Peezus

Rolandas, We're also friends in the FB group, just thought I'd come on here to tell you that your experience has inspired me to reach out to Dr. Ferreira for my repair. I'm currently between his clinic and Eugenix. Hope one of the two superb clinics will give me the result I hoped for before I ever even got my initial HT. I know repair cases are complex, but he's been honest in his assessment and I like his transparency rather than selling people on a dream. Appreciate you cataloguing this all!

Firstly, they missed an entire area of my vertex and crown in the transplanting process. So even if I were freaking out about the scarring, I still have an area that needed coverage they missed and couldn't comprehend was SMP and not hair. Secondly, I don't think I'm overreacting as I saw the scarring from my first procedure and this one was much more rough, on top of the scar tissue that develops as more HT accumulate. Thirdly, I don't think you know more than I do after over a year in contact with their clinic, simply by watching this guy's reviews. He is very informative. I just think that people should see experiences from a clinic from all angles, and with various patients' concerns and specific cases in mind. I genuinely wish it were just me freaking out. If 5 months from now all is right as rain and I love this HT, I will eat my words but based off what I've seen of my donor area, that isn't going to happen. Also maybe don't have such a condescending tone, as I wasn't attacking anyone.

Hope you choose the right place for you, man! Just make sure you know and have seen the SURGEON's work extensively. You are aware of their scarring history and you see a few VIDEOS of client work after about a year. Sadly, I fell for flashy Instagram posts and let them blind me to the truth of the clinic I chose.

I don't think that's the sole experience people will have but the review didn't feature any donor area scarring inspection. Didn't remark on the expertise of the surgeon, the experience of the technicians, etc. I am pretty sure this guy isn't a paid shill, I never implied such. He looks like he's just a blogger trying to make his way and find his place in a niche market. But I also want people to know the whole truth. Have negatives and positives and weigh them against one another. My experience is not only negative, it's left me feeling hopeless. So I would like to inform those who are considering going the full range of outcomes.

That picture was post my 1st HT, the donor damage was noticeable but not horrific. I am post my 2nd HT now and they roughed me up really bad in this 2nd session. I was pulling flesh out from the sides of my head. Trust me, if it wasn't so bad I'd have just chilled out like after my 1st procedure. But I genuinely will have to change the way I style my hair for the rest of my life now just to avoid the intensive scarring.

I'm using my own experience to interject that this clinic isn't ethical. They over harvest and use an abnormally large punch graft for the donor area. I have pictures of the spot-scarring which is massive. And they also don't tell you who is operating on you. Maybe OP had a great experience--but there's 2 sides to every coin and when I see so many people shamelessly hyping up this clinic without any attention paid to donor area, or the people actually performing the procedure, then yeah. I'm going to try to protect my brethren who might be vulnerable and fall for HOI's smoke and mirrors.

Yep, he did. And he's terrible at doing anything but drawing a straight line. I kept telling them where my diffuse and patchy areas were--and they couldn't recognize them. Mind you, I can spot my own through the SMP I received and I'm not an 'expert' at this, I just have eyes. I think they specialize in either NW2's or NW6's. No inbetween. I was unfortunately more an NW 3/4 with some thinning in my crown and vertex. And I really wish I went somewhere with SURGEONS who knew how to recognize what I needed.

Coming from someone who had 2 HT at a turkish hair mill because it's all I could afford--trust me, it's better to take your time and find the right place rather than jumping into it with whatever place will have you and you can swing. Be very very deliberate with your surgeon and make sure it's a result you're going to love. I currently have some pretty horrendous scars because I cut corners and that's something I'm going to have to live with for life.

Mind DMing me your donor area? I've only hit the 4k mark and I know it's never 1 to 1, but honestly dude hearing about your story is giving me a good deal of hope.

Melvin, Really cracking result, man! It's easy to lose perspective at times. The fact you were basically NW7 and now you're back to like a NW2 with nice, long hair is a major achievement unto itself. I'm shown results like these and reminded that perfection isn't something I should be striving for and honestly, being conservative with remaining grafts is a smart way to go. How many total grafts have you had placed to this point? How many procedures, just the one? I think I'm going to try dermarolling around the 6 month mark after my HT heals. Gonna look into oral Minox, too. We can use that in combination with Fin, right?

