Posted on

Can Hair Transplants Be Covered by Insurance?

Health insurance cover for hair transplants | US, UK and Australia

When it comes to searching for insurance for hair transplants, you’d better make sure it’s private insurance you’re searching for.

From ACA-approved programs in the United States to the NHS in the UK,  to Canadian plans such as the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, public healthcare systems will not cover your hair transplant.

In Australia, health insurance won’t cover hair transplants at all.

Instead, you’ll need to look to private insurance, or as the case is in Australia, to eschew insurance altogether and look into private loans to secure the funds necessary for a hair transplant.

The reason for all of these countries’ health insurance systems denying coverage for hair transplants is the same – with a few exceptions, is because hair transplants are considered a “cosmetic” choice, and are thus not covered by government health care.

Either way, these options provide coverage for hair transplants that standard government health care simply cannot.

For example, while NHS does not supply coverage for “cosmetic” procedures, private health insurance in the UK can indeed cover you for treatment.

Here are some of the companies which provide private health insurance for hair transplants:

  • BUPA and BUPA International
  • Axa
  • CIGNA
  • Axa
  • Allianz
  • Henner
  • Vitality Health
  • Simply Health
  • International SOS
In UK, North America and Australia, hair transplants are considered cosmetic procedures and are therefore not covered by government health schemes. But there is an alternative as discussed in previous section
Summary
Can Hair Transplants Be Covered by Insurance?-img

When are hair transplants covered by government health insurance?

Hair loss has the unique, and awful ability to rob us of our confidence and leave us feeling weaker than we could ever imagine.

We’ve known that since the story of Samson and Delilah, or even “Simpson and Delilah,” an early episode of The Simpsons where Homer regrows his hair with a special prescription and reaps all the societal and workplace awards that come with a full head of hair.

The trouble is, then as now, hair regrowth formulas and treatments can be expensive, which is why Homer puts the bill on his health insurance.

However, if you’re thinking that sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is.

In addition to the fact hair transplants are typically seen as a cosmetic procedure, baldness itself doesn’t constitute a life-threatening condition.

Unfortunately, as you and Homer know too well, it can be a lifestyle-threatening one.

As such, you’re faced with a basic choice.

Homer took the former route in the episode, putting down on his healthcare form that he was buying the hair growth formula “to stop my brain from freezing.”

Needless to say, that doesn’t fool people for long, and Homer soon finds himself staring down the possibility of answering for healthcare fraud – something you definitely don’t want to experience yourself.

As such, you find yourself faced with two possible choices – find a way to declare that you need your hair transplant for non-cosmetic means, or look at other means of covering the procedure.

However, the former may not be worth it, since typically, if you’re pursuing a hair transplant for non-cosmetic means,

it’s the result of a pretty serious accident or condition. This can include your scalp being ripped open by an auto accident or the loss of hair due to chemo.

Again, these are extremely serious, genuinely life-threatening conditions, and obviously not worth having (or faking) just so you can get a hair transplant.

There a handful of scenarios where hair transplants can be covered by government health schemes
Summary

Finding Insurance Coverage | Your options

That said, some health insurance plans include coverage for wigs for these and other medical conditions, such as hair loss due to thyroid or kidney issues, alopecia, or severe stress.

Some may do the same for hair transplants, though this is rarer as these procedures tend to cost more, albeit with permanent, realistic results.

Short of suffering a medical condition or severe accident, therefore, your best bet of finding a way to have your health insurance cover your hair transplant is to find a plan that offers protections for those highly-specific conditions.

Needless to say, that’s easier said than done, and it might honestly be easier to go with the aforementioned method of simply finding a private loan or other service that can cover the cost.

Taking out insurance after your hair transplant

Let’s say you’ve either found coverage or taken out a loan and have finally gotten your hair transplant.

You’ve already spent four if not five figures on this operation, so you don’t want an accident ruining your hair transplant and making all that spending in vain.

What should you do?

Everyone knows Regina George in Mean Girls has her hair insured for $10,000 (that’s the rumor, anyway), so your best bet might be to try and do the same.

This isn’t just relegated to the world of Tina Fey comedies, either – Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu had his hair insured (and for more than Regina, $1,000,000!), so it is possible.

Odd as it may seem to insure your hair, when you’re spending that much on something, it makes sense to protect it.

