Planning
Am I a good candidate for a hair transplant?
Who is likely to be a good candidate for a hair transplant: stable hair loss, a strong donor area and realistic goals, and when it is wiser to wait.
· 8 min read
Planning
How many grafts do I need for a hair transplant?
In this guide
Typical graft numbers for each Norwood stage, what changes yours, from donor strength to hair thickness and curl, and why one session has a safe limit.
On this page · 9
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Send four photos. Our lead surgeon replies with your plan, a graft estimate and the full price, in writing.
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Most hair transplant plans need between about 1,000 and 5,000 grafts. A hairline and temples plan is often 1,000–2,000, while advanced hair loss can need more than your donor area can give. Your own number depends on the size of the area, the density you want and the strength of your donor area.
How surgeons count grafts
A graft is a tiny piece of skin holding 1–4 hairs, about 2.2 on average. So 2,000 grafts carry roughly 4,400 hairs. When you compare quotes, always compare grafts with grafts, not with hairs.
Try it on a 3D head. Our graft calculator counts the grafts for your stage with the same densities, then our lead surgeon checks the number from your photos.
Where each type of graft goes matters too. The first 2–3 rows of the hairline get single-hair grafts, so the edge looks soft. Behind them go grafts with 2, 3 or 4 hairs, depending on what your donor area gives, to build density.
The basic sum is simple: the area to cover, in square centimetres, multiplied by the density planned for it. Surgeons usually plan about 40 grafts per cm² at the hairline, where people look first, and fewer behind it: the published literature uses about 35–45 at the hairline, 30–40 just behind it, 25–35 in the mid-scalp and 20–30 at the crown (see our sources).
You do not need your original density back. Thinning usually becomes visible only after about half the hair in an area has gone. That works in your favour: hair at about half its original density can still look full.
A worked example
Say you are at Norwood 3, with deep recession at the temples. The hairline zone, a band about 2 cm deep across the front, covers roughly 30 cm². At 40 grafts per cm², that is about 1,200 grafts.
The area just behind it adds about 20 cm² at around 37 grafts per cm², so roughly 740 more. Together that makes a plan of about 1,950 grafts, or around 4,300 hairs. Real scalps differ, which is why your surgeon measures from your photos.
Typical graft ranges by Norwood stage
Doctors describe male pattern hair loss with the Norwood scale. It runs from stage 1, with no real loss, to stage 7, where only a horseshoe of hair is left at the sides and back. A “V” stage, such as 3V, means the crown is thinning too.
| Norwood stage | What it looks like | Typical grafts to restore the area | Usual plan with us |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No real recession | None needed | No surgery |
| 2 | Slight recession at the temples | 1,000–1,800 | One session |
| 3 | Deeper temple recession in an M or U shape | 1,800–2,800 | One session |
| 3V | Temple recession plus thinning at the crown | 2,300–3,300 | One session |
| 4 | Deeper recession and a thinning crown, with a band of hair between | 2,800–3,800 | One session |
| 5 | The band between front and crown is thin and sparse | 3,800–5,300 | One session, sometimes two |
| 6 | Front and crown have joined into one area | 5,000–6,500 | Always two sessions |
| 7 | Only a horseshoe of hair at the sides and back | 6,500 or more | Always two sessions |
These are starting points, not quotes. Ranges vary between surgeons and between people. At stages 6 and 7, and in some stage 5 cases, we always plan two sessions. The hairline and front come first, because that is where a transplant changes your look most. The crown follows at least 8–9 months later. Full coverage at these stages can need more grafts than a donor area can give, so the crown may stay thinner than the front.
Women’s hair loss usually follows a different pattern, such as a widening parting, so the Norwood scale does not apply. Doctors often use the Ludwig scale instead. You can read more on our women’s hair transplant page.
What changes your number
The density you want
More density means more grafts, and more of your donor supply used today. A good plan balances fullness now with grafts kept in reserve for later.
Donor strength
Your donor area sets the budget. Your surgeon looks at how many grafts grow per cm² at the back, how large the safe area is and how many hairs each graft holds. Most donor areas give about 4,000–6,000 grafts in a lifetime. In some men, beard hair can add more.
Hair calibre
Calibre means the thickness of each hair. Thick hair covers more scalp per graft. Fine hair needs more grafts for the same look.
Curl and wave
Curly or wavy hair lifts off the scalp and covers more ground, so fewer grafts can look fuller. Afro hair often covers well, but its curved roots need careful extraction. See our Afro hair transplant page.
Colour contrast
When hair and skin colour are close, for example fair hair on fair skin or grey hair, gaps show less. Dark hair on pale skin shows gaps more and may need more grafts.
Hairline position
A lower hairline means a larger area and more grafts. A hairline that suits you at 50 is usually a little higher than the one you had at 20. You can try different heights and shapes in our hairline designer.
Age and future loss
If you are young, your hair loss is likely to continue. Your surgeon keeps grafts in reserve for areas that may thin later. They may also discuss medication to protect the hair you still have.
Why one session has limits
There is a safe limit to how many grafts one session can take, for three reasons.
Your donor area. Taking too many grafts from one area at once can leave the back of the head visibly thin, sometimes called a “moth-eaten” look. Many surgeons take no more than about 10–20% of the grafts in any part of the donor area per session.
Graft survival. Every graft spends time outside the body before it goes in. Very long, very dense sessions increase that time and can strain the blood supply to the treated skin.
You and the team. A long day of surgery is tiring for everyone. Care and focus need to last until the last graft is placed.
That is why we never take more than 5,000 grafts in one session, for anyone, and we plan to protect the donor area for the future. A session is done in one day. Two days are needed only when chest hair grafts are used, because they are taken under sedation, or for some large unshaven cases.
When a plan needs more, it is split into two sessions. Norwood 6–7, and some Norwood 5 cases, always have two: the hairline and front first, then the crown at least 8–9 months later. For example, if you need about 7,000 grafts, you would have about 4,500 in the first session and about 2,500 in the second, never 7,000 at once. The exact split is up to your surgeon.
Why estimates differ between clinics
Two clinics can give you very different numbers for the same photos. Common reasons are:
- one counts hairs and the other counts grafts
- they plan different densities, or one includes the crown and the other does not
- one keeps grafts in reserve for the future, the other uses as much as possible now
A higher number is not automatically better value. If it drains your donor area, it can limit what is possible later. Our guide to hair transplant cost in Istanbul explains how to compare quotes.
How to get your own number
- Try the calculator. Our graft calculator gives a first estimate for your stage and shows how much of your donor supply a plan would use.
- Send four photos. Take them from the front, top, crown and back. Your surgeon replies with a plan, a graft estimate and a full price, usually within 24 hours.
- Confirm on the day. Your surgeon checks your scalp in person before surgery. The final number can differ a little from the estimate.
Our packages are priced per package, not per graft. Your surgeon sets the number of grafts your plan needs, and your price is confirmed in writing before you travel.
Next step
When you are ready, send your photos for your free plan. Your surgeon tells you how many grafts you need, where they should go and what that means for your donor area.
Sources
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How many grafts do you need? Our lead surgeon tells you from four photos
Send four photos. Our lead surgeon replies with your graft estimate, your plan and the full price, usually within 24 hours. Free, and you are not committing to anything.
Like any surgery, a hair transplant has risks. They include infection, scarring, shock loss and grafts that grow poorly. Read about the risks