What is the price of a synthetic Biofibre hair transplant in Turkey?
The average cost of a synthetic Biofibre hair transplant in Turkey in Istanbul is £3,500. Depending on your needs, the price can range from £2,200 up to £4,800. In the UK, the same implantation costs £4,000 to £9,000: the gap is real, though moderate given the risks specific to synthetic fibre.
| Procedure | Price Turkey | Price UK |
|---|---|---|
| Synthetic Biofibre hair transplant | £2,200 - £4,800 | £4,000 - £9,000 |
| Annual top-up session (shed fibres) | £350 - £800 | £1,500 - £3,200 |
Coverage depends on your own situation, so it is worth checking what your NHS entitlement provides before you commit.
What is a synthetic Biofibre hair transplant?
Where hair is thinning, we offer hair implantation as well as transplant methods. We get the best results for our patients by implanting artificial Biofibre hair.
Hair loss can be down to a combination of several factors, such as ageing, hormonal changes and a genetic history of baldness. The earlier hair loss starts, the more advanced the baldness. It can also result from trauma or burns.
Unlike transplantation, which involves taking natural hair from the back of the head to create grafts, hair implantation is a method that covers the head with biocompatible fibres (Biofibre) to achieve the desired look straight away.
With transplantation, the new hair grows roughly 4 to 6 months after the procedure. With an unsuitable technique, visible scarring can appear and make any later transplant difficult.
Read also: Hair transplants among celebrities
Biofibres are synthetic polyamide fibres, not organic fibres. They are placed on the European market as medical devices under Regulation (EU) 2017/745, which replaced Directive 93/42/EEC on 26 May 2021. Published studies on how well they are tolerated remain few and conflicting, and artificial hair implantation remains controversial[1].
Biofibres are soft, flexible, fine and resistant to colour change.
The result is natural, immediate and aesthetic. To that end, Biofibre comes in 13 colours, 3 different lengths (15, 30 and 45 cm) and 3 styles (straight, wavy or curly).
With appropriate selection and blending, these characteristics will meet almost all patient requirements. These artificial hairs are, of course, washable and have a natural look.
The procedure
The Biofibre hair implantation procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic. The aesthetic result is visible as soon as the session ends. 40 to 50 fibres per square centimetre create a natural hair density.
Fibre loss is the main limitation of the technique, and its extent varies widely from one published series to another[2]. The thickening procedure can be repeated, at a rate of one session every 15 to 28 days if needed. The risk of infection does not disappear either: the only published series of medico-legal expert assessments reports bacterial folliculitis in every patient followed[2].
The implanted hair feels like it moves just as natural hair does. Patients describe the pleasure of the wind in their hair immediately after the procedure.
Read also: Afro hair transplant in Turkey
What risks does synthetic fibre carry?
The complications of synthetic fibre implantation have been described for forty years: repeated folliculitis, fibre rejection, allergic reactions and scarring alopecia. On this file, the Food and Drug Administration banned prosthetic hair fibres in the United States in 1983[1].
Five cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp occurring after artificial hair implantation have been published to date. Their authors state that the available data do not establish a cause-and-effect link, and that the severity of these observations justifies caution[3]. The point holds for any hair transplant abroad that relies on artificial fibres.
Not all series agree: an Italian follow-up of 196 patients over two years reports 1.02% of notable adverse events[4]. Before deciding, it is still worth reading what medical tourism in Turkey actually involves and, for women, what a hair transplant for women changes.
Hair transplantation: the methods
Hair transplantation involves resurfacing the bald areas of the scalp with the patient’s own hair (hair follicles). The follicles are taken from the back of the head and transplanted to a new site, in the skin of the bald area. The number of grafts and the length of the transplant sessions depend on the degree of baldness. Several sessions may be needed.
One way of obtaining hair is to make micro-perforations in the hair-bearing areas, containing groups of 2 to 4-5 hair roots to be transplanted. This is an old method. The more modern methods are as follows:
Hair transplantation by follicular unit extraction (FUE)
Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is a hair transplant technique that involves extracting follicular units from a patient’s resistant, non-balding donor areas. We then transplant these follicular unit grafts into the patient’s bald areas.
Given the long and tedious nature of this procedure, we often cannot transplant more than 500 to 600 follicular units in a day, with a maximum of 2000 follicles.
The cost per graft of FUE is also generally twice as high as that of the standard hair transplant procedure by follicular unit, in which we take a strip of tissue from the donor area at the back of the head and cut it under magnification into individual follicular units.
