Hair Transplants for Women: Yes, they do Exist

It’s not just men who fall victim of the receding hairline. In fact, the majority of women have probably noticed that their hairline has moved back from their forehead with age – but it’s normally not obvious enough to do anything about it.

In some instances, however, a receding hairline can become pretty noticeable. Even if you’ve got a lot of hair on your head, it’s not going to cover up the fact that you’ve got less and less of it at the front. And this is where surgery options may come into play.

The latest celebrity to document her surgery for a receding hairline, as reported by Yahoo! News, is Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis. Stephanie, aged 26, shared a video of the procedure to her Instagram, and admitted that it was “something I’d wanted for many years”.

Unfortunately, the society we live in is one that’s obsessed with appearance, so it’s hardly surprising that Stephanie found some people to be unaccepting of her hairline. She said, “I was bullied and called horrible names in school because of my high hairline.” Which, when you think about it, is just ridiculous.

Simply ignoring the bullies might sound easy, but it rarely is in reality. Hopefully Stephanie eventually decided on the surgery for her reasons and her reasons alone – she’s a long way past school age now, and how she chooses to amend her appearance is completely her decision.

How does surgery work?

Hair transplant surgery is similar whether it’s carried out on a man or a woman, although the procedure varies depending on exactly what each patient wants to achieve. It’s never been more popular, with an apparent 168% increase in the total number of procedures performed in Europe in 2016.

The procedure offers a permanent solution to baldness, and people usually choose to undergo the surgery to alter the appearance of their hairline. Whether this means amending a bald patch at the back, or treating a receding hairline like Stephanie, there’s usually always a way that the procedure can “reverse” the signs of balding.

There are two most common types of hair transplant, but the first and more popular option is known as the FUE (follicular unit extraction). Remember when Wayne Rooney had his hair transplant? He underwent a FUE, where some of your hairs are removed from the back and sides of the scalp, and are then essentially replanted in the areas of baldness.

The second, less common option is the FUT, or follicular unit transplantation. This is where the hair is removed entirely by carefully cutting a strip of skin away from the scalp. Grafts are then extracted from the strip of skin very carefully, and then replanted in the areas of baldness as they would in a FUE. Unsurprisingly, the FUT treatment is the cheaper option, but for good reason: it leaves a pretty obvious scar on the scalp. This is why most people tend to opt for an FUE if they have the money to do so.

There’s no definitive cost of surgery wherever you go. It usually depends on factors like how much hair you need regrafting, thus how long the surgery will take, and other matters, like the reputation of your surgeon. You can expect to pay into the hundred-thousands for a top celebrity surgeon, for example, while general surgeries might only cost up to £15,000.

The future of hair transplant surgery for women

While baldness is still seen as a “male” thing, women can deal with hairline issues in exactly the same sense, and there’s no reason why a woman with a receding hairline can’t consider hair transplant surgery. With increasing skills and knowledge of the procedure, as well as an increase in the number of surgeons and patients who want the procedure done, hair transplant surgery is only set to become more popular.

It’s us women who usually take the most pride in our appearances – it’s a stereotype but also true, with statistics showing that the majority of cosmetic surgeries carried out year-by-year are on women – so it makes sense that hair transplant surgery is going to appeal more to women once it’s more widely available.

What do we think about hair transplant surgery? Like all cosmetic procedures, it’s costly, and ultimately, the decision is completely down to yourself. It’s not dangerous, and it will give you your desired look, but it’s worth having a deep discussion with your surgeon and weighing up the pros and cons before committing to anything.