Once stigmatized, hair transplant surgery has become an increasingly popular solution for hair loss in recent years.
In 2021, approximately 703,183 hair transplant procedures were performed globally, with 149,254 of these in the USA and Canada, according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS).
The market is expected to grow from $11.55 billion in 2024 to $44.79 billion by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate of 16.25% from 2025 to 2033.
Speaking to the Post, Texas facial plastic surgeon and hair restoration expert Dr. Samuel Lam confirmed hair transplant surgeries were “definitely on the rise.”
“With increased awareness on social media and by celebrities, I am seeing a lot more patients coming in,” said Lam, who is also a board member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS).
Celebrities like Joel McHale, Queer Eye’s Bobby Berk and English soccer star Wayne Rooney have spoken publicly about their hair transplants, thereby normalizing a procedure that was once viewed as somewhat shameful. And it’s not just the men anymore.
“In addition to men, I am seeing an increase in women who come in for transplants and they make up a large percentage of my patient base,” Lam noted.
While the majority of male hair transplant procedures are performed on men (87%), women make up 12% of the market, according to the ISHRS.
A hair transplant involves moving hair from one part of the head to an area that is balding or thinning.
The two primary methods used today are Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) — in which hair follicles are individually extracted before being transplanted — and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) — in which a strip of scalp tissue is removed before being divided into grafts.
But what many people don’t realize about hair transplant surgery is that it actually often takes several procedures to achieve the desired result — a consideration any responsible medical professional has to take when advising patients.
“The most important ethical consideration when working with young men is whether to perform a transplant for them since a surgery commits them to a need for more surgeries down the line and is never scarless whether it is an FUT or FUE procedure,” Lam said. “Medical therapy should be an important part of every consultation, especially for the young male.”
Granted, this may be changing due to technological advancements. According to a 2022 ISHRS survey, 68% of members performed an average of only one procedure in 2021, down from 3.5 procedures in 2019 and 5 in 2016.
But this doesn’t mean the future for hair transplants is entirely bright, or that it isn’t without its dangers.
“An alarming trend is patients who now go to perform a hair transplant by a physician who does not consult the patient about his or her hair loss nor is he actively involved in the surgery,” Lam said.
“This is truly a big problem in the industry and can cross legal issues where unlicensed individuals are performing the surgery without adequate supervision or where the surgeon is not even involved with the procedure.”
He noted that this troubling practice is “most rampant” in Turkey — where hair transplant surgery has exploded due to its relative affordability — but it is “also extremely prevalent in the U.S., unfortunately.”
Plastic surgery for men, or “man-esthetics” has been on the rise in recent years. According to a recent survey by the AAFPRS, 92% of its surgeons treated male patients last year, up 5% from 2023.
Dr. Patrick J. Byrne, president of AAFPRS, previously told the Post, “Men, like women, want to maintain a youthful, healthy and refreshed appearance and with so many minimally invasive options, more men are embracing discreet, quick-healing treatments than ever before.”
