City Medical Centre · hair transplant clinicOpen 24/7

City Medical Centre

Hair Transplant in
Berlin: FUE & DHI

FUE · DHI

from $2,200

Consultation and quote — $0.

Real patient

Hair transplant: photo of a patient before the operation and 12 months later

Before

12 months later

FUE moves grafts without incisions or stitches. Graft count and forecast free of charge — before you decide.

Message us on WhatsApp

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

Find out your price and number of
grafts

It costs nothing, no surgery booking required

Message our coordinator

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

Message us on Telegram

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Hair transplant (hair restoration) in Berlin: price and key facts

Hair transplant for patients from Berlin at City Medical Centre starts at €2,000 (from $2,200). The first online consultation is free; the doctor names the final price and it is fixed in the contract.

Price
€2,000 (from $2,200)
Performed by
Anastasia A. Kolesnik, hair transplant doctor
Anesthesia
local
Stay
one day at the clinic
Final result
12–18 months after surgery
How it works
Send photos on WhatsApp or Telegram, get a free doctor assessment and the price, then confirm the plan and dates before anything is booked.

How it works · Hair transplant prices

Information current as of 5 November 2026

Free online consultation on WhatsApp and Telegram

results

This is how hair looks
8–12 months later

All cases are real patients of our clinic.

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2800 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,800 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3500 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,500 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2600 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,600 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3000 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,000 grafts

FUE method

Beard transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2700 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,700 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3300 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,300 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2900 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,900 grafts

FUE method

Beard transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2500 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,500 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3400 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,400 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2500 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,500 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3100 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,100 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3600 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,600 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 4000 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

4,000 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3200 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,200 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3000 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,000 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3700 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,700 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2700 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,700 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3800 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,800 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3300 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,300 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2800 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,800 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2500 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,500 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3900 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,900 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3500 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,500 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3800 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,800 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2900 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,900 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3600 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,600 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2600 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,600 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2700 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,700 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3700 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,700 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3200 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,200 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3000 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,000 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2800 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,800 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 4000 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

4,000 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3400 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,400 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2900 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,900 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3100 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,100 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2600 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,600 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3300 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,300 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3900 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,900 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3500 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,500 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2700 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,700 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3800 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,800 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3200 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,200 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3000 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,000 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 2800 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

2,800 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3100 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,100 grafts

FUE method

Scalp hair transplant: photo before and 12 months later, 3600 grafts, FUE method

Before

12 months later

3,600 grafts

FUE method

Comparison

Hair transplant methods
FUE and DHI

Classic FUE, suture-free DHI and a combined protocol: three graft transfer technologies we work with. Compare implantation technique, tissue trauma and graft survival, and choose your method knowingly.

FUE

Classic technique without incisions or stitches

Hair transplant with the FUE method
Discount through late November

$2,200

$2,700

Graft implantation technique

Forceps

Graft trauma

Minimal

Hair's natural angle

Natural

Graft survival

98–100%

Suitable for

Androgenetic alopecia

DHI

Suture-free implantation with a Choi pen

Hair transplant with the DHI method
Discount through late November

$2,500

$2,900

Graft implantation technique

Choi implanter, DHI pen

Graft trauma

Minimal

Hair's natural angle

Natural

Graft survival

98–100%

Suitable for

Densification

Combined DHI/FUE

FUE for extraction, DHI implant

Combined DHI and FUE protocol
Discount through late November

$2,700

$2,900

Graft implantation technique

FUE extraction + DHI implantation

Graft trauma

Minimal

Hair's natural angle

Natural

Graft survival

98–100%

Suitable for

Androgenetic alopecia and densification

Survival and trauma values are average figures for each method, shown as a guide: the exact numbers depend on the transplant area and the patient's own features, and the doctor confirms them at the consultation.

Learn more

Hair transplants explained by our doctors and patients

Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 1
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Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 11
Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 12
Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 13
Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 14
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Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 17
Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 18
Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 19
Video about hair transplants at City Medical Centre, clip 20
Learn more

about the clinic

A place where you
will be at ease

Up-to-date equipment, comfortable rooms, care for the patient

The City Medical Centre team with a patient after a hair transplant

Any of these channels will reach the clinic

We will answer your questions and find a consultation time that suits you

Message us on Telegram Message us on WhatsApp Apply online

Not every kind of hair loss calls for a transplant

When a non-surgical route exists for you, the doctor names it during the consultation and your budget is untouched. Set out below are the situations where a transplant is genuinely effective.

