Before modern hair transplantation, it wasn’t much of a secret when someone was wearing a hairpiece or toupee. Everyone could see the signs, so it didn’t provide much of an illusion at all, and there was little chance of blending in with a crowd. It was so bad that wearing a hairpiece was a running gag throughout much of TV’s early sitcoms.
Some folks weren’t really bothered by their balding and chose to embrace it instead. Think Captain Stubing from The Love Boat, Kojak, or The Rock (who is bald by choice, not by genetics). Embracing it or changing it is a personal choice. But nevertheless, one major factor in the decision to cover a balding head is exactly that – will I blend in or stand out? And that can make all the difference.
Where’s Waldo?
First things first, how large is the crowd size of those having any type of elective or cosmetic surgery? The number of surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in the U.S. tallied approximately 7.3 million in 2021, according to the statistics site Statista. The number comes in at 13 million per the famous Cleveland Clinic. All that to say there is a very high likelihood that when you walk down a bustling city street, you pass dozens or hundreds of other people who have undergone one or more procedures this year alone.
Surgical procedures are along the lines of breast augmentation, facelifts, eyelid surgery, liposuction, tummy tuck, nose jobs, etc. Non- or minimally-invasive procedures are those like Botox injections, laser skin resurfacing, laser hair removal (yes, some people have too much hair), chemical peels, etc.
In 2020, it was reported that $16.7 billion was spent on cosmetic procedures in the U.S. The region with the most cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. is the southern half of the Atlantic seaboard – 3.8 million procedures (or 25% of the total). That region encompasses Delaware, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Hair Transplants
Here are some other general statistics regarding hair transplants taken between 2020 and 2022.
68% of recipients reported they only needed one procedure for the desired results, while 29% stated it took two procedures.
Did COVID-19 affect decisions for hair restoration? Overwhelmingly yes. Over 25% of hair doctors stated that the majority of their new patients said Zoom/video calls influenced their decision to look better on camera. And 54% of doctors said COVID-19 resulted in an overall increase in demand for hair-related procedures.
Where else besides the scalp is the procedure popular? For women, 11% of procedures target the eyebrows, and 4% of procedures for men target mustaches and beards.
In 2022 data, 87% of surgical procedures were performed on males and 13% on females. Of non-surgical procedures, 62% were male and 38% were female.
How did the procedures rank in popularity? For men, 75% FUE (Follicular Unit Excision)
, 21% FUT (Follicular Unit Transfer), and 4% a combination of both. For women, 57% FUE, 42% FUT, and 2% a combination of both.
What about the harvest sites, meaning where did the donor hair come from? 93% scalp, 5% beard, 1% chest, and 1% from belly/leg/other.
Blending in Like Camouflage
With millions of cosmetic procedures performed in America annually, including hundreds of thousands of hair transplants, it’s reassuring to know we are not alone in our decision to make changes to our bodies. Breast implants were a dead giveaway decades ago, but now the technology has come full circle, and results can look very natural. The same is true for hair. Gone are the days when our only solution was a toupee or remaining bald, as hair transplants have also come a long way, and blending in is easier than ever.
Schedule a consultation with Advanced Medical Hair Institute to discuss your options. We’re looking forward to your visit.
