Forehead Reduction in Turkey for Patients from the USA
Patients from the US start with a photo review on WhatsApp, then fly to Istanbul. Op. Dr. Ahmet Dilber examines you in person at his Ataköy practice the day before surgery. You stay one night in hospital, and after the plaster is removed on day 4 you can fly home. Aftercare continues by photo once you are home.
Send your photos on WhatsAppRead about the procedure
Before and after, forehead reduction. Results vary.
Before and after, forehead reduction. Results vary.
Before and after, forehead reduction. Results vary.
Ratings as of November 2026
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?
Forehead reduction, also called hairline lowering or hairline advancement, lowers a high hairline by moving the hair-bearing scalp forward. 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 can be arranged if you want one.
Second, Dr. Dilber examines you himself at his practice in Ataköy, Bakırköy, the day before surgery. He discusses the risks, takes your consent, agrees the new hairline with you and marks it. Health tests and the anaesthetic assessment then take place at Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital, part of one of Turkey's leading private hospital groups.
Dr. Dilber is the surgeon who operates and who reviews your photos after you return to the US. He studied at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine and completed his residency at Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital. The CDC advises checking a provider's qualifications and discussing treatment abroad with your own doctor. Read more about Dr. Dilber and the hospital and safety arrangements.
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 US 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 scalp surgery. Dr. Dilber reviews your photos before you book flights. The WhatsApp line, +90 536 296 93 16, is answered 07:00 to 24:00 Istanbul time.
The flight: about 10 to 11 hours
Direct flights from the US East Coast to Istanbul take roughly 10 to 11 hours; from the West Coast or with a connection, plan for longer. Istanbul is 7 hours ahead of New York in summer and 8 in winter. A hotel and transfer package at the Hyatt Regency Istanbul Ataköy is available on request.
The day before: consultation in Ataköy
Arrive the day before surgery. Dr. Dilber examines you in person at his practice, agrees the new hairline with you and marks it. Blood tests and the anaesthetic examination follow at Acıbadem Bakırköy Hospital the same day. Your surgery date is agreed together with you when you plan the trip. Stop smoking and blood thinners at least 10 days before; no smoking for 6 weeks and no blood thinners for 1 month after.
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; a head band can be worn from day 1. On day 4 the plaster is removed at the Ataköy practice, and after that check you can fly home.
Back home: photo follow-up
You send photos on WhatsApp at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, and Dr. Dilber and his assistants review your healing. You can usually return to work after 5 days and should avoid strenuous exercise for 6 weeks. If something worries you between checks, send photos straight away. Read about aftercare after you fly home.
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 should you arrange with your doctor at home?
Tell your primary care doctor before you travel, and share the written record of your operation and aftercare when you are back. The CDC advises getting copies of your medical records before you leave and arranging any follow-up care at home in advance. A doctor at home may not have seen forehead reduction before, so the record helps. Routine follow-up still comes from Dr. Dilber by photo. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room, and say that you had surgery abroad.
You leave Istanbul with written aftercare instructions and an operation summary in English and Turkish, plus any medicines you need. If you notice redness, discharge, an opening wound or increasing pain, send photos straight away; Dr. Dilber advises on treatment and whether you should see a doctor locally.
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 the recovery timeline.
Who is responsible at each stage
Before you travel
What you receive: Photo review; video consultation if wanted
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 fly
What you receive: Plaster removed, check, written aftercare in English and Turkish
Responsible: Dr. DilberAt home, routine
What you receive: Photo reviews 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 doctor, 911 or an emergency room
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 decided that you are suitable; if you are not, the team tells you before any quote is given. Combined procedures are detailed after the consultation.
The quote includes the surgery, anaesthesia, pre-operative tests, one night in hospital and the follow-up checks. It does not include medication, the hotel or transfers. A hotel and transfer package at the Hyatt Regency Istanbul Ataköy can be arranged on request through the team; the hotel price depends on the number of people.
One companion can stay with you in the hospital room, where nurses are on the ward. There is no nurse at the hotel. Check current State Department entry requirements for Türkiye before you book flights.
How does follow-up work across time zones?
Istanbul keeps the same time all year, UTC+3. That puts it 7 to 8 hours ahead of the East Coast and 10 to 11 hours ahead of the West Coast, depending on daylight saving time in the US. A message you send in the evening arrives during the Istanbul working day.
You can send your follow-up photos at any time. The WhatsApp line is answered from 07:00 to 24:00 Istanbul time, so most of your US evening is covered. Take the photos in daylight, from the front, left and right, so each check can be compared with the last.
Do not wait for an overseas reply if a symptom feels urgent, such as spreading redness, fever or heavy bleeding. Get local care first, then send photos and tell the team what happened, so Dr. Dilber can advise on the next steps. More planning detail is in the international patients guide.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. On day 4 Dr. Dilber's team removes the plaster at the Ataköy practice and checks the incision, and after that check you can leave Istanbul. Your dates are agreed together with you when you plan the trip, so you can book your flights once the plan is set. Follow-up then continues by photo on WhatsApp.
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 US.
