DomTransplant

So happy for you mate, looking good and evident crown is filling in nicely. Next few months you'll go from strength to strength, happy growing and keep posting, great motivation as i'm 5 months behind you!

Just came across this, you're looking great for 5 months, ahead of the average for sure. Excited to see your 6 months, keep us updated please

*2 Month Update*

Some changes to report, shock loss on back of head has shown some improvement over the past 30 days, temporarily moved to topical min which has helped. I'll continue this until it's fully recovered, hopefully by month 6. 

As for hair growing in, as expected, not much but some early signs of growth, quite exciting to zoom in and see faint baby hairs pushing through in some areas. 

Redness has improved, pictures taken right after shower so looks redder than it really is

19 minutes ago, DDAM94 said:

Hi Dom,

Thanks so much for posting this review -  I'm excited to see how things pan out for you as we're a similar age and I had my procedure with Dr Biçer just a couple of days ago!

I just posted my review and it seems like we had similarly good experiences at the clinic so hopefully this plays out in the results over the next few months.

I hope life's got largely back to normal for you now you're a few weeks in. I only got back to London yesterday but already keen to have my sleep back to normal and being able to go outside again looking a bit less battered!

Daniel

Hey Dan,

Thanks a million for the shoutout, I'm pleased to have been somewhat helpful! Great to hear you've gone to Bicer, awesome surgeon! Left a comment and followed your post as we're on similar paths here, just a month apart! 

Rest up and just get through the next 10 days in whatever way you can, the anti-odemas should help a lot with the swelling. Stay in touch!

Dom

DDAM, what a write up! Super detailed, you've chosen a great surgeon with Dr. Bicer! It looks like we're on parallel stories with & age, location & recession here so I'll be following and looking forward to your growing journey! Good look over the next 7-10 days, as you'll know from all your research, that's the hard bit, after that, you'll be golden and won't have to quite worry as much. Keep us updated, can't wait to see the results.

1 Month Update - the Shedfest.

Recovery has been fine, have returned to playing golf and football as of yesterday, which felt conservative but wanted to stay on the safe side.

I've experienced some amount of shock loss on the back of my head, although relatively unexpected, it's not totally uncommon and Dr Bicer thinks this should regrow in 6 months or so (max), I'm semi tempted to give it a buzz on the back to even it up for when I'm not wearing a hat!

I also had my first experience out without a hat at a wedding, was relatively nervous about the experience but people just seemed more interested in the new hair which led to good chats about the transplant, which was nice.

Looking great for 4 months, excited to see the next couple months - keep us posted!

Hey folks,

Thought I'd post my one-week update. Recovery has been okay, I'm looking forward to the 10-14 day mark where life will return to normal a little bit more and these scabs can be slowly worked out. Some scabs have fallen out, particularly on the edges, some have come out with hairs, as expected. Sleep has been the hardest thing and being inside for a while, but looking forward to moving past this stage and starting to shed properly. Much less sore now however, the back of the head has no noticeable scabs and I worked these out with a warm towel on day 6. Other scabs not yet removed, will begin to work out at day 10.

DAY 1 POST OP:

Front Sides

                   
             

 

Back & Front


DAY 7 POST OP:

FRONT SIDES (under flash)



FRONT & BACK 



One thing I would have done - buy more bloody shirts before I got the transplant! 

Overall - things seem to be fine, have been extremely careful. Am probably being slightly too careful with washing and so will need to just rub out scabs post day 10.


 

On 11/16/2020 at 2:04 AM, Melvin- Moderator said:

 

Super useful - thanks Melvin, day 7 post op with Bicer and had my first experience of a couple scabs with hairs. Knew it was normal but no matter how many times you tell yourself there's that irrational bit of you that thinks - what if its not!

Thank you!

Congrats mate, great choice of surgeon. Really excited to follow this result, next few months will be nice, you're getting through shedding nicely. Looking forward to seeing your 4 month update in a month or so. Happy growing!

On 6/21/2023 at 8:13 PM, JDilla said:

Another month has passed, so this is the month 5 update. 
 

Growth is clearly visible, density is getting much better already and people are complementing on how much fresher I look. Especially the front which was originally no big concern to me looks so good! The crown is much slower and depending on the angle I take the picture it looks more or less dense. 
 

Only concern I have is, that for the last 2-3 weeks I’ve been getting some pimples. First in the crown, now also in the hairline. I assume it’s ingrown hair, so I’m putting warm packs on them every now and then, but if anyone has other tips on what to do, please let me know. 
 

