BetterLate

ersko72 and Raman,

Thanks for the encouragement.

It had been very long since I'd been online, so I thought I'd try to come back a couple times to take care of any questions.

I don't know how helpful they are--the second one shows the results a lot better than the first after you open it up--but I snapped a couple shots with my cell phone to try to show the temple points.

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/user_album_update.php?album_id=4223

After seeing longer-term results from my own surgery, I think anyone who has receded on the sides of their forehead might want to consider giving up some of their donor hairs to add to the temples.

In my particular case, it seems to have made a very big difference as far as giving the illusion that I've got a nice thick head of hair.

Best of luck to you both as you take the plunge in the coming weeks!

PS optimist800, let me know if you end up finding the book as useful as I did. If so, I'll keep recommending it. I try to temper my over-enthusiasm, but, when something really works...

ersko72,

I wanted to answer your last few questions that you left after my post over the weekend.

What percentage of follicles transferred do you estimate survived?

If I were to make a ballpark guess for a million dollar prize regarding how many of the follicles survived transplantation, I’d say 95% of the grafts survived… give or take 5%. By far, the vast majority seemed to survive and still thrive to this day.

Have many people noticed or commented?

Everyone thinks I look much younger than before. Those who don’t know about my procedure have no idea what's different. Those who had been told by someone that I’d had the transplant still marvel at how fantastic it looks.

How do you feel about the transplant 10 months on?

I think I may have answered that final question fairly completely at the end of my post the other day.

Perhaps the closest to a single-sentence bottom line answer I can offer is that I certainly look many years younger than I did before.

[by the way, I want to apologize for my overly-lengthy and editorializing post the other day. I haven't been writing much recently, and was rather rushed. I just edited it down to be a little better/clearer.]

It's been a long time since I've been on the web site. Indeed, I had trouble logging on and then figuring out again how to post photos.

Additionally, my earlier post from today did not appear right away (and still has not as I write this) because I guess posts now go to web site monitors before appearing in the forums... which is something new to me, but probably an improvement for a number of reasons.

Anyway, below should be a link to photos I uploaded a few minutes ago showing results from my surgeries which took place at the end of the first week last December.

Ten and a Half Months Update Photos

If you do go to look at the photos, please note the comment I made on that page.

Thanks again to everybody who helped me along on this years-long journey!

For starters, a correction to my last posting of photos--I’d said that I was then at the six-month mark. But, I was actually only five months post-op at that point. I’ll try to come back as time permits to post more milestone pictures down the road since it might be helpful for those wanting to see longer-term results during their decision-making process.

There are a few things that I was trying to remember to mention whenever I'd have time to update my thread and post newer photos. One of them was my experience with Biotin supplements.

I’d read a comment on the forums about them being good for making hair thicker/healthier... and also that some people suffer side effects from taking them. As my hair really started growing well after a few months, I started taking one 1000 mg Biotin tablet per day. It really did become noticeably thicker, so I decided that I'd continue taking Biotin indefinltely.

Rather suddenly, I developed cystic acne on the back of my neck. I consulted a dermatologist who told me that cystic acne is one of the potential side effects encountered from taking Biotin supplements. I immediately stopped taking it, and the cyst subsided over the next number of days.

It seems like it might be worth giving Biotin a shot. If someone gets the positive results I did but doesn’t suffer from any side effects, it could be a great thing? Many others in the forums certainly know much more than I on this topic, so I’ll leave it at that.

READYFORHAIR, thanks for your positive comments, as always. I looked over your profile pages from your link and must say that you’ve done a fantastic job creating a great resource for anyone going through this process.

Nowsthetime9, you’d narrowed down your choices to two great ones. I see that you opted for the trip to Madrid and are now sharing your experiences. Congratulations!

johntra, man if you aren’t the Poster Boy every doctor would want. You say you’re happy… and you sure ought to be—you look fantastic!

NewLook2015, I couldn’t find any of your pix. If you’re so inclined and feel like it at some point, drop a link on this thread to make it easy for this old man to see your progress. You’d asked about the process of the hair falling out. My experience was pretty much as you describe. In the end, ever since all of the transplanted hair grew back in, it’s as good as I could have hoped for—I can comb it and part it in any direction with it looking completely natural. I’m guessing you may have found the same?

ersko72, thanks for the encouragement and the enthusiasm you put into all of your posts around the board that I saw--your appreciative attitude makes me and others want to come back and keep posting more future results. Obviously you’ve had no side effects from the Finasteride, so it would seem to make sense to keep it going. If you’re lucky, it’ll keep you in handsome shape until hair cloning becomes the practical state-of-the-art method.

Optimist800, the original Psycho-Cybernetics book is a short primer on how to wholesale change your life in the quickest and easiest way possible. It jump-started the Self-Help revolution that continues in earnest right through today. Virtually all successful gurus in the market have acknowledged a debt to its author, Dr. Maltz. The explanations and examples he used in his original book are direct and to the point. As a successful plastic surgeon, he was in a markedly unique position to see how our self-image dictates almost everything in our lives.

Now, back to the main purpose of this posting…

I’ll upload some photos taken just last night with my cell phone camera. I’d been thinking that it might be helpful to show people here on the board how my ultimate results may not seem very good to some but are perfectly fine for me.

I’ll put up a few “wet” and a few “dry” pix. If you look at the wet ones, things appear pretty dismal. I’m very balding, and there’s not much that can be done about it if these are the results of 5,000 grafts procedures.

However, if you look at the dry pix, it seems to tell a different story. If I am under bright lights, someone looking down on my head might detect a distinct lack of hair and see through to my scalp. But when I am out and about in the world, the operations were a complete success. I have that elusive “illusion of density”… the appearance of possessing a nice head of thick hair to the point where on more than a few occasions I’ve been told how lucky I am for it.

I did not have work done on my crown and suffer from ongoing hair loss there, despite my intake of 1/1.25 mg of Finasteride daily. The transplanted hair seems to have mostly taken and continues to grow so healthy that despite what’s happening on top with my crown, I’m blessed with a much more youthful appearance than I’d had before. In short, everything seems to work perfectly as far as my originally-intended purposes go.

In wrapping up right now, I’ll refer back to a phenomenon that I’m sure I’d mentioned here before. When I was at my worst in the Ugly Duckling phase, I decided to convince myself that I looked absolutely great and consciously avoided looking at my reflection throughout the day. During that period of time, I exuded more self-confidence than I probably ever had in my entire life… just as a defense mechanism due to looking so horrible. (This was possibly my ultimate field test for Dr. Maltz’s theories on the self-image.)

People I met then in public and private life reacted better to me than I had ever recalled in the past decades. I actually met and went out with a couple of the most stunning women I’d ever dated in my life during that time. That’s when I started questioning whether or not I should have ever gotten the transplant surgery… whether I just should have changed my way of thinking about myself, and saved all the money.

Months later, I’m still not sure how to answer that question.

First off--

Optimist800, Fue2014, NewLook2015, Ready4Hair and Ersko72... thank you very much for your kind messages.

I was totally offline for weeks now but had set a notice on my calendar for yesterday that I should upload photos at this six month mark. I'll be one day late, but want to do the progress update because it was kind of discouraging for me when I used to follow others' progress over time and then suddenly there were no further photo/updates when I was wondering how it all was turning out.

I took some photos from right, left and center angles, both wet and after towel-drying.

After I settled into the ugly-duckling stage, I consciously started ignoring how I looked (spent less than a few seconds looking at myself in the mirror each day) and just carried on in my mind that everything was going great and I was looking great.

I know that sounds ridiculous, but it was the best way for me to psychologically deal with making public appearances while looking my worst. (Fortunately, my ultra-positive outlook actually paid off big time, as everyone I was dealing with responded to me better than ever before, despite my less than stellar physical appearance.)

After I posted the last previous photos here, for the first time I realized that I could actually comb my hair a little, and started doing so from then on... but still probably spent less than 20 seconds/day looking at my head in the mirror.

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine told me that I needed a haircut, so for the first time I spent a few minutes seriously checking out the progress. I was amazed at how great the "illusion of density" had worked its way into the mix.

It is obvious in the wet pictures that there is not full coverage of hair on my head. The pictures after towel-drying look much better. But I can tell you for sure that after my hair fully dries, people think I have a full head of hair, and, actually (which is hilarious for me) a few have complimented me on my hair and said I was lucky that I had such good genetics.

I just decided that I should take one more set of three photos and upload them, too, since my hair is now completely dry.

Just took three more photos and uploaded them. Those final shots are after 45 minutes of air drying, and you can probably see that the hair looks a little bit thicker still.

