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Not medical advice. Whether this treatment is right for you is a decision to take with a doctor or dentist who has examined you. Talk to your own doctor before you book.
What it is
Hair follicles are taken from a donor area, usually the back of the head, and placed in thinning patches. The NHS lists it among hair loss treatments it does not usually provide.
Even when it is sold as minimally invasive, it is surgery: every incision leaves a scar, the anaesthetic must be dosed and the patient monitored, and complications can be serious when unlicensed staff operate.
| Type | What it means |
|---|---|
| FUE (follicular unit excision) | Follicles are removed one by one from the donor area with a small punch, then placed in incisions made in the thinning area. |
| FUT (strip) | A strip of scalp is removed from the donor area and divided into grafts; it leaves a linear scar. |
| DHI | A variant of FUE sold under this name: the grafts are placed with an implanter pen. The same rule applies: a doctor makes the incisions. |
Before you book
- See your doctor first: hair loss has several causes, and some are treated without surgery. The NHS advises seeing a GP to understand the cause before going to a commercial hair clinic.
- Ask for a consultation with the surgeon who will operate, not a salesperson or a coordinator.
Who it is for
- There is no fixed medical threshold: the surgeon decides from the cause of your hair loss, the donor area and your health.
- A clinic that books you without seeing your scalp (in person or at least by detailed photos reviewed by the doctor) and without asking about your health is a warning sign.
Recovery and travel
Usually a day procedure under local anaesthetic.
Most people can return to work within one to two days; some take more time off, depending on their job.
The transplanted hairs fall out first; the grafted follicles do not regrow hair for about three months, then the result fills in over the following months.
Flying home: We found no official minimum before flying after a hair transplant: ask the surgeon, and plan the trip so you can see them again before you leave.
Trips: One trip is usual. Plan how you will reach the clinic for follow-up questions once home.
Put these steps on your own dates
Risks
Surgery by unlicensed technicians
The hair restoration surgeons' society warns that unlicensed personnel perform substantial parts of hair surgery in a growing number of clinics, and that complications, even life-threatening ones, can occur.
Anaesthesia
Dosing the anaesthetic correctly is critical, and the patient must be medically monitored during the procedure.
Scarring
Any incision beyond the most superficial depth leaves a scar: there is no scarless hair surgery, whatever the advert says.
Blood clots and travel
Surgery and long flights each raise the risk of blood clots; travelling soon after a procedure adds to it.
Red flags
- The doctor is not the person making the incisions, or is not in the room.
- "Scarless" or "painless guaranteed" claims.
- A fixed number of grafts promised before anyone examined your donor area.
- Pressure to pay a deposit now, or a discount that expires today.
Questions to ask the clinic
- Who exactly makes the incisions and removes the grafts: the doctor or a technician?
- What is the doctor's name, and where can I check their registration?
- Is the clinic licensed, and is it on the health ministry's list for international patients where one exists?
- How many grafts, and what happens if fewer are placed?
- What aftercare is included, and who do I contact once I am home?
Ask for the answers in writing. A clinic that will not name the person who treats you has answered the first question.
Where to check the clinic
Each country has its own registers of doctors, dentists and clinics. Pick the destination:
The checks that apply everywhere
- Talk to your doctor or dentist at home first. They know your history, can tell you whether you need the treatment at all, and you will rely on them afterwards.
- Consult the person who will treat you, not a salesperson. Video calls do not replace an examination, and a cooling-off period between consultation and surgery protects you.
- Check the doctor's or dentist's registration yourself. Qualifications should be verified independently, not taken from the clinic's website.
- Check the clinic's licence. Clinics need an authorisation from the health authority; in some countries a separate one for international patients.
- Look for accreditation, but do not rely on it alone. International accreditation bodies list accredited facilities abroad, but accreditation does not guarantee a good outcome.
- Get a written plan, quote and contract. A treatment plan and a price should follow an examination by a qualified professional, and a written contract tells you what you can claim.
- Know what the price includes. Follow-up care can carry substantial extra fees, and revisions after a complication add to the cost.
