We reviewed 70 hospitals for their hair transplant services and here why the prices are so different. We unveil their secret of very cheap prices at the expense of possible bad results !
Do you as well see so many different price points for a hair transplant in Turkey? In our latest search we found 34 different prices ranging from €999 to €4000.
So do some people charge really a lot or there is reason behind ever prices? Today we would like to unveil the truths about the prices of a hair transplant and explain you why some places may offer very cheap places and some other are charging more. In this analysis we will not consider other cost factors like accommodation, taxes and transfers but we will focus on the operation.
Here are what we found after reviewing more than 70 hair transplant offers:
1. All hair transplant procedures are not the same. There are huge differences in the end results based on the methodology used. A waste majority of the offers we reviewed, do skip several of these procedural steps as these are not something that maybe easily observed by the patients.
2. In majority of the hospitals hair transplants are not done in special intervention rooms where they supposed to be done.
3. More than half of the hospitals we reviewed use unqualified team members to deliver hair transplant.
Thus based on their cost the prices changes hugely. And the sad side is that the results as well changes.
Based on our observations key factor affecting the price of a hair transplant operation are as follows:
– The methodology used
– Where the operation is performed
– Who performs the operation
Let’s examine all to better understand the reasons behind them and how they affect the prices.
A. Methodology used:
All hair transplant methodologies are not the same.
First of all you need to know that all hospitals and doctor do not use the same methodology. So all hair transplant processes are not the same. Here we are not talking about the know different techniques of FUE and DHI. Even within these methodologies, there are significantly differences that tremendously affect the end result. To decrease cost of hair transplantation nearly all the hospitals that we reviewed skip some or all of these important pillars.
We can talk about these techniques in 4 different steps.
1. How the graft collection is done:
The latest method on this is collecting every grafts one by one using a 3rd generation micro motor. This new technology has significant advantages:
A. Those micro motors has very thin needles (0.5-0.7mm)
B. They start working when they touch to the scalp ad stop when they reach the fat.
thus they can extract hair follicles without damaging your scalp.
Still majority of the hospitals around the world do not invest in these new tools. Thus they can offer you cheaper prices but as well damages your scalp, remove less hair follicles or eliminate the chance of a second operation even without you noticing it.
Only proper hospitals (10% of hospitals we reviewed) invest to these new technologies where they collect up to 20% more hair without damaging the donor area.
2. Where and how the collected grafts are stored:
Hair follicles can only stay alive for some hours out of your body. Therefore till they are transplanted they need to be well preserved. The latest technology of doing it is called Vita-Ice FUE. In this technique all your extracted grafts are placed in a mixture of a number of antioxidants and other vitamins designed to strengthen and revitalize hair follicles. This ensures that each graft is kept at an optimal condition after harvesting, balancing the pH levels and preventing the loss of any follicles prior to transplantation. This solution also acts as a coolant, bringing the temperature of the follicles down and triggering a natural anti-inflammatory effect. With the help of this methodology, we keep 25% more grafts alive before their transplantation.
In our researches we have seen that only a minor group of hospitals (3% of hospitals reviewed) are using this technology, as these liquids are very expensive. Just to give lower prices a lot of hospitals are skipping this step and hair follicles are dying even before they are transplanted.
3. How the canal openings are done:
The best possible way to open hair canals nowadays is to open them with special tools and not with standard chirurgical blades. These special tools are called Sapphire Blades. These special hair transplant blades open canals with special shapes that help hair follicles hold on to where we place them and start immediately to be nourished. This proved 17% less follicle loss and an accelerated healing time.
And these tools cost much more than standard blades. In our research we have found that only 25% of the hospitals use these blades even though on their website all of them do claim that they use them. Then a deeper research showed us that although these tools are for single use, around 60% of hospitals who use them, do use them on more than one patient to decrease their cost. This is creating a big risk for patients.
4. How the placement of grafts are done:
Normally to do hair placement, standard serum is injected under the scalp to make the workable area bigger. But these standard liquids are proved to be not so efficient. Latest technology is to use special nano-liquids that expend the scalp 33% more than normal liquids. With this, doctors can place up to 100 grafts/cm2.
As this is a new technology and it has a very high cost, we could only observe two clinics over more than 70 who uses this technology.
So in term of methodology cheap prices does not mean that you are doing an economy but means that you are getting a lower standard of service and possibly worse results than your potential.
B. Where the operation is performed
Hair transplant is classified as half invasive operation in the medical literature. This means that there is a significant touch to your skin, bleeding and anesthesia involved in it. Although hair transplant is classified as low risk, when the hygiene is not at the required level, this operation may end with very bad results.
When we are doing our review we realized that majority of the hospitals use their name and give the impression that the operations will be done in proper places where the hygiene standards. But this not the reality.
In a hospital there are 4 hygiene levels that needs to be kept:
Normal Hygiene: For public areas, offices
Standard Hygiene: For patient rooms
Superior Hygiene: For intervention rooms where some operations can be performed
Extra Hygiene: For operating rooms where very complex operations are carried.
Normally a hair transplant should be done in areas with superior hygiene or extra hygiene. But in our research we realized that in majority of cases these operations are done in offices (yes you read it right ! ) or at best in patient rooms where the hygiene standards are not at all where they have to be. This decrease the cost at the expense of risking the end results.
So in term of where you are getting operated cheap prices does not mean that you are doing an economy but means that you are getting much higher risks due to lower hygiene standards and possibly worse results than your potential.
C. Who perform the operation
As anyone may guess such an important operation has to be performed by an experienced team. And like in all medical operations this team should be led by a medical doctor. But contrary to what you guess, in our research we realized that 90% of the hospital do not have a special doctor for hair transplant, do not accommodate a hair transplant team. And the operations are done without any doctor, by some nurses or paramedics (ambulance driver ☺) and in some cases without any medical crew. Although this sound illogical due to the lack of proper follow up this is the current situation.
In normal conditions a hair transplant team should be formed by 3 people. One doctor, one hair extraction specialist and a hair placement specialist. Of course the team should be knowledgeable enough to perform all actions as well. But this is costly team as well.
So in term of who will do the operation cheap prices does not mean that you are doing an economy but means that you are putting yourself in dangerous hands of unknown people.
How to choose the best hair transplantation hospital for you?
So, how to choose the right hospital for your hair transplant? This is a really hard question if you do not know the health system well. Thus we strongly recommend you to do a very detailed search, not to believe in any advertising claims or videos, not to give your decision based on Instagram pictures and get a professional help.
For more than a decade Global Medical Care is helping patients from all over the world to find the best treatment options for them including hair transplants. We are not commissioners of any institution and we are running our own services. In our transplant services you may always be sure that you are:
1. Operated with a unique methodology that we call 4in1. In this methodology your hair follicles are collected with 3rd generation micro motors (Micro FUE), then placed in a special liquid to keep them alive till they are transplanted (Vita-Ice FUE), the all your canals are opened by special blades (Sapphire FUE) and the placement is again done with the help of special liquids (HD FUE). In such a way you may be sure that you are operated with the best possible methodology.
2. Followed by European doctors though out your operation to
a. ensure that the operation is really done with our unique method.
b. ensure that a second professional eye is checking on the others.
3. Operated in the right hygiene standards in proper intervention rooms.
4. Operated by very skilled medical teams a doctors who have very extensive experience. All these teams are selected by our European medical doctors based on their success rates on real patients in the last 3 years.
5. Followed after your operation up to one year
In such a way we can ensure the best hair transplant result you can get. Please note that even a broken clock shows the right time twice a day. But continuous success is a matter of right team, right methods and high expertise. This is what we are serving as Global Medical Care.
