HAIR RESTORATION
Hair Transplant
Also known as: hair surgery
A hair transplant moves your own hair follicles from the back and sides of your head to areas that are thinning or bald. Most patients stay 2 to 3 days, and the full result takes about a year to show.
- Procedure time4 to 8 hours
- Hospital stayNone, same day
- Back to workAbout 1 week
- Time abroad2 to 3 days
- Results show6 to 12 months
Hair Transplant Clinics
These clinics perform hair transplants and are listed on Hollywood Patient Care. Verified clinics have passed our checks.
Hair Transplant Doctors
These doctors perform hair transplants. Each profile shows their training, the procedures they perform and where they work.
Is a Hair Transplant Safe?
It can be, when a licensed doctor plans and performs the surgery in a licensed clinic. A hair transplant is surgery, and serious complications are uncommon: large clinical series estimate overall complication rates of 1.2% to 4.7%. Most problems are minor and short-lived.
Possible Side Effects
Most side effects are mild and settle on their own.
- Swelling of the forehead in the first days, which is common
- Itching and small scabs, which usually fall off within 7 to 10 days
- Folliculitis, small inflamed bumps where new hairs grow
- Shedding of the transplanted hairs, and sometimes of nearby hair, in the first weeks. This is temporary.
- Infection, which is uncommon
- Donor area damage if too many grafts are taken
Warning Signs After You Get Home
Contact your clinic and your coordinator if you notice:
- Redness, swelling or pain that gets worse instead of better
- Pus, a bad smell or a fever
- Scabs that are still there after 2 weeks
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Hair Transplant?
You may be a good candidate if your hair loss has a clear pattern that has slowed down or stabilized, and you have enough healthy donor hair at the back and sides of your head. Men and women of all races can be good candidates.
Good Candidates
Your hair loss has slowed down. In your early 20s, it's harder to know how much more hair you'll lose, and ISHRS notes that a transplant carries more risk at that age.
You have enough donor hair, and the thinning area can still grow hair.
You're in good general health, and any medical cause of your hair loss has been checked.
You have realistic expectations: A transplant moves hair, it doesn't create new hair.
A Transplant Is Usually Not the Answer For
Temporary shedding.
Patchy hair loss from alopecia areata.
Hair loss with an untreated cause. A doctor should find the cause first.
Your surgeon makes the final decision after examining your scalp.
Is Your Donor Hair Enough?
Your donor area, at the back and sides of your head, is the hair supply for every transplant, and it's limited. Hair taken from it doesn't grow back. A good surgeon plans your graft count so your donor area still looks natural, now and if you lose more hair later.
Hair Transplant Techniques: FUE, DHI and Sapphire FUE
All three techniques remove your grafts the same way, one follicle at a time. They differ in how the small openings for new hairs are made and how the grafts are placed. No large, well-designed study shows that one reliably gives better growth than the others, so your surgeon's experience matters more than the name of the technique.
FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction)
- How it works
- The surgeon removes grafts one by one with a tiny punch, makes small openings with a fine blade, then places the grafts with fine forceps.
- Often used for
- Larger areas and most hair loss patterns.
- What to expect
- Usually needs shaving. Leaves tiny dot scars in the donor area, not a line scar.
How Is a Hair Transplant Performed? Procedure Steps
A hair transplant takes 4 to 8 hours, and you go back to your hotel the same day. Most patients stay awake, and only the scalp is numbed.
Planning and Hairline Design
BeforeYour surgeon examines your scalp, confirms the graft plan and draws your new hairline.
Anesthesia
StartThe donor and treated areas are numbed. Some patients also take a mild sedative to relax.
Removing the Grafts
Main partHealthy follicles are removed from the back and sides of your head.
Preparing the Grafts
Main partThe team prepares the removed grafts for placing.
Placing the Grafts
Main partSmall openings are made in the thinning area, and the grafts are placed one by one.
Bandage and Instructions
EndYour scalp is dressed, and you get instructions for caring for it at home.
Hair Transplant Recovery Timeline: What to Expect
Most of the visible healing happens in the first two weeks, but the new hair grows slowly over the following year.
Small scabs form within 2 to 3 days and usually fall off by days 7 to 10. Many clinics do your first hair wash and show you how to wash at home. When you can shower normally, swim or exercise varies by surgeon, so follow your surgeon's instructions. Between weeks 2 and 8, the transplanted hairs fall out. This "shock loss" is normal, and new hair starts growing in the following months.