Contact a property insurance provider and see what they recommend as to the best way to insure your hair against long-term damage.

Posted on

How to Safely Sleep After a Hair Transplant [Easy method]

Few thoughts are more hair-raising to people who have recently had a hair transplant than the thought of those newly implanted hair follicles falling right out again.

You need to be extremely gentle and careful with your scalp in the days after your surgery, which means avoiding extreme temperatures and pressure on your scalp.

This is one reason why it is extremely important to make sure that you don’t wear tight hats, motorcycle helmets, or other headgear that could dislodge these follicles or stunt their growth.

The same goes for sleeping. You may not think it is a major problem, but it’s one of the sneakiest causes of accidental post-op hair loss.

That’s why you’ll want to pay attention to these sleep tips for protecting your hair after an FUT or FUE operation.

Sleeping tips | Keep Your Sheets and Pillowcases Clean

One of the biggest threats to your sensitive scalp post-op is the threat of a buildup of dirt and sweat, both of which can be exacerbated by a dirty pillowcase. 

If you keep sleeping on the same dirty or sweat-soaked pillowcase, your scalp will be one of the first things to suffer. 

That’s why you’ll want to clean your sheets and pillowcases regularly. 

In addition, you should make sure that you clean them without detergents that can irritate your scalp.

Sleeping with tight hats,in hot/cold bedrooms or on dirty pillows can pose a threat after a recent hair transplant
Summary

Sleeping tips | Place a Towel on Your Pillow

Don’t be freaked out at the sight of a few loose follicles – that’s normal shortly after a hair transplant.

However, you don’t want it to stick to your sheets and get stuck back onto your scalp with sweat because of the issues mentioned above. 

Besides, this kind of leakage can stain your sheets. 

For this reason, you’ll want to place a towel atop your pillow that can catch this leakage and those loose follicles.

Sleep on Your Back

How to sleep after a hair transplant ?| On Your Back

If you sleep on your stomach, you can rub the sides of your head and move back and forth while you sleep. 

Needless to say, this is not a good idea. Instead, you’ll want to sleep on your back.

In addition, you’ll want to sleep with your head in an elevated position. 

This is once again designed to help keep your head from rubbing back and forth across the pillow or otherwise brushing up against your bed in such a way as to shake those hair follicles loose. 

Whenever possible, keep your head propped up on pillows at a 45-degree angle, especially in the first three or four days after your operation. 

Not only does this help control the amount of shedding and leakage, but it can also help cut down on swelling and make the healing process go that much faster.

That said, while you want to sleep with your head reclined at such an angle, you don’t want it to hit your headboard, as this too can shake loose some follicles. 

An easy fix here is to place a pillow between your head and your headboard. 

Something little like that might not seem like much, but it can make a big difference in helping ensure that you don’t get patchy spots in your new head of hair 

from extra follicles being shaken loose and thus achieving a more satisfying result overall.

Keeping your head elevated and at a 45 degree angle is preferred while sleeping.
Summary

FUE VS FUT | Impact on sleeping

FUT hair transplants are technically more invasive and traumatic.  

 

The healing times tend to be longer with FUT, so naturally you have take extra care with your sleeping arrangement after an FUT.

Particularly at the donor site, where the grafts are taken from.

So, avoid sleeping on your back (as FUT grafts are usually from the back of the head).

Also expect a longer healing time after an FUT. so your sleeping arrangement will face a more prolonged change.

 

Sleep Regularly

You have just had an operation, which means you need to rest. 

The more you rest, the faster your recovery will be. 

That being said, quality counts as much as quantity when it comes to sleep, and that means making sure that you maintain a good sleep pattern. 

This is especially true in those all-important three or four days after your hair transplant.

Take it Easy

In keeping with the tips above, you’ll want to make sure that you take it easy in the hours leading up to bedtime.

Do not engage in any especially strenuous activities, and refrain from alcohol.

Doing this can lessen the amount of sweat you have on your scalp when you go to bed, and can likewise lessen the overall strain you face, thereby enabling you to heal that much easier.

In the immediate aftermath of your surgery, little things such as respecting sleep patterns and keeping yourself clean can make a big difference in your recovery time.

Follow these tips, sleep easy, and enjoy your new head of hair.

Posted on

Can You Wear a Hat After a Hair Transplant?

