Asking the right questions during your hair transplant consultation separates informed patients who get excellent results from those who end up with regret. These 50 questions cover every critical area: surgeon credentials, surgical technique, your specific case, cost transparency, recovery expectations, and long-term planning.
Print this list or save it to your phone before your appointment. No surgeon should object to thorough questions. Those who seem impatient or evasive are telling you something important about how they treat patients.
Surgeon Credentials and Experience
These questions establish whether the surgeon has the training, certification, and volume of experience to deliver consistent results.
- Are you board certified by the ABHRS (American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery)?
- Are you a member of the ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery)?
- How many hair transplant procedures have you personally performed?
- How many procedures do you perform per month?
- What is your medical specialty background (dermatology, plastic surgery, other)?
- How many years have you been performing hair transplants specifically?
- Have you published any research or presented at ISHRS conferences?
- Can I see your ABHRS certification and medical license?
A qualified surgeon will answer these questions directly. You want ABHRS certification, ISHRS membership, and a minimum of 500 completed procedures. Surgeons who deflect or give vague answers about their experience are not the right choice.
Surgical Technique and Approach
These questions reveal the surgeon's technical approach and whether they tailor their technique to your specific needs.
- Which technique do you recommend for my case: FUE or FUT, and why?
- Do you offer both FUE and FUT, or only one?
- What extraction tool do you use (manual punch, motorized, robotic)?
- What size punch do you use for FUE extraction?
- How do you create recipient sites (blades, needles, sapphire)?
- What is your average graft survival rate?
- How do you measure and track graft survival in your patients?
- What graft storage solution do you use during the procedure?
- Do you use any graft enhancement techniques (PRP, ATP, hypothermia)?
The answers here matter for outcome quality. Surgeons who track and can cite their graft survival rates demonstrate a commitment to outcomes. Those who cannot answer or claim "everyone gets great results" are likely not measuring.
Your Specific Case
These questions address how the surgeon plans to handle your particular hair loss pattern and goals.
- What Norwood stage would you classify me as?
- How many grafts do you recommend for my case?
- What is the maximum number of grafts you can safely extract in one session?
- How will you design my hairline?
- Will my hairline design account for future hair loss progression?
- What donor area density do I have, and is it sufficient for my goals?
- Do you anticipate I will need more than one session?
- If I need future sessions, how many total grafts can my donor area support?
- Are there any factors about my case that concern you?
- What results can I realistically expect in terms of density and coverage?
Honest surgeons will discuss limitations. If your donor density is low, they should tell you. If your hair loss is still progressing, they should recommend stabilization first. Surgeons who promise perfect results without acknowledging any limitations are selling, not consulting.
Who Performs the Procedure
This section addresses the critical question of technician involvement.
- Will you personally perform the graft extraction?
- Will you personally create all recipient sites?
- Will you personally design the hairline?
- How many technicians assist during the procedure?
- What training have your technicians received?
- How many simultaneous procedures does your clinic run per day?
- Will you be present in the operating room for the entire duration of my procedure?
The surgeon should personally handle hairline design and recipient site creation at minimum. One simultaneous procedure is ideal. Two is acceptable if the surgeon has a skilled team. Three or more means your surgeon is spreading their attention too thin.
Cost and Financial Transparency
These questions prevent surprises on the final bill.
- What is your per-graft price for the technique you recommend?
- Does the quoted price include all pre-operative and post-operative costs?
- What additional costs should I expect beyond the surgical quote (blood work, medications, PRP, follow-ups)?
- Do you offer financing options or payment plans?
- What is your cancellation and refund policy?
- Is there a charge for this consultation?
Get the all-inclusive number, not just the per-graft rate. Some clinics quote low per-graft prices but add significant fees for anesthesia, facility use, PRP, and post-op care.
Recovery and Aftercare
- What is the typical recovery timeline for the procedure you recommend?
- When can I return to work?
- When can I resume exercise?
- What medications will I need after surgery?
- How many follow-up appointments are included?
- What are the signs of complications I should watch for?
Results and Revision Policy
- When will I see final results?
- What is your revision or touch-up rate?
- If I need a touch-up, what does it cost?
- Can you connect me with previous patients who had a similar case to mine?
The revision rate is a revealing metric. Experienced surgeons with 500+ procedures typically report revision rates under 5%. Rates above 15% suggest inconsistent technique or poor candidate selection. A surgeon willing to connect you with past patients is confident in their outcomes.
How to Use These Questions
You do not need to ask all 50 questions at every consultation. Prioritize based on what matters most to you:
If cost is your primary concern: Focus on questions 35-40, plus questions 9-10 and 18-21 to ensure you are comparing equivalent recommendations.
If you are worried about natural-looking results: Prioritize questions 21-22, 28-31, and 47-50. The hairline design and surgeon involvement questions predict aesthetic outcomes.
If this is your first consultation: Start with credentials (1-8) and your specific case (18-27). These establish the surgeon's qualifications and give you a baseline recommendation to compare against other consultations.
If you are comparing international clinics: Add questions about technician training, simultaneous procedures, and post-operative support. These vary most widely in medical tourism settings.
Prepare Before You Ask
Walking into a consultation knowing your approximate Norwood stage and graft range puts you in a stronger position. Get your AI-powered assessment at myhairline.ai/analyze before your first appointment. When you already know your likely classification, you can focus the consultation on evaluating the surgeon rather than learning the basics of your own hair loss.