| Service | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 🇹🇷 Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trichologist consultation with trichoscopy | from USD 31 | from USD 50 | from USD 40 |
| Scalp PRP therapy, one session | from USD 56 | from USD 150 | from USD 100 |
Prices in the “Ukraine” column come from MediUkraine’s partner clinics. The Czech Republic and Turkey columns show the lower bounds of prices published by clinics there (for Turkey, also the Turkish Dental Association’s recommended 2026 tariff), collected in August 2026 and converted to US dollars at the rate on the day of collection. A dash means we could not find a comparable published price. In any country, the final cost is set by the clinic after an examination.
Androgenetic alopecia is not a disease of the follicle but an inherited sensitivity of the follicle to male sex hormones. In the scalp, the enzyme 5-alpha reductase converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, and in genetically susceptible areas this hormone makes the follicles shrink. Blood hormone levels are usually normal: the problem is how the follicle responds, not an excess of androgens.
This process is called miniaturisation. With each new cycle the growth phase (anagen) gets shorter, so the hair has no time to grow long and thick and becomes thinner and lighter. Eventually only short vellus hair is left in place of full hair, and later the follicle stops producing even that. This is why the main sign is visible under the trichoscope: hairs of different diameters in the same area.
The pattern of thinning differs between men and women. In men the hairline recedes at the temples and the crown thins, and the stages are described by the Norwood-Hamilton scale. In women the front hairline is usually preserved while the parting widens from the forehead backwards in a "Christmas tree" pattern; the degree is graded on the Ludwig scale. The back and lower sides of the head are rarely affected because their follicles are insensitive to dihydrotestosterone, which is exactly why they serve as the donor area in hair transplantation.
It becomes more common with age: most men over 50 show signs of it, and in women noticeable thinning more often begins after the menopause, although it can also start at 20–30. It poses no threat to health, but it progresses slowly and relentlessly. The earlier treatment starts, the more hair can be kept: medicines can thicken weakened hair but cannot restore a follicle that has already disappeared.
MediUkraine is a service that finds and coordinates treatment; it is not a clinic. We choose the clinic and the doctor for your specific diagnosis, arrange the appointment and stay in touch throughout the course, including if you are travelling from abroad. Diagnosis and treatment decisions are made by the doctor after an in-person examination.
Travel. Ukrainian airspace is closed, so there are no commercial flights. Patients enter Ukraine overland, most often from Poland (Rzeszów and Kraków airports are the usual entry points), and continue to Dnipro by train. Dnipro is in the east of the country, a long journey from the border, so plan the route and timing with us before you book.
Visas. Citizens of the EU, the United Kingdom and the United States do not need a visa for short stays in Ukraine. Rules depend on your citizenship, so check your own before booking.
Safety, plainly. Ukraine is at war. Dnipro is attacked more often than western Ukraine, and an appointment can be interrupted by an air raid alert. Several governments advise against travel to Ukraine, and while that advice stands, ordinary travel and medical insurance is often void — confirm your cover with your insurer before you commit to anything.
Before you travel. The centre offers an online consultation, so the plan and the number of grafts can be estimated from photos before you decide to make the trip.
Language. MediUkraine handles correspondence, scheduling, the written treatment plan and the quote in English. The centre's team communicates with international patients in English.
Payment. You pay the centre directly. Our coordination service is free of charge for you.
More on travel, safety and insurance: Safety and travel.
The diagnosis is made clinically, from the pattern of thinning, family history and trichoscopy. Under magnification the doctor looks for variation in hair diameter: more than 20% thin hairs on the crown in men and more than 10% in women, with the follicle openings preserved. Blood tests are not needed to confirm the diagnosis but to look for additional causes: iron and ferritin, TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), vitamin D and, for women where indicated, androgens.
Topical minoxidil is the mainstay of treatment and the only one approved for both men and women. It lengthens the growth phase and thickens the hair, but does not remove the hormonal cause. Men are prescribed 5%, women 2% twice a day or 5% foam once a day. The propylene glycol in the solution causes scalp irritation and contact dermatitis more often than the active substance itself, in which case patients switch to a propylene glycol-free foam. Shedding increases in the first 2–8 weeks, which is an expected reaction. Treatment is open-ended.
Finasteride blocks 5-alpha reductase and lowers dihydrotestosterone levels in the scalp. It is a prescription medicine for men, taken at 1 mg a day: in most patients it stops progression, and in some it partly restores density. It is not prescribed to women of childbearing age because of its effect on the development of a male foetus. The tablets must not be split or crushed. An important detail: it roughly halves PSA levels, so your doctor must be told before prostate screening.
Low-dose oral minoxidil is an option for those who cannot use the topical form. Doses of 0.625–5 mg a day are used off-label: in 2025 an international expert group published a consensus on its benefit in androgenetic alopecia, but there are still no large randomised trials or formal guidelines. It is prescribed only by a doctor and under supervision, as it can cause excess hair growth on the face and body, swollen lower legs and palpitations.
