Hair loss can be a worrying issue, as it can alter the way one looks and lower self-confidence. Thankfully, advancements in the hair and skin health arena have paved the way for reliable solutions like hair transplant procedures that assure permanent results. Such hair implantation techniques are considered effective in the long run for restoring hair to help you regain lost confidence and self-esteem [1]. While exploring hair restoration techniques, it is essential to understand how many hair grafts you might require to cover the thinning or balding areas. Having an idea about your graft requirement will be useful for setting realistic expectations regarding the hair restoration procedure and creating a personalized hair transplant plan for a better outcome. Keep reading to learn more about what a hair graft is, identify the factors that are determinants of your graft numbers, and know how your surgeon would be calculating your ideal hair graft number to deliver perfect and natural results.
What Is a Hair Graft?
A hair graft refers to a strip containing a cluster or group of hair follicles, which are extracted from the donor site in the scalp and transplanted to the receiving site with hair loss or thinning. The hair graft is also referred to as a follicular unit. In your scalp, 1 sq. cm contains about 100 hair grafts. The capacity of your hair grafts might vary between one and six hair follicles. The success rate of your hair transplantation procedure relies on the health, density, and number of hair grafts found in the donor region of the scalp. A study held in 2017 revealed that hair graft quality and follicle density might vary from one individual to another due to factors like one’s ethnicity, age group, colour of hair, and scalp size [2]. Your scalp will contain these types of hair grafts:
- Single Hair Graft – It would have just one hair follicle and will be useful for creating a natural hairline.
- Double Hair Grafts – It would contain two follicular units and can increase density.
- Triple Hair Grafts – It will have three follicular units and is great to fill up the balding areas in the scalp.
- Quadruple Hair Grafts – It will have four follicular units and will be useful for covering a large balding area.
Factors That Determine Graft Requirements
- Extent of Hair Baldness and Thinning: To get a full head of healthy hair growth, it is essential to understand the extent of balding or hair thinning in the scalp. It is also important to pay attention to the area where there is heavy hair loss to determine the graft requirement. If there is a large area with thinning hair or baldness, the required amount of hair graft would be more, and vice-versa.
- Hair Quality in the Donor Area: It is a major factor that determines the number of hair grafts required for hair transplant. The quality of the hair in the donor area would be assessed by your surgeon to ensure that they do not shed and has high survival rates. The better quality of hair in the donor area will help in resisting shedding after transplant and survive better in the receiver site.
- Hair and Skin Color: As your hair colour is in contrast to the skin color, this difference can impact the coverage ratio and also influences the hair draft requirement. For people with lighter skin, a higher number of hair grafts would be needed to achieve better coverage and for a full hair transplant.
- Hair Density / Thickness: If you have naturally thick hair, then your scalp will contain fewer hair follicles per sq. cm. So, hair transplant will require fewer hair grafts when compared to those having fine, thin hair.
- Curly Hair: Those who have curly hair will have better scalp coverage, as it can spread well and cover the underlying scalp completely. So, people with curly mane will need fewer hair grafts for achieving a full hair transplant than people with straight hair. If your hair is straight, then you will need a larger number of grafts and get it transplanted at sharp angles for better coverage. So, the hair regrowth will offer optimum coverage and would blend well with your existing hair.
Graft Count Based on Baldness Level
According to the clinically recognized Norwood scale, the number of hair grafts required for transplantation varies based on the degree of baldness [3]. Here is the breakdown of graft count based on stages of Baldness based on the Norwood scale.
- 1st Baldness Stage: This stage, based on the Norwood scale, refers to people facing a minimal amount of hair loss. Your surgeon might suggest PRP treatment or prescribe medication initially. However, if it doesn’t work, you might need around 1000 hair grafts for hairline remodeling.
- 2nd Baldness Stage: The Norwood system considers people facing mild hairline recession as the 2nd stage of baldness. You might need between 1000 and 1500 follicular units for transplantation along the hairline.
- 3rd Baldness Stage:
- Recession Stage: This stage is considered a stage of significant recession, as your hairline will start to form an M-shaped hair loss pattern. A hair transplantation procedure can help achieve a natural and dense hairline, typically requiring around 2,000 grafts.
