Can You Get A Hair Transplant If You Are Completely Bald?

John M

Hi, I'm John. About age 30 my hair started receding. After trying lots of products I eventually decided on a hair transplant. And now I have my hair back.

Being bald is not an option for some men, but is there a point of no return with male pattern baldness when getting a hair transplant?

Hair transplants need a donor site from your scalp, and hairs are individually harvested and grafted into the recipient area of your scalp. If you are completely bald, you will not have hairs to be grafted.

How bald do you have to be to get a hair transplant?

Male pattern baldness starts typically with a receding hairline and thinning of the hair around the crown. As the hair loss progresses, the centre of the scalp loses more hair, eventually becoming bald.

If you are over the age of 30 and have come to the conclusion your hair loss has slowed or stopped sufficiently then, you can now consider a hair transplant.

The vital factor for a successful hair transplant is enough donor hairs to be grafted. The donor’s hairs are usually grafted from the scalp’s back and individually harvested.

If you consider a hair transplant, it will be helpful to you and the surgeon if you keep a photo diary of hair loss over a year or more.

This will give the surgeon a complete representation of your hair loss, enabling a comprehensive treatment plan.

Can a completely bald man regrow hair?

In some circumstances, you can regrow hair, but it depends on the hair loss you have experienced.

If your hair loss is related to androgenetic alopecia, your hair follicles have likely become scarred or closed as you have not had hair growth from these follicles for a very long time.

If this is the case, your hair will not regrow in this area of the scalp.

However, if the hair follicle is still active and intact, it is possible to kick start hair regrowth. A hair transplant specialist will advise you on the best possible treatment to trigger hair regrowth.

A recorded case of a 73-year-old man taking Spironolactone to treat liver cirrhosis. He took the drug for six years and then started to regrow hair which shattered the belief of dead or scarred hair follicles.

Was this the drug or a side effect of something else? There is no conclusive evidence.

Is it ever too late for a hair transplant?

Sadly, yes. You can wait too long and limit the chances of you being able to receive a hair transplant.

In some cases, the patient has thin hair where harvesting would be done. Further hair loss from taking thousands of hairs would not look natural, and the hair transplant surgeon is likely to decline the procedure.

If you consider a hair transplant, the transplanted hairs will come from your scalp and not a third party donor.

If you do not have enough hair to transplant, the procedure is unavailable.

Top 5 Reasons to go abroad for a Hair Transplant

1. Save at least 60% on the cost

A hair transplant in Europe is at least 60% cheaper than in the UK. And most packages are all inclusive, including your accommodation and airport transfers.

2. Europe has some of the most experienced surgeons in the world

Europe has more clinics, which have been established and running for much longer than clinics in the UK. The price is also lower, making it more accessible for people.

Surgeons in Europe will have carried out hundreds, if not thousands more procedures than UK based surgeons. Because of this some UK clinics will bring in surgeons from Europe to carry out your procedure.

3. Hair restoration clinics in Europe are state or the art

Many facilities in Europe are dedicated hair restoration clinics. They only perform that type of treatment. As such all equipment, facilities, techniques and staff are specialists in hair restoration.

Hair restoration is only now becoming more popular in the UK, so many UK clinics are general cosmetic facilities that carry out various procedures.

4. Get even more value by making your transplant into a holiday

Europe is such a popular holiday destination for many reasons, the culture, history, sights, cuisine, shopping, great weather, your money goes further, it’s widely English speaking, and it’s just 2 or 3 hours away by plane.

The list goes on! So why not travel a few days earlier, grab a low cost Airbnb or hotel, take a friend or partner and enjoy the city for a few days before your transplant.

5. Hassle free process

It’s so easy to get an assessment and price. Contact the clinic, arrange an initial consultation in the UK with your surgeon, or do an online consultation by sending a few pictures and answering some basic questions.

Once you’re happy, pick a date and you’re done! The clinic will send you all the paperwork and itinerary so you know exactly what’s happening. You don’t pay until you go for treatment.

You just hop on the plane. A transfer car will meet you as you get off the plane and take you to the clinic. It’s such an easy process. Easy!

Top 5 Hair Transplant Tips

1. Know your post-op timeline – The key dates!

You need to take the upmost care in the first 7 days
You can leave the house after 7 days, but I advise you take at least 2 weeks off work.
You won’t be able to wear a hat or exercise for up to 4 weeks after.
Around 2 – 4 weeks your new hair will fall out, you’ll look a little red and sore – similar to sunburn.
Around 4 months your new hair starts growing and looking good.
By 6 months you can’t tell you’ve had a transplant.

You can get a haircut after the first month, or you can keep it short yourself with clippers until it starts to grow back.

2. Pick the right time to schedule your treatment

Good clinics will be busy, so you may have to wait 2 months to get an appointment – this is a good thing. So knowing that and knowing your post-op timeline (above) means you can plan the perfect time around your social or work calendar.

If you have important social events coming up, particularly if you know you’ll be photographed then you may plan your transplant 6 months in advance, or wait until your calendar is free.

3. Set your expectations

If your hair has receded at the front you’ll want the clinic to draw an expected hairline on your head or on pictures of you as soon as possible. They’ll then also talk about the number of grafts or hairs you’ll need and how thick the result will look.

The sooner you can establish this, the sooner you’ll know exactly what to expect. A good clinic will also take into consideration a natural looking hair line for your age and your face and head shape. Have an honest conversation and be open to their expert feedback.

4. Knowing what the journey home looks like

There’s no way around it, you’ll have to go out in public to travel home. The worst part is sitting at the airport for 2 hours or so whilst you wait for your plane.

I found it was best to embrace it. People are nice for the most part and won’t stare, and if one or two do who cares – you will never see those people again! You may even be at the airport with other transplant patients, I wasn’t the only one!

Take a travel pillow and have someone pick you up if possible, so you can exit swiftly and get back home as soon as possible. It’s natural to be self-conscious, but it’s over fast and well worth it.

Tip! Just take carry-on luggage to keep your check-in and wait time down.

5. Choosing the right clinic

Pick somewhere you can travel to and from easily
Check their reviews online, not just on their site!
Do they have a good quality website and professional looking emails?
Can you see actual case studies of previous patients online?
Do they have an address? Can you see it on Google street view?
Can you meet your surgeon for a consultation beforehand?
Do you know someone who’s been there before – first hand opinion is amazing!

John M

Hi, I'm John. About age 30 my hair started receding. After trying lots of products I eventually decided on a hair transplant. And now I have my hair back.

A Simple Way To Keep Hair Healthy And Thick

Do you want to keep your hair without surgery? I get it … surgery can be expensive and frightening. Although it’s the most effective solution when things go bad and it helped me, you still experience some discomfort and have to take some time off from work.