Unshaven Hair Transplant
No haircut, no obvious change in how you look, and desk work again the next day.
1500-2500 grafts
Save up to 70% vs the UK & Germany
- Stay in Istanbul
- 3 days
- Time in theatre
- 7-9 hours
- In hospital
- Same-day discharge
- Anaesthesia
- Local anaesthetic
- Back to work
- 1 day
- Full result
- 12 months
Overview
In an unshaven transplant neither the recipient nor the donor area is fully trimmed: grafts are taken through small windows opened between the long hairs, and those windows stay hidden under the hair above them. Working around long strands is slower, so the session runs 7–9 hours and usually moves 1,500–2,500 grafts. In exchange, nobody looking at you afterwards can tell your hair has been cut.
Benefits
- Your hair is not cut, so your appearance does not visibly change
- Most patients return to desk work the day after the operation
- Well suited to the frontal hairline and limited areas of thinning
- The usual choice for women who do not want their long hair shortened
- The harvested points in the donor area stay hidden beneath the longer hair above
Who is this treatment for?
Usually suitable
- A receded hairline or a limited area that needs covering
- Patients who cannot take visible time away from work or social life
- Women with long hair and thinning along the parting
Needs assessment first
- Wide loss at Norwood 5–6, where the graft count will not be enough
- A completely bald crown combined with high density expectations
- Anyone who wears their hair very short, for whom a shaved technique is better value
Final suitability is decided by your consultant after examination and imaging in Istanbul.
Your treatment, step by step
- 01
Free online consultation
Send photos showing your hair length and the thinning area. Within 24 hours we confirm in writing whether the unshaven technique will give you enough coverage.
- 02
Blood tests and window planning
On arrival day we run your bloods and mark the small donor windows. They are chosen so that nothing shows once your hair is let down.
- 03
Harvest between long hair and placement
Long strands are parted so grafts can be extracted one by one, then placed into an untrimmed recipient area. This is why the session takes 7–9 hours.
- 04
First wash and flight home
The first wash is done at the clinic the next day, with extra guidance on washing and combing long hair. You are free to travel the same or the following day.
Aftercare & long-term tips
Washing long hair needs more care: work the foam up in your palm and lay it on without pressing, and keep a comb away from the treated area for ten days. Avoid tight ties and hairdryer heat for two weeks. Photo reviews follow at months three, six and twelve.
First 24 hours
Stick to soft, lukewarm foods and drinks; avoid very hot or hard items while any numbness or sensitivity settles.
First few days
Ease back into normal eating as sensitivity fades — usually within a few days.
Long term
Eat normally and protect your result with the simple habits below.
Do
- Brush twice a day and floss daily
- Attend your regular check-ups and cleanings
- Wear a night guard if you grind your teeth
- Keep the area clean and rinse as advised
Avoid
- Biting very hard objects — ice, pen lids, shells
- Opening bottle or soda caps with your teeth
- Too many hard nuts or sticky, chewy sweets
- Smoking and staining drinks in the first days
What's included
- Free consultation & treatment plan
- Treatment by specialist dentists
- 5-star hotel accommodation
- Private VIP airport transfers
- Personal translator & 24/7 support
- Aftercare & treatment guarantee
Risks and an honest expectation
The risks are the same as shaved FUE: temporary swelling, numbness, folliculitis and a proportion of grafts failing to take. One risk is specific here — long hair restricts the surgeon's view during harvesting, so the rate of transected follicles can rise slightly. We work slowly and in smaller sessions to limit that. If your expectation is a wide area covered in one go, we say so from the start.
They flew in. They flew home changed.
Frequently asked questions
Other treatments in this department
Ready for a new start?
Send a few photos. Within 24 hours you get a free treatment plan and a transparent, all-inclusive price.
- We reply in about an hour
- Save up to 70% versus the UK, Germany and Spain
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