A hair transplant “redistributes” the hair on the scalp by taking it from the back and transplanting it into the bald spots at the front. The number of grafts that can be safely extracted from the back of the head, however, is limited.
Though an 8,000-graft hair transplant isn’t unheard of, it is rare since it involves an unusually large number of grafts — grafts that a donor area may not always have.
Here, you’ll find out whether an 8,000-graft hair transplant is feasible, what sort of coverage it may provide, and how much it might cost.
How Much Do 8,000 Grafts Cover On The Head?
An 8,000-graft hair transplant may be required for surgical restoration in patients who are at Stage 7 of the Norwood Scale — when there is barely any hair left on the front, top, and crown of the scalp.
Norwood 7 is the most advanced stage of male pattern baldness and is characterized by almost complete hair loss, with only a horseshoe-shaped band of hair on the sides. Therefore, restoring coverage and density in such cases may require a considerable number of grafts.
Are 8,000 Grafts Too Much?
The extraction of 8,000 grafts for a hair transplant can be excessive, risking overharvesting of the donor area since, typically, 6,000 grafts can be safely removed from the back of the head.
A surgery of this type might be possible if the donor density is high enough, otherwise, however, your doctor might make other recommendations. This could include harvesting of body hair grafts (e.g. from the chest, abdomen, and legs), but this type of surgery has the potential to yield poor results.
Scalp micropigmentation might also be recommended. Also known as a hair tattoo, it can be used to fill up the bald patches on the scalp by inserting microdots of pigment into the scalp. This, in turn, helps create an illusion of fuller, denser hair.
In cases like these, you should also discuss with your surgeon which areas are of greater aesthetic importance to you so they can plan the graft distribution accordingly.
Is It Possible To Have A Successful 8,000 Graft Hair Transplant?
A skilled and experienced surgeon and sufficient hair in your donor area might make it possible for you to get a successful 8,000-graft hair transplant.
If possible, however, your surgery will likely be divided into two separate sessions to avoid causing permanent damage to the donor area and the grafts.
Before you decide on a clinic, make sure to check the before and after photos of patients who’ve similarly had an 8,000-graft hair transplant. You could also ask the clinic to connect you with such patients to learn more about their experience.
Does Longevita Do 8,000-Graft Hair Transplants?
With Longevita, a maximum of 4,500 grafts will be extracted from your donor area in a single session of the surgery. If you need more grafts, provided your donor density is high enough, you’ll be scheduled for another surgery 6-12 months after the first one.
8000 Grafts Hair Transplant Before & After Photo
A study published in 2020, describes a Norwood 7 patient whose hair transplantation included over 8,000 grafts from both the scalp and body. Here’s what the patient’s results looked like:
Garg AK, Garg S. “Combination Grafting” of Scalp and Body Hair to Enhance the Visual Density of Hair Transplant and Coverage of Higher Grade of Baldness. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2020 Apr-Jun;13(2):163-169. doi: 10.4103/JCAS.JCAS_89_18. PMID: 32792780; PMCID: PMC7394114/CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
How Much Does An 8,000-Graft Hair Transplant Cost?
Averaging £4 per graft, a hair transplant with 8,000 grafts can cost as much as £32,000 in the UK. In contrast, 8,000 grafts might cost you around £4,000 to £6,000 in Turkey.
Though the overall cost can vary depending on the location of the clinic, the experience of the medical team and how your surgery is being charged, make sure you choose an experienced medical team that can deliver your desired results.
Interested In A Hair Transplant?
If you’ve experienced extensive hair loss and are unsure of your suitability for a hair transplant, do not hesitate to get in touch with Longevita’s experts. We’re here to help!
Dr Cagla
Dr Cagla earned her medical degree at Trakya University’s Faculty of Medicine in Bulgaria and has almost 6 years of hair transplantation experience. She is a specialist in FUE, DHI and Sapphire hair transplants of the scalp, eyebrows and beard and has performed over 6,000 surgeries. Dr Cagla is multilingual, with fluency in English, Bulgarian and Turkish.
