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!

15 minutes ago, PizzaWolf said:

@Peezus I gotta be real here, brother. I think you're prematurely flipping out. Your photos are too fresh from surgery to really know what the end result is going to be.

Even in the short amount of time I've been on this forum, there seems to be monthly panic attacks from guys who just went through surgery and are positive they have been maimed. Go look at some of Dr. Diep's threads. You would think from the first few months of many of his patient threads that he's the worst surgeon on the planet. By the end of those same threads, the mood shifts to a congratulations on the amazing result.

I don't know if your surgery will ultimately be a failure or not, but I don't think you really do either.

As far as @BuddyX is concerned, I watched some of his videos and read his comments on those. He did show his donor area, he did comment on the clinic being technician run and how the doctor of the clinic is really only there in name only. He also gave the name of the doctor, so I'm sure that can be Googled for more info.

Quite frankly, I think I know more about HOI than you do from watching a couple of his videos and reading the comments.

Chill out and make an objective assessment of your hair in 2021.

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.

Just now, Dark said:

I appreciate your honesty and wish you the best with your issue moving forward. I also most definitely appreciated your experience as it doesn’t indeed add juxtaposition. 
 

I will be embarking on my first HT journey soon all experiences are more than helpful.

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.

3 minutes ago, Dark said:

@Peezus

Sounds rough bro, hopefully you can get that sorted out in the near future. I’ve seen some pretty bad cases and they were saved on here. Don’t loose faith as despite my comments above there are truly some magicians in the world of HT. I’m sure you will find someone who is right for your particular job.
 

The issue I personally have with statements like the one you made originally are that it makes it seems like the OP is a paid shill for HOI, we have no proof he is or isn’t. Statements like this obfuscate the actual truth about HOI. You go onto to day we should refer to your post, as if it were the only experience anyone had with HOI. Now, I might be being a tad insensitive here so please cut me a little slack, but why should we believe your experience will be that which the majority of people experience as opposed to that of the OP’s?

Asked with all due respect of course...

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.

3 minutes ago, Dark said:

@Peezus 

I appreciate your interjection, I am all for objectivity and openness. I’ve read your post and it sounds harrowing. The donor did look pretty rough post surgery. Although, I will also say the picture that you have a kinda Mohican style hair cut, taken from the side view your hair looks ok. Then again I’m no expert. Plus the other pictures it’s hard to tell how bad it is. Add to this I’m using my phone. Maybe some clear upto date pictures will help display the issues are they currently stand. 

However, getting back to this post. As you state there are two sides to every coin... It just so happens that we have both sides right here for a change and they willing to provide insight. So as you also say the rest of the brethren do not fall foul to the same issues you have faced. Hopefully the OP will chime in with whom done his work etc.

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.

23 minutes ago, Dark said:

Are you suggesting the that OP is lying? 

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.

1 minute ago, anotherhairlosssufferer said:

I was "impressed" by their profile and went through it. Looks like they have some relatively high profile people who went there like this guy that ended up happy apparently: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0dNWuAnKuo/.

I am really puzzled as to what the deal is, perhaps they actually are legit and good at stuffing 3k grafts in the hairline, so if you are NW1/2 they can get you to that NW0, but if you have NW3+ hair loss then good luck? Did this guy draw your hairline: https://www.instagram.com/mfatihakdemir/ ?

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.

2 minutes ago, OliverAtom said:

Melvin,

Incredible change! And you still have for sure at least one more procedure to go for... I would bet that with 1500-1800 and that oral minox and finas to maintain, and you are done... even though as you say, you then will WANT MORE AND MORE 😀 ... we always want more of everything, money, hair, love... but I believe HAPPINESS is the final destination that we should look for, and I see that you are really happy!

Many thanks for all your info and sharing your journey, it´s surely an inspiration for us looking to someday jump into the HT adventure! I´m still looking at my options to find the best doctor ha ha... but my reduced current budget might postpone my complete Happyness for a good while 😒 ... However, loving to see all the stories here in the Forum!

Thanks again and congrats on your amazing transformation!

 

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.

31 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

Man, 

I’m delighted to read this post, it shows me that you’re thinking a lot more instead of acting from emotion. Hair transplants are never meant to be perfect, we should never chase perfection through surgery.

I’ve had three procedures and about 5,300 grafts via FUE. 

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?

40 minutes ago, Rossybop said:

Wow. Crazy stuff. It kind of beggars belief that Floyd Mayweather - a billionaire sports icon - would go to Istanbul for a cheap hair transplant. 

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

1 hour ago, Rossybop said:

You're very welcome. I'm glad you're feeling well supported here. Out of curiosity do you know what size is there punch tool?

I can understand how you might be feeling a bit raw and vulnerable. Rest up, refresh yourself and things will start looking brighter again soon.

I definitely do you think you should get the message out into the media be it on newspapers or TV. People will thank you for it. It is so scary what they are doing. You say there are bloggers and vloggers talking about how good this place is - I just can't understand that. How are they getting such high praise when they are a dangerous scam. With regards to Cinik and Turkey in general I am sceptical of the hair transplant industry there. It seems to have a reputation for being risky. Even Cinik does not have many traceable qualifications.

Anyway I wish you well brother. Talk any time.

Ross.

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.

1 hour ago, Rossybop said:

Hey buddy,

Having read your long post I am feeling really upset and my heart goes out to you. I have to say I think this story is totally remarkable and if other people become aware of your story they might be less likely to make the same mistake that you've made, therefore I think this story should be broadcast at high volume. I would consider contacting journalists and sharing your story that way as it will help save other people from visiting this bad clinic.