 

Looking good Dill - and only at month 5, crazy. Next couple months should get even better. I went to Bicer and am not even a week out yet so excited to follow your journey. Hard to see the pimples/ingrowns, how many do you have? If it's just a few of them, you're doing the right thing, avoid popping. If it worsens, reach out and see what they advise, you might need something prescribed. Happy growing, I'm super happy for you.

Wow Gatsby! I've just gone through your story and what a journey. You're an absolute stud and your commitment to endure what you've endured, particularly after botched surgeries is just commendable and remarkable. I can't wait to continue seeing monthly weekly updates. Excited to see the 6 month mark on that crown on your next update. Happy growing and congratulations, you look awesome.

5 minutes ago, Hairfulthinking said:

Thanks for the optimism, always appreciated. Just bummed out that I took care in avoiding the situation I now find myself within and feel less secure with nyself than I did pre op. Obviously time to go still though.

I don't think the hairline was lowered (althought density was added to the front central point), just the temples. Me and the surgeons agreed a high and conservative hairline that would mature well would be best route. I got about 10 different estimates from varying clinics all estimating around 1200 to 2000 with 1700 being average.

Oops - my bad on this. I'd missed the first images so fully see what you're saying now. You did everything perfectly and by the book, and the journey isn't over, this is fixable, albeit I know that probably feels a long way away. Did the clinic give you a response on this, have they expressed any interest in resolving this after the 1Y mark with a 500 graft touch up if necessary to build some density free of charge - as their reputation, particularly with your comments, is something they obviously hold themselves on.

I've just been reading through and I'm gutted you're feeling so down to the point where you're wearing a hat. In the interests of just being totally upfront, it's no way near as bad as you think. I know looking in the mirror you think everyone else sees what you see, but they don't. Is it as full as you wanted, no it's not at this point. Could you get a bit more thickness in the next 3-4 months - 100% I would expect there to be some more thickening. If after 12 months, you look back and think that you're still not happy with the thickness, just accept it as a lesson and you can get a touch-up at a different surgeon. I think moving hairlines forward with a relatively low graft number is always going to be tough to get the illusion of density you wanted, but it's in no way a really bad job. You look absolutely fine, you'll continue to look absolutely fine, and in a few months, you can, if you're still not happy, go and get it thickened out elsewhere if needed. Keep your head up, it's no way near as bad as you see it. 

I struggled with this a little bit being in the UK - eventually it came down to a lot of what you're saying. I found after countless nights on here that there were other men going to Turkey who were getting excellent results. There were also plenty who were remorseful of rushed decisions. I went to Bicer recently because I was not convinced from reading that I'd get a better doctor in the UK that was achieving as consistent results as her and others were for a far cheaper price, which is why I went with her. It's also hard to gage because you're never going to be 100% sure, there will always be that part of you that thinks 'oh it might just be easier to get it done in the States'. At the end of the day it's a personal choice which will factor in cost, reviews of surgeons, along with your personal motivations. I'm not even a week post transplant but I'm pleased I went abroad and saved the £10k for a comparable surgeon.

2 hours ago, TrainingDay said:

Appreciate your thoughts! In my pics, I just brushed my hair straight up to give the best view of the results. I'll post a picture of how I style/wear it. I do think it goes well with how I style it because that corner gets slightly covered.

Yeah this would be good to see. Presuming you push it one way or another to the side it's never going to be noticed. It's also a great example of one of those things which you might notice, and if you pointed it out to someone and they really looked, maybe they could agree with you. But to me, in no way does it look off and will not be noticed in day-to-day life. It's a very small marginal concern which I don't think will be on your mind after a couple more months of growing

12 minutes ago, JasonElva1990 said:

It looks cool etc but what will u do brother if the middle will go further after some time and the balding will progress?

I'm staying on Fin & Min, and my hairloss for the past 3 years has been kept at bay with front forehead recession. So if it does start to recede, I'll go back for a touch up, probably something like 500 grafts. I'm also most likely going to have to, at some point in time get a crown touch up. But again, I'd rather wait as long as I can with this so the hope is that the meds keep doing the job they've been doing. I guess I'll just have to wait and see!

 

8 minutes ago, duckling said:

you have maintained well with meds. good decision to use them for 3 long years before surgery. The hairline drawn looks good on you and lets see how it looks all grown out. 2500 grafts is going to give a good dense look.

good luck and happy growing !

Thanks for the kind words duckling - happy growing too my friend.

On 6/20/2023 at 7:39 AM, TrainingDay said:

Month 5. Hoping for more density to come, can still see through a fair bit. 

