VectorH

5,000 grafts? That's a number some doctors use to cover up an almost slick bald head. But then again, Dr. Koray is known for over shooting for the number of grafts. IMO I would stray away.

Fantastic result. Must be feeling ecstatic about beating this nasty nasty "disease" - Congrats!

It's really strange actually, and I don't think doing the procedure in one day had any impact on the result. especially that the transplanted hair grew out, and successfully. How long has it been thinning for?

Pretty much all the scabs have now been removed with only a few left, below are the pics. Donor area is still the same as the previous pic so no point in uploading any for today. I will try to update this thread 2 more times with pics for the short term, first being around the 14th day and the second after the shedding. Then, there will be long break until the hairs start coming out and I will be back with more pics.

Excellent result, congrats!

Below are some pics of day 7 post op. Yesterday was my first attempt at removing the scabs and I think I did well - but quite a bit remain and I will be going at them today with a little bit more pressure with my aim of removing all of them within the next 48 hours or so. Donor area seems to have healed quite quickly however there are 3 or 4 spots which give me slight discomfort if I sleep on them.

Yes that was definitely you and you indeed did see my mother. Muzaffer did inform me about a certain patient being picked up for a wash and then my mother told me about a patient who came in for his first wash - quite a coincidence! Best of luck to you as well!

PM'd you some tips.

