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Hi everyone - I've been silently reading this forum for the last few months and it was instrumental in my decision to take the plunge and get a hair transplant. Here's my experience and journey so far. Statistics: Age: 33 NW: High (IV/V, possibly emerging VI but that's my guess) Caliber: 60 microns Hair / Graft Ratio: 2.04 Total Grafts Transplanted: 5,621 Estimated Donor Capacity: 8,200 Background: Like many of you, I’ve suffered from hair loss for most of my adult life, have tried (and abandoned) various hair regrowth treatments and thought becoming bald was my inevitable fate. I only started thinking about hair transplant options over the past 6 months or so when I randomly came across some articles discussing the latest advancements (and horror stories) in the field and the relative inexpensiveness of operations in Turkey and elsewhere. I began researching the topic seriously and this website was instrumental in my decision to go with Dr. Koray Erdogan. In selecting Dr. Koray, I focused on three things - results, passion for the craft and price. Being a high Norwood with a family history afflicted with MPB, I needed someone who had expertise with large HT cases like my own. I cared about passion for the craft because, I believe, thought-leadership and innovation are indicators of success, and I wanted the best-of-class when it comes to a major cosmetic operation that could either be transformative or a major disappointment. Finally, it had to fit my budget... now; I wasn't interested in taking years to save up $30-$45,000 that some US doctors were quoting me. Before settling on Dr. Koray, I researched and consulted with other hair transplant surgeons. As a Southern California native, I looked into local doctors (Armani, Rassman, Bisanga and others), some of the other big names in hair transplant I was coming across (Couto, Frietas, H&W, etc.), as well as other Turkish doctors (Karadeniz, Civas, Doganjay and some of the low-cost options too, like Cinik and Maral). I had a few in person and online consultations with some of these doctors, which was helpful. Frankly, the North American / European doctors who had impressive results were out of my budget. Dr. Koray was comparably priced to some of the average doctors I was seeing in the United States but had a stellar track record over the years and lauded as one of the best in the world. I thought his results put him among the top FUE surgeons in the world. I also found Dr. Koray’s YouTube videos to be very informative (admittedly much of it was PR, but it worked on me), and I became convinced that manual punch FUE in a mega session with some sort of implanter tool (like the KEEP device that Dr. Koray uses) is what would be best for me. In fact, I feel I may have ended up with Dr. Koray regardless of price. Pre-Op Treatment: I reached out to Asmed in early December 2018 and booked for mid-February 2019. At that time I wasn’t under any sort of medication. After my initial discussions with Sema, I went on 1mg generic fin daily and achieved some actual hair growth in the crown and midline areas. Process / Surgery: Others on this forum have gone into specifics around the airport pick-up, hotel, and clinic procedures in considerable detail, so I won’t repeat that here. But what I will mention is this. The Asmed mothership on the Asian side of Istanbul probably represents the pinnacle of what a modern medical facility should be - impeccably clean, sleek and exceptionally designed to shuttle patients from a pristine operating room, to high-tech hair wash / cut and transplant design areas, to an inviting waiting area (where you are greeted with Turkish hospitality in the form of tea, coffee and pastries and live classical music by a violin-piano duo). Everything was thoughtfully planned and laid out, and the process struck a balance between being highly individualized (Sema being my dedicated coordinator and never leaving my side) but productive (which I welcomed - I wanted to be one of the many patients they have great results for). When other people on these forums talk about how Asmed is a world-class facility, it truly is. When you meet Dr. Koray in person, you soon realize that he is singularly focused on your hairline and achieving optimal results based on a plan that takes into account your donor capacity and anticipated future hair loss. My interaction with him was otherwise limited, as I had expected to be from reading the forums, but I didn’t mind that – hairlines (and mine in the moment) are his obsession, and Dr. Koray spent a good 20-30 minutes (and consulted 18 others – my wife counted them) to ensure that mine was the very best for my face. And in Dr. Koray's staff, I felt care, compassion and dedication to implement Dr. Koray’s vision for the optimal hair transplant for me. Sema, my patient coordinator, was knowledgeable, patient and attentive. Nabiyeh, the nurse who was assigned to me the entire time I was there, was compassionate and genuinely concerned about my wellbeing. The surgical assistants had unfailing endurance and nimble, precise hands – in another era, they may well have been expert craftswomen weaving a great Turkish rug but are instead making a masterpiece out of my head and hair follicles. (I would prefer their hands doing the harvesting and implantations over that of any 50-60 year old man, no matter his years of experiences or the number of degrees he holds). Results: I could go on here… but what will ultimately matter, more than anything else I've written here, are my results, so check this thread 12 months’ time and we can all be the judge. -
Hello all i have just had 4500 grafts in Istanbul. happy with the results, and want to post my jounrney on here so that I perhaps have advice from fellow forum members here are some photos before surgery and after . I had such a good experience in the Asmed clinic, the professionalism of the team, the efficiency of all team members, friendliness and how they made me feel beats anything I’ve ever expedited in a hospital , dentist etc. It was like being on holiday! If you have any comments let me know. I am hoping that I will have a dense hairline and be able to spike hair up without it looking see through. -
Alright....looks like it's my turn at the plate. Since I'd used this forum quite a bit when making decisions concerning my hair restoration surgery, I thought I'd share my experience with the community to help others make their decisions as well. My FUE procedure with ASMED was performed 11 days ago (December 17, 2018) and I had 3051 grafts transplanted. My progress and thoughts are described below. Online Quote I submitted my request for a quote on ASMED's website. This was a pretty simple process involving the submission of 12 photos (6 wet, 6 dry) from various angles and the submission of answers, on the website, to certain questions related to my hair loss, hair restoration goals, and medical history. Within a day, I received an email assigning me my patient coordinator. The following, day, I received an estimate for the total graft count I'd likely need, as well as the expected duration (in days) of the surgery and the amount of time I'd need to spend in Istanbul. A rough sketch of the surgical plan was provided, as well as a brief synopsis of what the surgery would entail, as well as the price per graft (2.5 euros) and information about the regrowth warranty. For those who have not done this yet, I'd recommend using a flash when you take your pictures. I didn't use a flash with mine (I used indirect natural light) and ended up getting under-quoted, as the extent of my hair loss at the vertex wasn't completely apparent in the images I had provided. Why I Chose ASMED I did a lot of research prior to making my decision. Out of all the reputable doctors I found (ones who were endorsed by the IAHRS, American Hair Loss Association, and this forum), Dr. Koray had the most patient results posted online, both by the clinic and by the patients, themselves. I had done an analysis of these results on one of the other threads by scanning through three of the online forums, including this one, and found that there was at least an 81% chance of having a good to great result, which was sufficient for me. There weren't really enough reviews of the other doctors to analyze them in a similar way with statistical significance. When combined with the cost of the procedure (which was relatively low compared to other top-tier clinics), dates of availability that aligned with my own, the 90% regrowth guarantee, ASMED's generally good reputation, etc., this clinic seemed like the best match for me. Coordination Prior to Trip While I waited for a few months between the submission of my deposit and my travel date, I peppered my coordinator (Muge) with questions about the process and procedure. For example, I asked her about: Methods of payment (including exchange rates, whether I could bring USD for the cash portion of my payment, etc.). You make an initial deposit in euros (maximum of 3500 euros) and then the remainder of the balance is paid in cash upon arrival at the clinic, on the consultation day. I was allowed to bring USD. To be honest, I wasn't very happy about having to carry thousands of dollars of cash with me (since I was kind of paranoid about losing it or being robbed), but, thankfully, I didn't end up having any issues. Information about my personal safety and the drivers. ASMED provides a photograph of their drivers, who pick you up at the airport, drive you to the hotel/clinic. All transportation to/from the airport and to/from the clinic is handled by ASMED. Information about accommodations. You're given the choice to stay at the Radisson Blu Istanbul Asia or at the clinic itself. I opted for the former, as the rooms at the clinic, as nice as they were, looked/felt a bit too much like hospital rooms. Also, I liked the 24 hour room service available at the hotel and the option to eat in solitude, if I so chose. If you choose to stay at the clinic, however, they provide you free meals throughout the day (you only get breakfast included if you stay at the hotel). Details about who would be performing the various aspects of the surgery, which was a point of contention on these forums. Dr. Koray performs the consultation, draws the hairline, and does the incisions during the surgery. Techs to the extraction and implantations. I discussed this at length with my coordinator and had a thorough understanding of how this would work long before I traveled; by the time I made the trip, I was comfortable with this arrangement. From what I was told, all technicians are required to meet specific, rigorous requirements (certain number of years practicing with the clinic, quality certification, etc.) before they are allowed to take part in the surgery. My coordinator was responsive, quick, and went out of her way to allay any of the concerns I had. She responded to me by email, phone (on the rare occasion when texting wouldn't be sufficient), and WhatsApp texting. Flights, Transportation, and Hotel I'm not going to go into detail about the flights, as that whole process is pretty straightforward and not really relevant to the clinic itself. Given that I'm from the US, I did need to get a travel visa to enter Turkey (you can do this online in advance and it costs about 20 USD). As expected, my driver was waiting for me in the airport arrivals area. He was holding a tablet with my name on it. The ride from the airport to the hotel was about 45 minutes (you cross from the European side of Istanbul to the Asian side) and I was the only passenger. The driver was friendly and responsive to my requests; he even described some parts of the city to me, as if he were giving a tour, during the drive. Additionally, water