Keep in mind that I've got my cell phone camera almost right on my head. Anyone looking at me from a few feet away doesn't see any of the details of the scalp at all once the hair is dry.

I'd have to say so far that all appears to be fairly successful. If it gets much better and thicker, that will just be a bonus.

However, although I'm happy with the success of the surgeries, what makes me feel the best about my life is that I'd made the personal and firm decision that I will continue changing everything about myself for the better for the rest of my days. Part of me wishes that I hadn't decided to get the HT and instead had only changed my attitude--I'd certainly have more cash for taking a vacation whenever I might find the time for one.

Having more hair and looking a bit younger is definitely not a negative thing... it's just that I'm not sure how necessary it was for me to have gone through the time, expense and process to attain that when the real change comes from what's inside our heads, not what's on top of it.

Before I get carried away with my blabbering again, let me give a link to the latest photos... which should make anyone considering going my route be a lot more comfortable:

Six Months After Surgery

I will make sure to log on again and post more photos/upates at the milestone points.

Thank you all again for the kind words and wishes, and I hope to see all of your progress on your threads.

(Please add your links here to save all of us time in finding them!)

Hoping that my “results” will be helpful for some, here are a couple photos I took moments after my last post:

March 15

Here are some photos I took tonight, 4 months after surgery:

April 8/9

Progress seems to be good. The first time I’ve even combed my hair was when I took these pictures tonight. I do believe that I will now begin to comb it every day.

I’d previously read some people had been wondering why many Forum members disappear.

As usual, I can only speak for myself, but my story may shed a general light on at least one reason someone has stopped logging on with any frequency.

One year ago, my health was so poor that I was not expected to live to see today. I'd never believed in miracles, but fortunately ended up experiencing one. So, overall, the HT has been just one small part of what's been happening in and to my life.

I became (and am still quite) obsessed with changing absolutely everything about myself to the better so that I can make the most out of whatever additional time I'm being given.

But implementing such wholesale change is exhausting and all-consuming, taking virtually every single moment of every day. I had tried to log on here whenever I found any free time, because I think that there is a good general sense of community, and I’d wanted to try to do some good by giving back as much as I may have gotten.

The very last time I’d logged on was almost a month ago. Immediately afterwards, I snapped a few more pictures of my head to post on my next visit here, then laid down on my couch and fell asleep right away due to over-fatigue... in an extremely awkward position that completely screwed up my back.

I had to spend a couple whole days in bed due to paralyzing pain, during which time my inactivity forced me to realize that I probably actually had crossed the line on this Forum, by trying to tell everyone all of the ways that they might be able change their lives… instead of just being concerned about how I should continue changing my own.

I have a fear of being obnoxious, since I don’t like when I see that in other people. It’s a very tricky thing, changing everything about your life. It can lead to self-absorption in order to facilitate its being able to occur. And, in my case, I’m afraid it had also led to over-sharing of what worked for me in a kind of “preachy” way.

So now, after finally having enough unforced leisure time to check back here, I am almost relieved to see that no one has added any further posts to this thread. Indeed, this thread may have outlived most of its usefulness… if it’s not too presumptuous thinking that some have already or may still at some point in the future find it useful.

I’ll come back and post more milestone pictures at key points in time because it had been useful for me to see other people’s progress. For now, I’d like to again thank all of the Senior Members who were mentors to me, and all of the other newer members who exchanged tips and good wishes or even just positive but anxiety-laced posts and private messages with me as we tried to set each other’s minds at ease.

And, as always, my best wishes to all of the current and future Lurkers--may you ultimately become members and share your own experiences with those Lurkers behind you!

MAGNUMpi,

The book is called Psycho-Cybernetics.

I touched on it in a previous posting, but, in quick summary, Dr. Maltz wrote it after noticing that some of his potential plastic surgery patients who chose to forego surgery and opted instead to just change their ways of thinking ended up being much happier than patients who went through completely successful surgeries… that our self-image completely trumps our physical being, not only in how we relate to others, but in how others relate to us.

His philosophy went way far beyond how our perceived physical defects affect us. He actually proposes a very simple system of re-programming our unconscious mind to achieve higher levels of success in life through attainment of higher levels of awareness, and automating it all by making basic changes to the way we think about ourselves. It just so happened that he developed the philosophy through his observations as a plastic surgeon, which is what I think makes it especially apropos to all those of us on this Forum who have looked at using a HT as a way of transforming our lives.

The book was written in 1960. Its premises are the granddaddies of the modern “self-help” industry, and most of today’s gurus acknowledge that their own methods and techniques are based upon it.

There is an updated version of the book called The New Psycho-Cybernetics written/updated in 2002, and an audio version of that book. That was done in an attempt to capitalize on the fortunes being made by all those who had re-packaged Psycho-Cybernetics into their own programs, most notably Tony Robbins of Personal Power fame.

But I’m old school purist--and the first book is such a short, quick read--so that when I first started to listen to the audio files of the updated version, I really didn’t like it anywhere near as much. It seemed like that author was making the simple concepts of the original book overly-complicated, and using examples of his own tremendous accomplishments in life to the detriment of Dr. Maltz’s original goal of offering a quick and easy way for us average people to, for lack of any better way of expressing it, succeed in life and happiness.

(I came back to insert this paragraph since the thought occurred to me as I wrapped up this post that if someone has any interest in the basic concepts of what Psycho-Cybernetics is all about but is not inclined to look for the original book--or only likes audio books–the newer version is probably better than nothing. You can listen to it free on You Tube. There’s some typical BS commercial music at the beginning and in bridges between chapters in an attempt to “spice it up” (I guess?) that makes it start off sounding like drivel. But if you get beyond that, and can stomach the narrator talking a couple times about what an amazing guy he is… )

At any rate, since I’m still in that proverbial ugly-duckling stage of recovery and my down-time has been at a minimum the past couple of months, every day I’ve spent the first moments when I’ve just woken up and the last moments right before I go to sleep being hyper-introspective about the changes I’ve wanted to make in my life and the decisions I’ve made to achieve them. I’m not actually regretting that I got the HT... just questioning if I should have gotten it.

Indeed, this ugly stage has been incredibly helpful. I’ve been so uptight about my “looks” that, in essence, it’s caused me to use the lessons I attribute to Dr. Matlz to completely shatter all historical sales records in my organization through my desire to overcome my negative physical appearance. That, in itself, is fairly ironic, since one of my original justifications for getting the HT was to potentially increase my sales by having a more attractive appearance. Whatever ultimate lesson is in there, I’m so tired and burnt out from work these days that I won’t even be able to try to figure it out until further down the road.

I guess one thing that I’ve been shown in the past weeks is that the legendary myth of wisdom theoretically acquired with age is not an empty promise to those basking in the glory of youth. But I’m not implying that others need the same “help” that I’ve leaned upon. We should get it however we can use it. In all cases, I now view crutches/assistance as definite advantages rather than any kind of weakness.

As long as I’ve blabbed on so long again, I’ll mention one more published resource that’s helped me in conjunction with getting a HT.

It’s a given that everyone reading this board is either looking forward to or already in the process of a major overhaul in his life. And we obviously need to change more of ourselves than just a rearrangement of hair follicles in order to affect that overhaul. If we accept that our day-to-day lives are mostly nothing but patterns of habits that we’ve developed over time, for us to move forward toward the goal of making positive changes, surely, when something’s got to give, it only stands to reason that “something” is a realignment of some of those habits--whether it be regarding the manner in which we perform perfunctory tasks, or the familiar but unthinking way we relate to family or co-workers on a daily basis… or anything and everything in between.

It’s one thing to intellectually understand that certain behaviors might ought to be changed as part of our overall plan for betterment. It’s quite another to understand the science behind how we can more effectively make it happen.

… and, I have just hit the proverbial wall. I think I might have just fallen into a state of ridiculous pontification, which I can with confidence blame on fatigue. So I think before I collapse and call it a weekend, I’ll add a paragraph to the above before signing off.

If more than one person wants me to continue this seemingly aimless rambling, perhaps I shall. Otherwise, I think the next time I log on I should post a couple photos to show the progress of my hair restoration and leave it at that.

Ready4Hair,

I really do think that you’ll be much happier and comfortable either being in a very familiar place or someplace with a hospital-type bed for a few days after surgery where you’ll have enough control over your environment so that messing up your grafts is completely a non-issue.

It surely doesn’t hurt that on-site you’ll have direct access to the shampooing, and to pain medication if soreness from the donor area in the back of your head might bother you for a night or two.