Location: Istanbul, Doctor: Erkan Demirsoy Method: FUE Grafts:: 2710 Date: September 18, 2015 Coordinated w/: Health Travels (Clemens Weber) Brief History: I started losing my hair front and back for the past few years possibly around 7 years ago. While not aggressive, and as per my family history, there is a good chance I’m destined for a shiny scalp but it doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon, at least I hope not. Started looking for solutions so I quickly ruled out Propecia and now I have been taking Minox for the past almost 4 months. I did react extremely well to Minox and many native hairs, especially in the temple area blossomed out of nowhere. I knew this was a very temporary solution, and while it did make my hair look significantly better, I needed a better (temporary as well perhaps) solution…and that was a HT. Shortlisted my doctors immediately to Turkey and my choices were also quickly narrowed down to Dr. Demirsoy, Dr. Erdogan, and Dr. Doganay. After back and forth emails with two of them, I decided to go with Dr. Demirosy - reasons being price, quality, reviews, and while this may sound odd, something about the limited pics I’ve seen of the doctor himself put me at ease. He had this genuine smile on his face that looked like he is genuinely passionate and honest about his work – and that proved to be the case later on. All coordination was done with Clemens from Health Travels who did a superb job. Answered my many questions and offered advice when I asked him. Timely response and an excellent command of English. At this point I was convinced and said what the heck. I transferred the deposit around 3 months ago and booked my surgery for the 18th of September, and ceased any sort of research or reading concerning HTs because if I had continued I may have gone nuts. Pre-Surgery: Flew out from Saudi Arabia with my mother and landed in Sabiha airport on the 17th of September (7 AM) and we were well received by a gentlemen wearing a suit who directed us to the van. The driver was polite, nice and had a smile on his face which is always a positive. He proceeded to drive us to the hotel (Asia City Hotel) where we spent the night. Hotel was super clean, staff were accommodating. Only issue was the AC in the rooms which was really blowing out a “mouth blow” of air and it wasn’t even cold. Somehow, the next day the AC became superb. Either way, the hotel was nice, clean, and the buffet was honestly way better than expected. Good food and a whole lot of variety to choose from. In room service is also quite cheap. While having breakfast upon arrival I must have encountered at least 8 people having breakfast with us who had their heads wrapped around coming out of surgery! It was sort confusing at first then it sort of put me at ease. Night before the surgery I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack but surprisingly I did not feel or go through any emotions - Slept through the night like a baby. The Big Day: Woke up the next day, and we head down to have breakfast at around 7:30AM. A random person who had done his surgery the day before started talking to us and we obviously discussed HT surgery. He asked who I was doing it with etc, etc, and proceeded to warn me about dishonest surgeons in turkey and how they tried cheating him. I won’t name his clinic but he was paying 0.5 Euros a graft, which is considered quite cheap. All of this was done and at 8AM sharp –Thehe infamous Muzaffar shows up to the hotel lobby (excuse me if I have spelled your name wrong) – Excellent command of English, super polite, and helpful beyond expectations. We get in his car and one of the technicians was already in the car and we proceed to drive to the clinic. Around 5 to 10 minutes and we were already in this massive high rise (office was on the 42nd floor). As we head up the elevator, Muzzafar gave me a quick briefing about the procedure and how it will unfold. At that time I felt no fear, no anxiety, but this weird sense of relief that I was about to tackle an issue that has been bugging me for a while. Oddly enough I had this smirk on my face that I couldn’t remove – hopefully I didn’t look silly  We get into the clinic, we get the shoe socks for hygienic reasons and we go into the waiting room which had a glass wall of windows all around with an outstanding view of the entire city – simply incredible and this of course put me even more at ease! Clinic was super clean, modern, and just very inviting. Couple of minutes later Clemens himself shows up and that was my first time meeting him as well. I had seen pics of him so I knew what to expect, but I must admit he does look younger in person! Again, a top guy who is helpful, polite, with a permanent smile on his face! We go into Dr. Demirsoy’s office and we sit down. A couple of minutes later Dr. Demirosy shows up and we get underway with the consultation. Family history, showing him pictures, and just general talk about my family history (hair loss) and what preferences I would like and what are my future plans, etc. And it was now time to draw the hairline which took about 15-20minutes overall. This part was great as everyone was involved so it was sort of a group discussion between my mother, Clemens, Dr. Demirsoy, and myself. We agreed on the hairline and then Dr. Demirsoy suggested around 2500 grafts to get a decent density. Initially, through the online consultation I was told I would need around 3500 to 4000 (which included the crown). I had changed my mind though and I only wanted to worry about the frontal 3rd for the time being. I also wanted to do the bridge area but they suggested I have good enough density there and that these hair typically last the longest so I figured I would worry about that area later on. I agreed to do the frontal 1/3 (perhaps a bit more) and they re-confirmed around 2500 grafts with the possibility of getting 2750 max. I agreed. Muzzafar then takes me into a room, gives me a surgical scrub thing to wear and I immediately proceed to a room where my head gets shaved down by the two lovely technicians. I then go take pictures of my shaved head and proceed back into the surgery room. I was told to lay on my left side and it all happened so quickly that it didn’t really cross my mind that ‘wait a minute, I’m about to begin the procedure right now”. I lay down and the lady tech scrubs the donor area and shaves it even closer. She then mentions “Anesthesia, sorry” I smiled and said go ahead…and the injections came along. It was much less painful that I had thought and the first few were only slightly painful as your head begins to feel numb. Only half of my donor area was done during that time. After about 10-20 minutes. Dr. Demirsoy came in and immediately began drilling (punching whatever it’s called). He would punch, harvest