berliner

On 1/16/2023 at 2:16 AM, Dr. Guncel Ozturk said:

My first concern as a hair transplant surgeon would be that you are properly educated about the treatment and have realistic expectations for the outcome.

The amount of grafts needed for a hair transplant might vary substantially depending on the individual and the extent of their hair loss. In general, 5-6k grafts can offer proper coverage and density, but it is critical to remember that the amount of grafts you receive is only one element in establishing the procedure's final outcome.

In terms of the alternatives you mentioned, having a mega session in which you receive all 5k+ grafts in one go, or having the process done in two consecutive sessions, each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Mega sessions are advantageous since they may be done in less time and result in a more dramatic alteration. Mega sessions, on the other hand, have a larger risk of problems, such as poor healing or infection.

The treatment can be carried out in two separate sessions, which reduces the chance of problems and allows for more incremental outcomes. However, it also means that you will have to wait a little longer to see the final result. In terms of strategy, you should strive for a dense transplant in the frontal and mid-scalp areas, and save the crown for the following session, since this will give you the most natural-looking results. In any instance, it is essential to seek guidance to decide the best course of action for your specific situation. 

Be aware of the risks and recovery time of the surgery. Have good research on the clinic and surgeon. Make sure they have good track records and testimonials. Will be here if you need more assistance. Good luck on your recovery!

Thank you Dr. Ozturk for the detailed response. Do you think I might have retrograde alopecia ?

15 hours ago, Dillpickle123 said:

There’s only a few good options in turkey that aren’t hair mills, dr bicer, dr gur, hlc, dr turan I would choose bicer of those options though if I were you who did you consult with?

I have consulted with dr gur, dr turan , dr bicer, dr karadeniz and dr. yaman so far. dr gur and dr turan has no availability in the short term, so unless i postpone it, i will need to go with one the remaining ones. HLC seems solid but i want to have the operation in Istanbul.

12 hours ago, Gatsby said:

@berliner welcome to the forum. Are you taking finasteride to help strengthen your donor? I'm not a doctor but my recommendation would be to give finasteride a good six months (before any surgery) to see how well you respond. Your donor to be honest looks like it has retrograde alopecia. Jumping into this without doing your due dilligence in researching surgeons who turn out lots of great results with patients who have the same hair loss as yourself in Istanbul is just a car wreck waiting to happen. There are a few good surgeons in Turkey but going there because it's on your business route is risky research. All the best.

thanks @Gatsby -- this forum is such a wonderful resource thanks to you folks.  my next trip will possibly be in summer time, and i want to avoid a summer surgery if possible. but you have some valid points so i will follow up with a local doctor first regarding finasteride and retrograde alopecia. I never though about it - good catch!

after some quick reading my understanding of retrograde alopecia risk is that it requires additional diligence in selecting donor area and graft. but i also understand it is hard to know where it will stop. does that mean i should wait more maybe, eg 1-2 more years?
 

hi folks, newbie here

I started loosing my hair in my mid 20s and am 37 years old. I am not obsessed about it. Indeed these days I shave my head and am comfortable with the look. However, I witnessed some amazing outcomes with friends and family members that went through hair transplants. So before it is too late I would like to give it a shot 🙂

I plan to have it in Turkey as I travel to Istanbul for business every now and then. I have an upcoming trip in March so I want to have the operation then.

I consulted with a few clinics in Istanbul over email and were given a few options, which got me a bit confusing. Some estimate that I will need 5-6k grafts to completely cover the bald areas with reasonable density. They can't tell how many grafts I can provide by simply looking at the pictures (attached) but they estimate that by also using grafts from the beard we should be able to reach north of 5k. Hence I have the following questions;

- Assuming I indeed have 5k+ healthy grafts, should I go for a mega session spread over two days and be done with it or do 3K now and the rest next year? Setting aside the financial, convenience and recovery aspects, what are the pros and cons of the each option in terms of success rate?

- I am leaning towards doing it over two sessions separated by at least a year. In this case, what should be the strategy in the first session: aim for wide but sparse coverage and increase the density next year? or should we aim for dense transplant in the frontal and mid-scalp and save the crown for next year?