Hair Transplant: Cost, Recovery, and Results

Whether someone has thinning hair or even male pattern baldness, hair transplants offer a way for people experiencing hair loss — and even those who aren’t — to move hair follicles to desired areas on the scalp to increase the thickness of their hair. In fact, thanks to improved techniques, hair restoration through a hair transplant can now give a more natural-looking result than ever before. Both men and women can be candidates for hair transplants.

However, don’t let the hair transplant before and after photos, you see online fool you. A hair transplant isn’t a miracle procedure that magically thickens your hair without any drawbacks. From the average hair transplant cost to the procedure itself, as well as hair transplant results, here are some reasons to pause and take some time to evaluate if this option is right for you.

 

What is a hair transplant?

A hair transplant is a hair restoration procedure that involves moving hair follicles from one part of the scalp to another to achieve thicker hair in areas where hair loss has caused thinning or balding. Specialized doctors perform hair transplants, usually with the patient under local anesthesia.

Hair transplants don’t involve a separate donor for the hair follicles used during the procedure; each patient is his or her own donor. This is because another person’s hair follicles and tissue would most likely be rejected by a patient’s body and the hair transplant would fail. The areas where the hair is taken from are known as donor sites, and they usually include the sides and back of the head because hair loss is less likely to occur in those areas, leaving the hair to spare.

There are two main types of hair transplants: FUT (follicular unit transplantation) and FUE (follicular unit extraction). To perform a FUT hair transplant, a surgeon extracts hair follicles and surrounding tissue, together known as grafts or follicular units, from a donor site and then transplants the grafts to areas of the scalp that are balding. The grafts are inserted into small slits in the scalp. When the scalp heals, the follicular units are able to continue growing hair in their new location. With an FUE hair transplant, each hair follicle is extracted by itself, making the sites for both extraction and implantation smaller and less conspicuous and less likely to reveal scars even if the hair is cut to a very short length.

Recovery time is a few days for either procedure, but it can take a little longer for FUT procedures because the area where tissue is removed is larger and may require stitches.

 

Do hair transplants really work?

Hair transplants can be effective to repair areas where hair loss has taken a toll, but the procedure does have drawbacks that aren’t always apparent in the hair transplant before and after photos, you may see. Making the hair appear natural in its new location can be difficult, and the results might not be up to the standard a patient hopes for. Additionally, many people experiencing hair loss do so on an ongoing basis, so even if a transplant is performed to restore hair to an area where the hair is thinning or gone, the hair loss may progress to other parts of the scalp and require additional procedures to maintain the desired effect.

How much does a hair transplant cost?

How much is a hair transplant? Because each individual’s hair restoration needs can vary so widely, it’s hard to pin down an exact dollar amount for a hair transplant cost. Some estimates put the cost at between $4,000 and $15,000, depending on how extensive the procedure will be, where you live, who your surgeon is, whether you need to travel to receive the transplant and what type of hair transplant you choose to have. Keep in mind that more than one procedure may be necessary to achieve the desired hair transplantation results.

The best way to determine what your hair transplant cost will be is to reach out to offices offering the procedure to get an estimate. Many places offer free consultations that include cost estimates.

 

What alternatives are there to getting a hair transplant?

Instead of going for a hair transplant procedure to fight the effects of hair loss, you can look for other ways to support healthy hair growth and increase the thickness of your hair without surgery. There are many alternatives to prevent hair thinning early on. Hair-thickening styling products are one way to enhance your hair’s appearance, but you can also try taking a hair health supplement.

Nutrafol’s Adopted Rescue Dog: Goose

Giving back can help you grow, which is exactly what happened when our office began fostering Gustav, aka Goose. Nutrafol originally took in Goose, a four-month-old pit bull mix, from a New York City shelter to collectively care for him until he got adopted. But when his adoption fell through at the last minute, our Creative Director was compelled to give him a forever home.

 

“Goose is a classic case of foster fail,” Ariana explains. “I just couldn’t let him go—even though I already have another dog. Simple as it may sound, I never thought I’d be a doggie-mama to two wonderful pups. But here we are!”

