Hair transplants in Turkey: low cost, high quality

Financially savvy hair loss sufferers are discovering that a hair transplant in Turkey offers more advanced technologies than in the UK, but at significantly lower costs.

A typical cost per hair graft in the UK is around £3, so a typical hair transplant of around 3,500 grafts ends up costing about £10,500. By contrast, prices for a 3,500 graft Sapphire FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) operation at the best hair clinic in Istanbul start at £1,800, rising to around £3,350 for a VIP package with the most modern technique, Micro Sapphire DHI (Direct Hair Implantation).

These prices are fixed price packages including hotel accommodation, transport, aftercare, and many other features.

The best quality on the market

Private health care in the UK is known for its high quality, but also for its high costs. The NHS never pays for a hair transplant, so patients must pay the costs out of their own pocket.

There have been some scare stories in recent years about low-quality hair transplant operations in Turkey. However, as a state that is applying to join the EU, Turkish clinics are subject to the same safety standards as those in Germany, France, or the UK.

What is more, the intense competition between clinics in Istanbul has meant that those at the top of the market offer the best hair transplantation methods available.

Which techniques are used for hair transplants in Turkey?

Turkish clinics mainly use the modern FUE procedure: Follicular Unit Extraction. In an FUE hair transplant, the hair grafts – meaning the hairs, the roots and surrounding tissue – are removed individually, medically prepared, and then transplanted into the new area of the scalp.

First, the hair in the donor area is shaved, then the grafts are removed individually. In the recipient area, the surgeon creates channels with a hollow and implants the groups of hair follicles.

The procedure takes place under local anaesthesia and allows the patient to talk to the staff, read or even watch television.

The Cosmedica Clinic in Istanbul specialises in the Micro Sapphire DHI method. This is a further development of the FUE technique. Instead of a normal scalpel, the lead surgeon at Cosmedica, Dr. Levent Acar, uses a particularly small and thin one made of the precious stone sapphire.

Then he removes the grafts with highly specialised implanter pen and immediately reinserts them in the recipient place. Such specialised tools allow for a 99% graft success rate. The sapphire tools make finer incisions which gives a faster healing process. The implanter pen gives the grafts total protection, and the time that the follicles are outside the body is minimised.

Hair Transplant Turkey Costs – what do I need to consider?

The full hair transplant turkey costs are not just the transplant itself, but also includes things like travel, accommodation, and aftercare. Most clinics in the UK charge per graft, so the more grafts, the more expensive.

Many doctors in Turkey nowadays offer hair transplant packages. These typically include hotel stays, aftercare, VIP transfer from the airport and hotel, and a personalised consultation. However, travel is usually not included, so you need to factor that in as well.

However, even with all the travel costs, top quality hair transplant cost in Turkey remains much cheaper than in the UK. Istanbul is one of the world’s best-connected cities.

The best clinics will offer aftercare solutions which involve hair washing for the first time a few days after the operation. Many patients take the opportunity for a short holiday in Istanbul, one of the world’s great historical cities.

Why are hair transplants cheaper in Turkey?

Low prices for medical services in Turkey are possible because the general cost of living is much lower. This includes rents and electricity costs, transfer costs and more, so that even world class clinics have much lower overheads than in the UK.

All in all, a good estimation is that when all costs are considered, an affordable hair transplant in Turkey costs only about half as much as in the UK.

The best hair clinics in Turkey offer standards at least as good as in the UK, because medical tourism has become one of Istanbul’s major industries.

The Micro Sapphire DHI hair transplant method is only available in very few clinics around the world. This pioneering hair transplant procedure is favoured by the rich and famous as it offers superior success rates and quicker healing.

Affordable Micro Sapphire DHI

Cosmedica Clinic’s Micro Sapphire DHI is favoured by the rich and famous, such as TV personality Calum Best, actor Ricky Whittle, Spanish model Jesus Palacios, and German World Cup-winning football star Andreas Brehme.

However, a high quality hair transplant is not just for celebrities. The affordable prices offered in Istanbul make a full head of hair an attainable goal for everyone.