4 April 2025
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie
Some men embrace male pattern baldness gracefully if they have it in their family. It might not bother them. However, for some men, baldness or potential baldness becomes an insidious threat that they are willing to do just about anything to battle against.
Heading to Dublin for a hair transplant might be an option if you find that you are going bald. This part of the world has become somewhat of a hotbed for these treatments.
However, if you don’t know very much about what goes into one of these procedures, then you may feel like you want to learn more about them. At the top of your list of questions will probably be how many of these hair transplant procedures will you actually need before you feel that you have successfully dealt with the problem.
We will endeavor to answer that question right now.
What Impacts These Procedures?
There’s no simple answer to how many total hair grafts you will need if you’re losing your hair and you’ve chosen this method to combat it. There are several factors that are going to directly impact the answer to this question.
The severity of your current hair loss is number one on this list. If you have lost a lot of your scalp coverage already, then that means the number of necessary grafts will probably be higher.
The desired outcome will also be a factor. If you want total coverage rather than partial, that will require more grafts.
Then, there is the issue of the hair type and color that you have. Usually, darker or thicker hair requires fewer grafts, while finer, lighter hair needs more.
Understanding the Norwood Scale
There’s also something called the Norwood scale that impacts how many grafts you will need. It states that if you have minimal hair loss so far, you may need 500-1,500 hair grafts. If you have more noticeable loss, you’re probably looking at more like 1,500-2,500 grafts.
If you have lost a lot of hair already, though, then you’re considered to be at Stage 5-7 on the Norwood scale. That means you will likely have to submit to 2,500-6,000 grafts or more to get total coverage again.
It Depends On How Your Head Looks at the Moment
In short, if you go see a doctor who specializes in hair transplants, they will probably judge what it requires based on the Norwood scale, the color and thickness of your hair, and other factors. While one transplant might be required if you have minimal hair loss so far, you may have to undergo a second or third one if you have lost a lot of coverage already.
In theory, you can continue to have hair transplants as many times as you like, assuming there is sufficient donor hair and you have enough money to keep getting it done. You will definitely want to make sure you’re using a reputable surgeon, though, as there are some less-than-credible ones out there.