UK43

Hi,

just wanted update that I sent an email to my surgeon and he advised that this is transient and nothing to worry. There is nothing can be done as this stage.

 

Hope to see transplanted hair regrow.

 

Thanks

I told you it is nothing to worry about! Your just a late "shedder" I just think that the hairs have detached from the follicles and the new hairs will be just behind ready to come through.

I might reconsider. I am more inclined to have a surgeon reconstruct the front hairline and possibly consider assistants to to the remainder. This then may mean going to 2 different surgeons in Turkey. I like the idea of Hakan or Erdogan for the front and Maral Klinik for the remainder. I'm thinking out loud, but trying to balance costs at the same time.

I know you are thinking out aloud, but I would be very surprised if a surgeon would want to split the work as it's almost saying you don't trust or have confidence in them. The only way would be to wait a year before each session so they were not aware, however this would be impractical. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide on doing.

Hi James, what makes you think that Bunnyman is Dr Maral? I am not sure myself as the profile suggests otherwise (Germany, age:47)

As promised I have attached a few pictures to show my progress at the 10 month mark following my 3200 fue graft HT at Maral Clinic in Turkey.

Almost 10 months since my HT. I am on holiday in Spain this week and took this pic by the pool today. I will upload some 10 month pictures when I get home.

Almost 10 months since my HT. I am on holiday in Spain this week and took this pic by the pool today. I will upload some 10 month pictures when I get home.

Looking fantastic for almost 6 month!

Hi,

this is a pic of 5 months and 3 weeks.

Thanks Kimi,

I've re-linked the pictures in my previous posts so you should be able to see them all again.

Hi UK43, thank you for the update mate.

 

You are the hairy man now . I hope the density will increase even more in the coming months since they say the real result show at around 1 year post op, right? Btw, do you see improvements in that in comparison to 1 or 2 months ago? Since we've lost your photos it is hard for me to recall the images from those times.

 

Hope you don't mind if I give you an advice not to use hair gel and maybe think of letting it grow a bit longer too .

Pre op pics

Here are my extracted 3000+ follicles.

Immediately post op.

Day 2 after the bandages had been removed.

9 months later (styled with hair gel)

This is a summary of my experience. I booked with Dr Maral, my decision was based on having good email dialogue with the Dr and his team and researching his qualifications, which showed that he had been undertaking successfully HT Ops and plastic surgery for a number of years. I know that cost shouldn't really come into it but the price was also fantastic and a third of what you pay in the UK!

I took a flight from Manchester to Turkey with a short transfer in Amsterdam arriving on Sunday afternoon. I was met by a representative from the clinic who took me to the hotel, which was called "the Levent" and it was only a 15 minute drive to the clinic.

I woke early on Monday morning and went for a hearty "continental style" breakfast in the hotel, which was included within the price. The rest of the hotel was clean and tidy and my room was a double, which had an en-suit, satellite TV, air con and mini bar fridge. The only downside was that it was an internal room so it didn't have a view. The only window looking into an internal ventilation shaft, which made the room quite dark.

A representative called my room at 9.30am and we then travelled to the clinic. There were two Kosovan guys in the car who had travelled from Germany to also have a fue transplant. Both were older than me and completely bald on top, which made me think that I was a good candidate in comparison. They said that they were staying a bit further away in a hotel called My Rose, which they said was ok as there were lots of shops and bars nearby.

We arrived at the clinic after a 15 minute car journey. The area was what I would describe as a shopping district and the door to the clinic overlooked a courtyard with a statue in the middle. The clinic was on the first and second floor of the building. I went up the stairs and was greeted by the receptionist. I paid her in full for the op and then sat down in a seating area waiting for my consultation with Dr Maral. My first impressions of the clinic were good as it was clean and modern with a front reception area, Dr Maral's office and a number of treatment rooms.

I was called for my consultation with Dr Maral where he greeted me in English and took a look at my hair, especially the density of the donor area. He explained the risks of the procedure and I had to read though and fill out a medical questionnaire. He said that that I was a good candidate and he would try his best to get the most grafts from the donor area, which he estimated to be between 3200 to 3500. We discussed the hairline for someone of my age and then Dr Maral marked out where it should be and I agreed with him. At the end of the consultation he took a number of pre-op photographs, which he said would not be published but for his own records.

