Graft survival rate is the single most important technical metric in hair transplantation. A difference between 80% and 95% survival on a 3,000-graft procedure means 450 fewer established hairs — clinically significant for density.
What Affects Graft Survival?
Extraction technique: Skilled FUE extraction minimises follicle damage. Inexperienced extraction increases transection (cutting through follicles), killing the graft.
Out-of-body time: Every hour grafts spend outside the body increases cellular stress. Premium clinics minimise this through efficient workflow.
Storage solution: HypoThermosol or Plasmalyte (premium, designed for cellular viability) vs plain saline (basic — significantly lower preservation). This is one of the most important quality differentiators between clinics.
Storage temperature: 4°C storage preserves grafts significantly longer than room temperature.
Post-operative care: Patient compliance in the first 2 weeks — not touching grafts, correct washing, no sun, no alcohol/smoking — directly affects survival.
What to Ask a Clinic
What storage solution? What is your measured graft survival rate? What is average out-of-body time? Do you use hypothermic storage? Inability to answer these specifically is a warning sign.
Our team uses HypoThermosol storage, strict out-of-body time protocols, and provides detailed aftercare. Graft survival is a quality metric we take seriously.