Wearing a Hat After a Transplant

In the aftermath of a surgery, your newly-transplanted follicles are bound to be fragile.

In addition, you want to let your scalp breathe a little after the procedure.

This is essential to both stimulate growth and to make sure that you don’t trap sweat and dirt in your scalp, which can likewise cause problems.

For these reasons, you’ll want to make sure you wait at least six days before you put on a hat. 

If you need to wear something on top of your head before then, you’ll want to make sure it is extremely light.

Maybe a light hood or hoodie.

You may look a bit like Friar Tuck, but at least the sensitive hair follicles won’t be interfered with in the same way as a suffocating hat would be.

If you absolutely must wear a hat, it needs to be extremely loose fitting.

This is true whether you make use of Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT) or Follicular Unit Excision (FUE),

Both of which involve taking hair follicles from an area on your body in which they are still healthy and in abundant supply and then transplanting them back on your scalp in areas where they have diminished.

Either way, the procedure’s first few days can be touch and go.  The scalp is likely inflamed, red and raw.

This is another reason for avoiding hats in your first few days, namely that placing one snugly or even partially on your head alongside the grafts can pose serious damage to the newly-implanted grafts.

They compress them, thus stunting their growth, or even dislodge them completely.

Damaging your grafts at this crucial juncture could mean that you’ve spent thousands of dollars for nothing.

Just as annoyingly, if they dislodge some grafts, they could leave you with ridiculous-looking patchy hair growth that looks less like a full head of hair and more like a bad wig that’s been put through the shredder.

Add to that the fact that wearing a hat so soon after an operation on your scalp can irritate the sensitive skin and be painful, 

and it should be clear that wearing a hat sooner than six days simply isn’t worth it.

If you want to be completely safe, after 10 days your grafts should be in a condition where you should be able to wear any kind of hat.

Wearing a hat in the first 10 days after a hair transplant can cause damage to the delicate grafts. If you must wear a hat, make sure it's loosely fitted and light.
Summary
wearing motorcycle helmet after a hair transplant

Wearing a Motorcycle Helmet After a Hair Transplant

One of the main reasons people look into hair transplant surgeries is to be able to enjoy activities they loved in their youth, and few things say “youthful” quite like motorcycles.

There’s something to be said for the devil may care attitude that comes with riding a bike, but you might well wonder whether it’s good for your hair grafts.

While we have the romantic image of the wind blowing through one’s hair James Dean-style while riding,, that much wind rushing against your scalp that fast at that amount of pressure can blow the grafts right out.

Of course, most motorcycle riders know better than to ride so recklessly, which is why they wear helmets – but can you wear those so soon after a hair transplant?

You can probably already guess that the short-term answer to that question is a resounding “No.” 

You shouldn’t wear a motorcycle helmet soon after a hair transplant, certainly for the first 3 weeks after the procedure.

All of those reasons for not wearing a hat are exacerbated even more with wearing a motorcycle helmet.

It needs to fit even tighter, for obvious reasons, and it isn’t like motorcycle helmets are very breathable compared to the fabric used in a baseball cap.

Add to that the fact that a helmet can trap heat and cause your head to get very warm – another bad sign for the health of your newly-transplanted hair follicles

– and it starts to become clear just what a bad idea wearing a helmet prematurely can be.

That’s why you’re going to want to make sure that you wait at least three weeks before you even think about putting a helmet back on.

In the meantime, you’ll have to find an alternate way of getting around.

Wearing a Bandana After a Hair Transplant

What about a bandana?

You might well think that this would be a better solution given the fact that, unlike a tight hat, a bandana does not need to fit your scalp tightly. 

The material in a woven bandana is much lighter than your average fedora or baseball cap, meaning it’s both more breathable and not as tight around the sensitive grafts. 

The former point is important for allowing your scalp to breathe and prevent a build up of sweat and dirt, 

while the latter can help ensure that you do not compress or dislodge the grafts or irritate your skin.

Still, if you have to wear a head covering post-op, a bandana, a hood, or an extremely loose-fitting hat are your best bet.

Wearing a motorcycle helmet in the first 3 weeks is not advised. However, there re less restrictions on wearing a bandana as it is a lighter material.
Summary

Wearing a Hat After the 10-Day Mark

10 days after your hair transplant procedure, you should be in the clear to wear a hat as you did before your surgery. 

