SeanT1

Looks normal for 5 months honestly.
Maybe you lag behind a little slower (by a month), but this is still common.
I wouldn't worry at all.

You look like where I was at 4 months;

Day 15

FUECapilar got in contact to say that I over paid for my surgery.  Apparently they had a package for under 1000 grafts.  So I was refunded 600 euros.  Making the total cost 3400 euro.

If possible, could a moderator modify the original post with this change?

In the meantime, the transplant is going well after 2 weeks.  No more scabs, I have been showering normally and got a simple scissor haircut to fix the back.
It's nice to feel normal again so soon after a procedure thanks to non-shaven;

18 minutes ago, hairman4321 said:

I think realistically the density won't really be improved, you've just lowered the hairline. Did this doctor do other cases of improving density before? Seems lost in translation unfortunately- might’ve been better to just message them saying you only wanted density improved.

Hi, during our whatsapp discussion I spoke specifically about density improvements and temporal corner fixes.  They said lowering the hairline slightly in the temporal corners is a way to improve them without needing to reconstruct them completely.

Such plans was confirmed by the doctor himself, along with the correct estimation of 1500-2000 grafts. 

It was at the last 30 minutes before surgery they completely changed tune.

I'm hoping the additional hair will at least mask the overall density somewhat, if at all.
That said, time will tell.

Day 9

Scabs have fallen off.  I'm happy!
I noticed the left side of my head looks less dense than my right, I assume some hairs may have fallen out with the scabs.

Scabs have fallen off, here are the angles.

Here are some YouTube videos of my journey with Elithair from 2021 to 2024.

Elithair FUE/DHI transplant - 2021 - 3400 grafts - 2000 Euro FUE + 400 Euro DHI

Hello everyone, I'd like to leave my final review for Elithair with Dr Balwi now that it has been almost 3 years.

The end result, I am incredibly happy with, I am amazed how much coverage they achieved with 3400 grafts.
This clinic is considered a "hair mill" on this forum (respectfully), and I understand the concerns.

Dr Balwi took no part in the surgery other than the hairline design and graft estimation both for FUE on bald areas and DHI within existing hairs).  The final cost for the transplant was 2400 Euro (originally 2000 euro, but then they decided to do DHI work in-between existing hairs also).

All extractions and implanting was done by techs.  
But despite this, I think they did an incredible job.  Your mileage may very if you go to this clinic, it's possible the original tech team has changed since 3 years.  The coverage was quite surprising, especially since I have extremely thin hair (majority of my grafts are single hair, similar to Asian).  I would say the density was lacking, but I assume this might have always been the case with how thin my hair is. 

Transport, accommodation and aftercare was very resourceful.
Every member of the Elithair team (including transport driver and hotel) were very friendly.  
Simply put, they made sure you felt like royalty.  I've travelled to Istanbul in the past and I'd say they had the friendliest services available.  They provided an aftercare package with vitamins, a derma roller (for future use) as well as some oils and the essential healing medicines + shampoos. 

Final note; Elithair surpassed expectations at its price point.
When I first booked with this clinic, I have never heard the term "hair mill", I simply booked this clinic based on results I found on YouTube and vlogs by others.  I didn't know how hair transplants worked or what is considered standard practice.  It seems, Elithair could be  budget hidden gem.  But again, you must be aware that the work is done by techs.  I recommend checking recent reviews and videos of this clinic on YouTube if you are considering moving forward with this clinic.  The whole experience felt safe and easy for me.

Personal note; A Hair transplant has changed my life for the better.
This is not an exaggeration, before my hair transplant I was 54kg (174cm height), my confidence was at an all time low and I didn't look after my health, I was underweight and looked much older than I really am.  Now, after my hair transplant, I have a significant amount of confidence, I am currently 70kg from better diet and a solid gym routine.  I am a happier person overall.  Such a procedure helped me feel like myself again.

(Before transplant)

(After transplant)

(Before transplant)

(After transplant)

(Original thread)

That's a solid amount, Dr Turan does great work. 
 

58 minutes ago, Al - Moderator said:

You shouldn’t need to keep your hair tied up more than a day or two after the surgery. 

Hi again Al,

I was told by the FUECapilar team to keep it tied up for the first 10-14 days? This is to prevent hair from sticking onto the grafts and pulling them.

1 hour ago, asterix0 said:

Why did they not put any grafts in your forelock?

The hair behind was from an existing transplant

46 minutes ago, baddecisions said:

It is not a temporary illusion, this time hairs are properly angled and the whole idea behind this procedure, I assume, is not (only) adding some density but rather masking poor angulation from first surgery and turning your hairline into a more natural one. 

 

8 minutes ago, Napoli said:

I think you overthink too much. Dr Turan is a great doctor with much experience and he produces natural looking results. He knows what he is doing. So i should suggest you to relax and be patient for your final result...

I agree with you both, thank you.
Post-operation paranoia is quite common amongst most who have transplants. 

1 minute ago, Hairwolf said:

Ah they are in the wrong then by backtracking like that at the last minute. I know what you mean by angulation anxiety. I remember from your previous thread re your first procedure in Turkey about grafts hairline sticking up. Was that any cause for concern this time around?

Well, Dr Turan has shown some amazing results on this forum, so I have confidence in his work.
I do question the current angles, but I think this is simply due to scabbing and is not the final angle.

