Just want to share this to get things off my chest and maybe help people on the line deciding for getting a hair transplant
My hair loss was bothering me for around 4 years it was progressing but not too much and with no medication. After I turned 30 last December I decided to put my health a priority and started doing CrossFit, I don't know if it was related but suddenly was shedding a lot more hair. In March this year I started lurking on this forum and soon started finasteride 1.25mg hair loss seemed to have stabilized and I actually noticed some growth around June after comparing some photos.
In May I got injured and physio ruled me out of exercise for a minimum of 4-6 months. It was during this downtime that I started considering a hair transplant even more. My brother got it at 24 in Turkey (Hair mill), he's happy, still looks good. My friend also got it last year Turkey aswell (Another hairmill) looks good so I made some courage over that. I started seeing reviews and was really interested in Dr. Keser and was actively searching reviews. I never did a consultation though but all his results looked great.
Suddenly out of nowhere a review of a doctor from my country popped up on here, and also noticed two other reviews after using the search. All 3 reviews ok people were satisfied so I decided to got to a consultation with the doctor but I never saw the end result of these reviews. In the consultation the doctor advised 2k - 2.5k grafts front (hairline and a little behind) and 500 Crown. At that moment I thought it was alot as online calculators were telling me probably 1.5k grafts could do it but I'm not the expert and let it swing by. He told me I have a good donor area. I do not recall him asking for family history but we discussed medication and advised him I was taking finasteride 1.25mg. He told me to also incorporate minoxidil. He also proceeded to show me pics of transplants the clinic did - these were not high res photos just showing off from his phone. My brother never really cut his hair too short after transplant but in the very bottom I could see some white dots. I asked the doctor about them and he made a vague expression (like its nothing) saying these are hypopigmented scars and prevented by reducing sun exposure to the scars. (In hindsight this should have been a red flag) I didn't elaborate on this and got the impression that scars like these were not normal. Somehow I was satisfied with the doctors responses. Seeing my brother and friends went to hairmills and got a good result I thought Im making a better decision and going to a doctor who will not only mark the hairline and let me go but also do the work. That very same day I phoned the clinic to book for the transplant which ended up being the following month in July.
The day of the transplant all went well the anesthesia was super painful but the rest it was quite ok. The one thing I was surprised is we ended up using 2.8k grafts for the hairline and 400 crown.
The concerns started two days later when I went full on panic mode and I still am to this day (2.5 months later). In the downtime I continued reading on hair transplants and it hit me that I just might have ruined my life. I realized 2.8k grafts for the hairline alone is not normal especially when you're 30 and the potential for the hair loss to progress (and judging my family history I am destined for a norwood 6). I immediately texted my doctor (who gave me his whatsapp) about this concern and he advised that they were needed and also that medication works! Also I have decided to switch to topical finasteride as was experiencing side effects I was not realizing I had.
I am trying to stay calm now 2.5months later but many of the things that could go wrong I have them. I had a follow up two weeks ago, I have a semi bald area in the back and side of my head (doctor is saying donor area takes time to heal 3-4 months) and surrounding hairs recover. I have bumps on the recipient site - for sure its tenting/cobblestoning. The doctor felt it he told me its normal and the most important is that we do not have pitting. Also for sure I have a good amount of double grafts in the hairline very front row and one of the sides the grafts were implanted in diagonal rows (I didn't mention this yet to the doctor as I recall Melvin says in a vid that you need to judge the transplant result after all growth is factored in.
I do not wish to name this doctor yet as it's not fair and I don't have the full result yet even though I wish I would have been more aware and conscious of the fact I will be getting 3k+ white circles in the back of my head and how it will look shaven, in hindsight its obvious they're drilling holes in your head what do you expect duhh!
The signs are quite evident that I did a massive mistake.
The combination of my family history, the amount of grafts used for the small area in proportion to my big head, my very white pale skin and also something I didn't mention earlier - (My hair is feeling thin throughout and probably am a diffuse thinner) makes me ineligible for a hair transplant. I know I won't do more hair transplants to eventually cover my whole head as the donor is probably too hammered (overharvested) and recovery was quite diffcult for me - I did a week waking up suddenly in the middle of the night feeling stabbing pain in the donor. I also now cannot shave my head when the time comes. Obviously now its too late and whats done is done. Currently my life is at a standstill and did nothing these past 2 months and has effected greatly my professional life. (I was also advised to take time off) something I'm refusing to do - I am however going to start seeing a therapist this Saturday (never needed one but I'm too overwhelmed now)
I am not blaming the doctor yet here, this was all my fault and deserve it entirely for making a hasty decision even if that that moment I thought it was not hasty at all and thought I knew more than the average person who went to one of those Turkish hair mills.
Sorry for the lengthy post but I hope I save someone who is on the edge of doing a hair transplant know of the risks/complications which might arise and also especially if they have mild hairloss and a bad history in their family. I know for a fact my father had hair just like me at 30, I even found a photo, by 40 he was full blown norwood 6. PLEASE do alot of consultations, I'm sure if I went to more clinics they would have told me I'm not eligible.
All I can do now is just slow the hairloss down as much as possible and when the time comes be prepared to try to reverse the transplant via fue although I don't know about the cobblestoning and forehead scars. and maybe leave the donor site with number two clipper to look as much as possible a normal balding man.
I will post some pictures tomorrow as its late now (I have created a new account as using the other will easily expose the doctor)