some grafts, and sometimes the nurse would come in and help with the harvesting. Finished one side and the same thing happened on the other side. Tech shaves closer, “Anesthesia, sorry” and gets right on it  I felt more pain on my left side than on my right and I have no idea why. It wasn’t extremely painful but let’s just say it was more painful than the other side. Again Dr. Demirsoy comes in begins punching and extracting with the help of the nurse and we was done from that side. Throughout the whole punching and extraction I didn’t feel a single thing. I actually almost fell asleep a couple of time. The doc would mention every once in a while “XXXX, everything ok?” I respond back with “I’m doing great!” And he continues… Finally I was flipped over to my back and here goes the last call of “Anesthesia, sorry” round (made me giggle each time) for the opening of the channels. These were equally painful to my left side but didn’t last as long. Doc comes in starts a few incisions on the hairline and then we stop and go out to have lunch. During that whole time Muzzafar kept coming inside the surgery room and asking me if everything was OK and if I had any questions and eventually what I wanted to eat. It was around 1:30 PM by now and I was still feeling extremely fresh with no pain, fatigue, or any discomfort. We stopped then and moved to the waiting room where I had a delicious piece of chicken breast. I was hungry so I shamelessly destroyed my plate. Around 15-20 minutes after that and I was back in the room. Dr. Demirosy continued doing incisions for the channels and I didn’t feel any pain. This was completed in an hour and this part was all done. The final stretch was the ladies inserting the grafts which was the longest time I had to stay put in a stationary position, and probably the most uncomfortable part of the procedure as I was positioned on my back for a while and I hate that. During this I also felt I was about to fall asleep but I was enjoying the music videos that were being played on the TV screen in front of me. This entire part took about 3 hours and the last hour or so is when I started feeling fidgety but I knew the finish line was near as Muzzafar updated me when he walked in. Finally, it was all done! My head gets wrapped and I step out to look at my new me and I was super impressed by the cleanliness of the work. The way the line was constructed was fantastic and was everything I had envisioned. Bleeding was minimal and my head almost looked normal. Only discomfort was the band aid that was tied across the forehead to avoid swelling put a lot of pressure on it and I can see blood gathering across the forehead. We went in the photography room and Dr. Demirsoy snaps a few pictures of my drilled/punctured head and off I went back into the waiting/room. Muzzafar comes in with the bill and I pay the balance (previously sent a deposit of 500 euros). Tells me not to tilt my head down, and how to sleep the night, and gives me antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pills. I take one each and off we went back to the hotel with my mother, both technicians and myself with Muzzafar taking us there. I felt virtually no pain at all either in my recipient or my donor. Only felt some serious pressure in my forehead. Before I went to bed, I popped an anti-inflammatory pill, took out my neck pillow and “slept” the night. Day after Surgery: Next morning we were again picked up by Muzzafar at 8AM sharp and the same tech that was there the first time was also in the car and we head to the clinic. I sit down in the waiting room and the tech comes in, dabs some lotion and Muzzafar briefs us about the upcoming few days – do’s and don’ts. About 15-20 minutes later I get taken in for my first wash. Tech cuts the band air which felt like a huge relief. This was done in about 5-10 minutes and only slight discomfort (burning) in the donor area when touched. Recipient area felt a bit tender but was ok. Went out and looked at myself and though being shaved doesn’t look bad at all! I noticed a bulge across my forehead which will eventually go away from all the fluids that gathered there. Dr. Demirsoy shows up with his smile asks how everything is. Looks at me and says I’m healing very well. My mother insisted I take a picture with Muzaffar and the Doc and we obliged  He takes me into the photography room and takes a few photos of me. We then move into the waiting room and continue to talk about how the procedure went yesterday. He said the punching and extraction of the grafts was very easy but the placement of the grafts was a little bit tricky as some kept popping out but not to worry. He also mentioned I will have decent coverage as the majority of my hairs were doubles and triples and that they were thick terminal hairs. I asked how many I have left for the future and he mentioned there is sufficient donor hairs and can possibly get around 3000 (I may need to reconfirm that), which is also very comforting to hear. He “scanned” my head one more time, and removed the band air at the back of my head that the tech placed as there was some bleeding there after the wash. He gets my bandana, hat, personally puts them on me as we pack our meds. And that was it…we say our goodbyes and get driven back to the hotel by Muzzafar. Muzaffar contacts Clemens to inquire about our transportation arrangements and we were back at the hotel. We thank Muzzafar and we say our goodbyes. Closing Remarks: The whole arrangement from email one to the end of the surgery felt extremely personal – and this was exactly why I had chosen this clinic. I’m not going to get into details but these guys, from both techs to Muzzafar, to Clemens, to the Dr. himself were absolutely top notch from every possible perspective. Only thing left is the outcome of the surgery. While I do understand that nothing is guaranteed, I do genuinely believe they did everything possible to make sure I get an excellent outcome and I hope for that as well. Of course, in the unlikely event I don’t get a good outcome I will certainly be disappointed but as mentioned before, I won’t hold the doctor or his team liable for that. I’ve seen the results of this doctor and his team and I’m confident he is capable of delivering top outcomes and in the end it was my decision to proceed with him.. Clemens, I know you are reading this so please send my regards to the entire staff and I thank you for everything that you guys were able to provide us. My mother and I are truly grateful for your hospitality and we wish you guys the best of luck in the future. Note: I will be updating this thread quite frequently so if you have any questions then please ask Hi-res download link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hvab6psg4gbkmui/AACax6G37-Uzapu2j1ESTceFa?dl=0 Cheers. H Photos:

