Decoding a Hair Transplant Quote: Understanding the ‘per-graft’ pricing.
When you are looking to get hair transplantation done, the prices that a clinic may offer you can sometimes be a bit murky. Some will offer prices based on a ‘per-graft’ policy, others a ‘package’ price or an estimate for the number of grafts required. So what should you actually be looking out for when receiving quotes from a number of hair transplant professionals for an operation in Perth?
Knowing what a ‘per-graft’ policy means is important if you want to compare quotes accurately, and not simply go for the cheapest, and perhaps also more expensive, option!
So, let’s take a look at exactly what comprises a hair transplant graft.
A hair transplant graft comprises small plugs of skin from either side of the scalp (now referred to as the ‘donor area’) and which are then transplanted on to the areas of the scalp that are losing hair on either the crown or the temples (collectively known as the ‘recipient area’). Each graft typically includes one to three hairs (occasionally more). What constitutes one ‘graft’, however, may differ depending on which clinic is providing their quote: if one clinic estimates that one graft will contain between one and two hairs, and another clinic estimates that a graft will contain two to three hairs. If one clinic estimated 2,000 grafts but only anticipates one or two in each graft, you will be given a ‘graft’ number which does not accurately compare to the ‘graft’ number provided by a different clinic quote.
What is a ‘per graft’ system?
The number of individual grafts which are transplanted to the recipient areas of your scalp constitutes the value of your ‘per-graft’ rate. Two thousand grafts each priced at $5, for example, would mean that your hair transplant procedure will cost $10,000 (2,000 multiplied by $5). On the other hand, you may find many offers on a ‘package’ deal rather than a ‘per graft’ system; it is therefore vital that you are fully aware of what your estimated number of grafts means in relation to cost when speaking with each clinic.
How many grafts are actually used?
This is where you can find some truly interesting information when receiving quotes. At the end of the day, it comes down to how many grafts you want, and what needs to be covered. This number will nearly always be dictated by the desired result for the individual.
Knowing how many square centimetre areas the grafts will be applied will be just one of the criteria, along with how dense you want the final look to be, and how the donor and recipient areas are presented after your hair transplant.
It is safe to say that you are unlikely to find two identical hair transplant procedures as the amount of grafts used will vary widely.
Is more grafts always better?
By no means so. A follicular graft will be applied to the scalp at a site where anything between 1 and four hairs will naturally grow: this one single follicular graft, once applied to the recipient area, will result in 1 natural looking hair strand (like normally), which means if too many grafts are transplanted onto a bald patch it would create quite the visible effect as the natural skin can be clearly seen and thus making the area appear too thin and not natural at all.
What should a quote include?
When comparing quotes, it is essential that you understand precisely what it is that you are being quoted for. Some things to look out for include the cost of medication (which may or may not be included), any necessary covers, and crucially, all follow up consultation appointments that you might have with the clinic. You also want to know what the outcome will be if there are needs for more grafts than first determined, for whatever reasons, for your operation, and if you will incur any further costs for the procedure if your hair loss progresses and more treatment is required.
How do differences in graft estimate affect price?
You will unfortunately find that this cannot be avoided, as differing specialists will have differing opinions on the best number of grafts, whether it be due to the technique that they utilise, or just simply due to personal preference on how best to carry out the operation. Yet, the figure on which each of the clinics are comparatively measured often revolves around the amount that you will end up paying out to have your hair transplant covered.
Questions to ask during your initial consultation:
When asked by the specialist to commit to an operation, ensure that they clearly inform you as to why that number of grafts is suggested. More importantly, they need to provide evidence to support that graft number. Before going ahead, ask if the price will remain fixed should the number of grafts to be transplanted increase or decrease during the procedure.
Also, ensure that you question any aspect of the procedure or quote, other than merely the price itself.
It is far more important to understand the detail behind the quote than to focus purely on the title.
Don’t just focus on price per graft
It will be tempting to pay solely on a ‘per graft’ basis but remember that a hair transplant is an investment for the future of the individual. A hair transplant should be the work of a specialist surgeon who can achieve natural results that will age well, otherwise the end result will simply make you look the other way! Although the costs may seem quite high in the long run, it is better to invest in the right procedure in the first instance, rather than a cheaper option that will unfortunately necessitate more expensive corrective surgery down the line.