Hair Restoration Survey: 2025 Practice Census from the ISHRS
Every year, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS)—a global, non-profit medical organization with over 1,200 members across 80 countries—releases its annual Practice Census Report. The 2025 edition offers powerful insight into the current state of hair restoration: who’s getting procedures, what techniques are most used, and how today’s physicians are delivering results.
But why does this data matter?
Because numbers tell a story—about trends, standards, and what you should expect when evaluating a physician or clinic. If a provider is doing things dramatically different from what the majority of experts are doing, it’s worth asking: Why?
In this article, we break down key takeaways from the 2025 ISHRS Census—and provide expert commentary from our physicians at Advanced Hair Restoration (AHR) to help you interpret what the stats really mean. Our goal? To help you make more informed decisions about your own hair restoration journey.
Want to dive deeper? You can view the full ISHRS 2025 Practice Census Report here.
Male/Female Share
According to the research conducted by the ISHRS, 84.7% of Surgical patients are men, meaning only 15.3% are female
Women make up 38.3% of nonsurgical treatments
AHR Physician Input: This difference is largely due to the nature of hair loss in women. Female hair loss typically presents in a diffuse pattern, which can limit candidacy for transplantation. As a result, women more often seek non-surgical treatments. However, women can still be excellent surgical candidates with the right diagnosis and strategy.
Average # of Grafts per Session
First Procedure: 2,347, Subsequent Procedure: 1,637
AHR Physician Input: This variation can reflect not only the patient’s needs and goals, but also the capabilities of the physician and surgical team. Some clinics simply aren’t equipped to perform larger sessions. Always get multiple consultations and understand how many grafts are truly required to meet your goals—don’t settle for limitations based on a provider’s experience or equipment.
Average number of hair restoration surgeries performed per member per month/past year:
Mean: 15 per month, Median: 13 per month
Mean: 178 past year
The wide range of procedures per member reflects the diversity in practice sizes within the ISHRS. What's important is ensuring your surgeon performs procedures frequently enough to maintain precision and consistency. Experience matters—not just in years, but in volume.
Hair Restoration Surgical Patients by Sex and Age
Over half of both male and female patients fell between the ages of 30 to 49 years old, 58.7% and 54.0% respectively. On average, males tended to be slightly younger than females.
AHR Physician Input: Hair loss can affect people at any age, but financial readiness and the stage of hair loss progression often dictate when patients pursue treatment. It’s never too early—or too late—to consult with a specialist. Early intervention offers more options for preservation and restoration.
Hair Restoration Surgical Procedures by Type of Procedure
When asked what percent of total male and female hair restoration surgical procedures were performed using three different methods, the most common method among was ‘Hair Transplantation with FUE harvesting’ (males: 85.4%, females: 68.2%), followed by ‘Hair Transplantation with strip/linear harvesting’ (males: 12.5%, females: 30.0%) and Combination strip and FUE (performed during the same surgical session)’ (males: 2.1%, females: 1.9%).
AHR Physician Input: This is a crucial data point. Over 85% of male patients worldwide are treated with FUE. That should tell you something. At Advanced Hair, we believe FUE represents the future of hair transplantation due to its precision, faster healing, and lack of linear scarring. You can read more in our in-depth guide: FUT vs FUE Comparing Hair Transplantation Techniques
What was the average number of FUE and FUT grafts in your typical case?
When asked what the average number of grafts they used in a typical case, most members replied zero to 2,999 FUT grafts (91.1%) and 1,000 to 3,999 FUE grafts (79.1%). The average number of grafts per case was 2,100 for FUT cases and 2,262 for FUE cases.
AHR Physician Input: This is one of the most revealing statistics. FUE not only accounts for more procedures, but also a higher average graft count. This dispels the myth that FUT always yields more grafts. If your goals require a high graft count, make sure your clinic is capable of delivering—don’t accept limitations that stem from a team’s lack of experience or training.
When performing FUE, what size punch do you typically use?
When asked what size punch ISHRS members use when performing FUE, most respondents indicated they use a 0.81 mm to 0.90 mm (50.8%) size punch or a 0.91 mm to 1.00 mm (38.0%).
AHR Physician Input: Not all FUE is created equal. Punch size affects healing, scarring, and graft viability. A smaller punch typically results in less visible scarring and quicker recovery—but if it's too small and used improperly, it can increase graft damage. An experienced team chooses the right tool based on patient characteristics, not one-size-fits-all protocols.
What percentage of your FUE donor harvest sites were in the following areas?
When asked about donor harvest site areas, scalp was the most common donor harvest site (91.7%), followed by beard (6.1%) and chest (1.1%).
AHR Physician Input: Body Hair Transplantation sounds promising, but the reality is that less than 2% of cases use body hair like chest or leg. Why? Because body hair doesn’t grow like scalp hair—it retains its original characteristics. While it may play a small role in some cases, it’s not a reliable or mainstream solution.
The Average Number of Surgical Procedures Each Patient Received in Order to Achieve the Desired Result
Two-thirds (67.3%) of members reported performing an average of one procedure to achieve the desired hair restoration result. The average number of procedures needed to achieve the desired hair restoration result was 1.5, while the median was 1 procedure.
AHR Physician Input: Needing more than one procedure isn’t unusual—and doesn’t necessarily mean the first failed. It could be due to timing (early in hair loss), budget limitations, or provider skill. Some patients need multiple sessions to achieve full density or restore large areas. A transparent, personalized plan should explain what’s possible in one vs. multiple procedures.
These insights from the 2025 ISHRS Practice Census highlight key trends and benchmarks in the world of hair restoration. Use this data to make informed decisions—and remember, the right physician makes all the difference. If you're ready to explore your options, schedule a free consultation with Advanced Hair today.
For a full breakdown of the survey findings, visit the ISHRS 2025 Practice Census Results.