Hair transplant for women
In women the hairline is usually preserved and the loss shows as diffuse thinning along the parting; a transplant is only planned after measuring whether the donor area is affected too.
- Procedure time
- 6–9 hours
- Anaesthesia
- Local anaesthetic
- Recovery
- 10 days of crusting
- Sessions
- One session, a second if needed
- How long it lasts
- Permanent; result completes at 12–18 months
A different pattern of loss
Male pattern loss progresses by hairline recession and crown opening. In women the hairline is usually preserved and the loss appears as diffuse thinning along the parting. That pattern is described with the Ludwig classification, not with Norwood.
Because the pattern is diffuse, the donor area may be partly affected as well. In a female patient, therefore, donor assessment comes before the decision to transplant — not after it.
The cause is looked for first
Hair loss in women can sit on top of iron deficiency, thyroid disorder, polycystic ovary syndrome, post-partum hormonal change, rapid weight loss or medication.
Where one of those is present, it is treated first. A transplant done without addressing the cause is undone by continuing thinning. Assessment therefore begins with blood tests, and if you have had them done by your GP in the past year, bring the results — ferritin, TSH and a full blood count are the ones that matter.
Is the donor area good enough
Follicular unit density and hair calibre at the nape are measured microscopically. Where there is visible thinning in the donor area, a graft taken from there carries on thinning where it is moved to.
This measurement changes the decision more often than anything else in female patients. Where the result is unfavourable, a transplant is not recommended and a plan is built instead around medical treatment of the shedding and hair care.
The transplant plan
In female patients an unshaven or partially shaved technique is usually chosen, with the donor window concealed by the hair above it.
- Narrowing a broad forehead and bringing the hairline forward
- Adding density along the parting, between the existing hairs
- Rebuilding temple triangles that have receded over time
- Filling areas of permanent loss caused by traction
Recovery timeline
The first wash is done at the clinic on the day after the operation. Crusts have gone within 10 days, and long hair partly conceals the transplanted area so you look normal sooner.
Shock loss appears between months two and four. Because grafts are placed between existing hairs, there can be a temporary sense of thinning in that period. Permanent regrowth starts at month four and the result completes at 12–18 months.
Who this is not for, and what not to expect
In a significant proportion of female patients the loss is unpatterned and includes the donor area. In that picture a transplant is not performed: the graft taken carries on thinning where it is moved to. The decision is made by donor measurement, not by eye.
A transplant adds follicles to a thinned area; it does not stop your existing hair from shedding. In diffuse thinning what should be expected is not complete closure but a measured gain in density along the parting and around the forehead.
- Diffuse unpatterned loss where the donor area is also thinning — a transplant is not performed
- Active scarring alopecia (frontal fibrosing alopecia, lichen planopilaris) — no transplant is planned until the disease has been quiet for at least two years
- Telogen effluvium with an unresolved cause — no transplant until iron, thyroid or hormonal picture is corrected
- Active alopecia areata and trichotillomania — not performed without dermatology assessment
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding — elective procedures are deferred
This page is general information and does not replace a clinical examination. The method, dose and timescale that apply to you are decided by a doctor after examining you.
Frequently asked questions
Will I have to cut my hair?
Will a transplant stop the thinning?
How many grafts do women need?
Can every woman have a hair transplant?
Pre-assessment
Describe your situation and we will answer with a measurement
Send a photograph or an X-ray. A doctor in the relevant speciality will reply with a graft range, a number of teeth or a dose range in units. If you are not suitable, we say so plainly.