Hair transplant in China
A hair transplant, a full health checkup and a TCM consultation in one trip
China is not the cheapest place for a hair transplant. Istanbul packages that include a hotel and transfers are hard to beat on price. What China adds is the rest of the trip: the same visit can include a full health checkup at a public hospital and a TCM consultation. In China, hospitals set their own hair-transplant prices, and private chains charge about CNY 6–12 (≈ USD 1–2) per follicular unit (2024). Tell us about your hair and we quote all three together.
Private hair-transplant chains in China, price per follicular unit (industry data, 2024)
CNY 6–12 (≈ USD 1–2)
Average spend per hair-transplant patient at China’s largest listed chain (annual results, 2024)
CNY 22,306 (≈ USD 3,350)
Average grafts in a first procedure (ISHRS member census, 2024)
2,347
Full health checkup at a Hangzhou public hospital, from
CNY 1,320 (≈ USD 200)
Hair transplant prices in each source’s own unit (sources: surgeon network, clinic survey, directories, clinic price page and cost guide, 2024–26; China: industry data 2024 and a public hospital price notice 2021). Units differ, so compare within a row, not across rows
| Where | Price | Unit | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | USD 5–10 (FUE), average 7–8; about USD 10,500–12,000 for 1,500 grafts | Per graft | Surgeon network directory, current |
| UK | Average GBP 4,820 for 1,500 grafts; about GBP 3.25 per graft | Per procedure / per graft | Clinic’s survey of 104 UK clinics, 2025–26 |
| Canada | CAD 4–8 (FUE), CAD 3–5 (FUT) | Per graft | Cost guide, 2026 |
| Australia | AUD 6.80–7.22 at named surgeons | Per graft | Price directory, 2024 |
| Turkey (Istanbul) | EUR 2,390–5,790, including 2–3 hotel nights, transfers and PRP | Per package; graft count set by donor supply | Clinic price page, 2026 |
| China (private chains) | CNY 6–12 (≈ USD 1–2) | Per follicular unit (1–4 hairs) | Industry data, 2024 |
| China (public dermatology hospital) | CNY 22.5 (≈ USD 3) | Per hair, not per graft | Hospital price notice, 2021 |
Honest about price
China is not cheaper than Turkey for a hair transplant
An Istanbul clinic lists packages at EUR 2,390–5,790 that include the surgery, pre-op blood tests, PRP, 2–3 hotel nights and airport transfers (2026). In China, the largest listed chain’s average spend per hair-transplant patient was CNY 22,306 (≈ USD 3,350) in 2024, before flights and hotel. If price is all that matters, Turkey usually wins. Choose China if you want the same trip to do more.
How prices work in China
Every hospital sets its own price, and units differ
Aesthetic surgery in China is market-regulated: each hospital sets and publishes its own price. Private chains charge per follicular unit, one public dermatology hospital charges CNY 22.5 (≈ USD 3) per hair, and Shanghai’s price item bills per session with a base of 100 follicular units. A price per hair is far more per graft than it looks. Ask for the unit, the count and the total before you compare.
Health checkup
A full checkup in one morning
Bloods, ultrasound and imaging with a doctor’s review, at a public hospital. One Hangzhou public hospital publishes four tiers: A CNY 1,320–1,670 (≈ USD 200–250), B CNY 2,880–3,411 (≈ USD 430–510), C CNY 3,980–4,703 (≈ USD 590–700) and D CNY 6,880–7,723 (≈ USD 1,050–1,150); tier D includes CT, a head MRI plus one other area and tumour markers.
TCM consultation
A TCM constitution check, alongside your treatment
A hospital TCM physician reads your tongue and pulse, describes your constitution and suggests changes to diet, sleep and daily routine. A consultation costs CNY 50–100 (≈ USD 7–15) at a Beijing public tertiary hospital, depending on the physician’s grade. It is general supporting care, not a treatment for hair loss and not part of your surgical aftercare. Results differ from person to person, and TCM is used alongside medical care, not instead of it.
Who does the surgery
Check that a qualified doctor leads the operation
In China, an aesthetic medical institution must hold a practice licence, and the lead surgeon must be a licensed physician with at least 6 years in aesthetic or plastic surgery. Worldwide, 59.4% of ISHRS members say there are black-market clinics in their city, where unlicensed technicians perform the surgery (2024 census). Ask who does each step.
