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Guide · Step 1 of 5By Klineva · Updated on 10 October 2026 · 12 min read
No season is off-limits for a hair transplant, and we have not found any study showing that one season improves graft take. Autumn and winter mainly make the first few weeks easier: less sun, heat and sweating. But the season matters less than your age, the stage of your baldness and your general health. Here is what the season really changes, the regrowth timeline and what a summer transplant involves, then how to tell whether the time is right for you.
Short answer: we have not found any published study that compares graft take by season. Graft take is the proportion of grafts that settle in and regrow. The season mainly changes the comfort of the first few weeks. During this period, you need to avoid the sun, sweating, swimming and headwear, except for the bucket hat supplied by the clinic.
In practice, summer is not off-limits, but autumn and winter make the instructions easier to follow.
Whether you are offered Sapphire FUE or the DHI, healing and regrowth generally follow the same main stages. Scabs fall off on their own during the first 15 days. The transplanted hairs often fall out between 2 and 8 weeks after the operation: this is shock loss, a temporary shedding. Then regrowth begins, usually from the third month onwards.
The first results are visible at around 6 months. The final result takes full shape between 12 and 18 months. You will find the details in our guide Hair transplant month by month. The medical team will tell you the timeline that suits your case.
| Transplant in | Regrowth starts, then first results | Almost final result |
|---|---|---|
| October | January, then April | October of the following year |
| November | February, then May | November of the following year |
| December | March, then June | December of the following year |
| February | May, then August | February of the following year |
| June (for comparison) | September, then December | June of the following year |
Milestones at 3 months (start of regrowth), 6 months (first results) and 12 months (almost final result) after the transplant.
A transplant in autumn therefore means you go through the awkward phase (scabs, then temporary shedding) during the cooler season. The first results arrive in spring. The following summer, 8 to 10 months after the transplant, density normally keeps improving. A June transplant, by contrast, puts the first month, the most restrictive one, in the middle of summer.
Our instructions ask you to keep the transplanted area sheltered from sun, wind, rain and snow. As for the sun, the first 15 days are the most important: no sunburn. The instructions also ask you to avoid sweating during the first month. In winter, this is easier. The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that UV radiation varies with the season. It is stronger the higher the sun is in the sky. And when it is cool, you sweat less.
The stay in Istanbul lasts 3 days. A driver meets you at the airport. The blood test and the operation take place the next day. On the third day, you have your first wash and post-transplant care before heading home. At Klineva, you can go straight back to work, as long as you follow the instructions. The French school holidays at All Saints’ (Toussaint) and Christmas last about two weeks each. They are nonetheless handy for going away without taking time off (the dates change every year: see Service-public.fr). If discretion matters, the hair transplant without shaving is the most discreet of our techniques. The recipient area is not shaved; the donor area, however, always is. But this technique is not suitable for bald areas that are too extensive.
Over the last five years (2021 to 2025), Istanbul Airport recorded an average of 9 days of precipitation (rain, sometimes snow) in October, 13 in November and 17 in December. The variation from one year to the next is large: from 5 to 15 days in October, from 10 to 20 in November and from 10 to 22 in December. Slip an umbrella into your suitcase: an umbrella is preferable to any headwear anyway for protecting the transplanted area. Also pack a warm jacket that opens at the front, because you avoid pulling a jumper or T-shirt over your head after the operation (see Getting ready for a hair transplant).
A transplant in December and skiing in February: that is cutting it fine. Our instructions ask you to protect the transplanted area from snow and sun: no sunburn, especially in the first 15 days. The WHO also points out that UV radiation increases with altitude and fresh snow. If you plan to ski, choose October or November instead, and discuss the question of the helmet with the medical team.
Yes, although the instructions are more demanding in July and August:
As for the idea that heat would “boost circulation” and speed up regrowth, we have not found any study to support it. So do not choose your date on the basis of that argument.
The right season is no use if the right moment has not yet arrived. First criterion: age.
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) states that doctors generally do not recommend a hair transplant before the age of 20. It also considers a transplant not well suited to most men under 21.
At that age, it is very hard to predict how far the baldness will go. A transplant done too early may no longer match your hair loss a few years later. The ISHRS advises first trying to slow the hair loss with medical treatment (see Hair loss treatments). It then advises waiting until a surgical plan can be drawn up.