The clinic does have the LLLT which they’ll use on you each day after surgery. Some people will argue that it does nothing. I have absolutely no idea. It certainly doesn’t hurt. I think the jury might still be out, as it is with PRP. I was told by some medical professionals that PRP treatment is overrated and possibly ineffectual, but, from my own personal experience, I think that it did promote quick healing and I would ask for it again. Maybe they will even provide you more LLLT treatments during the extra days you stay at the clinic, in which case I would definitely avail of those.

There are refrigerators in the clinic rooms, so you can store your personal choice of cold beverages in there as desired. (FueAsianHairline said we need to avoid alcohol after the procedure. Definitely ask how long, because there is some good Turkish beer you might want to stock during recovery!) Also, not meaning to be overly repetitious, I’d definitely use the icepack as often as suggested and then throw it right back into that refrigerator each time for your next treatment. My swelling was minimal, as I’m sure you’ll want yours to be as you prepare to meet the world anew and travel a bit on your way out of Istanbul.

You can eat at the clinic while you stay there. The food is definitely passable. I’d been on a diet before arrival, and ate enough to actually put on a few pounds. They’ll be closed on the weekends if you’re still there through Sat/Sun, but there is a pizza place a couple doors away and other places nearby within walking distance if you’re motivated to go out and about. I didn’t venture around very much, since I was worried (or shall I say too paranoid?) about exposing my grafts to the elements.

Once at the Radisson, you won’t have the hospital bed, but after a few extra days at the clinic, you’ll need to worry a lot less than I did (I was there the night after my second surgery) about rolling around in their regular beds and messing up your grafts. And, again, I can’t overemphasize the quality of the Radisson's breakfast buffet. Without a doubt, I, personally, would make that my main meal of the day... and it's included in our special rate.

I don’t think there is any 10-day limit for the clinic to help you out. The 10 days is just the number of days they suggest after which you make sure all scabs are off of your recipient areas. Most foreigners aren’t around by that time, but there was a Turkish physician who came in for his 10-day cleaning when I was there. The 10th-day cleaning is definitely part of our service, if we’re around. Whether there would be some nominal charge for services on days 6-9 or 11 onward, I don’t know, but considering you will be a wonderful advertisement and ambassador for the clinic, I’ve got to believe they have a vested interest in making you completely satisfied and that it would probably be gratis.

After day 10, though, with the scabs gone and your assurance that everything is going according to plan, I have a sneaking suspicion that you might want to beat a trail out of there, and would probably feel safe doing so. The biggest thing we want to avoid is bumping our head anywhere. That’s the major safety precaution that needs to be taken into account. If there’s a number two, it’s probably exposing your grafts to the elements too much--particularly the sun. That is the biggest reason to wear their hat or a scarf. After the scabs are gone, you’ll look like you got a buzz cut, then when the hair falls out, you’ll look a little bald. Ask about what kinds of hats you can wear. I’m not sure by beanie if you mean a nylon ski cap or what. Some types of head covering are better than others. Some should not be used. Probably take what you’re thinking of with you, and ask Dr. Erdogan about it?

I think when we start to look bad is when our hair starts to grow back in piecemeal. If you’re one of the lucky ones, maybe your grafts won’t even fall out? I looked like total crap for at least a couple months. I still don’t look good, but things are now growing in ever-so-slowly in an expanding area, and I can imagine that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

However, I made the conscious decision--with the crutch/aid of self-hypnotic suggestions every morning--to pretend like I’ve already looked as good as I hope I ultimately do. It’s been necessary, because I started making public appearances not long after returning home from Istanbul. (I put on a number of educational/sales seminars in front of large audiences each week.) The funny thing is that friends and associates told me that I’ve never exhibited as much confidence as I have the past couple of months, and audiences have been responding to me (through sales) more positively than they ever have before.

Previously, I would often be nervous before performances, and prepare myself mentally each time. Now, I’ve been constantly feeling 100% on my game, and the only thing that is really stressful is all of the preparation time leading up to the actual performances. The mind is an incredible thing, because at the beginning and end of every day, I look in the mirror and see what I actually look like… and it ain’t a pretty picture. But, just because I pretend to myself that I look great, I feel great throughout every day, and it all works.

In one of my earlier postings, I thought of and mentioned the plastic surgeon Dr. Maxwell Maltz and his philosophy as a bit of advice for Newbie-Lurkers who were considering a HT as a conduit for changing their lives. I’m glad that I thought of him, because I then searched through some old dusty boxes in my garage and found his book that I bought and read 40 years ago when I was 18 years old. It changed my life then, and it’s helping change my life again now. Nothing quite like taking your own advice? Truth be told, there’s a distinct possibility that I wouldn’t have gotten the HT if I’d recalled and read his book again before I made my appointment. That doesn’t mean that I’m sorry that I did go through the procedure. It’s just that a lot of what I was hoping to get out of it, I’ve already gotten, and could have gotten without doing it.

Sorry for going off on a personal tangent again. It’s the middle of the night here and those thoughts just crept in.

Turkish Airlines has something called “Comfort Class”. I think it’s a class between Economy and Business? Unless you need Business Class, if Comfort Class is a better deal, I’d go that route. I got a free upgrade due to problems with my flight. The woman next to me on the flight there told me she flies to Istanbul all the time and gets an upgrade on site at the airport. At LAX, they did have a special line for upgrades. She said they first ask her for hundreds of dollars, she says she’s got $100 cash if that’s good enough, and they always take it and give her the upgrade. I don’t know if she was yanking my chain or not, but the flight attendants did know her so for sure she flies Turkish Airlines a lot. Those seats are at least 50% wider and you get special meals.

Hope this helps. I wanted to answer tonight when I saw your question because time is tight over weekend.

johntra,

Great to hear from you--I trust you’re doing well! I have a feeling you’ll be the perfect Model for Asmed when you’re all filled in.

Wibbles180,

Thank you. Hearing such feedback actually makes all the effort worthwhile. The decision-making process is so incredibly stressful to go through, so that if somehow I’m able to help reduce that stress for others--even it’s by them totally disagreeing with something I’ve said--that makes me feel like I’ve done something positive.

I think I’ve made it clear that I don’t think Dr. Erdogan is the only solution, or even the best one for everybody. He’s just the only Doctor that I finally went to for a procedure, so the only one I can heartily recommend from experience. All three of your potential Doctors are top-notch. While Ready4Hair had narrowed down his choices to be in a win-win situation with his ultimate decision, your variation is that you’re looking at a win-win-win situation... whichever of your choices you finally go with, you're going to be happy.

NewLook2015,

Thank you again. I think I might have touched on the pain issue previously, but am going to answer freshly from memory right now because of a time crunch.

This new answer is mostly due to the fact that while I was searching back through this thread for the passage where I might have mentioned pain, I saw how many long posts I've made and knew I wasn't going to be able to quickly locate it. I'm very happy that people have found some of the posts helpful … because part of me is embarrassed that I’ve written way too much, as though what I’ve got to say is so important. My perspective and any possible advice I might offer pales in comparison to that which I'd received from the Senior Members who had been my unknowing mentors and had helped me make my own decision while I was a proverbial Lurker.

Anyway, I’ll have to go over my old posts and fact-check myself later… and hope I don’t make things sound rosier now that they seemed at the time.

I don’t recall the pain being an issue at all until after my second surgery, when most of the grafts were removed from the back of my head. I assume they probably avoid taking many from the back of the head during first surgery (if having two) for that reason?

I’d been surprised at the lack of pain after the first surgery, even though I was told there shouldn't be any. But, after the second, that was another story. For a couple days, it was difficult to sleep, all due to the friction between the donor area in the back of my head and the pillow. I was worried that I might unconsciously turn and sleep on my side to escape that pain, which could have possibly messed up the implanted grafts... especially the ones on the temples. I laid down suffering from pain and worry for a while before deciding that I would break down and take a pain pill... and when I finally did take one, it helped put me out until morning.

That first night (after the second surgery), I was still in the clinic's hospital bed. Since I had the back raised fairly high, it was easier for me to calm my fears about rolling onto my side after I took the pain pill. But, the second night, I had to go to the Radisson since someone else had already reserved the clinic's room for that night. It was a lot more difficult to sleep (and I barely did) that second night, since turning on my side seemed like it might be much more of a possibility.

