Illegal hair transplant warning: what does the ISHRS 2025 member survey show?

What happened?

The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), a professional society whose members are physicians working in hair transplantation, published the results of its member survey in May 2025. Of the physician members who responded, 59 percent reported that illegal hair transplant providers were operating in their city; in 2021, this figure was 51 percent. With World Hair Transplant Repair Day, held for the fifth time on 11 November 2025, the society also drew attention to the possible harms of such procedures.

May 2025: the member survey

The survey is based on practice data for 2024 from the society’s physician members. According to the society, more young adults and women are now among those seeking treatment for hair loss. In its statements, the society refers to illegal providers as “black-market clinics.”

November 2025: World Hair Transplant Repair Day

The society announced Repair Day in a press release on 29 October 2025. First held on 11 November 2021, the day is part of the society’s awareness campaign to inform patients about illegal hair transplants. In connection with it, a three-day training meeting with live demonstrations of repair surgery was held in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, on November 7–9, 2025.

What is the warning about?

In that press release, the society’s president at the time said that illegal providers present themselves as established healthcare facilities and rely on misleading advertising, low prices and travel packages. The society lists the following among the possible harms of such procedures:

• permanent, visible scars,
• infection,
• areas left sparse or without hair,
• taking more grafts than necessary from the donor area (the area the grafts are taken from, mostly the back and sides of the head).

The last point deserves a closer look. Grafts taken from the donor area are not replaced by new ones, so this area has a limited capacity. Taking too many can leave the area noticeably sparse and reduces the grafts available for any corrective procedure you may need later. We explain why the donor area is a limited resource in our article on the donor area and donor dominance.

What do these figures show, and what do they not show?

The survey was sent to the society’s 992 physician members; the results are based on what the members who responded reported themselves. In other words, this is not market research or a count based on patient records; it is a survey that summarizes what the members of a professional society have observed. When reading the figures, keep the following in mind:

• The figure of 59 percent shows what share of members reported such providers in their own city; it does not show how many illegal providers there are or how many people have been affected.
• The increase since 2021 describes a change in what members reported; on its own, it does not measure how much the number of illegal providers has actually grown.
• Repair Day is an awareness campaign; the figures in the press release also come from the society’s own member survey.

In this article, we have reported only the figures that appear in the society’s statements and summaries, and left out details we could not verify. As of October 2026, when this article was written, we also could not confirm that the society has published a more recent member survey; the figures here are from the survey published in May 2025.

The situation in Turkey

We did not find any figures specific to Turkey in the summaries the society has published. These percentages should not be read as data on the situation in Turkey or in any other single country.

Under current regulations in Turkey, a hair transplant unit cannot open or operate without an operating permit. Asking the clinic you are dealing with about this permit is a normal step before a surgical procedure. We explain the September 2025 change to these regulations in our article on the change to the hair transplant units regulation.

What does this mean if you are considering a hair transplant?

Whatever country or facility the procedure takes place in, these statements are a reminder of how important it is to ask a few basic questions before you decide. Getting clear, preferably written, answers to the following questions makes it easier to compare your options:

• Will a doctor examine me in person before the procedure? Who will decide on the plan and the hairline?
• Which stages of the procedure will the doctor carry out, and at which stages will other healthcare staff be involved?
• Which healthcare facility will the procedure take place in? Can I see the facility’s license and the operating permit for its hair transplant unit?
• How will you decide how many grafts to take from the donor area?
• Will I be given written aftercare instructions after the procedure? If there is a problem, who do I contact and how, and how will follow-up work?

Factors the society mentions, such as low prices or travel packages, do not on their own show that a provider is operating illegally. That is why it is more sensible to base your assessment on the answers you get to the questions above. We explain these questions in detail, and why they matter, in our article on questions to ask when choosing a clinic.

If, after a previous transplant, you notice pain or redness that keeps getting worse, discharge or fever, contact the place where you had the procedure or go to the nearest healthcare facility without waiting. If you have concerns about how a previous transplant looks, you can also have a doctor assess them during an examination.

This article is no substitute for an examination or a doctor’s assessment. Whether you are suitable for a hair transplant is determined during the examination; results also vary from person to person. You can take your time and make your decision after talking it through with the doctor who examines you.