Walking into a hair transplant consultation unprepared puts you at a disadvantage. Clinics control the information flow, and without your own data, you have no way to verify whether their recommendations are appropriate for your hair loss stage. This checklist tool helps you organize everything you need before that first appointment.
Why Preparation Matters
Patients who research clinics independently have 45% lower revision rates. Preparation means you can:
- Compare the clinic's graft estimate against an objective benchmark
- Ask specific, informed questions rather than general ones
- Identify red flags in real time during the consultation
- Make a confident decision without relying solely on the clinic's assessment
Step 1: Get Your Baseline Data
Before contacting any clinic, establish your own hair loss profile using myhairline.ai/analyze. The free AI assessment uses 468 MediaPipe facial landmarks to determine:
- Your Norwood stage (1 through 7)
- Hairline position relative to ideal forehead height (6.5 cm for males, 5.5 cm for females)
- Estimated graft range based on your classification
This gives you a reference point to evaluate every clinic recommendation against. Learn more about how AI hair loss analysis works.
Typical Graft Ranges by Norwood Stage
| Norwood Stage | Graft Range | Estimated Hairs (2.2 per graft) |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 2 | 800-1,500 | 1,760-3,300 |
| Stage 3 | 1,500-2,200 | 3,300-4,840 |
| Stage 3V | 2,000-2,800 | 4,400-6,160 |
| Stage 4 | 2,500-3,500 | 5,500-7,700 |
| Stage 5 | 3,000-4,500 | 6,600-9,900 |
| Stage 6 | 4,000-6,000 | 8,800-13,200 |
| Stage 7 | 5,500-7,500 | 12,100-16,500 |
Step 2: Prepare Your Medical History
Compile this information before your consultation:
Hair Loss History
- When you first noticed hair loss (approximate year)
- Rate of progression (slow, moderate, rapid)
- Family history of hair loss (father, mother's side, siblings)
- Any previous hair loss treatments tried and their results
- Previous hair transplant procedures (if any)
Current Medications
- Finasteride (dosage and duration): 80-90% of users halt further loss, 65% experience regrowth
- Minoxidil (concentration and duration): 40-60% experience moderate regrowth
- Dutasteride (if applicable)
- Any other medications that may affect hair or healing
- Supplements (biotin, saw palmetto, etc.)
Medical Conditions
- Autoimmune conditions (alopecia areata, lupus, thyroid disorders)
- Diabetes or blood sugar issues
- Bleeding disorders or blood thinning medications
- Skin conditions affecting the scalp
- Allergies to medications or anesthetics
Step 3: Prepare Your Photos
Take these photos in natural lighting, without any hair products, before your consultation:
- Frontal view: Face the camera directly, hair pulled back
- Top-down view: Tilt head forward, camera directly above
- Left temple view: Left side profile showing temporal recession
- Right temple view: Right side profile showing temporal recession
- Crown view: Camera angled at the vertex/crown area
- Donor area: Back of head showing available donor density
These photos serve as your baseline and help you compare what the clinic sees with what your AI assessment determined.
Step 4: Questions to Bring
Print or save this list for your consultation:
About the Surgeon
- What are your board certifications?
- Are you an ISHRS member?
- How many hair transplant procedures do you perform per year?
- Will you personally perform my entire procedure?
About the Procedure
- What Norwood stage do you classify me as?
- How many grafts do you recommend and why?
- Which technique do you recommend (FUE, FUT, DHI) and why?
- What is the maximum number of grafts you can safely extract in one session?
- What is your graft survival rate?
About Recovery and Results
- What does your aftercare program include?
- What is the expected recovery timeline? (FUE: 7-10 days, FUT: 10-14 days)
- When will I see final results?
- What is your revision rate?
- Do you recommend finasteride or minoxidil post-procedure?
About Costs
- What is the total cost including all fees?
- Are follow-up appointments included?
- What does your guarantee or touch-up policy cover?
- Are there any additional costs I should expect?
Step 5: Know Your Budget
Understand typical pricing for your region before walking in:
| Region | Cost Per Graft (USD) |
|---|---|
| USA | $4-6 |
| UK | $3-5 |
| Europe | $2.50-4.50 |
| Turkey | $1-2 |
| India | $0.50-1.50 |
Multiply the cost per graft by your estimated graft count from Step 1 to get a rough budget range. This helps you identify quotes that are unusually high or suspiciously low.
Step 6: Post-Consultation Evaluation
After each consultation, score the experience:
| Criterion | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Met the actual surgeon? | ||
| Physical scalp examination performed? | ||
| Graft count within expected range for my Norwood stage? | ||
| Clear aftercare plan provided? | ||
| Risks and limitations discussed honestly? | ||
| No pressure to book immediately? | ||
| Willing to provide patient references? | ||
| Written surgical plan offered? |
A clinic scoring "No" on three or more criteria deserves a closer look. Refer to the complete Norwood scale guide to double-check any staging disagreements between clinics.
Get Started
Your first step takes 60 seconds. Visit myhairline.ai/analyze to get your Norwood stage, graft estimate, and hairline measurement. Then use this checklist to walk into every consultation with confidence and the data to back up your questions.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a board-certified dermatologist or hair restoration specialist for personalized guidance.