Manual FUE Hair Transplant

Because it ties up the surgeon for far longer. Manual extraction takes on average 2 to 3 times longer than motorised. And only a very experienced surgeon can practise it without compromising graft survival. The price reflects that expertise and that time.

The usual ceiling sits between 3,500 and 4,500 grafts in a single day, depending on donor density and scalp resistance. Beyond that, transection risk climbs and the last grafts spend too long outside the body. For very extensive cases, the safer option remains a second session, 6 to 12 months later.

No. The whole procedure runs under local anaesthesia (lidocaine with adrenaline), with conscious sedation available for anxious patients. In practice, patients rarely complain during extraction. The real discomfort comes from the initial anaesthetic injections, not from the extraction itself.

The timeline is fairly standard. D+1 to D+3: redness and small swelling. D+7: scab removal under a gentle shower. D+10 to D+14: possible return to office work. Month 1: light sport allowed. Month 3: all activities back to normal, donor areas invisible. Full healing is usually settled around the first month.

FUE, whether manual or motorised, leaves dot-like micro-scars under 1 mm, scattered across the donor area. With a buzz cut (clipper 0 or 1), they stay visible up close. Manual FUE, with a finer punch and a lower transection rate, generally produces more discreet scars. But no current technique allows complete invisibility on a shaved head.

Yes, that’s the standard protocol. PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is included in all Dr Cinik packages. It is injected before or after the transplant to boost graft vascularisation and speed up healing. PRP also seems to improve graft survival rates. More on the PRP treatment.

The final result shows between 12 and 18 months. The first hairs appear at 3 to 4 months, density builds from 6 to 12 months, then texture refines through to 18 months. Patience is essential: a hair transplant isn’t a treatment you judge at 3 months. You have to let the follicular cycle do its work.

Not straight away. The first wash takes place at the clinic, 48 hours after the transplant, with a specific lotion and a gentle shampoo. For the first 10 days, washes are done without rubbing, with lukewarm water, drying by patting (never with a rubbed towel). Scabs fall off naturally around D+7 to D+10. A full post-op care kit is handed over at clinic discharge, with a day-by-day protocol.

Three reasons. First, volume of experience: Turkish clinics carry out several thousand transplants a year, which builds teams. Second, cost: 60 to 70% saving compared to London or Paris, all included (flight, hotel, care). Third, support: English-speaking teams, transfers, post-op medical follow-up. More on hair transplant in Turkey.