Another month has passed by and more photos to show. Transplant in t-15 days! Dropbox hi-res download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/afvtgaoktqvmji6/3%20MONTHS%20COMPARISON%20-a.png?dl=0

Thanks folks! I'm also very excited and it seems my head has reacted well to it. I feel and see the difference on a weekly basis and I hope it continues this way. The only issue I have with the Kirkland is the white stuff that comes along with it - it's all over the place, but at the moment I'm too happy to even care about this. My close friend even told me today "what did you do to your hair, it looks significantly better!"

Hey folks, Just wanted to share my results with you guys I'm a 3V on the Norwood scale and I recently started using the Kirkland Minox 5% and I wanted to post some pics of my hairline/frontal showing results of Minox of only 2 months of usage. I'm pleased with the results thus far and I hope to continue improving with more time. the "before" pics are not as clear as the "after" pics but the difference is noticeable. I haven't photographed my "after" pics on the Vertex - I will just keep it a surprise for later on to see myself as I honestly have no idea what is going on back there. I do however have before pics of it. Also, it's worth noting that I will be going under the knife on September 17 in Turkey in which I will start a new thread about later on. What you guys think? Hi(gher)-res link here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l9fsgk90pvk6bje/2%20MONTHS%20COMPARISON.png?dl=0

Understandable. Thanks for your input, it makes perfect sense.

"No covering it up or hiding it" - this is one of the main reasons why I want to proceed with a HT, I'm sick of doing that. I'm currently using toppik, but frankly, I cannot deal with it anymore. It's become part of my life, a part that I don't want. It's an addiction that I despise, despite helping me significantly. There is only so much Toppik I can use before i eventually reveal my balding head to the world.

1. I'm as honest as they get! No secrets will be hidden 2. I'm willing to get on Minox, but as for fin, I'm very hesitant about it. Every time I "re-consider" it I read up on it only to be discouraged from it again. I'm currently in touch with Clemens, Dr. Demirsoy's online representative and he's been very helpful so they are definitely on my top list. Thanks a lot for your opinion on this matter, it's highly appreciated. However, I'm surprised you mention that I have very thin hairs. I've actually been told by quite a bit of people including my barber that my hair is rather course, maybe the pictures didn't do it justice? I understand that I will probably need another procedure down the line as my family has history of losing it all except my older brother who has hair as thick as a rug. I do not expect a full head of hair even after 2 surgeries but I feel I will surely be in a much better place than I am right now. Either way, here a couple more pics of my donor hair for you to see. Let me know what you think.

I'm also in the same boat as the OP trying to choose between a surgeon in Turkey and Dr. Demirsoy, along with Dr. Doganay and Dr. Erdogan has made the final cut, still trying to decide though.

Quite a bit of questions to ask the doctors; the planting techniques used, type of extraction used, is the doctor himself involved in the surgery, how many patients they do per day, how many grafts they can do per day, "survivability" rate of the planted grafts, how many grafts needed, etc, Look around the forums and you will find a great wealth of information all over. Personally, I'm only seeking doctors used by people on this forum where I can see their results and notice that they are quite consistent. Basically, good work and reasonably priced are my biggest deciding criteria. The latter part basically trimmed down my options significantly to 3 surgeons who are found in Turkey and I'm currently deciding which I will go through with.