Concerning your predicament I was actually expecting the pictures to be a lot worse. Based on your pictures I would say you can probably be saved at the hands of a good surgeon. There are lots of good surgeons who specialize in very precise repair jobs for guys like you that have been cheated by evil scammers. On that note you should know that you are not alone - sadly bad hair transplants are very common and a lot of guys have found themselves in the same predicament as you.

I can't begin to imagine how you feel right now but I am cheering for you and hoping that you can feel better soon. There is no shame in falling victim to bad things so don't blame yourself, this could happen to any one of us. Right now I would honestly say you are not looking too bad, you've still got plenty of hair to work with and I believe that with the right repair job you can come out of this feeling happy and one day this whole terrible ordeal will be behind you and you will be able to move on from it. You can get through this tough moment. Everybody here believes in you, and there is still lots of hope for regaining a good result in the future so don't give up hope yet. You have the support of everybody on this forum.

I'd also like to thank you for sharing this brave story because it is a story that has the power to save other people from falling victim to Hair of Istanbul. If you need someone to talk to for support please feel free to message me. My name is Ross.

Be safe. You can get through this. We believe in you.

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.

15 hours ago, Kruchie said:

@PeezusI think I replied to your thread on Reddit? Just try and take a step back for a minute, everything could look SO much better in a few short months and if nothing else, you're young and have plenty of time. You're definitely not a point of no return. Just give it time and re-evaluate the situation. I actually don't think your hair looks that bad to be honest but that's not to say you don't have the right to feel the way you do about it, I've had some real dark times due to my hair too. Feel free to message me here or preferably on Reddit and we can chat a bit more. 

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!!!

26 minutes ago, jjsrader said:

I would make that bad-influence gf take 2 extra jobs - have her give you all her money for the next 2 years - minimum & research & then get a proper repair from a trusted surgeon.  Then dump her.

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

42 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

Stop blaming yourself and your gf. You live and learn, there are solutions. Believe me, even the worst cases can be repaired, @Gatsby @Doron Harati to name a few who were in worse positions. 

Also, I think you’re being too hard on yourself and the results. By no means is that the worse I’ve ever seen, a few years back we had @Sanjar41 come on the forum after being absolutely butchered. We all rallied behind him and got him a free repair. Now, there are surgeons within a reasonable budget who can fix your hair, all is not lost. Eugenix is a highly skilled clinic that are reasonably priced, as is HDC, and BHR clinic Athens. 

If you want send me a pm, and I will help you get consultations. We’re a brotherhood here man, we will help!

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?

16 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I will say this, we are usually our worst critics, while I have been saying this non-stop DO NOT TRUST INSTAGRAM! It’s forums like this one where you see the truth.

I think you’re still in a good spot moving forward, and I truly hope you’ll use our community as a source of information. Even when things don’t turn out as expected, instead of dwelling on misfortunes, I believe in looking and moving forward.

The positives is you still have a lot of hair left, you can get smp to disguise the scars, and we have plenty of capable surgeons who can fix and repair your previous work. Please let me know how I can help. 

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.

6 hours ago, Doron Harati said:

I am so sorry to hear about this unfortunate incident, the same happened to me with Arenamed clinic in Turkey, but I am not alone, I am suing with more ppl that went with the same rep, I may also sue the clinic too, many ppl around the globe told me they went there and experienced painful procedure.

I truly understand what you going through, I got you're PM, I'll do my best to help you, thank you for sharing your experience, in my opinion you should never go back for a "repair" in the same clinic, unless it's a respectful doctor that follow the Micro FUE  protocol which happens to 3% of his paitents in a year maybe.

This is my donor by Arenamed clinic, I am was so lucky my donor near to my ears is very generous and Dr. Maras from HDC in Cyprus could save me, so grateful for that!

 

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.

3 minutes ago, aaron1234 said:

If your 2nd procedure was just last week then take a deep breath.  You won't know for several months what kind of result you'll get, so be patient.  In the meantime, are you on fin?  Not getting on fin when you already have a good head of hair might be a worse mistake than going to Turkey for a HT.

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!!

4 minutes ago, Captain Haddock said:

@Peezus

As I was reading your story I was expecting a far worse looking donor and recipient area, than what I finally came to see from your pictures. It doesn't look that bad at all. 

You still have a lot of hair and a combo of ~1500 scalp + 500 odd beard hair + SMP should seal the deal for you my friend. 

I'd say wait for a year till your donor/current HT results grow in. Meanwhile you could research recommended surgeons here. 

 

 

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.

33 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

Peezus you are not alone and you will come out of this. You will be in a spot where this will in hindsight be a terrible experience and nothing more than learning from a mistake. The first thing is you need to forgive yourself and don't feel you have done anything wrong (because you haven't). Turkey (and nearly every country) has a host of false marketing and disgraceful surgeons. But this aside you have a lot going for you. I can easily tell that you have great hair in both calibre and density. As Melvin stated would you be able to post a clear photo of your hairline? The biggest problem you will experience now is 'patience' because that is what will get you out of this situation. Do not do any SMP, etc for at least 12 months as the scar healing process will ruin it. If you could upload your pics each month so that you can get the support of the forum and the feed back you need that would be great. Feel free to pm me if you would like. Take care and be kind to yourself during this. By the way this is or 'was' my donor region even after one repair.

 

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!

1 hour ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I’m very sorry to hear your disappointment, but the pictures aren’t that clear. Unfortunately, I say this all the time, but there are no money-back guarantees. That’s why going cheap can turn expensive in the end. That said, the pictures show a decent head of hair.

The post-op pictures don’t really show how you the donor has healed. I suggest taking some new pictures with the hairline fully exposed and pushed back. Also, be sure to include some clear donor shots.  How long ago was your second procedure?

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:

18 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

We are here for each other. There are so many members that can help you, so much experience/knowledge. You now have come to the right place and your next shot will be a informed choice, whenever that might be. 
 

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...