bottles and snacks were available inside the car. I opted to stay in the hotel for the reasons previously described. The room is comfortable and clean and there's a nice view of Istanbul if you're on one of the higher floors. Moreover, the hotel has 24 hour room service and a reasonably diverse menu -- this was a big selling point for me, as I was a bit self conscious about leaving the room with my head all marked up before the surgery and bandaged up after surgery. The employees at the front desk speak English, though the room service bellhops sometimes don't (IMO, they didn't really need to). The hotel has a spa and other pretty cool amenities, though I'll admit I didn't take advantage of many of them. In-Person Consultation On consultation day (the Friday before the procedure), I was driven to the clinic in the early afternoon. I was promptly greeted in the lobby by my coordinator, as well as a host who asked if I needed a drink or a snack (she did this repeatedly throughout the day). Two girls in the lobby serenaded the waiting patients with piano and violin. The atmosphere was light and relaxing. There were several other patients in the lobby at the same time, taking a break from various stages of the consultation. My coordinator sat down with me and gave me an overview of what I should be expecting that day, as well as on surgery day. After we discussed certain questions I had, she led me to various rooms for different stages of the pre-operative process, including a blood test and EKG, photographs, head shaving, etc. These activities were generally smooth and quick, though I had one small criticism -- specifically, that I had to wait for a while in the lobby for Dr. Koray to finish surgery before my in-person consultation. I was really jetlagged and tired at the time and it would've been better if I didn't have to wait nearly as long between the tests and the consultation with the doctor (like if they had timed me to come later in the afternoon). Other than this, everything was pleasant. When I met with Dr. Koray in his office, he greeted me warmly and introduced me to some of the other senior staff members. He came across as affable, jovial, and welcoming. As I introduced myself, he cracked a joke about the trend line from my analysis on this forum; at first, I was a bit taken aback that he knew I was the author, since I never actually identified myself (but I guess there weren't many American patients coming at the same time as I was). I sat down and Dr. Koray showed me the photographs taken earlier that day on his monitor. I showed him my own printed photos of what I wanted to look like (images of me from about 5 years ago), as well as pictures of my bald grandfather as an illustration of family history. Dy. Koray explained that we could meet my goal, but that I was, unfortunately, on my way to a NW6 (I'm currently NW3). He went on to explain that the degree of surgical intervention required would likely be higher than originally expected. As mentioned above, the photos taken at the clinic revealed noticeable thinning at the crown/vertex that wasn't nearly as apparent in the images that I had taken at home. The doctor recommended that I take finasteride in order to avoid having to come back to have the vertex worked in the near future (I was only quoted for a one day surgery on the frontal part of my head) and I explained to him the negative experience (i.e., side effects) that I'd experienced with finasteride years ago. He said he understood and that he respected my position, given that I'd tried it already in the past. I ultimately decided that I prefer to avoid finasteride (given what happened the first time I used it) and might come back to Turkey for a second round later, if necessary. I'll deal with the vertex when the time comes; this way, I'll have a chance to see how the results on the front part of my head turn out before I make any more decisions. At this point, the doctor took measurements of my hair and explained the calculation he uses to determine coverage. He then drew a hairline and asked for my thoughts. I was a bit picky with the hairline and requested several tweaks (including one small modification on the morning of the surgery) so that the line would match the natural one I used to have as closely as possible/reasonable. The doctor was patient with me and made the changes I asked for. After we were finished, and as I was getting up to leave his office, Dr. Koray turned to me and said something to the effect of "LordBaldwin, I can tell you care a lot about details, and so do I. I won't disappoint you." He went out of his way to reassure me; it seemed like he cares a great deal about making his patients happy. Surgery On surgery day, I was driven to the clinic early in the morning. I was taken to a small locker room to change into a surgical gown and was then led to the surgical room. The entire surgical area was very clean and organized (as an example, my coordinator had me change into a different set of shoes that they provided me as I entered into the "clean area"). In the surgical room, the team gave me a blanket and checked that I was comfortable. The anaesthesiologist asked me if I was nervous and I told him that my heart rate (which was showing on one of the monitors as around 90 bpm) is usually around 70 bpm. He nodded and injected me with a benzodiazepene and a sedative. I almost immediately relaxed. I sat upright with a head support wedged between my chin and my lap as the technicians injected my scalp with local anaesthetic and began the extraction phase. As they proceeded, they were very professional and repeatedly asked me if I felt any pain (if I did, they'd give me some more local anaesthetic). As grafts were removed from the donor area of my scalp, one of the technicians observed them under a microscope and counted, in real time, how many singles, doubles, triples, etc. had been extracted. These numbers were displayed on a screen in front of me. My coordinator handed me a tablet in case I wanted to surf the web or watch a movie. If I recall correctly, extractions took about 3 hours. We took a break for lunch, which the clinic provided. Upon returning to the operating room, I was told I could lie down for the remainder of the surgery. I was hooked back into the IV and Dr. Koray came in to do the incisions. I don't remember exactly how long the incision phase took since I was sedated and kept drifting in and out of sleep, but I do remember Dr. Koray working on me for some time, then shaking my hand at the end and mentioning that my circulation was very good and I'll be very happy with how things turn out. I slept through most of the implantation phase as well, up until the last hour or so. The technicians were methodical and quiet, and my coordinator, who sat across from me, assured me that everything was going well and repeatedly asked how I was doing. In total, the procedure took about 9 hours. After it was over, I was led back down to the photography room for post-operative photos to be taken. I was given instructions on how to do the post-op washes, sat under a laser/light follicular stimulation pod for a little while, and then was invited to dinner at the clinic (invitations for dinner at the clinic were extended to me every night I was in Istanbul, except for the weekend). Although I was only required to stay until the next day for the first wash, I opted to stay for an additional two days to recover a bit before I traveled back to the US. In the morning on each of the additional two days, I was driven back to the clinic for my morning wash (and some tea). Overall Impression Overall, I'm very happy with my experience at ASMED and would recommend it to other prospective patients (provided that they've done their due diligence and understand how surgeries are performed there). Since I had prepared extensively for my trip, I knew pretty much exactly what I was going to experience and there were no surprises. All of the employees were very accommodating, friendly, and attentive, and I felt well taken care of. The clinic itself was large, clean, and modern (ASMED had clearly spared no expense). A couple of other little pluses I noted: - On one occasion, I asked if the clinic had Turkish coffee (I wanted to try this since I didn't really get the chance to explore Istanbul while I was there). They didn't have it at that moment, but they actually went out and got it for me the following day! This was a relatively minor thing, but it impressed me. - On the last day I was there (when I came to the clinic for my third wash), Dr. Koray came into the room and asked me about my experience, making sure that it was positive. I told him I had enjoyed my time there, which he was happy to hear. The fact that he cared so much about my experience struck me very positively. Progress First, some hair characteristics... Hair thickness: 55 microns Hair per graft: ~2.44 Donor capacity prior to surgery: 8400 grafts Number of grafts transplanted: 3051 over 60 cm^2 Transplanted graft density: ~50 grafts/cm^2 And now, some pictures. Pre-Operative: Surgical Plan: Immediate Post-Operative (Day 0): Day 2 Post-Op: Day 3 (swelling is mostly gone): Day 5 (scabs and some minor cracking visible): Day 7 (vast majority of the scabs have come off): Day 10: -
Hey guys I am a 35 yo male from London and arrived home last night from Istanbul so I will talk about my experience at Asmed. I wanted to keep this brief but to hell with it I couldn’t help it. Firstly a big thank you to both Sema and Suzana who were my coordinators. Sema - who helped me over the past year since I contacted Asmed and Suzana who was with me throughout the experience and never left my side. She is very fluent in English and communication and organisation was excellent. In fact everyone at Asmed looked after me very well and never made me feel awkward. Not to forget the anesthetist Dr Umat who is a very interesting individual :). Initially I sent Asmed (Sema - my initial coordinator) my photos 12 months ago and Dr Erdogan recommended 5000 grafts and for me to start finesteride before surgery as without it I may not be happy with the end result because of my type of hairloss. I was a bit weary of finesteride side effects so it took a month for me to decide what to do because for me hair transplants and finesteride go hand in hand. So a couple of months went by (sept - dec 2017) eventually I got on brand name Propecia 1mg by Merck. I started slowly as advised by a hair loss expert we all know - it took me till January until I was using it more or less every day. In this time I was in constant communication with Sema discussing dates etc. And getting my finances sorted. So in January I asked to book the surgery in May however they had very few dates and I could not get the amount of time I wanted from work. I use Toppik hair fibres and Asmed advise patients not to use it for 6 months so I wanted as much time not using it as possible after surgery. So my work allowed me to take 3 months leave (mix of unpaid and paid) - yes a lot of time but only 6 weeks was unpaid. So in February we decided on 3rd and 4th Oct. 2018 (2500 grafts per day) this was actually good because I would have been on Propecia 10 months. You can send from 1000 to 3000 euros - I sent 1000 initially and just before I went I sent another 2000 just after Dr Erdogan looked again at my updated photos (as it was nearly a year since the initial ones)to confirm. I used TransferWise as they take the actual exchange rate on Google and not lower rates like banks provide. I would need to arrive before 14:00 on 2nd Oct for the consultation however there were no flights that arrive before that time on BA from Heathrow Airport. There were other flights from different airlines but I wanted BA as I could get the flight for £75 return and free