- Vertex Stage: This is another type in the 3rd stage of the Norwood scale, where hair thinning will develop along the crown region. The total number of grafts required for perfect coverage would be around 2500 grafts, with about 1000 grafts for crown coverage and about 2000 grafts for hairline transplantation.
- 4th Baldness Stage: If you are facing severe hair loss along the hairline and at the crown, it is the 4th stage of baldness. You might need about 3500 grafts to achieve excellent coverage in both these areas. Additionally, if your donor region has healthy follicular units, you may require approximately 4,000 grafts.
- 5th Baldness Stage: This stage of balding features a very thin and scanty scalp with balding areas merging. You might need at least 3500 grafts to create a better front line, and for complete coverage, it would take around 4000 grafts.
- 6th Baldness Stage: If your crown area is highly visible with extensive hair loss, and extends to the crown and front side, you might need around 6000 hair grafts. To create a hairline with a natural look, about 4500 grafts are needed, and it will take two hair transplant sessions to achieve total coverage with 6000 grafts.
- 7th Baldness Stage: This stage denotes extreme baldness, demanding a hair transplant for ample coverage with more than 7000 grafts. However, it is not possible to extract more than 6000 grafts from the donor area due to extensive hair loss.
How Many Grafts for Full Coverage?
It would be surprising for you to know that the graft count for hair transplant will change based on the areas of hair loss in the scalp.
- Frontal Hairline & Temples: To get full coverage when developing a natural hairline on the front and near the temples, you might require around 500 to 1800 grafts.
- Mid-scalp Area: You might need between 1000 and 2500 grafts to tackle hair loss in the middle part of your scalp.
- Crown Area: About 2500 to 4000 or more grafts will be required for restoring hair at the crown area, where the hair is fine or scanty.
Typical Graft Requirements: FUE vs. FUT
Both FUT or Follicular Unit Transplantation and FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction are highly effective methods of hair transplant [4]. The typical graft requirements for these procedures tend to vary as each method follows a distinct graft extraction process, and the number of grafts removed per session will also differ.
- FUT: Follicular Unit Transplantation can give a yield between 3000 and 5000 grafts per session for complete coverage for moderate hair loss. Sometimes, your surgeon will also extract around 6000 grafts for extreme hair loss through the FUT technique.
- FUE: In one session of FUE, there would be a normal yield of around 2000 or 2500 grafts. In multiple sessions, FUE can transplant up to 6000 grafts for people facing extreme baldness.
Can You Get All Grafts in One Session?
A single session of hair transplant will be feasible if:
- You have mild to moderate hair loss between stages 2 and 4 of the Norwood system. It is possible to gather around 4000 or 5000 grafts in one session.
- If your donor area is healthy and has good density, your surgeon can collect enough grafts per session.
- If your surgeon suggests a combination of both FUE and FUT methods, then achieving more than 4000 grafts is possible per session.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how many grafts would be needed for your hair transplant is essential for achieving a better outcome. With the right number of grafts, achieving a head full of natural hair regrowth with optimum coverage is not a dream anymore. However, it is always advisable to find a board-certified and experienced hair transplant surgeon to get your customized treatment plan to bid goodbye to hair loss. Akruti focuses on curating a hair transplant plan that is unique like you, offers natural results, and lasts a lifetime.
Citation Links:
- Zito PM, Raggio BS. Hair Transplantation. [Updated 2024 Feb 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547740/
– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547740/
- Birnbaum MR, McLellan BN, Shapiro J, Ye K, Reid SD. Evaluation of Hair Density in Different Ethnicities in a Healthy American Population Using Quantitative Trichoscopic Analysis. Skin Appendage Disord. 2018 Oct;4(4):304-307. doi: 10.1159/000485522. Epub 2017 Dec 16. PMID: 30410902; PMCID: PMC6219221. – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6219221/
- Chouhan K, Roga G, Kumar A, Gupta J. Approach to Hair Transplantation in Advanced Grade Baldness by Follicular Unit Extraction: A Retrospective Analysis of 820 Cases. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2019 Oct-Dec;12(4):215-222. doi: 10.4103/JCAS.JCAS_173_18. PMID: 32001965; PMCID: PMC6967160. – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6967160/
- Kristina Collins, Marc R. Avram, Hair Transplantation and Follicular Unit Extraction, Dermatologic Clinics, Volume 39, Issue 3, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.det.2021.04.003. – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733863521000231?via%3Dihub
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