Beyond 20 or 21, there is no single ideal age. What counts is the stage, the donor area and your health.
On the Norwood scale, male pattern baldness has 7 stages. A transplant can be considered from stage 2 onwards, especially once hair loss has stabilised. Beware of false alarms: late summer and early autumn are a period of stronger natural shedding.
A few extra hairs on your pillow in October therefore do not necessarily mean your baldness is accelerating. Our free diagnosis from your photos helps you put things in perspective.
A hair transplant treats hereditary baldness. According to the NHS, it is generally not suitable for other types of hair loss, such as alopecia areata, which leaves patches without hair. Some situations rule it out or mean you have to wait: blood clotting disorders, scalp disease, pregnancy and breastfeeding… See our article on contraindications to hair transplants and tell us about your illnesses and treatments right from the diagnosis stage. You also need a donor area with plenty of hair at the back and sides of the head. At Klineva, a blood test is carried out on the day of the procedure, before the operation.
A sudden bout of hair loss distorts the diagnosis. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) lists losing 20 pounds or more (about 9 kg) among the causes of excessive shedding. This shedding occurs a few months later. Hair generally regains its density within 6 to 9 months.
The same logic applies when a treatment is stopped. The leaflet for 5% minoxidil mentions a return to the pre-treatment state within 3 to 4 months. The summary of product characteristics for finasteride 1 mg states that the beneficial effects begin to reverse by the 6th month and disappear after 9 to 12 months.
Wait until your “real” baldness shows itself before settling on a number of grafts. Never change a treatment without medical advice, and decide how long to wait with the medical team.
The final result takes full shape between 12 and 18 months. It is therefore better to wait until the result of the first transplant is well established before considering a second procedure. The medical team will tell you when it is possible in your case.
real patients, with the number of grafts and the time elapsed since surgery
Leave us your number: an adviser will get back to you within 24 hours. We’ll ask for the photos for your diagnosis after this first conversation, by WhatsApp or email.
No season is off-limits, and we have not found any study showing that one season improves graft take. Autumn and winter mainly make the instructions for the first few weeks easier to follow: less sun and heat, and no beach. In Istanbul, it rains more at this time of year (on average 9 days of precipitation in October and 17 in December over the last five years): remember to pack an umbrella.
Yes, as long as you accept the constraints: no sunburn, especially in the first 15 days, and a month without swimming or sport. If summer is your only option, plan a holiday in the shade rather than on the beach.
The clinic provides you with a very loose-fitting bucket hat that does not touch the transplanted area: you can wear it from your first outing, as long as you are careful. Against sun or rain, however, an umbrella is preferred. Caps, beanies and helmets are strongly discouraged for several weeks, according to Klineva’s instruction sheet. For any other headwear, for example against the cold, ask the medical team for advice first.
The ISHRS, the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, states that doctors generally do not recommend a hair transplant before the age of 20. At that age, the course of baldness is very hard to predict. After that, there is no single ideal age: what counts is the stage, the donor area and your health.
Largely, yes, according to MedlinePlus, the American medical encyclopaedia. But your original hair can continue to thin around the transplanted area, the NHS points out. The surgeon must take this into account when designing the transplant so that it stays natural over time. A long-term treatment can also be discussed with your doctor.
Losing 20 pounds or more (about 9 kg) can cause excessive shedding a few months later. Hair generally regains its density within 6 to 9 months. After stopping minoxidil, the leaflet mentions a return to the pre-treatment state within 3 to 4 months; for finasteride, the beneficial effects disappear after 9 to 12 months. Never change a treatment without medical advice, and decide how long to wait with the medical team.
step 1 of 5: before the transplant
Guide · Step 1FUT, FUE or DHI: which technique should you choose?The three techniques compared, without the jargon.Read the guide
Guide · Step 1The stages of baldness: the Norwood scaleFind out where you stand and what a transplant can cover.Read the guide
Guide · Step 1Hair loss treatments: what works, what doesn’tFinasteride, minoxidil, what’s new: sorting what works from false promises.Read the guideAn adviser will get back to you. We’ll ask for the photos for your diagnosis after this first conversation.
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