The crown hair transplant refers to treating hair loss or hair thinning on the crown region of the head with the help of hair restoration surgery. Hair loss at the crown of the head or low crown hair density are results of androgenetic alopecia or mostly male pattern hair loss.
This is the most common cause of hair loss, affecting both men and women.
Did you know that 80% of men experience different stages of hair loss in the crown area, 16% of males between the ages of 18-29 suffer from this type of hair loss, while the percentage increases drastically to 53% for the age range 40-49%.
Below is the summary of what you are going to learn in this article:
- THIS IS THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE TO RESTORE HAIR ON THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE HEAD
- THE RANGE FOR CROWN HAIR TRANSPLANT COST IN THE U.S. IS $3000-$6000 IN COMPARISON TO $1800-$3000 PRICE RANGE IN TURKEY
- THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF GRAFTS NEEDED FOR THIS TYPE OF HAIR RESTORATION IS 2300
- THE PREFERRED TECHNIQUES ARE FUE AND DHI
- TECHNIQUES THAT HELP WITH A FASTER HEALING PROCESS LIKE PRP
Without further ado let’s dive in.
Your Guide On Crown Hair Transplants: What To Know
Crown hair loss restoration is an effective way to address hair loss and thinning on top of the head. It can help patients feel confident again and look their best.
There are several important things to know for an in-depth understanding of a crown hair transplant procedure. This comprehensive guide includes everything you need to know including:
- WHERE THE CROWN OF THE HEAD IS
- IF YOU CAN GET A HAIR TRANSPLANT ON THE CROWN AREA
- HOW MUCH CROWN HAIR TRANSPLANT COSTS
- CROWN HAIR TRANSPLANT SUCCESS RATE
- HOW MANY GRFATS ARE NEEDED
- BEST TECHNIQUES FOR CROWN HAIR TRANSPLANT
- IF WOMEN CAN GET CROWN HAIR TRANSPLANT
Here’s a video of our patient talking about getting a crown hair transplant:
Where Is The Crown Of The Head?
The crown of the head is the area right behind the vertex, the highest point of the skull. The crown is the uppermost dorsal part of the head.
Can You Get A Hair Transplant On The Crown Area?
The short answer is yes. If there’s enough hair in the donor site, a hair transplant for the crown area is the best treatment option for crown baldness and hair thinning. The donor areas are from the back or sides of the scalp.
How Much Does A Crown Hair Transplant Cost?
The average price for crown hair restoration surgery in the U.S. is 6000 dollars. Meanwhile in Turkey, one of the most preferred destinations for hair transplants, the crown hair transplant cost is $2600.
Country | Turkey | United States | United Kingdoms |
Price Range For Crown Hair Transplant | $1800-$6000 | $3000-$13000 | $5000-$15000 |
The determining factors for the cost are:
- THE NUMBER OF THE TRANSPLANTED HAIR FOLLICLES
- THE HAIR TRANSPLANT SURGEON’S EXPERIENCE
- THE USED TECHNIQUE
Crown Hair Transplant Success Rate
The crown hair transplant success rate is reported more than 95%. The success rates for this procedure are high. However, it usually takes a bit longer to see the final results compared to other hair transplant types.
The success rate of hair transplantation is highly associated with:
- THE SURGEON’S EXPERIENCE
- THE USE OF PROPER TECHNIQUES
- THE EXTENT OF HAIR LOSS
How Many Grafts Are Needed?
The number of grafts used in a crown hair treatment session usually varies between 1000 to 2500 follicles. If the surgeon decides a patient needs a megasession they can implant up to 3000 hair follicles. The number of grafts for the crown region depends on the size of the bald area and the hair density.
A more specific approach is to consider the number of grafts based on the graft calculator for each zone. The formula for the crown area is 20 follicles/cm2. So in regard to that, the number of grafts for different zones of the crown are:
- ZONE 5: 880 TO 1050
- ZONE 6: 680 TO 720
- ZONE 7: 360 TO 680
Best Techniques For Crown Hair Transplant
The preferred techniques for crown hair restoration procedures are FUE and DHI. These techniques cause less post-op scarring, less pain and discomfort, and more satisfying outcomes compared to FUT.
The hair on the vertex is circular or whorl. These techniques help with implanting the hair follicles at the right angle in this area, resulting in a natural look.
Can Women Get Crown Hair Transplant?
Yes, women who suffer from hair loss or hair thinning on the crown of their head can undergo crown hair transplant to treat it. Just like in men, women can suffer from crown hair thinning due to androgenic alopecia. The crown hair restoration for women is the same as for men.
Risks Of Crown Hair Transplant
Even though a crown transplant is a surgical procedure, the risks are minimal. Possible hair transplant risks of the crown include:
- PROLONGED BLEEDING
- INFECTION
- SCARRING
Prolonged Bleeding
Even though bleeding after crown hair transplant surgery is a common side effect, prolonged bleeding can be a risk of the procedure. This is a rare occurrence and if done by a skilled surgeon the chances are very low.