I'm just worried that some of the sides may stay there for the long haul (irrversible/permanent)! I think at this point I'm quite accepting of the fact that I will need yet another HT down the line. Dr. Hakan is actually one of the recommended doctors in Turkey hence why he was on my list! As for Dr. Erdogan, I've seen his work and heard/saw excellent results from his clinic, but from what I see is that he requests a lot of his future patients to take Finasteride first, THEN contact him back 6 months down the line. As mentioned, I'm worried about taking meds. However, I will get in contact with ASMED and see what they say! Good to know. A few days of minor discomfort for a massive gain as you put it is the most exciting part of this whole thing. I cannot even imagine how it would feel to at least (in my case) get a decent hair line! It is absolutely all a risk! Best money ever spent? You know 6 years ago I paid 4K for my Lasik eye surgery and till today I keep mentioning how it is the best money I've ever spent. Something tells me when I do eventually proceed with a HT, it will top it as the best money ever spent by a long, long shot! Frankly, I would say I'm relatively at ease, just a bit anxious about choosing the doctor but I will keep researching until I make up my mind and eventually do the leap of faith!

Hey guys! Long time lurker and only recently have I decided to join this community. Unfortunately, like many others on here, I’m suffering from hairloss and I’ve lurked around in hope to find a solution. At first, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do and I even bought Finasteride and eventually backed out due to the possible yet rare sides. I know the risks are relatively low, but still, it’s something I chose not to do. This leaves me with one other option, a hair transplant! As a 30 year old male and having recently gotten out of an 8 year relationship with my now ex-fiancee, my hair loss has taken a massive toll on me in the past few months and has started to affect me in significant ways. In ways that I never thought were possible. My ex was well aware of my hair situation and she knew I used Toppik and she also know I was considering a hair transplant. She wasn’t pro or against it and basically said she would support me with whatever decisions I took: buzzing it all off or HT. So some reasons why I would want to do a HT can be found below: 1- Buzzing is not an option 2- Confidence is completely shot down. Having just come out of a devastating relationship I need every bit of confidence I can use. 3- I’m sick and tired of using Toppik every morning , it’s become an addiction. 4- I want a decent hairline 5- I want to be myself again, not trying to hide my hair, not sit under spot lights, where I sit, how I position myself to cameras, always wear a hat when I’m at the beach. The list can go on, it’s way too much. Reasons why I’m hesitant: 1- Having to do multiple transplants down the line. How many would I need? 2- A possibly bad hairline, bad outcome 3- The fear of having to shave my head, come in to work with newly transplanted hairs only for them to disappear a month later (ugly duckling phase) 4- Hearing so many regret stories of people who’ve taken this route (main reason). I’ve narrowed down my choices to two doctors, Dr. Demirsoy and Dr. Hakan. I’ve gotten in contact with Dr. Hakan and I was informed I would need around 3000 grafts. Their communication is top notch, but having read quite a bit on the forums, it seems he is getting some bad rep in some of his more recent cases. Also, when I’m paying money, I expect the Dr. himself to be doing the majority of the work, not the technicians. Regardless, I still see very good results from him all over the forums so some mixed messages here. Dr. Demirsoy I understand is “unknown” on the forums relative to Dr. Hakan but is still a good option from what I’ve seen of his limited online displays. The fact that he does the crucial parts of the surgery along with this excellent pricing makes him a strong candidate for me. However, the communication from their end (health travels) hasn't been that great. I’ve emailed them 5 days ago and still have no received a reply. I’m sure they are busy, but in today’s world I would expect a quicker response! The lack of documented surgeries also has me a bit worried! So there you have it.. my quick intro, my reasons for doing it and not doing it and of course my narrowed down choices of doctors. Any feedback or opinions from your end would be greatly appreciated and I would appreciate your utmost honesty. I would also like to hear from those who regret their decision and why!