 

Part of the reason Ariana felt ready to handle the commitment and responsibility was because she had the support of the entire Nutrafol company, especially CEO Giorgos Tsetis, behind her. In addition to the Nutrafol team pitching in to care for Goose and walk him throughout the workday, Giorgos and the company cover all of his food and medical expenses.

 

“With the support of our amazing office and CEO, I was able to take this beautiful boy into my home and give him the family he deserves,” Ariana shares. “Experiencing this firsthand made me realize how capable I am of grabbing the reins and carving my own unpredictable life path.”

 

With a strong support network, you can take on anything. That’s why we have our own naturopathic doctors in-house and offer unlimited consultations to Nutrafol for our subscribers. We are totally committed to your success. If you’re ready to jumpstart your own journey toward thicker, stronger hair, learn more now.

 

Keratin Treatment: What You Need to Know

If you’ve ever admired Meghan Markle’s sleek, glossy hair, you may want to consider a keratin treatment. The Duchess of Sussex has gotten keratin smoothing treatments in the past to straighten her naturally curly hair. We caught up with Edward Tricomi, master stylist and co-owner of Warren Tricomi salon, and Pancho Soekoro, a keratin expert, to learn all about the treatment.

 

What Is a Keratin Treatment?

Keratin is actually a protein naturally found in your hair that gives it structure. The treatment involves infusing keratin and other ingredients into your strands with heat to create a silky smooth effect. “It’s an anti-frizz treatment that helps reduce frizz people may experience, and it makes blow drying the hair a lot easier,” master stylist Tricomi says. Something that decreases the amount of time we spend with our hairdryer? Sign us up!

So who is a keratin treatment good for? “This treatment is usually recommended for people who tend to have frizzier hair,” he continues. “It keeps it very tamed, reduces so much frizz and keeps it beautifully straight rather than puffy.” Good news: The treatment even works if you’ve colored your hair.

 

How Does the Process Work?

First, the salon will wash your hair to remove any lingering product residue and ensure the keratin is as effective as possible. Unlike most treatments, the product dries into your hair and doesn’t get washed out. “When I’m doing a keratin treatment, instead of blowing out the hair with a round brush, I use a diffuser,” Soekoro explains. “I do this because the round brush ends up scraping a lot of the keratin treatment out of the hair. If you diffuse the hair you end up drying the hair faster and keep all the product in the hair.” Your stylist may also use a flat iron or straightener to press the product into your strands and seal it. The process typically takes at least an hour in the salon.

 

What Happens After a Keratin Treatment?

Be sure to handle your hair with care after a keratin treatment: avoid getting it wet or heat styling for 48 hours. “After one of my clients gets this treatment, I tell them to treat their hair as a new pair of perfect blue jeans,” Soekoro says. “You wouldn’t get the perfect jeans and throw them into really hot water or be extremely rough with them. I tell them to turn the temperature down in the shower and be sure to use sulfate-free shampoos! Using soft products on your hair will keep the treatment lasting longer. I also suggest staying away from saltwater pools and beaches because it does strip the product from the hair.”

 

How Long Does a Keratin Treatment Last?

It all depends on your lifestyle, but ideally, results can last up to a few months. “Some people wash their hair more than others. Again, I recommend sulfate-free shampoos because they are gentler on the hair,” Soekoro shares. “It also depends on the products you’re using. With the right regime, results can last about three months.”

 

How Is a Keratin treatment Different From a Brazilian Blowout?

While most keratin treatments are water-based, Brazilian blowouts are acid-based and not recommended for colored hair. “I usually only recommend a Brazilian blowout if someone has very curly hair and has not dyed it; then it works very well,” Soekoro explains. “If you have dyed your hair and it’s not that curly, what happens is it may ruin the color by lifting it a shade as well as making the hair dryer.”

 

Can a Keratin Smoothing Treatment Damage Your Hair?

