Hair Transplant Surgery

Do you find yourself longing for the luscious locks you had in your younger days? If you are reading this post then receding hairlines, bald spots, and overall thinning are things you might be worried about. As we get older, both men and women, many of us experience hair loss (alopecia). There are treatment options such as Minoxidil or Finasteride that can slow or in some cases reverse hair loss. But some people prefer a more permanent solution. Or at least one where they don’t have to continually use medication. In this case, a hair transplant surgery might be a good option.

Hair transplant surgery has been around since the 1930s in Japan and the 1950s in the US. Initially, the procedure resulted in a lot of scarring and the results were not very promising or natural. In recent years, however, the technology and techniques that are used have improved tremendously. This has resulted in less scarring, less recovery time, and a more natural post operation result.

Broadly, hair transplantation involves taking hair (along with the follicle) from one part of the body, usually the back of the scalp, and transplanting it to the area that is experiencing thinning or balding. There are a couple of different methods, with the main two being Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).  Regardless of the method, the newly transplanted hair is taken from another area and it is resistant to future balding.

In FUT, a long thin strip of skin is removed from the back of the head along with the hair. The hair follicles are removed from that strip. That hair is then transplanted to the spot where balding or thinning has occurred. The result of FUT is a linear scar in the back of the head that can be concealed by hair growth post procedure. The procedure time is usually 4 to 6 hours.

In FUE, small circle shaped incisions are made and the hair is extracted. Unlike FUT where the hair is extracted in one long strip or tissue, FUE extracts hair from a much larger area. Following recovery there will be very small, circular white scars. The procedure time is approximately 5 to 8 hours but could run longer depending on the extent of hair loss.

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Lately, there has been a boom in hair transplant surgery in Korea. The quality that one will receive is the same or superior to what one can get in a western country like the US. So, if the quality is at least the same if not better, then price is important. The average cost for FUT in the US varies from around 8,000 to 10,000 dollars. The same procedure in Korea is 5,000 to 6,000 dollars. For FUE, clinics in the US will charge anywhere from 12,000 to more than 20,000 dollars. In Korea, the procedure would range from 7,000 to 9,000 dollars.

There are places that people can get the procedure for less money than Korea. This includes places like Turkey, commonly known as the 'hair transplant capital of the world'. The problem is insistent quality. For example, the doctor does not always perform the procedure. If you're looking at hair transplant surgery, Korea might be a more reliable option.