How to check a hair transplant clinic before booking
Check the named surgeon, treatment location, proposed procedure and aftercare arrangements before paying a deposit. Reviews and photographs are useful, but they are only part of that assessment.
Check the doctor and treatment location
Ask for the name of the doctor responsible for your assessment and operation. Check their current registration and licence on the General Medical Council register, and ask about their training and experience in the procedure being proposed.
For surgery in England, use the Care Quality Commission’s guidance to check the provider and the location where treatment will take place. Read any available inspection information. Registration is not a guarantee of your individual result, and different regulators apply elsewhere in the UK.
Understand who performs each stage
Ask who will design the hairline, remove grafts, create recipient sites and place the follicles. The clinic should explain each person’s role and who remains responsible for clinical decisions and follow-up.
Meet the clinician who will discuss your suitability and consent. You should be able to ask questions about the procedure, its risks and alternatives without pressure to book immediately.
Ask for an individual treatment plan
The plan should reflect your diagnosis, donor density, existing hair, medical history and likely future loss. Ask why the proposed graft estimate and treatment area are appropriate, what coverage is realistic and what would make the clinician advise against surgery.
A high graft number is not an outcome measure. Removing more follicles than the donor area can safely provide may limit future options. The donor-area guide explains what needs assessment.
Read photographs and reviews carefully
Ask whether result photographs show patients treated by the clinician you are considering. Look for comparable views, stated time since surgery and an explanation of any other treatment. Results vary between patients.
Reviews can help you assess communication, appointments and support after treatment. Read a range of accounts, including how concerns were handled. A rating alone cannot establish surgical suitability or predict your result.
Get the cost and aftercare in writing
The quote should identify the procedure, graft estimate and included care. Check medicines, follow-up appointments, additional charges, cancellation terms and arrangements if the plan changes following examination.
Ask who to contact if healing concerns you, how urgent problems are assessed and whether additional appointments or treatment carry a charge. These arrangements matter after you leave the clinic as well as on the day of surgery.
Take time to decide
Keep a copy of the proposed plan and ask for an explanation of anything unclear. You can compare it with another assessment or decide not to proceed. The Newcastle clinic can discuss your hair loss, donor supply and treatment options at a consultation.
Questions and answers
What should I check about the person doing the surgery?
Ask for the surgeon’s name, check the relevant medical register and discuss who performs each surgical stage. A clinic brand or a consultation with a sales adviser does not answer those questions.
What makes before-and-after photographs useful?
Look for comparable lighting, angles, hair length and a stated time after treatment. Ask whether the examples are relevant to your pattern and hair characteristics. Photographs cannot guarantee your result.
What should be clear before I pay a deposit?
You should understand the proposed treatment, limitations, risks, total price, cancellation terms and follow-up arrangements. Ask for clarification if any of those remain unclear.
Dr Harpreet Kalra
Newcastle Hair Transplant Clinic