We handle the China part
An English-speaking coordinator from airport to aftercare
We book the hospital, meet you at the airport, arrange a hotel near the hospital, put an interpreter beside you at every appointment, help with WeChat and Alipay payment, translate your reports into English and stay in touch for follow-up after you fly home.
How your trip works
- 1
1. Tell us about your hair
Use the form on this page. When we follow up, you can send photos of the front, top, crown and back of your head.
- 2
2. Get one quote for all three
A graft or unit estimate with the unit stated, the checkup tier you choose, the TCM consultation, and dates that fit together. Nothing is charged now.
- 3
3. In China, plan about a week
The transplant usually takes one day under local anaesthetic, with no overnight stay. The checkup and TCM consultation are booked on other days. Clinics typically advise waiting at least 5–7 days before flying; follow your own surgeon.
- 4
4. Back home
New hair usually appears after about 4 months, and the final result can take 10–18 months (NHS). You leave with your reports in English.
Common questions
How much does a hair transplant cost?
It depends on the number of grafts and the unit the clinic charges in. A US surgeon network puts FUE at USD 5–10 per graft, about USD 10,500–12,000 for 1,500 grafts. A survey of 104 UK clinics found an average of GBP 4,820 for 1,500 grafts. Named Australian surgeons charge AUD 6.80–7.22 per graft. Istanbul packages run EUR 2,390–5,790 including hotel and transfers. In China, private chains charge about CNY 6–12 (≈ USD 1–2) per follicular unit (2024).
What does the price of a hair transplant include?
It varies, so ask. One Istanbul clinic’s packages include the consultation, pre-op blood tests, PRP, an aftercare pack, 2–3 hotel nights and transfers, and exclude flights, most meals, travel insurance and second sessions. In China, a hair-transplant fee can be a base charge plus a charge per extra unit: Shanghai’s price item sets one session as a base of 100 follicular units. Ask for the unit, the count, and whether medication, PRP and follow-up are included.
How many grafts are needed for a hair transplant?
It depends on the area to cover and how much donor hair you have, so it is set at the consultation. Among ISHRS members, a first procedure averaged 2,347 grafts and later procedures 1,637 (2024 census). 67% of members say one procedure usually achieves the result the patient wants, and some people need more than one.
How long does a hair transplant take, and how long is recovery?
The surgery usually takes one day and several hours, under local anaesthetic, with no overnight stay. The NHS suggests 1–2 weeks off work. ISHRS suggests at least 1 week for FUE and 2 weeks for FUT, which leaves a strip wound with stitches removed after about 10–14 days. Your scalp may feel tight and swollen for a few days, and crusts usually shed within about 2 weeks.
How many months until a hair transplant shows results?
Transplanted hair often falls out a few weeks after surgery, which is expected. New hair usually appears after about 4 months, and the NHS says the final result can take 10–18 months. Judge the result only after that, and follow up with your surgeon if growth seems slow.
Questions patients ask
- How to Choose a Hair Transplant Clinic and Surgeon
How to check a hair transplant clinic in any country: who does the surgery, which licences to ask for, how to spot a hair mill and what PRP and aftercare add.
- Hair Transplant in Turkey vs China: An Honest Comparison
Turkey is cheaper and more practised at hair transplants than China. What each country offers, what packages include, and how to check a clinic in both.
- Hair Transplant Recovery Timeline: Shedding, Growth and Flying
What happens after a hair transplant, day by day and month by month: scabs, shedding, first growth, final results, and how long to stay before flying home.
- Hair Transplant Cost per Graft: US, UK, Turkey and China
What a hair transplant costs per graft in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Turkey and China, why price units differ, and what a quote should include.
- FUE vs FUT vs DHI: Which Method, and How Many Grafts You Need
How FUE, FUT and DHI hair transplants differ, how many grafts a hairline or full session needs, what a limited donor area means, and who should do the surgery.
- Finasteride and Minoxidil Before and After a Hair Transplant
What finasteride and minoxidil do, why surgeons often discuss them before and after a hair transplant, what the safety warnings say, and who should decide.
- Am I a Candidate for a Hair Transplant? Age, Hairline, Norwood
Who is a good candidate for a hair transplant: right age, hairline and temple plans, crown and Norwood 6–7 cases, women, medication, and why grafts can fail.
USD amounts converted at about CNY 6.70 per USD (2026-10-07), for reference only. Foreign patients pay the full listed price.