Infection
There is a risk of post-op infection after crown hair restoration surgery. This is completely manageable by antibiotics. Yet, it can be prevented if the operation is performed in a sterile environment by an expert surgeon.
Scarring
The skin on the crown of the head is thicker than in other areas. This can increase the possible risks of crown hair transplant scars. The use of proper hair implantation techniques by a skilled doctor can easily ward this off.
How To Know If I'm Eligible For A Crown Hair Transplant?
To know if you are an eligible candidate for surgical restoration of crown hair, you should consider the factors below:
- BALDNESS OR HAIR THINNING ON THE CROWN AREA
- PATIENT’S AGE
- DONOR AREA AVAILABILITY
- GOOD OVERALL HEALTH
- REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Baldness Or Hair Thinning On The Crown Area
The surgeon needs to assess the stage of crown hair loss to decide if the patient is an eligible candidate. For this purpose, the doctor usually uses a specific scale called the Norwood-Hamilton Scale to determine the stage of hair loss. This is important because having the procedure too early or too late into the hair loss stage affects the results.
Patient's Age
The patient has to be at least 25 years old to be considered eligible. The ideal age is over 30 years old. This is because the crown hair loss pattern has to be established. If the treatment is done earlier, patients might need further surgeries in the future.
Donor Area Availability
It is important to have enough healthy hair follicles at the sides or rear of the scalp for implantation. If not, the surgery might not be successful and the required result may not be achieved.
Good Overall Health
Good overall physical and mental health are essential factors for eligibility. Crown hair transplant is a minimally invasive procedure. Yet the patient’s body and mental condition can affect the final outcome.
Realistic Expectations
It is important to know hair transplantation can restore lost hair to a high extent, but there’s always the chance of the baldness recurring. In addition to that, hair restoration surgery can’t treat complete baldness. Having expectation within the limits of logic prevents future disappointments and helps enjoy the results.
Which Technique Should I Choose If I Need A Crown Hair Transplant?
The preferred techniques for vertex hair transplant are FUE and DHI. However, the best technique for your crown hair transplant is decided by your surgeon during the initial consultation. This decision is based on the patient’s goals, the type of hair loss, crown hairline design, and the donor’s hair availability.
Recovery And Aftercare
The crown hair transplant recovery is quite short and fast, thanks to the minimally invasive nature of the restoring techniques. Patients can get back to their daily routine after two or three days if they don’t wish to take some days off.
There are some useful aftercare tips for a fast recovery:
- SLEEP ON YOUR BACK IN AN ELEVATED POSITION
- AVOID STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES FOR AT LEAST 2-3 MONTHS
- AVOID DIRECT SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE
- NO SMOKING AND DRINKING FOR AT LEAST 2 MONTHS
- FOLLOW THE POST-SURGERY INSTRUCTION THOROUGHLY
When Can I See The Results?
The final results for crown hair transplantation are usually seen 18 months after the procedure, compared to 12 months for other types of hair transplant.
But why? Let us explain briefly:
- THE SCALP IS THICKER IN THE CROWN AREA
- THE BLOOD CIRCULATION IS REDUCED BECAUSE OF THE BALDNESS PATTERN.
On a quick side note, we would like to remind you of a normal occurrence after a hair transplant called shock loss. This is a temporary on which hairs start to shed weeks following the surgery before the permanent hair grows.
How To Promote Faster Hair Growth After Crown Hair Transplant?
To promote faster hair growth in this region, you can use some helpful techniques such as:
- PRP
- MASSAGE THERAPY AFTER 5 MONTH
- MINOXIDIL
- LASER THERAPY
Consultation with your doctor helps you understand the best supplements to get the maximum fullness and coverage.
This has been our crown hair transplant guide. We hope you have found the answers to all your questions in regard to this surgical procedure for crown balding treatment. If you wish to know how our experienced surgeon performs this surgery with high success and satisfactory rates through a special procedure called soft FUE, do not hesitate to contact us.
REFERENCES
(1)Piraccini BM, Alessandrini A. Androgenetic alopecia. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2014 Feb;149(1):15-24. PMID: 24566563.
(2)Rhodes T, Girman CJ, Savin RC, Kaufman KD, Guo S, Lilly FR, Siervogel RM, Chumlea WC. Prevalence of male pattern hair loss in 18-49 year old men. Dermatol Surg. 1998 Dec;24(12):1330-2. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.1998.tb00009.x. PMID: 9865198.
(3) Devroye J. Management of the crown. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2013 Aug;21(3):397-406. doi: 10.1016/j.fsc.2013.06.005. PMID: 24017981.
(4) Sasaki GH. The Effects of Lower vs Higher Cell Number of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) on Hair Density and Diameter in Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA): A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo, Parallel-Group Half-Scalp IRB-Approved Study. Aesthet Surg J. 2021 Oct 15;41(11):NP1659-NP1672. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjab236. Erratum in: Aesthet Surg J. 2022 Dec 14;42(12):NP811-NP812. PMID: 34050738.
