BSG is interested in aligning with patients on results and restoring hair style, not catering to some predetermined graft number. While this approach is highly uncommon in the world of hair restoration, it has been our approach since we first opened. Our goal is to have our patients tell us, “my hair looks great” not, “my 2,000 grafts looks great”. To achieve the best results, there are a number of considerations that will determine how many grafts a patient will need; and this number never ends in multiple zeros. When patients sign up for a fixed number of grafts, they will either not get enough hair, or possibly worse, they will have been over harvested and see their donor supply depleted for no good reason. This latter case could prevent them from having additional restoration upon future hair loss.

BSG Hair Restoration Surgeons start the procedure day by drawing out the areas where hair will be transplanted. This process is very detail oriented and the patient (with a partner if desired) will work with the doctor until a fully agreed upon plan is chosen. After this, the doctor will make the recipient sites for the new grafts based on the final approved drawings. The drawings therefore will affect the number of sites to be made, which will influence the number of grafts needed. This method allows us to never over or under harvest as we figure out what is exactly needed, and then we get what is required.

Since a BSG Surgeon finishes making recipient sites before graft harvesting, there is minimal out of body time of the grafts, as they can be placed quickly without the need to wait for sites to be made subsequently. In fact, we commonly place grafts at the same time as harvesting, a technique that BSG Founder Dr. Rome presented at a major Hair Restoration conference.

Another reason BSG does not charge by graft is that different individuals will need a different number of grafts to achieve the same result. The reason for this is due to hair type, which is often related to race. For example, Caucasion hair tends to have follicular unit groupings of 3-4 hairs whereas Asian hair tends to have follicular unit groupings of 1-2 hairs, so the same number of grafts will equate to twice as much hair for caucasions. Finer and straighter hair will require more grafts to get appreciable density than thicker and curly/wavy hair. More contrast between hair and scalp (ie dark hair with light skin, and light hair with dark skin) will require more grafts to cover the scalp. For these reasons, we do not find it ethical to charge by graft when a person of one race will require more grafts than a person of another race to achieve desired results.

Furthermore, there is poor consensus into what is considered a graft, ie is it a hair, is it a follicular unit, etc. Often larger unit grafts are trimmed into more than one graft when single haired grafts are needed to build up a hairline. While this is an appropriate use of graft duplication, using this practice to simply increase graft counts is unethical as it leads to less hair transplanted just for the sake of matching a predetermined graft number, not to mention the unnecessary risk to the grafts undergoing dissection without cause. At BSG, we never cut down grafts beyond the need to get enough singles for the hairline. In fact, we will often create larger grafts from smaller ones in the case of fine hair with lower numbers of hairs per follicular unit. This effectively decreases our graft count, but allows us to double the number of hairs transplanted. As an example, if an individual had all two haired follicular units, and had 1,000 units harvested, if each unit was cut into two grafts, a total of 2,000 grafts will be placed; whereas as if none of these units were cut 1,000 grafts would be placed; and if each of these grafts were grouped together to create all four haired grafts, 500 grafts would be placed. In each example 2,000 hairs are placed. This represents another reason it becomes very confusing to charge by the graft.

Barber Surgeons Guild^® is fully committed to achieving the best possible results. We aim to harvest the appropriate number of grafts needed to achieve a desired outcome. We have no motivation to underharvest, just as we have motivation to overharvest.

FUE requires the donor area (back of the head) to be buzzed down to 1mm (no guard). BSG Master Barbers will provide a professional fade prior to the procedure to allow the hair to grow back nicely without the need for a haircut immediately after. While the back of the head heals very nicely after just a week, some people do not want any of the healing process in the back to be visible during that week. This can be accomplished by having longer hair in the back which can be pinned up above a shaved section below of about 2 finger breadths. This is also known as a “window procedure” as the shaved section has a window appearance with longer hair surring it from each side. After the procedure the longer hair can lay down to cover the donor area as it heals. As only a percentage of the hairs are taken, the remaining hairs will begin to grow out immediately and will eventually catch up to the surrounding hairs.

BSG does not require patients to shave their heads for our Robotic FUE procedures. Many patients will opt to do so anyway, especially for larger full head procedures, but it is never a requirement. BSG Master Barbers will provide a professional fade prior to the procedure to allow the hair to grow back nicely without the need for a haircut immediately after. Many places will simply shave the back of the head which is not a great look!

