The Cost of Hair Transplant Surgeries

Cost

The cost of a hair transplant surgery will be dependant on many factors. The range is surgeries varies by several thousand dollars. Generally speaking, a hair transplant surgery may cost as little as $3,500 or may be as expensive as $10,000.

Consultation fee-Many surgeons allow for a complementary consultation fee or will waive the consultation fee if the individual decides to proceed with the surgery.

Facility and surgeon-One of the factors effecting the cost of the surgery will be the facility where the procedure is performed and the surgeon who is conducting the surgery. Many individuals are lured into having hair transplant surgery by the advertisement of very low prices, as compared to other facilities. While cost can be an important factor when deciding whether or not to have this procedure, the prospective patient should always fully evaluate the success rates and credentials of all facilities before making a decision that is merely based on a low price.

Transplant area-The size of the transplant area greatly affects the overall cost of the procedure. Since women tend to have a uniform area of thinning hair spread across the entire scalp, this unfortunately means that an average hair transplant surgery for most women is going to fall at least toward the median price range. Gentlemen who have isolated spots of thinning or hair loss may be able to have a transplant for somewhere in the neighborhood of around $3,500. Hair loss that has extended to a large portion of the scalp will require more grafts and a longer surgery which will result in a more expensive operation-typically about $9,000.

Prospective patients should keep in mind that these prices are for one session. Some patients feel it necessary after a few months to return for another session in order to achieve a full and natural look. In this case, of course, there will be fees for an additional surgery. The cost of subsequent surgeries will depend on the area that is focused upon for transplant, but are generally lower in price than the first procedure.

Price structure-Facilities generally charge either by the session or by the graft. Which method is used can make a significant difference in the total cost of the procedure. A per graft pricing structure is usually going to result in a larger overall cost. This is typically the case if the surgeon needs to use more grafts. With this type of fee structure more grafts equals more money.

In the past few years there have been a number of hair transplant centers popping up offering extremely low prices for hair transplant surgery. Certainly, anyone considering this type of procedure wants to get the very best price possible. However; it is highly recommended that prospective patients proceed with caution when considering centers that offer prices that are well below the national average.

Financing Techniques

Prospective hair transplant patients should know that insurance companies do not pay for hair transplant surgeries. This is deemed to be an elective cosmetic procedure and therefore is not covered of insurance writing guidelines. For the average person coming up with several thousand dollars at once for a surgical procedure can be a bit difficult. Most surgeons and facilities realize this and have devised a number of ways to assist patients over the hurdle financing often presents.

In addition to accepting credit cards, more and more facilities are implementing financing options. Some facilities even offer interest free financing for a certain time period following the surgery. Most offices who have implemented this practice, do so through the use of a third-party credit system. If that is the case, the patient can expect to be required to fill out a credit application and be approved for the financing, just as one would if they were purchasing a car or other large ticket item. Due to this fact, in order to be approved or to be approved for low or no interest financing an individual would need to have an excellent credit rating. If the individual has had some credit problems in their past they may still be able to be approved for financing, however the interest rates may be much higher.

If the doctor the patient selects does not have information on financing for the procedure, there are a number of companies who specialize in providing financing for cosmetic surgery procedures, including hair transplant surgery. Patients may be able to finance their hair transplant surgeries for periods of 12, 24, 36 or 48 months. This type of financing option is usually set up as a revolving credit plan. Depending upon the credit of the individual and the company selected, there may be a down payment requirement.

Below is a listing of companies who specialize in financing all types of cosmetic surgery, including hair transplantation surgery.

Cosmetic Free Plan by Capital One

http://www.amerifee.com/cosmetic-surgery-financing/index.asp

Health Ready, Inc.

http://www.financeelectivesurgery.com/

Financing Cosmetic Surgery.com

http://www.financingcosmeticsurgery.com/

For persons in Canada who are considering hair transplantation surgery:

Medicard Finance, Inc.

http://www.medicard.com/

Summary

There are a number of hair restoration cures and treatments on the market today, all of which claim to be able to grow hair and stop the balding process. While a number of them may actually be able to halt the hair loss process for a period of time; this is just a temporary measure only. These products must be constantly used in order for even the smallest benefit to be seen at all. Discontinued use of such products results in a return of the patient’s state before the products were used. Hair systems, also known as wigs and toupees, have been traditionally used to cover hair loss problems; however they can be extremely expensive and create a number of other problems. In addition, hair systems need to be continually maintained and will eventually need to be replaced.

Hair transplant surgery was first experimented with in Germany in 1822 by a medical student, who saw favorable results using his initial methods. The Japanese also experimented with hair transplant surgery in the 1930’s as a method for treating hair lost due to accidents and war injuries. Due to the effects of World War II, not much was known about these experiments in the Western world.

Pioneering dermatologists first began working with hair transplant techniques in the United States in the 1950’s. The first hair transplant surgeries were not without their problems and downfalls. While successful, the cosmetic appearance was often thought to result in a doll’s head look. Due to the large size of the graft that was used in the earliest surgeries, patients were often required to return for multiple sessions.

Headway was made in the 1980’s to reduce the size of the grafts used in order to produce a more natural looking post operative appearance. The discovery of the follicular unit went a long way in helping hair transplant surgeons achieve their goal.

The cost of a hair transplant surgery varies based on a number of factors, especially the number of grafts needed to produce an optimum effect. On average, surgeries range in cost from $3,500 to $10,000. Some patients may be able to obtain financing for their hair transplant surgery through companies specializing in cosmetic surgery financing options. This type of surgery is normally considered to be an elective surgery and is typically not covered by health insurance.

“Hair has always been important”

Diana Ross