long stay parking (as I know someone who works there), I was already spending so much on the surgery so I wanted to keep costs down. Sema very kindly allowed me to arrive in the evening of 1st Oct, 2nd Oct - consultation, 3/4 Oct surgery 5th Oct shampoo/clean and departure for home at 1625. This extra night came at no extra cost. Initially I booked the clinic’s own suite but there was a problem with the room so they booked me into the Raddison blue hotel (5 mins from clinic) all days free and breakfast included. This turned out much better because although Asmed can make you breakfast, they close in the evening and the only people there are security and local restaurants are not very close. Just take a yellow taxi (with meter) from the hotel for 10 liras (just over a pound) and ask to go to the Palladium shopping and restaurant complex 5 mins away. If you need to change money into Turkish Lira change it at this complex just ask anyone for "change office" which is in the shopping center. I wanted to see the famous blue mosque and grand bazaar but it is an hour away. Day of Arrival (Mon 1st Oct) Flight arrived at 1630 just a 4 hour flight from London Heathrow Airport. The Asmed driver was there with my name written on an iPad (transfer from airport to hotel and all journeys between hotel and Asmed are free). He gave me his phone as Suzana (my day to day coordinator) spoke on the phone me and welcomed me to Istanbul and said she will be in constant touch with me on whatsapp and in the clinic she will be taking care of me the entire time. The car was a large Mercedes people carrier with beautiful red leather seats and plenty of snacks to enjoy. Because of the time of day it took close to an hour to get to the hotel because of rush hour. The Hotel room was very good and I took a taxi to the Palladium center. You just need to tell the hotel reception to get you a taxi and it comes right away, they have a meter on so you won't be ripped off. Took 5 mins cost me a pound and walked around the shopping center, ate some delicious kebabs and got a taxi which are always there and got back to my room to get some sleep. Day 2 (Consultation) Suzana sent me a whatsapp message saying that the driver will pick me up at 12:45. I got into the car with 2 other people who also were having their consultations. You should know that you won't be the only patient in the day as I will come to later. We were greeted at reception by our respective coordinators and reception staff. The clinic is amazing, clean, modern and very classy at the same time. There a couple of women who are playing the piano and violin in the reception area. So Suzana sat me down and said that she will wait here with me until we are called for the consultation. Dr Erdogan and his team were very busy during this time and surgeries were still going on so we needed to wait an hour before they could see us. However, in this time I was offered some snacks and asked to read through some paper work and sign that I understood all the terms. All of this would have been sent to you when you booked so it is just the same. After that I was taken downstairs for blood tests to test for HIV etc.. All clear. I then went into the photography room and had my photos taken both dry and wet hair shots from all angles. A while later I and my coordinator were called into Dr Erdogan's office. It was like meeting a king and I told him so - I have very been following him for few years and on social media so it was quite a hair raising moment for me. So in the consultation it was Dr Erdogan, another doctor, one of his senior surgical assistants and my coordinator. Dr Erdogan very quickly broke the ice with me and told me how happy he was to see me as when he saw my name he realized I am of Pakistani descent (born UK) and how happy he was about that because he has always liked people from there so that was a nice start. He went over some basic things with me and said that I am a candidate for hair transplantation after looking at the blood tests. He had a screen in front of him with my photos from just earlier and discussed what he can do. He said that my hair loss pattern was more Ludwig patterned rather than the usual norwood cases. He analysed my hair in detail with his apparatus and said that my hair is of very good quality with a total donor of 8500. In general he said that safe zone hair can be effected by DHT as seen by very old people and looking at my age (35) it is possible to lose 10% of safe zone hair in my lifetime and that if I came off finesteride later in life it is possible that my total donor capacity is at 7500 so even though my real donor is 8500 he sees it as 7500. He drew a hairline and asked what I thought. It was probably a tiny bit higher than I would have liked but he said that once transplanted it will look lower but my main concern were no temples drawn because mine are quite faint. He said in a funny way that he really does not like my crown. I have not got a massively receding hairline and that patch on the top really does stick out like a sore thumb. So he drew my temples and it looked great but he said he would need 700 grafts just for that and he can't cover the top properly as well in 1 operation so if want that it would be 700 less grafts in my crown and it still won’t look that good on top. He wanted 2000 grafts just for the crown 2500 for the hairline and just above and the remainder 500 in the mid-scalp as he said it has a lot of and hairs. He said it was up to me but if I leave it to him that is the way he would do it and I can always come back and do the temples after a year or so. I thought about it and knew already that the crown was my priority - it is a different type of hair loss pattern. So I said to him I will go with his instinct and he said I will be very happy with my result. He actually told me later on that he would in fact put 2100 in the crown and 400 just below that instead of the 500 so my crown should have a big difference he said. This was not the final hairline and he would refine it after hair shaving. Consultation lasted about 20 minutes I had a bunch of questions for him but he really is to the point and just gets on with his analysis and what he can do for you. After that Suzana took me to the finance department where I paid the outstanding amount in Pounds Sterling cash. If your home currency is pounds or USD I advise you to pay in that currency to them. It saves you changing into euro where you won’t get a good rate and will have to pay some fees. The rate the clinic gave me was much better than at home and they don’t charge you for them to change it into euros. After this I got my hair shaved off! It actually looked alright! I waited for Dr Erdogan to make his final refined hairline plans. He told me that he will go into the temples a bit so that was good news. Whilst this was going on he has a big team of people watching. These are the techs or surgical assistants (as he calls it) who will work with you for the entire surgery. If you have 2 days surgery like me they don’t have different teams, it’s the same people working on you. I was then taken to the room where they have their latest robot – the K-bot. You sit with your head against a support pad and the camera takes 3d images of your entire head and you can see on the screen your grafts in detail. This helps the doctor further in his analysis. This lasts for 15 minutes but you can be on your phone – I actually took a video of what the K-bot was doing but I don’t think you can post videos here. This all took best part of 4 hours from waiting at the start to the end. Dropped back to the hotel went into town again for a nice kebab (with lines in my head). Yes you have to keep the lines on and not rubbed off because they then have to go through the whole process again. And no wearing hats so I was laughed and smiled at a lot whilst walking through town it was surreal. Day 3 (Surgery 2515 grafts) Asmed advise you to where a buttoned shirt before and after surgery. I woke up at 6 am, 6:30 breakfast buffet – plenty of variety. For 3 days including this day I had to take an antibiotic tablet with breakfast and Xanax to calm me although I only needed that for the first day. It wasn’t till I got down there that I realised how many of us were being operated on. Including me it was 6 guys at breakfast ready to be taken to Asmed. Three of them already had their first day hairline surgery and the rest of us were on our first day. I was slightly taken back by this because I was sure they only did 4 surgeries a day but I guess it can depend on the cases. One guy was just having his hairline refined. All 6 of got into the people carrier and went to Asmed. We were given Asmed buttons shirts and bottoms to wear for surgery and it really is straight into it from that point. My coordinator took me to the surgery room and I met all the people involved with my surgery. I asked who will be doing the extractions and how long they had been working there. One person would be doing the extractions and she has been doing ONLY extractions for 7 years so I felt assured. Suzana showed me the microscope where they dissect single hair grafts as I was querying this lot. So onto the anaesthetics – Dr Umat organises this. He is a very interesting person he looks serious but he is a really cool person and fun to talk to, if he ever reads this I hope you are well and very active! This is the most painful part of the surgery, they have something that vibrates as they inject many times into your scalp which makes it a bit easier. If it is too much, they can give you something through the I.V your arm help ease you. It acts really quick and she starts extracting and you cannot feel a thing. You have a screen in front which tells you how many grafts have been extracted and if they’re singles, twos etc…I actually had a fair amount of 4s 5s 6s. Suzana was in the room with me the whole time she was a great help. She gave me a face rest support where I could also stick my I pad on it to watch stuff on. Sema came in now and I watched a popular bald show (we all know) re run from the previous night just to keep them on their toes and they knew what it was. This whole process takes more than 3 hours (I think) as I just lost track of time I didn’t sleep at all. They extracted 2515 grafts in total. Dr Erdogan did not come in during this time but his most experienced surgical assistant – Dilek came in at certain points. Dr Erdogan watches all the surgeries on monitor in his office and directs if need be from there which I am not completely happy about but the results are good. Next was 30 minute lunch maybe less and back to the operating room where I’m prepped and given anaesthetics for the recipient area before the main man Dr Erdogan comes in and shakes my hand and begins the incisions. The techs cover my eyes and hold my face in certain positions as the doctor instructs them whilst he pokes away. This takes him 30 – 40 mins and he shakes your hand and moves to the next patient. The same person that did the extractions is now joined by Dilek who both start the implanting stage. This can be prickly and pain a bit so they test certain areas and ask you is it painful or not. If it is they put some liquid type anesthetic so you don’t feel it. In fact at any time you feel pain you must tell them and they will ease it. They put a special blue solution over the recipient area which highlights all the incisions Dr Erdogan made. At some point they realised they covered the required area and had a few more grafts so Dilek made a few extra incisions which is fine as she is possibly the best tech going. Implants can take quite a while I cannot remember exactly but it was just a bit less than the extractions so maybe 2 hours. Once it is done I felt very tired walked very slowly as I was