How Many Sessions Are Required for Hair Transplant?

Iran Health Agency > blog > How Many Sessions Are Required for Hair Transplant?

Review by: Doctor Mehdi Ahmadi
Publish: April 15, 2024
Update: May 26, 2024

When it comes to hair transplants, one of the most commonly asked questions is: How many sessions do they take? Based on our experience with so many hair transplant clinics in Iran, here is the complete answer to your concern.

A hair transplant can take multiple sessions depending on the extent of hair loss and the desired coverage area. Here are some key points about the number of sessions required for a hair transplant:
For a small or moderate area of hair loss, achieving the desired result in a single session lasting 6-9 hours may be possible.
However, if the balding area is large or advanced, multiple sessions may be required, typically 2-4.
The number of sessions depends on factors like the patient's hair type (density, thickness), the recipient area's size, and donor hair availability.
Each session allows the transplantation of around 3000-5000 grafts or follicular units.13 More grafts require longer sessions or additional sessions.
Experienced surgeons can determine the ideal number of sessions based on the patient's condition and their expertise.
Spacing out significant transplant procedures over multiple sessions helps ensure optimal graft survival and natural-looking results instead of overly dense packing in one session.

So, while a single long session may suffice for some patients, multiple sessions spaced out over time are commonly required for extensive hair restoration, especially with advanced hair loss.

Hair Transplant Sessions Count

Here’s a table summarizing the typical range:

Desired Hair Coverage	Number of Sessions (Estimated)
Minor hair loss or touch-up	1-2 sessions
Moderate hair loss	2-3 sessions
Extensive hair loss	3-4 sessions

Glossary of terms for hair loss extent:

Minor hair loss or touch-up: You must fix a small area of hair loss or thin hair. In its early stages, it may show up as a receding hairline or a few bald spots on the head.
Moderate hair loss: Moderate hair loss means the hair is getting thinner on a more significant part of the head. The forehead may have faded a lot, and you may be able to see your skin where your hair used to be. There is still a lot of given hair that can be used for grafts, though.
Extensive hair loss: A person has significant hair loss if they are primarily bald and don’t grow back in large areas of their head. The hairline may have thinned out a lot, and there may be no hair around the crown. Due to hair loss, the donation area may need to be more significant.

Consider these things:

We’re just giving you a general guideline. Your hair transplant surgeon will assess your needs and recommend the lessons that will work for you.
Sessions are generally spaced out over a few months so the body has time to heal.
Each session can last 4 hours or more.

Number of sessions based on hair transplant technique

Your number of sessions will also depend on the hair transplant technique used. So please look at the below table for complete information:

Feature	FUT (Strip Method)	FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction)
Harvesting Technique	A thin strip of scalp is removed from the donor area and dissected into individual follicular Units.	Hair follicles are extracted one at a time directly from the donor area using a small punch tool.
Linear Scar	The back of the scalp is left with a linear scar. It may require shaving the head during surgery.	No linear scar. Minimal scarring at extraction sites, often undetectable with short hair.
Recovery Time	Due to the strip removal, recovery time is longer.	Using minimal incisions reduces recovery time.
Donor Area	Can harvest a more significant number of grafts in a single session.	The number of grafts harvested per session may be limited.
Suitability	It is ideal for patients who need many grafts or have limited donor scalp laxity (tight scalp).	It is suitable for patients with a scarless look or a tight scalp.
Cost	Generally, it is less expensive due to the shorter operating time.	It may be more costly due to the more meticulous extraction process.
Hair Transplant Sessions (Estimated)	1-2 sessions	2-4 sessions

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Doctor Mehdi Ahmadi

Body and Facial plastic surgeon Providing all beauty services of body, skin, facial cosmetic surgery, etc., specialized with more than 10 years of experience and 1,000 successful cosmetic surgeries.