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Hey Kimi, congratulations on your big move!! My fist washing gone OK, just followed the instructions. I am having trouble rinsing their moisturizer, but it will be fine I think as I dare more and more to touch my recipient area and to gently wash it out. As of today (day 6) I am pouring the lowest setting of the shower over the recipient area. The hairs look a bit clearer with each day, and the scabs from the donor area are almost entirely gone (oh the itching-and the guilty pleasure of picking them out!). I am of course extra gentle to the recipient area, no touching, no pressing, no towels until at least the 7th day. I will be leaving it to dry naturally for at least couple of more days-I just gently put a kitchen paper towel on top of it to collect some of the water. One or two hairs already fell off, as per doctor's prediction. I am now in the paranoia train (will they grow? did I kill them by physical activity? am I taking in enough vitamins? etc.).

To answer your question--the techs placed the grafts. They seemed very experienced and relaxed, and did the work at incredible rates. As I wrote in some other post, I counted that at moments they were implanting grafts every two seconds or so. Of course I cannot check their numbers but I don't see why would they make it up, especially provided that it does not influence the final price and that they counted them after the extraction process, so that they may be more sure about the count. How many of those will sprout is a different question. However, they did discard the bad grafts before implanting, so that gives me hope.

Thanks, agenteye! Things look better today, I took a corticosteroid as per my physician (to help against inflammation and potential swelling, they were included in my post-op kit) and took as much rest as I could. It is so hard to find balance between normal and exaggerated activity--I can definitely move a chair around the table, but can I lift a 10 lbs bucket of water for the plants? I am crossing my fingers for my precious follicles to survive, as the overall surgical work looked great to me. Regarding your question -- the surgeon was Dr. Tugrul Maral, and I really did have an impression that I was in good hands.

Hi, I just had a HT in Turkey last Saturday. Today (day 5 after the operation), I had to carry a few heavy (~10 kg) items into my apartment, and also did some physically demanding chores around the house. Activity lasted about 1 hour overall, distributed over a hot summer morning. I got tired and I sweated quite a lot, and still have a mild headache. I am sensing a wave of mild swelling on my scalp (I took a corticosteroid, after consulting my physician) and I am very afraid now that this can compromise my results and cause the grafts to pop out somehow. Please help.

And the second too! The doctor suggested I roll the pillow and most importantly, showed me the position of the neck needed to avoid hurting the crown. They also provide you with a medical pillow and other necessities, so no mess there. My head is OK now (day 2, not counting the operation), no bleeding and no swelling, thanks to the medication and some ice I put from time to time. There were some traces of blood last night, from slight moving during the sleep, but nothing alarming. On the back of my head there are very few scabs now, just one on the side where they extracted a few more grafts and of course the top, which is following its own rhythms. I still don't dare even touch that area I will come back after the first washing.

I am not a doctor nor can I provide medical advice, but if it helps, I was just told by the doctor that it is normal for the hair to start shedding beginning already at the first washing (after three days, like you), but that the grafts will remain safely inside. Please double check with your doctor.

Update about sleeping the first night: As I was told, I've put the pillow on the open side of the bed, so as to not hit the head, and I rolled a towel very carefully into a big cylinder, which I then tied it together so that it doesn't fall apart. I waited until I got very tired (3am) to avoid moving in the sleep, especially because I was supposed to sleep on the back which I never do. Apparently, it worked--I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in, and the head seems intact. I am now waiting for the driver to take me to the clinic for a follow-up exam.

I would really like to know myself. I mean, they explained everything, I took the medication and took the position in bed (although I should not sleep until 1 am) and it is hilarious. Honestly, all the time I was more concerned with post-op than with the procedure itself, and it is always the first three nights that are critical. Let's wait, survive, and see.

Alright, I've just returned from the clinic. The procedure took about 8 hours and I cannot think of anything to complain about. Everything went smoothly and comfortably. Dr. Maral turned out to be very friendly and knowledgeable, we first had a consultation, then he draw the hairline and was checking in occasionally during the procedure, overlooking everything. There was also another patient at the clinic in another room. Most importantly, the technicians knew their job exceptionally well, they were professional and attentive. Because my donor area turned out to be very dense, they managed to extract 4800 (!) grafts and they were inserting them at incredible speeds (I counted, at moments they were inserting one every 2 seconds or so, other times around 6-10 per minute), always two of them at the time. I am NW7 and this is way beyond my wildest expectations. The only uncomfortable part were the first few injections, but as soon as they worked I didn't feel the others. Everything else was so painless that I literally caught myself napping a few times. I especially liked that the TV channel that was on was playing Turkish pop hits while the technicians joyfully chattered and occasionally sang along. (I think I was also lucky with the time of the year, the weather is beautiful and the city is festive because it's Ramadan, so I am really enjoying myself.) Please let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know, I'll return with updates soon.

Sure - will post here as soon as I'm done. I am now in Istanbul, the driver picked up me and a friend from the airport promptly and the hotel is very good, impeccably clean and the service is excellent (I even remember that it was recommended to my ex when she first came here to study by a guy who knew the city really well so it seems to have good reputation). Either way, I should spend the day tomorrow at the clinic, but I'll be back to write down my impressions as soon as I'm done.

I booked with Dr Maral on 3rd of August (this Saturday). I will post my results here--so far, all communication went very well.

Amazing.

Hi again--for some reason I cannot reply to private messages, but thanks for contacting me! I'll try to reach you soon. I am very glad that everyone is doing well, and I am pleasantly surprised at how supportive you guys are. Thanks!!

That looks amazing. I have also booked at Maral for this summer, mostly convinced by your results. I am not able to contact GeorgeUK--I would really like to know how things are going for him. Is it true that Dr. Maral is a university professor in Ankara? Also, how much was he involved in the procedure? Thanks!