Hair Transplant in Turkey from the UK and Ireland: FUE, DHI and What to Ask Before You Book

Why patients from the UK and Ireland consider Istanbul

Most reasons are practical: you can choose a date that suits your work, and the procedure, hotel and transfers are organised as one package with a written price. There are direct flights to Istanbul from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Dublin, among others. New City Clinic is registered with HealthTürkiye and is also a TÜRSAB-licensed travel agency; it organises and coordinates your treatment and does not perform procedures itself. Price should never be the only criterion: who plans and performs your transplant, and how your donor area is protected, matter more.

Who is a good candidate?

A hair transplant suits men and women whose hair loss has stabilised, most often male-pattern baldness, and who have enough healthy hair at the back and sides of the head (the donor area). If you are very young and your hair loss is still progressing quickly, the doctor may advise you to wait or to stabilise it first, because the new hairline must still look natural as you age. Medication to slow further loss may be recommended by a doctor, as a transplant does not stop the natural loss of your existing hair. The doctor decides after reviewing your photos and examining your scalp.

FUE, DHI, beard, eyebrow and women’s hair transplant

In FUE, follicles are taken one by one from the donor area and placed into tiny channels opened in the thinning area; sapphire FUE uses sapphire blades for finer channels. In DHI, grafts are implanted with a pen-like tool without opening channels first, which can help with dense packing and, in some cases, an unshaven procedure. Beard and moustache transplants use the same principle, usually with grafts from the back of the scalp. Eyebrow transplants use fine single hairs placed at a careful angle; transplanted brow hair grows like scalp hair and needs trimming. In women, thinning is often diffuse, so the doctor first looks for a cause and may ask for blood tests; a transplant is considered when there is a clear thinning area and a good donor area. The doctor chooses the technique with you.

Grafts explained and why the donor area is limited

A graft is a small natural group of usually one to four hairs, so the number of grafts is not the number of hairs. How many you need depends on the area to cover, the density you want and, above all, what your donor area can safely give. The donor area does not regrow what is taken, so taking too many grafts at once can leave the back of the head visibly thin. A careful plan keeps grafts in reserve in case you lose more hair later. A larger graft number on a quote is not automatically better: ask how the number was calculated.

A word of warning about “graft factories”

Before you book any hair transplant, in Turkey or anywhere else, ask who does each step and get the answers in writing: the name of the doctor responsible; who designs your hairline; who extracts the grafts; who opens the channels; who implants the grafts; which steps the doctor performs personally and which are carried out by trained staff under the doctor’s supervision; and how many procedures the team performs on the same day. A clear, written answer to these questions is a reasonable expectation. Be cautious with any offer that cannot name the doctor or the facility, promises a guaranteed result, or presses you to decide quickly.

How the days in Istanbul work, and flying home

Plan 3–4 days in Istanbul. Day one: you are met at the airport and taken to your hotel. Day two: consultation with the doctor, hairline design with you in front of the mirror, blood tests, then the procedure under local anaesthetic, which usually takes 6–8 hours with breaks; there is no overnight hospital stay. Before you fly home, the grafted area is checked, the first wash is done at the clinic and you are shown how to wash at home. On the flight, avoid bumping the grafted area and wear a loose hat only if the doctor allows it. Check the visa or e-visa requirements for your passport on the official website evisa.gov.tr before you book. Once your treatment is planned, the clinic confirms your appointment in writing.

Estimated 2026 price and what the package includes

The hair transplant package is estimated at €1,500. It includes the procedure at a licensed partner facility, pre-procedure blood tests, hotel accommodation, airport–hotel–clinic transfers, an interpreter and coordination as specified, and the first wash and check before you leave. Complication insurance is included in every package organised by New City Clinic; it is not an add-on. Its scope, limits and exclusions are given to you in writing with your quote and before the procedure. This is an estimate, quoted in euros: your final quote is given in writing after the doctor has reviewed your photos. Flights are not included. A hair transplant is elective, and NHS or HSE care and private health insurance usually do not cover elective procedures abroad; ask your insurer if you are unsure.

Washing, aftercare, shock loss and the 12–18-month timeline

For the first days, sleep with your head slightly raised and follow the washing routine you are given exactly, gently and without rubbing. Small scabs usually fall away in about ten days. Desk work is usually possible after about three days; sport, swimming and heavy sweating wait about four weeks or until the doctor allows them, and protect your scalp from strong sun. In the first weeks the transplanted hairs usually shed; this “shock loss” is expected, and nearby existing hair can also thin for a while. New growth usually starts at around three to four months, the change becomes visible over the following months, much of the result is seen at about 12 months, and density, especially at the crown, can keep maturing up to 18 months.

Follow-up from home and how to start

After you are home, the team follows your progress through photos at the key stages, and your coordinator is reachable on WhatsApp if you have a question. Tell your GP about your plans, especially if you take regular medication. To start, send photos of your head on WhatsApp: front, top, crown, both sides and the back, in good light with dry hair, plus any medical conditions and medication. A doctor reviews them free of charge, you usually receive a written quote within 24 hours, and we organise your stay.

• Hair Transplant (FUE & DHI)
• Prices

FAQ