A man with bald patches at a consultation: a case where a hair transplant helps

Who stands to benefit

  • Androgenetic or diffuse alopecia
  • A receding hairline
  • A high hairline
  • Insufficient hair density
  • Genetic side of hair growth
  • Results of an injury or a burn
  • Hair loss from illness
  • Hair loss from hormonal imbalance

Not sure which group you are in?

Leave your number and a coordinator will ask for photos of the affected area in a messenger; a doctor reviews them and tells you whether a transplant would help. It is free and commits you to nothing.

A doctor looking at a photo of a thinning area on a phone
Does it apply to me?

services

You learn the price
before the surgery

The price becomes clear at the free consultation, right after the graft count, and the contract confirms it.

Discount through late November

FUE method

suture-free graft extraction

Hair transplant with the FUE method — operating room at City Medical Centre

$2,200$2,700

Consultation and quote — $0.

Secure this rate
Discount through late November

DHI method

implantation without channels

Hair transplant with the DHI method and a Choi pen — operating room at City Medical Centre

$2,500$2,900

Consultation and quote — $0.

Secure this rate
Discount through late November

DHI+FUE combo method

combined technique

Combined DHI and FUE hair transplant — operating room at City Medical Centre

$2,700$2,900

Consultation and quote — $0.

Secure this rate
Discount through late November

Other services

First hair check-upFree
Eyebrow transplant, FUE$1,700$1,600
Beard transplant, FUE$3,000$2,800
Hair trichopigmentation$2,000$1,700
PRP therapy / session$200
Secure this rate

all included

What is included
in $2,200

The run-up to the operation plus 12 months of care.

Guaranteed, growth for life

Nothing extra is charged on the day of surgery.

two more areas

Beard and eyebrow
transplants

A hair transplant goes beyond the scalp. The same grafts from the back of the head, the same FUE method — only the area changes.

Beard transplant

FUE, no incisions and no stitches

A surgeon marking the beard line before a transplant at City Medical Centre

Grafts are taken from the donor area at the back of the head and moved through micro-punctures of about 1 mm — there are no scars afterwards. The doctor agrees the shape with you before the operation, taking your facial features into account. Transplanted hair grows for life: trim and style the beard as usual.

$2,800$3,000

Consultation and quote — $0.

Secure this rate

Eyebrow transplant

FUE, no incisions and no stitches

A surgeon marking the eyebrow shape before a transplant at City Medical Centre

Before anything else the shape is agreed: the surgeon draws the brow at the first consultation, reference images are studied jointly, and your face's proportions dictate the lines. Hairs sit at the angle that growth requires, so the brows pass for your own. Long years of plucking that ended the growth are no obstacle.

$1,600$1,700

one-day procedure under local anaesthesia

Secure this rate

Find out what you need and what it costs

Donor zone inspected, grafts counted, realistic outcome explained. Your cost is decided at that consultation and written down in the contract.

Operating room at City Medical Centre

Message our coordinator

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

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Process

One day in the clinic —
and you go home

From consultation to going home — all in one day

First hair check-up — hair transplant at City Medical Centre
1

First hair check-up

The consultation costs nothing and gives you a full explanation of FUE and DHI, answers to your questions, and an individual plan built for your surgery.

Booking your surgery date
2

Booking your surgery date

A deposit, paid by card at the clinic or transferred online, locks in the surgery date, and the arrangement is written into a medical services contract.

Groundwork ahead of the operation — hair transplant at City Medical Centre
3

Groundwork ahead of the operation

The clinic outlines exactly what tests are needed before the operation and gives instructions to help you complete them.

No discomfort – thanks to anaesthetic — hair transplant at City Medical Centre
4

No discomfort – thanks to anaesthetic

The surgery proceeds under local anaesthesia, ensuring a painless experience for the patient.

Harvesting the grafts — hair transplant at City Medical Centre
5

Harvesting the grafts

This step collects grafts from the donor zone — the back of the head or the temples — using a scarless technique.

Implanting the grafts — hair transplant at City Medical Centre
6

Implanting the grafts

For patients in Berlin, the surgeons implant the grafts directly into the balding area.

Recovery in the months that follow — hair transplant at City Medical Centre
7

Recovery in the months that follow

This step closes the process with recovery, backed by the clinic's supplies and complete instructions for fast healing.