Scalp reduction (serial excision)
This involves removing as much of the bald area as possible. The adjacent hair-bearing areas of the scalp are drawn towards the bald area, on the understanding that some bald areas will remain. We repeat this technique once or several times at a later date to eventually rebuild the bald area.
Tissue expansion
The Turkish surgeon places a device called a “tissue expander” under the hair-growing area, next to the bald area. After several weeks, the tissue expander causes new skin cells to grow. Another operation is then needed to place the newly expanded skin over the adjoining bald area.
Almost everyone believes that follicular units are the best graft size for hair transplantation, but the reality is a little different.
In our clinic, we use three graft sizes: single-hair follicular units, 2-3 hair follicular units and modified 4-5 hair follicular units.
We use single follicular units mainly for the hairline, while follicular units can be the basic size for the rest of the grafts.
The ideal candidates for hair replacement must have healthy hair growth at the back and sides of the head. The hair at the back and sides of the head will be the donor sites, from which we will surgically take the strips and grafts.
Achieving the desired fullness takes several surgical sessions. A healing period of several months is recommended between each session. The final result with a full series of grafts can take up to 2 years.
A month or two after the procedure in Istanbul, the transplanted hair falls out (which is normal and temporary). It takes another month or more before the hair starts to grow. To achieve a more natural-looking result, a surgical touch-up procedure may be needed.
FAQ Frequently asked questions
What characteristics make Biofibre® artificial hair suitable for implantation?
They carry the CE marking as a medical device in Europe. That recognition is not universal: the Food and Drug Administration has banned prosthetic hair fibres in the United States since 1983, and their use remains debated in the literature[1].
How does the implantation procedure work?
Implantation is a simple, light surgical procedure. It involves introducing one Biofibre® hair at a time, until the density required by the patient is achieved.
What does implanted hair look like? How is it treated?
Biofibres are aesthetically identical to natural hair. The patient must care for the implanted hair in the same way they would care for their natural hair - with good-quality hair products. The fibres do not lose their colour and must not be bleached with harsh products. They are very strong and do not break.
How long does it take for a Biofibre implant to stabilise?
The fibres are anchored within 20 to 30 days. That is not permanent, however: a medico-legal expert assessment of five patients reports a loss of 50 to 100% of implanted fibres between seven months and two years[2].
How many Biofibre hairs are implanted during each implantation session?
Usually, 800 to 1500 hairs are implanted per session, or a maximum of 2000 in cases of complete baldness. If the patient wants greater density, it is possible to implant Medicap High Density (MHD) hairs, which give three times the volume of hair outside the scalp compared with implanted hairs (3000 hairs are obtained by implanting 1000 fibres).
What is the interval between Biofibre implantation sessions?
Normally, a Biofibre hair implantation session can be repeated every 15-28 days, the rule being that each implantation can only be carried out on a healthy scalp.
Can I have a Biofibre hair implant after a hair autograft?
Yes! It has become a regular practice today. Biofibre® is added to increase hair density.
Can I have a hair implant session while on Minoxidil and Finasteride treatment?
Yes, many dermatologists today implant Biofibre® synthetic hair at the same time as dermo-trichological therapy.
I wear a wig. Can I have a Biofibre hair implant?
Yes, a Biofibre hair implantation starts at the nape of the neck. The part of the wig corresponding to the implanted area is then reduced little by little, because the newly implanted area must always remain free so that it can heal quickly.
How long does the aesthetic result last?
The duration of the aesthetic result obtained with Biofibre® implantation varies according to how well the post-implantation period is managed. An expert assessment of five patients reports 50 to 100% of fibres lost between seven months and two years[2].
How many Biofibre® hairs are needed for generalised hair loss?
Around 2 500 Biofibre hairs are enough to achieve a good aesthetic result.
Sources & References
- Triwongwaranat D, Boonchai W, Subchookul C, Sitthinamsuwan P, Thuangtong R. Synthetic hair reactions and treatment of complications: case reports. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2020. Read the source
- Lange-Ionescu S, Frosch PJ. Komplikationen nach Implantation von Kunsthaaren. Der Hautarzt. 1995. Read the source
- Nicolas G, Tutihashi RMC, Emmanuel N, El Jalbout JD, Takemura RE, Ishida LC, de Freitas Busnardo F, Gemperli R. Squamous cell carcinoma associated with a history of synthetic hair implantation: two case reports. JPRAS Open. 2024. Read the source
- Palmieri B, Griselli G, D’Ugo A, Palmieri G, Salti G. Evaluation of polyamide synthetic hair. A long-term clinical study. Panminerva Medica. 2000. Read the source
