Hair Transplant (FUE)

Follicular Unit Extraction is a minimally invasive hair restoration technique performed under local anaesthesia on an outpatient basis. Individual follicular units — naturally occurring groups of one to four hairs — are extracted from the donor area using a specialised punch instrument of 0.6 to 1.0 mm diameter. The extracted grafts are stored in a chilled preservation solution to maintain viability. Recipient sites are then created in the thinning or bald area at angles and densities designed to replicate the natural growth pattern, and each graft is placed individually.

Candidacy is determined primarily by donor density and the extent of hair loss. Patients with insufficient donor density — whether due to advanced loss, fine hair calibre, or previous over-harvesting — may not achieve adequate coverage. The Norwood scale for male pattern baldness and the Ludwig scale for female pattern loss are standard tools for grading severity and planning graft estimates. Underlying conditions causing diffuse hair loss (alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, hormonal disorders) must be excluded or stabilised before surgery is appropriate, as active hair loss will continue regardless of transplanted grafts.

In the days following surgery, small scabs form around each graft and shed over approximately ten days. A phenomenon termed shock loss — temporary shedding of both transplanted and surrounding native hairs triggered by surgical trauma — is common and resolves over several months. Transplanted hairs typically shed within two to four weeks and begin regrowing at three to four months. Final density and naturalness of result are not assessable until nine to twelve months post-procedure, and a second session may be required for desired coverage.

Hair transplant pricing is typically structured either per graft or as an all-inclusive package for a defined graft range (e.g. up to 3,000 grafts). Per-graft pricing models require an accurate pre-operative graft count, which should be confirmed in writing before travel, as on-the-day revisions to the planned number will affect cost. Package pricing offers more predictability but may limit the surgeon's flexibility to place additional grafts if intraoperative assessment suggests more are needed.

Items typically included in quoted prices are the procedure itself, local anaesthesia, post-operative medications (antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents, minoxidil for some clinics), and a post-operative care kit. Items commonly excluded include pre-operative blood tests, the initial consultation and trichoscopy assessment, accommodation, airport transfers, and any PRP (platelet-rich plasma) sessions recommended as an adjunct. Patients should verify whether the cost covers a single day's surgery or whether large graft sessions requiring two days are priced differently.

In the three to five days following surgery, small crusts form around each transplanted graft in the recipient area and around each extraction site in the donor zone. These must not be picked or scratched. Gentle washing with diluted shampoo typically begins at forty-eight to seventy-two hours per clinic protocol, and most crusts shed naturally by days ten to fourteen. Redness and minor swelling of the scalp are normal during this period. Most patients feel comfortable returning to office work and light daily activities within ten to fourteen days, once the donor area has healed and crusting has resolved.

Between weeks two and eight, the transplanted hairs shed — a normal and expected phase often called the shedding or telogen phase — which can be disconcerting but does not indicate graft failure. New hair growth emerges from three to four months onwards, initially fine and gradually thickening. At six months, meaningful coverage is visible, and the final result — including full density, texture, and naturalness of hairline — is assessable at nine to twelve months post-procedure. A follow-up consultation at twelve months allows the clinic to assess whether a second session is warranted.

Hair transplant surgery is one of the higher-volume procedures sought abroad, and for straightforward cases it is reasonably well suited to a single trip. Most patients require only one visit, as the procedure is completed in a single session and there is no mandatory return appointment. However, the remote follow-up limitations are significant: post-operative assessment of graft take, early signs of infection, and management of complications such as folliculitis or ingrown hairs typically occur over three to twelve months and cannot meaningfully be conducted via video consultation alone.

A critical concern in major hair transplant destinations — particularly Turkey — is the widespread use of a technician-led model in which the surgeon draws the hairline and creates recipient sites but graft extraction and placement are performed by trained technicians rather than the operating surgeon. Prospective patients should clarify in writing who will perform each stage of the procedure. Results cannot be assessed for nine to twelve months, meaning dissatisfaction will not become apparent until long after the patient has returned home, with limited recourse against an overseas provider. Patients should arrange a dermatology or hair loss clinic review in their home country at the three-, six-, and twelve-month marks.