Some people wonder if a keratin treatment is safe because most formulas contain formaldehyde, but the stylists assure us that it’s safe as long as it’s done correctly. “The only real risks are for the stylist,” Soekoro says. “You need to have the proper machinery when dealing with keratin treatments because of the formaldehyde. You must be in a well-ventilated room because when the treatment is exposed to heat it turns into toxic gases. At the Flatiron studio, I use fume extraction machines to remove all the smoke from the area.”

 

How Many Keratin Treatments Should I Get a Year?

Most stylists recommend getting keratin hair treatments no more than three times per year. “As long as it’s done correctly, you can get it three times a year,” Soekoro says. The cost of a keratin treatment can depend on the length of your hair and what salon you go to, but the average price is between $250 and $450.

With the humid summer weather coming, investing in a keratin treatment could be worth it. Do you plan to try one?

 

FUE Hair Transplant: What You Need to Know

Whether or not to attempt hair restoration through a hair transplant is a big decision. Not only can it permanently alter your appearance, but it can also cost several thousands of dollars and may not yield the results you’re after.

Fortunately, you have options when it comes to getting a hair transplant, and the decisions you make can determine how happy you’ll be with the outcome of your hair restoration. One of the biggest questions to answer is whether you should get a follicular unit extraction (FUE) hair transplant or follicular unit transplantation (FUT) hair transplant. Though each involves moving hair follicles from one area of the scalp to another, they do so in different ways, with different costs, recovery time and results.

In this article, we’re going to explore follicular unit extraction or FUE transplant.

 

What is an FUE hair transplant?

A follicular unit extraction, also known as an FUE transplant or FUE procedure, is a type of surgery in which hair follicles are removed from a donor area of the scalp and moved to an area of the scalp where hair loss is affecting the patient. The donor area carries that name because with hair transplants, every patient is his or her own hair donor; donations from another person would be too easily rejected by the recipient’s body. Usually, the donor area for an FUE hair restoration procedure is located at the back of sides of the scalp, where hair loss is less common and there are hair follicles to spare.

During a follicular unit extraction or FUE procedure, the hair on the scalp must be cut short so that it is easier to find and remove the follicular units for transplantation. Next, a physician uses a small instrument to extract individual follicular units (a hair follicle and tiny amount of tissue and skin, together known as a graft) from areas of the scalp with a higher volume of hair. The grafts are then prepared to be reinserted into parts of the scalp where baldness or less severe hair loss is occurring.

Minuscule incisions are then put in the scalp where the follicular units or grafts are to be transplanted. The grafts are then placed individually into these little incisions, with special care to maintain a natural look.

The incisions from the transplant of the follicular units will heal within a few days of the FUE procedure. The hair usually falls out of the follicular units within a week or two as the grafts reset and prepare to grow hair in their new location. Within three months, new growth begins and after another three months, hair restoration is complete and the transplanted hair should be growing in a way that appears natural with the surrounding hair.

 

What is the difference between FUE and FUT hair transplants?

With FUE hair restoration, the follicular units are harvested individually so that it’s nearly impossible to tell where the hair was removed from the donor area.

With a FUT procedure, the hair does not always need to be trimmed prior to the procedure, and the follicular units are removed from one or more donor areas on the scalp in a small strip. After the follicular units have been removed, they are then separated into smaller grafts to be transplanted to areas with hair loss. The surgery requires stitches where the follicular units were removed, and it leaves a scar that is visible unless the patient wears their hair at a longer length to cover it. The recovery time is also longer than it is with a FUE hair transplant, sometimes taking a couple of weeks before the incisions have healed. However, the procedure takes less time to perform than a FUE surgery and usually costs less as well.

 

How much does an FUE hair transplant cost?

A FUE hair transplant costs thousands of dollars, but the exact cost can vary widely between providers, especially because every patient’s hair restoration needs are different. For example, the number of follicular units needed can vary, and sometimes more than one procedure is required to achieve the desired result. It’s best to contact several providers to get an estimate of what FUE hair transplant will cost for your particular situation, and many offer free consultations.

 

What are the alternatives to an FUE hair transplant?

While FUE procedure can offer hair restoration, it can be very costly and isn’t for everyone. But there are other ways to support healthy hair growth and improve the appearance of your hair. You can also try supporting your body’s capacity to grow hair from within by taking a hair health supplement.

