have over 1,300 reviews for the Wimpole Clinic on Trustpilot, with 96% rated 5 stars — many from female patients. Here are just a few of our reviews from happy female clients:
Many women have also kindly allowed us to share before and after photos of their hair transplant. Here are a couple of our success stories:
“It has been 8 months since my surgery, and while I was extremely happy with the service and treatment from the Wimpole Clinic I am over the moon now with the results too! Marie has been excellent throughout the entire process, even long after my surgery making herself available any time I wanted to speak to her or have any questions. I have never seen a company walk the walk like Wimpole Clinic thank you so much.”
Learn more about Destiny’s hair transplant experience here.
“I had given up. For many years I tried to resolve my hair loss with alternative hair treatments, plasma therapy, minoxidil, dietary supplements, medications, the list just goes on. Nothing worked. When I tried to have surgery I was rejected several times and told I wasn’t a suitable candidate.
One day I came across Wimpole Clinic on the internet and noticed they had been around for a very long time – and thought what do I have to lose? Looking back I understand why other clinics were reluctant to help me. It had nothing to do with my suitability for a hair transplant, but everything to do with my risk and being ‘too much work’.
I can only thank god for Wimpole Clinic’s help and laying the facts on the table and allowing me to decide my own future – for better or worse. They really were a godsend. James, Dr. May, Carley, Billie, everybody at the clinic – they will always be in my heart. If you are worried about anything, just know you are working with some real angels x”
Learn more about Jessica’s hair transplant experience here.
Several factors affect your eligibility for a female hair transplant, so an expert consultation is essential. Here are several things your surgeon will consider during an assessment:
Dr Barron explains why hormonal conditions and underlying scalp conditions should be addressed before considering a female hair transplant:
“Hormones typically don’t impact transplanted grafts; they normally only affect the native hairs in that region. However, people can misinterpret that a transplant hasn’t worked when they continue to lose sensitive, native hairs in that region, whereas transplanted hairs are typically more resilient and normally present for life.
The only thing that should impact transplanted grafts is poor technique during the procedure, trauma to the region post-operatively or dermatological conditions of the scalp itself into which the grafts have been implanted, such as pre-existing scar tissue which has formed or pre-existing inflammation.”
Many women can and do have highly successful hair transplants. At the Wimpole Clinic, we’ve been voted the best hair transplant clinic for 4 years running and have an unrivalled track record of helping hundreds of women restore their hair.
Your first port of call is usually one of our expert trichologists, who can identify the cause of your hair loss using diagnostic trichology tests. These hair doctors liaise closely with our hair transplant surgeons and can advise whether a surgeon will consider you for a natural-looking hair transplant.
Take a look at our before and after hair transplant gallery to see our previous patients. Then book a consultation at your nearest clinic location to get your female hair loss diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
A hair transplant is permanent, meaning results from a well-designed transplant should last a lifetime. It’s possible that you may need further procedures in the future to allow for ongoing hair loss, but an experienced surgeon can plan ahead for this and advise on whether it’s likely to be necessary.
40 is absolutely not too old for a female hair transplant. In fact, according to the ISHRS 2022 census, age 40-49 was the most common age bracket for a female hair transplant. This same census showed that some women also had hair transplants at 60+ years old.
When performed by a skilled surgeon, it’s very difficult to tell whether a woman has had a hair transplant. Modern techniques like FUE mean near-invisible scarring, and it’s easy to hide any scars from FUT by growing your hair long. An experienced surgeon mimics the appearance of natural hair growth at your hairline, so no one needs to know.
Transplanted hair keeps the characteristics of your donor hair. So if your donor hair starts to go grey, so will your transplanted hair. However, transplanted hair won’t go grey any faster than your natural donor hair.
Wimpole Clinic Services:
Hair Transplants, Beard Transplants & Eyebrow Transplants.
Talk to a specialist
Dr Ahmad Moussa is an experienced surgeon. His qualifications include a Master of Science degree in General Surgery, Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Doctorate degree in Neurosurgery and Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Neurosurgery. He is a member of the British Medical Association and the Society of British Neurological Surgeons. Dr Moussa has over 15 years’ experience working in neurosurgery and is a GMC and Royal College of Surgeons certified Neurosurgeon.
His training and subsequent work as a consultant neurosurgeon in the NHS has included performing intricate brain surgery while patients are fully awake to be able to safely resect complex brain tumours. This level of skill, expertise and familiarity with the scalp has allowed Dr Moussa to successfully step into the rewarding world of hair transplant surgery.
Dr Moussa is trained in FUT and FUE hair transplant techniques including combining the two techniques together when required to achieve the appropriate number of grafts without overharvesting. He successfully carries out hair transplant surgery for both scalp and beard hair loss. Registered Number: 6065705
