Transplant grafts number VS size of the head

[redarmy]

Considering a usual transplant per cm/2 is 50 grafts, is it right to say that a person with a small size head will need less grafts VS big head one if both are at the same Norwood level?

[mattj]

There seems to be a lot of variety in the actual size of the balding area when comparing person to person. Head size might make a difference and so will head shape, but those things won't necessarily account for the size of the balding area.

 

This is a tough one to give a solid answer on as the differences between people are complex.

[redarmy]

This is why i said if we comparing the same balding level.

At the end of the day, isn't about the square surface needed to cover?

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

I often explain to my patients that hair transplantation is a complicated mathematics equation. You need to know how many sq. cm of balding vs thinning area there is. How. many sq. cm of available donor area is there and what is the density/ hairs per sq. cm in the donor area. Unfortunately this is a very difficult problem to solve and it doesn't take into consideration that there will likely be more hair loss with aging. I do think that to patients with the exact same hair loss pattern but 2 very different sized heads will require a different number of grafts to obtain coverage in the balding/thinning area.

[redarmy]

I often explain to my patients that hair transplantation is a complicated mathematics equation. You need to know how many sq. cm of balding vs thinning area there is. How. many sq. cm of available donor area is there and what is the density/ hairs per sq. cm in the donor area. Unfortunately this is a very difficult problem to solve and it doesn't take into consideration that there will likely be more hair loss with aging. I do think that to patients with the exact same hair loss pattern but 2 very different sized heads will require a different number of grafts to obtain coverage in the balding/thinning area.

 

So if my conclusion is somewhat right, then all the so called "online consultation" is total BS. no wonder 1 doctor asses me at 5000 grafts and the other at 2600-3400.

 

it's a pure lottery game in a "broken industry".

[mattj]

An assessment made on the basis of photos is not as good as being seen in person, but they are usually accurate enough. An experienced eye can make a decent estimation and numbers quoted estimates.

 

What wouldn't be accurate is basing a graft quote on a person's Norwood level, as there is too much variety within each Norwood stage. If you take a look around at photos people post, you'll see that one NW6 might have quite a narrow balding area while another will have a big, wide expanse of bald scalp. They're both technically a NW6, but both have different requirements.

[Melvin- Admin]

So if my conclusion is somewhat right, then all the so called "online consultation" is total BS. no wonder 1 doctor asses me at 5000 grafts and the other at 2600-3400.

 

it's a pure lottery game in a "broken industry".

 

The reason why doctors quote different grafts is not head sizes, there is no way to deduce the size of your head from a photo alone, the reason is philosophy.

 

What the hell do I mean by this you ask? Let me explain, you may have one doctor that is conservative, he means to give you coverage but perhaps not high density, his reasoning is to conserve the donor area for future transplants. Whilst another doctor believes in high density transplantation, perhaps he believes in preventing further hair loss through medication. Therefore, you will get two different graft quotes from two different doctors with different philosophies.

 

Remember, quotes are just that quotes, you have to be seen in person for the true plan to be laid out, if you really are serious about hair transplantation you would travel to see different doctors in person, I drove 14 hours to consult with Dr. Gabel, I also flew to Canada to consult with Hasson and Wong, I ultimately drove 5 hours to San Jose to see Dr. Diep, I submitted online photos, but obviously logic and common sense dictates that an in person evaluation is best, since pictures can be deceiving. Lastly, to answer your question yes head size does make a difference, as does hair characteristics i.e hair thickness, shape (curly, straight,wavy) all of these factors play a role, that’s why you see some guys get 5,000 grafts and look transformed and others needing 7,000 grafts, no two people are the same.