For women, anti-androgens are added where indicated. Spironolactone at 100–200 mg a day is supported by meta-analyses and a placebo-controlled trial from 2025, but for hair loss it is also used off-label. It is contraindicated in pregnancy and requires potassium monitoring. It works best in women with signs of excess androgens: acne, excess body hair or an irregular cycle.
Low-level laser therapy means FDA-cleared home-use devices (helmets and combs) with a wavelength of roughly 650–1200 nm. Meta-analyses of randomised trials show a significant increase in density, and some comparative studies put the method on a par with 5% minoxidil. It only works with regular use over months.
PRP therapy involves injecting your own platelet-rich plasma into the scalp. The evidence is moderate: studies and meta-analyses show increased density compared with placebo, but plasma preparation protocols, the number of sessions and the intervals between them are not standardised, and the studies are small. PRP is therefore seen as an addition to the main treatment, not a replacement for it.
Scalp mesotherapy for this condition has no standard formulation and no single protocol. Systematic reviews describe small, unblinded studies and conclude that there is not enough data to recommend it. This does not mean the procedure is harmful; it means there is no reason to pay for it as a treatment.
Hair transplantation is discussed at advanced stages, when the follicles in the thinning area have already disappeared and medicines have nothing left to work on. The transplanted follicles are taken from areas insensitive to the hormone, so they survive, but the operation does not stop the process elsewhere: without ongoing medical treatment, the hair around the transplanted area keeps thinning, and after a few years the result looks uneven again.
Combinations work better than a single treatment: meta-analyses show this for topical minoxidil combined with a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. Shampoos, ampoules and vitamins (without a confirmed deficiency) are cosmetic care and have no effect on follicle miniaturisation.
And the most important thing to say honestly at the appointment: treatment holds the process back; it does not override genetics. Once treatment stops, thinning returns to its previous pace within a few months, and the hair gained is lost. Results are assessed after 6–12 months using standardised photos or a repeat phototrichogram.
The first weeks can be unpleasant: on minoxidil, shedding often increases, and this worries people more than the alopecia itself. The medicine synchronises the hair cycle and pushes out hairs that were already in the resting phase. This settles within 4–8 weeks, and this is the stage at which people most often give up, before the treatment has had a chance to work.
The first visible changes appear no earlier than 3–4 months. First, daily hair loss decreases, then the hairs thicken, and only after that does density increase. Judging the result in the mirror is pointless: the difference builds up too slowly to notice without images.
A proper assessment of the treatment is made after 6–12 months, by comparing standardised photos taken under the same lighting or a repeat phototrichogram of the same area. If there is no change after a year, the doctor reviews the diagnosis and the prescriptions rather than carrying on as before.
With this condition, success means not only regrowth but also stopping the progression. In some patients density partly recovers, in others it simply stops declining, and the second outcome is also a result, because without treatment the thinning would have continued.
Treatment is open-ended. When it stops, the effect lasts a few months, then hair loss returns to its original pace, and in about a year the hair looks as it would have without treatment. So the treatment is chosen with an eye to whether you are ready to use it for years, not just for maximum strength.
Follow-up is easy to combine with travel: an in-person examination at the start, then images and a video consultation. You receive the report, the trichoscopy images and your treatment plan with doses, so monitoring can continue with a doctor where you live without repeating the diagnostics from scratch.
Step 1. Examination and trichoscopy. The doctor grades the pattern of thinning on the Norwood-Hamilton or Ludwig scale, asks about family history and how quickly things have changed, and examines several areas of the scalp with a digital trichoscope, looking above all for variation in hair diameter on the crown. The examination is painless and takes a few minutes.
Step 2. Blood tests where indicated. If the picture is typical, blood tests are not always needed. They are ordered when there are signs of an additional cause: a sharp increase in shedding, an irregular cycle, acne or excess body hair in women, or a recent illness. Iron and ferritin, TSH and vitamin D are then checked.
Only the first part is in person: the consultation, trichoscopy and, if needed, a phototrichogram, which means one or two visits a few days apart. No anaesthesia, hospital stay or recovery is needed: you can return to your usual activities the same day. Treatment then continues at home, and some of the follow-up moves to video.
The price reflects the clinic's cost structure. Rent, non-medical staff salaries, utilities and administration are cheaper in Ukraine, and this feeds directly into the clinic's prices; the amounts for each item are shown in the table on this page.
The second factor is the cost of the medicines themselves. Minoxidil and finasteride came off patent long ago, and the Ukrainian generics market is competitive, so generics here have the same active substance and dose as the original brand. With long-term treatment, this is the item that most affects the annual total.
The third factor is laboratory costs. A hair loss test panel costs less at a Ukrainian laboratory, and on request the clinic provides the list of markers, the laboratory's name and its external quality assessment certificates.
