Hair transplants used to be about one question: where to go. In 2025, patients are asking more, expecting more, and comparing more. From technique to recovery to long-term design, the questions have shifted, and clinics are under pressure to give straight answers.
Vera Clinic, a leading hair transplant clinic based in Istanbul, shares the questions patients ask most often—and the facts behind them.
FUE or DHI — Which One Should I Choose?
This is the first decision patients face. Both are valid methods. The difference is in how the grafts are placed.
- FUE uses channels cut into the scalp, then places the grafts manually.
- DHI uses a tool (the Choi Pen) to place each graft directly without cutting first.
FUE works faster and is often used for the crown or wide areas. DHI allows tighter control, often used for the hairline or zones that need sharper angles. The method is selected based on the case, hair texture, zone coverage, and design strategy. Clinics do not rely on preference or price but on what matches the scalp and the target result.
What Does the Recovery Really Look Like?
Patients expect direct explanations and full timelines.
- Days 1–3: Swelling, redness, and tightness are common.
- Days 4–7: Scabs form and begin to fall.
- Week 2: Shedding starts. Grafts fall out. This is normal.
- Month 3+: New growth begins slowly, often uneven at first.
- Months 6–12+: Final density and shape take form.
Patients often ask about speeding up healing. Some clinics offer post-op protocols that include oxygen therapy or stem cell injections. Some patients receive these to support healing or ease inflammation, based on scalp condition and graft density.
How Do I Know the Grafts Will Actually Grow?
This question gets asked more than anything. Patients want numbers. Real ones.
The answer depends on how the grafts are handled from extraction to placement to blood supply. There is no exact guarantee, but survival rate improves when:
- Grafts are placed quickly after extraction
- Placement follows natural angle and density
- The scalp stays hydrated and oxygenated in the first few days
- The donor area is not over-harvested
Clinics with structured planning tend to show more consistent results. Vera Clinic, for example, is often mentioned in patient review threads for its zone-based planning and follow-up structure. Grafts are assigned to areas based on thickness, and recovery is monitored in phases, including with in-house oxygen therapy when needed.
Do I Really Need Extra Treatments — Like Stem Cells or Oxygen?
These options are brought up during planning in cases where they fit the treatment flow.
Stem cell injections are often used to support surrounding hairs or improve skin recovery. They’re pulled from the patient’s own tissue and injected after surgery. Some clinics offer it in early-stage cases or to reduce visible thinning around the new grafts.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to increase oxygen supply to scalp tissue after surgery. It is offered at a few clinics, but Vera Clinic remains the only one with a hyperbaric chamber inside the clinic itself, allowing treatment within hours of the procedure. It is applied based on case type, not by default.
How Do I Know If a Clinic Is Legit?
This question always comes last, but it should come first.
Patients often learn the hard way that not all clinics follow the same standards. Common red flags include:
- Graft quotes sent without seeing scalp photos
- No mention of who is performing the surgery
- Packages that promise everything, but explain nothing
- No aftercare beyond a PDF
Clinics that work with mapped plans, named surgeons, and real-time recovery support tend to get better follow-through. Patients now check license numbers, team bios, and healed case photos before making contact.
Final Word
Hair transplant patients in 2025 are asking smarter questions, and they expect real answers. Technique matters. Recovery matters. Structure matters.
The best results start with the right questions—and a clinic that respects them.