I know from your earlier post you had a bit of concern about the shape of the hairline. I think it looks great, particularly with how you style it, variation is natural and good with this, happy growing dude.

This is quality for month 5, can't wait to see this over the next few months, awesome result so far! Great choice with Bisanga, you've picked a brilliant surgeon.

4 hours ago, A_4_Archan said:

@DomTransplant Welcome officially to the forum...this forum is helpful to all the hair loss sufferers like you and me and all others...Nice clean work and densely packed....nice write up as well....will follow your journey closely ..happy growing and keep updating ...

Thanks @A_4_Archan - happy growing brother.

9 hours ago, Gatsby said:

That's an excellent write up and you have gone to one of the best. I really commend you for taking the time in doing your due diligence and this will show in your results. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to seeing your updates! All the best!

Thanks Gatsby, really useful seeing your comments pop up over the past couple of years.

Hello!

I've been a long-term guest-browser of the HairRestorationNetwork. At times, rather selfishly using resources without giving back. Having learned so much from other members over the past 3 years and having very recently had my hair transplant, I wanted to provide a full and thorough review of my journey, experience, along with providing regular updates for those who may find this useful. I'll answer any and all questions you may have along with providing weekly photo updates for those looking for reassurance on their own journey for the first 6 months, with a monthly image after that until 12 months, and most likely a final update at month 18.

ABOUT ME

- 28 year old male from London, UK.
- Began receding age 18.
- Have been taking Oral Fin (1mg) and Topical Minoxidil twice a day for the past 2.5-3 years. 
- I also use a Biotin and a caffeine shampoo bi-weekly

WHY A HAIR TRANSPLANT?

- Based on reading literally hundreds of other posts on the forums, I realised I had to get my current loss under control for a hair transplant to be the sensible option. I therefore committed to taking Fin & Minoxidil daily, which for me, helped drastically and got things to a point where they were manageable. Though not always useful as we're all different, my hair loss was a Norwood 2/3 with minimal crown loss. The rest of my hair remained relatively dense and improved in density on Fin & Min.

 HOW DID I CHOOSE BICER?

I reached out in September 2022 to three in Turkey, specifically, Bicer, Turan and Pekiner, along with Feriduni in Europe. I felt from reading reviews and the initial response I received from Ozen, Dr Bicens coordinator, that Bicer would be the best fit. I also fundamentally liked the fact that it was a 12 month waiting list. For me the longer I waited to see someone who everyone wanted to go and see, the better. I think the others would have been good options, but Feriduni was obviously more expensive and I just felt taking everything in to consideration that Bicer was clearly one of the best surgeons, and I was super excited to see her.  We set a date in September 2023, though I informed Ozen that if there were any cancellations could she please let me know. I received a couple of dates in May, none of which I could make, but they had one cancellation in June which I jumped at last minute, with circa a weeks notice and booked hotels & flights to go and see Dr Bicer and the team.

See images below for references sent to Dr Bicer initially (apologies for formatting - I'm knew to this!)



DAY OF OPERATION

What should you expect when seeing Dr Bicer?

I arrived late on Sunday evening with a private transfer sorted through Ozen. My operation was on Monday and I headed in for 8:30. I stayed at the Sheraton, which was a 1 minute walk away, I'd recommend this for others. Upon arriving I was welcomed by Ozen and some of the team and Dr Bicer came up and said hello. Shortly after filling out a number forms, I went downstairs and had a consultation with Dr Bicer where she drew a number of provisional options for hairlines. We discussed this in detail and came to a reasonable approach on what would look best. She said, which I thought was rather interesting, that she will always ask everyone in the team what they think, as she can never trust her eyes 100%. I thought this was a great take, just to make sure that everything looked as it should look. I then had some blood tests & some heart work done to make sure I was fit for the operation. We also discussed the number of grafts, initially in the range of 2200, but later increased to 2500. The reasoning for this was clear, the density in the hair is solid, so we'll need to work a denser job to try and balance this out. Of course, hair transplants are an illusion, and it's impossible to get close to what we grow up with, but the closer we can get, the better. It was also interesting to see the different levels of recession I'd experienced, with one temple being worse than the other - something I'm not sure I ever noticed or considered. She also said she felt the crown didn't need attention, maybe later down the line, but for now Fin & Min were doing their jobs.

I was then prepped for surgery and dressed in a gown and had my head shaved. Weirdly, this was the hardest thing mentally, going through an experience where you're trying not to lose hair and then having it voluntarily shaved off took a few glances in the mirror to get used too, but actually as most people type on here - I quite liked it really. 