trying to get my bearings right. The trauma and anesthetics can make you very tired. So Suzana came with me to another room where they sat me down under a low level red laser for 10 mins to help with healing. After that she gave me ATP spray and said I must put spray my recipient area a few times every 2 hours with it. She also gave me ice cooling gel to help with swelling. Its only till a few days later I realise how big my face got! I went back to the hotel, my forehead looked bigger because of the swelling had something to eat in the hotel restaurant – felt like crap but hotel staff are used to Asmed patients so I mixed in well. I went back upstairs for a very awkward night. Didn’t sleep much, Suzana gave me neck pillow and for the first 10 days you need to sleep with this on your back facing up (no rolling about) do not let your recipient area rub anything as this is a very sensitive time for your scalp. I wasn’t in much pain but I just felt completely shattered and sleepy but I kept waking up in the night but I got through it somehow. Day 4 – (Surgery 2505 grafts) Exactly the same as day 3. Note that grafts it is not exactly 5000 grafts (5020) they do not tell you to pay for these extra few. So that is it, surgery complete and Dr Erdogan came and said he is happy with the way it looks and is just the way he wanted it and said he will see me tomorrow. In terms of reactions to the surgery at the time I had swelling but by the time I wrote this my face was huge I look like sloth from the goonies – google it if you don’t know. But this is all part of it. Some people have more sensitive bodies than others. Just have to keep applying ice packs. Day 5 – (Wash and go) Another awkward night but managed to have breakfast and be picked up at 9:50 am. Suzana was at reception and took me down for the shampoo and washing. This is what you have to do on your own for 10 days post op so pay attention when they tell you. They took the bandages off washed me and I felt fresh again and went in for the final post op photos. They gave me some Turkish delight sweets as a gift and a power pack. As well as this as they knew I was on Proscar (I changed to proscar a month earlier – cost effective and same brand Merck) they gave me 1 year supply of Proscar (£200 worth) for free and a pill cuter! They gave me a USB stick with all my surgical details and photos as well as various papers of post op instructions. All the post op shampoos and creams are free. Suzana bid me farewell she was really good to me the entire time and I told her I’ll be back in a year for results photographs only downside Dr Erdogan didn’t meet me I left but I guess he is busy with all the other patients. Dropped to the hotel at 12 and was told the driver will be back at 14:00 for airport drop of. So that’s it I hope I didn’t bore you with the details there is more I could write but those details may come up in the future in the meantime I have posted photographs taken at Asmed below. Surgery Details : 1148 Single 2589 Double 1158 Triple 119 Quadruple 6 Quintuple Total Grafts: 5020 Avg hair: 2.05 per graft Hair thickness: 61 microns Medication: Proscar 1.25 per day since January 2018 Pre-Op Plans: Post OP -
Hi Forum Visitors and Members, Today, I received a telephone call from Dr. Erdogan, and we had a lengthy conversation about certain things that have transpired within the last year or so. First and foremost, I want to thank all of those who participate on this forum and have the courage to share their genuine results and reviews. You guys are the backbone of this community and the reason why we started this community. What's changed? We flat-out asked Dr. Erdogan, what has changed in his clinic, that so many patients are reporting sub-par growth or are unhappy with their results. According to Dr. Erdogan, and we believe him nothing has really changed at his practice in terms of results. He has always had a few patients that are unhappy with their results. Naturally, every surgeon on the planet has patients with poor growth or are unhappy, but this past year we have seen a virtual campaign against this surgeon. Now, we have recognized that there are in fact some patients who are unhappy and rightfully so, but we've been assured by Dr. Erdogan, that every single one of these patients have been contacted by their clinic, and have even been offered flight tickets to Istanbul. In my opinion, I do feel that this is standing by their work and the patient. Our Recommendations Matter The reason why we had this discussion with Dr. Erdogan, is because our recommendations matter. We truly want to recommend only the very best surgeons on the planet. At this point, @LordBaldwin made a very valid point with statistical data, that statistically ASMED is still producing great results. Although, this does not change how some may feel about their own personal results. It does show that the clinic still consistently producing good results and changing lives. We Will Not Tolerate ANY FORM OF EXTORTION! Now I'm not going to name any names, but we have been alerted by Dr. Erdogan, that some other physician which cannot be named anyways per our legal representation has been trying to undermine his work. There have also been some patients who have demanded refunds and have even threatened Dr. Erdogan, to continue to smear his reputation until they are paid. I have been provided with proof and I have personally seen at least one patient create at least 5 different accounts and aliases to smear Dr. Erdogan's reputation. This type of behavior is unacceptable and is not tolerated by the Hair Transplant Network. I want to make it crystal clear to the community and to any visitor, NO SURGERY IS GUARANTEED! I repeat NO SURGERY IS GUARANTEED! Therefore, if the results do not turnout as expected, you cannot demand a refund. Simply does not work that way. This forum is not anyone's personal tool for extortion. We do not tolerate duplicate accounts or vociferous calls for attention simply because you want to be compensated. Everyone is free to share their genuine results and reviews, but if we see that there are ulterior motives we will have to deal with those users appropriately. Moving Forward There have been some changes to the Hair Transplant Network recently. We're in a transitional period, and we will divulge more information when we can, but rest assure that we are doing our due diligence of ensuring our recommendations stand for something. We will formally announce the changes at a later time. Best wishes, Melvin and Patrick Hennessey Onwards and Upwards -
Hey Guys, in few days I will pass the 7. month mark and I would like to show you my progress. Actual I'm very disappointed and I hoped that my 7 month status would look much better. I notice a very low density in both temple areas. It could be lower than 15-20 grafts per square centimeter (Implanted density was ca. 50 grafts per sqcm). Another thing which disturb me are that there are many multiple grafts in the hairline. I think it tends to be a failure, but I would like to hear your opinion to my case. PS: Sorry for my english 😀 -
INTRODUCTION Dear forumers, Greetings from a fellow forumer and former/recent ASMED patient. It's been a while since my last visit, but a lot of things have happened regarding my hair loss (problems) in the meantime. Some of you could remember me as I was posting about my 3200 FUE HT journey with ASMED a few years ago. Since my last forum post in January 2017, I've undergone second transplant with the same clinic (and third in total) in the January 2018. Almost a year passed since my second transplant with ASMED (and third in total), so I decided to open a new thread to share my journey and result with the forum, as it is fair considering how much it and its members helped me in my hair restoration battles. Seems like a whole life has passed since I started to battle hair loss and jumped into HT chair. Unlike my former thread, this time I practically waited for my full 12 months result before posting anything, so I will present most of the materials and pictures through several monthly progress-themed posts, but in relatively short time frame. I hope you won't find unconvincing if this time I skip most of the details about my stay in the clinic/hotel, or the procedure, since most of the other recent Asmed patients described everything in their threads, as did I in my own old thread. However, I will point out on several details, because nowadays it seems that the discussion about ASMED practices is threatening to 'escalate into a full blown forum war' (just joking ;). I'll try to be as brief as possible, and if someone is interested in specific details you can ask everything via thread or PM. BTW, my old thread is still available in the patients results sub-forum (ASMED, 3200 FUE grafts in hairline and mid scalp, link: So, let's get to the point. In my old thread I mentioned several times that I was considering another, smaller HT to address my once severely thinned crown, which was stabilized and improved through continuous use of finasteride, and cca 1200 grafts from my first FUE HT with one Hungarian clinic (that HT unfortunately did not yield optimal result). However I was not satisfied with the amount of improvement, as it was still very see through in strong sunlight or artificial light, not to mention that certain longer hairstyles with such crown were looking unconvincing because of the lack of volume. I also mentioned that I was willing to increase density in my hairline. Honestly, there was no real need for that as my hairline result from the former HT with ASMED was nothing short of excellent considering the awful condition before 2nd HT. But hair greed really did struck me, and I couldn't stop debating with myself how it would look like if I add just a little bit more. Also, I wanted to be able to wear my hair a bit longer, in reminiscence to my hair glory days in high school (I was convinced back than that I have top quality hair, and was pretty much identifying myself with that particular image of a semi long-haired dude). Ahh those blessed memories (excessively exaggerated, ofc) I couldn't get my mind off! As my hairloss was and is pretty much stable due to the finasteride use, there were no real cons except for being conservative for the sake of future planning, finally I decided to jump into chair again! So, 3,5 years after my HT with ASMED, in July 2017 I contacted the clinic and sent updated photos for Dr. Erdogan's evaluation. That went smoothly, again I was considered a good candidate due to before mentioned factors, and Dr. Erdogan evaluated 2000 grafts procedure could be executed, with 1000 grafts for crown and 1000 for frontal part. This time, Sema was communicating with me as I was informed that my former patient coordinator no longer worked for the clinic. I filled in the forms, sent the 1000 EUROS deposit via bank transfer and booked the flight. My surgery was scheduled for January 18th 2018. First set of photos include pre-op consultation dry&wet pics: -