Other celebs have gone to Cinik & HOI. Mind you, like d-list social media people. Honestly think they're just perk / attention whores.

Yeah, but sadly I think their hype machine is flying off the rails. From what I heard, Floyd Mayweather just went there to get a HT so they'll get a ton of publicity *eyeroll*. As far as Cinik, I've seen some great results. And much less scarring. Anyway, that's where I was initially supposed to go but I changed my mind due to HOI's Instagram deception. Now I am where I am!! Tons of regret, and I could have had a FULL HEAD of hair for all the grafts HOI have wasted on such a small area while decimating my donor. No clue the size of their punch, I ask but they never give me straight answers. Their rep said 'there is only one size in the industry, we use the same size as everyone'. Genuinely wish I avoided Istanbul altogether and went somewhere with better credentials.

Ross, Thanks so much, man. I feel really supported and welcome here. And yes, I want to share my story far and wide because HOI are corrupt and uncaring. They scarred my donor area at such an insane rate, I have no clue how any clinic in Istanbul is still using a graft punch that large in 2020!! I feel a bit raw still right now, so I'm unsure about reaching out to journalists. Maybe in a few weeks when I'm not feeling so exposed and vulnerable. It's my intention to share this information so noone else goes to this clinic. I hope they get discovered for who they really are and get shut down. I know there are lots of places selling false dreams and results, but this place has literally taken my confidence from me. They've robbed me of feeling like I'll ever have a full head of hair and depleted my donor to the point I don't think even with some of the best surgeons, I'll be at a place I could have if I just chose the right clinic off the bat. Appreciate your very kind words. I am going to try to be kinder to myself and those I love but it's hard. They've taken a lot from me. My hope is just that as a forum, we can ensure that no future hair loss sufferers end up here. There's lots of bloggers and the like also trying to hock HOI as a miracle clinic, too. For all the mixed things I've heard about Cinik and other 'hair mills', though, I've never seen anyone leave there with a donor as destroyed as mine. Thanks for reaching out, Ross.

Kruchie, Thanks man. You're the one with the fantastic results from Cinik and DUT, right? I have some questions on Dutasteride, was thinking of trying it myself for my diffuse thinning. I'll message in a bit. Still having major non-cinik regret!!!

thanks for the laugh but honestly, she's not to blame. It was a dick move of me.

Melvin, I appreciate you greatly, man. A big part of this is that I have always had really poor body image (dysmorphia) which caused me to have an eating disorder throughout most of my 20s. So I am extra critical of myself. I survived my slow killing myself when I got down to near 120 lbs, and I'm hopeful I can survive what I'm putting myself through now. While this may not be the worst, it's what I have to live with for the time being. And in the case of my donor area, forever. I'm just so mad I wasted so many grafts on such a disreputable place. That I didn't have more common sense to go elsewhere the 2nd time. And that makes me frustrated more at myself than anything. I'll reach out in a bit on consultations. If I sit around looking at this scalp of mine without trying to be proactive, I feel like I'll never get anything in life done. I'm supposed to be grading Finals for my students this week but all I've been able to do is obsess and hate myself. Thanks for trying to set me on a course of action. I'm just not sure what I can realistically do when the time comes, because this clinic drained me mentally and financially. Talk in a bit & thanks again. Paul

This place is an absolute scam. Please check out my post to see the truth about HOI.

Guys, I don't mean to be a downer right now but I am feeling pretty low--borderline suicidal. I need to know there is a way out of this but I fear because I can't afford a top surgeon, it's my destiny to just live with a mangled head and can't even grow out my hair because of how thin the vertex / crown is and are going to be. I just feel stuck. And I'm lashing out at my girlfriend and loved ones because of how much I'm hurting. I blamed her for not letting me go to Cinik the first time, because she wanted me to be home while she had a trial to testify at. And then before my resecheduled trip, she showed me the HOI instagram and I fell for it. Now I'm just casting blame and also blaming myself HARD. I'm so stupid for going to them not once but twice--and not going to a better surgeon for the repair. Why am I so stupid?

