Hair transplant in Türkiye

What it is

A hair transplant moves hair from a donor area, usually the back and sides of the scalp where hair is not expected to fall out over a lifetime, to an area that is thinning or bald. The NHS describes it as suitable for permanent baldness that runs in families and not usually for patchy hair loss such as alopecia areata. It is not offered on the NHS because it is cosmetic surgery.

Three terms are often sold as rival treatments, but they describe different steps.

• FUT (strip). A strip of scalp is cut from the back of the head, divided into grafts and placed into small cuts. It leaves a linear scar.
• FUE (follicular unit excision). Grafts are taken one at a time with a small round punch. It leaves many small round scars, which can be hidden by short hair when it is done correctly. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) says that poorly done FUE can cause diffuse thinning of the donor area and visible scarring.
• DHI. ISHRS describes two kinds of implanter: blunt ones insert grafts into incisions that were made beforehand, and sharp ones make the incision and place the graft in one movement. "DHI" is used by some practitioners for the second. ISHRS states that it is not a hair transplant method, only a way of placing grafts. Our guide to FUE and DHI explains the difference.

ISHRS is also clear that no hair transplant is scarless. On the Ministry of Health register this treatment appears as Saç Ekimi, listed under plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.

Who it is for, and who it is not for

It is mainly for people with permanent, inherited hair loss who have enough donor hair and realistic expectations. The NHS notes that hair around the transplant may keep thinning, so the plan should allow for how your hair loss is likely to progress. A large area can need two or more sessions on different days.

It is usually not suited to patchy or other non-inherited hair loss. Deciding which type of hair loss you have is a medical judgement: ISHRS lists taking your history, examining you, ruling out other hair diseases and drawing the hairline among the surgeon's own tasks. A plan that arrives before anyone has examined your scalp has skipped that step.

How it is done in Türkiye

The NHS describes a transplant as usually done under local anaesthetic with sedation, awake, and usually in a day. You should not expect an overnight stay, but ask what is planned for you.

Türkiye has a dedicated rule: the Ministry of Health's Hair Transplant Units Regulation (Official Gazette of 6 May 2023, amended in November 2023 and September 2025). We read the consolidated text on a legal database and checked the 2025 amendment in the Official Gazette. As we read it:

• A hair transplant unit may operate only inside a health institution (a hospital, medical centre or polyclinic) that holds a unit permit. Only staff whose certificates are registered with the Ministry may work in it, and units are listed on a Ministry portal.
• A doctor needs a hair transplant practitioner certificate. Plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeons, dermatologists and doctors with a medical aesthetics certificate do not need a separate one.
• Opening the recipient channels is reserved for those doctors. Taking the follicles and placing them may be done by those doctors or by health professionals holding the assistant certificate, under the supervision and responsibility of the doctors.
• One responsible doctor may oversee up to five procedure rooms, each with at least two assistants. Only one patient is treated in a room at a time.
• If sedation or general anaesthesia is used, an anaesthesia and reanimation specialist must be present.
• Each patient signs an informed consent form, and a Ministry patient information form records the technique, the number of grafts, the treated area, photographs from the first 72 hours and the names of the team. It is entered into a Ministry system.

Earlier descriptions of the rule may be out of date. The November 2023 text listed harvesting as well as channel opening as doctor-only steps, and the September 2025 amendment moved harvesting out of that list. Units that held a permit before May 2023 have transition provisions, so ask to see the unit's permit.

So the rule answers part of the question patients ask most. A certified assistant may lawfully work under a doctor's responsibility, but it does not tell you who will be in the room on your day. ISHRS describes a narrower role for technicians, including pulling grafts the surgeon has scored and placing grafts only after the surgeon has made all the incisions, and notes that rules differ between countries.

What to check before you book

• Unit and facility. Check the facility's type and authorisation number on the register, then ask for the hair transplant unit permit itself. The register records authorisation and facility type, not which treatments a facility performs.
• Names and certificates. Ask in writing for the name, title and certificate or specialty of the doctor who opens the channels, and of anyone who harvests or places grafts.
• Who does each step. Harvesting, channel opening and placement are three steps. Ask who performs each.
• Graft count. Ask for the planned number of grafts in writing, and for a copy of the patient information form with the actual number after the procedure.
• Technique and donor area. Ask which technique will be used for harvesting and for placement, and why it suits your hair and donor area.
• Anaesthesia. Ask what is used, and who monitors you if you are sedated.
• Records. Ask for before and after photographs, the consent form and the aftercare instructions to be handed to you. See medical records before treatment abroad.

What a package must state

• The technique for harvesting and for placement, and the planned number of grafts.
• The treated areas and the number of sessions.
• Who performs each step, by name and title.
• The facility, its type and its unit permit.
• The anaesthesia and medication included.
• Hotel, transfers and interpreter, each stated as included or not.
• Follow-up checks, whether remote or in person, with dates.
• What the clinic will do if growth is poor or the donor area is damaged, in writing.
• The documents you will receive: consent form, patient information form, photographs and aftercare instructions.

Risks, complications and aftercare

The NHS lists a small risk of bleeding, infection and allergic reaction to the anaesthetic, a risk that transplanted hair does not take and falls out, a risk of a noticeable scar, and continued thinning around the transplant. Expect a tight, sore, swollen scalp for a few days and scabbing. The NHS says grafts are fragile for the first two weeks and suggests 1 to 2 weeks off work.

Transplanted hair often sheds after a few weeks. New growth usually appears around four months, and full results take 10 to 18 months, so judging the outcome on the day you fly home is too early.

Contact the clinic promptly if you have severe pain or unexpected symptoms, and ask beforehand how you reach them out of hours. If a complication needs treatment where you live, show the clinician your consent form, the patient information form and your photographs. Our guide to hair transplants in Türkiye and its clinic checklist cover more.

Questions to ask in writing

• Who will open the recipient channels, and what is their name, title and certificate or specialty?
• Who will harvest the grafts and who will place them, and what certificates do they hold?
• How many grafts are planned, and will I receive the patient information form with the actual number?
• Which technique is used for harvesting and which for placement, and why?
• Which facility and which room will it take place in, and does it hold a hair transplant unit permit?
• What anaesthesia is used, and is an anaesthesia specialist present?
• Which photographs, forms and aftercare instructions will I receive?
• What follow-up is included, and what happens if growth is poor?

This page is an information service, not medical advice. Clinimora is an independent, patient-funded research service. It does not sell treatment, does not diagnose and does not recommend any clinic.