Forehead Reduction in Turkey for Patients from the UK and Ireland
Patients from the UK and Ireland start with a photo review on WhatsApp, then fly to Istanbul, about 4 hours from London. Op. Dr. Ahmet Dilber examines you in person at his Ataköy practice the day before surgery. You stay one night in hospital and can fly home on day 4, after the dressing is removed and checked. Aftercare continues by photo once you are home.
Send your photos on WhatsAppRead about the procedure
Ratings as of November 2026
Before and after, forehead reduction. Results vary.
Before and after, forehead reduction. Results vary.
Before and after, forehead reduction. Results vary.
Acıbadem Bakırköy
where Dr. Dilber operates, with one night of hospital care
1 year
of follow-up after surgery, in person or on WhatsApp
Licensed
for international health tourism by the Turkish Ministry of Health
Who assesses you, and where does the consultation take place?
Two steps come before surgery. First, you send front, left and right photos and your medical history on WhatsApp. Dr. Dilber's assistant presents them to Dr. Dilber, who decides whether you are a candidate. A video consultation with Dr. Dilber and his assistant can be arranged if you want one or it is needed. This is a first view, not an examination.
Second, Dr. Dilber examines you himself at his practice in Ataköy, Bakırköy, the day before surgery. He agrees the new hairline with you and marks it, discusses the risks and takes your consent. Health tests and the anaesthetic assessment then take place at Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital.
Dr. Dilber is the surgeon who operates and who reviews your photos after you return home. He trained at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine and completed his residency at Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital. GOV.UK advises discussing treatment abroad with your UK doctor. Read more about Dr. Dilber and the information for international patients.
Forehead reduction results
Before and after photos of Op. Dr. Ahmet Dilber's patients, from @drahmetdilber on Instagram. Results vary.
What does the trip from the UK look like, step by step?
Before you book: photo review
Send front, left and right photos of your forehead on WhatsApp, with your hair pulled back. Add your age, health conditions, medicines, smoking and any previous hair or scalp surgery. Dr. Dilber's assistant presents them to Dr. Dilber, who decides whether you are a candidate before you book flights.
The flight: about 4 hours from London
Direct flights from London to Istanbul take about 4 hours; times vary by airport and airline. Ataköy is on the European side of the city. A hotel and transfer package at the Hyatt Regency Istanbul Ataköy is available on request through the team. Plan to arrive the day before surgery.
The day before: consultation in Ataköy
Dr. Dilber examines you in person at his practice, agrees the new hairline with you and marks it. Health tests and the anaesthetic assessment follow at Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital, one of Turkey's leading private hospital groups. Bring a list of your medicines and records of any previous operations.
Surgery and days 1 to 4
The operation takes 1.5 to 2 hours under general anaesthesia, followed by one night in hospital. You return to your hotel the next day and can shower from day 2 with warm or cold water, keeping hot water off the scalp. On day 4 the plaster is removed at the Ataköy practice, and after that check you can fly home.
Back home: photo follow-up for a year
You send photos of the incision on WhatsApp at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, and Dr. Dilber and his assistants review your healing. Most people return to work after 5 days and avoid strenuous exercise for 6 weeks. If something worries you between checks, send photos straight away.
Your stay in Istanbul
You see Dr. Dilber at his practice in Ataköy, have surgery at Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital and can stay at a nearby hotel.
The practice in Ataköy 
Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital 
Patient room 
Hotel room, on request
What happens with your GP and the NHS after you return?
Tell your GP before you travel and share your operation details when you are back. The NHS warns that clinics abroad may not provide follow-up and may have no UK professional you can go to. Do not assume the NHS will provide routine follow-up or corrective surgery after a private operation abroad. In an emergency, use NHS 111 or 999 as you normally would.
With Dr. Dilber, follow-up continues from Istanbul for up to a year. You leave with written aftercare instructions and an operation summary in English and Turkish, plus any medication you need. If you notice redness, discharge, an opening wound or increasing pain, send photos to the WhatsApp line, +90 536 296 93 16, answered from 07:00 to 24:00 Istanbul time.
Any cosmetic surgery carries risks. For forehead reduction they include bleeding, infection, numbness or altered sensation behind the hairline, a visible or widened scar, hair loss along the incision, an uneven hairline and the need for revision surgery. See aftercare after you fly home.
Who is responsible at each stage
Before you travel
What you receive: Photo review; video consultation if wanted or needed
Responsible: Dr. Dilber's assistant and Dr. DilberDay before surgery
What you receive: In-person examination, hairline marking, consent
Responsible: Dr. Dilber, Ataköy practiceDay 4, before you leave
What you receive: Dressing removal, check, written aftercare, operation summary
Responsible: Dr. DilberAt home, routine
What you receive: Photo review at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months
Responsible: Dr. Dilber and his assistantsAt home, urgent
What you receive: Photos sent straight away; local care if advised
Responsible: Dr. Dilber; your GP or NHS 111 or 999
What does the written quote include?
There is no price list. You receive a written quote only after Dr. Dilber has reviewed your photos and medical history and decided that you are suitable. If forehead reduction does not suit you, you are told before any quote is given.
The quote covers the operation, anaesthesia, pre-operative tests, one night in hospital and your follow-up checks. It does not include medication, the hotel or transfers. A hotel and transfer package at the Hyatt Regency Istanbul Ataköy is available on request through the team; the hotel price depends on how many people travel. One companion can stay with you in the hospital room.
If you are thinking about combining forehead reduction with another procedure, the details are given after the consultation. Check current GOV.UK entry requirements for Turkey before you book flights.
What should patients from Ireland know?
The process is the same from Ireland: photo review on WhatsApp, the in-person consultation in Ataköy the day before surgery, one night in hospital and departure on day 4. Direct flights run from Dublin to Istanbul; check current times with the airline. Irish passport holders should check the Department of Foreign Affairs travel advice for entry rules.
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland advises discussing surgery abroad with your GP and having a robust follow-up plan in place. It also says the treating doctor abroad should give you a written record of the procedure and your aftercare.
You receive an operation summary and written aftercare instructions in English before you leave Istanbul; share them with your GP. Follow-up from Ireland works as it does from the UK: photos on WhatsApp at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, reviewed by Dr. Dilber and his assistants.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. On day 4 the plaster is removed at the Ataköy practice and Dr. Dilber checks the wound; after that check you can leave Istanbul. You take written aftercare instructions and an operation summary in English and Turkish with you. From home, you send photos on WhatsApp at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months for Dr. Dilber to review.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Answer comes with the content seed.
Explore the practice
Before and after resultsBefore and after photos of Dr. Dilber's patients. Results vary.See the gallery →
Patient guide (PDF)The guide we send every patient: timeline, medication, aftercare.Download the guide →
Send three photos. Find out if you are a candidate.
Photograph your forehead from the front, left and right with your hair pulled back. Dr. Dilber reviews them, and the team replies on WhatsApp with his view and a time plan for your trip from the UK or Ireland.
