1. Who physically performs the surgery?
Ask directly: “Will a qualified doctor perform the extraction, slit-making and implantation — and will you state that in writing?” Hair transplantation isn’t taught in Indian medical colleges, so the field is full of technicians operating under a doctor’s name on the board. Slit angle and graft handling are pure surgical skill — this one question filters out most of the market.
2. Is the operating doctor a registered dermatologist or surgeon?
Verify an MBBS plus MD/DNB (or equivalent surgical qualification) on the National Medical Commission’s public register. A genuine hair transplant clinic near me is led by a doctor you can look up, not a brand name. Our guide to the best dermatologist for hair loss explains the credentials in detail.
3. Does a diagnosis come before the quote?
You should be examined with a trichoscope and asked about your history before anyone quotes a package. Not everyone who wants a transplant needs one — early loss often responds to medication or PRP instead. A clinic that prices before it diagnoses is selling, not treating.
4. Is your donor area assessed honestly?
Your donor zone is a lifetime bank of grafts. A good clinic measures its density and plans how many grafts can be safely taken across your whole life — not just today. Over-harvesting for one impressive early result is the most common irreversible mistake in the industry.
5. How are the grafts handled?
Every hour grafts spend outside the body, more follicles die — silently. Ask what holding solution is used and how long grafts stay out. This invisible step is where density is quietly lost, and it’s exactly what separates a good hair transplant clinic near me from a cheap one.
6. Is there a real operation theatre and sterile protocol?
A transplant is surgery. Look for a dedicated OT (not a curtained salon room), single-use punches and blades, and proper sterilisation. Reused instruments are a quiet driver of infection and scarring. Any legitimate clinic will show you the theatre.
7. Are results measured, or just photographed well?
Insist on dated before-and-after series of real patients at the same angles, with graft counts stated. Better still, ask how growth is measured — objective tools like a computerised alopecia test turn “looks good” into data. Our honest guide on whether a hair transplant is good or bad explains what realistic results look like.
8. Is the quote all-inclusive and in writing?
A genuine quote covers the per-graft rate, graft count, technique, anaesthesia, medicines, first wash and 12 months of follow-ups — with nothing billed later as an “extra.” Compare clinics on cost per surviving graft, not the headline price. For current pricing structure, see our guide to the cost of a hair transplant in India — the doctor-performed rate sits at ₹60–₹120 per graft.