Norwood 5, 6 and 7: how many grafts do I need?

Dr. Arika Bansal

11 November, 2026

Grade 6 and 7 hair loss usually needs about 7,000 to 9,000 grafts for full coverage. Norwood 5 needs fewer, but there is no fixed number for any grade, because it depends on the size of the bald area and your donor supply. At these grades the scalp donor area alone is often not enough, so the plan is usually split into two sittings, with beard hair used as a filler alongside scalp grafts.

This guide from Eugenix Hair Sciences explains what each advanced grade looks like, how many hair grafts Norwood 5, Norwood 6 and Norwood 7 may need, and how a plan is built around the donor hair you have.

What do Norwood 5, 6 and 7 look like?

The Norwood scale, also called the Hamilton Norwood scale, grades male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, from 1 to 7. In the early stages, the change is a receding hairline at the temples. At the advanced stages, the bald area grows larger while the donor area at the back and sides stays the same size.

• Norwood 5: the frontal zone and the crown are both bald, and the bridge of hair between them is narrowing.
• Norwood 6: the bridge has gone, so the front and crown join into one large bald area. Hair remains at the sides, in an area called the lateral hump, and at the back.
• Norwood 7: the most advanced stage of hair loss. Only a narrow band of hair remains at the sides and back, and the top of the scalp may be completely bald.

Stage 6 hair loss, also called stage 6 hair fall or grade 6 baldness, and stage 7 hair loss are not the end of the road for a hair transplant, but they change the question. The question is no longer how dense the result can be. It is how the donor hair you have should be spent across a large area.

How many grafts for Norwood 6 and Norwood 7?

In a Norwood 6 hair transplant, as in Norwood 7, extensive hair loss usually needs about 7,000 to 9,000 grafts for full coverage of the front, mid scalp and crown. For many Indian and Asian patients, the scalp can give about 3,000 to 4,500 grafts in one sitting and about 5,000 to 8,000 over a lifetime. This is why the scalp alone is often not enough at these grades, and why beard grafts are added to the plan as a filler.

How many grafts for Norwood 5?

Norwood 5 needs fewer grafts than Grade 6 or 7, because the bald area is smaller and some existing hair still separates the front from the crown. The exact number depends on the size of the bald zones, your donor density, whether you have thick hair or thin hair, your family history and how far further hair loss may progress. The doctor counts the grafts needed for each zone at consultation, and our guide on how to calculate grafts for a hair transplant explains the method.

Why the donor area decides the plan

At advanced grades, the donor area sets the limit, not the bald area. Having enough donor hair matters more than the grade itself. The donor area is the back and sides of the scalp, which is usually less affected by pattern hair loss. Its supply is finite: a follicle that is moved does not grow back in its old place. Taking too many grafts from one patch leaves visible thinning, so extraction of the hair follicles is spread evenly across the safe donor zone, in a wavy, zigzag manner.

The lead surgeon performs the extraction and sets every technical parameter. The Eugenix medical team assists and carries out implantation under the lead surgeon’s parameters and supervision. The lead surgeon supervises your procedure throughout, taking rounds between active steps and remaining available at all times during your surgery.

Why advanced hair loss is often planned in two sittings

Splitting the hair transplant procedure lets the scalp give its safe maximum without being overharvested. For most Grade 6 and 7 patients, Eugenix plans two sittings.

• Sitting 1: scalp and beard grafts cover the frontal zone and the mid scalp. This sitting can run over 2 to 3 consecutive days, with about 3,000 to 5,000 grafts.
• Sitting 2: the crown is covered with scalp and beard grafts. Because the crown was not implanted in the first sitting, this can be done after about 1.5 to 2 months.

The front is treated first because the hairline frames the face, and this is what other people see first. The crown area is addressed second. Crown coverage also looks lighter than front coverage with the same number of grafts, because hair at the crown fans out in all directions from the central whorl.

Body hair: a filler, not the primary donor

Body hair supplements the scalp donor area, it does not replace it. Beard hair is the most useful body donor. A healthy beard can give about 3,000 to 5,000 grafts over a lifetime, and about 500 to 800 can usually be taken without changing how the beard looks. Beard grafts are mixed with scalp grafts in the mid scalp and around the edges of the crown. They are never placed in the hairline, the temple points or the crown whorl, where their coarser texture would show.

Chest hair is used only in selected cases. It can look unnatural because its texture is different from scalp hair. Our guide on the Grade 6 and 7 approach and our page on how to handle grade 7 baldness explain this further.