When I was at home in Los Angeles on the third night, I don’t remember being in much pain at all. A lot of it had already subsided. That, along with the relief of being in my own bed and jamming multiple pillows around to make myself completely comfortable and unafraid of turning on my side, made fearlessly sleeping a lot easier. Since I accidentally left the clinic’s air pillow on the plane--I'd used it to prop my head off the seat all the way back--I had to buy another “travel pillow” at a local department store, and I used every night for the next week to help in stopping my head from turning. That may have been overkill, but I was completely paranoid about destroying any of the grafts for which I'd gone to so much pain and expense.

I later read that some people have experienced phantom-type pains. A few times, for very brief periods, I felt like someone stuck a pin in a place on my head. But it didn’t last long--maybe a minute?--and it wasn’t horribly painful… just a strange sensation. For a few weeks, I could feel pain from my donor areas whenever I pressed down on them, but only when I did so... and the only reason I ever pressed down on them was to check for any pain to see how they seemed to be healing.

I never experienced any kind of pain in the implanted areas. I don’t know if that’s because those area stayed numb for awhile? I can’t remember when right now, but I think I mentioned to you in one response/post when I first started to lose most of the numbing sensation. There is barely any residual numbing at this point. To give it a random attempt at an accurate description, I’ll say that 95% of the numbness on the top and front of my skull is gone.

In looking back, I may have only taken pain pills the night after the second surgery… maybe just one? I can’t remember right now if I took one at the Radisson or not. To be sure, I'd have to look back in posts to see where I talked about pain before. The bottom line is, though, that my pain was very short-lived... bad for a couple nights, then barely there/non-existent. Pain reactions are probably very individual, and for me, only in the donor area on the back of my head while laying on the pillow after the second surgery. I'd actually expected a lot worse just because of my age factor.

(I mentioned using self-hypnosis to help stop pain from the injections. That's all I used it for. I've never been able to use it to combat persistent/chronic pain, so I pretty much felt everything else... which is why I ended up asking for more injections when the anaesthetic started wearing off during the procedures.)

I don’t think you’ll have any trouble working after the surgeries. Fatigue from difficulty sleeping for a couple/few days is the only issue I can see. For the first days, you’re probably not going to want to see anyone you know due to all of the scabbing. But, since you’ll be working from home, you’ve got that issue covered.

Ready4Hair,

The clinic reps are very helpful. It might be worth asking if there are suggestions of good options for staying somewhere for a slightly-extended period. I think our discount at the Radisson is only good for a set number of days (5?), so it would get to be more expensive after that.

I hadn’t been traveling a lot for a number of years due to personal circumstances, but I know (just from media osmosis) there are now web sites that might be of some use in researching alternative accommodations. I always used to do short-term rentals of apartments instead of staying in hotels when I’d go to capital cities. I don’t know if that would be a viable option near the clinic, though, since I really didn’t go out and get around to see much of anything in the surrounding areas.

In addition to any shampooing, you’d want to take advantage of the 10-day checkup if you’ll be sticking around. Traffic can be horrendous if you have to drive any distance around Istanbul during certain parts of the day, so, I’m inclined to think that you probably don’t want to get a place too far from the clinic.

If you do stay longer as you are planning, I’d be willing to bet you’ll have one of the most popular threads running when you recount your experiences. When I was reading different threads, it seemed like more people than I would have thought are interested in staying extra days after their HT surgery, and I think you might be a pioneer in doing so at Asmed.

FueAsianHairline,

You are really a great treasure trove of information. Thanks for posting the link to that video.

But, gosh--I hope you’re wrong about that alcohol warning. :cool:

And I hope you all drop links here to your main threads.

David,

I read through your thread about your trip to India.

I think it's fantastic that you've blazed a trail to open up the floodgates of good information about yet another high-quality-but-still-economical option for everybody.

I hope everything turns out as great as it already looks like it will for you!

Just got back to board and read through postings. I should have time tomorrow to address a couple issues.

I must say that I'm happy to see some good exchanges here while I've been on hiatus. Thank you guys for making this thread even more useful for everyone!

Want to answer Ready4Hair's immigration question right away--

It doesn't really matter what you put for your purpose of the visit. What they really want to know is if you are planning on doing business, going to school, or moving there permanently vs. just a short visit for tourism.

Medical Tourism is growing, so any reference to that will indicate to them that you're only looking for a Tourist Visa... as would saying you're just on a pleasure trip.

When I went in December, I was able to pick up my visa upon arrival at the airport, but I understand that was only during some sort of transitional phase.

You may have already been to this web page where they detail visa info/requirements by country, but in case it might help anyone else save a few minutes of Googling:

Visa Information For Foreigners / Rep. of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Be back tomorrow...

FueAsianHairline,

Glad to help. I’m in the middle of creating PowerPoint slides for seminars tomorrow and am taking a short break so I took a quick look at email and saw you posted another question.

This may be the last time for a few days I'll be able to log on, but I’ll jam out what I can before I gotta get back to work.

1) First night, I’d consider staying at Radisson. It’s a little cheaper, you don’t need the hospital bed at the clinic until after surgery, and you’ve got the great breakfast buffet. If you have two pre-surgery nights, stay there both and move to clinic to stay there after surgery.

2) Yes, you should go in day after for shampooing and check-up and final instructions. I don’t think staying there additional days will necessarily ensure graft survival. Just be careful--bumping your new grafts would be the biggest screw up of all.

The other patients besides me all seemed to leave the day after their surgery, after their check-ups. My flight time out of Istanbul necessitated my staying an additional night. I think anyone would be much more comfortable recovering at home than overseas. An exception would be if you wanted to stay an extra night in the hospital bed at the clinic... but I still think you’d be much better off making yourself comfortable at home.

It does not seem to make a lot of sense to stay additional nights at the Radisson. They do not have hospital beds. It’s a great hotel, but you’ll spend a lot of time trying to make yourself comfortable and worrying about not screwing up your transplanted grafts and probably wishing you were at home.

I think if you use the ice pack religiously after surgery, that will help keep any swelling down to an acceptable degree.

3) I was unsure about going to any doctor anywhere in the world for a few years after I was pretty sure I was going to get a HT. When you are looking at recent results from Asmed, odds are pretty much 100% that you are looking at their tech work. From the minute I started dealing with Sevinc via e-mail, the professionalism of Asmed started becoming apparent. A part of me was wondering if I’d be disappointed when I got there… if I was just building up in my mind how great my experience with them might be.

But it only got better after I arrived there.

4) No one brought it up and I did not ask. By the time I finished talking with Dr. Erdogan and he said he felt comfortable telling me that we could likely achieve what he understood my expectations to be, that was enough at that point for me to want to proceed. I was sure without asking that he probably had some way to make concessions in case of any great failure. You #6 quote in red seems to justify that idea.

You’re welcome!

FueAsianHairline,

Thank you for the compliment. It really is good to know when someone has found this helpful. Let me address your questions by number, with a few extra details in case they might be beneficial for someone else reading this:

1) You don’t pay anything to the driver. Mine even tried to refuse a small tip I gave him after buying me a couple bottles of water from vendors who were standing out in the middle of the expressway during the bumper-bumper part of our drive during rush hour.

You shouldn’t have much trouble finding your driver at the airport. Mine was waiting for me with a sign as I left the customs/baggage claim exit. I kept my cash strapped to me with a money belt just to be safe, in case of general pickpocket/scammers I might encounter.

You won’t be asked for any money at all until you’ve seen the clinic and met with Dr. Erdogan to go over an in-depth interview/consultation, and then confirm that you do want to go forward. I imagine the odds of you changing your mind after seeing the Asmed Clinic in person and meeting the staff and Dr. Erdogan have got to be as close to zero as you can get.

2) The Radisson Breakfast Buffet really is fantastic, and something that you won’t want to miss any morning. And It’s included in the price of the hotel. Asmed provides your lunch and any snack/drinks whenever you want something before, during and after your procedures at the clinic.

During the day(s) of surgery, you will have no time to do anything. The hotel (very close to the clinic) is a little up on a hill in an area that is becoming a very upscale part of Istanbul. You won’t find much “authentic” or “traditional” Turkey around this area... and no tourist-type things at all that I saw. The view from the hotel rooms is great. If you’ve got two days of surgery, I think you’ll be happy hanging at the hotel or just walking around the adjacent neighborhood for a diversion. Keep in mind that you will want to spray your transplanted grafts and put an icepack across your face every hour or two if you follow the strict instructions for quick recovery, so that somewhat limits your options.

I only had dinner one night at the hotel. (I stayed all but the first and last night at the clinic.) I think it cost me about $20 total. There were less and more expensive things I could have gotten. If I would have stayed at the hotel the whole time, I probably would have had some small snack meals there for $10 - $15 at night, and then indulged every AM at the Buffet… or maybe found something outside for dinner if I’d have done the neighborhood walk.

