Ethical and Legal Regulations in Hair Transplantation

  • Ethical and Legal Regulations in Hair Transplantation
Ethical and Legal Regulations in Hair Transplantation


Hair transplantation is defined both globally and in Türkiye as a minimally invasive medical procedure. Due to its medical nature, it must be performed by a licensed physician.
Hair transplantation consists of four main stages:

  1. Local anesthesia injection
  2. Extraction of hair follicles
  3. Creation of recipient channels for the follicles
  4. Placement of follicles into the channels

According to the Regulation on Hair Transplant Units published in the Official Gazette on May 6, 2023 (Issue No. 32182)

the responsibilities for each stage are clearly defined:

  • Only physicians with a valid hair transplant practitioner certificate are authorized to perform the extraction of follicles and channel creation.
  • The final stage, which involves placing grafts into the channels, may be performed by certified health technicians, but only under the supervision and responsibility of a certified physician.
  • The use of local anesthetics and adrenaline, which are administered in high doses, must be done by a physician while monitoring the patient's vital signs.
  • If sedoanalgesia is to be administered, it must be performed by an Anesthesiology and Reanimation specialist, as explicitly stated in the regulation.

The regulation also mandates that:

  • Hair transplant procedures must be conducted in licensed medical facilities such as hospitals, medical centers, and clinics.
  • Beauty salons or unauthorized locations are strictly prohibited.
  • Physicians are not allowed to delegate the stages they are responsible for to non-medical personnel.
  • Violations of these rules may result in legal and administrative penalties, including the revocation of operating licenses 


Unfortunately, due to the rapid growth of health tourism in Türkiye over the past decade, many clinics have emerged—some legal, others operating illegally. It is estimated that only 1–2% of these clinics perform hair transplant procedures in full compliance with the law and ethical standards 

As MESTDER, we commit to collaborating only with physicians who adhere strictly to these legal and ethical standards. We will continue to offer advanced training, raise awareness through congresses, and take legal action against unauthorized and unethical practices in hair transplantation—just as we do in other areas of medical aesthetics.
We also declare that we will not associate with any physician who:

  • Delegates medical responsibilities to non-physicians,
  • Misleads patients by claiming to perform procedures personally,
  • Allows illegal practices in their clinics,
  • Or lends their diploma and signature to make unauthorized procedures appear legal.
İletişim