A case series on Grade 6 and Grade 7 hair loss found beard hair a workable extra donor source, used mainly as a filler in the mid scalp and crown rather than in the hairline.

How the hairline is planned at advanced grades

At Grade 6 and 7, the hairline is planned conservatively, so the available grafts can reach further back.

• A slightly higher position: a higher hairline uses fewer grafts at the front and leaves more for the mid scalp.
• A V shape: a triangular hairline needs fewer grafts than a rounded U shape.
• Graded density: more grafts at the frontal zone, fewer towards the back.
• The forelock: grafts with 3 or 4 hairs are placed here to add volume.

Your hairline is planned to suit your face and age, and keeping in mind how your hair loss may progress. Single-hair grafts are placed at the front of the hairline.

Medicines alongside the transplant

Medical therapy is one of the treatment options alongside surgery. It protects the hair you still have and can reduce how many grafts are needed at the crown. Finasteride slows the progression of male pattern hair loss. It is not a cure and is taken under medical supervision, usually until the age of 55 to 60. A possible side effect is reduced libido, which is reversible. At the crown, it can improve the surrounding hair, so fewer grafts are needed there.

Pattern hair loss usually progresses in the 20s and 30s, and slows down from the mid-40s towards the 50s. This matters most for younger patients at Grade 5, whose loss may still be moving towards Grade 6.

What results to expect

Realistic expectations matter at the severe stage. Hair density after a transplant is about 50% of natural density, so a large area covered with a limited supply will not look as dense as hair that was never lost. A slight see-through quality in bright light is normal. New hair growth usually starts from Month 4. Full results take 10 to 12 months for the front and mid scalp, and 12 to 15 months for the crown. Beard grafts take about 12 to 13 months. Our aim is a natural-looking result. Results vary from person to person.

Eugenix has carried out 1,500+ Grade 6 and 7 surgeries. Eugenix Hair Sciences has worked only in hair restoration since 2009, with centres in Gurugram, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar and Bengaluru. It was founded by Dermatologists, alumni of AIIMS, New Delhi, and Fellows of ISHRS.

Frequently asked questions

Is Norwood 6 too late for a hair transplant?

Not necessarily. Many men with Norwood 6 hair loss can have a hair transplant, as long as the donor area at the back and sides is healthy. The plan is usually split into two sittings and supported with beard hair as a filler. It is not suitable when the donor area is also thinning, as in diffuse unpatterned hair loss, which the doctor checks at consultation.

Can a Norwood 7 get a hair transplant?

Often yes, depending on the donor area. At Norwood 7 only a narrow band of hair remains at the sides and back, so the donor supply is the main limit. The plan usually combines the safe maximum from the scalp with beard grafts, over two sittings, with a conservative hairline. The doctor assesses your donor area before advising what coverage is realistic for you.

How many grafts for Norwood stage 7?

Grade 6 and 7 hair loss usually needs about 7,000 to 9,000 grafts for full coverage. Most Indian and Asian patients can give about 5,000 to 8,000 scalp grafts over a lifetime, so beard grafts are usually added as a filler. Your own number depends on the size of the bald area and your donor density, which the doctor assesses at consultation.

Can stage 6 hair loss be reversed with medicines?

No medicine brings back hair in areas that are already bald. Finasteride slows the progression of male pattern hair loss in the hair you still have. It is not a cure and is taken under medical supervision. A hair transplant is the option that moves your own growing hair into bald areas, and medicines support the result by protecting your native hair.

How long between the two sittings for Grade 6 or 7?

When the second sitting covers an area that was not implanted the first time, such as the crown, it can usually be done after about 1.5 to 2 months. A second extraction from the same donor zone also needs a gap of at least 2 months for healing. Adding density to an area already implanted needs a gap of 11 to 12 months.

Is 7,000 grafts too many?

For most Indian and Asian patients, 7,000 grafts is more than the scalp can safely give in one sitting, and close to the upper part of the lifetime range of about 5,000 to 8,000 grafts. At Grade 6 and 7, plans of this size are usually split into two sittings and combine scalp grafts with beard grafts, so the scalp donor area is not overharvested.

Will my result look as dense as before?

No. Transplanted density is about 50% of natural density, because transplanted hairs sit further apart than natural hairs. At advanced grades, a limited donor supply is spread across a large area, so a slight see-through quality is normal, especially in bright light or with wet hair. The plan places more grafts at the front, where density matters most.

Know more.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Arika Bansal, Co-Founder, Eugenix Hair Sciences; MBBS, MD Dermatology, Fellow of ISHRS; Reg. No. HN-34095 (Haryana Medical Council).