My Father Had About 3000 hairs On The Top Of His Head

My father (age 60) is pretty bald (Class 6 balding pattern) but he still had hair on the top of his head. I am also a Class 6 (age 40) person but more balding than my father as my scalp is clean of any hair on the top. I went to a hair transplant doctor and he recommended that I get 1500 grafts on the front and top of my head. I was curious as to how much hair that would be, so I asked my dad if I could count the hairs on the top of his head. He had lost his hairline over 20 years ago as I have. I counted about 3000 hairs on his head, so assuming that I get 1500 grafts averaging two hairs each per graft, I realized just how much hair I wold get from such a transplant. He looks sickly with his 3000 hair if it were not for his top shape and his workout routine. Did I do this right to see what I think that I would like with 3000 hairs in the 1500 grafts recommended for me?

Answer: The recommendation of 1500 grafts in a completely bald class 6 pattern, would not give a big impact for you. To cover the class 6 pattern, you would need closer to 5,000-7,000 grafts depending upon the thickness of your hair shafts (fine, medium or coarse). Spreading 1500 grafts around a Class 6 pattern will not give you much coverage unless your hair shafts were thicker than his and the grafts were focused on the front and forward top areas of your head. I found a 44 year old male with a Class 6 pattern on my website (https://newhair.com/photos/patient-xk/). He had 4178 grafts in two sessions. The redness in the front reflected a hair system (wig) he wore which was glued to his scalp. His hair was of medium weight. If you hair is of medium weight, then you could expect to look like this with about 4000 grafts. Look at his before picture and tell me if this is the type of hair that your father has? If so, it might be miniaturized (very fine) so it will not give much coverage, so 1500 grafts of non-miniaturized hair placed in the frontal area might look ok, but significant coverage will not be obtained and these grafts should not be placed in the top and crown area.

To take a look at two other patients, I offer: https://newhair.com/photos/patient-ba/ (patient BA) and https://newhair.com/photos/patient-cd/ (patient CD). Patient BA’s area of coverage with 2184 grafts of medium weight hair that is straight (no wave in it) combs over nicely to cover the bald area. Patient CD had 1349 grafts with good frontal coverage because his hair was coarse and very curly (kinky). Patient CDs hair attributes give more coverage than people with medium weight, straight hair as seen in patient BA. If the hair was fine in either of these men, the coverage would be thinner.

I hope that these comparisons will give you an ability to estimate what 1500 grafts might do. Compare your hair attributes to those of these men and then you might be able to see the value of the recommended 1500 grafts.