Healing after a hair transplant, 0-10 days
8

0-10 days — Heals

The crusts fall off, the swelling reduces, the area slowly recovers

Shedding of the transplanted hairs after a hair transplant, 2-4 weeks
9

2-4 weeks — A wave of shedding, quite normal

Expected, not a setback: the hair shafts go, the roots remain

Growth begins after a hair transplant, 3-4 months
10

3-4 months — New shoots show

New hairs come gradually, the result starts showing

Visible density after a hair transplant, 6-9 months
11

6-9 months — Fuller coverage

The hair reads fuller, and the volume and its outline can be seen

Final result after a hair transplant, 12-18 months
12

12-18 months — Final picture

Volume is complete and the hairline reads as natural

Your personal graft count is calculated at the consultation, and the doctor explains how the transplant will go

A doctor's appointment at City Medical Centre

Free, before the operation and with no obligations.

Learn more

doctors

Our doctors

Kristina A. Tropina, assistant

Kristina A. Tropina

Assistant

9 years of experience

Your consultation is held by the person who will operate.

The doctor studies the donor zone, arrives at the graft count and sets out the achievable outcome.

Learn more

coordinators

The people in charge

Your case is led by one coordinator, beginning with the first message and ending after recovery.

Svetlana, patient care specialist

Svetlana

Patient care coordinator

Will stay beside you before and after surgery

Helps with the forms and the arrangements

Ekaterina, patient care specialist

Ekaterina

Patient care coordinator

Will stay beside you before and after surgery

Helps with the forms and the arrangements

Maria, patient care specialist

Maria

Patient care coordinator

Will stay beside you before and after surgery

Helps with the forms and the arrangements

Yulia, patient care specialist

Yulia

Patient care coordinator

Will stay beside you before and after surgery

Helps with the forms and the arrangements

How it actually
happens

How a hair transplant goes, clip 1
How a hair transplant goes, clip 2
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story
A City Medical Centre patient story

Same idea for you — the first consultation is free

We will answer your questions and find a consultation time that suits you

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Reviews

Patient reviews

  • ★★★★★
    Sang Tran
    I was having trouble with my hair. I came here and got a hair transplant. The results was awesome thank you

    Review on Google

  • ★★★★★
    Илья Вячеславович
    І experienced hair loss due to COVID and turned to this clinic; they helped me and performed a hair transplant, moving hair from the back of my head to my temples. Thank you.

    Review on Google

  • ★★★★★
    ilya svyatoslavovich
    I traveled to City Medical Centre, where they helped me overcome hair loss through a transplant to the balding areas of my scalp. I am grateful to the doctors for performing the procedure painlessly.

    Review on Google

  • ★★★★★
    Мансур Касанбаев
    I am sharing my experience, because before the operation I went through a pile of reviews myself and was looking for real stories. I had a beard transplant six months ago. Honestly, in the first days after the procedure I felt a little jittery: my face looked unfamiliar, there was slight swelling and small scabs. In the first couple of months the hair partly fell out, as the doctor had warned. But now the result truly makes me very happy) From about the 4th month active, even growth began. The transplanted hair took very well, the beard now looks as natural as possible, no bald patches are left. The beard became much thicker and denser, with the shape I had thought about for a long time. All in all, I recommend the clinic, the doctor was polite and explained everything 👍 The result is definitely worth it!

    Review on Google

  • ★★★★★
    Dinh Nguyen
    I traveled to this clinic and do hair transplant, very good quality and cheap. Good doctors

    Review on Google

  • ★★★★★
    Hải Cao
    I do hair transplant here very good doctors!!

    Review on Google

Popular questions

We answer what people
ask before booking

People often say hair implants, but no artificial hair is used. In a hair transplant the doctor moves your own follicles (grafts) from the donor area to thinning or bald areas using FUE or DHI.

City Medical Centre doctors

Yes. City Medical Centre accepts patients from other cities and countries, and an online consultation is available before you decide.

The base prices are $2,200 (≈ €2,000) (FUE), $2,500 (≈ €2,250) (DHI) and $2,700 (≈ €2,450) (combined). The precise cost is determined at a free consultation and graft count, then fixed in your contract.

The whole operation is completed in one day, with no overnight stay needed.

It helps with stable pattern hair loss and a receding hairline when there are enough donor grafts. Some types of alopecia need treatment first; the doctor checks this at the consultation.

No pain during the procedure, thanks to local anaesthesia.

