The hair restoration industry in Bangladesh has surged in recent years, now estimated to be worth Tk100 crore, as more people seek permanent solutions for hair loss.
Once, the only option for baldness was customised wigs. Bright red and yellow posters proclaiming “Taak? Aaj e Dheke Jaak! (Bald? Get covered today!)” were a common sight across streets and alleys in the capital.
Customised wigs, costing between Tk 2,000 and Tk 5,000, allowed many to regain confidence. While this market still exists, the majority now prefer injectable and surgical treatments that offer permanent results.
Rising demand for clinics and modern treatments
In the last nine months alone, at least four new hair restoration centres have opened nationwide, bringing the total to roughly 60 clinics offering hair loss treatments.
Md Sazeeb Mia, manager at Dr Lina’s Skin & Aesthetics, said: “People did not take treatment before because there was not much awareness back then.”
He expects the market to expand further in the coming years. Modern hair restoration methods include hair transplantation and plasma injections, with treatment tailored to individual patients.
Physicians use the Hamilton–Norwood scale to gauge baldness severity, ranging from Stage 1 to Stage 7. Dr SM Bakhtiar Kamal, head of dermatology at City Medical College Hospital, reassures patients: “Hair loss of Stage 1 through 6 is treatable.”
Dr Kamal began performing hair transplants in 2007 using the Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) method, which grafts a strip of scalp from the back to the front. Today, he uses the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) method, which removes individual follicles. His team now performs around 60 transplants per month, up from just one or two in the early 2010s.
“The quality of hair restoration in Bangladesh is now on par with international standards, offering patients modern and effective solutions to tackle hair loss,” he told The Daily TIMES of Bangladesh.
International players and advanced techniques
Evolved Hair Restoration, an Australian company operating in Bangladesh since March, performs around 10 transplants monthly using the Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) technique, a modified and costlier version of FUE that extracts and implants grafts simultaneously.
Md Daud Hossain, chief executive officer and country director, said: “The market opportunity is huge, but awareness needs to be spread to gain more patients.”
Transplantation costs range from Tk 50,000 to Tk 300,000, depending on the method and number of grafts. Hair transplantation alone generates roughly Tk 18 crore annually, according to industry insiders.
Non-surgical treatments drive majority of revenue
Non-surgical options like Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) are also widely popular due to their lower cost. Both methods use a patient’s own blood to stimulate hair growth: PRP concentrates platelets for injection into the scalp, while PRF contains higher growth factors and white blood cells.
Treatment sessions range from Tk 2,000 to Tk 15,000 depending on type and area. Industry sources estimate non-surgical methods contribute Tk 90 crore annually. Around 5,000 patients undergo PRP and PRF treatments monthly, according to Md Sazeeb Mia.
Professor Sayeed Ahmed Siddiky, president of the Bangladesh Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, advised patients: “Many have now started hair transplants, but patients should focus on understanding the safety and results rather than just the cost. Often, patients get discouraged when they don’t receive the right treatment and end up going abroad.”