Outside of a dinner at the Radisson, a pizza one night from a little pizza parlor next to Asmed, and the cost of a pill splitter at the local pharmacy around the corner from the clinic, I only spent money on the hotel bill and the single bulk payment to Asmed. Your idea of spending the time recovering indoors is spot on.

When I was first in Istanbul in 1978, I found it to be my favorite and most interesting place in the world. I’m sure it’s changed a lot, but I didn’t check it out this time. You really should see some of the marvels there. But, not on this trip…

Your payment to Asmed covers everything at the clinic and all transportation. You will pay the Radisson separately for the room/buffet, at the preferential Asmed rate. Besides your dinners, I can’t imagine what other expenses you might have or even be in a position to incur. Budget an extra $40/day of cash, and you might find yourself taking a whole lot of that home with you, but will feel more comfortable having it available.

3) You will get the big discount if you take cash to Asmed. Take all dollars. Asmed will give you the best rate you’re going to get (the exact rate on currency exchange markets at the exact moment in time you change your money with them, without any commissions) to convert your money into Euros to pay them, or Turkish Lira if you want some local currency.

The only thing I needed Turkish Lira for was the pizza and the pill splitter. My credit card (Mastercard) would not work at the pizza parlor when they tried to run it through their machine. You won’t want to buy a pizza next door since you’re staying at the Radisson, but you might change a few dollars into Lira for the pharmacy if you want t buy the pill splitter.

Many years ago, I had to tell my credit card company that I wanted it to be valid for overseas use. I don't know if this is necessary to do any more? I’m guessing small-time vendors in Developing Countries might be off the usual financial grid and that's why my card didn't work at the pizza parlor.

The Radisson took my Mastercard for the room bill and my dinner there without a hitch. I’m assuming places around the Radisson will also take credit cards or even cash US$? If not, you could change a few dollars into Lira at the Radisson front desk.

Basically, for a trip to Asmed that does not include vacation-type activities thrown into the mix, you’re fine with $US all the way, except for possibly needing a very few Lira as mentioned... and those you could get by changing a few dollars at Asmed or the Radisson.

4) Think we covered most of this, but, in summary:

Take cash for your procedure and a little extra to feel comfortable. I'm guessing that you won’t have much time or desire to spend it while in recovery mode and may end up just taking it back home, but you’ll feel more comfortable having it.

Radisson takes credit cards for room and dinners.

If you need to notify your credit card company that you will be using it overseas, best to do it in advance.

No need to go to a bank there, as Asmed will give you a better rate on your US$ than any bank.

Hope this helps.

hairweare,

You are 100% correct that I misunderstood your original comment.

I've highly respected your opinion. It's likely that I might have just read it the way I wanted at the time.

If I would have understood you correctly, I may have considered going for 2,500 grafts at the hairline/near behind it and then left it at that.

Surgery is my only phobia and I only want one for HT, so the mega-multi-session was tailor-made for my mentality.

I've come back to this posting to edit in this statement... that I'm thinking I probably still would have gone for the whole 5,000 grafts. Wanting to avoid a second surgery is such a big thing for me, and the hope to get maximum coverage in one pass seemed like a fair trade-off for any risk.

I'll definitely remain optimistic that I'm going to overcome the shock-loss and look better than before.

Any which way it goes, I really do appreciate you leveling with me. You exemplify what's been great about this Forum for everybody.

ready4Hair,

Thanks for the great post on this thread about all that has been going into your decision-making process. I think the back story is not only very interesting, but it’s really most important and helpful for others to hear as they struggle through it, themselves. Your sharing of personal circumstances adds the human element into your story and reminds us that the big picture is not just all of us trying to get some extra hair, but, in most cases, to jumpstart a positive change in life that we’ve been striving for a long time. I’m really interested to read about what you’ve ultimately decided to do.

(I’m going to answer your question from PM below while answering NewLook’s inquiry on docs vs. techs.)

Duck,

Thank you again! If you’re thread is up and running, could you please put a link on here for us?

NewLook2015,

Apologize for delay getting back. If I’m not mistaken, I seem to recall you also put on presentations, so I’m sure you know how it goes. Got 12 more major ones coming up, so it’s kind of hectic, and as I lost track of time and everything else the past week, one of my associates told me that it looks like some of my hair has started sprouting.

Keep in mind that my recovery will probably be slower than yours, but I took three shots and uploaded them here

Hair Restoration Social Network - Hair Loss and Transplant Photos

to give you an idea of what I’m guessing is less of a result so far than you should probably expect for yourself at this stage of time. Second surgery was December 8th, these pix were just taken moments ago. I don’t see great progress, but for someone (my associate) who was so negative toward me about my HT to now say that it looks like it might be going to work after all, I’m thinking that’s a good indication the recovery might be starting to build up some momentum.

In regards to your questions, awhile back I’d created a Top 10 list for Newbies considering a hair transplant in a text program, then somehow screwed up pasting some of it onto this thread. One of my points was techs vs. doctors, and I’m almost thinking I should recreate that and some of the other missing points since it seems like they’re such hot topics that won’t go away. Let me give you a short preamble before I answer your first question:

I, personally, have no problems with qualified “techs” with years of experience performing procedures on me… be it a PA (Physician’s Assistant) in Los Angeles cutting out skin cancers, or nurses in Istanbul extracting and implanting hair grafts.

I, personally, would never allow new/unqualified “techs” to learn their trade on me, be it in Los Angeles or Istanbul.

“Techs” have to learn their trade and gain experience somewhere and somehow. That is fine. I just choose that it not be on me.

I took the techs that Dr. Erdogan assigned to me, since they all had multiple years of experience.

[ready4Hair--in answer to your PM question, speaking from my own perspective: if I had it to do all over again, I would not necessarily want Dr. Erdogan to do the extractions/implantations on my head, even if it cost the same amount of money. Obviously, he is a surgeon and absolutely competent since he has specialized in FUE HTs for so many years now. But my tech team has been doing 200+ extractions/year for a long time now, everything went 100% smoothly, and so far I am completely satisfied. **They are definitely a team… and I, personally, would see no benefit in breaking up that team to add Dr. Erdogan into the mix when they’re so used to working together as a cohesive unit and have gotten the intricate multi-hour procedures down to running like perfect clockwork.

I know that might be the most unpopular opinion in this entire Forum, but it is my opinion, nonetheless. Dr. Erdogan has his hand in every part of what’s going on in his clinic, and has created about the smoothest and most efficiently running business enterprise that I’ve ever encountered. It works--and it works very well. Comparing Dr. Erdogan’s Asmed Clinic to a “tech mill” is like comparing the Los Angeles Lakers to a bunch of children playing basketball in the local playground.

**One thing that I just happened to find out by fluke is that Dr. Erdogan rents some apartments for a lot of the nurses to stay in together during the weekdays. The clinic is in a nice and expensive part of town. Their families live elsewhere in more affordable areas, so with Istanbul having some of the worst traffic in the world right now, the commute would take too long to make on a daily basis. These nurses live together, eat together, go out together… they are not just co-workers--they are great friends. For me, that cements/increases the value of the whole “team” concept.]

NewLook2015, another user here, “johntra”, had been concerned about the assignment of techs, as well. I think he actually requested and received a particular tech that he had heard about. He started a thread that I linked to a few posts back. You are pretty thorough and may have already talked to him. I’d say it would be worth your while asking him for his opinion on this exact question, also, since he’s very helpful.

The incision process (all incisions are done by Dr. Erdogan) is not painful, but I chose to distract myself during it by counting how many incisions were made. Both days I thought I must have lost count because I thought there were a couple more than the 2,500 I was expecting. After the second surgery, I was given a “Patient Info File” which contained information about the number of grafts that I received. The numbers were 2,503 for the first surgery, 2,502 for the second surgery. I am pretty sure those counts must be accurate.

Hope that helps… gotta get back to prepping for tonight’s presentations.

I’m absolutely crunched for time due to seminar revisions/presentations to make tonight through the end of next week--at which time I’ll update/elaborate--but I just wanted to say thank you very much for the kind words. It makes a big difference when any feedback shows that my time and effort spent here may be seen as worthwhile…

Thank you!

Thank you, ready4Hair, for letting me know that my style of sharing was seen as beneficial. I scanned your profile and a few of your most recent posts before now beginning to write this so that I might be more appropriate in whatever I might say to you right now since you’re feeling a time crunch. I’m going to answer your questions both from the PM and in your posting on this thread with this response.