In FUE, grafts are harvested with a tweezer, no cuts or stitches involved. In DHI, a Choi pen implants grafts without opening channels first. The combined method pairs FUE harvesting with DHI implantation.

Your graft count is worked out for free by the doctor during the consultation, based on the donor zone.

The timeline is: 0–10 days healing, 2–4 weeks shedding (normal), 3–4 months new growth, 6–9 months visible density, and 12–18 months for the final result.

The clinic provides a lifetime guarantee on hair growth, stated in the contract.

All of it can be checked
before you pay

The clinic works under a medical licence, care is provided to the standards and clinical guidelines

of Ministry of Health.

Diploma of a City Medical Centre doctor
Certificate of a City Medical Centre doctor

Certificates of the doctors trusted with the operation

View the documents

AKC POMOSHCH LLC

the clinic's legal name

1057746096924

OGRN

7728536872

INN

Thinking about a hair transplant in Berlin?

If you live in Berlin, the practical side is simple: FUE and DHI are performed without cuts and without stitches, under local anaesthesia, in one day. Grafts survive in 98-100 % of cases, and a price from $2,200 (≈ €2,000) is recorded in the contract after a free graft count.

A resident of Berlin can settle the main question from the sofa: the free online consultation shows the doctor your thinning area in photos and produces a graft count. The clinic is on the line 24/7, with no waiting list.

After the operation: 0-10 days to heal, 2-4 weeks until the transplanted hairs shed, which is a normal phase, 3-4 months to the start of growth, 6-9 to real density and 12-18 to the final result. Check-ups at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, photos with a personal coordinator, lifetime growth guarantee.

Hair Transplant in Berlin: price and what is included

Prices are in US dollars; the amount in brackets is an approximate conversion to EUR at the rate of 02.10.2026. The final price is fixed in your contract.

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Written by Anastasia A. Kolesnik, plastic surgeon, hair transplant doctor

Medically reviewed by Ellina V. Goncharova, dermatovenereologist, trichologist, surgeon. Review date:

Sources and further reading

  1. NHS — Hair transplant
  2. American Academy of Dermatology — Hair loss: hair transplants
  3. International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) — Treatments for hair loss
  4. PubMed / NCBI — Follicular Unit Extraction for Hair Transplantation: An Update (Actas Dermosifiliogr, 2017)
  5. PubMed / NCBI — Donor site healing in follicular unit extraction hair transplantation (Cell Mol Biol, 2025)

How we prepare and review medical content · Medical disclaimer

Stories of well-known people

Well-known people who spoke openly about this operation, in their own words.

All stories about this operation →

Why nobody can quote a graft number before seeing your photographs

Berlin counts 3,596,999 residents at the 2022 census, and the capital region around it about 6.2 million. Among that many people, hair loss comes in every pattern, which is exactly why a fair answer to the question 'how many grafts?' cannot be given in advance. The number depends on the area to be covered and on the donor zone at the back of the head, and a doctor has to look at both.

So the process starts with images. Take them in daylight with dry hair, parted the way you wear it, against a plain wall and without flash. Capture the front, both temples, the crown, the back and a close view of the donor zone. Add an older photograph in which your hair was thicker if you have one: it shows the speed of change better than any description.

Beneath the pictures, a few lines. When did the thinning begin? Was it sudden or gradual? Does it run in your family? Which treatments have you tried? Are there medicines you take regularly or operations behind you? The coordinator passes everything to a doctor, who counts the grafts according to your donor zone and says whether a transplant would help or whether another route is wiser.

None of this commits you. The first online consultation is free, and your coordinator replies on WhatsApp and Telegram whenever you write, which includes evenings and weekends.

Finally, think about what you will do with the answer. If it is yes, you have a plan to read. If it is no, or not yet, you have saved yourself an operation that would not have helped, and that is also a result worth having.

Looking up a doctor through the German directories

The Berlin medical chamber says on its patient page that it represents every doctor in the city and therefore does not recommend any one of them. For a search it names the KV Berlin directory, the federal portal gesund.bund.de and the German Medical Association's search by state, and it advises caution with rating portals.

The German Medical Association is also the author of a model training regulation, and in 2018 it reorganised that regulation around competences. You do not need to read it. You need only two facts from it: the title a doctor holds, and the area the doctor was trained in. Ask for both in writing.

The hair team at the clinic includes a hair transplant doctor and trichologist, a dermatovenereologist and trichologist, and a plastic surgeon. Ask which of them would be your doctor, and whether the doctor you meet at the consultation will be in the operating room. The clinic says that this is the case, and you can have it written into the plan.

