For patients in South Africa

Hair transplant in Turkey from South Africa: a plain guide

Turkey is known worldwide for hair transplants, and the volume of clinics offering them is exactly why it pays to be careful. A hair transplant moves follicles from a donor area, usually the back of the head, to areas of thinning or loss. It can change how your hair looks; it cannot create new donor hair or stop hair loss that is still progressing. This page covers what South African patients in particular should plan for.

Diagnosis comes before grafts

Not every kind of hair loss is suited to a transplant. Before any graft numbers are discussed, the cause and stability of your hair loss, your donor supply and your medical history need to be assessed. Some patients are better served by medical treatment first, or by waiting until their hair loss has stabilised. Be wary of any provider who quotes a graft count from a single photograph without asking these questions.

A transplant may also be a poor choice where hair loss has been caused or worsened by long-term tension from tight braids, weaves or extensions, until the cause has been addressed. Tell us about your hairstyling history at the start.

Techniques we offer

We offer FUE and DHI hair transplants, as well as beard, eyebrow and eyelash transplants and hair restoration planned specifically for women. The procedure itself usually takes several hours. Which technique suits you is decided by the treating clinician. All options are on the hair transplant page.

Curly and Afro-textured hair

In tightly curled hair, the follicle itself curves beneath the skin. That makes extraction more demanding and the planning different: density, hairline shape and the way the hair will sit once grown all need to be considered for your hair type, not copied from a template. Ask any provider how many patients with your hair type they have treated, and ask to see examples. Curly hair can also give a fuller look from fewer grafts, which the clinician should take into account when planning.

Time in Turkey and the flight home

A hair transplant usually needs a shorter stay than body surgery, but there is still no fixed timetable: the clinician checks the grafts and the donor area and tells you when you can travel. On the flight home, avoid anything rubbing against the grafts, follow the clinician’s advice on headwear and keep the scalp clean as instructed. Book a return ticket you can change.

Protecting the scalp from South African sun

Healing grafts and the donor area need protecting from strong sunlight, and the sun in much of South Africa is far more intense than in Europe, particularly in summer. Ask the clinician when you can wear a hat, what kind, and when sunscreen can be used on the scalp. If you work outdoors, plan your time off around this, not only around the surgery.

What to expect over the following year

Redness, swelling, scabbing and numbness are common at first. Most transplanted hair sheds in the weeks after surgery before regrowing, and the result develops over many months. Not every graft survives, and existing hair can continue to thin, so ongoing treatment or a further procedure is sometimes discussed later.

Once you are home

Send progress photographs at the intervals the team gives you; with Turkey only one hour ahead of South Africa, questions are answered during your normal day. Our treatment guarantee sets out what is covered, and our complaints page explains how problems are handled. South African medical schemes generally do not cover cosmetic hair transplants; ask yours if you are unsure.

What we will not do

We will not promise a density or a hairline, we will not take more grafts than your donor area can safely give, and we will not proceed if a transplant is not the right treatment for the cause of your hair loss. Jonathan, from Liverpool, describes his own hair transplant trip in our patient video.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I need to stay in Turkey for a hair transplant?

Usually a shorter stay than for body surgery, but there is no fixed timetable. The clinician checks the grafts and donor area and tells you when you can travel.

Can curly or Afro-textured hair be transplanted?

It can, but the follicle curves beneath the skin, which makes extraction more demanding and changes how density and the hairline are planned. Ask any clinic how many patients with your hair type it has treated and ask to see examples.

When will I see the result of a hair transplant?

Most transplanted hair sheds in the weeks after surgery before regrowing. The result develops over many months, not every graft survives, and existing hair can continue to thin.

What should a hair transplant quote include?

A written quote should name the treating clinician and facility, the technique, the proposed graft range and your donor limitations, the tests and medicines included, accommodation and transfers, and how follow-up works once you are home.

Will my medical aid cover a hair transplant?

South African medical schemes generally do not cover cosmetic hair transplants. Ask yours if you are unsure.

Start with a free online consultation. Planning the trip? Read the guide for South African patients and the e-Visa guide.