One of the team then prepped me for surgery with anaesthetic. This was the ONLY part of the day where I felt any kind of pain*. It lasts for around 20 minutes but really isn't that bad. It just feels like you're getting stung by a bee about 50 times, if a bee sting lasts half a second. Once the anaesthetic is in, she made sure with a scalpel or something similar that I had no pain and tested every part of the back of the head, when I could feel even a slight pain, I informed her and more anaesthetic was administered. I was then handed over to Dr Bicer, who performs the extractions herself. I must say that this was way easier than I thought it would be. I laid on my side, on my front and then on the other side while they removed 2500 grafts. I fell asleep during parts of this, I'm not actually sure how long it took, only sensation I can describe is it's like someone's clicking a pen on your head, you know something is happening, but it does't feel particularly strange. The grafts are collected and counted as you go so they know how many single/double haired grafts you have. I don't know my final number yet of single/doubles, but I will update once I do. Once Dr Bicer had finished, my donor area was then prepped with anaesthetic. I lied slightly above, this bit hurts too, but only lasted 10 minutes as was a smaller surface area than the donor area. 

I was then given a lunch break where I was given options, but I wasn't fussed and was cooked a big meal which was great. 

Then, Dr Bicer returned and again to be totally honest, I fell asleep during this, I'm not sure if that's normal but I was tired from the night before and fell asleep for a fair chunk of it. Dr Bicer is the only one who performs this part of the surgery. There's a ton of skill required to space correctly, and she did talk me through what the plan was before she did anything, checking in too. Once this was done, the insertion of hairs begins. This is not done by Dr Bicer but by two technicians, I hope I'm not underselling them, they're obviously very, very good at what they do. This took hours, which I was pleased about, it did not feel rushed in any way which I was so thrilled about. I fell asleep (shock) during this too and took a couple loo breaks which they were fine about. They also kept asking if I was okay which was rather lovely. By the time the final graft had been inserted, it was almost 7PM, so it was a 10-11 hour day by the end of it. Though I would add that it would have been a couple of hours shorter if I was able to go the day before to have had bloods & heart tests done.

Once you're done, Dr Bicer comes and has a final look and sends you on your way, informing you what time she'd like you to be back tomorrow for a final checkup. Ozen also handed me a bag with aftercare in, pills, painkillers, shampoos - you get the idea, along with written instructions of when to take these, which was good to have. They also provide you with a neck pillow.

I was concerned about the prospect of sleeping and couldn't quite sit up right with their pillow, I had brought a softer neck pillow with me which did the trick and I conked out. I'd recommend probably bringing a neck-pillow you're comfortable in, sitting up at 45 degrees can be difficult enough, particularly if you're sleeping on a rather hard pillow. 

I returned the following morning at 9AM and met with Dr Bicer briefly. I didn't really have many questions, some related to returning to play Football & Golf, but that information is on the forums, I just wanted to hear it directly from her for some assurances. I then had final photos taken by Ozen and the bandage removed by one of the team. Dr Bicer seems really pleased and I must say so am I. It's of course, extremely early days but the experience was overwhelmingly positive. I'd like to say a special thank you to @Melvin- Moderator, @Gatsby and others I'll forget the names of. Although you don't know me, I've read hundreds of your comments on this forum which I found incredibly insightful, and I almost certainly wouldn't have gone ahead if this forum didn't exist.

TOP TIPS & ADVICE

Based on my experience in finding a surgeon, I'd say the most important thing is don't rush anything. There are plenty of good surgeons, and plenty of not so good ones. Make a list of four or five you really like that are consistently well reviewed in good numbers who are getting consistently good results, and from there, you can make a decision. I know when you read stories about fin and the effects it has in a small percentage, it can feel daunting. But if you ever experience a side effect, you can find a lower dose that works. I'm pleased I took 2/3 years to go on medication to control the problem, before opting for a hair transplant. Knowledge and the forum is your friend. If you're paying to have something done, you want to know everything you can about it, so there are as few surprises as possible. I'd read hundreds of accounts, so I knew what to expect, which meant I really didn't have any nerves on the day. 

I hope over the next year me posting my growing journey may help one or two of you. There are plenty of good surgeons, but just do your research, I personally couldn't recommend Dr Bicer more and it made one of the biggest life decisions I've made to date, a really great one. Thank you to Dr Bicer & the whole team, I'll continue to stay in touch with them to share progress too.

Cheers - Dom

- Some Post Op Pics - I consented for the clinic to use the ones they take in their studio, so I'll upload those at some point when received.