Hairs harvested in the FUE procedure will grow where they are relocated. As they are being removed from the donor area, the procedure will thin out that area a degree. The good news is the high density of hairs in this region can often support a couple FUE procedures before the area begins to look visibly thin.

First and foremost, BSG aims to align on results and will never charge by graft. For more details on this topic, please see the FAQ called “Why doesn’t BSG charge by the graft?”.

BSG was founded with style first considerations, hence the inclusion of a grooming lounge staffed with Master Barbers. BSG is much more than a hair restoration clinic – it is a place where we can leverage the most advanced medical technologies to achieve the best hairstyles for individuals who require more hair to meet their style goals.

As BSG performs more Robotic FUE than any other center in NYC or LA, our large caseload has allowed us to develop internal protocols for every hair type from curly to straight, fine to thick, etc. There is nowhere more experienced in Robotic FUE than BSG.

Finally, BSG hair restoration surgeons are all highly experienced in the field of hair transplantation and each are members of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS).

Hair restoration is equal parts art as its science. When the art is overshadowed by the science, aesthetic results become compromised. The BSG namesake originates from the legacy trade of the Barber Surgeon who was responsible for all Barbering and Surgery from the 11th Century through the late 17th Century. Modern surgery was based on the contributions of the Barber Surgeons who first performed everything from tooth extraction to amputations. While barbers and surgeons have separated over the last few hundred years, we reunite these two tradesmen/women to work together to reincorporate the art of hairstyle with modern medicine.

FUE is a more modern version of hair restoration that involves harvesting follicular units from the back of the head one unit at a time. Conversely, FUT is an older procedure that involves harvesting of strip of scalp from the back of the head, and then preparing the follicular units from the harvested strip. While both procedures involve the transplantation of follicular units, they pros and cons will vary depending on the graft harvesting technique alone.

FUE has become considerably more popular than FUT in recent years, currently accounting for nearly 80% of hair restoration surgeries performed by ISHRS doctors:

ISHRS Census Data: https://ishrs.org/media/statistics-research/

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) involves extracting grafts as follicular units directly from the back of the head, then impanting the follicular units into recipient areas. There are a vast number of FUE devices and instruments made for graft harvesting and graft implantation.

Examples of follicular unit graft harvesting instruments include the autonomous movement ARTAS Robot (Robotic FUE) and handheld instruments like Neograft^® and Smartgraft^® (Manual FUE). Performing a procedure manually vs robotically is very different, however they both are types of FUE.

Examples of follicular unit graft implantation instruments include specialized forceps aka implanting forceps, and instruments that implant the graft simultaneously while making the recipient site i.e Manual Implanting Pens, or Robotic Implantation. In any case, no matter how the follicular units are implanted, the procedure is still considered FUE.

DHI^®, or Direct Hair Implantation^®, is not the name of a new procedure but rather the name of a London based company (DHI Global®) who attempts to market their namesake as a brand new type of hair restoration surgery that only they, or their franchisees perform. Unfortunately, their positioning of the “DHI^® procedure” as a unique and superior procedure to FUE is simply misleading. DHI Global^®’s “DHI^® procedure” is simply FUE with use of an implanter pen.

It is worth noting that implanter pens, such as the one being loaded with forceps in the DHI^® photo below, are far from being a new invention. They made their first appearance in the early 1990’s where they were used in the FUT aka strip procedure.

Barber Surgeons Guild^® does not use implanting pens as they require harvesting to be performed prior to recipient site making. We always make our sites first to determine how many grafts we need to obtain, as well as to decrease the graft out of body time. In addition implanting pens have unique risks to grafts including: “needle squeezing”, “distal hooking”, and
“bulb decapitations”.

The cost of hair restoration will vary greatly depending on how much hair needs to be restored, the type of procedure being performed, and where you go. Budget hair restoration procedures can be obtained by traveling to Turkey, and cheaper procedures in the USA can be obtained by opting for FUT over FUE. In general manual FUE is less expensive than robotic FUE, however at Barber Surgeons Guild^®, we competitively price our robotic FUE alongside market manual FUE prices. On average, hair restoration costs between $5,000 and $20,000, with the majority of cases being somewhere in the middle. Most hair restoration centers will quote by the graft, however at BSG we charge by the area which gives us the flexibility to obtain the right number of grafts based on your needs. Learn more about why we take this approach.