What Is Balayage Hair? Technique and Hair Color

The Beauty of Balayage: All About the Popular Hair Color Trend

 

Looking to change up your hair color this season? Balayage hair may be the perfect option for you. We caught up with celebrity hairstylist Bianca Hillier, “The Queen of Color,” to learn all about the basics of balayage. Hillier is known for creating customized, beachy balayage hair and is responsible for Rocky Barnes’ gorgeous sunkissed highlights. She actually teaches her own master class about how to perfectly perform balayage hair, so she’s clearly an expert at this popular technique. Let’s listen in!

 

What Is Balayage?

“Balayage is not just a look, it is a technique used to highlight,” Hillier explains. The origins of the word are actually in France, but it first became popular as a color technique in the ‘90s. “It is a French term meaning sweeping,” she shares. “Think of it as paint sweeping onto the hair.” Since stylists actually paint the color on your hair using a precision brush, balayage allows you to get highlights without using foils while spending less time in the salon.

 

How Does Balayage Hair Color Compare to Traditional Foil Highlights?

“Balayage is a sheer ribboning highlight that sits on top of the hair for a more translucent, sun-kissed finish,” Hillier explains. “A foil or weaved highlight is streaky and a more dense colour due to the heat conducted by the foil, allowing the chemicals to penetrate through the hair,” she says. Instead of wrapping colored sections in foils, stylists sometimes use cotton strips to keep the painted pieces divided and separated from the rest of the hair while doing the balayage technique.

Besides taking less time at the salon when you opt for balayage hair, growing out your color at home can be easier, too. “Since the chemicals act faster with heat in a foil, foil highlights creates more of a stripe-like appearance, which means a more noticeable grow out.” she reveals. “Balayage is fluid and sheer, enabling the hair to grow in with a more flawless line of demarcation.”

 

What’s the Difference Between Balayage Technique and Ombré?

With balayage hair, your stylist is using color to make parts of your hair lighter and create a seamless effect, whereas ombré involves using two different colors. “Balayage is a technique used to highlight,” she says. “Ombré is a look referencing a dark to light gradient.” Ombré hair is typically darker on the top of the head and lighter at the bottom which looks more dramatic than balayage hair.

 

Who Can Get Balayage?

Blonde balayage may be the most popular style of the color, but anyone looking for multidimensional color can consider balayage, according to Hillier. “Balayage can be done on all hair types, but it may not be the best or easiest approach, depending on what you’re starting with and what the desired results are,” she advises. Balayage is often seen on straight hair, but people with curly or wavy hair can get it as well. Sometimes Hillier paints balayage on clients’ natural curly hair, and other times, she straightens it before beginning color. Your best bet is booking a consultation and talking to your hairstylist in person to find out if the balayage technique is right for your locks.

 

What to Do Before and After Balayage

It’s a good idea to get a trim to perfect your shape before you get any color done. “I always suggest getting a haircut prior to any balayage service,” Hillier shares. “Balayage placement is done according to how the hair falls. If a beautiful 6-inch ribboning tip gets a 2-inch haircut, then there will be dark holes in the color pattern especially if layers are newly created.”

Once you ensure you’re happy with your current haircut, then it’s time to book your balayage treatment. It’s also helpful to bring in some inspiration. Find photos of celebrities with balayage treatments you like to make sure you and your stylist share the same vision prior to getting started. Another tip: before your stylist begins applying color, show them where you usually part your hair so they’re applying it to the way you typically wear your it.

Wondering how often you’ll have to visit your stylist to maintain your balayage hair? It really depends on the individual person and their unique hair. “Several variables dictate the maintenance scheduling such as, how often the client washes their hair, what products are used to shampoo and condition, how often they are thermal styling, what tools are used to thermally style the hair, the integrity of the hair and more,” she says. “Some clients may need to come in every 8 weeks, while others can wait 6 or 9 months.”

If you decide to get balayage hair yourself, taking a natural hair wellness supplement like Nutrafol’s Core for Women can help keep your strands healthy and growing and counteract any damage done by coloring.