Treatment Comparison · Find Your Treatment
Find the right treatment
Compare suitability, downtime, timeline and pricing across our main hair restoration treatments. A clinical consultation is required before any treatment is recommended.
Side-by-Side Comparison
At a glance
FUE Hair Transplant Surgical · Permanent | Minoxidil Therapy Prescription · Ongoing | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Surgical | Topical prescription |
| Result permanence | Permanent | Ongoing (stops if discontinued) |
| Anaesthetic | Local anaesthetic | None |
| Procedure time | 4–8 hours | Daily self-application |
| UK clinic visit required | Yes — surgical day | Initial assessment |
| Recovery / downtime | 7–14 days | None |
| Visible results from | 6–12 months | 4–6 months |
| Full results | 12–18 months | Ongoing improvement |
| Prescription required | ||
| Suitable for all stages | Early–moderate | |
| International patients | ✓ with stay | UK assessment required |
| Price from | From £2,500 | On assessment |
Prescription medicines: Minoxidil is classed as a prescription-only medicine in higher strengths. It is available at NCL only following a clinical assessment by a registered prescriber, in compliance with MHRA advertising guidance. Prices shown are indicative; a personalised quotation is provided after your consultation. Individual results vary.
In Depth
Treatment detail
FUE Hair Transplant
The gold-standard permanent solution for established hair loss.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) involves harvesting individual hair follicles from a donor area and implanting them into the thinning or bald zone. Results are permanent and natural-looking. Performed by GMC-registered surgeons at our CQC-registered clinic.
- Downtime
- 7–14 days off work
- Timeline
- 12–18 months for full results
- Sessions
- Single procedure (revision possible)
- Price
- From £2,500
Suitable for
- Grades 3–6 androgenetic alopecia
- Stable hair loss (not actively progressing)
- Sufficient donor hair density
- Adults aged 25 or over as a general guide
May not be suitable if
- Active scalp disease
- Diffuse unpatterned alopecia
- Very limited donor hair
- Patients on blood thinners (review required)
Recovery timeline
- 1Days 1–3: Mild swelling, redness, scabbing at implanted sites
- 2Days 4–10: Scabs shed, initial shedding of transplanted hairs is normal
- 3Months 1–4: Resting phase; minimal visible growth
- 4Months 6–12: New hair grows progressively
- 5Months 12–18: Full aesthetic result visible
Next Step
Not sure which treatment is right for you?
This comparison tool guides you towards a consultation — it does not diagnose or prescribe. A clinical assessment with a GMC-registered specialist is required before any treatment plan is confirmed.