Your surgeon will discuss the type of hair transplant they recommend specifically for you, and why in your bespoke consultation. This will be based on your individual needs and the extent of the thinning of your hair, as well as how much donor hair is available.

Male hair loss is often caused by a hormonal imbalance resulting from a modified form of testosterone, called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) attacking the hair follicles on the scalp. The hairs produced by the affected follicles become progressively smaller in diameter, shorter in length and lighter in colour until they eventually shrink completely, and hair stops being produced. Usually, the follicles at the back and sides of a man’s head are able to fight against this attack meaning the hair in these areas is more likely to remain. This hormonal imbalance can be caused by genetics.

Hair loss can also be caused by taking certain medications, including those prescribed for cancer, arthritis, depression, heart problems, gout and hair high blood pressure. Stress can also cause hair loss, or certain hairstyles which put pressure on the scalp, such as tight braids or dreadlocks.

Follicular Unit Extraction means the back of the head is shaved and then individual hairs are removed one by one.

The patient lies face down while around 3000 hair follicles are plucked from the back of the head. The surgeon will drill down into the root before they are plucked out. This stage can take several hours.

Once the hair has been extracted, the surgeon makes tiny incisions so that the hair grafts can be placed into tiny cuts made into the scalp.

Patients are sometimes advised to wear headphones during the piercing as it can be uncomfortable. Although you will have lots of tiny scars, they will hardly be noticeable.

These type of hair transplants usually take a full day, but you will not need to stay at the Clinic overnight.

If you would like a large area to be treated, your surgeon may recommend two or more sessions a few months apart.

Follicular unit transplantation, or strip method, involves a thin strip of skin with hair being removed from the back of your head and divided into pieces, each containing between one and four individual hairs.

The grafts are then placed back into tiny cuts made into the scalp, and the site where the hairs were taken is closed with stitches.

You will have a scar on the back of your head, but it should not be noticeable unless you have very short hair.

The head does not need to be shaved – only the area where the skin is removed will need to be trimmed.

Your surgeon will give you plenty of advice about how to take care of your graft. You will be given a spray to help recovery and hair growth, and most people are usually able to return to work about three days after having an FUE hair transplant.

However, patients do need to be very careful to look after the newly transplanted hair, especially in the first two weeks following the procedure as the grafts will not yet be secure.

Your surgeon will probably advise restricted exercise for the first month to reduce the risk of permanent scarring.

After two to five days the bandages can usually be removed, but patients must be careful to avoid touching the grafts.

By Day Six you should be able to wash your hair, gently by hand, and after ten to fourteen days any remaining non-dissolvable stitches can be removed at the clinic.

A few weeks later you may find that the transplanted hair will fall out, and later start to grow back normally – new hair will generally begin to appear after six months.

After twelve to eighteen months the full results should be seen.

Following a hair transplant procedure it is common to have a tight, achy and swollen scalp for a few days, as well as some temporary scabbing where the new hair grafts have been transplanted. There may also be a single scar, or possibly a number of very tiny scars on the scalp.

Some patients experience difficulty sleeping as your head has to be kept straight because the hairs have to link up with your bloodstream, so as soon as the blood gets to the hairs they can glue in.

This takes three nights so you must be very careful, and many patients say this is the most difficult stage.

A hair transplant is a very common, and generally very safe procedure. But as with any type of surgical operation there is always a small risk of bleeding, infection or the possibility of an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic.

However, your surgeon will be able to treat any of these problems quickly and effectively.

There is also a small risk that the hair follicles are rejected by your body, but instances of this happening are extremely rare.

The other risk is that you may not like the results, which is why a thorough consultation process is vital to address any concerns you may have in advance.

There is also a very small risk that the transplant will not take, and the hair falls out, or a noticeable scar may form. These risks are rare and your surgeon can explain how likely such problems are to occur, and recommend effective methods to treat them.

It is possible that your hair might continue to thin around the transplant, but your surgeon will plan the design of the transplant with the intention of ensuring that the hair looks as natural as possible as time passes.

If anything does go wrong, you suffer any pain, or the results are not quite as you had expected, consult your surgeon immediately.

Minoxidil is an over-the-counter treatment, often sold under the name Regaine or Rogaine. It comes in the form of a foam or liquid which you massage into the scalp. Most people need to use this medication regularly for around four months to see any benefit.

Finasteride, usually sold under the brand name Propecia, is a prescription tablet taken once day. It works by preventing testosterone in your body from converting into DHT.

Scalp micropigmentation is a non-invasive hair treatment for people who have balding, thinning or receding hair. The doctor essentially gives the patient a medical tattoo that uses little dots to mimic the look of short hair.

But  if you want to slow down hair loss and reduce the likelihood of a hair transplant, it is important to understand the root cause of the problem. For example, if hair loss is the result of work-related stress then a change of job or career could potentially cause your hair to reappear.

The food that you eat and the shampoo you use will also affect the condition of the hair on your head. Hair need sufficient amounts of protein, iron, zinc and B12 to keep it healthy.

Look for shampoos which are engineered to remove any debris such as sebum, fatty acids and environmental residue that might be clogging up your hair follicles and affecting growth. Volumizing shampoos will temporarily give the appearance of a thicker head of hair.

The price of a hair transplant at the Cadogan Clinic varies depending on the amount of hair to be transplanted during the procedure.

As a rough guide we say that the procedure costs around £2.50 per transplanted hair. For someone with an average amount of hair loss, this procedure should cost somewhere between £6,000-8,000. 

The maximum price you should expect to pay will be around £9,000 for more comprehensive procedures, although for more extensive hair restoration you may need more than one procedure, albeit with a significant amount of time between them.  

Hair transplant costs include the costs of your surgeon, their team of technicians, the facility and all after care