When trying to determine the average cost of hair plugs there are many factors that must be considered. Most people think you just go to a hair doctor and they stick some hair in the bald spot and it starts to grow. This is really not all there is to it. In fact, the hair restoration community has been actively seeking better and more cost effect treatments for hair loss in both men and women for decades. Ever since the first hair plugs were used in the US back in the 1950’s.  The cost of hair plugs is actually going down as these new procedures and techniques are utilized.

The causes of male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss are very closely tied together. Both of the conditions are caused by a genetic predisposition to hair loss in certain areas of the scalp. This is usually manifested as balding or hair thinning at the vertex and crown of the head while other areas of the head, such as the occipital or back of the head, continue to exhibit good growth. These areas of continued hair growth can play a big part in determining the hair transplant cost. The better the donation area the easier it is to harvest the healthy hair follicles and so the cost of hair restoration goes down.

The mechanism for pattern baldness is quite simple. There is a natural occurring hormone in our bodies, dihydrotestosterone (DHT),which is formed when the so called male hormone testosterone is metabolized. This appears to act on the body in two ways. One is to have a negative affect on the male urinary tract, in particular on the prostate gland. In fact, the way DHT was determined to be a cause of hair loss was in trials for drugs to treat enlarged prostate. During the trials it was noticed that the men who were taking the drug actually saw a decrease in hair loss and some experienced hair growth. Further testing showed DHT to be a contributor to male pattern baldness.

Some of the hair follicles on the men and women who show signs of pattern baldness seem to have a genetic predisposition to be affected by the free DHT in the blood stream. There are receptors on these follicles that attach to DHT and start the miniaturization process. The complete mechanism is not understood but it appears that the certain areas of the head have these follicles that are affected by the hormone. Thus the term pattern baldness is uses. As the hair goes through its natural cycles of growth and rest the dihydrotestosterone shortens the growth phase during each cycle and eventually the follicle has been shrunken to a point that it can not continue to produce hair shaft material. At this point the hair falls out and baldness is exhibited.

Cost Of Hair Plugs

The size of the area that is genetically predisposed to pattern baldness is a major factor in determining the cost of hair transplant procedures. Most clinics and cosmetic surgeons will adjust their charges based on how many hair units need to be transplanted from the donor area to the balding patch. Small areas can require a few hundred transplant units with the average amount being a thousand. If the pattern baldness is more advance then of course this number will increase and the overall cost of hair implants will be more.  Thus a person who has lost most of the hair on the affected area of the scalp is going to have a higher hair plugs cost than someone with only hair loss at the vertex of the head.

The other major factor in the cost of hair replacement is the per unit cost. This can vary from about $3 to $7 in the US. So as you can see the overall charges for hair plug surgery can easily reach anywhere from a few thousand to several thousand dollars.
When determining per unit costs the physician will look at such things as fullness of donor area and color and texture of the natural hair. It takes more thin, blond hair to give good coverage than thick, black hair unless the underlying scalp color is very light. If that is the case then more dark colored hairs are needed.

When determining whether you can afford a hair transplant procedure the best thing to do is check out several options. Many clinic advertise on line now and you can get really good information by visiting there sites. Once you have a couple you are interested in then meeting for a free consultation is very highly recommended. The cost of hair plugs is irrelevant if the procedure is not performed properly.

]]> http://hairplugsguide.com/cost-of-hair-plugs/feed/ 0 http://hairplugsguide.com/hair-plugs-cost/ http://hairplugsguide.com/hair-plugs-cost/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:30:09 +0000 Albert http://hairplugsguide.com/?p=71 Hair plugs have been applied in the US for the treatment of baldness in men for over 50 years. During that time the procedure has been improved many fold to give a result that is natural looking and last for years. The first tries at the procedure were not very good though, as surgeons did not have the tools or the micro-surgical techniques necessary to manipulate the hair follicles in such a way that the implanted hair matched the surrounding hair. Although the cost of hair plugs is not cheap it is a great alternative to bald spots.

When the hair transplant method was first being utilized was the term hair plugs came into being. The early pioneers of this cosmetic surgery actually removed a portion of scalp from usually the back of the head. This scalp section was then cut up in to little pieces and then inserted into slits made in the bald spot. As you can imagine this did not give very good results and was very noticeable. These grafts resulted in hair groups that stuck out in every which direction. This is the where the term hair plugs came from. The hair looked like the artificial hair that is plugged into the head of a cheap dolls. Just clumps of hair sticking out of the head.

