HAIR TRANSPLANT · LONG HAIR

Long-Hair Transplant: No Shaving, Immediate Preview — Istanbul

A long-hair transplant is a form of FUE in which follicles are harvested and implanted with their hair left long, so nothing is shaved and you see an immediate preview. Most transplanted hairs then shed within weeks before regrowing. Veneta in Nişantaşı offers long-hair transplantation after an assessment by a physician.

Last updated: October 2026

At a Glance

Type

FUE hair transplant, local anaesthesia

Methods

Long-hair extraction and implantation

Sessions

Usually one; large cases over 2 days

Results

Regrowth from month 3–4; full at 10–18 months

Downtime

Hidden by hair; 2 weeks of careful aftercare

Donor hair

At least 3–4 cm long before surgery

What Is a Long-Hair Transplant?

Standard FUE shaves the donor area and implants grafts with short hairs. In long-hair FUE, oscillating punches free each follicular unit, usually with its shaft intact, and grafts are implanted at full length, so angle, direction and density can be adjusted in real time.

Unshaven FUE or DHI keeps the recipient hair long, but usually trims the donor hair in hidden strips or unit by unit and implants short grafts, so there is no preview. Labels vary between clinics; ask which method is planned.

Long-hair transplantation was previously possible only with strip (FUT) harvesting; Pitchon described the “preview” method in 2006. Evidence comes from technique reports, case series and reviews; in a 10-patient comparison (2020), long-hair extraction took almost twice as long.

Treatment Options at Veneta

Method	How it works	Mainly for
Long-hair transplant	Grafts harvested and implanted with hair left long	Hairline, crown, brows; discreet recovery
Unshaven DHI	Donor shaved or partly trimmed; grafts, usually short, placed between long hair with an implanter pen	Discreet recovery, moderate graft need
FUE / Sapphire FUE	Donor shaved; grafts placed into incisions (sapphire blades in Sapphire FUE)	Larger areas, most grafts per session
DHI	Grafts placed directly with an implanter pen	Placing grafts between existing hair
Long-hair eyebrow or beard transplant	Single- or two-hair grafts; long hairs show the growth direction	Thin or scarred brows (after diagnosis), patchy beards

Risks and Side Effects

A tight, achy, swollen scalp for a few days and crusts for about 7–10 days, mostly hidden by long hair.
Tiny dot scars in the donor area; over-harvesting can thin it.
Slightly more partially cut follicles than with shaved FUE.
Shock loss: usually temporary shedding of existing hair near the grafts.
Bleeding, infection, temporary numbness, folliculitis or a reaction to the anaesthetic.
A small risk that grafts fail to grow, and continued thinning of your own hair around them.

Who It Suits — and Who Should Wait

Especially useful for the hairline, temples, crown, eyebrows and beard, where hair direction matters most.
Stable pattern hair loss, a good donor area and a moderate goal; if loss is still progressing, waiting may be advised.
Not ideal for advanced baldness: shaved FUE moves more grafts per day, at a lower price.
Any hair loss needs a diagnosis first; see trichology hair analysis. Scarring alopecia needs a dermatologist’s diagnosis, often with a biopsy, and should be inactive for at least 1–2 years before any transplant.
Smoking and poorly controlled diabetes raise the risk of poor healing; an uncorrected bleeding disorder may rule surgery out.

How the Treatment Works at Veneta

Assessment

A physician confirms the cause of hair loss, checks the donor area and agrees the graft number and method. You then grow the donor hair to at least 3–4 cm.

Long-hair extraction

Under local anaesthesia, an oscillating punch frees each follicular unit, aiming to keep its hair shaft intact.

Implantation and preview

Grafts are placed at full length with sharp implanters or forceps, adjusting angle and density as the area fills.

Aftercare and follow-up

Leave the hair untouched for 24 hours; the first gentle wash is the next day. Avoid heavy sweating, pools and sun for 2 weeks.

Hair Treatments: Average Prices in Istanbul

Average Istanbul market prices compiled in October 2026, for orientation. Your price is confirmed after your consultation.

Treatment	Unit	Average price	Typical range
FUE hair transplant	package for international patients	125,000 TRY≈ €2,240	72,000–325,000 TRY≈ €1,290–€5,820
DHI hair transplant	package for international patients	140,000 TRY≈ €2,505	86,000–325,000 TRY≈ €1,540–€5,820
Long-hair transplant	package for international patients	180,000 TRY≈ €3,220	86,000–360,000 TRY≈ €1,540–€6,445
Hair PRP	per session	7,000 TRY≈ €125	4,000–12,000 TRY≈ €70–€215

Average Istanbul prices compiled in October 2026, for orientation only. Your personal price depends on the product, the amount and the plan agreed at your consultation. Euro amounts are approximate, converted at 55.86 TRY = 1 EUR.

Results, and How It Compares With FUE and DHI

The preview shows direction and coverage, not the final result: most long hairs shed within about 2–8 weeks, new hair appears from month 3–4, and the NHS expects full results at 10–18 months.

A long-hair transplant is a way of performing FUE. Standard FUE shaves the donor area and, according to a 2026 review, remains the most widely used technique; Sapphire FUE uses sapphire blades for the recipient incisions; DHI and unshaven DHI place grafts with an implanter pen. No large trial has shown better growth with long hair or sapphire blades; see FUE vs DHI.

Related treatments

Frequently Asked Questions

Long-hair transplant or unshaven transplant: what is the difference?

An unshaven transplant usually trims part of the donor area and implants short grafts; a long-hair transplant keeps the grafts at full length, giving an immediate preview.

Do the long hairs stay after a long-hair transplant?

Usually not. After a long-hair transplant, most transplanted hairs shed within about 2–8 weeks and regrow from month 3–4; full results take about 10–18 months.

How many grafts can a long-hair transplant move?

A long-hair transplant moves fewer grafts per day than shaved FUE; large cases (over 2,000 grafts in one review) may take two days, and advanced hair loss may need shaved FUE or a second session.

Why does a long-hair transplant cost more than standard FUE?

Harvesting for a long-hair transplant takes about twice as long as shaved FUE and needs special punches and a larger team; the final price also depends on the size of the case.

Does a long-hair transplant hurt, and what is the downtime?

A long-hair transplant is done under local anaesthesia, so you should not feel pain during surgery; the scalp may feel tight and achy for a few days. Your hair hides the crusts, but the grafts need care for 2 weeks; the NHS says 1–2 weeks off work may be needed.

Is a long-hair transplant better than FUE or DHI?

Better growth has not been shown: no large randomised trial has compared a long-hair transplant with shaved FUE or DHI, and small reports describe similar growth. It adds concealment and a preview, at more time and cost.

This page is general information and does not replace a medical consultation. Whether a long-hair transplant suits you is decided by our physicians after an assessment.

Free Consultation — Long-Hair Transplant in Istanbul

Send us a WhatsApp message or book a video call; the consultation is free. You receive a written plan with the method, estimated graft number and price before treatment.

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