Once dominated by men, hair transplant surgery is now increasingly popular among women seeking treatment for hair loss. Experts say that growing awareness, social media and the expansion of clinics have rapidly increased women’s interest in recent years. However, doctors caution that results for women are often less predictable than for men, CNN reported.
According to some estimates, about one in three women experiences hair loss. Unlike men, female pattern hair loss is often linked to genetics and hormones and usually causes thinning across the entire scalp. It can also be triggered by pregnancy, stress, illness or nutritional deficiencies.
When supplements, medicated shampoos, laser treatments or even platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections — which use a patient’s own blood to stimulate hair growth — fail to deliver results, some women turn to Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) as a last resort. In this procedure, doctors remove individual hair follicles from one part of the scalp and transplant them to thinning areas. The surgery can take several hours, recovery lasts weeks and it may take months for the final results to appear.
This medical procedure has long been popular among men, many of whom travel to Turkey, a global center for hair transplant surgery, due to its lower prices, high procedure volumes and specialized clinics. A growing number of women now travel there for surgery as well, reflecting the international rise in female hair transplant demand. Since 2021, the number of women undergoing these procedures has increased by more than 16%. In Europe, the total number of transplants has more than doubled over the past decade.
However, doctors warn that not all women are good candidates for the procedure. Because hair thinning in women often continues over time, a transplant may offer only temporary improvement rather than a permanent solution. In some cases, women may undergo surgery but continue to lose hair if the transplanted follicles do not survive. Recovery can also be painful and emotionally difficult, especially if results fall short of expectations, according to CNN.
Despite these uncertainties, many women struggling with hair loss are willing to explore every available option to regain their confidence and, in some cases, what they describe as a sense of identity.