What’s more, you’ll probably want to wear a hat at this point because while the procedure itself should not produce any long-term scars that would be visible to others after your hair grows in, 

Before that period there may still be some evidence visible.

What’s really important about wearing hats even after the 10-day period is to let your scalp breathe whenever possible. 

Even though this is not as important as in that initial five- to six-day period, 

You need to make sure that you remain gentle with your scalp until your new hair has grown in thick enough to where you don’t need to worry about it anymore.

It is completely understandable why you might want to wear a hat in the aftermath of a hair transplant surgery. 

Even so, you want to make sure that you don’t cause all of that time,  money, and effort to go down the drain simply because you wore the wrong hat at the wrong time.

Thankfully, with the help of this guide, you can wear a head covering the right way with confidence without disturbing your new hair transplant.

Posted on

Has Xherdan Shaqiri Had a Hair Transplant?

The Case for Hair Transplants

He may be one of the most electrifying players behind Liverpool’s Premiere League championship, but Xherdan Shaqiri has also been known for displaying evidence of hair loss throughout his career,

From the Swiss National Team to Milan to Stoke City.

Pictures and reporting for Stoke City in particular establish Shaqiri as having some form of male pattern baldness.

With that much chatter, and pictures to back up the changes in his hairstyles, it isn’t hard to see where the idea of him having some hair loss might emerge.

If you look at photos from earlier in his playing career, you see him with a much fuller head of hair than in his Stoke City years or the earlier part of his stay with Liverpool.

has shaqiri hd a hair transplant?
A young Shaqiri with a full head of hair
A later picture shows early male pattern baldness with receding corners in particular

A 2019 hair transplant?

Conversely, while his years playing for Stoke City and initial years with Liverpool were marked by what certainly looks like a receded hairline, after a trip to the injured list in 2019, he returned with not just a goal but a fuller head of hair.

A picture in 2019 shows Shaqiri with a more filled hairline; sparking rumours of a transplant

Did he time it right?

What’s more, Shaqiri is of the “right age” to be a candidate for considering hair transplants statistically-speaking.

While everyone’s hairline is different, certain age groups are more prone to it than others.

While 28 years old is hardly the biggest age group for hair loss to emerge, at 25% your late 20s and early 30s are likely to be the first time in your life where it starts to become a possibility.

That increased statistical possibility, paired with the undeniable before-and-after photos pre and post-injured list stint in 2019, certainly paints an interesting albeit circumstantial case for Shaqiri having received hair transplants.

What type of procedure could he have had?

What’s more, the fullness and thickness of Shaqiri’s hairline following his return may give an indication of what type of procedure he may have had.

The fact his hairline is both visibly thicker and yet any signs of surgery are largely invisible point to an expert process, not mere hair plugs or some inexpensive solution like that.

FUE hair transplants are one such possibility.

He wouldn’t be the first famous footballer to go down that road, with Wayne Rooney having had FUE treatments in the past.

Follicular Unit Excision, or FUE treatments are among the best-regarded within the industry as well as by those who try their techniques.

This is in large part because FUE scars from transplants are small, round, and not visible when done properly.

By contrast, FUT scars are bigger and far more noticeable.

What’s more, FUE is more resilient than FUT, meaning you can have multiple treatments without as great a risk of them showing through.

Since what we see with Xherdan Shaqiri is more hair and not more obvious sewn-in scars, visual and industry evidence gives a decent circumstantial case for FUE hair transplants.

Looking at the before and after photos, and the timeline, there is a good possibility Xherdan Shaqiri had a hair transplant - most likely an FUE hair transplant.
Summary

Read this if you don’t want a failed hair transplant

The Case Against Hair Transplants

For as strong as the case for stating that Xherdan Shaqiri has hair loss may seem at first, the more you look, the harder it comes to say anything definitive.

The timeline is rather odd.

At no stages, did he go through the typical “shaved-look” that typically comes straight after having a hair transplant.

Why is that?

Perhaps he had a hair transplant that didn’t require shaving of entire scalp.  This would be extremely unusual, as most clinics advice against this due to the technical difficulties.

Secondly, there are some extremely clever barbers who can hide hair loss very effectively.

For example, with the use of hair fibres and hair systems.

