Before you travel: the assessment
The most important decisions are made before you book a flight.
You send clear photos of your hairline, temples, crown and the back and sides of your head, which is the donor area. A surgeon assesses your stage of hair loss on the Norwood scale, the density of your donor hair and how your loss is likely to progress.
From that, you should receive a written plan: the technique, an estimated graft range, a proposed hairline, the number of nights and a fixed price. If the clinic quotes a graft number without asking about your age, family history or medication, ask why.
Who is a good candidate?
- Men and women with stable, pattern hair loss and a healthy donor area.
- People who understand that a transplant moves hair; it does not create new follicles.
- Younger patients, under around 25, usually need careful planning, because their hair loss may still progress.
The trip, day by day
Here is the typical three-night schedule for Sapphire FUE, the most popular technique. FUE and DHI follow a very similar plan.
Move through each step below to see what happens and when. Every day has a purpose: tests and planning, the procedure itself, and a check and first wash before you are cleared to fly.
Sapphire FUE: 3 nights in Istanbul
- Before you travel
You send photographs of your hairline, crown and donor area. A surgeon assesses your Norwood stage, donor density and graft count, and you receive a written fixed quote with a hairline plan.
- Day 1Arrival
Your driver meets you at Istanbul airport and takes you to the hotel.
- Day 2The procedure
Blood tests first, then your surgeon draws the hairline with you in front of a mirror and you agree it before anything is shaved. Extraction takes about three hours, then lunch, then channel opening with sapphire blades and placement. Back at the hotel by early evening.
- Day 3First wash
You return to the clinic for your first wash, performed by a nurse who then teaches you to do it yourself, plus your aftercare kit and a PRP session if indicated.
- Day 4Fly home
A final check and transfer to the airport. Wear a loose hood rather than a cap.
- Days 8–12
Crusts clear, typically a day or two earlier than standard FUE, and the transplanted hairs shed.
- Months 3–4
First new growth, fine and sparse.
- Months 6–12
Thickening continues, with photograph reviews at 3, 6 and 12 months.
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What happens on procedure day
- Blood tests and consultation. Your surgeon confirms the plan and checks your health.
- Hairline design. The hairline is drawn on your scalp and agreed with you in front of a mirror, before anything is shaved.
- Local anaesthetic. The donor and recipient areas are numbed. This is the most uncomfortable part, and it passes quickly.
- Extraction. Follicles are removed one by one from the donor area, which takes around two to three hours.
- Channels and placement. Tiny channels are opened in the recipient area, with sapphire blades for Sapphire FUE, and the grafts are placed at the right angle and density. With DHI, grafts are implanted directly with a pen-like tool.
- Back to the hotel. Most patients are back by early evening, with a bandage on the donor area.
The day is long, usually six to eight hours, but you can watch films, eat lunch and take breaks. Read FUE vs DHI for how the techniques differ.
How many grafts will you need?
Graft numbers depend on the area to cover, the density you want and what your donor area can safely give.
| Hair loss | Area treated | Typical grafts |
|---|---|---|
| Norwood 2–3 | Hairline and temples | 1,500–2,500 |
| Norwood 3 vertex | Hairline and crown | 2,500–3,500 |
| Norwood 4 | Front, mid-scalp and crown | 3,000–4,000 |
| Norwood 5–6 | Most of the top of the head | 4,000–5,000+ |
Your donor area is a limited, lifetime resource. A responsible plan leaves enough in reserve for the future, rather than taking the maximum in one session. Try the graft calculator below for a personal estimate, then send it to a surgeon to review.
Recovery and growth: the timeline
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Mild swelling on the forehead is common. Sleep with your head raised. |
| Day 3 | First professional wash and check at the clinic, then you fly home. |
| Days 7–10 | Scabs fall away with gentle washing. Most people return to desk work. |
| Weeks 2–8 | The transplanted hairs shed. This is expected and does not mean failure. |
| Months 3–4 | New hairs begin to grow, often fine at first. |
| Months 6–8 | Visible change in density. Hair thickens and gains texture. |
| Months 12–18 | The final result, particularly at the crown, which matures last. |
Cost: Istanbul vs the UK
| Technique | Istanbul, all-inclusive | Private UK clinic |
|---|---|---|
| FUE | £1,650–£2,100 | £5,000–£8,400 |
| Sapphire FUE | £1,900–£2,400 | £5,700–£9,600 |
| DHI | £2,300–£2,900 | £6,900–£11,500 |
Istanbul packages usually include the procedure, three nights in a hotel, transfers, medication, a PRP session and aftercare. Be cautious of 'unlimited grafts' offers: the right number of grafts is a clinical decision, not a sales feature.
Choosing a hair transplant clinic
Hair transplants are performed by hundreds of clinics in Istanbul. A few questions separate them quickly.
- Who does what? The surgeon should design the hairline, make the critical decisions and perform or closely supervise extraction and channel opening. Ask exactly which steps technicians perform.
- How many patients a day? A team treating many patients at once cannot give each the same attention. One or two patients per surgeon per day is a reasonable standard.
- What is the plan for future loss? A good surgeon designs a hairline that will still look natural in twenty years, not just next summer.
- What does the price include? Hotel nights, transfers, PRP, medication, washing and follow-up should all be listed.
- How is aftercare handled? You should send photos at set milestones and have them reviewed by the surgeon.
Our hair transplant in Turkey page covers the techniques, candidacy and prices in more detail.
Looking after your new hair at home
- Wash gently as shown at the clinic, usually daily for the first two weeks
- Sleep with your head raised for the first few nights
- Avoid hats that press on the grafts for about ten days
- Keep the sun off your scalp for a month; wear a loose hat outdoors
- No swimming, saunas or heavy exercise for two to four weeks
- Avoid smoking and alcohol in the first weeks to help healing
Send progress photos at one week, one month, three, six and twelve months. Your surgeon compares them with your plan and tells you whether everything is on track, which is reassuring through the shedding phase.
Frequently asked questions
The local anaesthetic injections sting for a few minutes. After that, most patients feel pressure rather than pain. Mild soreness for a few days is normal and managed with simple painkillers.
For the first ten days, usually yes: there will be redness and scabs on the treated area. After that, the shaved donor area grows back quickly. Unshaven techniques are available for some cases.
Light walking straight away, gym and running after around two weeks, and contact sports or swimming after a month. Your clinic will give you a written plan.
Hair moved from the donor area is resistant to pattern loss and usually lasts. Your original hair can continue to thin, which is why planning and medication matter.