The first procedure with Elithair, the angles are fairly similar to ||| , however, it surprisingly still looked natural.
Dr Turan's angles on the hairline seem to point at the temples, but again this could be a temporary illusion.

55 minutes ago, Hairwolf said:

The only thing here is that I don’t see confirmation of non-shave here, so perhaps something was lost in translation. Btw how was the DHI process? Any discernible difference from pre-made incisions?

Hi, the discussion of non-shaven was more prominent in whatsapp exchange.

Such proposal PDF documents were then adjusted to meet these needs.

It was stressed numerous times that 1500-2000 grafts can be expected with non-shaven, and that density will be improved by adding more hairs inbetween existing.

As for the DHI process, it felt a lot more gentle on the scalp.
I was able to sleep much easier during the surgery due to this.

I have some concerns regarding the angle of the grafts, however, I think my mind is being tricked by the scabs.
We'll see once the scabs are removed.  Dr Turan is a well known surgeon, I can't imagine he's even capable of making such angular mistakes.

4 minutes ago, Berba11 said:

One of the disadvantages of doing an unshaved surgery is that by having to tie your hairline up, it's slightly more guesswork in terms of matching all the angles/directions of the newly implanted hairs with the existing hair than it would have been shaved. Shaved down, your existing hair angles/direction would have been clear and easier to replicate. I was a bit surprised you went down the no shave route to be honest, especially after you were told it would cost extra and that they wouldn't go into the forelock as much to add density.

Hi, I'm more surprised that they told me they could go into the forelock and add density as well as reshape.etc, the original agreement said 1500-2000 grafts will be used to improve density as well as temporal corners.  Then just before the surgery they said the opposite. 

I've seen some great non shaven results in the past, I'm optimistic.  But I completely understand why shaven is simply the better route in general.

I'm still wondering why there was an extra cost however.

1 hour ago, Berba11 said:

Very difficult to say from these pictures to be honest. Would be easier to tell if you’d shaved the native hair and once the scabs are off. 

I'll repost once the scabs are off and I'm able to untangle my hair from tails.

1 hour ago, Ehayat said:

Hey man how was your experience? 

Experience is in the original post

1 hour ago, Ehayat said:

Dude why wouldnt you just shave your head if you couldnt get the results you wanted? I mean dont take this the wrong way but in my opinion the state of your hair looks much funnier than if you just had it shaved. Im not really sure I understand your reasoning here...all the same I wish you good results!

It's all explained above sir.

I understand what you mean by it looking funnier, but this is only temporary (for about 1 month until the back can be cut & shaped and regular existing hair can be styled again).  Many people get non-shaven second transplants to improve upon the original transplant.

The issue I had with FUECapilar was that they agreed 1500-2000 is possible non-shaven and they're willing to add density within existing hairs, only to be told the opposite 30 minutes before the surgery. I needed non-shaven so my hair can look good for an event coming up in my life, non-shaven will allow a good hairstyle sooner than compared to shaven.

11 minutes ago, mr_peanutbutter said:

how many grafts are those?

833 total for this hairline tweak & temple work.

Some angles simply look strange to me, but again I could be overthinking from the scabbing?

8 minutes ago, Al - Moderator said:

They should be pointing at least slightly towards the temples since it's on the side of the hairline. Do the ones closer to the center point forward more? I'd wait a few more days until the scabs come off to get a better idea of how the angles are looking. Perhaps the scabs forming are pushing them a bit more in that direction than they actually will be once the scabs are gone.

 

Thanks, this was my thought process also.  Perhaps the scabs are making them look a little off.
However, this seems to occur the whole way up to the middle of the hairline.

I don't want to insult the doctor but I hope he didn't place grafts based on how my hair was tied during the surgery.

The temples themselves look correct

Hi everyone,
I got a transplant with FUECapilar earlier in the week and I was wondering if the angle of these grafts look correct along the hairline?

They seem to be pointing to my temples.  
Could this just be a misunderstanding on my part?

Thanks!

5 hours ago, Hairwolf said:

It is certainly far from ideal to be told that 30 min before the surgery. I understand sticking to your guns  here; however I understand others would bite the bullet here and go shaven. You are still a young lad, so keeping some grafts in the tank for further down the line is wise also.

Thank you sir, yes; it was a lot of pressure in the moment to decide between shaven or not.  I chose non-shaven ultimately to stick with the original plan since I have some events coming up in a few months and I need to look my best for. 

You're absolutely right about graft preservation, especially at the age of 28. 
This is one benefit from the reduction of grafts.

For reference, here is another screenshot showing the agreed amount of 1500-2000 grafts for a non-shaven procedure;

If your clinic does not provide one, bring a travel pillow.  It is essential for sleeping upright and protecting your head during travels.

11 minutes ago, Jupiter_ said:

Happy growing man. In your case i would have shaved my scalp...non-shaven procedure is always more risky for the surgeons, thats why they implant less grafts in non-shaven procedure compared to shaven one...

I understand man, but from the initial conversations and interaction with FUECapilar I was very clear that I wanted non-shaven, and they agreed 1500-2000 grafts will be possible with such a procedure and wrote it into the PDF agreement.  So to be told that less than half is possible 30 minutes before surgery is a bit of a blow.  

-Removed-

12 hours ago, Ramin said:

Mine took place on April 8-9, then we both were there on same day!

Looking back, I think I seen you in the hotel restaurant with bandages on Tuesday morning during breakfast (or this might of been dinnertime on Monday). 
I'm happy for your results sir, they looked quite promising!