A quick online search should be all it takes to find the cost of hair transplant in the UK. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
If you have browsed through several sites before landing on this page, it’s our fair guess that you haven’t yet found the answer you have been looking for.
Why is that so?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll help you figure out everything you need to know about getting a hair transplant in the UK, including the cost thereof.
The Cost of Hair Transplant in the UK
You must have noticed that most hair transplant clinics usually avoid publishing the total cost of the treatment on their websites. Rather, you would have come across something along the lines of ‘book your free initial consultation today,’ ‘visit us to get an estimate of how much a hair transplant surgery will cost you,’ and the likes.
Typically, they aren’t wrong in their stance to not list down the actual cost of hair transplant procedures online. This is because the total cost of hair restoration varies according to the size of the area to be treated, the extent of hair loss, and of course, the type of treatment that is most suitable in your particular case.
When you factor in the different aspects involved in surgical hair transplants, it shouldn’t be too surprising to know that the treatment can cost anywhere from1,000 to £15,000 per session. With clinics charging such widely varying costs, it’s easy for people to get confused.
Also, there’s a risk of online price comparisons pushing people into making hasty decisions and opting for treatments that might not necessarily be the best option for them.
Put simply, if you want to find out the cost of hair transplant in the UK and make sure that your surgeon isn’t charging you any extra, it’s essential to know what surgical hair restoration entails in the first place.
Let’s begin by understanding the different methods of hair transplant available for people suffering from hair loss.
FUE Hair Transplant
FUE, which stands for Follicular Unit Excision, is a technique used for restoringhair loss in both men and women. As the name suggests, this technique combats hair loss by planting healthy hair grafts into the balding spots. These grafts are obtained from the genetically stronger areas of your scalp, and consist of a number of hair follicles that are then individually removed and transplanted to the affected or ‘recipient’ areas.
Cost of FUE Hair Transplant
The cost of the FUE hair transplant depends on the number of grafts and hair follicles that need to be extracted and restored.
On average, the cost of extracting 500 grafts or 1200 hair follicles lies between £1,000 and £5,000. It goes without saying that the more grafts/ follicles that need to be obtained, the higher will be the cost of doing so. For treatments requiring 3000 grafts or 7000 hair, you can expect to pay upwards of £10,000 in some clinics.
If you are looking for an eyebrow transplant or hair restoration on the sideburns or beard only, you can get the job done for about £2,000 to £4,000.
However, keep in mind that these are just ballpark figures. The actual cost will is determined by the hair loss pattern, as it signifies the number of follicular units you will require to restore hair growth on the affected scalp.
For instance, male-pattern baldness that results in a receding frontline typically only requires 1000 grafts. On the other hand, male-pattern baldness that leads to excessive hair loss at the top of the head usually requires more than 2000 healthy grafts to reverse the process.
Pros
- It is a minimally invasive process that does not necessitate stitches
- You will experience little to no post-procedure pain as the process ensures quick recovery time
- Unlike the FUT alternative, FUE hair transplant does not carry the risk of scalp infections. This is because rather than a deep incision, it makes microscopic punches that heal quickly on their own
- It is suitable for restoring hair growth in smaller areas such as eyebrows, beard, and mustache
Cons
- The process is quite time-consuming and can take multiple sessions to complete
- In some elderly patients, aging skin might make it difficult for the donor scalp to heal on time and in extreme cases, result in visible small scars too
FUT Hair Transplant
FUT, which stands for Follicular Unit Transplantation, is another technique used for restoring hair loss surgically. It is a permanent solution to baldness and rapidly thinning hair because the hair follicles transferred to the affected areas are genetically programmed to continue growing for life.
It is different fromFUE hair transplant in the sense that in FUE, individual follicles are excised directly from the donor scalp. But in FUT, the surgeon removes a ‘strip’ of skin with healthy hair growth. The individual follicles then extracted from this donor strip for transferring to the affected area. For this reason, FUT hair transplant is also commonly referred to as ‘strip harvesting.’
Cost of FUT Hair Transplant
FUT is considered a cost-effective alternative to FUE because this method allows for hair restoration on a wider scale than FUE in any given session.
A mega session encompassing the transplantation of up to 3000 grafts in just one day will cost about £8,000 as opposed to FUE that will probably amount to more than £15,000 in some of the clinics in the UK for similar results.
Pros
- FUT treatments are generally less costly than FUE hair transplant
- Since it allows more grafts to be transplanted in a given time period, FUT is a more time-efficient process
Cons
- It produces a noticeable scar
- It usually causes more pain and discomfort than FUE
- Unlike FUE transplant where healthy hair follicles can be extracted from arms, legs, or chest, donor area in FUT is only limited to a specific part on the head
- This treatment has a longer recovery period
Is Hair Transplant Successful?
Regardless of the benefits of one over the other, FUT and FUE are both permanent solutions to hair loss. Compared to topical treatments like Minoxidiland other traditional methods to combat hair fall, hair transplants ensure peace of mind for the rest of your life.
The majority of people only require a hair transplant once in their life. However, some might have to undergo the procedure for a second time. But that is only to combat hair loss in areas where hair began receding after the initial transplant.
End Note
Hopefully, you would have understood by now why there is no simple, clear-cut answer to the question, ‘what is the cost of hair transplant in the UK?’
Multiple factors such as the type of procedure you choose, how much hair you need transplanting, the surgeon’s level of expertise, and the area where you reside all play a major role in determining the total amount you will be charged for the transplantation.
Therefore, the only way to find out the actual cost is by booking an initial consultation at the relevant clinic. The information presented in this guide can be used as a means of reference to make a fair estimate of how much money you will need to fight hair loss once and for all.