The fourth is competition. In Ukraine, including Kyiv and Dnipro, there are private clinics offering dermatology, and they compete for patients on price and service, not just reputation.
When comparing appointments, look at what is included rather than the price alone: how long the consultation lasts, whether trichoscopy is included, whether images are archived and when check-ups are scheduled. The clinic confirms these points before your visit, and you can check its Ministry of Health licence to practise medicine yourself in the Licensing Register.
The diagnostics themselves are non-invasive: the consultation and trichoscopy do not break the skin, need no pain relief and involve no recovery period. The dermatoscope probe is disinfected between patients, and single-use tips and contact fluids are used. Every partner clinic holds a current Ministry of Health of Ukraine licence to practise medicine, and its number is publicly listed in the Licensing Register.
With this condition, the main risks come not from procedures but from medicines. So before prescribing, the doctor asks about other conditions, blood pressure, pregnancy plans and breastfeeding, as well as any medicines and supplements you already take.
Finasteride is not prescribed to women of childbearing age. The tablets must not be split or crushed and should be kept away from pregnant women: the coating of an intact tablet prevents contact with the active substance, but from a crushed tablet it can be absorbed through the skin and affect the development of a male foetus. Finasteride roughly halves PSA levels, so men having prostate screening must mention that they take it. The doctor discusses possible sexual side effects before treatment starts, not after a complaint.
Topical minoxidil most often causes scalp irritation and allergic contact dermatitis; the reaction may be to the active substance or to the propylene glycol in the solution, in which case a propylene glycol-free foam is considered. Women may develop fine vellus hair on the face, which goes away after stopping the medicine. Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding is discussed separately. The oral form is prescribed only under supervision, after assessing blood pressure and heart health, as it can cause swelling and palpitations.
In women, spironolactone requires reliable contraception and periodic monitoring of potassium and kidney function, and it is contraindicated in pregnancy. Injections are given with sterile single-use instruments in a treatment room; before PRP, the doctor checks for clotting disorders, anticoagulant use and inflammation of the scalp.
You receive a written report, the images and your treatment plan with doses, and you have the right to a second opinion: the documents can be shown to another specialist without a repeat examination. If needed, MediUkraine arranges a consultation at another partner clinic.
📍 Dnipro, Ukraine
A hair treatment and transplant centre in Dnipro: 430 m², two surgical zones, an SMP room and its own HairHub. Transplants are performed by Ivan Baranov, PhD (member of ISHRS and the World FUE Institute) and transplant surgeon Svitlana Nedbailo. Therapy is led by a team of trichologists and dermatologists.
No. It is an inherited sensitivity of the follicles to dihydrotestosterone, and medicines cannot change that. Treatment slows miniaturisation and in some patients partly restores density, but it works only while you continue it. Once it stops, hair loss returns to its previous pace within a few months. So treatment is planned as a long-term habit, not a course with an end date.
A dermatovenereologist consultation with trichoscopy costs from USD 31 and one PRP session from USD 56. The main recurring expense is medicines from the pharmacy. Prices for the Czech Republic and Turkey are shown in the table on this page. The clinic confirms the final cost.
Yes, and it is expected. In the first 2–8 weeks of minoxidil, shedding often increases: the medicine synchronises the hair cycle and pushes out hairs that were already in the resting phase, making room for new growth. This settles on its own and is not a reason to stop treatment. If increased shedding lasts longer than two months, tell your doctor at the check-up.
There is no specific test for androgenetic alopecia: the diagnosis is based on the pattern of thinning, family history and trichoscopy. Blood tests are ordered to find any additional causes: iron and ferritin, TSH and vitamin D. Women with an irregular cycle, acne or excess body hair also have androgens and prolactin checked. There is no point doing every test in advance: the list depends on what the examination shows.
Not if they are of childbearing age. The medicine affects the development of the genitals of a male foetus, so it is not prescribed to women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or not using reliable contraception.
There is also a practical rule that is often forgotten: the tablets must not be split or crushed, and should be kept away from pregnant women. The coating of an intact tablet prevents contact with the active substance, but from a crushed tablet it can be absorbed through the skin.
Women have different options: topical minoxidil as the mainstay, anti-androgens under a doctor's supervision where indicated, and laser therapy as an addition. The treatment is chosen taking into account the menstrual cycle, pregnancy plans and other diagnoses.
The first changes come no earlier than 3–4 months, and at first this means less daily hair loss rather than new hair. A proper assessment is made after 6–12 months, by comparing standardised photos or a repeat phototrichogram of the same area. Judging the effect in the mirror is pointless: the difference builds up too slowly to notice without images.
When the follicles in the thinning area have already disappeared and medicines have nothing left to work on: medicines can thicken weakened hair but cannot restore a lost follicle. The doctor decides after an examination and an assessment of the donor area. The operation does not stop hair loss in other areas, so medical treatment continues afterwards as well.
Tell us what you need: we will suggest a clinic and a doctor and send you a cost estimate.
Request a consultation →