- Arrange your aftercare at home before you go. Follow-up care might not be easily available at home and may not be covered by your health system.
- Get insurance that covers the treatment. Standard travel insurance does not normally cover elective surgery abroad, and an air ambulance home is very expensive.
- Plan enough days before flying home. Surgery and air travel each raise the risk of blood clots.
- Bring your records home, in English. Doctors at home need to know exactly what was done, with which materials and medicines.
- Be careful with agents and holiday packages. Private companies have a financial interest in booking your treatment; the UK government advises caution with websites selling surgery as part of a holiday.
Once you are home
- Ask for your records in English: the number of grafts, the technique, the medicines given and who did each step.
- Know who to contact at the clinic after you are home, and what happens if the result is poor.
What your health system covers after private treatment abroad depends on where you live:
🇬🇧 If you live in United Kingdom
The NHS does not pay for private treatment you choose abroad, and your EHIC or GHIC does not cover planned treatment. Standard travel insurance does not normally cover you if you travelled for elective surgery: you may need specialist cover.
The NHS is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment abroad, and the Foreign Office cannot usually help: planned treatment is treated as a commercial arrangement. Plan your aftercare and how records will be shared before you go.
🇮🇪 If you live in Ireland
The HSE Cross Border Directive scheme only refunds planned care in another EU or EEA country that is publicly funded in Ireland, with a referral, up to what it would cost in the Irish public system; travel and accommodation are not refunded. So cosmetic treatments and hair transplants, which are not publicly funded in Ireland, are outside it.
Ask your GP before you go how follow-up would work once you are home, and check whether your travel insurance covers planned treatment and its complications: many policies exclude it.
🇫🇷 If you live in France
Purely aesthetic procedures are not reimbursed by the Assurance Maladie, in France or abroad, and neither is the follow-up care of such an operation. Planned care abroad is only reimbursed when it is reimbursable in France, sometimes with prior authorisation.
If a complication occurs, the care it needs is medical and is covered normally. A result you are unhappy with is not a complication: corrective work is at your cost.
🇺🇸 If you live in United States
Check whether your health plan covers anything abroad: most do not cover planned treatment, and Original Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, with limited exceptions. Consider supplemental cover, including medical evacuation.
Seek care promptly if a complication develops, during travel or after you return, and bring your overseas records in English. Legal recourse abroad may be more limited than in the United States.
🇦🇺 If you live in Australia
Medicare doesn't cover you when you're overseas, reciprocal health care agreements only cover some situations, and basic travel insurance rarely covers medical tourism: get a specialised policy for your procedure, its complications and medical evacuation, and tell your insurers everything.
You, your family or your insurer pay for further care or an evacuation. Consular staff can contact your family and give lists of English-speaking hospitals and lawyers, but cannot pay bills or recommend surgeons. Smartraveller advises taking someone with you.
🇳🇿 If you live in New Zealand
Make sure your travel insurance covers complications and medical evacuation, and talk to your health practitioner in New Zealand about the procedure and its risks before you go.
Get copies of your surgical details before you leave: problems can appear once you are home, and your practitioner in New Zealand will need them. Check with a health practitioner before flying after surgery.
🇸🇦 If you live in Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Health sends patients abroad at its expense only by royal order or by a decision of the High Medical Committee approved by the minister. Planned treatment you choose yourself, such as cosmetic surgery, is private and at your own cost.
For patients the ministry refers abroad, the Saudi health attaché in the country of treatment arranges the appointment and follows the patient; private patients are on their own. Talk to your doctor in Saudi Arabia before you go and bring your records home.
Sources
- NHS: Hair loss nhs.uk · checked 25 Oct 2026
- ISHRS: Consumer alert ishrs.org · checked 25 Oct 2026
- The Aesthetic Society: Hair transplantation aftercare and recovery prod.theaestheticsociety.org · checked 25 Oct 2026
- CDC Yellow Book: Medical tourism cdc.gov · checked 25 Oct 2026
Next review due 25 Apr 2027. Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us via the contact address.