Hello Friends, I am a 33 old male from Oslo, Norway and have had a fue procedure at asmed clinic on 4th and 5th of july. I have had an unsuccessful surgery done in Oslo for almost four years ago of almost 1500 grafts. So i decided to go with Dr. Koray Erdogan because no one could match his results and i felt being in secure hands even though it was a costly procedure. I am currently approaching my 14th week mark (almost 3.5 months) after FUE with 4512 grafts. I was not originally planning on making a post but after much insistence from my little bro (who is known by the name of “Kingbilla” on this forum and had a procedure done in september at asmed) i finally gave in and started this thread. Hope this can be helpful to others and i can get back some valuable feedbacks regarding my progress. I will not get into the details of travel and hospitality except to say everything you read about the level of service is absolutely correct. Everyone from the drivers to nurses are very kind and attentive. I went on a 8 days trip to turkey and combined the Operation (July 4th to 5th), My Coordinator was Muge, She was a great person, very professional and helpful. ASMED clinic was very clean, very modern, it was like a hotel, in fact there was a person playing piano in the lounge. Met with the Doctor , my donor area total was estimated at 8000 graft and he suggested 4500 grafts. After that my head was shaved and we agreed on the hairline. July 4th Wednesday Operation - Only the Anaesthesia injections were painful, other than that the Operation was just fine. I had trouble sleeping that night as I was asked to sleep on the Neck Pillow. 5th Thursday Operation - Again, Only the Anaesthesia injections was painful, other than that the Operation was just fine. again sleeping was the only Problem. 6th Friday - Went to the clinic and Performed the First wash. Will Keep Updating my progress and pictures, Hope it benefits. Please feel free to ask anything incase you are wondering something, as i am writing a very brief introduction to this thread. Thanks to all the members for giving me the confidence. Stats single: 990 double: 2234 triple: 1189 quardruple: 96 quintpule: 3 total grafts: 4512 Ratio: 2.09 hair/graft Micron: 55 -
Hi Guys , I am contemplating a hair transplant in Turkey and I should be extremely grateful to you for your honest and preferred choices to make an informed decision as I have been reading conflicting views on some surgeons. Thank you in advance for your time and concern -
Hello everyone, Hope you can help - so after a year of doing my research on FUE procedures in Turkey was almost certain that I was going to go with Dr Koray Erdogan at Asmed Clinic. However, due to recent reviews on this clinic am now no longer convinced. Not really sure what's happened here, as I once struggled to find any bad reviews on this clinic up until recently. My guess would be that due to the growing popularity in this clinic, that they have now dropped their standards, which is a real shame. Anyway I am now back at square one, and am looking for recommendations of who are the top surgeons are in Turkey with consistent results, just like the results of Dr Koray used to be. And I only hope that Dr Koray is reading all the negative reviews out there (including this), with the view of bringing back that gold standard that we all once knew. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Kind Regards, Matthew (UK) -
Hi again everyone, After much thought and researching further into the work of Dr Erdogan at Asmed Clinic, I thought it was only right to create this new topic. So my original post yesterday (below) titled 'Alternative to Dr Koray Erdogan at Asmed Clinic in Turkey?' was written in response to all the negative reviews that I had came across on here - something I had never came across in the past year of researching his work. However, after further inspection all of yesterday and throughout the night, thought it was only fair that I share what I found. Several reviews on here are saying how 'pluggy' their HTs are from Asmed, and although I do agree, must say that these results are no different to the work that Dr Erdogan and his team have performed for many years, or at least that's how I see it. I urge people to look at results on google and his own website, where you will see for yourselves similar results. I was going to take a few screenshots, but thought I would just let people go away and see for themselves. I guess the conclusion of all of this, is that his results (both current and past) are not perfect, but this is rarely the case with any surgeon and that his results are pretty good nonetheless, with some outstanding. For this reason I would like to retract my original post below and proceed with Dr Erdogan as originally planned with the confidence that I will be satisfied with his work. So please do take a look at his past results and let me know what you think and hopefully you will agree that Dr Erdogan's work is no better or no worse than it has been over the years and therefore feel it is unfair to wrongly suggest this. Many thanks, Matthew
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Hello everyone, My name is Mohammad. I am 28 years old man and i have been loosing hair since early 20s . I had been thinking of getting hair transplant since ages, so recently i had an FUE procedure (3000 grafts) at ASMED in Turkey. I have been really impressed by the work of Dr. Koray Erdogan, as he has produced amazing results and has many satisfied patients. So i contacted ASMED and they got back to me in couple of days and we decided to carry out the procedure on 3rd of September 2018. Dr Erdogan initially suggested 2600-3200 grafts and also recommended me to start Propecia. I had taken finestride in past and had no issues so i willingly agreed to it. My patient coordinator Muge was continuously in contact with me and she explained each step thoroughly and was great help . She happily answered each and every question i had regarding the transplant. Must say she is very professional. So i booked my flight and after few weeks i traveled to Istanbul. As my procedure was planned on Monday and consultation was planned on Friday so i had to travel on Thursday. Before traveling my my patient coordinator contacted me asking if everything was ready. I reached the airport and one of the ASMEDs driver was there to pick me up. Its 35 minutes drive from airport to the hotel. The driver was nice and the vehicle was comfortable as well. My patient coordinator called me on my way to hotel and explained next steps . I checked in hotel and next day i had my consultation. Hotel was amazing and staff was very polite. Next day the driver came to pick me up from the Hotel and took me to the clinic. I was received by my patient coordinator and her colleagues. They were very nice people and were great hosts. My coordinator took me to have some blood tests and ecg. Afterwards she gave me some papers to read which gives details about the procedure and the complications which can occur and i had to sign it as well. Afterward i was taken for photos and then i had consultation with Dr Koray. He was very polite and he assessed my hair loss and asked me few questions. He drew my Hair line and decided to implant 3000 grafts. I agreed to it as he is one of the greats in Turkey and trusted his judgment. Only thing which i think was a downer that the consultation felt bit rushed as he had several other patients waiting. He only spent around 10 minutes with me. I went down after that and had my head shaved and then Dr. Erdogan came to draw the final hairline and made it more symmetrical. After that I had another photo shoot with shaved head. I also had chat with anesthesiologist who gave me antibiotics and benzodiazepine to have them on the day of surgery. As it was weekend after so I had 2 days to just chill and see the city. But one has to be careful as its warm in Istanbul and drawn hairline can get altered due to sweating. I managed remove bit of my hairline as it rubbed against my pillow and I traveled during the weekend so it was removed a little due to sweating. But 90% of it was still intact so it wasn’t a huge issue but was bit stressful. Nevertheless I enjoyed the next two days and was looking forward to the transplant. During all this time my coordinator was in contact with me and was guiding me through. So the day of “judgment” came and I and few other patients were picked up from the hotel early morning and taken to the clinic. There we were told to change and after that we were taken to our respective operating rooms. The technicians met me there and were very warm and nice to me. They made sure that I was completely comfortable. I was given Ipad to browse on while they went about their work on my head. I could also see the no. of grafts being extracted on a computer screen which they were updating regularly. The procedure itself was fine but the only issue I had was that my anesthesia kept wearing off and I felt bit of pain so they had to put local anesthesia again. Dr. Erdogan did come to do incisions. After extraction I was served some food and after that I went back to the room for implantation. I slept through almost the whole procedure so it didn’t feel so long to me but it did take more than 8 hours to do the whole thing. After that I was taken upstairs where they took some pictures again and I also met Dr Erdogan who inspected my head and gave thumbs up. There i also met other patients who seemed very happy about their procedures and the feeling was mutual on my side. Then we were given ice gel and atp spray to use. We were driven back to the hotel and I kept using the spray and ice as instructed. I fell asleep bit early that night. I was also given a neck pillow which was very uncomfortable to sleep with but I had to mange with it for next 10 days. Next day driver came to pick us up for the first wash. My 1st wash done at the clinic and they also explained me how to perform it myself at home. As I was staying few extra days in Istanbul after the transplant so they offered to do the washes for the rest of days as well, which I think was very nice of them. I was given the shampoo, antibiotic cream, a body lotion, paper towels and dermovat as after care pack. They also gifted us power bank charger and trimmer which they used to shave our heads :P. For next couple of days I kept coming to the clinic for the washes and they provided the transport . I did have a lot of swelling on the 3rd day. It started from my forehead and traveled down. At one point i had swell in my eyelid making me look like some sort of monster lol. I got several looks at the airport but its all part of the experience. Eventually the swelling resolved after 6 days . I had difficulty in sleeping due to itching and burning sensation in donor area. But this improved with the passage of time . I am very happy with my experience at ASMED . I must say it is a team of complete professionals and they are very helpful. I strongly suggest others to consider this clinic as well, you won`t be disappointed. Now the waiting game has started and I hope I get great results as many others did. Total no. of grafts: 3069 Single grafts: 801 Double grafts: 1596 Triple grafts: 634 Quardruple grafts : 1 -
Thanks to this forum, it helped me a lot. Had my HT on 3 and 4 July. 32 years old. Taking 1.25mg Fin starting from the day of surgery. -
Intro I’ve done some research and I want to be corrected if I’m wrong. If I can be, I will have the confidence needed to consult with ASMED. About me Late 20s Norwood 3V (minor loss at crown) Finesteride and Minoxidil - hair loss stable. Goals Restore hairline and temple points and minimal loss at crown. Thoughts ASMED ASMED get decent results but it’s roulette in terms of which tech team you get. Donor management isn’t the best - they use more grafts than other clinics to achieve the density illusion. I’ve also seen more aggressive hairlines on younger patients than more conservative clinics. I worry that if the meds stop working down the road, I could be left with limited grafts and an unatural look. FUE I have three crowns so having super short hair for me has never worked. Therefore I’m not worried about FUT. I also think FUE isn’t great when you’re younger because of how loss can resume: you can get more grafts out of FUT in the long run and it doesn’t destroy nearby follicular units like FUE. FUE is blind. FUT has better survival rates. Conclusion I am actively considering ASMED but the above consist of my reservations. Therefore, I’m also thinking FUT with Hasson Wong.
