If you were to talk to any experienced surgeon in the field of hair transplant, and ask them how they gauge their success, they would tell you that success would go beyond just the number of grafts they are able to extract and implant. They would tell you that the there are several parameters that need to be taken into consideration to define ‘success’! Given that modern medicine has made several advances, and the same stands true in the case of hair transplant as well, successful transplant procedures have become a lot more common place, but the judgements, the experience and the practise of a surgeon will probably have the highest role to play in a patient seeing the type of results they are hoping for, post a transplant procedure.

In this article, we have tried to compile all the factors that contribute to the success of a transplant procedure – the inputs have come from some of the most respected, reputed and experienced hair transplant surgeons of the country.

Hair transplant success rate:

While the simplest way to judge a hair transplant success rate would be to see if a person had proper hair growth post-transplant or not, but the fact remains that things are not as simple. There are several criteria that need to be taken into consideration before a procedure can be called successful and patient satisfaction is just one of them. Let’s start with what all factors affect the success of a transplant:

• Your hair loss is probably the most important factor because that will decide whether you are a good enough candidate for a transplant or not. Many a times, people rush for a transplant, because they feel that it is an effective solution, but the fact is that not everyone with hair loss is a candidate for the procedure. It is imperative that you get your hair checked by a professional or an expert and they should tell you whether you can get procedure done or not. Those who fall prey to the false promises made by quack doctors are bound to have unsuccessful procedures!
• Should you be a candidate for a transplant, it is important that the most suitable one be chosen for you – simply because you have heard much about FUE doesn’t mean that it is the right choice for you. It should be the hair restoration expert who will take the call on which transplant procedure will be best suited to your hair loss and your scalp. A FUE hair transplant will be suggested if the procedure is more about increasing volume or covering smaller portions of a bald scalp; however, if larger areas of the scalp need to be covered, then a FUT or strip surgery will be the procedure of choice.
• Your choice of clinic and surgeon will have a huge role to play in the success rate too – the more experienced and certified the surgeon, the better equipped the clinic, the better the chances of everything going the right way. Studies have shown that the success rate tends to be higher when the procedure has been completed by a truly experienced hand. Moreover, the clinic needs to be properly equipped – the more modern devices and instruments at the disposal of the surgeon, the better.
• While the surgeon, the type of the transplant procedure and the quality of the clinic will have roles to play, the actual post operational care that the patient ensures on his/her own part will also have a large role to play in the final success. The clinic or the surgeon can give you a comprehensive list of all the dos and don’ts, but the actual practising of all that is mentioned in the list lies in the hands of the patient as does the eventual success.

All these above-mentioned factors need to be considered, along with the patient satisfaction, to determine the eventual success rate of hair transplant.

Hair transplant success rate in India:

Surveys have shown that overall, the success rate of transplants in India is close to 98%, with almost 80% people seeing their hair regrowth happening within the first three to four months of the transplant. In 2016, a survey was conducted amongst people who had gotten an FUE transplant with hair that had been extracted from the head as well as other parts of the body. After about an average of three years after the procedure, the rate of satisfaction was well above 80% and the graft survival rates were between 90-95%, which would be deemed extremely good. It is also important to remember that there is a shedding phase, which is one of the common side effects of hair transplant and is to be expected with any transplant procedure – hair will fall out and then eventually new hair will grow in, which should last several years.

There are several reasons why more and more people are choosing to come to India for their hair transplant and this is because the success rate has been quite high in the past few years. Several parameters contribute to these success stories and some of the main ones have been listed here:

• With most transplant surgeons in India, you will get the chance to have a clear conversation before signing any dotted lines. Many clinics will offer you a first consultation free too, which means that you can get your scalp checked, an idea of how many grafts you might need and also information on which procedure might be best suited for you. Whether your first evaluation is free of cost or charged, this first sitting is extremely important, because you will get a clear idea about whether you should consider a transplant or not. This is also a really good time to ask all the questions that you have in your mind – whether you want to know about the healing process or why FUE will be better for you; this would be the best time to ask all these queries.
• Another reason why the success rate of transplants is so high in India is because the surgeons will offer very realistic objectives – for most people, a transplant is a way to rejuvenate their own self-esteem, because they often feel a loss of confidence on losing hair. Rather than promising you the moon, a responsible surgeon will tell you what is possible and how much time it might take as well.
• One of the biggest reasons why a transplant fails is because even though the procedure has been done with a lot of care, the after care is very lacklustre. Perhaps this is why Indian hair transplant surgeons are giving such incredible results because they have a high level of dedication to ensuring proper after care. Not only will they provide a proper printed list of instructions that need to be adhered to, they will also offer personal follow-ups for the same. They will also provide with ample guidance on how to increase the rate of recovery and what steps need to be taken and avoided to ensure the best results.

Female hair transplant success rate:

Several people tend to think that hair transplantation surgery is meant only for men, but the fact is that anyone, irrespective of their gender, can undergo a transplant process, as long as they are candidates for the same. For women, who are suffering from androgenetic alopecia, a transplant would be a really good option, even though the manner of hair loss is different in women. In women, the hair loss is normally more diffused and rather than obvious bald spots, it will present more as an overall thinning. Unlike men, the donor area in women is not always stable, which is why the procedure can be a little more complicated. The rate of success for hair transplant in women is often slightly lower; somewhere around the 85-95%. It is also interesting to note that the reasons for success will be mostly the same for men as well as women – this means the quality of the surgeon, the clinic being well-equipped, the right procedure being selected and the post operative care being followed will all lead to better results.

FUE Vs FUT Hair Transplant Success Rate:

One constant conversation that you will see in relation with hair transplant result will be a comparison between FUE and FUT – while there is no 100% guarantee with either procedure, it has been noticed that the success rate is often higher with FUT or strip surgery. Surveys and studies have shown that surgeons are able to achieve anywhere between 95 to 98% and in some situations, even 100% success with FUT. However, the number will be slightly lower with FUE; ranging anywhere between 90 to 95%. If the FUE transplant has been done by an extremely experienced surgeon, there is a chance that there will be absolute success there too; but it would be wise to keep expectations real.

It is also important to remember that the choice of procedure will be dependent on how extensive the hair loss is – the more the hair loss, FUT will be the procedure of choice and to create a sense of volume or cover smaller bald patches, FUE would be chosen. Depending on the number of grafts that have been extracted, how they have been implanted and how much time the grafts spent outside the body will all have roles to play in the success. Yet again, the success rates will be dependent on the talent and expertise of the surgeon and how well you take care of your surgical site post procedure.

5 Factors that contribute to Hair Transplant Success:

To sum it all up, there are some main factors that can contribute to the success of a transplant:

1. The type of hair treatment or transplant method that is being chosen for you, based on the type of hair loss, the quality of hair, the extent of the donor area and so on will all have roles to play. Your surgeon should be able to educate you on the same, after a thorough examination.
2. While you might not consider it important, your overall health will also have a role to play – whether there are any underlying health conditions, are you on any medications, is the hair loss being caused due to any such medical conditions.
3. The talent, the expertise and experience of the surgeon who is conducting your procedure is a huge factor – the more procedures under the belt, the more certifications they have, the better the chances for you.
4. While you might have chosen the most talented and qualified surgeon for your procedure, there is little they will be able to do without the proper infrastructure – having a properly equipped clinic will go a long way in ensuring success for you.
5. Once the procedure has been completed, there will be several post-op care instructions that you will be given, and it is imperative that you stick to them to ensure proper success.