Treatments
Eyebrow Transplant
An eyebrow transplant places single hair follicles from the back of the head into sparse or missing brow areas one by one, at a low angle and in the natural direction of growth, under local anaesthesia. The result is permanent.
- Method Single grafts by FUE or DHI
- Anaesthesia Local
- Procedure time Usually 2–4 hours
- Stay in Istanbul Usually 2 nights
- Back to work Usually 2–3 days
The method
What Is an Eyebrow Transplant?
An eyebrow transplant is a permanent procedure in which your own hair follicles are placed one by one into eyebrows that are thin, partly or completely lost, over-plucked or uneven in shape. The follicles are usually taken from the back of the head with the FUE technique and placed into the brow area either into micro channels or directly with an implanter pen (DHI).
The eyebrow is one of the smallest but most defining features of the face; a difference of a few millimetres in angle changes the expression. For this reason only single, fine grafts are used; two- and three-hair groups look artificial in a brow. The hairs are placed at a very flat angle of 10–15 degrees to the skin and in directions that change along the brow: upwards at the head, horizontal in the middle, slightly downwards at the tail.
Because the transplanted follicles are scalp hair, they grow faster and longer than brow hair at first and need regular trimming. Over time, usually by the end of the first year, the follicles adapt to their new area, growth slows and trimming is needed less often. The result is permanent; the follicles come from a loss-resistant area and stay in place.
Eyebrow transplants are performed on women and men alike. Genetic sparseness, permanent gaps from years of plucking, scars from accidents and burns, brow loss after certain illnesses or treatments, and asymmetry are all addressed with this method. The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia, usually in 2–4 hours, and you leave the clinic the same day.
JSH does not perform treatment; it coordinates the journey planned by the doctor at licensed partner clinics in Istanbul. Suitability and method are decided by the doctor.
Design
The Brow Is Designed to Your Face
The decisive step is not the implantation but the drawing. Looking at the width of the forehead, the shape of the eyes, the root of the nose and the proportions of the face, the doctor sets the start, the highest point (the arch) and the end of the brow. Existing brow hair is preserved; the design completes what is already there.
The hairs point in different directions along the three parts of the brow: upwards and slightly outwards at the head, horizontally in the middle, slightly downwards at the tail. Each channel is opened, or the implanter pen applied, according to this direction, so that when the brow grows the transplanted hairs lie with the existing ones rather than standing out as a line.
The drawing is reviewed with you in the mirror; implantation does not start until you have approved the thickness, arch and length. Symmetry is measured carefully; the two brows are planned to complement each other rather than to be identical.
The balance between aesthetic wishes and a natural look is agreed with the doctor; an overly thick or dark brow plan looks unnatural and the doctor will not recommend it.
Comparison
Eyebrow Transplant or Microblading?
The two are often confused but are different things: one is a permanent hair transplant, the other a semi-permanent pigment applied to the skin. Which is right depends on the degree of brow loss and on your expectations.
Eyebrow Transplant
- Real hair follicles are transplanted; the brow grows with its own hair and can be combed and shaped
- Permanent: the follicles stay in place and are expected to produce hair for life
- Suitable for permanent brow loss, burns and scar tissue, gaps after over-plucking and full reconstruction
- Local anaesthesia, 2–4 hours; a few days of recovery and a 3–6 month wait for growth
- Performed by a doctor at a licensed healthcare institution
Microblading
- Pigment is worked into the skin in fine strokes; there is no hair, only the appearance of hair
- Semi-permanent: usually fades within 8–18 months and needs renewing
- Suitable for shaping mild sparseness and visually filling small gaps
- About an hour; heals within days, no waiting period
- A permanent make-up procedure, not a medical treatment
Single Hairs, a Flat Angle, the Right Direction
Three things decide how natural a brow looks: single grafts, an angle almost flat to the skin, and a direction that changes along the brow. Every graft is placed with all three in mind.
Suitability
Who Is It for?
An eyebrow transplant is considered for adult women and men whose brow loss is permanent and who have a sufficient donor area at the back of the head. The cause matters: if loss is still ongoing because of a thyroid condition, a skin disease or medication, the cause is treated first; in recurring conditions such as alopecia areata the doctor may prefer to postpone.
Suitability is decided solely by the doctor after assessing the donor hair (fine, straight hair is preferred), the skin of the brow area, any scar tissue and general health. No plan is made for a procedure that is not suitable.
Planning
How Many Grafts Are Needed?
An eyebrow transplant needs far fewer grafts than a hair transplant. Small gaps at the tail or in one area usually take 40–150 grafts, noticeably thickening one brow 150–250, and rebuilding both brows completely usually 250–500 in total. The number depends on the density of your existing hair, the thickness you want and the drawing.
Only single-hair grafts are used; two- and three-hair grafts from the back of the head can be divided into singles under magnification. Follicles closest in thickness to brow hair are chosen; if the back of the head is not suitable, the doctor may consider areas with finer hair, such as around the ears.
At the assessment you receive an estimated range based on a close-up front photo of your brows and a photo of the back of your head; the exact number is confirmed at the clinic and sent to you in writing before the procedure.
The process
How Does the Procedure Work?
From your first message to your follow-up, the journey runs through a single coordinator. The procedure day has five stages and is much shorter than a hair transplant.
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01
Assessment
Photos of your brows and the back of your head are used to evaluate the loss and the number of grafts. The plan is confirmed at the clinic with a doctor’s examination and, if needed, blood tests.