I was then taken to the treatment room where I placed all my possessions (watch, wallet and mobile telephone) in a sealed plastic bag which was placed on a shelf in the treatment room. I took off my clothes apart from underwear and was given a medial gown to wear. All of the staff were already gowned up with surgical gloves, masks hairnets and shoes etc. I was asked if I felt ok and replied to say I was a little nervous, so I was offered some tablets to help calm my nerves. I was asked to lie down face first and they then prepared and started to administer all of the injections, which started with anaesthetic and then saline solution, which I think was used to plump up the graft area ready to take out the grafts. I am not a lover of needles and this was in my opinion the worst part for me, however once the anaesthetic had numbed the donor area it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It still felt like 100 injections though!

A team of two, one male and one female then started to remove the grafts with a motorised tool I think the end was 0.8mm. The process took all morning and they kept topping up my anaesthetic and asking me if I was feeling any pain. During the graft extraction I had to move my head from side to side as they took the follicles from the back and sides. They finished extracting the grafts by about 1.30pm, after which a bandage pad was placed around my head so I could have a break and something to eat and drink.

Lunch was a chicken kebab, chips, salad and a drink, which I presume they got from a take away restaurant nearby.It was nice food and I ate it on a table just outside the treatment room. Dr Maral did not undertake any of the graft extraction, he spent most of the time going between the treatment rooms checking on how everything is going.

After the lunch the technicians started to implant the grafts. As the technicians were fully gowned up I was not sure if it was the same team of two or different ones?. There was another lady though that made the incisions for the hairline and the crown swirl who I was told was the most senior technician. It all started again with lots of injections into the top of my head, hairline and crown, followed by the incisions and planting of the grafts. This part took around 6 hours and I spent most of the time lying on my back or sat back with my head resting on a pillow. This allowed me to watch the satellite TV in the treatment room, which I had the remote control for! and I must have drove the technicians crazy by constantly flicking through the channels to find English programs!

After around 8.5 hours I was able to get up and a thick white cream was then rubbed over the donor area and a cotton pad and bandage was placed around the back and sides of my head. I was told that they had successfully implanted 3200 grafts. The two Kosovan guys were sat waiting for me in the seating area with their head bandaged like mine! we were seen by Dr Maral who gave tablets and post op care instructions and said that he would see me in the morning for another consultation. We were all then taken back to our hotels.

I got back to my room and sat upright in bed watching TV until 12pm. I then tried to get some sleep. I was given a medical cover to place on the pillows so no blood would stain them and I used the pillows to prop up my head whilst I slept on my back. I rolled up some blankets as well and tucked them by my sides to stop me trying to roll over in the night.

The next morning I had another hearty breakfast and I was then taken again along with the two Kosovan guys back to the clinic. I waited my turn and then went in to see Dr Maral. The Dr asked how I had slept and then removed the bandage and inspected the donor area. The Dr then cleaned the donor area with some type of solution and once the back of my head was exposed to the air it stung like mad for a while! The Dr then explained about the post op care, the tablets, creams and shampoo's. I was then given a trilby style hat for travelling home. After the final meeting with the Dr we were taken back to our hotels and spent the afternoon resting and walking around some local shops prior to travelling back to the UK the next morning.

I didn't experience any swelling or bruising afterwards only a bit of pain and numbness in the donor area followed by really bad inching, that lasted a number of weeks. I overcame the itching by taking antihistamine tablets, which really helped. I also got quite a lot of nasty spots on the donor and graft areas. However everything eventually settled down by 6 weeks after the op and then its a waiting game. I suppose we are all impatience for something to happen and this is the hardest part especially after all the grafts shed and you look worse than you did before! realistically it is only after 6 months that the real changes start and the new hairs come through.

AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE - I cannot see any photos or links to the Photos that everyone is commenting on

I posted a previous message to say I had lost all the links to my Photobucket account, anyway I have just spent ages refreshing them as best I can so you should all now be able to view my progress to date.

Sorry everyone, I've had some issues with my photobucket account, which is where the pictures were linked too. I don't know what to do now for the best, either spend ages ediiting all the messages so that they link to the pictures or starting again with a new thread about my experience?

My new hair is shedding :'-(

Part of the course mate, all mine did, but look how it grew back. Keep your chin up.

Looking great. Happy B-Day!

Do you have some new pics of the top at 8 months...(when you have time)

Have a fun day.

Here are some more 8 month pictures i just took with my hair styled with gel.

