Thinking About a Hair Transplant? My Experience with the First Check-In

It all started when I was on a video call with my brother. We were just catching up, but I couldn’t help noticing how thick and full his hairline looked. A few years ago, he had mentioned getting a hair transplant, but I hadn’t really paid much attention. Now, seeing his hair next to my thinning hairline, the difference was hard to ignore. His hair looked incredible—thick, natural, and definitely better than mine. It got me wondering if I should consider doing something about my own hair.

Later, I brought it up with my barber during a haircut here in Hong Kong. He surprised me by saying that hair transplants are actually pretty common, especially among his customers who are in their 20s to 40s. He estimated that about 15% of the people who come to his shop have had a transplant, though it’s not something most people talk about openly.

The only reason he could tell was because he spends so much time closely examining his customers’ scalps. He said you can spot it because the hair sometimes looks “too perfect.” He wasn’t being negative—just pointing out that there’s a certain polished look transplanted hair can have if you know what to look for. Hearing this made me feel like it wasn’t such an unusual step to take, and it encouraged me to explore the idea further.

My First Consultation

I didn’t start out seriously thinking about getting a hair transplant. It was more like, “What’s the process like?” and “How much does it actually cost?” But after going to my first consultation, I’m starting to see why so many people decide to go for it. If you’re just curious like I was, here’s a detailed look at what happened during my visit.

Scalp Health

The first thing they did was examine my scalp. I thought they’d just dive into talking about bald spots, but instead, they focused on how healthy my scalp was. It turns out that your scalp condition plays a huge role in how successful a hair transplant can be.

They explained that things like scalp fat and blood circulation help transplanted hair grow. If your scalp isn’t in good shape, it might lower the chances of success. This caught me off guard, but it made sense when they described it. They used a close-up camera to examine my scalp, which felt a bit strange but also kind of cool.

Measuring Bald Areas

After the scalp check, they moved on to my bald spots. For me, it’s mainly one area where I’d like more coverage. They told me they need to measure the size of these spots because it determines how many hair follicles are needed to fill them.

Larger areas need more follicles, which makes the procedure more expensive. They also mentioned that the density of hair in the transplant area can affect how natural it looks. That’s why they spend so much time planning—it’s not just about “covering the spot” but doing it in a way that blends in.

The Donor Region

The “donor region” is where they take hair from, usually the back of your head. This part is really important because if your donor hair isn’t thick or healthy enough, it limits how much they can use for the transplant.

They spent some time checking my donor area, looking at both the thickness and health of the hair. Thankfully, they said my donor region looked strong and had enough hair to work with. This was expected, but still nice to hear since a sparse donor area can make the whole process a lot trickier.

Hair Thickness

One thing I hadn’t considered before the consultation was how much hair thickness affects the results. Thicker hair strands provide better coverage, which means fewer follicles are needed to achieve a natural look.

The staff explained that someone with thin hair might need more follicles transplanted compared to someone with thicker hair. Since my hair is on the thicker side, they said it could help keep the number of follicles I’d need lower, which might also lower the cost.

Counting Hairs Per Follicle

Something else, which I never thought about before, was the number of hairs in each follicle. A single follicle can have multiple hairs. The more hairs per follicle, the better coverage you can get without needing as many transplants.

They checked my donor area closely and found that my follicles usually contained one hair each, which is low compared to the usual 2 to 3. However, because of the thinkness of my hear, this was still a good sign because it meant I wouldn’t need as many individual grafts to cover the bald area effectively.

Drawing the New Hairline

After gathering all the information, they drew a line on my forehead to show where my new hairline could be. It is a weird experience. Especially for a first-timer. Initially, they drew the line further forward then expected. However, they reassured me that the goal was to make it as natural as possible and that this is probably were my hair started growing when I was about 18 years old.

They also asked for my input, which was nice. I got to tell them what I wanted, but they guided me based on their experience. They explained how the hairline should match my face shape and natural hair direction.

Understanding the Cost

Once they had all the information—how many follicles I’d need, the size of the bald area, and the condition of my donor region—they calculated the cost.

For me, they estimated I’d need about 3,300 follicles. The total cost would be 25,620 RMB, which is roughly $3,500 USD. That’s actually less than I expected, especially since they mentioned a 30% discount, which they said was special. But I'm sure it's a regular monthly offer.

When I asked about how many follicles will survive, They answered that they guarantee that at minimum of 95% of the transplanted follicles will survive.

My Thoughts After the Visit

Going into the consultation, I didn’t think I’d seriously consider getting a hair transplant. It was more about satisfying my curiosity. But after learning how thorough the process is and seeing that the cost isn’t sky-high, I’m starting to think it might actually be worth it.

The first check-in gave me all the details I needed to make an informed decision. If you’re just testing the waters like I was, I’d recommend going for a consultation. Even if you’re unsure, it’s a good way to understand your options—and you might find yourself seriously considering it, just like I am now.