The best hair restoration is much more than the type of graft harvesting that is used (i.e. FUE vs FUT). It starts with a proper style plan that aligns with the individual’s goals. It also involves a deep understanding of hairline aesthetics and natural anatomy in order to properly rebuild a new hairline or other areas of loss. Graft handling, i.e. short graft out of body time, and proper graft chilling is important and affects graft viability. And of course, the type of harvesting is important, as is the experience of the center and doctors with the particular harvesting technique. BSG specializes in Robotic FUE and does more of these procedures than anywhere else in NYC or LA, making us foremost experts in this space. BSG takes pride in offering what we truly believe to be the best hair restoration procedures from every perspective.

The cost of hair restoration will vary greatly depending on how much hair needs to be restored, the type of procedure being performed, and where you go. Budget hair restoration procedures can be obtained by traveling to Turkey, and cheaper procedures in the USA can be obtained by opting for FUT over FUE. In general manual FUE is less expensive than robotic FUE, however, at Barber Surgeons Guild^®, we competitively price our robotic FUE alongside market manual FUE prices. On average, hair restoration in Los Angeles costs between $7,500 and $20,000, with the majority of cases being somewhere in the middle. Most hair restoration centers will quote by the graft, however at BSG we charge by the area which gives us the flexibility to obtain the right number of grafts based on your needs. Learn more about our approach.

The cost of hair restoration will vary greatly depending on how much hair needs to be restored, the type of procedure being performed, and where you go. Budget hair restoration procedures can be obtained by traveling to Turkey, and cheaper procedures in the USA can be obtained by opting for FUT over FUE. In general manual FUE is less expensive than robotic FUE, however at Barber Surgeons Guild^®, we competitively price our robotic FUE alongside market manual FUE prices. On average, hair restoration costs between $8,000 and $20,000, with the majority of cases being somewhere in the middle. Most hair restoration centers will quote by the graft, however at BSG we charge by the area which gives us the flexibility to obtain the right number of grafts based on your needs. Learn more about our approach.

While most hair restoration centers charge by the graft, with the average between $5 and $10, Barber Surgeons Guild^® charges by the area. Learn more about our approach.

Unless a celebrity discloses themselves where they had a hair transplant, it is impossible to assume where they went for a procedure. Healthcare privacy laws protect patient information, including those of celebrities. As we can only speak for ourselves, BSG has treated many celebrities from actors, to musicians, to pro athletes of every major sports league. The procedures BSG performs on celebrities are the same exact procedures we perform on each and every patient.

While we can only speak for ourselves, BSG hair transplant surgeons perform more Robotic FUE in New York City and Los Angeles than any other hair restoration center. Our Hair Transplant Surgeons are all members of the ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery), and each have extensive history performing the most advanced procedures to treat hair loss. Patients travel from all over the world to have their restoration procedures performed by BSG surgeons. If you are interested in traveling from out of State or beyond, please contact us and ask about our travel credits available.

Ensure the doctor has significant experience in the field of hair restoration. Ask to see before and after photos. Read reviews. Ask if there are patients they have treated who they can speak to. See if they are a member of the ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery). Meet the doctor for consultation and see if you connect and align on a plan. Ask if they have full time surgical assistants or do they use all contracted labor for support. Patients travel from all over the world to have their restoration procedures performed by BSG surgeons. If you are interested in traveling from out of State or beyond, please contact us and ask about our travel credits available.

Choosing a hair surgeon is a big decision and an important one. Ensure the surgeon has significant experience in the field of hair restoration. Ask to see before and after photos. Read reviews. Ask if there are patients they have treated who they can speak to. See if they are a member of the ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery). Meet the surgeon for consultation and see if you connect and align on a plan. Ask if they have full time surgical assistants or do they use all contracted labor for support. Patients travel from all over the world to have their restoration procedures performed by BSG surgeons. If you are interested in traveling from out of State or beyond, please contact us and ask about our travel credits available.