The first big advancement was when micro-surgical techniques allows for the removal and placement of individual hair follicular units. That is, the hair shaft, hair follicle, and associated parts. This allowed to surgeons to place the hairs in a more natural position and allowed for a more natural look. It was as this time that the cost of hair plugs for men finally started to make sense from a results stand point.

The use of this method went on with a few modifications for years until the next big advancement in hair plug therapy took place. People were complaining about men’s hair plug cost because not only was it expensive but there was still some scarring from the removal of the scalp portions at the back of the head. Granted, the scarring was smaller because now scalp was removed in thin strips instead of chunks but there was still scarring.

The next change came with the introduction of Follicular Unit Extraction. This method allows for the removal of individual hair follicles and small groups of follicles. There is no scarring with this method and the only irritation looks like a pin prick and is quickly healed up. Use of this method actually allowed for the use of hair from other parts of the body besides just the scalp. This body hair works well for filling in the bald hair spots.

When you are contemplating the cost of hair plugs you need to take into account where the procedure is performed. The hair plug cost is going to be more in the US and Western Europe than other countries like Brazil and Thailand that are aggressively working toward a cosmetic surgery industries.

Even within the US there are variations in hair plug costs but you can usually expect to pay between $3 and $8 per implanted unit. These units consist of one to three hair follicles bunched together because that is how they grow naturally, The normal patient usually requires between a few hundred and a few thousand of these units.

The cost of hair plugs is not cheap but if you have areas that are completely bald then this is about your only option other than getting a hair replacement system also known as a toupee. Hair plugs costs can be dramatically reduced though by looking for a cosmetic surgery vacation package.

With the cost of hair plugs what it is you want to be sure to treat your new transplants very carefully so you don’t have any follicles loosen up and fall back out. This doesn’t mean the hair shafts might not fall out as a natural course of events. The stress of the procedure often time causes the actual shaft to separate from the hair follicle, or hair root, and thus fall out of the bald spot. This is normal and should not be a concern. Within a few weeks the transplanted follicles will start producing hair shaft material again and you will be on your way to a full head of hair like when you were younger.

The modern hair transplantation techniques, like follicular unit extraction, con be done with very little disruption to the scalp. Because of this there is usually not very much bleeding when the implant procedure is finished. There is some, though, and the care of the scalp for the first few days is very important.

If you have a bandage over the area it is important to keep the dressing clean and changed regularly. This will help combat any infection that may try to take hold. Also, most cosmetic surgeons recommend you start shampooing the scalp within a few days. This keeps any scabbing soft and pliable instead of letting it get hard. When the scabbing hardens it tends to stick to the hair shaft. If it is then picked or caught on something like a comb or brush it can disrupt the follicle and pull it back out. This means that hair plug will not take hold and grow. It is very important that nothing is done to loosen the hair follicle, or hair root, once it has been implanted into the bald section of the scalp. Within a few weeks everything has healed fine and you can then comb and brush your hair like normal but, until that time, you need to very careful.

When treating pattern baldness hair plug costs can vary based on several factors. One of the main variables in the cost of hair plugs is the geographical location in which the procedure is performed. In the US, the southern states have the lowest average hair plug costs and the Midwest the highest. Of course, within these locations there is much variability in costs based on the number of implants, the hair implantation method used, and the base costs of the clinic and cosmetic surgeon.

If you are wondering what are hair plugs the explanation is real simple. The hair shaft grows out of a hair follicle which is also called the root. When a hair plug procedure is performed, the hair follicle and associated parts are removed from the scalp in an area with good hair growth. The hair unit is then transplanted into the bald area where it starts growing the hair shaft again. Once the unit it transplanted it continues to grow just like the natural hair did. Hair plugs can last for years and offer a great alternative to other hair restoration methods.

If you are developing bald spots then it would be well worth your time to find out about hair plugs and how they can change your life.  Not only are hair plugs for men there is also a lot of recent success with hair plugs for women also.

Hair plugs are really good at covering the bald spot because they are your own hair that has been removed from a spot on your head, or other part of the body, and placed in the bald spot. Unlike toupee’s or hair pieces they will never slip and slide or fall off in the wind. You can swim with hair plugs. You can ski with hair plugs. And you can get close to the opposite sex with hair plugs without the risk of embarrassment that could come from a hair piece falling off. They work because the hair is your own, and once the transplantation procedure is done, the hair follicles are growing just like when you were younger.

