Is hair transplantation really cheaper in Turkey than in Ukraine? What are the pros and cons of alopecia treatment abroad? First things first.

Hair transplantation clinics in Turkey offer a range of advantages, that's why they have so many international clients.

There are more than 1,500 hair transplantation clinics and smaller medical facilities in Turkey. There are options for any type of needs and budget. A surgery waiting list is generally uncommon as huge supply meets the demand over and above.

Many clinics have been operating for 20 years or longer. Hair transplantation is very popular in Turkey. More than 200 surgeries are performed daily.

You can also start your trip by staying at one of the famous Turkish sea resorts and then visit Istanbul for a few days to have a surgery.

However, please note that hair transplantation in Turkey has some disadvantages and inconveniences which can influence your decision.

Time and travel. You need at least 3 days to have a complete hair transplantation surgery in Turkey, you will have to stay longer for a follow-up if you develop any side effects after the procedure. It should also be noted that Istanbul has one of the world's largest airports which serves about 150 million passengers annually. In this chaos, even by slightly touching the donor or recipient area of your head someone can cause damage to the transplanted fair follicles.

Price. Fixed prices are undoubtedly the best part of hair transplantation surgery in Turkey. Average prices vary between 1,200 and 3,500 euros per one-day procedure regardless of how many grafts are needed. Please note, however, that these are very rough estimates, and the final price is defined by the amount and level of complexity of work which depends on the patient's hair follicle structure, hair density, elasticity of the donor area, etc. The time required for the surgeon to extract and place the grafts into the recipient area is directly influenced by each of these aspects. In the end, you will pay the same price for up to 4,000 grafts or only 1,000 grafts and have extra expenditure related to additional hair transplantation sessions.

Marketing ploy. Many clinics in Turkey follow the tricky marketing tactic inventing "new" hair transplantation techniques and offering them at a higher price. In fact, there are two main types of hair transplantation currently in use: follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT) utilising skin strips. These are the two techniques officially recognised by the international surgical community.

Difficulties of communication. The majority of large clinics have Russian versions of their websites, yet their doctors and personnel do not speak Russian or Ukrainian, and you will have to use an interpreter's services, meaning the risk of a lack of clear communication between you and the surgeon.

Mechanical graft extraction. The overwhelming majority of clinics in Turkey utilise the mechanical graft extraction technique. During this type of procedure, the patient is lying face down while the surgeon harvests the grafts from the donor area using an instrument that looks like a dental drilling machine. The length of this surgery is much shorter, however, it causes more injury to the donor area, and the tool might cause irreparable harm if adjusted adequately.

The aesthetic issue. Turkish clinics flourish because they have a huge number of clients attracted by low prices and spend little time per patient. This means that the aesthetic result is generally worse, because for this type of surgery to be successful it requires time, great precision and accuracy.