Good candidates for a hair transplant in Turkey are adults age 25 or older with stable hair loss, adequate donor hair density, and no uncontrolled medical conditions. You need at least 60 follicular units per square centimeter in your donor area and realistic expectations about what a single session of 2,000 to 4,000 grafts can achieve.
Age and Hair Loss Stability
Why Age 25 Is the Standard Minimum
Reputable Turkish clinics set a minimum age of 25 for hair transplant candidates. The reasoning is straightforward: hair loss patterns are not fully established before this age. Transplanting into a receding hairline at age 21 can produce an unnatural result by age 30 when the surrounding native hair has continued to thin.
Exceptions exist for patients aged 22 to 24 who meet all of these criteria:
- Hair loss has been stable for at least 2 years (documented with photos)
- Currently using finasteride or dutasteride to slow further loss
- Hair loss follows a predictable androgenetic alopecia pattern
- Realistic expectations about potential future procedures
Assessing Hair Loss Stability
Before booking a procedure in Turkey, you should be able to confirm that your hair loss has stabilized. Signs of stability include:
- No noticeable thinning or recession over the past 12 to 24 months
- Consistent shedding patterns without sudden increases
- A clear Norwood classification that has not changed recently
If you are unsure where you fall on the Norwood scale, get an assessment before contacting clinics.
Donor Area Requirements
What Surgeons Evaluate
Your donor area is the permanent hair zone on the back and sides of your head. Turkish surgeons assess three factors:
| Factor | Ideal Range | Minimum Acceptable |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 80-100 FU/cm2 | 60 FU/cm2 |
| Hair caliber | Thick, coarse hair | Medium caliber |
| Laxity (for FUE) | Good skin elasticity | Moderate elasticity |
| Total harvestable grafts | 6,000-8,000 | 3,000-4,000 |
Patients with fine, light-colored hair or low donor density may still be candidates, but the achievable coverage will be more limited. A good clinic will be transparent about these limitations during the consultation rather than overpromising.
Donor Area Red Flags
Some patients do not have sufficient donor hair for the coverage they want. Warning signs include:
- Visible thinning in the donor zone (sides and back of the head)
- Diffuse hair loss across the entire scalp rather than patterned loss
- Previous transplant sessions that have already depleted the donor area
- Very fine hair with low contrast against the scalp
If a Turkish clinic offers to extract 5,000+ grafts and your donor area looks thin, that is a red flag. Overharvesting creates permanent visible damage in the donor zone.
Health Requirements
Pre-Procedure Medical Clearance
Turkish clinics require basic health screening, typically conducted on-site the day before or morning of the procedure. This includes:
- Blood tests: Complete blood count, coagulation panel, hepatitis B and C, HIV screening
- Blood pressure check: Must be within safe ranges for the procedure
- Medical history review: Disclosure of all medications, allergies, and chronic conditions
Conditions That Require Extra Documentation
These conditions do not disqualify you but require written clearance from your treating physician:
- Diabetes: Must be well-controlled with HbA1c below 8%
- Hypertension: Must be managed with stable medication
- Thyroid disorders: Must be treated and stable
- Blood thinning medications: Must be paused 7 to 10 days before surgery with doctor approval
Conditions That May Disqualify You
- Alopecia areata or totalis: Autoimmune hair loss is unpredictable and transplanted hair can also be affected
- Uncontrolled bleeding disorders: The procedure involves thousands of tiny incisions
- Active scalp infections or dermatitis: Must be fully resolved before surgery
- Severe cardiovascular conditions: Local anesthesia with epinephrine may pose risks
- Keloid scarring tendency: FUE creates small wounds that could trigger keloid formation in prone individuals
Who Should Not Travel to Turkey for a Transplant
When Domestic Treatment Is Better
Traveling to Turkey is not the right choice for every candidate, even if you qualify medically:
- Complex revision cases: If you had a previous transplant with poor results, a revision case requires advanced planning that benefits from multiple in-person consultations
- Patients needing extensive follow-up: If you have a condition requiring close post-operative monitoring, being 5,000+ miles from your surgeon is not ideal
- First-time medical travelers with high anxiety: If the idea of surgery in a foreign country causes significant stress, that anxiety can affect your experience and recovery
- Patients with very limited donor hair: If your case requires body hair transplant (BHT) from the chest or beard, not all Turkish clinics offer this service
Unrealistic Expectations
The most common reason patients are dissatisfied with Turkish hair transplants is not a clinical failure but unrealistic expectations set before the procedure. A single session of 3,000 to 4,000 grafts cannot:
- Recreate the hairline density you had at age 18
- Cover a Norwood 6 or 7 pattern completely in one session
- Guarantee a specific exact result
Read our Turkey hair transplant overview for a full picture of what the process involves.
Get Your Candidacy Assessment
Not sure if you qualify? Upload a photo at myhairline.ai to receive an AI-powered evaluation of your hair loss pattern, estimated Norwood classification, and personalized recommendations for whether you are a strong candidate for a hair transplant in Turkey.
FAQ
What is the minimum age for a hair transplant in Turkey?
Most reputable Turkish clinics require patients to be at least 25 years old. Some will treat patients as young as 22 if their hair loss has been stable for 2 or more years and they are on finasteride or minoxidil. Operating on patients under 25 risks transplanting into areas where hair loss has not yet stabilized, leading to unnatural patterns as native hair continues to thin around the transplanted follicles.
Can I get a hair transplant in Turkey if I have a medical condition?
Most medical conditions do not disqualify you from a hair transplant in Turkey, but some require additional clearance. Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and thyroid disorders need to be well-controlled with documentation from your primary doctor. Conditions that may disqualify you include uncontrolled bleeding disorders, active autoimmune hair loss (alopecia areata), active scalp infections, and severe heart conditions that make local anesthesia risky.
How much donor hair do I need for a Turkey hair transplant?
You need a donor area density of at least 60 to 80 follicular units per square centimeter for a successful hair transplant. The average person has about 6,000 to 8,000 harvestable grafts in their donor area (the back and sides of the head). A typical Turkey procedure extracts 2,000 to 4,000 grafts per session, meaning most candidates have enough donor hair for at least one full session.