If you’re struggling with hair loss, a full head hair transplant has the potential to restore your locks to their former glory. The decision to embark on a hair restoration procedure is a major one, and it is understandable that you may have a number of questions and concerns about it.
One question comes up more than most — will I get full coverage from a transplant? In other words, there is a natural and understandable desire to be able to run your fingers through a full head of hair again.
Often, achieving full coverage requires more than one transplant [1]. Here, we’ll explore everything you need to know about maximising hair coverage and the factors that may affect your end result.
The first thing to remember is that hair transplantation is technically a procedure of hair redistribution. No matter how skilled a practitioner is, they cannot conjure up new hair or create new hair follicles. It has to be transplanted from other parts of the scalp where the existing hair is thickest and placed carefully into the area that needs coverage.
During an FUE full head hair transplant, your surgeon will individually harvest hair follicles from a donor area that is unaffected by hair loss (usually the back or sides of the scalp [2]). They are then implanted into areas of hair thinning or balding. The process involves:
To answer the question of how much coverage you can gain from a transplant, we must first explain why donor hair is taken from the back or sides of the head. Simply put, this area is resistant to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness.
This is why it is rare for men to lose hair from these areas of the head and why donor hair is extracted from here to cover a bald area or increase hair density in areas of frontal balding or hair loss from the temples or crown. There is only so much hair available for extraction from the donor area in order to avoid damage to this part of the hair.
A follicular unit, or graft, contains 1-5 hair strands, and on average, there are 90-120 units, or 100-250 hairs, per square centimetre. Around a third of all follicles in the donor area may be extracted.
With a FUE transplant, there could be, on average, a maximum of 6,600 units available, which seems like a lot. Still, it is unrealistic to expect 100% coverage from a transplant if there is extensive baldness over a large area.
Not all 6,600 grafts can be extracted at once; you may need several sessions for this. Our experienced transplant surgeons will, therefore, carefully plan how the grafts are to be extracted so as to avoid creating bald spots in the donor area. They will also take into account future hair loss possibilities. Rest assured, the result will be a pleasing outcome and an attractive head of hair.
Several factors can affect the extent of coverage achieved with FUE hair transplants. Here, we’ll explore some of these in more detail.
A lack of healthy donor hair presents a challenge when it comes to getting full coverage with an FUE hair transplant. If there’s not enough donor hair to treat the areas of hair loss, or it’s not healthy enough to transplant, some coverage has to be sacrificed.
FUE harvesting should be limited to 25% of the donor’s hair [3], and overharvesting should be avoided to avoid permanent damage to the donor area. Often, the crown does not receive full coverage to achieve the best result possible with the donor hair available [4].
The severity and pattern of hair loss heavily influence the final result of a full head hair transplant. Unsurprisingly, the more extensive the hair loss, the less likely you are to achieve full coverage. With more severe hair loss, there is simply not enough donor hair to transplant to all affected areas.
For example, Norwood stage 7 is the most advanced stage of male pattern baldness. By this stage, only a narrow band of hair around the back and sides of the head remains.
It’s unrealistic to expect full coverage from a transplant if your hair loss is this extensive. However, you can still get great results. Here is an example of a successful FUE hair transplant for a man at Norwood stage 7.
After surgery, he is now at Norwood stage 4, which is a significant improvement. Although he still has a bald spot on the crown, he now has hair on the mid-scalp and a natural-looking new hairline.
If you don’t have enough hair to harvest from your scalp, your surgeon may recommend a body hair transplant. The beard, back, chest and pubis can be used as alternative donor sites, although the beard is the most common [5].
Hair texture, colour, and curliness can impact your appearance after an FUE hair transplant. For example, a curly hair transplant provides greater coverage than straight hair [6]. Thicker hair will also offer better coverage than thin, fine hair.
The survival rate of transplanted follicles affects the overall outcome. Factors such as the surgeon’s skill, the method of extraction, and the handling of grafts can influence the success rate of the transplanted hair. Research suggests the graft survival rate is similar for FUE vs. FUT (follicular unit transplantation) transplants [7].
A healthy scalp provides a better environment for transplanted follicles to thrive. Scarring, scalp conditions, or previous surgeries can affect the success of FUE transplants.
For example, a hair transplant into scar tissue is more difficult than a regular transplant [8]. This is due to the stiffness and poor blood circulation accompanying scar tissue [8].
