Hair replacement cost is contingent on the needs and financial means of the individual and whether he opts for surgical or non surgical hair replacement. The price of transplantation, for instance, is based on the number of grafts used in a procedure. Therefore, if 1,000 grafts are used in a transplant and they cost $5.00 each, your total cost of hair replacement would be around $5,000. However, cost is also determined by the type of graft used in a procedure too.

Types of Grafts

Rounded punch grafts typically contain about 12 hairs per graft. Smaller mini-grafts include about four hairs. Very tiny micro-grafts contain only one to two hairs. Slit grafts contain about 10 hairs while strip grips which are long and narrow usually contain about 30 hairs.

It’s all in the Numbers

When using larger grafts in a procedure, usually about fifty grafts are used per session. Keep in mind that several surgical sessions may be necessary if one wants to obtain a fuller head of hair. If it’s determined that you’re a better candidate for smaller grafts, such as micro-grafts, then as many as 500 to 700 grafts can be transplanted in one session. As you can see, a consultation is necessary if one wants to assess overall hair replacement surgery costs for a transplant.  You can often times get a wide variation in the hair replacement cost estimate based on type of grafts and the clinic used.

Other Factors

The texture and color of the hair also factor into what types of grafts are used. Naturally, coarse hair is thicker and requires less grafting than finer hair. Also if the color of the hair is contrasting to the skin there will be more grafts needed to cover up the Hair Loss. The worst case is very pale skin covered with very dark hair. The skin really shows up through the hair covering.

The Grafting Procedure

When a replacement surgery is performed, the doctor removes a small strip of hair from the back of the head which is called the donor area. He then transplants this strip to the front of the head and top of the crown. Each graft he removes contains one or more hair follicles. He sutures the donor area where he made the incision. Normally this will cause a minor scar to form but this scarring will be covered by the hair already in place. The doctor then creates tiny incisions in the region where he transplants the grafts. The incisions or slits are referred to as the receptor sites. The slits must be placed in such a way as to replicate the pattern of the hair that once was there. Therefore, the number of grafts used depends on the texture and color of the hair follicles and the amount of area that needs to be covered.

Non Surgical Options

Should you opt for non surgical hair replacement, there are a number of methods currently available. You can employ fusion, bonding, cabling, micro links, beading, adhesive or weaves to attach hair pieces to the scalp or existing hair. As the hair grows, some of these methods require that the hair piece be adjusted or reattached to keep it in place. Hair pieces can be made of synthetic hair, natural hair or both synthetic and natural hairs. Hair replacement prices then are mainly determined by the type of hair restoration one prefers.

The Final Cost

Take a look on the Internet. You can find a number of hair replacement systems that will suit you personal needs and preferences. The final hair replacement cost is dependent of course on your specific situation.

An Overview of MPB

Primarily MPB or male pattern baldness is a result of family history, aging and the hormone dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This hormone is concentrated on the crown of the head, the top of the scalp and at the temples. The hair at the lower sides and on back is unaffected by the hormone; therefore, if one chooses hair transplantation, hair is normally grafted from these areas and transplanted to the areas where hair loss has occurred. Once transplanted, the hair in these areas will remain as it is resistant to the DHT hormone.

Permanent Results

Besides MPB, hair loss can be attributed to disease, such as diabetes, any trauma or stress, certain medicines as well as hormonal changes. There are a number of topical treatments and shampoos that block DHT in the case of male pattern baldness. Two treatments, minoxidil and finasteride, have FDA approval. These products are effective in stopping the progression of MPB; however, for permanent, long-lasting results, hair transplantation is still the best option for individuals who still have a good amount of hair growth at the back of the head.

Opting for Surgery

Although, as stated, there are several topical treatments available, if you have enough growth at the back of your head to substantiate a transplant, this is a preferable option to consider. The best way to find out if hair replacement surgery is right for you is to set up a consultation. Still, it’s helpful to be armed with a bit of knowledge about the process before you take such a step.

The Transplant Procedure

Since patients are given a local anesthetic and typically a medicine to relieve any anxiety, the experience can be facilitated without any type of undue discomfort. No hospital admittance is involved because most of these procedures only require an office visit to the center where hair transplants are performed. Most of the sessions take only a couple hours.

Post Surgical Care

After a hair transplant, you will probably experience some swelling although it’s hardly noticeable. Generally, you can shampoo about 24 hours after undergoing a transplant operation. Sutures for the transplant can be removed by your doctor in about two weeks’ time.

What to Expect

After a transplant, you can return to normal activities although you should not pursue any type of activity, such as any intense exercise, that may harm the grafts. During the next couple weeks, the new hairs will grow rather speedily. Thereafter, the new follicles will become dormant for up to six months. This is known as the “shedding” phase after which time the “new” hair will resume growing. You can see results generally after about a half year from the date of the procedure. After a year, the area of the transplant will have realized almost 100% of its overall growth.

Hair Replacement without Surgery

If you’re not the right candidate for a transplant, then there are a number of non surgical hair replacement options you can consider. Many of these of these methods involve attaching a hair piece made of natural or synthetic hair to the hair already in place or using adhesive to affix the hair piece to the scalp. Whichever hair replacement system you choose, you must feel comfortable with the method and the cost for hair replacement.

Stay within your Budget

Survey your options online. There are several hair loss treatment centers that can offer you the type of hair replacement system that will accommodate your lifestyle at a hair replacement cost that will fit into your budgetary plans.

There are a lot of hair replacement options available but one of the best and fastest is a hair system.  Originally known as a Toupee’ this name developed a bad connotation because of all the comedy movies that showed men with bad toupee’s falling of in the wind or when he bent over.  Some of the best classic comedies included this as part of their slap stick.

Sears Roebuck revolutionized hair pieces by starting a mail order business in the early 1900′s.  Most of these sales were advertised in print showing before and after pictures and telling the story of how important it is for a man to have a hair covered head.  Most of the advertising, like today’s hair restoration system advertising, dealt with the business and social aspects of having a bald head and how a fitted hair piece could quickly solve these problems.

The best hair replacement system is going to be one in which the underlying material, the weave, matches the scalp color and texture as possible.  It also depends on the material the base is made from.  Bases are constructed of weave or polymers.  Polymers are used when an imitation skin texture is needed.  These polymers are usually always matched by color to the scalp.

Mesh bases are usually used when there is a concern of the hair line.  The mesh is able to show a much more natural line a polymer base is.  The main problems with weave bases is they are very delicate thus easily torn and they are susceptible to acid breakdown caused by normal body acids.

Hair replacement systems are not as popular as they once were probably because of the many choices that are now available.  There are now drug therapies that can be used for hair restoration along with hair implants and hair plugs.  Also it seems that more and more people are just accepting baldness so it doesn’t have the social stigma it used to.  In fact many men completely shave their heads when they are starting to have patchy baldness so their entire scalp is bald.

Hair replacement costs vary depending on the construction of the piece and where it is purchased. With the advent of the internet there are now many more possibilities for men to find a good system at a reasonable cost.  This offers a great non surgical hair replacement method that will look good without you having to go to the doctor’s office.