What density will create an illusion of density of a thin or bald area of scalp

[Balduser101]

I am thinking of having my first hair transplant surgery to fill in the frontal half of my head. I lost most of the hair over a period of 4 years (28-32). I am now 37, the hair loss has not progressed on top but the back and sides have thinned. I don`t take any prescription medications, preferring to eat and lead a healthy lifestyle.

I had a consultation 2 years ago, the surgeon advised I would require 3500 grafts to achieve a natural dense look saying I had approximately 4500 grafts he could safely remove from my donor region.
I am going to arrange a couple more consultations towards the end of this year and was wondering what questions I should ask about density. I don`t want to have it done if the contrast from transplanted to native hair looks silly.

Thanks.

 

[Pete from Farjo]

You need to plan this very carefully as you are not taking any preventative medication and you say your sides and back are thinning. Do you feel much has changed since your previous consult or has it stabilised?

It's sensible that you are planning further consults to establish what can be done. 3500 grafts to the front half should give you decent coverage with the right surgeon, hopefully keeping a thousand or so in reserve for light crown coverage at a later stage if required.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[Balduser101]

Hello Pete. Apreciate the reply, thank you. My hair is stable on top, half of it went, then stopped leaving me with half a head of hair. The back and sides are not as bushy as before but still prominent and strong.
I am wanting the transplanted hair to blend into my remaining hair to give an even look. This may sound silly but, could I have hair extracted from the second half of my scalp to thin it out to match the front? The extra grafts could be transplanted from the back to the front which I know could possibly die off at some point.

 

[Pete from Farjo]

Donor hair should only ever be taken from the 'safe zone' which is the area at the sides and back that nearly all of us retain despite possible extensive hair loss. No reputable doctor would advise using grafts from outside that area I'm afraid (except in exceptional circumstances.)

While your remaining hair on top may seem stable at the moment there are no guarantees that it will stay this way - especially without medication. At 37 you are still relatively young in hair loss terms and predicting how yours will progress over the next 10-20 years may not be straight forward.

As I say though, you're going about things the right way by getting professional consultations where you will hopefully get good advice on how to move forward.

 

[Bigmac]

Density will on average be around 30 - 50 per sq cm. Your hairline area will be planted at a higher density than the hair behind it. (Ie, 40 per sq cm in the hairline and 30 - 35 sq cm behind) All single hairs will be used for the hairline with larger grafts placed behind.

 

[Balduser101]

Appreciate the replies. I understand the density measurements now.
Back to my other query regarding donor supply. I see many highly rated clinics who extract hair outside the safe donor zone knowing full well these hairs may die off years later. Bearing this in mind, why would a doctor not extract from the top of my head if I'm prepared to take the risk of it dying later?

 

[Bigmac]

I`ve not heard of a clinic using the donor from the top of your head, it's too risky. You also have the possibility of Fue dot scarring which could show up if you lose more hair.

 

[Balduser101]

Bigmac wrote:

I`ve not heard of a clinic using the donor from the top of your head, it's too risky. You also have the possibility of Fue dot scarring which could show up if you lose more hair.

That makes sense. I guess the doctors would not take a high-risk chance.