According to the American Hair Loss Association, 2 out of 3 men will experience noticeable hair loss by the age of 35. While baldness is often thought of a male problem, women also suffer from noticeable hair thinning at similar rates.
If you’ve noticed your own hair line beginning to recede, the idea of a hair transplant has probably crossed your mind. You’ve also probably wondered just how much is a hair transplant and whether they’re worth the cost.
With modern advances in medicine science, hair transplants are more effective and affordable than ever. If you’ve been curious about a hair transplant, know that they offer better results and are more affordable than ever before. Speaking of affordability, if you want to further reduce your cost you might want to check hair clinics abroad, hair transplant in India are relatively less inexpensive, the average cost per graft is 1.34 USD, which is 1.64 USD cheaper than the global average.
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Different Types of Procedures
There are two distinct surgical approaches to hair restoration, Follicular Unit Transplantation and Follicular Unit Extraction. Both procedures are highly effective and the hair growth is permanent in either case. When considering a hair transplant, you should consult with a doctor to determine which procedure is right for you.
Follicular Unit Transplantation
Also known as FUT and “the strip procedure”, Follicular Unit Transplantation is one of the two modern techniques used for hair transplants. The history of hair transplant procedures goes back to the 19th century and as technology has advanced, so has the quality of transplant procedures.
The basic idea of FUT is that a long strip of your own hair follicles are extracted from the donor region, usually the back of your head, and then individually dissected and grafted onto the transplant region. Older procedures involved the grafting individual follicular units and this often led to damaged hair that grew back in tight clusters. The little clusters would make the hair look like it had been “plugged” in and sometimes gave the appearance of a doll head.
FUT procedures give a much more natural look and feel to the new hair and have significantly better cosmetic results than older techniques.
Follicular Unit Extraction
The newest and most advanced technique for hair transplantation is called Follicular Unit Extraction. Unlike, FUT which can leave nasty scaring, FUE transplants leave behind minimum scar tissue and result in a better cosmetic effect.
The idea behind FUE is that the surgeon extracts each follicular unit individually and then transplanted to the desired area. This surgical technique is very difficult to master and has only been around for the last 30 years.
The main benefit of FUE is that it limits the scarring caused by traditional transplant techniques. While small, round shaped scarring may occur, this is easily hidden behind existing hair. Today, both FUT and FUE hair transplants are performed, although FUE is becoming the more common of the two procedures.
So What Exactly Does it Cost?
Every hair transplant procedure is unique to the patient receiving them and thus it can be difficult to give an accurate estimate. On the low end, some procedures can cost as little as five or six thousand dollars. If a large amount of hair is being transplanted, the costs can climb to 10, 15, and in some cases even 20 thousand dollars.
Factors that can influence the price of a hair transplant include the health and texture of your hair, the surgeon who is performing the operation, and the area of the country that you live in. It’s also important to remember that a hair transplant will likely not be covered by your health insurance as it is usually considered a cosmetic, non-necessary surgery.
Is a Hair Transplant Worth the Cost?
The short answer is: Yes, hair transplants are absolutely worth the price if you can afford it. While they may seem expensive, the results of modern techniques are fantastic and permanent. If you are thinking about a hair transplant, the cost should not be the thing to deter you.
Just like any major expense, a hair transplant is something that you will probably save money for over a long period of time. You may decide to take out a medical loan or leverage your assets to pay for a hair transplant, and there’s nothing wrong with treating the expense the same way you would a vehicle or other major life decision.
How Much is Your Hair Worth?
A full head of lush, naturally growing hair is something that everyone who has started balding dreams of. Some individuals might be uncomfortable with the idea of spending thousands of dollars on a cosmetic procedure but the truth of the matter is that no one should feel ashamed for taking care of their appearance.
It’s not uncommon for adults to have face-lifts, nose jobs, or to get braces later in life and there is certainly no shame in it. If you want to spend your money to boost your self-esteem and increase your self-confidence, you owe it to yourself to ignore the naysayers and explore your options for hair restoration therapy today.