EEstetica Istanbul Medical TeamJuly 5, 20269 min read
A beard transplant in Turkey costs from €1,950 as an all-inclusive package — against roughly £5,000–7,000 in the UK, €5,000–8,000 across Western Europe and $7,000–15,000 in the United States. That gap is why Istanbul has become the default destination for men who want a fuller, natural-looking beard. But price is only part of the picture: a beard transplant is an artistic procedure where the angle and direction of every graft decides whether the result looks natural or planted. This guide covers the real numbers, what the package includes, how the procedure works, the recovery, and how to choose a clinic that gets the aesthetics right.
How much does a beard transplant cost in Turkey?
At Estetica Istanbul, a beard transplant starts from €1,950 as an all-inclusive package. That covers the procedure using the DHI or FUE technique, graft harvesting and implantation, your medication and aftercare kit, two nights in a recovery hotel with airport transfers, and a patient coordinator throughout your stay. The only cost never included is your flights. A €500 deposit secures your date and the balance is settled before the procedure. The final figure depends mainly on how many grafts you need — a patchy cheek or a small scar needs far fewer than a full beard built from sparse growth — and that is confirmed at consultation from your photos, not sprung on you on the day.
Beard transplant Turkey vs UK, US and Europe: the cost comparison
In the UK a beard transplant typically runs £5,000–7,000; across Western Europe €5,000–8,000; and in the United States anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000 depending on graft count and clinic. Turkey's from-€1,950 package usually lands well below half of those figures while including the recovery-hotel nights and transfers that Western quotes treat as extras. The saving is structural, not a sign of lower quality. That said, an implausibly cheap quote — a few hundred euros for a full beard — is a warning sign rather than a bargain, because it usually points to unqualified staff or an unlicensed setting.
Why is a beard transplant cheaper in Turkey?
Lower price does not mean lower quality. Turkey's cost advantage is structural: lower clinical overheads and staff costs, a favourable exchange rate, and an enormous volume of hair-restoration work that lets accredited Istanbul clinics run efficiently and refine their technique. The city performs more hair and beard transplants than almost anywhere in the world, and that concentration of experience is part of what you are buying. What you are not paying for is the premium overhead of a London or Los Angeles address.
An Estetica Istanbul beard transplant package is built so you arrive to a plan and leave with aftercare in place. It includes the procedure and the implanting team, the graft harvesting and placement, local anaesthesia, your medication and a take-home aftercare kit, two nights in a recovery hotel, all airport and clinic transfers, and a patient coordinator throughout your stay. Flights are never included. Everything is quoted in euros — the invoicing currency — so there are no exchange-rate surprises at the end.
How a beard transplant works
A beard transplant moves hair follicles from a donor area — usually the back of the scalp, where the hair is genetically resistant to thinning — into the beard. Estetica works to the honest standard for hair restoration: the extraction and implantation are carried out by an experienced hair-transplant team working under the supervision of the responsible physician, with a JCI-accredited hospital on standby. Two techniques are common. FUE with a Sapphire blade opens fine channels into which the grafts are placed; DHI uses a Choi implanter pen that creates the channel and places the follicle in one motion, giving precise control over angle and density. For a beard, that control is everything — each follicle must be angled to match natural growth, which points downward and outward on the cheeks and jaw. Done well, the result is indistinguishable from a naturally full beard.
Does it look natural, and is it permanent?
Because the transplanted follicles come from DHT-resistant donor hair, they are permanent once they take root and regrow. A beard transplant is also permanent in the sense that, unlike microblading or filler, it does not need topping up. Whether it looks natural comes down to artistry rather than the fact of the transplant: correct angle, direction and a conservative, realistic density are what separate a good result from an obvious one. This is why the surgeon's or specialist's eye matters more than the price. Most men need a single session; very sparse or scarred areas occasionally benefit from a small top-up once the first result has matured.
Recovery timeline: what to expect
Recovery is quick. Tiny crusts form around each implanted follicle and fall away over about seven to ten days — you avoid picking them and follow the clinic's washing instructions. Redness settles within roughly a week, and most men are comfortable returning to work in two to three days, or sooner if they can accept a few days of visible pinpoint scabbing. Do not shave the transplanted area for about ten to fourteen days. Then comes the part that surprises people: the transplanted hairs shed between weeks two and four. This is normal — the follicle stays alive beneath the skin. New growth begins from around month three to four, and the full, final beard develops over nine to twelve months. Avoid heavy sweating, gyms, saunas and swimming for about a week, and protect the area from strong sun.
How to choose a clinic
Before paying a deposit anywhere, confirm four things: that the clinic works with an accredited hospital rather than an unlicensed room, that you can see who will perform your procedure and their beard-specific experience, that real before-and-after photos of comparable patients are available, and that aftercare is set out in writing. Ask directly how they plan the hairline and angle of the beard, and how many grafts they estimate for your goals — a serious clinic will answer with specifics from your photos. Be sceptical of prices far below the ranges above and of galleries where every result looks identical.
How many grafts does a beard transplant need?
It depends on the goal. Filling a patchy area or a small scar can take as few as 1,000–1,500 grafts, while building a full, dense beard from sparse growth usually needs 2,500–3,500. The exact number is estimated from your photos at consultation and drives the final price.
Does a beard transplant hurt?
The procedure is done under local anaesthetic, so you are awake but should not feel pain during it. There can be mild tenderness and swelling for a day or two afterwards, easily managed with the medication in your aftercare kit.
When will I see the final result?
The transplanted hairs shed in the first month, then regrow from around month three to four. The full, mature beard develops over nine to twelve months, so patience through the shedding phase is normal and expected.
Can I shave normally afterwards?
Yes. Avoid shaving the transplanted area for about ten to fourteen days while it heals; after the new hair has grown in you can trim and shave your beard exactly as you would naturally.
Thinking about a beard transplant in Istanbul? Request a free, no-obligation assessment and a personalised quote from Estetica Istanbul. Send a few photos and tell us the beard you want, and our team will give you an honest view of your options — including a realistic graft estimate and whether the procedure is right for you.
