Choosing a clinic is the decision that determines your result, more than the technique and far more than the price. A hair transplant is permanent and draws on a donor area you cannot replace, so it is worth being methodical about it.
Who performs the surgery?
Start here. Ask whether a doctor performs the extraction and designs the hairline, or whether that is delegated. Ask for the name of the surgeon and check their GMC registration yourself, which takes a minute on the public register. Ask whether the clinic you are booking with is the one that operates, because some are agents that market procedures carried out elsewhere.
Where does it happen?
The facility should be registered with the CQC. Surgery in a regulated environment with proper sterility and a trained team is not a luxury; graft survival and infection risk depend on it.
How do they assess you?
A trustworthy assessment involves examining your scalp and donor area in person or from proper photographs, discussing your family history and the likely progression of your loss, and only then suggesting a graft range. A count quoted over the phone before anyone has looked at your head is a sales figure, not a clinical one.
Be encouraged rather than discouraged if a clinic tells you that you are not a good candidate, or suggests waiting. That honesty is rarer than it should be.
How do you read results and reviews?
Look for results photographed at 9 to 12 months, in consistent lighting and from the same angles, ideally including the donor area. Freshly-implanted photographs show nothing about growth. For reviews, read the detail rather than the star rating, and give weight to accounts that mention aftercare and follow-up, not just the day itself.
What about price?
Understand what is included, and whether pricing is per graft or by package. Per-graft pricing means the final cost is set during surgery. Ask what happens if you need a second session, what aftercare is included, and whether medication and follow-up appointments are part of the price.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask at consultation?
Who operates and their GMC number, how many grafts and why, which technique and why, what the realistic result is, and exactly what aftercare is included.
Are cheaper clinics always worse?
No, but understand what makes them cheaper. Usually it is volume, delegation, or aftercare that ends at the door.
Should I get a second opinion?
For a permanent procedure, yes. Any clinic confident in its plan will not object.
How do I check registration?
Search the GMC register for the surgeon by name, and the CQC register for the facility. Both are public and free.
Book a free consultation at our Harley Street clinic and put every one of these questions to us.