Cost per hair OR per follicle? Which is it!!?

[newbie123]

Guys (and Gals)

 

Ive been speaking to a UK clinic about having FUE. Before I went for a consultation I asked them:

 

- What is the price per follicle transferred?

 

and seperately

 

- How much would it cost for 1000 transfered follicle's?

 

The answer I got both times was the same... 2 pounds per follicle, but you need to see us for a consultation... so I went for a consultation!

 

The doctor in question said I would need between 1000 to 1200 follicle's for what I wanted to do, giving me around 2500 to 3000 hairs as the end result.

 

As I understand, multiple hairs may grow from 1 follicle (Please correct me if Im wrong with this?)

 

So, In my head, doing the maths... that would be:

 

2 pounds x 1000 follicle's = 2,000 pounds

2 pounds x 1200 follicle's = 2,400 pounds

 

for the work (assumedly with a bit of extra cost for medication etc). So I was expecting tops something about the 3,000 pound mark.

 

So... blow me... the cost I got for the work (and no there are NO complication with the work.. Im told its very very straight forward with me).... was 6,500 pounds.

 

Now.. that doesnt even exactly work out to 2 pounds x 3000 (hairs rather than follicle's) = 6,000 pounds and so the cost they have given me works out about 5.40p per follicle.

 

So Im looking at, what I think is a 4,000 pounds descrepency here... yes I am going to go back and check it.

 

However, I was wondering, from peoples expericence and price quotes,

 

- does this sound "right" for the UK on a per follicle basis?

- And/Or Does anyone know if places are charging per hair, rather than per follicle?

- Anyone else any experiences of "London" prices for 1000 to 1200 follicle's where theyve had work performed in the last year?

 

Basically.. am I nuts to go back to them and say "how does this price match up, when Ive been told about 2 pounds".

 

Any answers or thoughts much appreciated!

Edited January 30, 2013 by newbie123

[1978matt]

Follicle = Follicular unit = graft

 

Either 1,2,3 and sometimes 4 hairs grow from each graft. Overall it averages at about 2 hairs per graft.

 

For 1000-1500 grafts, you should go see Feller, Feriduni, or Bisanga. All post great FUE results.

 

Dr De Reys has a pretty good reputation and is cheaper if cost is a real issue.

[Modenese]

As far as I'm concerned, the only decent UK surgeon is Farjo in Manchester.

 

Cosmetic surgery in the UK is like the wild west - lots of cowboys.

 

Go abroad. Brussels is a centre of excellence with something like 3 (depending on your opinion) really good clinics. Bisanga, Devroye, Feriduni.

 

Don't walk away, run. The price issue should be telling you something.

[NW3VKY]

Guys (and Gals)

 

Ive been speaking to a UK clinic about having FUE. Before I went for a consultation I asked them:

 

- What is the price per follicle transferred?

 

and seperately

 

- How much would it cost for 1000 transfered follicle's?

 

The answer I got both times was the same... 2 pounds per follicle, but you need to see us for a consultation... so I went for a consultation!

 

The doctor in question said I would need between 1000 to 1200 follicle's for what I wanted to do, giving me around 2500 to 3000 hairs as the end result.

 

As I understand, multiple hairs may grow from 1 follicle (Please correct me if Im wrong with this?)

 

So, In my head, doing the maths... that would be:

 

2 pounds x 1000 follicle's = 2,000 pounds

2 pounds x 1200 follicle's = 2,400 pounds

 

for the work (assumedly with a bit of extra cost for medication etc). So I was expecting tops something about the 3,000 pound mark.

 

So... blow me... the cost I got for the work (and no there are NO complication with the work.. Im told its very very straight forward with me).... was 6,500 pounds.

 

Now.. that doesnt even exactly work out to 2 pounds x 3000 (hairs rather than follicle's) = 6,000 pounds and so the cost they have given me works out about 5.40p per follicle.

 

So Im looking at, what I think is a 4,000 pounds descrepency here... yes I am going to go back and check it.

 

However, I was wondering, from peoples expericence and price quotes,

 

- does this sound "right" for the UK on a per follicle basis?

- And/Or Does anyone know if places are charging per hair, rather than per follicle?

- Anyone else any experiences of "London" prices for 1000 to 1200 follicle's where theyve had work performed in the last year?

 

Basically.. am I nuts to go back to them and say "how does this price match up, when Ive been told about 2 pounds".

 

Any answers or thoughts much appreciated!

 

I am no expert. But, from my research, we mostly all have just 1 hair per follicle. Now, there are "follicular units" which are grouped together and many Drs try and keep them as 1 graft, but you can not be sure. The best thing is to be up front with the Dr if he is doing FUT, and ask if he keeps the follicular units together or cuts them up a lot giving you more "grafts". Clearly, if you have a lot of units cut up into singles just to give a "graft" or "follicle count" - you will not get the density you want or the value in your transplant.

 

Hair counts are the most important, regardless of how it is spliced and diced.

 

If you are doing FUT and a Dr tells you that it is $3/follicle (about 2 Pounds ?) that means you are really paying about $4 Pounds ($6/graft) most likely - since the average graft is about 2 follicles (or a 2 follicle follicular unit) - assuming they don't splice them up.

 

Bottom line is, my understanding is that "follicle" = 1 hair. A "follicular unit" can be a grouping of 1, 2, 3 or 4 follicles together, but they all have a separate bulb or root. The average person has about 15% 1 hair, 50% 2 hair units, 35% 3 hair units, and about 10% 4 hair units.

 

There is an anomaly whereby, some follicles mutate to a conjoined follicle with 2, 3 or 4 hair coming out of one follicle, but that is not common, very rare. It is called pili multigemini.

 

So, bottom line is - "1 follicle" = 1 hair

"1 follicular unit" = can by 1, 2, 3 or 4 hair follicles grouped together but with separate and distinct follicles per hair.

 

I am new to this, but someone please correct me if I am giving incorrect info here. I am still learning.

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

Per hair and per follicle are the same thing. Most reputable clinics charge per graft. Meaning whether the graft has 1,2,3, or 4 hairs the cost is the same. Some clinics seem to make this very confusing for the patient.

[1978matt]

 

Bottom line is, my understanding is that "follicle" = 1 hair. .

 

Agreed. I should have thought about that a bit more!

[Janna]

It sounds like you have hair/follicle confused with follicular unit/graft. I wouldn't advise anyone to go to a clinic that charges per hair/follicle.