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I'm planning to get an FUE, and have always loved the density Erdogan routinely achieves. (It also doesn’t hurt that it’s affordable.) But some people routinely complain about too low/straight unnatural hairlines. It seems to me this is an issue that could be solved in the drawing of the hairline before the process. Does he ever do more mature/recessed hairlines? Can you request this during the consultation, or is the shape of a hairline more a surgeon-by-surgeon preference? Thanks. -
Hi everyone, i need some advice on what to do. I am booked to see Dr Koray Erdogan next week (friday) but after seeing the recent results the clinic is producing I am really considering backing out. My main focus for the procedure is my hairline, the rest of my hair is really quite thick I am around a Norwood 3. but I keep seeing unhappy patients recently and the main thing they all seem to have in common is the lack of density and the hairline looking really pluggy and unnatural. Given the fact that good hairline is my main goal, I really am considering pulling the plug on Asmed this late. (I’ve even sent the deposit I don’t know if I will get it back) To be honest I assumed the results of that payam dude were rare but after I did some more digging I realised I keep finding more and more unhappy patients and I am really struggling to find RECENT cases of people who were happy with their hairline. my second choice is dr Raghu reddy, he is more expensive but he is there throughout the whole procedure, it would be done over 2 days, he performs the extractions incisions and transplantation. i have been looking forward to visiting Asmed for months now but it is a really big decision to make and I thought Erdogan was safe and one of the best in the business (also affordable) should I pull out or hope for the best?
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Hi there, Context : I have narrowed down my choices for hair transplant to 3 surgeons. 2 of them are recommended by this site, the other used to be - Dr. Koray Erdogan. Objective: I am trying to summarise Pros and Cons of Dr. Erdogan. As I am leaning towards him at the moment. Question to the admins : is there an easy way to summarise the positive and negative feedback on surgeons? There is a lot of information on Dr Erdogan here on the forum. Which just means that the information is not discerning , you can literally find positives and negatives in the same forum search.. Thanks ever so much. -
Hi everyone, thank you for taking the time out to read this. I am a 38 year old male, Norwood 4 to 5. I have been researching the net, especially this Forum around having an FUE procedure for the past 2 years now. Up untl recently I thought I had made up my mind and was looking to book in a surgery with Dr Koray Erdogan. I have very recently become concerned with the quality of his work as of late, 2017, 2018 compared to the work he was doing and the quality of work up until the mid to late 2016. I am led to believe he is not involved in the surgeries at all, rather just a 15 minute consultation before the start of surgery to draw the hair line. What the above is leading me to believe is that we are essentially at the mercy of the techs that perform the surgery and its their quality that we should be worried about rather than the surgeon who does not partake in any aspects of the surgery. This seems to be the case in most practices around the world but more evidently in Turkey where some good FUE work is being performed. With this in mind I started comparing his results as of late to Dr ACAR from Cosmedica, his work as of late, specifically looking at the past 2 years or so seems to be on the same level as Dr erdogan, his involvement the same with his techs doing ll the work, and yet around 5000 euros cheaper in price. I guess what I am getting my head around is what is my reasoning around spending an extra 5000 euros to see Erdogan instead of Acar when neither doctor really has anything to do with the surgery and yet the results at an initial instance, roughly the 12 month mark are very much similar. I must say I was troubled by a post I saw by fellow user Payam, now he may be anxious and not have the patience needed when it comes to results and time etc, but he did have some concerns around clear gaps in his hairline straight after surgery, but yet it seemed that the dr whose name was the whole reason he travelled to turkey and spent thousand of pounds nad put his faith into, was not approachable . Any comments, feedback, discussion would be very much appreciated. Cheers
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Hi everyone, If you can add any value to my topic then please feel free to comment. I have been looking into a fue to lower my hairline, I have minimal recession and I am 29 years old (My hairline has always been terrible, so don't feel need to take finasteride just yet). However I have been reading transplant stories on this site and it seems that the surgeons sometimes request patients be on finasteride prior to the surgery. Is this to prevent further loss or do you think it is to aid the success of the transplanted hairs? Many Thanks P3not
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Hi Everyone, On 8 December 2015 I had 3400 FUE at Asmed Clinic in Istanbul, Turkey. Here’s my review. About me I’m from Australia and 43 years old. My temples and hairline began to recede in my twenties. I was self-conscious, and downright frightened of how it would progress. By the age of 26 (back in 1998) I had my first prescription for Propecia (Finasteride). I’ve had zero side effects and have stuck with Finasteride for the past 17 years. My hair loss slowed remarkably, but did not completely halt. My donor hair is fine (40 microns, it turns out), however is reasonably dense all over. My research I was looking for a doctor with proven results in densely packed hairline restoration. Had I been approaching my first HT earlier in life, a conservative approach might have factored more into my decision. But I’m in my forties, have 17 years of prevention under my belt, and I’ve managed to hold it at NW2. I wanted a FUE doc who had the best chance of constructing a believable restored hairline. I scoured this forum before moving to a shortlist for online consultations. Before locking in Asmed, I private messages 10 past patients. I mostly reached out to forum members who has posted their original results then gone quiet, and to my surprise I heard back from all but one. Of the 9 that responded, eight were pleased with their final results, and one was openly disappointed. Despite the single negative response I remained comfortable, paid a deposit, planned a holiday around the procedure and booked flights. My consultation Nothing out of the ordinary. Photos, blood work, met Erdogan, he measured caliber of hairline and density, discussed expectations, drew a great hairline that was easily agreed, final number of grafts locked in, and head shaved (gulp!). Having my hair caliber confirmed as 40 microns was a bummer, but hardly a surprise. I made the final decision to proceed with the surgery the following day, and paid Euros cash. Note: Asmed requires cash payment to avoid paying a 20% tax. This means that to proceed at the 2.5 Euros per graft quoted you need to acquire a massive amount of foreign currency before you leave home, and then travel with it. This is a major hassle/worry, and I was relieved to finally hand it over. Surgery day Again, nothing out of the ordinary. Erdogan’s first assistant Dilek was assigned to my surgery. I’d seen her name numerous times on the forums, and was comforted knowing she had many years of experience. There was also another tech involved, however Dilek spent the most time worklng on me. I estimate she performed 80% of the extractions, and over half of the implantations. There were 3 surgeries happening at Asmed the same day as me, and 4 the following day. Anyone considering Asmed should go in with the understanding Erdogan’s involvement will be limited to the hairline design and incisions. I knew this going in, and was fine with it, however it could be a surprise to others. One thing I do distinctly recall was the impact of the medications. The anesthesiologist offered me a Xanax in the morning to calm my nerves, then a Tramadol at lunch for the pain. Well, what a combination. After lunch I was drifting in and out of vivid dream scenarios and calmly waking up in the middle of my HT. That happened on repeat for hours. I spoke to other patients and none of them had the same trance-like experience – so it must have just been the medication’s impact on me. I was in surgery until almost 8pm and was too swept away in the various dreams to be bored…so I was more than okay with it. I had the optional PRP, and I really hope it does something hurry along his dreadful redness. My stats • Total grafts – 3404 (3200 was originally planned, and was only charged for this) - 420 singles - 1790 doubles - 1134 triples - 60 quadruples • Average hair per graft – 2.24 (7643 hairs) • Caliber: 40 microns • Donor capacity: 8500 My tips Try to connect with other patients. Do your best to find out if any other forum members will be at the same doctor/clinic the same week as you. Before leaving, I connected with another Australian who had surgery booked the day before mine, and he had connected with another forum member booked for surgery the same day as me. By the end of it there were a few us catching up at the Radisson, and we’re now connected on Facebook swapping recovery stories. Hair transplants are a major life experience, and connecting with real people who have chosen the same path, going through the exact same thing, at the same time, has been an unexpected surprise and comfort. Don’t rush back home I went over with partner by my side, and we travelled for 2 weeks following the op. It was great to be able to walk around overseas not caring what strangers thought of my bald, massacred, head. I’m back home now, and to keep the procedure quiet I’m having have to carefully manage any social appearances…I wish we had stayed away longer. Results It’s way too early to tell. I’ll take pics every month to track my own progress, and will be happy to share them. Fingers crossed, I’ll have good news to report in around 6 months. Either way, I'll return the favour and report back honestly with success or regrets. Ersko72 -