Take the full name you are given and search for it. If it turns up, note the title as it is recorded. If it does not, send a short question to the coordinator, because spellings vary and records lag. The check costs ten minutes and gives you an independent view.

Keep your skepticism proportionate. A register shows who is entered and under what title; it cannot say whether the proposed plan suits your scalp, and that part remains a matter for the consultation and for your own questions.

Which method for which scalp: three techniques, one plain-language answer

Three techniques are in use: FUE with forceps and no incisions, DHI with a Choi pen that sets each graft directly, and a combination that extracts by FUE and implants by DHI. The clinic's survival figure for FUE is 98 to 100 per cent, given as guidance, because real numbers depend on the area and on the patient.

Ask the doctor to explain in one sentence why your pattern points to one technique rather than another, and what would change that advice. A doctor who can answer in plain words can usually also describe the plan for the donor zone, the direction of the new hairs and the density being aimed for.

Ask also what happens afterwards. The operation takes a single day, under local anaesthesia, and you leave the same day. Guidance on washing, sleeping and covering the head follows, along with a plan for sport and a coordinator who looks at your photographs as things change.

A beard or eyebrows can be treated using the same donor zone. For eyebrows the surgeon draws the line first and goes through reference photographs, so decide in advance whether you want the shape to follow your face or a picture you carry.

Paper to collect while you are still deciding

Gather four documents before you make a payment: the medical licence number, the full legal name of the organisation, the credentials of each doctor and the draft contract. Doctors' diplomas and certificates may be viewed before you pay. Put each answer in a folder with the date.

In the contract, look for three entries next to each other: the method, the number of grafts and the area to be covered. The sum is set after the free consultation, once your grafts are counted. If one of the three is missing, ask for it to be added, and ask who is responsible for each stage.

Spoken promises have little value a year later. If someone told you that photographs may be sent during recovery, or that the coordinator can be reached at night, ask for the same lines to appear in the paper, in the same words, and keep the version you signed.

Mention your health at the start, including medicines you take regularly and any past reaction to anaesthetics. The clinic keeps a written list of conditions in which it does not operate; ask for it, and ask the doctor to confirm in writing that nothing on it concerns you.

Keeping a calendar of the year that follows

A transplant is not finished on the day of surgery. The clinic describes stages that run through the first year and into the second: early healing, a normal period of shedding, new growth, then density, then the final result at 12–18 months.

Write the operation date on a calendar, then add each stage and each check-up beside it. When you send a photograph to your coordinator, write the date on the message. A change in your hair then becomes something you can describe, and the answer you receive is more precise.

Decide beforehand what you will measure. A good habit is to take the same set of photographs at each check-up, in the same light, and keep them in one folder. After a year you have a record that shows what actually happened, rather than what memory suggests.

Treat the long timeline as a reason for patience with other people's opinions too. A friend who says 'it looks thin at three months' is describing a stage, not a verdict, and your folder of dated photographs is the answer to that kind of comment.

Email each check-up photograph to yourself as well, so the thread of your recovery lives somewhere you control and not only in a messenger.

Where do I check a doctor's credentials in Germany?

The Berlin medical chamber does not recommend individual doctors, but refers to three searches: the KV Berlin directory, the federal portal gesund.bund.de and the German Medical Association's search by state. Search for the name and title your coordinator gives you.

Why can't anyone give me a graft count in advance?

The number depends on the area to be covered and on your donor zone. A doctor counts grafts after reviewing photographs at the free consultation, and the figure is written into the contract.

What photographs does the doctor need from me?

Daylight, dry hair, no flash, a plain background: front, both temples, crown, back and a close view of the donor zone, plus an older picture with denser hair if you have one.

Is a second opinion welcome?

Yes. Compare the method, the graft count, the area and the doctor performing the work in a table built from written answers. If one clinic cannot give a method or a count, the offer cannot be compared.

How should I note the stages of recovery?

Write the operation date on a calendar and add the stages the clinic describes and the check-ups at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Take the same photographs in the same light at each point.

Are doctor-rating portals a good basis for a decision?

The Berlin chamber advises scepticism. Use them to generate questions, then rely on written answers and on a check of the directories.

What if my coordinator answers late in the evening?

Coordinators are on WhatsApp and Telegram 24/7, so you can write at any hour and expect an answer.