The surgeon’s expertise and skill are vital for a successful FUE hair transplant. A capable practitioner can use their years of experience to optimise graft harvesting, positioning, angle, and implantation, leading to better coverage.
Younger patients with progressive hair loss may need future sessions to maintain coverage. Although a hair transplant is permanent, that doesn’t make you immune to the risk of ongoing hair loss in non-transplanted areas.
For this reason, having a hair transplant is a particularly big decision if you have male pattern hair loss in your teens or early twenties. For teenage hair loss patients, specialists will often advise a period of treatment with medication (such as minoxidil or finasteride) before considering a hair transplant [9].
This can help rapidly progressing hair loss to stabilise, and potentially encourage new hair regrowth [9]. Your surgeon should discuss the long-term possible outcomes of a hair transplant, so you have realistic expectations.
Well-planned aftercare and adhering to your surgeon’s instructions can affect the final coverage of your transplant. This may include avoiding certain activities, caring for your scalp, and attending follow-up visits. Complications can have a devastating impact on your final result, but these steps can help you minimise hair transplant risks.
While your final results are strongly influenced by your surgeon’s skill and decisions, there’s plenty you can do to get the best coverage possible. Here are our top tips for getting the best results from an FUE hair transplant:
Do your research and opt for a clinic with a proven track record of consistent, high-quality FUE results. Unsurprisingly, the best hair transplant surgeons in the UK tend to work at the country’s top clinics, such as the Wimpole Clinic.
Look for hair transplant before-and-after photos and read patient reviews. Your surgeon’s skill is one of the main factors influencing your hair transplant coverage, so choose wisely.
Answer all questions from your medical team honestly, and make a list of all your medications and supplements to ensure you don’t miss anything. Many medications can affect the success of your hair transplant, but your surgeon can often adjust the procedure to allow for this.
For example, blood thinners can increase the risk of excessive bleeding during and after the transplant procedure. They may also interfere with the healing process, leading to complications like prolonged bleeding [10]. You may need to stop taking these medications, under the guidance of your doctor, before the procedure.
Follow your surgeon’s pre-operative guidelines to the letter. These may include avoiding alcohol and tobacco (drinking and smoking can impact hair transplant results), stopping certain medications, and adjusting your diet. These preparations can increase your chances of achieving maximum coverage from your hair transplant.
Several treatments can increase your overall coverage or the perception of increased density. Ask your surgeon about complementary treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, low-level laser therapy, or scalp micropigmentation.
You can get the best possible result from your hair transplant with proper aftercare. Closely follow your surgeon’s instructions for the weeks and months post-surgery, which may include:
While FUE hair transplants can offer impressive results, achieving full coverage depends on various factors. Each case is unique, and the best way to determine the level of coverage you could achieve is to visit a trichologist.
These hair doctors can perform diagnostic trichology tests such as blood tests for hair loss and a hair pull test to assess your specific situation. If you’re a candidate for a natural-looking hair transplant, rest assured that we work with some of the best hair transplant surgeons in the UK. Their exceptional level of skill makes it possible to get a hair transplant without anyone knowing.
Whether you’re experiencing the first signs of thinning and balding or your hair shedding is more extensive, the Wimpole Clinic can help. Book a consultation at your nearest clinic location and learn how to regain thick, healthy hair.
A hair transplant can potentially cover the whole head, but it depends on the extent of your hair loss, donor hair availability, and other factors. For some people, full coverage may require multiple sessions.
You can find out exactly how much coverage is possible via a consultation with a hair transplant surgeon.
The number of grafts needed for full coverage varies widely depending on your hair loss pattern, hair characteristics, and desired density. Generally, it can range from 500 grafts to 6,600 or more, although you may need multiple sessions to achieve this.
A hair transplant surgeon can advise you on how many grafts you need to achieve maximum coverage.
While it’s possible to transplant 5000 grafts in one session, it’s not common and depends on the type of hair transplant you’re having. Some researchers argue that hair transplant sessions over 3000 grafts are less effective than smaller sessions [13].
Most surgeons limit sessions to 2000-4000 grafts to ensure quality over quantity. If you need more grafts, your surgeon may recommend multiple sessions.
10 years after a hair transplant, you should still have excellent results. Transplanted hair is usually permanent, but you may still experience natural thinning around it.
Most single-performed transplants last a lifetime, but 31.9% of hair transplant patients receive more than one transplant to achieve their desired results [5].
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