Dear All, I realise this is an oft-repeated question, and that there are similar debates/questions on other forums, however, I wanted ask your valuable advice on these two surgeons as pertains to my personal situation in 2018, seeing as some of the other comparisons date back a few years and both doctors have published more results since then. This forum has been an immense wealth of information and here I am, like many of you have been in the past, on the verge of booking my first HT, and taking that definitive step... I would welcome any advice . I'm 35 years old, and a Norwood 2.5. I have a naturally high hairline (which can be rather typical of people with long, slender heads like mine) that receded a bit from when I was around 24 to around 29 years of age. It has been pretty stable since then and I do not have any noticeable diffuse thinning in the mid section or crown area. It's really a case of having a receding temples and a hairline that is about 8-8.5cm above the eyes. I don't think anyone looks at me and says "Hey, look at that bald/blading dude", however, I'm unhappy with my "mature" hairline and want to act now rather than making what may be a significant physical change later on. Basically I have been looking at a FUE procedure with Dr Bisanga for a while now, and after having consulted with him, I had a pretty good feeling. He recommended between 2300-2600 grafts and designed a hairline that would lower the current one to 7cm above the eyes, while also filling in the temple points. He said I would look silly going any lower, particularly in later life. I tend to agree, but secretly wondered what a 6.5cm-above the eyes hairline would look like Aside from his reputation as an excellent surgeon, being a discrete person, I was attracted to the idea of a procedure where I could drive there and back right before taking a rather long holiday, thus avoiding public transport/planes and colleagues for a substantial amount of time (I have a lot of leave saved up and could potentially take 4-5 weeks off for a summer holiday). This was the cherry on top with Bisanga. However, after having discovered this site, I have noticed more and more impressive results from Dr Erdogan in Turkey (a destination I had initially crossed off my list for fear of not wanting to be seen out in public, let alone taking a plane). I started thinking to myself, ok, this guy clearly has taken care of his marketing, and seems to have a bit of a rockstar approach to hair transplants, he only does FUE etc. But basically for profiles like myself (FUE hairline work only) he has a lot of impressive results under his belt. In the last couple of weeks I have seen a few (albeit only a few) mediocre results (among many very good ones) from Bisanga (a botched right-temple graft/a few very thin results etc.) which have got me second guessing somewhat. Money isn't really an issue and I would be a fool to make it so when it comes to having an HT. So whom would you choose in my situation? Once again, your advice would be greatly appreciated. -
Hi everyone. I have been lurking on these forums for some time now and decided to make an account. I have even thinning throughout my scalp (from receding hairline, to mid-scalp, to vertex). I am not on finasteride because I'm nervous about side effects but would be willing to try in the future. I have contacted a few doctors and have been quoted 3000-3500 grafts. I'm from the United States and am currently looking at doctors (Cinik, Erdogan, H&W, Diep, Alexander, etc...). 1) Is there a reason Dr. Cinik is not recommended by this website? All the reviews/cases I have seen from him seem excellent. 2) For H&W - do you get to choose which doctor does your procedure? They seem to be mainly FUT. I have not seen many large scale FUE procedures by them. Are they a reputable FUE option for 3000+ grafts? My favorite option is Dr. Erdogan due to his results, KEEP tactic, and relatively good price compared to FUE in the states. Dr. Cinik is a close 2nd behind him. Thanks for the responses in advanced! -
Hey guys I’m for a long time following this forum but was not active until now. I want to share with you my experience in Asmed clinic. A little bit background I’m 24 years old. I have began to lose hair since I’m 18 years old but the process was very slow.. In the past 2 years things begin to move faster and in the last year it’s began also in my crown area, and it started to really bother me. I understood that if I will not do anything within2-3 years I will be bald. I started to read and then in February I began using a Minoxi and then in May also Finasteride. In August I scheduled a hair transplant with doctor Koray. The procedure: I arrived to Istanbul at noon time and I was so nervous. The driver has been waiting for me at the airport and took me straight to the clinic and then I did all the health check and the live consultation and we decided on 5,000 grafts 2500 in the front and temple area and 2500 in the middle and vertex area. On this day I have met a few patients and they were doing the surgery and one patient came for the second procedure. I also met the doctor and all of his staff and I saw the clinic and that made me very relaxed and comfortable with my decision. The surgery took 2 days, on the first day they did the front and on the second the rest. Everything went very well and except for the anesthesia, it did not hurt only a little bit when they took the hair from the donor area. The majority of the transplant procedure I have been sleeping. The day after I did the first washing they showed me how to properly wash my head. And after the driver picked me up to drive to the airport. I want to say a huge thank you for this forum and for all the people that shared their experience and for assisting me to make my decision. Also a huge thank you for DR Koray and all of his staff making my experience the best they can. Last but not least for my patients coordinator Suvenic that always answered my mail and my question. In here I will share a few pictures and I will update more pictures within the next few months. Please cross your fingers for me for I have the best regrowth. If you have question please feel free to ask. One day 6 days 8 days -
So, originally i wasnt going to post my progress on here, but ther more i think about it, and the more i find myself browsing the forums the more i think i should, mostly to help other people who have or are thinking about going ahead with the procedure. Backstory so im a 25 years old, and i was suffering with hairloss from the age of about 18, so for someone who takes care with there appearance this effected my life dramatically, to begin with i was in a kind of denial about it, and i sort of just lived with it, but as the years went by i slowly became obsessed with it, developed a sort of complex over it, and it became harder and harder to hide, i was on the right track to looking like bobby chalton haha, a mixture of hair fibres, a peticular routine of drying, straightening and hairspraying my hair into place. i slowly started losing more and more confidence and became more and more self conscience, to the point where it was ruining my quality of life, couldnt do the things i enjoyed anymore ie swimming, any physical activies, became like a weatherman checking the weather everyday because the rain or high winds would put me off going out, yeah you get the point..., it became rediculous, some of you might get it some might think i was being stupid, but it got to the point where i had to change something, thats when i started researching hair transplants, after hours and days reseaching i made the choice to go with dr erdogan. His results and other peoples experiances were faultless, he seemed very proffesional and experieanced. ASMED expericence Il try and keep this short because i could go on forever about my experience. But of course if you have any questions feel free to ask, il try and answer them the best i can. I live in UK so i had to travel to turkey where i was greeted by the asmed driver, who is a overall great guy, very friendly. The staff at asmed clinic are second to none, they really do make the differance in the whole experiance, some of the most caring, attentive, friendly people ive come across, it really made you feel at home the whole time, the little details like the foot and leg massages and ipad to watch films and there constant efforts to talk to you and make sure your okay ect really put me at ease throughtout, dr Erdogan is a true proffesional, a perfectionist i would say, he was very imformative, reasurring, and funny, you can tell he has a real passion for what he does and i knew i made the right decision to go with him, the procedure was tireing come the end of the day, uncomfortable at times but soon dealt with but the injections to numb the pain, i would highly recommend staying at the hotel they recommend it was amazing, clean, and the breakfast in the mornings was sooo good, the flight home was a little uncomfortable, purely for the fact i was walking round in a busy airport and plane with propbably a few stares, i tried not to take notice tbh but it was a nice relief to get home and take it all in, ive finally gone ahead with it and its done, now for the waiting game... Here are a few photos taken at asmed to show the extent of my hairloss.. -
Dear all, I have benefitted from this forum in the past and am repaying the help by posting my experience on here. Feel free to ask any questions. I am 29 years old, Indian, but grew up in London. I started losing my hair when I was 19. By 22-23, it was very advanced, and I started taking propecia and minoxidil. I also had a laser comb but could not be bothered to do this anymore. I feel that my hair loss was genetics, but also a very bad diet when younger, being nocturnal, partying too much, some depression/ anxiety throughout my twenties and also working at an investment bank, where I was working 18 hours a day with a very great deal of stress. I have made some changes now and am trying to live much more healthily. I used nanogen (toppik alternative) between 26-and 29, and I hated using it and think it contributed to some hair loss. Wearing Nanogen hair fibres was really inhibiting my social and professional life, as the powder had less and less to hold on to, so my hair always looks powdery and I was paranoid at people staring at it. I was always concious of it, so once after a particularly windy and rainy day I said enough was enough of the and decided on a hair transplant! I was always against the idea of having a hair transplant as I thought it was a bit vain. But I think you only have one life, you want to feel confident and look your best. With hindsight, I am so happy I finally took the plunge after a year of really researching it. I preferred FUE rather than FUT as I don't want a scar. I can see a scar on someone a mile off. FUE scars are smaller, you can still see it, but it's not as dominating in my opinion My Expectations I had my head shaved when