What Is The Typical Cost of An FUE Hair Transplant In Canada?

Written by Mark McKenzie, MD on September 4, 2008

I live in Canada and I am planning on having a hair transplant. The procedure is going to be non strip (FUE) and I am wondering what should be the cost of 5000 grafts. Please provide me with a rough idea so that I can compare mine because I think my doctor is asking for too much.
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I do not currently perform FUE hair transplant sessions, the main reason being that it is a “blind” procedure. This means that the surgical punch which removes the graft is placed over the shaved donor area at the angle in which the doctor thinks the hair is growing and then the graft is “punched out.” There is a risk of damaging the follicle by performing this procedure, whereas with the strip method of harvesting, the donor hair is meticulously dissected under the microscope ensuring preservation of intact follicular units. Also, with strip harvesting, the head does not have to be shaved, only the hair in the strip area is clipped, allowing the patient to maintain their current hairstyle.

FUE is more expensive than hair transplantation, because it is exceedingly time-consuming. 5,000 FUE grafts will take a long time to harvest & re-implant. When thinking about hair restoration surgery, it is important to realize that donor harvesting is only one part of the procedure. The final result of the transplant will be determined by the doctor’s artistic abilities, how densely the grafts are placed and the degree of skill & expertise of the technicians. Although strip harvesting does produce a scar, in most cases, it is about 1 -2 mm in diameter & will never be seen unless the patient shaves their head or clips their hair very short.

W.G. Mark McKenzie M.D.
Member, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons
Member, American Hair Loss Association