Last updated: October 31, 2026 · Written by Juan · Researched using NHS guidance, ISHRS publications and official doctor registers (linked below)
This article is educational only. It is not medical advice, and I am not a doctor. No article can vet a specific clinic for you. This is a framework for the questions to ask and the documents to request before you book. See our Editorial Policy for how we research and update our articles.
If this is your first time researching a hair transplant, you have probably noticed the problem: every clinic website says roughly the same thing. Board-certified surgeons, natural results, thousands of happy patients, awards you have never heard of. None of that separates a good clinic from a bad one, because none of it can be checked from a landing page.
This is not a ranked list of clinics. It is the process I would follow, in order, before paying a deposit. The NHS gives similar advice: ask about the surgeon’s qualifications, experience and complication rates before going ahead.
Step 1: Get the surgeon’s name first
Not the clinic’s name, and not “the medical team”. The specific person who will perform your extraction and implantation.
Ask directly: “Who will personally perform my procedure, and how much of it will they do themselves rather than a technician?” A reasonable clinic answers without hesitation. A clinic that gives you a marketing bio instead of a name, or keeps saying “our expert team”, is telling you something.
Once you have a name, check it independently, not only on the clinic’s site:
- A medical licence you can verify in an official register. In the UK, for example, you can check a doctor on the General Medical Council’s register. Other countries have their own registers.
- Membership of a recognized professional body. The ISHRS find-a-doctor directory lets you search for members, and our US clinics guide shows what an entry looks like.
- Reviews of that surgeon specifically, not just the clinic brand, on more than one independent platform.
Step 2: Find out who does the work
This is the question beginners most often miss. In many clinics, the named surgeon designs the hairline and plan, then technicians perform some or most of the extraction and implantation. That is common in parts of the industry; what matters is whether it is disclosed clearly.
The ISHRS has warned that downplaying the surgical nature of the procedure has encouraged unlicensed people to perform it, with results including scarring, hair loss, infections and deaths. So ask: “How many technicians will work on me, and what does the surgeon do personally?” If a clinic promises the surgeon does everything for 4,000 grafts in four hours, work out how many grafts per hour that implies and ask whether that pace allows careful placement.
Step 3: Read reviews sceptically
Do not stop at star ratings. Read the full text of at least 10 to 15 reviews, mixing recent and older ones, and look for:
- Reviews that name the surgeon who performed the procedure, not just the hotel pickup and transfers.
- Negative reviews, and how the clinic responded. A defensive or dismissive reply is worth noting.
- Photos posted by patients themselves at 12 months or later, not just the clinic’s gallery. Our guide to spotting misleading photos helps here.
- Whether reviews read naturally, or arrive in suspicious clusters.
If almost all of a clinic’s reviews are on its own website, ask why.
Step 4: Get a written, itemized quote
A trustworthy quote answers these in writing before you pay a deposit:
- The exact technique (FUE, Sapphire FUE or DHI) and estimated graft range.
- What is included: anaesthesia, medication, aftercare kit, follow-up visits and, abroad, hotel and transfers.
- What happens if your graft count is higher than estimated during surgery.
- The clinic’s policy on revision or touch-up work.
Our guides to what Turkish packages include and cost by country show what a fair, comparable quote looks like.
Step 5: Ask about your donor supply, not just your goal
A responsible consultation assesses how much donor hair you have and how far it can stretch, not just how many grafts would look good. This matters more the more advanced your hair loss is; our Norwood scale guide explains why advanced cases need a limits-first conversation. See also our guide to what surgeons check.
A clinic that quotes a graft number and a price within minutes, before assessing your scalp properly (photos at minimum, ideally a video or in-person consultation), is skipping an important step.
Step 6: Watch for pressure tactics
- Discounts that expire in 24 to 48 hours.
- Reluctance to give you time to compare other clinics.
- Pushing you towards the highest graft count “while you are here” rather than what your donor area supports.
- Refusing to put anything discussed verbally in writing.
None of these guarantees a bad result on its own, but together they are a reason to slow down.
Step 7: Read quick scheduling carefully
Fast replies are a sign of good organization. Very fast surgery dates are not automatically a good sign: an in-demand surgeon often has a waiting list. If a clinic can fit you in within days whenever you ask, ask how it manages capacity.
A checklist for your first consultation
- The surgeon’s full name, and how to verify their licence and memberships independently.
- A clear answer, in writing if possible, on what the surgeon does and what technicians do.
- At least 10 reviews read in full, on more than one platform.
- A written, itemized quote covering technique, inclusions and exclusions.
- A specific answer on your donor capacity, not just a target graft count.
- The revision or touch-up policy in writing.
- No pressure to decide within 24 to 48 hours.
When you are ready to compare clinics
Once you have applied this process, our clinic guides show how some well-known names look against it: Turkey, the US, the UK, Vera Clinic vs Este Medical and advanced baldness. None of them replaces asking these questions directly to the clinic you are considering.
This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified, licensed surgeon before making any decision about treatment.
Sources consulted: NHS: Hair transplant; ISHRS: FUE name change and unlicensed practice (2018); ISHRS: Find a doctor; General Medical Council: What to check.