The most important decision in a hair transplant is not FUE or DHI, and not the price. It is who will actually plan and perform your procedure. In Istanbul you can find highly skilled surgeons and you can find production lines where a doctor appears briefly and technicians do the rest. Both may have polished websites. These questions help you tell them apart.

1. Who is the responsible doctor?

Ask for the full name of the doctor who will be responsible for your operation, not just the clinic’s medical director. In Turkey, doctors are registered with the Ministry of Health and the Turkish Medical Association; dermatologists and plastic surgeons are the specialties most often involved in hair restoration. Look the doctor up independently. Membership of professional bodies such as the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is not a guarantee of quality, but it shows involvement in the field.

2. Who does each step on the day?

A hair transplant has several steps: hairline design, graft extraction, channel opening (or pen implantation), and graft placement. Ask the clinic to tell you, in writing, who performs each one. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery has warned for years about unlicensed people carrying out surgical steps. A clinic that is vague about this is giving you an answer.

3. How many patients are treated per day?

A surgeon can only be in one place at a time. If a clinic operates on many patients a day, the doctor cannot be closely involved in all of them. Ask how many procedures the team, and the doctor, will do on your day.

4. How is your graft number planned?

A good clinic explains how many grafts you need, how many your donor area can safely give, and how much reserve is left for the future. Be cautious about promises of “maximum grafts” or “unlimited grafts” without an assessment. See our graft estimate guide.

5. Can you see relevant results?

• Ask for before-and-after photos of patients with similar hair loss, hair colour and texture.
• Look for photos at 12 months or later, taken from the same angles in similar lighting, with wet or flattened hair as well as styled.
• Ask to see the donor area in after photos, not only the front.

6. What do independent reviews say?

Read reviews on several platforms and forums, and focus on detailed reviews written months after surgery. A wall of five-star reviews posted in the days after surgery says little about the final result. Notice how the clinic responds to negative reviews.

7. What is in the contract?

• Graft number, technique and named doctor
• Total price and what is included
• Deposit and cancellation terms
• Follow-up arrangements and what happens if growth is poor

Red flags

• Pressure to book quickly or “limited-time” discounts
• No named doctor, or reluctance to say who does what
• Very low prices combined with very high graft promises
• Only short-term photos, or photos that look edited
• Advice to stop prescribed medication without involving your doctor

Using our directory

Our clinic directory lists clinics with their addresses, websites and phone numbers so you can contact several and compare their answers. A listing is not an endorsement; use the questions above with every clinic. Our article on the consultation process shows what a thorough consultation looks like.

Frequently asked questions

Is a plastic surgeon better than a dermatologist for hair transplants?

Both can be excellent. Specific experience in hair restoration matters more than the specialty title.

Should I visit the clinic before booking?

Most international patients don’t, but a detailed video consultation with the responsible doctor is a reasonable substitute.

Do famous clinics give better results?

Not necessarily. Large marketing budgets and high volume are not the same as careful surgery.

This article is general information, not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.