The hair plug procedure is really straight forward. There are to main methods in use today. The first is the traditional method known as the ribbon method. With this procedure a surgeon removes ribbons of scalp which still contain good hair growth from the scalp of the patient. The individual hair follicles or bulbs are then removed from the ribbon of scalp by an assistant trained in hair restoration. While the hair follicles are being removed and prepared the surgeon sutures the place in the scalp where the ribbon was removed from. This ribbon is usually taken from the back of the head which leaves a scar line that is easily covered up by the hair growth of the follicles that are left.

The surgeon then transplants each of the follicles individually into the scalp at the bald area. Usually the follicles are inserted with one to three per insertion area because that is how natural hair grows. This method has been used for over 50 years and offers very good results.

The second method is called FUE or follicular unit extraction. This just means that instead of removing a portion of scalp and them separating the hair follicles out, the FUE method removes the follicles individually directly from the scalp. This does not leave any scarring because there is no suturing needed. The results of the extraction look like a pin prick and the wound is completely healed within a few days.

This method also allows hair to be removed it the person is suffering from thinning hair along with bald spots. This is especially true for women and thus this method is used predominately when performing hair plugs for women procedures. The surgeon can remove hair shafts from several areas of the scalp and thus leave as many hairs as possible spread out.

The cost of hair plugs varies depending on several factors including geographical location, type of hair, experience of the doctor, and number of follicles to be transplanted. In general each hair plug costs between $3 and $7. The total cost of the procedure also depends on the number of plugs needed. Usually, between 500 and 4000 hair plug transplants are necessary depending on the size of the area to be filled.

As you can see how much do hair plugs cost is a question that is hard to nail down but the results are definitely worth the cost. Especially when you consider the cost of other hair treatments for the next 20 or 30 years.

]]> http://hairplugsguide.com/how-much-do-hair-plugs-cost/feed/ 5 http://hairplugsguide.com/hair-plugs-and-hair-implants-cost/ http://hairplugsguide.com/hair-plugs-and-hair-implants-cost/#comments Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:15:22 +0000 Albert http://hairplugsguide.com/?p=20 If you are losing your hair or if you already have some substantial bald spots and you want to have a full head of hair again then hair plugs or hair implants may be the right way for you to go. Unlike medications with potential side affects like rashes and even birth defects, hair plugs are safe and rarely result in any problems. As an added bonus, a skilled physician can insert the plugs or implants in such a way that they are almost unnoticeable.

Hair plugs were originally tried in the 1950’s as a way to treat baldness. The cost of hair plugs at that time was not great with the reason being they really didn’t look that good. In fact, the term hair plug actually was derived from the resemblance of early hair implants to the head of a cheap doll. I am sure you have seen a doll with just ten or twenty plugs of hair sticking out at all angles. It was very noticeable and really looked worse than being bald. This has all changed though. Hair plug cost has increased but along with that is the skill level of the doctors and the intricacy of the procedures they use.

When looking at the average cost of surgical hair implants it is important to remember that you get what you pay for. You can still get a cheap job done that is noticeable. Or you can choose to spend a little more and get a job that almost no one will recognize as being anything but natural hair growing in its natural position.

The price of hair plugs or hair implants is usually determined per implant. Modern techniques involve removing a strip of scalp from the back of the head and then removing the individual hair follicles and cleaning them. Once the hair is prepared the surgeon uses a small scalpel or needle to insert the individual hair bulbs. A skilled doctor will insert the follicles in groups of one to three hair shafts which mimics how hair grows naturally. He or she will also insert the hair follicles in such a way that the hair will lay in the same direction as the surrounding hair. This is in contrast to the old hair plugs which stood straight up and were very noticeable as being artificially inserted.

The average cost of hair plug surgery depends on how many individual units are implanted. Each implant usually runs between $3 and $6. This cost can be drastically reduced by having the procedure done on a medical vacation in a country such as Brazil or Thailand. Costs have been reported as low as 25 – 50 cents per implant in these areas and most of the plastic surgeons have actually been trained in the US and Europe.

When determining the price of hair plugs you also have to factor in how many units will be implanted. Generally speaking a major covering of a large bald spot will involve from 1000 to 3000 implants. As you can see the cost of the hair plug surgery can range from a few thousand dollars to over $20,000 depending on where it is performed and how thick you want the resulting hair to be. You can see why more and more people are looking into a hair plug vacation. You can see a new country and get a new head of hair.

The cost of hair plugs varies depending on many factors. Hair implant surgeons are going to be much more expensive in LA or New York than they are in the heartland and overseas procedures will be cheaper yet. If you are losing your hair then start looking into hair plugs or hair implants today. The more information you have the better a decision on hair plug costs you will be able to make. Do the research and enjoy the benefits of a full head of hair again. Hair plug costs vary so find the best deal you can.