Reviewed & Updated: September 2023
How many hair grafts do I need? This is one of the first questions we are asked when patients contact us. Patients often receive different answers from different clinics and websites. How can you be clear as to what you might require?
How many hairs in a hair graft?
Hair does not grow in only single hair groupings, instead most people’s hair will grow in groups of 1, 2, 3 or 4 hairs. These groups of hairs are referred to as a graft. On average, each person has 2 hairs in each hair graft.
Find out more about hair follicles or hair grafts in this video.
At HRBR, in order to maintain the quality of your transplant, we believe that the maximum number of grafts that is possible to transplant in one day is roughly 4,000 by FUT or 2,000 by FUE. This equates to approximately 8,000 hairs by FUT or approximately 4,000 hairs by FUE. Remember there are normally 2 hairs in each hair graft. Find out more about the difference between FUT and FUE.
Clinics that claim to transplant 4,000+ grafts in one procedure may actually be referring to how many hairs are usually transplanted or perhaps are over exaggerating what is achievable. At HRBR, we have one of the largest hair transplant teams anywhere in the world. A highly skilled team of up to 20 people work on a large transplant. We are therefore able to safely transplant large numbers of grafts, while ensuring the grafts survival.
What determines the number of grafts needed?
The actual number of grafts each patient will need depends on a number of factors:
- The degree of thinning the patient has
- The areas of baldness the patient would like addressed
- The quality and quantity of hair in the donor area
- The hair transplant technique used (FUT or FUE)
- Predicted future hair loss
- Budget
At HRBR each patient has an in depth consultation with our doctor which usually lasts an hour, followed by a medical check with our nursing team. At this appointment the design of the transplant is discussed further with the team. A calculation is made as to the amount of donor hair the patient has and an accurate estimate is prepared for the patient on how many grafts are required to achieve their aims. It is only after these detailed consultations that this accurate estimate can be given.
How many grafts in the average hair transplant?
An average hair transplant at HRBR involves the transplantation of 1,500 grafts.
It is also not just about how many grafts are transplanted but where the grafts are placed. Hair loss is progressive and at present cannot be cured, so transplanting the areas you are thinning now without giving thought to the future can be catastrophic. Enquiries from patients seeking our expert surgeons to repair poor hair transplants received at other clinics, particularly in Turkey.
To meet with one of our doctors to determine if you would be a suitable candidate for hair transplant surgery and to see how many grafts you might need contact the clinic today on +353 1 209 1000 or info@hrbr.co.uk.
About the Authour
DR Maurice Collins
Consultant Surgeon
MB, B.Ch, BAO, DLO, FRCSI, FRCS, FRCSEd.
Registered with the Medical Council of Ireland
Dr Collins is Medical Director and Team Principal of Hair Restoration Blackrock. He was educated at Belvedere College Dublin and did his undergraduate medical studies at University College Dublin. After graduating as a doctor he trained in General Surgery and received his Fellowship (FRCSI) in this specialty from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Find out more about DR Maurice Collins and our team of doctors and surgeons.