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02
Brow Design
The start, arch and end points are drawn to your facial proportions; thickness and length are approved together with you in the mirror.
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03
Graft Extraction
Under local anaesthesia, fine follicles are extracted from the back of the head with micro punches, divided into singles under magnification and kept in a protective solution.
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04
Placement
Each graft is placed into a channel or with the implanter pen, in the direction set for its part of the brow and at a flat 10–15 degree angle. The procedure usually takes 2–4 hours.
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05
Check-up and Aftercare
You return the next morning for a check-up; aftercare instructions and the trimming schedule are explained and given in writing.
Where it takes place
At Partner Clinics, Planned by Your Doctor
The procedure is performed at licensed partner clinics in Istanbul by the clinic’s authorised doctor. Medical assessment, choice of method, graft numbers and the procedure itself are the doctor’s decisions; JSH does not influence them, it organises everything around them.
Our job is the rest of the journey: choosing the clinic and doctor that fit your needs, passing your assessment photos to the doctor, arranging appointments around your flights, airport and clinic transfers, accommodation and follow-up after the procedure.
We communicate in English, Turkish and Polish. Every step (schedule, length of stay, hours at the clinic, aftercare instructions) is sent to you in writing, and you stay in touch with the same coordinator after you return home.
Preparation and aftercare
What to Do Before and After the Procedure
This list is for guidance only; the written instructions your doctor gives you at the clinic take precedence. Your coordinator is available for any question.
Before the Procedure
- Stop blood thinners, aspirin and similar medication at least 7 days before the procedure, in consultation with your doctor.
- No alcohol or smoking for 3 days before the procedure; both affect bleeding and healing.
- Do not pluck or shape your brows before the procedure; the doctor wants to see them as they are for the design.
- Come without make-up on the day; wash your face and hair and do not use any products.
- Tell us about chronic conditions, thyroid and skin diseases and regular medication during the assessment.
After the Procedure
- Keep water away from the brow area and do not touch it for the first 3 days; the first wash is done as shown at the clinic.
- Sleep on your back with your head slightly raised for the first 3–4 nights; do not bury your face in the pillow.
- Avoid pools, the sea, saunas, sunbeds and direct sun for 2 weeks; wear a hat or sunglasses outdoors.
- No heavy exercise or anything that makes you sweat for the first 2 weeks; make-up usually waits 10–14 days.
- Do not pick the scabs or scratch the brow; use the moisturiser your doctor recommends.
- Once the hairs start growing (usually after the third month), trim them with scissors every two weeks and comb them in the direction shown by your doctor.
Recovery
Recovery After the Procedure
Timings are given for guidance only; recovery varies from person to person and is followed up by your doctor.
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First 3 Days
Redness, mild swelling and small dot-like scabs appear in the brow area; occasionally slight bruising around the eyes. No water on the area and no touching.
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1–2 Weeks
The scabs fall off, redness fades and the area has largely healed. Social life and make-up resume in this period with the doctor’s approval.
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2–8 Weeks
Some of the transplanted hairs may shed temporarily (shock loss). This is expected; the roots stay in place, and the brow may briefly look as it did before.
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3–6 Months
New hairs begin to grow; because they grow fast like scalp hair at first, regular trimming is needed. Density increases gradually.
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6–9 Months
The brow takes shape and the hairs thicken; trimming is needed less often. Shaping is comfortable in this period.
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12 Months
Recovery is largely complete; the follicles adapt to the area, growth slows and trimming is needed less. Results vary from person to person.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Eyebrow Transplants
Yes. The follicles come from the back of the head, an area resistant to hair loss, so they stay in place and keep producing hair. The temporary shedding of the first weeks does not affect the roots.
At first, yes: being scalp hair, they grow faster and longer than brow hair and need trimming every two weeks. Usually by the end of the first year the follicles adapt, growth slows and trimming is needed noticeably less often.
An eyebrow transplant is considered for permanent brow loss, scar tissue and full reconstruction; microblading for shaping mild sparseness. Microblading applies pigment that fades within 8–18 months; a transplant adds real hair and is permanent. The decision is made with the doctor according to the degree of loss and your expectations.
It is performed under local anaesthesia. Apart from brief sensitivity while the anaesthetic is applied, no pain is expected; mild tenderness afterwards settles within a few days.
Usually 40–150 for small gaps, 150–250 to thicken one brow and 250–500 in total to rebuild both brows. The exact number is decided by the doctor at the consultation.
Usually from the back of the head, choosing fine follicles closest in thickness to brow hair. If the back of the head is not suitable, the doctor may consider areas with finer hair such as around the ears. Only single-hair grafts are used.
Naturalness is decided by single-hair grafts, a flat 10–15 degree angle and a direction that changes along the brow. When all three are applied correctly, the transplanted hairs lie with your existing brow and cannot be told apart. The result depends on the team’s experience.
Make-up usually waits 10–14 days, light exercise about a week and heavy exercise two weeks; your doctor confirms the exact timing at the check-up.
Yes; a transplanted follicle keeps the colour of the area it comes from. The doctor selects darker follicles wherever possible, and greying hairs can be tinted with brow dye.
Usually 2 nights: consultation and the procedure on day one, a check-up the next day. Because the procedure is short, it can be combined with a hair or beard transplant in the same trip.
Let’s Assess Your Suitability Together
Share your questions and, if you have them, your photos. Our team will complete a preliminary assessment with the partner clinic’s doctor and get back to you.