8 months picture, plus its my birthday today, with my new birthday hair I suppose I don't look to bad for a 44 year "old" man

Not sure, I left it alone for the first two days then patted water on the grafts very lightly.

On the 6th day I started to use the moisturising cream you are given to loosen the scabs, he suggests applying it and leaving on for 30 minutes before washing it off with a shower set at low pressure and then using the pH neutral shampoo. After day 8 I started to massage the cream in to make the scabs soft so they came away. I did really well as I didn't loose any hairs. But guess what they all then shed anyway!

Btw, I was wondering how come Maral didn't suggest spraying the grafts after the surgery, although I understood this to be a general practise, and told me to wash the head only four days after the procedure and most do it already on the first of second day, do you have any clues?

Just updated my monthly timeline picture.

I have no pain or numbness whatsoever. I should imagine that once you get to the three month mark you will be the same as any numbness / iching had totally gone by then in my case.

Sorry iv been away for a whilst

Looking good mate coming thru nicely, can I ask do you still get some pain in the recipient area ? Mine is still a little numb but still get some sharp pain if I bang or press on my head, getting a little concerning as I start the rugby season soon !!! Kimi don't worry you will be fine, if your staying in the my ros? I wouldn't recommend venturing out at night as the area seemed a bit rough to me tbh... I will start my own thread from 3 months as most of mine has shed but there are a few new hairs coming thru even at this stage !!

Once again great thread UK43 and result is looking promising if mine is as good !!

7 months post Op 3200 graft FUE.

Hair styled with some hair gel.

Looking good mate

Hi,

Just wanted to share my exactly 4 months fue post op.

The hair is growing, not balanced yet but there is growth. Also since 3 weeks I notice hair is getting ticker and darker.

 

4 months, I am not expecting anything yet as they say after 6 months one should be satisfied with their hair.

 

Donor area is clean (no sign of ht). I do get 1 or 2 pimples once in a while.

 

I don't wear hat, people do ask me how come I got hair now as I was bald on top.

 

so far I am happy about the progress.

 

I am not on any special hair growth boost medication or any special shampoo.

Good diet and natural shampoo is doing the job for me.

Hi UK43,

 

Your latest pictures of your HT look good. However at the end of the day has the growth you have experienced after 7 months met your goals or do you think it has exceeded them?

 

Do you think you have any further new growth to come from your HT with Dr Maral?

 

Thanks.

Based on how it was before then I am very happy with the results at the 7 month stage, especially the natural appearance. If I get any more growth then that will be a bonus. If anything I would have hoped that the hair in the crown area was a bit thicker, however I have been keeping it quite short so if I let it grow more then I think the overall result will look better. In percentage terms my overall score would be 87%

Here is a picture to show my 7 month growth following 3200 fue at the Maral Clinic Turkey.

IMO you are having a really great result mate.

Looks natural, density is fine, especially since it will continue to improve.

 

I have booked my HT on 5th of August.with Dr. Maral...if my results will be as good as yours I will be happy .

 

Btw, can you share some impressions about the accommodation where you stayed? Name of the hotel or smth?

 

Cheers.

The accommodation was fine, it was only a two star hotel called the Levent about 2 miles from the clinic, but it was clean, had reasonably priced food, wifi, satellite tv and a mini bar in the room. Bed and breakfast was included in the price so I only had to buy my lunch and evening meal. There wasn't much around the area other than a department store just up the road. Other patients were staying at a hotel called My Rose, again the people I spoke to said it was fine as they are owned by the same company. However the My Rose hotle is located in a busier area with more shops. I was picked up every day including the airport transfers by an English speaking driver. I wish you luck with your HT and please pass on my regards to the staff at the clinic. If you want to have a chat about my experience I am happy to talk to you about it. Send me a private message and I will let you have my mobile number.

http://www.leventotel.com/istanbul_otel_index_english.htm

http://www.myrosehotel.com/index_eng.htm

Regards

UK43

When I was told it would be at least 5 months before I started to see any real results I was sceptical, especially as I was impatient and wanted to see radical changes straight away. What I was told turned out to be true. Firstly the shedding stage followed by the hair follical cycle of regrowth. To prove this I have placed some monthly pictures below to show the results of my 3200 fue procedure in Dec 2012 at the Maral Clinic in Instanbul Turkey.

A few pics at 6 months and 14 days post op 3200 fue. Styled with hair gel.