younger and think it actually suits me. However being a NW4/5 with a shaved head makes me look 40. So I was very realistic. I only wanted a decent coverage on my crown and a natural looking hairline. I was going to keep my hair at grade 1-3 from now on, so though some hair top-up would be good. So, in looking for a doctor, I wanted someone who would give me a good hairline and make it look natural and give me aesthetic coverage on the crown, making a little bit of hair look like a lot Choosing a doctor Online forums are very important, as you all know, and so I looked at what people said and looked at before and after pics. I decided to narrow to Dr Reddy (Private Clinic, Harley St), Dr Erdogan, Dr Bisanga and Dr Doganay. I met all the doctors face to face. I met Dr Reddy twice, both times he said 5000 grafts, but all in the front. Dr Bisanga said 2500 grafts initially in the front, and Dr Doganay also said 5000 but spread over. Dr Erdogan said 5000, 4000 in the front, and 1000 over the crown. He said you wont have too much on the crown, but better to focus on the front hairline, which I agreed with. I chose Dr Erdogan because I really liked the brand new clinic, I also met a previous patient there who had a very good post-donor area (no scars), and the staff seemed really professional. Also I preferred manual extraction rather than use a robot. I also thought their price was reasonable. Dr Reddy was GBP2.5 per graft, Bisanga was EUR5 for first 1000 and 3 for rest, and Doganay was EUR 2.5. But cost really wasn't an issue. An extra 1-2k here and there is not as important as having a good doctor who will give you a good result for a long number of years. Better to go with the best than settle and regret I think. Procedure Sevinc was my coordinator / translator. She was fantastic throughout the whole experience - very good English, lots of advice and guidance. I worked with her to sort out all the logistics, she was prompt and reliable. I booked 22/23 Jan 2015. I arrived in 21st, and went for blood test, BP Test, and hairline design by Dr. Erdogan, and then head buzzed down to grade 0. It was permanent marker. I also paid in cash and then was picked up for the HT on Thursday at 715. I stayed at Radisson Blu hotel which is fantastic (80 EUR for each night, and I took 4 days) I can't remember all the times and names as I was under anasthetic but I'll give a summary below I arrived early morning, had some breakfast at the clinic. Then I went downstairs, changed into their clothes, then went to the basement floor where there is a patient waiting room, leading to three operation theatres. In the waiting room, I met the anasthesiologist doctor who was able to give me some pills for painkilling. I then chose two movies to watch (Hangover and Social Network) and then went to the oepration theatre. I was very nervous at this point! However they took my blood pressure and it was time to start. Day was split into four parts, extraction, graft hole creation and then implantation and then a final check up with Dr Erdogan. Quick point now about the language issue - you will have a translator with you at all times, so it was never an issue. Most of the staff in the operation room have limited English but the translator is there throughout the day to communicate to everyone and it never was a problem, which I thought it might be. Extraction: In the room you have four people with you, the translator, one person to take the grafts out through manual extraction, one person to gather the grafts and one person to check the grafts were good. They started with local anasthetic. This was quite painful and they applied it to the left side of my donor area and eventually that side went numb. However from time to time you will feel pain, at which point you tell the team that they need to apply a bit more anasthetic there. This lasted 4-5 hours to take 2500 grafts. It was very long and I admired that the team was so efficient. They were going very quick. I only felt pain perhaps 4-5 times, but that was just a little pain, whch goes once they apply some anasthetic there. I watched the movie and then another one. The anasthetic doctor kept checking on my to make sure I was fine. Dr Erdogan also came in to check everything was fine. As well my operation, I think there were two others going on at the same time as well. Once it was done, they bandaged up the donor area. Then I went back to the patient room and had a very nice lunch. I was feeling a bit dizzy but the team always checked on me and gave me some muffins and juice. Graft hole creation After lunch, I went back to my operating theatre. First involved putting in local anasthetic to my front line recipient area. It was again quite painful. About 12-15 injections to the front of my scalp and it became numb. Again it is important to make sure you are happy with their checks (where they poke you to see if you feel anything), otherwise you will feel a pain when the Dr is making the holes. Once the injections were done, the Dr began to create the holes for the grafts. This took about 40 mins. Implantation They immediately started putting the grafts in to the holes after the Dr finished. In the room there was the translator, the person handing out the grafts, and the implanter. This laster for about 5 hours I think. I was done by about 630. THis wasn't painful but I did get some back pain from being not mobile for so long. However I watched some movies and was able to stop the procedure and sit up a few times. The tema were very nice and accommodation to my requests to stop when I wanted. I also admired their ability to go for such a long time! In the day I also got a neck and foot massage which was nice. I was very happy it was done. I saw in the mirror how it looked. It looked bloody but I was very happy how it looked. Dr Erdogan came in and checked it was fine and signed off. I went back to the hotel, applied the spray and the ice pack, and slept on the airpillow which was hard. My head was sore, but I eventually fell asleep. Day 2 Same as day 1. Tis time extraction from the right side of my head. In the morning I had a point where I thought I was about to faint. I am not sure if I had enough food that morning, but I stopped the procedure and had to sit up. I seriously felt I could not get through the day for a minute or two and got scared. But then I got a painkiller, ate a couple of cakes and juice and then felt much better. NOTE: It is very important to have a good breakfast, full of fibre and slow releasing energy. I think I had just pancakes and sugary crap at the Radisson hotel! The pain related to someone holding my head whilst they were extracting the donor grafts. I felt a bit claustrophobic and they gave me about 15 mins to recover, which helped. In the afternoon I actually fell asleep for a while! 5000 grafts over two days is long procedure, but I really think the clinic did it very efficiently. For extraction they make patients sit up which I think is good. Other clinics have you sleeping all day long. Once it was done I was very happy. Dr Erdogan came in and checked it was fine and I was happy and I went back to the hotel. Same ATP spray, and Ice pack procedure. My head felt numb, it felt stretched. But hey, I just went through a massive procedure where my head got pricked about 10,000 times! It is bound to feel strange. There wasn't too much blood loss. I stopped minoxdil 1 month before the process, which I think may have caused some bleeding, given that they request you stop it 2 months before. I will not be using minoxidil any more after the procedure. I want to reduce the amount of the time I spend tending to my head, after the nanogen era! I just want to pop a propecial pill and vitamin tablet and got on with my day. Day 3 I came in on Saturday for the bandage removal from donor area. They washed the recipient area and put antiseptic cream on the donor area. I then went back to the hotel and tried to get to sleep! I got good guidance on how to wash the area. Post Operation days 1-10: I am writing this on day 10! I decided to stay in Istanbul for ten days as I had two weeks off, I needed a holiday and I also wanted to make sure I was washing the area correctly for the first 10 days. I was having real problems with the airpillow for the first 5 days. You can't sleep on the side or on you face as it may dislodge the grafts. I Was paranoid I would sleep on it, so I made sure I was always face up. It was very hard to sleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time, but I did sleep and have naps through the day. Also the donor area was very sore to sleep on, so I had to take some paracetemol. Every day I went to the clinic in the morning to wash the hair and remove the crusts. The clinic was fantastic in making sure it was done as perfectly as possible. I was paranoid that as my scalp was still numb, i wouldnt be able to tell how hard I was pressing, so I decided to get their help doing it, which was perfect. It was so relaxing to get this done, after resisting the urge all day to touch your head! BY day 6-7 the donor area crusts were coming off. By day 10, the clinic washings meant thay all the crusts were off over my entire head. I have to admit that for a couple of days my donor area was so scatchy I couldn't resist rubbing it, and have the donor scabs fall off. Once they fell off, the area became less scratchy. I am on day 10 now, And I really like how it looks. I realise that most of the hair may fall off soon as part of the process. However it looks great and just how I thought it would look. I think that as only have 2000 grafts left, I may decide in 6 months to get some body hair transplant to the crown to get some extra coverage, but that is just an idea. I am happy with it now I will keep posting pics every couple of months. On a side note, I spent days sightseeing around the beautiful city of Istanbul and eating as amazing restaurants. Message me if you want any tips! Verdict on Dr Erdogan and ASMED clinic: I can 100% recommend ASMED clinic for a hair transplant. They are simply fantastic. Sevinc was an excellent patient coordinator. The Dr was fantastic and gave me a very natural looking hairline and density. The technical staff/ nurses/ hair washing team were efficient, kind, friendly and knowledgable. Every person passing you in the clinic gave you a smile and you felt really taken care of. Every wish you had, they would address and take care of you. The clinic itself was state of the art, brand new, and shiningly clean (if that's a word!). All in all, excellence from top to bottom and I would whole heartedly recommend that if you want to go for a hair transplant, you should consider Dr Erdogan. Let me know below if you have any questions
