Hair Transplant Clinics to Avoid: General Guidelines & Patient Safety

Hair Transplant Clinics and Doctors You Should Avoid

Be especially cautious with hair transplant clinics that:

• Refuse to answer your questionnaire or provide sufficient information.
  This is a red flag that the doctor may not respect the patient or may be trying to hide something.
  
• Do not clearly state who the performing surgeon is, or fail to provide the surgeon’s credentials and experience.
  Always request to meet the doctor who will be performing your procedure before the surgery.
  
• Avoid giving a direct answer when asked who the responsible hair transplant surgeon is.
  Again, insist on meeting the surgeon prior to committing to the procedure.
  
• Rely on non-medical staff to make decisions about your suitability for a hair transplant.
  Only a qualified physician should determine whether you’re a candidate. Request written documentation regarding your donor area, graft requirements, and the medical reasoning behind the recommendation.
  
• Offer only one transplant method (either FUT or FUE) and dismiss the other without valid scientific justification.
  This often suggests the clinic is not staying up to date with modern medical practices and is driven by convenience or marketing, not patient care.
  
• Use marketing tactics like “exclusive techniques”, “best clinic awards”, or titles such as “President of Scientific Societies” to impress.
  These are often unrelated to actual medical skill or may be exaggerated or completely false.
  
• Claim to use a “proprietary technique” that delivers “unique” or “superior” results.
  Such claims are always false. Genuine scientific innovations are publicly shared and published for peer recognition.
  
• Promote themselves as “the best” without documented national or international scientific achievements.
  A high number of surgeries means high sales—not necessarily high quality.
  
• Claim superiority based solely on how long they’ve been performing hair transplants.
  Longevity in practice doesn’t guarantee quality. What matters is consistently delivering safe, effective results.
  
• Refuse to put you in touch with former patients who have similar hair characteristics or alopecia patterns to yours.
  Before-and-after photos are often selectively chosen, edited, or misleading, and can’t show complications, the patient’s experience, or the true number of sessions involved.
  
• Avoid discussing the potential need for future surgeries or long-term costs, replying vaguely with “we’ll see when the time comes.”
  This is a sign that the clinic is focused on short-term profits, not long-term patient care.
  
• Claim that their patients have never experienced common complications such as pain, swelling, or temporary shock loss.
  Withholding realistic expectations is misleading and unprofessional.
  
• Do not disclose the cost per follicular unit and instead talk only in terms of hair counts.
  This is a marketing trick to make the total cost seem lower.
  
• Advertise limited-time offers or discounted pricing on their websites or promotional platforms.
  Such practices are considered unethical and may be illegal under medical ethics codes.
  
• Pressure you to commit to surgery within a set deadline.
  Psychological pressure is a violation of medical ethics.
  
• Use “free consultations” primarily as a marketing tool.
  Again, this is unethical under the Medical Code of Ethics.
  
• Suggest that the procedure is “scar-free” or “completely painless.”
  These are false and misleading statements.
  
• Offer “guarantees” regarding the permanence of the results.
  The longevity of hair transplants depends on the physiology of your donor follicles, not on the clinic or surgeon.
  
• Show before-and-after photos that are taken under different lighting, angles, or quality.
  This is a deceptive marketing practice aimed at making results appear better than they are.
  
• Perform surgeries in facilities that are not officially certified and approved by local health authorities.
  This is an illegal practice and poses serious health risks.
  
• Emphasize celebrity clients instead of focusing on your specific case and needs.
  This may suggest the doctor is more interested in status than in individualized care.
  
• Have staff who appear afraid of or uncomfortable around the doctor.
  Poor team dynamics often affect surgical outcomes negatively.
  
• Do not meet with you during your first (or at latest, second) consultation.
  If you keep meeting with “consultants” instead of the actual doctor, the clinic is not taking your case seriously.
  
• Push you or pressure you into signing a contract quickly.
  Again, this is a sign of prioritizing sales over patient trust and safety.
  
• Are not registered with the local Medical Association in the city where the procedure is performed.
  This raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of the doctor or clinic. Always ask to see medical degrees and board certifications.
  
• Claim to be a doctor but refuse to show you proof of medical education and specialty training.
  This may mean they are unqualified or even not a doctor at all.
  
• Brush off your questions with phrases like “don’t worry about that.”
  This reflects a lack of transparency and respect for your right to informed consent.
  
• Claim to have developed a “personal technique” with dramatic results but have no published work or conference presentations.
  This likely means they are using outdated methods while falsely claiming innovation.
  
• Offer discounts only if you book the surgery within a certain timeframe.
  This is another sales tactic, not medical advice.
  
• Do not use microscopes to prepare grafts or transplant grafts larger than natural follicular units.
  This suggests substandard practices aimed at reducing costs.
  
• Claim to be “specialized” in hair transplantation without providing certification from official health authorities.
  Ask to see credentials from internationally recognized certification bodies.
  
• Fail to maintain a clean, professional medical office.
  The state of the clinic is often a reflection of the quality of care.