Can you please recommend some doctors to consult about fixing my thin vertex and the shoddy work of HOI? I will hopefully have a decent looking donor after another procedure and then move forward with SMP and live with whatever my hair does for the rest of time. I am just so disappointed in myself. For choosing HOI in the first place. For going back a 2nd time. I can't believe I did this to myself and disfigured the sides of my head, when I could have just gone with Cinik or any other clinic who have produced respectable results. I still feel so much like I can't be around myself. I am having a hard time just coping with this healing process and not wanting to die.

How I truly wish I posted on here a week back before I was deciding to go back to Turkey or not. I don't believe they used any kind of FUE microscope or magnification. They were very reckless with my donor and with planting over native hairs. I don't know what my recourse as far as suing is because it's just me and one other person I've met through forums who have had nightmare experiences at HOI and to be honest, I really don't have the money for a lawsuit right now. I barely had the money to spend on a procedure as expensive as theirs is. But now I'll save my money and try my best to find a SURGEON and clinic who can repair my diffuse thinning, and hopefully not damage my donor too much further. I'm just scared at this point, I won't have enough donor left for what I need. Thanks for sharing pics of your experience. I wish people knew just how careless and corrupt Hair of Istanbul is.

I am on fin, have been for almost 2 years now. I REALLY wish I got on it in my early 20s, though, because I used to have a gorgeous head full of thick hair all through my crown and vertex. I got prescribed Proscar and my gf at the time convinced me it would ruin my libido so I never took it. Waited until I was 31--started taking it and my dick still works as well as ever. Super upset I squandered potential in the hair I could have kept if I had only taken it back then, might have needed about 1,000 grafts to rebuild my temples and hairline and that'd be about it. But now I am where I am!!

Thanks man. In general, I would rather not have had the trauma of 2 less than successful HTs and a completely raided donor area. I think I might have some good grafts left, but yes, it will undoubtedly take the last of what I've got with it. And I'll be even more threadbare there. I hope the result is better than I fear at the moment and I can wait a few years until my crown & vertex thin to where they're going to be long term. I really was hoping a year back that 1 HT would give me the look of a mid-30s guy and I'd be set for life, if not until my 50s. Unfortunately, they botched it and robbed me of tons of grafts. Thanks for giving me your perspective, though, and if some are saying it's not that terrible--I'm hoping as the donor grows back it's less horrific than I envision.

Gatsby, Thanks so much for sharing a piece of your story, my friend. Those are some gnarly strip scars. You're strong for pushing through! You mind sharing with me your progress up to this point? What routes did you take to repair? I am trying to remain optimistic but it's just so disappointing knowing I could have avoided all of this if only I had chosen the right clinic from day one. I can't go back, I guess. Only forward. Appreciate you reaching out and I'll do the same when I have any questions or need to vent!

Just last week. The donor was moth eaten after the first one, only not as bad as it is now. I had my reservations about going back but they promised me they would listen to my concerns and fill in my crown / vertex they didn't the first time. They basically told me they wouldn't once I got there, as they thought I would keep losing hair in that area and it was too premature. Despite the fact their website often gives guys an entire head of hair all the time on their social media. I should have known better than to trust social media--as I'd researched on this site for years with in depth reviews and results from members. Was locked into Demirsoy or Cinik (I know he has mixed reviews) but changed at the last moment. Did the same with my 2nd, was set on going to Cinik for a repair but HOI told me they would make it right for free and I think I just foolishly believed it would be different. Extractions seemed MUCH cleaner after the 1st procedure. But regardless, they use a very big hold punch. And they take from outside the safe zone. Here are some donor area pics after the 1st HT: And after the 2nd:

Thanks, my newfound friend. I hope my next choice is the right one--and an informed one. I just don't know how long I'll have to live with this shit result in the meantime. Plus whatever becomes of my donor after that procedure, most likely SMP...it just hurts to have go through all of this when I could have just made the right choice a year ago...