Reviewed & Updated: January 2022
Travelling to Turkey for a Hair Transplant – Here’s some advice. With the advent of the internet and cheap flights travelling for medical procedures has become attractive for many people. At HRBR, our reputation globally means that many patients travel from all over the world to have their hair transplant procedures here at HRBR in Dublin, Ireland. Likewise, many patients travel abroad to destinations such as Turkey for low cost hair transplant procedures.
Patients choosing to travel for their treatment should be aware that the treatment of hair loss is generally an unregulated industry worldwide. As a result, many commercial clinics have opened with profit and not patient care at the core of their business model. At HRBR, we have treated many patients who have had substandard work carried out both in Ireland, The UK, Turkey and beyond.
Poorly executed hair transplants are not easily repaired and limit a patient’s amount of donor hair over their lifetime. With this in mind a great deal of consideration should be given before proceeding with a hair transplant either locally or at one of the many clinics offering deals to Irish and UK patients in Turkey.
Below we have detailed some advice to those travelling for a hair transplant procedure;
- Check the qualifications of the surgeon carrying out your procedure. Whether you are treated in, Ireland, The UK or Turkey it is important to understand the skill and experience of the surgeon overseeing your procedure.
- Ask to see the results of their work?
- What will you look like immediately after the procedure? You should not leave your hair transplant procedure with bandages. For more details, see our blog on what to expect to look like immediately after a procedure.
What meetings have you had with the team in advance of your procedure? At HRBR we will meet with our patients twice in consultation in preparation for their procedure as the planning of a transplant is a crucial step in the process.
- Have you had enough time to consider your options? No pressure should be put on anyone to carry out a medical procedure. At HRBR all patients are given a minimum of 2 weeks from their initial meeting with the doctor before proceeding to ensure that have had ample opportunity to have their questions answered.
- Has the clinic given enough thought to the design of your transplant? A poorly designed transplant can sometimes look fine now but as the patient loses more non transplanted hair it can start to look unnatural in years to come. A hair transplant is a permanent procedure and therefore a great deal of planning is required to ensure a natural result.
- What about post-operative care? Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure and like any surgical procedure the care in the post-operative period can be just as important as the procedure itself. Many patients report no follow up care from clinics abroad and are often left to attend their local GP or hospital for assistance when complications occur.
- Where will the procedure be carried out? Is it a clean environment? Clinics with poor hygiene can result in difficult post-operative infections that can jeopardise the newly transplanted hairs and can be difficult to treat.
- We advise all of our patients to take their time in making a decision in relation to hair transplantation surgery. Visit as many clinics as possible and ensure you have trust in the team that will be looking after you.
If you would like to meet with one of our hair loss doctors to discuss your options please contact the clinic today on 00353 1 209 1000 or info@hrbr.ie.
About the Author
DR Maurice Collins
Consultant Surgeon
MB, B.Ch, BAO, DLO, FRCSI, FRCS, FRCSEd.
Registered with the Medical Council of Ireland
Dr Collins is Medical Director and Team Principal of Hair Restoration Blackrock. He was educated at Belvedere College Dublin and did his undergraduate medical studies at University College Dublin. After graduating as a doctor he trained in General Surgery and received his Fellowship (FRCSI) in this specialty from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Find out more about DR Maurice Collins and our team of doctors and surgeons.