Could he have had these done?

It cannot be ruled out.

And finally, Shaqiri himself has never said anything.  Neither have his representatives or colleagues.

 

 

Lack of a "shaved head" stage casts doubt on whether Shaqiri had a hair transplant. Also his new hair can be explained by clever hairstyling from a skilled barber. And finally Shaqiri himself has never said anything
Summary

Our Conclusion

On the one hand, we always need to be careful about making assumptions about people’s private lives.

On the other hand, the evidence seems stacked in favor of showing that Xherdan Shaqiri has had hair transplants in the past.

His hair is richer and fuller without a sign of scarring, which is a tell-tale sign of typical FUE procedures.

Posted on

When to Get a Hair Transplant | Surprising Answer

If you’ve been struggling with thinning hair, you might think that a hair transplant could fix all your problems.

It’s one thing to think that when you’re in your 40s or 50s, but if you’re still in your mid-20s and are already thinking about a hair transplant, you might want to wait – and here are a few key reasons why.

1. More Income

First and foremost, quality hair transplant is expensive.

At best, you’re looking at least around $2000, and that’s for comparatively minor transplants in regions such as Greece and Turkey where they are performed at much more affordable rates than the United States and the United Kingdom.

Realistically, you’re probably looking at a high four-figure price, and it could be several thousands of dollars at that.

What’s more, that does not even cover the cost of actually getting to these clinics.

As stated, Greece and Turkey may be less expensive than the United States and the United Kingdom in terms of the average price of hair transplants, but getting there can still cost hundreds of pounds or dollars.

Twenty-somethings are not famed for having vast amounts of disposable income.

The past dozen years have been particularly harsh for young job seekers entering the workplace, so the chances of your getting the money necessary for a quality hair transplant at that age may be as slim as the hair follicles concerned.

Wait until you’re a little older and have more income to spend on a proper procedure.

2.Is your hair loss rate stable?

Will your current rate of hair loss stabilise in the near future?

It is perfectly possible.

And most good clinics won’t consider you for a procedure anyway, until your hair loss stabilises.

Before wasting thousands of dollars you may not have and causing yourself more stress, see a doctor, and make sure that the cause of your hair loss isn’t preventable.

Sometimes it can be due to lifestyle and possibly even stress.

A simple shampoo or stress relief techniques might help save your hair and thousands of dollars.

3. Technology Gets Better

As with every other field, technology in the hair transplant industry is bound to get better in the years to come.

Just in the past 10 to 15 years, we’ve moved past hair plugs and far faker-looking techniques to more natural-looking restoration efforts.

Thanks to scientific research, we know so much more now about hair density, angulation, and what works and what doesn’t in terms of replacing lost follicles.

If you like a computer game but hear it’s buggy, you might wait until patches are released for it before you make your purchase.

You only have so much money, and you’d rather not waste it on an experience that isn’t up to expectations.

Likewise, if a hair transplant sounds appealing, do some research, see what’s being worked on, and wait for even more tech-and-hair-savvy upgrades and new techniques to “take root.”

4. Career reasons

Another reason you may be considering hair transplants is modelling or acting career.

That said if you think you can trick modelling agencies with a transplant, think again.

They’re experts in manipulating appearances themselves and can tell what’s fake and what isn’t.

That said if you’re in a modelling career right now and your agency recommends you go to an accredited hair surgeon (and will compensate you for it) that could help improve your hairline and secure your job.

Modelling is a cutthroat industry, and you have to be willing to do almost anything to get ahead, but you should never do anything that doesn’t make you uncomfortable or could leave you in future debt – and that includes an uncompensated hair transplant in your 20s.

5. Conclusion

The biggest argument for a hair transplant in your 20s is if your doctor or modeling/acting agency tells you it’s absolutely necessary.

Getting one that young can cost a lot of money, and may require follow-up procedures as your hair loss advances

By contrast, if you wait until you’re older, the chance of a second operation is far less.

What’s more, you’ll likely have more money, be able to afford better clinics and treatments, and the techniques themselves may be better.

Then there’s the psychological impact. Losing your hair young can damage your psyche, but so can a botched hair transplant that leaves you feeling even worse.

Take the time to consider your options carefully, talk to accredited professionals and those you love and trust, and make an informed decision that’s best for you.

About Author