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Dr. Karen Owen Written by Erin D. Updated on 14 Jan 2024
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Eyebrow transplant


Dr. Karen Owen

This text was written according to the highest scientific standards and reviewed by medical experts. Find out more about our quality assurance.

Written by Erin D. Updated on 14 Jan 2024

Eyebrow transplant is becoming more and more popular as more people have a problem with eyebrow hair loss and seek a long-lasting solution. A cosmetic or plastic surgeon performs an eyebrow transplant. Usually, hair from the head is transplanted to the eyebrow area. Keep reading to learn more details about the procedure, its pros and cons, and costs.

In a Nutshellsvg

Cost $3,000 - $8,000
Methods FUE, FUT
Alternatives Make-up, Serums etc.

What is an eyebrow transplant?

Eyebrows make up a significant face feature. Their shape, form, and thickness add up to people’s appearance. Many factors influence the way eyebrows look like. Certain medical conditions, genetics, injuries, or just fashion (overplucking) can cause a partial loss of eyebrows in certain areas. Thus, people are willing to change the way their eyebrows look. There are many options to solve this. An eyebrow transplant can save the situation permanently and bring the desired thickness and form of the eyebrows.

Hair transplant by gender

Pro and Cons

Pro Cons
It is most likely a long-lasting solution, unlike microblading, tattooing technique, or other options. The procedure is not very cheap, so you should also consider this.
The transplanted hair looks natural because it is taken from your own body. The whole effect becomes visible in a couple of months up to a year.
The surgery will decrease the need for various make-up procedures. The transplanted follicles rarely may not take, meaning they will not produce hair.
After the recovery, no additional medical treatment is needed. You can do anything with the eyebrows - style and trim them as you like. Even though fewer make-up procedures are required, new eyebrows need some special care as they will need trimming (the transplanted hair will continue to grow as it is taken from the back of the head)
The procedure helps improve self-esteem and confidence.

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Who is a good candidate?

First of all, a suitable candidate is a person who has a precondition that is a medical condition causing bald or thin eyebrows or some injuries that have led to permanent eyebrows loss. A person should have realistic expectations from the procedure as it reconstructs and improves the form and thickness of the eyebrows. In addition, the person’s state of health should allow such a procedure. If you are not sure whether you are a fit for the eyebrows transplant, you should get a consultation with the doctor to discuss this and see if other treatment options are more useful in your particular case.

Hair transplant age and gender

Procedure

A cosmetic or plastic surgeon performs the surgery. It is usually done with local anesthesia. The patient discusses all the details with the doctor before the surgery, from whether the patient is a candidate for the procedure to determining the shape of the future eyebrows. The latter is an important step, too, as patients usually bring references. It is essential to fit the reference to the individual facial features and make it look natural, highlighting the person’s characteristics. In addition, the patient should develop realistic expectations of what the final result will be.

Then, hair is taken from the person’s head, usually behind the ears. It is further divided into grafts and transferred to the premade incisions in the eyebrow area. The hairpieces are transplanted with follicles, ensuring their growth in the future after the procedure. It usually takes two to three hours to finish the surgery, depending on the eyebrow area that needs to be covered. Additional sessions may be required depending on the extensity of hair loss and desired thickness. The procedure must be performed by a highly-skilled surgeon who has extensive experience in this particular field. So, the patient should research and find a reliable clinic to do the surgery there.

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Cost

An eyebrow transplant is considered a non-medical treatment, meaning that health insurance may not cover the costs. However, it is advisable to check it with your insurance as there may be an exception if the procedure is deemed necessary. For example, if the eyebrow hair loss happened due to an injury or a medical condition. Though, such cases are rare.

The cost of the transplant depends on various aspects such as where you plan to do it, what needs you have, which provider performs the surgery etc. it is said to cost between $ 3,000 to 8,000 in the United States. If the health insurance covers the fees fully or partially, some copays and deductibles may be charged from the patient. The cost can also increase if more than one session is needed. This usually depends on the coverage area and how the follicles take

Hair transplant cost per country

Methods

The same methods are used for eyebrow transplants and hair transplants in general. The two most popular methods, which are widely used, are follicular unit extraction and follicular unit transplant.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) means that each hairpiece called a graft is extracted separately from the donor area (usually the back of the head or behind ears) with the help of special tools and techniques. Then, grafts are inserted into the incisions in the recipient area (eyebrows). This method requires more time to extract grafts, but it is said not to leave linear scars, and the recovery is more straightforward. 

Follicular unit transplant (FUT) means that a strip of hair from the head is extracted, and the hair follicles are transplanted to the recipient area. Though the graft extraction time is shorter, this method leaves a linear scar and the recovery time is usually longer than from FUE.

FUT allows extracting longer hair pieces which helps the surgeon to arrange them better as they can spot the curling pattern.

When choosing which methods would be the most advantageable, it is necessary to consult the doctor who will perform the surgery. They will look into the particular case and provide the solution which fits the given case.

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Post-Surgery

Swelling and bruises will be visible for some time after the surgery, usually a couple of days. The recipient area is left open to heal. The skin with transplanted eyebrows will form crusts, which is normal. They will fall off with time, and the skin will heal. This area should not get wet for the first couple of days so the skin can recover. The doctor usually gives a variety of medicine and products such as painkillers, sprays, antibiotics, etc., to prevent any adverse effects. In the beginning, most or all transplanted hair can fall out, and it is natural. It will regrow in three-four months. In the following four to six months, the eyebrows density will increase. If needed, a touch-up is performed no earlier than nine months after the surgery. The patient should remember that as this is hair transplanted from one’s head, it will act a bit differently than inherent eyebrow hair. It grows faster and needs to be regularly trimmed and styled to fit the shape. The final result becomes visible in around ten months to a year from the surgery.

Alternatives

Eyebrow transplant is surgery and must be carefully thought over before being performed. There are other ways to make your eyebrows look like you would prefer. The easiest way is to do make-up and paint them every time, but it may be time-consuming and exhausting. The other option would be to use some serums and products to stimulate eyebrow hair growth and thickness. If these options do not work for you, it is possible to check microblading or permanent tattoos. These options provide a more lasting effect and have their pros and cons.

All in all, it is best to consider all the possible options with their advantages and disadvantages before making the final decision on performing some procedures that provide a permanent result.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an eyebrow transplant cost?

Can I grow my eyebrows with minoxidil?

Where can I do an eyebrow transplant?

Sources

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