The amount of area covered by hair grafts will vary based on a number of factors:

1. How much hair is present?
   2500 grafts can cover up a full head if there is hair everywhere but not great density anywhere. On the other hand, without any hair present at all, 2500 grafts would cover just half a head.
2. Are the hair follicles fine or thick?
   Fine hair will require more grafts to cover the same area than thick hair
3. Is the hair straight or curly?
   Straight hair will require more grafts to fill and area than curly hair which takes up more volume
4. What is the average number of hairs per follicular unit?
   There is great variation in numbers of hairs per follicle unit which is mostly determined by race. For example Asian hair has far fewer hairs/unit than Caucasian hair. Asian hair follicles however are usually thicker than caucasian hair. The number of hairs/unit will also determine how much coverage is achieved with a certain number of hair grafts.

It is worth mentioning that transplanting in excess of 30-40 follicular units per square centimeter will lead to decreased graft growth due to limited blood supply. It is much safer to do two 2000 graft procedures over 2 years than one 4000 graft procedure where many of the grafts will not take. In the USA, it is rare that any doctor will perform a procedure over 3000 grafts for this reason. Be weary of anyone suggesting 3000+ grafts as they are either talking about hairs not grafts, or they are OK with the risk of graft failure.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) involves extracting grafts as follicular units directly from the back of the head, then implanting the follicular units into recipient areas. This procedure is an advancement over the older Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) aka Strip Procedure where follicular units are trimmed from a strip of skin harvested from the donor area.

When FUE first became popularized in the early 2000’s, the only option was Manual FUE. Manual FUE describes graft harvesting via a handheld instrument. Neograft^® and Smartgraft^® are forms of manual FUE.

In 2008 Robotic FUE became FDA cleared, however it was unusably slow compared to manual FUE upon launch. Robotic FUE gained more popularity as the robotic procedure became faster throughout the last decade. Unlike most other surgical robots, the ARTAS^® FUE Robot moves fully autonomously leveraging its AI to make real time decisions on which grafts it will harvest. The hair restoration surgeon sets and adjusts a number of variables or parameters which will tell the robot what to do, however there is no actual joystick of any sorts to control the actual movements. This is the most advanced form of robotic surgery that exists today, and in the near future, we will begin to see more and more autonomous robotic surgeries make their way into all surgical subspecialties.

The newest and most advanced hair transplant technique is Robotic FUE. The ARTAS FUE Robot moves fully autonomously leveraging its AI to make real time decisions on which grafts it will harvest. The hair restoration surgeon sets and adjusts a number of variables or parameters which will tell the robot what to do, however there is no actual joystick of any sorts to control the actual movements. This is the most advanced form of robotic surgery that exists today, and in the near future, we will begin to see more and more autonomous robotic surgeries make their way into all surgical subspecialties.

The best age to get a hair transplant is #todayyearsold as long as you are sure a transplant is the right decision for you. If you are not sure about it, then you should certainly wait, and in the meantime you should highly consider taking medicines to stop hair loss while you make that decision.

While anyone over 18 years of age can legally get a hair transplant procedure, most hair restoration centers would prefer to medically manage patients until they were in their 20’s. According to the most recent 2022 ISHRS census report, the men under 20 years old accounted for only around 2% of procedures performed.

Hair restoration in the 20’s is quite common and based on the census report referenced above, accounting for over 18% of all hair transplant procedures performed. The most common decade to have a hair transplant is the 30’s accounting for nearly 30% of all hair transplants performed.

According to the most recent 2022 ISHRS census report, the average age for hair transplants is in the 30’s. Based on the graph below, 77% of men are less were under 49 years old, 49% were under 39 years old, and 20% were under 29 years old.

Hair restoration is permanent. When guys lose all their hair they still maintain the permanent aka DHT resistant hairs around the “horseshoe”. This is the hair used in transplantation and wherever relocated, these special hairs will never fall out. It is very important for anyone who has had a hair transplant to make sure they follow proper medical management to prevent future hair loss as much as possible to prevent the need for more and more hair restoration. While it may seem ideal for some to simply keep resorting as more hair is lost, there is not enough donor hair to accomplish this. For this reason, hair transplantation is unfortunately not an option for guys who have already lost all of their hair.

When done right, hair restoration looks completely natural. When done wrong it can look very artificial. Make sure to see many before and after pictures and never go with a budget procedure. Often these will end up costing more in the long run to fix up.