Background:
I am 30 years old and started noticing my hair loss approximately four years ago. Thanks to the forums, I learned of Finasteride and have been taking it for the past 1.5 yrs which has slowed down the loss and repaired the crown; however, the hairline has continued to recede.
I had been researching hair transplants for a long time but I live in the US and couldn't justify spending $17k for the procedure. That's when I learned of Turkey and how affordable it was. Although I was very impressed with the results I saw online, I had many reservations traveling to a foreign country for a medical procedure. After months of contemplating, I finally pulled the trigger and reached out to a few clinics. I ended up deciding to proceed with Dr. Cinik. Shout out to @Donjamo for posting his experience and putting me at ease.
Travel/Day 1 in Turkey:
The 14 hour direct flight from San Francisco was not the most enjoyable experience, but the logistics upon arrival were great. I won't go into too much detail as it's been covered by others, but just want to say that Dr. Cinik's office had everything covered as far as lodging and transportation was concerned.
Day of the Procedure:
I was quite nervous/excited the day of the procedure. Some people say the experience feels rushed, but I didn't have that impression. They withdrew my blood for the PRP treatment and then introduced me to Dr. Cinik. He looked at some photos when I was younger and we agreed on a hairline. During my online consultation, they recommended 2,000-2,500 grafts. However, after inspecting my scalp, he said I could achieve great density with only 1,800-2,000 grafts. I was happy to hear that as it leaves me with more in the future should I need another transplant.
Next, I was taken upstairs to pay, take pre-op photos, and have my head shaved. I was then brought back downstairs to begin the procedure.
I had the option of "pain free anesthesia" for an additional 300 euros but felt it was a ploy to get more money from me and declined. I regret this as the local anesthesia was extremely painful. I felt the first 20 injections and there were many more to follow. I would encourage everyone to take the pain free option as I'm told it's about 50% less painful. At least I saved 300 euros
Total procedure took approximately 5 hours which was shorter than I expected. I guess this is in part to the limited number of grafts I required. The technicians did most of the work, but Dr. Cinik opened the channels on the recipient area.
Pre-Op Photos: