WARNING, if considering Dr Hakan Doganay, read this first

[biolizard]

 

The only think I'm glad about is that, no matter how things turn out, I won't have to deal with a strip scar. Although on the other hand, if it wasn't for FUE and all the scarless miracle transformation bullshit advertisement that lured me in I would have never went for a FUT operation no matter how bad my hairloss was.

 

 

I haven't thought about it in this way before, but you sir are exactly correct with this statement.

 

FUE is both a blessing and a curse. I feel I too am somewhat of a victim of the FUE HT slick marketing machine as a whole. The wonderful new progressive, scarless, minimally invasive, back to work in 3 days office 'procedure'. It all sounded so good. In hind sight, The alarm bells should've been ringing loudly in my head, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." But for some reason, this normally very skeptical guy decide to foolishly proceed. Insecurity and vanity got the best of me. I thought at the time I had done my research and was knew what was going on, but looking back on it I was dreadfully ignorant to exactly the enormity of commitment I was entering into. I was a dumb ass for doing the HT the way I did. I desire for others to learn from my mistake and NOT repeat them. I wouldn't wish what I've gone through the last 4 months on anyone. Do Not rush into any HT!!

 

With all the hindsight I have now, here's an exhaustive list of things I wish I had done:

 

- initial HT consultation with at least 2 coalition doctors

- try the big 3 meds first for at least 6 months; pay attention to side effects

- continue researching HT procedures, techniques, results and doctors for 12-18 months

- understand location and cost should not be constraints

- measure donor & recipient density/hair bulk, loss pattern

- consult with dermatologist for any possible reactions

- understand the procedure end to end including surgical process, expectations, common side effects in the skin, healing and care

- consult with psychologist (no joke) to understand if I would be able to handle the change

- consult with coalition HT doctor again and draft a master plan

- see a HT result in person, performed by different doctors; all pictures can lie; lighting and angles deceive

- Look for pictures and posts of good AND bad HTs

- Know your options for HT repair

- shave head and keep it that way for at least 1-2 months, see if you like it

- read bald guys forums for support and tips to maintain a buzzed dome

- After 12-18 months, if ready, try HT and be as conservative as possible

 

 

 

I would've never ever had the FUT strip scar surgery. So I heard about and very rashly rushed in this FUE. Everything sounded so wonderful with it, it had me thinking why in the heck should I tolerated balding with this amazing new hair loss correction technology out there.

 

Had the FUE not even existed, then I would've been sparred this whole HT ordeal.

[esrec]

Paleo, was your concern about a scar due to hair style, or simply having an incision? Just curious. I was pretty daunted by having my head cut open at first. Now two months later in the hands of a good doc, its been a relative non-issue. I think misinformation out there goes in more than one direction.

 

Keep your head up. I think you'll continue to see some nice gains.

[paleocapa89]

- initial HT consultation with at least 2 coalition doctors

- try the big 3 meds first for at least 6 months; pay attention to side effects

- continue researching HT procedures, techniques, results and doctors for 12-18 months

- understand location and cost should not be constraints

- measure donor & recipient density/hair bulk, loss pattern

- consult with dermatologist for any possible reactions

- understand the procedure end to end including surgical process, expectations, common side effects in the skin, healing and care

- consult with psychologist (no joke) to understand if I would be able to handle the change

- consult with coalition HT doctor again and draft a master plan

- see a HT result in person, performed by different doctors; all pictures can lie; lighting and angles deceive

- Look for pictures and posts of good AND bad HTs

- Know your options for HT repair

- shave head and keep it that way for at least 1-2 months, see if you like it

- read bald guys forums for support and tips to maintain a buzzed dome

- After 12-18 months, if ready, try HT and be as conservative as possible

 

 

This is a very-very good list biolizard, I would only add two things:

- start with a psychologist first and understand where the dissatisfaction with yourself stems from, and why do you want to have a HT.

- be sure to understand the difference between wanting hair and wanting a HT

- wait at least five years because IMO there are some really promising stuff in the research pipelines.

 

esrec:

 

I think my main objection stemmed from two things:

- having a surgery that is indeed sounded and looked like an INVASIVE SURGERY when your head is CUT OPEN. I was so appalled by that thought that I didn't even get to the point of thinking about the huge life-long scar.

- I was under the impression that someone really had to be vain and desperate to have a FUT procedure because it looked so bad and it didn't feel right to expose my body to such trauma.

 

On the other hand FUE was advertised as if it was like a scarless quickfix for hairloss. I was honestly wondering why isn't it more popular, why people chose to be bald when this miraculous new treatment is available. I didn't even comprehend that it is also a SURGERY and that is also why I didn't research it thoroughly.

 

FUT is at least an honest procedure, it does not want to look like something that it is not. But FUE is a sneaky misleading bastard, that will lure in many uneducated young guys. And that is why the doctors responsibility of assessing and informing every patient is pivotal.

Edited November 23, 2015 by paleocapa89

[Stig]

- wait at least five years because IMO there are some really promising stuff in the research pipelines.

 

.

 

Nonsense

[paleocapa89]

stig, I wrote IMO before my statement, please at least do the same. But I am really interested why do you so strongly believe that there is nothing promising what so ever going on in the field of research.

Edited November 23, 2015 by paleocapa89

[biolizard]

This is a very-very good list biolizard, I would only add two things:

- start with a psychologist first and understand where the dissatisfaction with yourself stems from, and why do you want to have a HT.

- be sure to understand the difference between wanting hair and wanting a HT

- wait at least five years because IMO there are some really promising stuff in the research pipelines.

 

 

I especially like the addition on having someone contemplate the seemingly subtle (at first glance) difference between just desiring to have your hair back....vs....wanting a hair transplant.

There is however in reality a BIG difference between the two that an inexperienced, gullible insecure person, in a poor state of mind, like myself will not usually spend adequate time pondering.

 

The other thing I think that was particularly true in my case was ...do you really even want just your hair back at all?

 

Allow me to explain. My desire for a HT came on the heels of an accumulation of unfortunate events simulataneously occurring in my life.

 

For instance:

-things not going well at work,

-my wife and I were having martial difficulties, she was keeping frequent company of another male 'friend' which I disapproved of.

-We had a 17 year old son hooked into drugs which landed him in whole heap of legal trouble surrounding that, not to mention the stress of having a kid sneaking and doing illegal drugs in your house while you were gone,

-my mothers health was failing(I'm very close with my mom)

-in summation I had A LOT of stress and was getting depressed and the kicker is it happened so insidiously I didn't really realize it while I was in it until it was too late.

 

******In other words I was eyeball deep in the clutches of a huge depressive MID LIFE CRISIS EPISODE!!

 

FUE to the rescue?!?!

I got uber excited about this newfangled FUE procedure I heard about. It was expensive but

I justified and rationalized the expense of the HT by telling myself after all I'm going through I deserve this.

 

The hard cold facts was however much more complex than just getting my hair back with a HT. No no.... what I wanted was NOT a hair transplant at all.

I really wanted my YOUTH back!!

Hindsight being 20/20, in reality I pined for the days of my carefree youth. A time in my life when I didn't have the concerns of the life crushing stressor I listed above.

 

 

A hair transplant does NOT give you your youth back; I can vouch for that. I may get a little bit more hair on my head for a time period, but I'm still the aging middle age man I see in the mirror. The HT has not changed that and cannot realistically be expected to change that.

 

Ultimately through many hours of reflection and introspection I have come to realize perhaps what I needed most was a psychologist NOT a HT doctor. I needed to address the problems in my life with the help of a qualified therapist, I needed to learn to accept the aging process with grace and dignity. Instead I opted to try and become someone else in a sense by altering my appearance. Altering myself on the outside to create a more youthful vision of myself. The HT so far has only added to my stress. In time I have no doubt I will grow to accept and make peace with what I have done. I'm working through that process now. I'm trying to learn to forgive myself for the human mistakes I have made and accept who I am NOW (after the HT) as a person. Though I will say It's sometimes hard to just let this go, to just be myself, when most days I have trouble even figuring out who I really am and what I really want out of life. Sorry to get so philosophical. Lol. Ok think I'll end it here. Thank you for reading.

[FM1]

Paleo, I'd like to thank you for this thread as I feel like you have saved me a lot of grief and headaches by having such a rough experience yourself. I am considering getting a hair transplant procedure done and Dr Dogonay was on my shortlist. Having read every single post on this thread I am definitely taking him off.

 

I sincerely hope that things work out for you in the long run. All the best mate.

 

Now I would also like to address an issue that that is stirring in my mind as a result of having read all 44 pages in this thread. To the forum admins and mods - how can you justify making Dr Dogonay a recommended doctor based off 6 very loose unverified reviews: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/169735-potential-recommendation-dr-hakan-doganay-turkey.html

 

More over, how is it that you have not taken the decision to remove him from your list after you have seen first hand the 20+ threads which very clearly show that his practice is not a reputable one and is more than likely an FUE mill?

 

I understand you guys need to make money to maintain the site and for profit but I thought this was a forum for and by hair loss patients?

 

Before people attack my motives, I just want to pre-emptively address any concerns about me being a new member: I was a very active member on another hair loss forum with the same username (withholding URL as I suspect it's against forum rules but happy to provide if requested) from 2009 onwards. I was taking minox and propecia but had some very nasty sides and decided to stop medication all together. Since then I've been simply showering with cold water and applying argan oil to my hair twice a week after shampooing and have had great results.

 

Unfortunately, my hair has been falling out rapidly in the last 3 months and I felt it necessary to investigate potential hair transplant procedures. This is how I came across this thread as well as the 'Dr recommendation' thread.

[chris39]

Wow !

 

I've read a fair bit of this thread ( but not all ) , and really this could be the subject matter for a book for anyone contemplating a HT . So many different and pertinent discussions taking place .

 

A real eye opener with some great advice . Also points out the things to watch out for in the sometimes murky world of HT surgery .

 

Kudos also to the site administrators . They have also been under scrutiny , but have decided to let the thread run .

 

Having a HT myself in a few weeks . Hope I've researched it adequately , but time will ultimately tell !!!

[matt3480]

The thread should run.....quite honestly, it's even worse than closing it and banning him. As people have said, stuff on the Internet is FOREVER. Look at old Alvi Armani threads from 6-7 years ago.....he basically is a non-factor in HT's now. Yes, he gets patients still....but in terms of being considered a quality surgeon...that ship has sailed.....whether it's 2015 or 2035.

 

There are 5-10 Hall of Fame surgeons and then there is everyone else. That's just the way it is. It's not even a discussion. It's like saying there are Jordan, LeBron, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Larry Bird. You can't really rank them 1-5. However, there is a LARGE difference between the next class of surgeons.

[harin]

The thread should run.....quite honestly, it's even worse than closing it and banning him. As people have said, stuff on the Internet is FOREVER. Look at old Alvi Armani threads from 6-7 years ago.....he basically is a non-factor in HT's now. Yes, he gets patients still....but in terms of being considered a quality surgeon...that ship has sailed.....whether it's 2015 or 2035.

 

There are 5-10 Hall of Fame surgeons and then there is everyone else. That's just the way it is. It's not even a discussion. It's like saying there are Jordan, LeBron, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Larry Bird. You can't really rank them 1-5. However, there is a LARGE difference between the next class of surgeons.

 

well said matt3480.

[paleocapa89]

So the 6 month results are in. Be brutally honest.

 

Should I still remain optimistic that this will turn out to be a cosmetically acceptable result?

 

Or should I accept the fact that it is more than probable that I will need some kind of repair after 12-18 months and start planning and looking into it (laser hair removal, punching out grafts, electrolysis, fraxel, etc.) if I ever want to get back my life.

 

 

 

 

[leftygolfer71]

Sorry, but that hairline does not look good or natural. And you're still red?

[Cenkoa01]

So the 6 month results are in. Be brutally honest.

 

Should I still remain optimistic that this will turn out to be a cosmetically acceptable result?

 

Or should I accept the fact that it is more than probable that I will need some kind of repair after 12-18 months and start planning and looking into it (laser hair removal, punching out grafts, electrolysis, fraxel, etc.) if I ever want to get back my life.

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Peter

 

6 months is very early stage to discuss On the other hand why don't you keep hair longer as we can see you keep hair longer on the side ( peak line) hair coming very nicely where.you also got implanted anyway

 

I am still optimistic with your result.

 

Wish to best for you

[paleocapa89]

6 months is very early stage to discuss On the other hand why don't you keep hair longer as we can see you keep hair longer on the side ( peak line) hair coming very nicely where.you also got implanted anyway

 

I am still optimistic with your result.

 

Wish to best for you

 

Please if you post pictures of me than at least blur my face and eyes as it is in the release agreement that I signed.

 

I do have somewhat better cosmetic results on the sides, I don't know why, maybe because I had native hair there, maybe somehow it grew better, I don't know. But as you can see, I can't let the other areas grow out longer because the area is not nearly dense enough to provide coverage.

 

And yes, I still have a lingering purplish red color

Edited December 9, 2015 by paleocapa89

[Cenkoa01]

Please if you post pictures of me than at least blur my face and eyes as it is in the release agreement that I signed.

 

I do have somewhat better cosmetic results on the sides, I don't know why, maybe because I had native hair there, maybe somehow it grew better, I don't know. But as you can see, I can't let the other areas grow out longer because the area is not nearly dense enough to provide coverage.

 

And yes, I still have a lingering purplish red color

 

Can you please do a favor to let hairs grow same length with your native hair this will give us better point of view either bad or good...