For starters, we’ve got to remove the variable which may force you to make a decision you’ll later second-guess. Even if you really do feel like you need to make a final decision by tomorrow, you’ve got to take your last look at everything without the constraints of time pressure forcing your hand either way. Just pretend you’ve got a year to make your decision, and everything will probably fall into place with a lot more clarity.

You won’t regret going with either of your two Last-Doctor-Standing choices. You’re looking at a win-win situation. You will be happy with either one. (For the random Lurkers, ready4Hair has narrowed his choices down to Dr. Feriduni and Dr. Erdogan.)

You’ve got to look at that fact as though it is going to make your decision easier, not more difficult. You’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from various Forum users. They don’t necessarily all agree completely why one might be better than the other for certain aspects of the surgery, but you’ve been able to draw enough conclusions so that you feel comfortable with a general picture in your mind about why one might be preferable over the other.

I did not go to Dr. Feriduni, but he was a surgeon I had seriously considered. I did go to Dr. Erdogan. I thnk I can answer your questions objectively. However, I’ll be unable to draw any accurate comparisons between the two doctors and their facilities, demeanor, etc., because I never ended up meeting Dr. Feriduni, nor did I visit his establishment.

Dr. Erdogan was willing to give me as much input as I desired into the design of the hairline. I had an idea of what I wanted, and right off the bat he added the temple points which I requested. He then proceeded to draw a few options on me to frame the temple points which were better than what I’d had in mind. This was in his office. Later, we went down to the basement where they take their detailed photos to plan out the surgery, where he and a group of staff/technicians hashed out amongst themselves what they thought might look the best from a couple of his final designs. When I saw what they decided, it sure looked fine to me. It had been 30+ years since I’d had my hair that far forward on my head, so it’s not like I had any basis for wanting to argue about what might have appeared to be more natural.

He will do whatever you like. If you have an exact idea what you want, I have to believe they will precisely create it for you. They draw it on you the afternoon/evening before and work from that the next day. Day 1 for me (maybe everyone?) was the hairline. If you have a firm idea of how you want to look, I’d stick with it. I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted, but, in my case, I think that they just came up with something that looked better.

Never during any part of any of the process did I feel rushed.

Like you, I was very interested in having sufficient density in the hairline. I had been given estimates of 2,500 to 3,000 for the hairline and vertex in consultations with two doctors and one other company’s rep, with the idea that I could have more grafts added later with subsequent surgeries.

The Asmed approach to my case definitely struck a chord--more grafts up front, since I had enough donor hair to justify it--in order to add increased fullness right from the get-go, then combine that with a Finasteride regimen as a way to maintain as much native hair as possible to potentially keep the look I’ll have achieved while avoiding need for any future surgeries.

I think I mentioned in a previous posting that I have a phobia regarding medical procedures. So, 5,000 grafts now and hopefully never have another HT surgery again? I was down for that. There are the schools of thought that so many grafts done in a couple back-back FUE sessions might be too many. Another theory is that the trauma is greatly lessened when using a manual punch, which is what Asmed uses. I’m still a Grade A Ignoramus regarding technicalities in the HT industry, but everything I saw and read and the first patient I met in the hotel after my arrival in Istanbul gave me comfort… and I’ve never looked back.

(DISCLAIMER: While I had a fantastic experience at Asmed and am very optimistic, I have to emphasize the point that I’m still just over two months out from my surgeries. My only results to show right now are of the “short-term” and “ugly-duckling” variety. Hair has been slowly coming back in after the initial shedding, with just a small percentage of it grown out far enough yet to make fuzz. I’m not at the point where I’d be a poster boy for proven results.)

Having multiple surgeries as one sees how his hair thins out over the years is probably a sensible approach for a young man to take, if for no other reason than cloning or whatever else that comes along will probably minimize the trauma they will suffer in the future surgeries that they anticipate going through.

I see that you are just a few years shy of me, so you are more in the proverbial boat that I was in. Your hair might grow back a lot faster than mine, but I’ll tell you that I’m glad I will only go through one round of HTs. I can deal with it all right this time, but, at my age, I only have so much time left in life that I can justify spending in this “recovery mode”, looking like I’d rather not look.

You’ve been taking Finasteride and possibly have stabilized your hair loss? You also indicated to me that you may want to go through this whole process one time only.

If you know you can get the look you want with Feriduni, the two Doctors are in a dead heat. But if you’re not sure or don’t think you can get the look you want with the number of grafts you’d be doing in a single round of HTs with Feriduni, that probably does tilt things in favor of a trip to Istanbul, doesn’t it?

I think they are both great Doctors. Feriduni was one of ~five surgeons in the world I'd narrowed them all down to at the tail end of my decision-making process. He has so many happy patients. If he came through for you, you would be one more.

I’m also sure you would be happy going to Dr. Erdogan.

And, in the end now, it’s still pretty much a win-win situation for you.

But, ready4Hair, it sounded to me like you’d already made your decision and just wanted to bounce ideas off different people at the last minute. Hopefully, you’ve talked to enough Feriduni patients to balance whatever I’ve told you.

And I will only tell you this final thing because I really do think you've already made up your mind: The reason I decided not to pursue going to Feriduni (and the others on my final list besides Erdogan) is because I didn’t think I’d get as many grafts as I wanted to get in one single visit with them... because I'd already decided I would never want to go for a second round of HT surgeries.

BigP, I think this is a great thread you've got going. You've done a fantastic job recounting the details of your experience and your great attitude makes all of your entries an even-greater pleasure to read. Keep up the good work!

Hey NewLook2015, it’s getting close to March so the anticipation must be building?

From LA, it was a ~12-hour flight straight to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. It would have cost me not even close to $100 more for flights that would have taken 23 hours with short stopovers, so there was really no decision. If I were younger, maybe I would have tried to save the few bucks for fun and figured I might meet some interesting people at the Moscow airport, but those days are gone.

From my perspective, I still think you’re better off booking it straight back home ASAP. It’s nice to get the daily washes, but if money is even the beginning of an issue, it’s probably even nicer to be back at home and not paying ~80 Euro/night at the Radission, despite the fantastic breakfast buffet.

And, don’t forget that the Radisson doesn’t have hospital beds, so it won’t be that comfortable after your second surgery. It will be easier for you to create a nice setup in your own bedroom for the few nights that you’ll want to be on a slight incline than it would be to do so at the Radisson... or the Pera Palas (used to be the top hotel in Istanbul/Western Asia back in the day) or any five-star hotel.

The washing is not that tough to do on your own. I was very worried about screwing up because my scalp was still very numb during those first ten days, but it’s really pretty easy after they show you what to do and give you video instructions to take along with you back home on DVD.

As a matter of fact, today was the first day that my numbness feels like it’s almost completely gone. It’s been about sixty days now since my second surgery. I understand any sensation of numbness can vary from person to person, and I’d expect it might be longer for me due to the age factor, so there you go for the benchmark on the long side, I’m guessing.

You don’t sign any legal document. It’s sort of like the old handshake scenario from the old days of business. I think once you meet Dr. Erodgan, you’ll be very comfortable with that scenario. He seems to be highly ethical, and even if he weren’t, you’d have any basic protection you might need by virtue of the fact that anyone with a horrible experience with him is very likely to post their nightmare on this and every other such web site around the world.

Once you enter the Asmed clinic, it will be easy to see that a lot of money has been plowed back into the infrastructure of the entire business operation. It’s quite impressive, to say the least. Dr. Erdogan’s obviously in this for the long haul, and isn’t going to jeopardize a very good thing by allowing you to experience any monkey business that might ruin his reputation, I’d be sure. And you won’t pay a penny until Sevinc will have already given you a tour and taken you through some prep work to get ready to sit down with him for a detailed discussion/consultation. Only when you’re comfortable and ready to proceed will you bring out any cash. It’s a completely low-pressure situation, and a highly pleasant one at that. The best part is when it will strike you that you probably made an excellent decision.

It strikes me that since some people have found that the anesthetic injections themselves are very painful, might it be worth your checking out learning some basic self-hypnosis to help you avoid that pain? I’m sure that there must be some tutorials on the internet to teach one how to do it. I learned it almost 40 years ago after listening just a few times to a 45-minute cassette tape (in the pre-video era) made by a classic entertainer who had a nightclub on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. Her name was Pat Collins. She taught many celebrities self-hypnosis techniques, so was very good at explaining the process even for a mere mortal such as myself. If anything by her still exists for sale, it might be worth checking out.

I'm by no means an expert, but have employed it to varying degrees on a daily basis for decades, and I guarantee you it’s an extremely effective tool for many aspects of life. Pain avoidance is one of the least interesting things you can achieve with it.

