Crown Hair Transplant: A Timeline

Losing your hair is never easy. It doesn’t matter where it comes from – the hairline, eyebrows, beard, or crown – it can always feel like losing a part of your identity. Losing hair on the crown of your head is particularly common, especially in men, and typically occurs during the natural ageing process due to androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). [1]

Naturally, many people want a solution to crown hair loss. Introducing the crown hair transplant, a procedure that restores hair growth to the crown area, giving patients the chance to enjoy the full head of hair they once had in their youth. It’s a popular procedure that can give a huge confidence boost.

So, what’s actually involved in a crown hair transplant? Is it a straightforward process, or is it an invasive surgery that requires months of recovery? Learn everything you need to know in this crown hair transplant timeline guide.

What is a Crown Hair Transplant?

Let’s start with a simple definition. A crown hair transplant refers to a minimally invasive surgical procedure that takes hair follicles from one area of the scalp (the donor area) and then transplants them to the crown. This transplantation means the hair follicles can take root, leading to hair growth in the crown.

Why Are Crown Hair Transplants Popular?

A crown hair transplant is one of the most popular types of hair transplants due to the location of the hair loss. Crown hair loss is extremely common. It typically occurs in men due to male pattern hair loss and starts at the very top of the head. It can either look like a patch of full hair loss or thinning around the crown. Over time, crown hair loss can expand, becoming a larger circle. Often, it’s at this stage that men either accept their hair loss by shaving it all off or pursue a hair loss treatment like a hair transplant, or other hair loss medications.

Hair Transplant Crown Area: The Timeline

So, what can you expect from a crown hair restoration procedure? Here is a timeline.

1. Consultation

Any cosmetic procedure begins with a consultation. You can book a consultation with a clinic to start the process. You will speak directly with a hair transplant surgeon about your reason for wanting a crown hair transplant procedure and your expectations, and the surgeon will talk you through the procedure and ask about your medical history. It will be during this consultation that it’s decided whether (or not) you are a good candidate for the surgery, and the surgeon will also be able to discuss treatment options, draw up a treatment plan following the consultation and give you more accurate total of the crown hair transplant cost. If you want access to a consultation with the top surgeons in the hair transplant industry, download the hair track app.

2. The Procedure

The next step is the crown hair transplant surgery itself. The surgery is minimally invasive and involves local anaesthetic, so you will be awake the entire time but won’t feel any pain. The most common type of surgery is follicular unit extraction FUE, where the surgeon will make minor incisions at your donor area (usually the side areas of the scalp) and then insert the grafted hair follicles into the crown. It should take a few hours, but the length of time depends on the number of hair grafts you need. The more grafts required, the longer an FUE hair transplant will take.

3. Directly Following the Procedure

You can return home the same day of the hair transplant. Following the surgery, you will have a shaved head. The area will feel sore and tender, and you may experience pain once the local anaesthetic wears off. There may be some swelling in the next couple of days, which you can treat with ice packs and anti-inflammatory pain medications. It’s important at this stage to follow the surgeon’s instructions to a tee, as the instructions will minimise the risk of infection around the transplanted hair area.

4. Two Months After the Procedure

Two months after the procedure it’s very common to experience shock hair loss, which is when the hair falls out rather quickly. It can be worrying, but it’s completely normal and will make way for new hairs to grow through eventually.

5. Four Months After the Procedure

You will finally begin to see the start of noticeable hair growth around four months after the hair transplant surgery. The hairs may seem fine and baby-like at first, but they will increase in thickness and density the more they grow.

6. Eight Months After the Procedure

Around eight months following the procedure is when the hair will grow thicker and given to cover the crown area. It might not look completely covered at this stage, but it will look very natural and the hairs should blend well with your surrounding hair.

7. Final Results

The full results of a crown hair transplant should show between twelve and eighteen months following the surgery. At this stage, you will see full hair growth around the crown. The hair will be thick and dense and no thinning should be present at all.

Do Crown Hair Transplants Take Longer than Others?

Yes – hair transplants to the crown tend to take longer than other hair transplants for several reasons. The main reason for this is the blood supply. Following a hair transplant, the hair follicles need continuous blood circulation to help speed up the hair growth cycle. There is less blood supply to the crown than the rest of the head and body, which is what slows down the results.

How Successful are Crown Hair Transplants?

Crown hair transplants are very successful! This is especially true for FUE hair transplants. The success rate is above 90%, so most patients who step into a hair transplant clinic to regrow their crown hair can expect full hair regrowth within a year.

If you want an idea of what a crown hair transplant can look like, take a look at our patients gallery.

How to Increase Chances of a Successful Recovery

After going through surgery and spending money on a hair transplant, you will naturally want to do whatever you can to increase your chances of success. Follow these tips.

Follow All Instructions

You have to do your part! Following the procedure, the surgeon will give you written instructions that you should follow. Don’t think you can get away with not following them, as this will only decrease the chances of success and even increase the risk of infection. So, follow the instructions, and you should be fine.

Be Gentle

Don’t start scratching or rubbing at the crown as soon as you get home. While itchiness is common, it’s important to avoid touching the area too much. Be very gentle.

Use a Baby Shampoo

You want to avoid putting any harsh chemicals onto the scalp, especially during the first few weeks. So, following the surgery, opt for a baby shampoo to wash your hair instead of your regular one. Your scalp will thank you.

Do Not Smoke or Drink Alcohol

Smoking and drinking alcohol is a bad idea following the procedure. The reason is that it can hinder the healing process by reducing blood flow and even weakening the immune system. It can even increase the risk of infection, so it’s best to avoid them both altogether.

Choose the Right Clinic

It’s not all about what you do following the surgery – it’s also about choosing the right clinic. Not every hair transplant clinic is the same. If you want to increase the chances of success, find a highly reputable clinic that has already performed multiple successful crown hair transplants on their patients. Looking at customer reviews and testimonials is a good way to find the right clinic. It’s also recommended to choose a UK-based hair clinic, as that way, you’ll be able to receive optimal post-transplant care without having to travel. Plus, it’s easier to know whether a clinic is reputable if it’s in your own country.

Is a Crown Hair Transplant Right for You?

Are you on the fence about getting a crown hair transplant? Here are some indications that you would make a good candidate:

• You Are Over 25
• You Have Significant Hair Loss at the Crown
• You Don’t Have an Autoimmune Disease
• You Don’t Have a Skin Condition on the Scalp
• You Have Good Hair Growth at the Sides of Your Head

Of course, it’s always best to speak directly to a hair transplant clinic to determine whether you are a good candidate or not. Plus, you can learn even more about each step of the process.

Hair Transplant Crown: Final Thoughts

A crown hair transplant does not give immediate results. It’s quite a slow process, taking at least twelve months after the procedure date for full results to show through. However, it’s more than worth it for many patients, as the results are natural and permanent. There’s nothing like being able to grow out a full head of hair after experiencing androgenetic alopecia!

If you are interested in getting a crown hair transplant at a reputable clinic with plenty of experience, you’re in the right place – contact the Harley Street Hair Clinic today to learn more or book a consultation.

Sources:

1. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/androgenetic-alopecia/