 

Thanks

[leftygolfer71]

Can you please do a favor to let hairs grow same length with your native hair this will give us better point of view either bad or good...

 

Thanks

 

Just wondering, since when is it advised to "grow" your native hair to make the HT look better.

 

I'm sorry, but It looks pluggy and unnatural....:confused:

[win200]

I'm normally pretty conservative about these things, but I'm sorry, this is an atrocious result for six months. Things aren't done yet, of course, but this is way behind the curve for this point. The density is non-existent, and I suspect the angulation may be off in some instances (tough to tell with the transplanted areas cropped so short). This is also significantly redder than I've seen recipient areas at six months; I actually can't recall seeing a recipient area so irritated half a year after the fact. A lot can still change, but you asked for brutal honesty, and the truth is that this is an extremely sub-par result for this point in time. That's the big caveat. I'll note, though, that it would take a remarkable turnaround for this to turn out to be a strong result.

[win200]

And I'm sorry, but it's sloppy and inexcusable for a clinic rep to post un-cropped patient pictures on the internet if the agreement stated otherwise. That's not the kind of mistake that a reputable clinic should be making, even temporarily. I can't imagine H&W, Rahal, Konior, etc. betraying a patient's privacy like that. Just ridiculous.

[Xkos48]

So the 6 month results are in. Be brutally honest.

 

Should I still remain optimistic that this will turn out to be a cosmetically acceptable result?

 

Or should I accept the fact that it is more than probable that I will need some kind of repair after 12-18 months and start planning and looking into it (laser hair removal, punching out grafts, electrolysis, fraxel, etc.) if I ever want to get back my life.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry dude,it don't look good so far,brings back memories.that's what my first operation looked like at 6 months.

[paleocapa89]

Sorry dude,it don't look good so far,brings back memories.that's what my first operation looked like at 6 months.

 

Damn that's what I was afraid of. If at least the redness would go away, I would be able to shave it and look similar to how I was before the procedure.

[hairlosscpa]

Try applying emu oil and jojoba oil (you can get it off amazon) to the reddish areas. Tremendously helped to calm and moisturize my scalp post-op which ultimately made the redness only existent when I come out of the shower. Can't hurt to try.

[Melvin- Admin]

It does not look good for 6 months, what concerns me the most is not the lack growth but the angles and placement looks off, and your skin is most definitely scarred, probably from the folliculitis, even the temples although there's growth it looks to rugged and harsh looking for temples, I'm not sure if they used single hair grafts to create softness, it looks they used very thick hair to create the temples, they should've used the softest most delicate single hair grafts to create the temples, overall it shows a clear lack of understanding, this is most likely due to the fact that techs with no education on hair angle and no artistry created the recipient sites with the choi pen implanter.

 

So sorry bro, it does not look good, I would let the hair grow cause shaving it makes it look worse, at least grow the top long and wear your hair down to disguise the grafts, in my opinion you shouldn't get anymore surgeries, I think removing the grafts and fixing the scars will be ideal for you.

[KConK]

I've watched this thread for a while and was hoping to see better results at 6 months, I thought maybe things would improve as the time went on but it's really sad to see this type of result at 6 months. That said, there is time yet and I do think that the texture and appearance will improve a little over time, especially once the redness clears and if you let your hair grow rather than keeping it short. I think that isn;t helping the overall appearance.

 

I don't agree that you should remove the hairs, you have gone through so much hassle and heartache to get the hairs that are there now, and it isn't a big procedure in terms of graft numbers. I actually think you could end up with a good result in the future once this settles and if you went to a different/better surgeon and had a second op. With density increased by another 50% you would have a good hairline.

[mav23100gunther]

Please if you post pictures of me than at least blur my face and eyes as it is in the release agreement that I signed.

 

 

 

That is absolutely shocking. We now have the clinic posting pictures of the patient's face on the internet by mistake? I am absolutely appalled

[esrec]

Paleo--Thank you for sharing. It goes without saying, but the board has got your back on this. It may not bring you much solace at the moment, but you likely saved a few others by sharing your story. You've made a positive difference even if you're suffering at the moment.

 

Be patient for now, but like others said, its not translating (so far) to the result you'd expect from a "recommended surgeon". I would speak to the Rahal, Konior, H+W, and Shapiro's of the world to discuss corrective options. I think having that information alone will give you some hope.

 

On a separate note, its absolutely disgusting and unacceptable that your identity was shared. Its easy for the rest of us to sit back and be calm but I think you've handled yourself well giving the circumstances. You received an empty apology by the same patient coordinator who's been actively trying to revive Dr. D threads in an effort to save himself. Its too late. Game Over.