If you don’t want to bother learning it but want the “Cliff Notes” version of what one might do, I can tell you that the basic technique I used for the injections was telling myself that my scalp was like a block of wood and that the needle for the injections was just the technicians pressing on that wood with the eraser end of a pencil. I basically felt pressure being applied, but no real semblance of pain. Some people who are really good could go through the entire procedure with any anesthesia at all, but I certainly am not on that level… and, as time wore on and the anesthetics began to wear off, I absolutely requested more injections to stop the discomfort caused by the surgical processes.

I don’t think I look that much different to myself from a month ago, but if it would be helpful, I’ll see if I can get some pictures taken in the coming days and post them so you can see where my regrowth stands at the two-month-plus mark. If I can’t get photos taken, maybe I’ll try to put up a couple cell phone pictures… and try to make sure they’ll be better than last time.

NewLook2015, I used an international wire transfer to send my money. When I called my bank, they told me it was (if I remember correctly) ~$25 and I just went for it immediately.

If you can do Western Union and the other method online, I'd give them a quick look. The only time I ever used Western Union in the past, it was pre-internet days and I had to go down to an office which was not very close, so I didn't readily think of them as an option.

When I was scanning the threads one time weeks back, I read someone (could have even been you?) asking at one point if Pay Pal would work. The question had just been posted so I don't know what the answer was. On the surface, it seems like that would simplify the entire payment process, but having only use PP one time, that idea is definitely more of a question than a pronouncement.

I've not yet had any noticeable side effects from Finasteride. From what I'd read, the one we all worry about the most is not very common, and so far it appears that I'm on the good side of those statistics.

I actually took it for a few months when it was first approved for hair loss prevention many years ago, but stopped after reading some scary literature. However, I have a brother-in-law who began taking it at the same time and has continued non-stop. He's maintained the hair that he had at that time and has never had any issues with any side effects.

I think that for guys my age, there are far fewer concerns about secondary long-term side effects, considering that we will probably need to be taking some form of Finasteride/Proscar for our prostate health at some point soon.

For younger guys like you today, the fact that so many men have been taking it for such long periods of time offers current statistical data that is much more reliable than had been available to us older guys when it first came on the market. it seems like as long as you know what could happen, it's fairly easy to make an informed decision.

There is no doubt that there are great potential benefits to taking it in regards to native hair loss prevention.

I hope you can get in at the most convenient time for you. I'm not sure how flexible you are, but I know that when I asked about filling in a cancellation, there was one spot that was offered to me. A short-notice flight from LAX was going to be considerably more expensive than an advance reservation. But although Asmed would have made some considerations to take the bite away, in the end the timing just wouldn't work for me.

You're welcome, NewLook2015!

Yes, Dr. Erdogan will write a cover letter that you can give to security at the airport to let you take the spray with you onto the airplane.

I would definitely spray it on as directed... I can't remember how often, but obviously you'll be told.

And don't forget to use the icepack religiously while you're still at the clinic and after you get home for however long they tell you--it really does keep the swelling down to a minimum.

Two more things:

I think the PRP treatment might be worth doing. It won't help grow hair, but it really did seem to help with the healing.

My surgeries were three days apart. I got the PRP after the second surgery. The difference in healing between the first and second surgery areas was fairly pronounced. They did the PRP treatment in both areas, but the second area healed much more rapidly than the first. I'm assuming it was because the treatment was done on it while the "wounds" were still fresh, as opposed to the first area which was already three days into a slow-healing process.

If you do back-to-back days, I'd guess that you'd get great results with both areas of surgery. My logic may be off, and the way I healed could have had other reasons, but that was definitely my experience.

I think you'd be okay without it, but if I remember correctly, you will be getting back to work soon so it might be worth speeding up the process a little bit.

Maybe ask for opinions from others who've tried it, since the PRP does cost a little bit extra?

Lastly, you can buy Finasteride from Dr. Erdogan at a very good price. It comes as "Proscar" (same drug) in 5 mg tablets that you can cut into fours (of 1.25 mg each). I bought a pill cutter for a couple bucks at a pharmacy around the corner about a two minute walk from Asmed. Sevinc can tell you exactly where--you'll probably meet her whether or not she's your rep. It's a lot better than paying much higher prices for the 1 mg Finasteride tablets.

Hope that helps...

By the way, I happened to see that the timing of my post said I'm leaving this reply at 10:30AM. It's actually 2:30AM in Los Angeles, which I only mention because since you might be leaving soon, I've been checking to see if you've left another post/question before I call it a night. I'll try to keep responding to any final questions, but just realize it may take awhile just because I put in absolutely ridiculous hours the first few months of the year.

NewLook2015,

Asmed will give you a hat. It looks like a fishing hat, is comfortable and very loose. Whether or not there’s anything special about it for not irritating the grafts I don’t know, but it’s the only hat I’ve worn since the surgery.

I only wore it a few times indoors until the scabs came off--I mostly tried to avoid seeing people as much as I could the first days when I looked the worst. I’ll continue wearing the hat outside under the sun for the coming months… I think somewhere I read we should be especially careful of burning our scalps/the recipient areas for the first six months?

Since my surgeries were split, I flew back two days after the second/five days after the first. Use the ice-type pack that they’ll give you religiously (few minutes per hour?) across your eyes after the surgeries and the swelling will not be that bad at all… or at least it wasn’t for me.

I did not wear a hat at the airport/on the flight… again, for the reason you mentioned—I didn’t want to irritate the grafts in the early days. The first time I ever wore it was back in Los Angeles.

In my opinion, judging from everything you’ve said that I’ve read, you should fly back ASAP. I don’t think you’ll be buying anything by staying there. You might be able to get a special rate at the hotel if you stayed extra days, but no matter how nice the room/view is or incredible the breakfast buffet is, I really do believe you’ll be much better off just getting home.

The ice pack will alleviate the swelling so you won’t look that bad, don’t wear the hat on the trip home so you won’t worry about hurting your transplanted grafts, and then recover on your own turf where you’ll be able to have the most control over making yourself as comfortable as possible. It can be hard to sleep well while trying to protect your grafts, and at home you can choose a reclining chair (if you’ve got one, it’s not a bad option), arranging a bunch of extra pillows on your bed—you’ll just have so many extra ways of setting yourself at ease at home than you’ll have at the cushy hotel.

Don’t forget, though, that you will want to let them do a final washing for you the morning after your second surgery. That could control the timing of your trip home depending on what time your available flights are?

NewLook2015,

Got your private message in e-mail.

Sorry that I’m way way short on any free time but wanted to quickly log on and try to give you a little of what you asked for, since I know what it’s like to be where you are right now and I’d like to try to be of some assistance in making up your mind/feeling better about making a decision.

Pix not good—just by myself and took on cell phone in mirror… hope they’re better than nothing.

Quick Pix

Top of my head looks maybe same as last single pic I posted… not much different even though week+ later. I can feel that there is a little more going on when I brush my hand over my head, though.

Sides when viewed in person do not show any detail of extractions. Those who were not told I have a transplant have no clue. Those who were told still can’t see anything missing from sides/back at this point… some have said it seems like it was probably just a few scattered hairs placed on front for minimal effect.

I’m older, so growth has been very slow but that’s what I expected. Healing was pretty quick, though.

Seven weeks out now, and I’ve just started to put on seminars again. In my opinion I definitely do not look as good as I did before I had my surgery. I probably could be (for lack of a better description) “uptight” about it, but I made a decision to possibly not look that good for a temporary period of time so that I could look (in my own mind, at least) more handsome and youthful for the longer haul.

I’ve actually noticed that the overall reaction I’ve gotten from audiences is even better than before… probably because I’m overcompensating by trying to project increased confidence? I’d certainly rather have more hair right now, but regardless of how odd I look to myself when I gaze in the mirror, the people who’ve never met me before and who have no idea what I ever used to look like are not bothered in the slightest by my fairly bald head.

So, my personal advice is don’t worry about making public appearances. I obviously would wait for the scabs to fall off, but if you really are ready to make your move (and you very well could be, judging from all the trails you’ve left in these forums which I sped-read) don’t let the “ugly-duckling” stage deter you.

Now, that being said, if your hesitancy has a more profound and deeper basis, there would be no harm in waiting.

Re: the techs at Dr. Erdogan’s, I did not use the one you inquired about. johntra (whose thread I linked to previously) recently did, and he was very happy. She probably has more experience than almost anybody doing FUE anywhere? She's been Dr. E’s closest aide from the start, if I’m not mistaken.