ABROAD · THE FIRST DAYS
Day 1
Your scalp is bandaged. You go back to your hotel with care instructions.
Days 2 to 3
Swelling of the forehead is common. Small scabs form on the treated area.
BACK HOME · WEEKS TO MONTHS
Days 7 to 10
The scabs usually fall off. Itching is common as the skin heals.
Weeks 2 to 8
The transplanted hairs fall out. This is normal.
Month 3
Your hair may look thinner than before the transplant.
Months 6 to 12
New hair grows in. Most patients see results at 6 to 9 months, some at 12 months.
Timings are typical, not promised. Your surgeon gives you your own plan.
Does a Hair Transplant Hurt?
The surgery itself shouldn't hurt, because your scalp is numbed and most patients stay awake. In the first days afterwards, the treated area can feel tender and itchy. Your surgeon tells you what you can take for any discomfort.
Do
- Follow your surgeon's instructions on washing
- Ask your surgeon before taking any new medicine
- Go to your follow-up check-ins
Don't
- Pick or scratch the scabs
- Rub the treated area
- Swim or exercise until your surgeon says it's safe
How Long Should You Stay Abroad for a Hair Transplant?
Most patients stay 2 to 3 days: a consultation, the surgery, and a check at the clinic before flying home.
2 to 3days
Most patients stay abroad this long.
4 to 8hours
for the surgery itself.
Same day
You go back to your hotel after surgery.
A Typical 3-Day Plan
DAY 1
Arrive
Hotel, consultation and tests at the clinic.
DAY 2
Surgery
Hairline design, then the transplant (4 to 8 hours). Back to the hotel.
DAY 3
Check-up
At many clinics, your first hair wash. Aftercare instructions, then fly home.
When Can You Fly Home?
Ask your surgeon before you book your flight home. Most patients fly once the clinic has checked the treated area, usually 1 to 2 days after surgery.
Flight times and entry rules depend on the country you choose. See the travel notes for each country in the comparison above, and check the entry requirements for your passport before you book.
Back Home: Follow-Up
Before you leave, ask the clinic for your surgical report with your graft count.
How to Choose a Hair Transplant Clinic
Choose the surgeon first, then the clinic. Look for a licensed doctor who plans and performs the surgical steps, a clinic with the right authorizations, and a written plan before you pay.
What to Check
- The clinic's license from the national health authority
- Who will design your hairline and perform your surgery
- How many patients the doctor treats at the same time
- Your planned graft count and technique, in writing
- Everything the price includes, and any extras
- Before-and-after photos of patients with hair loss like yours
Questions to Ask Your Coordinator
- Who will perform my surgery, step by step?
- How many grafts do you plan for me?
- What exactly is included in my price?
- How will follow-up work once I'm home?
- Has this clinic been verified, and when?
Hair Transplant: Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to shave my head?
Usually, at least in the donor area. DHI often needs less shaving, depending on how many grafts you need. Ask your surgeon what's possible for your plan.
Am I too young for a hair transplant?
It depends on your hair loss, not only your age. In your early 20s, it's hard to know how much more hair you'll lose, and ISHRS notes that a transplant carries more risk at that age. Finding the cause of your hair loss with a doctor comes first.
Can women get a hair transplant?
Yes. Men and women of all races can be good candidates, if they have enough donor hair and the thinning area can still grow hair. A doctor should check the cause of the hair loss first.
Does the price include flights?
No. What the price includes varies by clinic, and flights aren't part of it. Add flights, meals and travel insurance to your budget, and ask what your quote covers in writing.
Can I have a beard or eyebrow transplant on the same trip?
Sometimes. A beard transplant and an eyebrow transplant both use donor hair from the back of your head, so your surgeon decides whether you have enough donor hair and whether to do them together.
Our Sources
A hair transplant can give you permanent, natural-looking results
American Academy of Dermatology · aad.org
Guide to FUE Hair Transplant: Benefits, Process & Recovery
International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery · ishrs.org
Complications in follicular unit excision hair transplantation: current evidence and practical approaches
Frontiers in Medicine, 2026 · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Advancements in Graft Placement Techniques
Facial Plastic Surgery, 2023 · doi.org