Unlike men’s hair loss which is widely known and accepted, women’s hair loss is not something that is talked about to the same degree, so many women do not realise that female hair transplants are possible and now quite common, in fact nearly 30% of the transplant procedures we do at My-Hair UK are now for women and the number is growing every year.
While there are several reasons for female hair loss and some are temporary, two of the biggest causes are permanent but can easily be treated with a transplant.
The first is Androgenetic Alopecia or Female Pattern Balding – which is exactly the same as male pattern balding and has a similar cause. The main difference is the position and shape of the balding, which on men is assessed by the Norwood Scale and on women by the Ludwig scale. On men we usually see recession in the front temples and hairline and thinning on the crown area, whereas with women we see a general diffuse thinning all the way across the top of the scalp. While Minoxidil and Koshine 826 (Pyrilutamide) can be used to address this, the popular male treatment of Finasteride is not recommended for women.
With hair transplants for women we find one of the most important factors mentioned by patients is they do not want to shave their head, and we can completely understand that, if you have long hair it can take a very long time to regrow hair to a decent length, so we offer an unshaven technique for female transplants. This involves only partially shaving a small section on the back of the head between the ears to extract the grafts which can be covered by the patient wearing their hair down until it regrows, and not having to shave the top of the head at all, the surgeon will put partings in the hair and implant the new hair grafts in between partings, working across the top of the head to thicken up the whole scalp. Depending on hair loss levels, 2-3000 grafts are usually needed and the procedure is done under local anaesthetic using the FUE method at our hair transplant clinic in London or Manchester and is complete in a day, with around 10 days recovery time needed, the first of the new hairs start to grow after the 3 month mark and full results are seen in 12-18 months.
Another completely different type of hair loss is quote common in our female patients – Traction Alopecia, we see this commonly for women with Afro-Caribbean hair who have had tight hairstyles like weaves for extended periods of time in their youth, and it the constant pull that is placed on the follicles causes the hair to eventually give up, meaning the front few centimetres of hair are lost all across the front of the scalp. This is not a genetic or hormonal condition, it is purely caused by the hairstyle, and thankfully it can be rectified with a transplant, implanting new hair to replace the hair that is lost, and should not happen again as long as the hair styles are avoided going forward.
A hair transplant for women in the UK is a viable option for those who want to regain their lost hair and boost their confidence. The procedure is safe, effective, and affordable, and thousands of women have benefited from it, despite it not being talked about as much as it is for men. It is essential to choose a reputable clinic and a skilled and experienced surgeon to ensure a successful outcome.
If you are considering a hair transplant, then start by arranging a free consultation with us at My-Hair UK by clicking the button below for a confidential chat with an expert.​​​