If I had it to do over again, I’d still request the ones I got… the Game of Thrones gals.

There was a DJ back in the old days named Frazer Smith who had a famous saying, “Too hip, gotta go!”

Well, I ain’t too hip, but I gotta go. Good Luck. No matter what you do, please post so everyone can follow. I think you will be a fantastic resource for the fabled Newbies/Lurkers behind us…

johntra,

To quote Michael Palin and edwardharvey: “You lucky Bastard!” And you’re going to look like a teenager again after your hairline grows in.

I’m assuming Dr. Erdogan suggested that you, too, look into Finasteride for keeping your existing native hair?

I’d been totally against it because I was just plain scared of side effects. But my decision changed during my two days of HT surgeries. They were virtually painless, but I have whatever “fear of medical procedures” is called. Add that to my knocking on the door of age 60 and Finasteride potentially playing a role in the health of my prostate… and I’m now taking it.

As a younger man, your decision regarding Finasteride doesn’t include any prostate advantages. However, if it does help stop a lot of potential future hair loss in its tracks, that might help you avoid the need for any future surgery… the downside being, of course, that for it to be completely effective, you’d have to continue taking it until there are further developments in the field of hair loss that take its place.

From our brief chats, I know all of the time and consideration you put into making your decisions. That adds a fair bit of weight into how much I value your opinion. While my wondering what your current thoughts on Finasteride are comes from genuine interest, whatever those thoughts are probably has practical value for the younger Newbies and Lurkers who are standing in your proverbial shoes.

I guess that's my long-winded way of asking if you’re going to take any regimen of medication?

PS I hope you are healing quickly and well!

1996kph,

With such a long wait, you are definitely a candidate for the “Patience is a Virtue” award. The great news, though, is that since you’ve been waiting for 15 years, with all of the progress that has been made in the hair transplant industry during that time, you seem much more likely to be insured of getting the result that you really want today than ever before.

Especially commendable is the reason for your delay. Sometimes the sacrifices we make create their own unique rewards, and I’ve got to believe everything will end up turning out better than you’ve ever imagined. Since you’ve been using the medications to keep any further loss at bay as much as possible before any surgery and have also been researching on this forum for five years running now, you are pretty much the poster child for someone who has been actively creating his own future “luck”.

Luck = culmination of hard work + sacrifice + positive attitude toward adversity… although mere chance does play a very small part

NewLook2015,

That value-added aspect of the surgery is definitely something to keep in mind while going through the post-surgery ugly stage.

Before addressing your question, as long as I mentioned the “ugly” part of the long process, I’d have to say that, to be honest, it’s nowhere near as bad as I was thinking it would be. I ended up deciding that I wouldn’t try to hide my bald head after the scabs all came off, which has ended up making everything a lot easier. I only wear a hat under the sun. The funny thing is, almost everyone I’ve seen (make no mistake about it--I try to avoid seeing anyone unless I must) has just asked me if I’m going to keep my head so close-shaved from now on or if I was just trying it out to do something different. Even though there are a bunch of little hairs covering a good-sized area where I’ve been bald for 30 years+, no one seems to notice. And as the redness has been fading out, that’s only caused people to remark that I’d better be sure to wear a hat outside because my scalp seems like it’s getting a little bit burned.

I’d only told a couple friends I did the transplant. One of them proceeded to announce it a group of our mutual friends. I’m wondering if she hadn’t said anything, would the long-term (hoped-for) filling in of the hair have been gradual enough so that no one would have ended up noticing what was happening right before their eyes… until, of course, they compared the newer me--whatever I finally look like when everything shakes out--to an older picture.

Now, to address your specific question about Dr. Erdogan’s policy on corrective/follow-up work due to unsuccessful results: The very short answer is that I have no idea because I did not inquire.

The longer answer is that there are a couple of options for you to find out. If you are not in touch with any particular liaison yet at the clinic, I could give you the contact information of my liaison (Sevinc), who I’m sure will answer that and any other question that you do have in short order. The other option is that you could contact Denny (Denison Caldeiron), who is a member of this forum and does rep work for Dr. Erdogan/Asmed Clinic, and find out from him.

Without knowing the policy, the best example I could give you of my opinion that you will probably like the answer to your question is that at the tail end of the time when I was talking with Dr. Erdogan in his office about what I truly wanted vs. what he might be able to do for me, he strongly hinted that although he believed he could help me achieve my stated goal with the surgery, it was definitely still an option for me to just try Finasteride first to see if those results alone might satisfy me… that the cost of my round-trip ticket paled in comparison to the cost of surgery, if money were the main object of consideration.

When I told him that I’d already made the firm decision to go forward with the surgery, he then told me that from his experience, I could likely prevent need for any necessary follow-up surgery for my crown area by still beginning a Finasteride regimen with the specific goal of keeping/possibly re-growing enough of the native crown hair so that I’d be satisfied with only one single round of surgery.

There is another newer user on this forum (who goes by the name of Bahrain) who wrote that when he visited Dr. Erdogan, he was encouraged to reschedule his appointment and hold off on any procedures for six months to see what Finasteride might to do for him… that it would be better to see how much of his existing hair might be retained so there would be a more accurate estimation of what needed to be done with surgery.

I’m sure most Doctors/Clinics are as honest and forthright as is Dr. Erdogan. But I can only speak from my own personal experience and that which I’ve heard from others which I believe to be true. He could have easily lost me as a client--and he could still lose Bahrain as a client--simply by being conscientious enough to be looking out for our best interests over and beyond the profit that he would make from us by our having our HTs done at his facility ASAP... before we might have changed our minds and gone somewhere else.

I’ve been accused of being an ignorant cheerleader for Dr. Erdogan, and, in response to the criticism, have attempted to tone down my enthusiasm for the Asmed Clinic. However, I’ve decided to temporarily break with such efforts for a moment to say here that from my personal experience, I really do believe that he not only runs one of the most incredibly clean and efficient business operations I’ve ever encountered, but also shows the utmost care and ethical behavior to all of his patients. Due to my unintentionally spending a week there after a fiasco with my plane flights, I met at least eight different patients from Australia, Sweden, England, Italy, Spain, and a local Turkish physician-patient as well, and not a single one of them expressed anything but satisfaction with the way they were treated--surgically and personally--by Dr. Erogan and everyone else at the clinic.

Please understand that I’m definitely not suggesting you don’t make your inquiry. Indeed--this is such a huge decision to make that you need to take every single possible step/precaution to make sure that you’re making the right one for you, personally. You absolutely should find out what their policy is regarding dissatisfied clients if that is one of your criteria in choosing where you will go for your procedure.

Along those lines, if it would be helpful--since I know you realize that even though Dr. Erdogan does all of the incisions, his techs will do the extractions and implantations--if you do ultimately decide to go to Asmed, you could prevent any fears of a crap shoot by requesting that you have available to you the same tech team which I had. My three techs all had between 8-10 years’ experience, and one of the Asmed staff who had a transplant, himself, told me that the lead of my team is one that he had requested for his own HT… so I’m sure you could feel fairly safe/comfortable with this particular group.

If Sevinc is not your liaison/contact, you could just tell your own to let Sevinc know that you’d like my techs… whom you could also identify as the three-team techs who were all in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones.

Waittosee,

Thank you for your very nice compliment and inspiration.

Unfortunately, due to my ineptness at cutting and pasting, my Top 10 List became a Top 2 List.

(I lost Numbers 8 through 1.)

I'll laugh about in a few days.

For now, I hope you really did enjoy Numbers 10 and 9!

While sneaking a short break, I wanted to log on to congratulate and wish well one of our fellow users who just went through his own procedure yesterday in Istanbul. He’s a very nice and articulate young man (of course, everyone on here is a “young” man to an old guy) who mentioned that he was going to recount his own experiences, so I did the basic search of forum posts and found the start of this thread:

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/177787-booked-dr-koray-09-01-a.html

Although I’m pretty sure his ultimate experience will end up as positive as mine, any which way it went down and however he feels while he’s sitting at home now that it’s all over, it’s good that he’ll be adding his own perspective into the mix.

There's no decent research substitute for reading about the personal experiences of as many users as possible who’ve been to and researched all of the different facilities one might be considering for their own HT... and, with that in mind, now's as good a time as any for me to again thank everyone who posted all of their own information, experiences, advice and opinions the past few years which proved so invaluable to me.

Without further ado, THANKS!

I’m in the middle of working another marathon day, but since I saw there are a few messages here on my own thread, I’ll try to log on again this evening and respond to any questions.