Dr Koray Erdogan, Asmed Clinic Istanbul - 3206 grafts - May 20th 2016

[Quasimoto]

Hello everyone

 

Long time reader first time poster

 

I had an FUE transplant with Dr Koray Erdogan at Asmed clinic on May the 20th of May.

I have decided to document my journey to help others as previous posts had helped me.

 

 

About me

 

I am a 29 years old from Melbourne, Australia.

I first noticed my hair loss when I was around 19 years old.

Over the past 10 years, my hair loss has mostly been a slow recession of the hairline and temples with some less noticeable thinning on top.

 

 

Prevention

 

About 7 years ago I was prescribed Finasteride. After about 6 months of usage I got side effects and had to stop. All I can say is that this stuff is poison and I refuse to take it again.

I have been using Nizoral shampoo pretty much since I first noticed my hair loss. I was first told about this stuff from a bodybuilder friend as apparently they use it while on testosterone as it is effective at washing the DHT out. In my opinion it works wonders. I usually use it about 3 times a week.

I tried minoxidil (rogaine foam) for about 8 months prior to my surgery, which did little but inflame my scalp and cause weaker areas to shed. When I was told to stop taking this prior to surgery I decided I wouldn't use it again.

 

 

Clinic Research

 

I have this website to thank for helping me in my search.

 

Hair transplants are something I had looked into over the years but I wanted to wait until I had lost enough hair to make it worthwhile.

I am getting married next year so I decided to jump in and get it done as I wanted to look my best for the wedding.

My goal was to frame my face by bringing my hairline down and fill in the temples slightly.

The thinning on the top is not all that bad and doesn't bother me, but framing my face by correcting my hairline will do wonders.

Being from Australia I knew that I had to look to overseas clinics as the ones here are pretty average and cost a fortune.

I had emailed a few clinics and narrowed it down to Asmed based on their consistently good results.

Sevinc (my translator) told me I was very good candidate for surgery so in March I booked in my surgery for May 20th and transferred the deposit.

 

 

Arriving at the clinic / Consultation

 

I had my consultation the day before my surgery. When I arrived at the clinic everyone was very happy and welcoming. I met Dr Koray and he analysed my hair and drew my hairline. The first hairline he drew was fairly low and very sharp which I did not like. It was important to me that my hairline was not too low. After a few changes we agreed on the final hairline which ended up 6cm from my eyebrows - my hairline going into the consult was 8.5cm from my eyebrows.

After this I had my head shaved and the hairline was redrawn in permanent marker by Dr Koray. I then went back to the hotel as it was late in the afternoon.

 

 

Surgery Day

 

On surgery day my nerves had really kicked in. It's funny that something I had been so excited for over the past 2 months had suddenly made me so anxious. After a check we could see my blood pressure was up due to a mixture of jet lag (I flew in the day before) and nerves. This is where Dr Umut comes in and all I can say is this guy is the man. He gave me some xanax, some hypertension medication and I think he said opium (not sure) to calm my nerves and we got my blood pressure back down to a normal level and began surgery.

 

The surgery itself was easy and painless - the only thing that hurt was the anaesthesia injections which is very brief but stings like hell. The surgery lasted about 7 hours but it honestly felt like it went for about 1 hour I was off with the fairies (Thanks Dr Umut). I got foot massages during the surgery which was also great. I fell asleep a few times during the surgery, and I think I was snoring which I'm sure the staff would have found amusing.

 

The extractions and implantations are made by Asmed's experienced technicians. Dr Koray performs only the incisions which is the most important part of the surgery. The clinic also has about 3-4 patients a day. This is something I was aware of going in but people should go in knowing this so they don't get a surprise. It may put some people off but I can assure everyone that the techs involved are very experienced and Asmed's consistent results speak for them selves.

 

I was pretty spaced out after the surgery and I honestly don't remember if I got a chance to properly thank Dr Koray and Dr Umut.

 

Statistics

 

Total Graft count - 3206

Hair breakdown;

605 Single Hairs

1553 Double Hairs

961 Triple Hairs

85 Quadruple Hairs

2 Quintuple Hairs

Total Hair count = 6944

Average hair per graft = 2.17

Recipient area was 60cm2 with density placement of around 50-55 grafts per cm2

Hair Caliber is 55-60 microns

 

My donor capacity is fairly high with a total of 9,300 grafts, so I have another 6,094 of grafts available after this procedure if I need to top up further down the track.

 

The night of the surgery I slept pretty well and I didn't have any swelling (yet).

I was originally meant to fly out on the 22nd but decided to bring my flight forward and fly out the day after surgery to get home sooner. there was another Aussie also having surgery and flying home on the same flight. We were both flying business class Emirates so I didn't feel too uncomfortable with people looking at me as I was not alone. By the time we landed in Australia our faces had blown out and looked like we were having an anaphylactic fit. The swelling got pretty bad but now 3 days after it is slowly going down.

 

In all, my experience was great. The people at Asmed are awesome and friendly. I want to publicly thank them all.

If anyone from Australia is considering Asmed, they are thinking about coming to Australia to hold consultations so you should get in touch with them to see when they plan on doing this.

I highly recommend them based on my experience so far and am hoping for a killer result!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Quasimoto,

 

I always love when long time readers become members and decide to join in the discussion, in particular when they've chosen an outstanding surgeon and share their experience and photos. Thank you for providing us with a detailed account of your procedure including photos. Dr. Erdogan is top notch and I'm sure you'll be very satisfied with your results when they grow in.

 

Feel free also to create a patient website by going to Hair Loss Blogs by real people. It's probably one of the best ways to document your progress with photos. You can then post a link to your page the website in your forum signature. You can also read your surgeon and provide photos and videos if you choose.

 

I look forward to following along with your progress and hope that you continue to participate now that you've taken the plunge into surgery and joining our community :-)

 

Bill

[TakingThePlunge]

Congratulations on your hair transplant and upcoming nuptials! Thanks for sharing your experience with Dr. Erdogan and the staff at ASMED. I'm not a bit surprised that you were treated to the very best of care.

 

Hope you'll continue to update us on your progress.

 

Best of luck!

[Quasimoto]

Thank you Bill and David for welcoming me.

 

I am now 5 days post op.

Scabs in the donor have begun to fall off.

The donor area was painful last night while I was sleeping but seems to be fine now.

 

The recipient area is starting to scab now.

The swelling has gone down and it is less red.

I am starting to get some feeling again in the recipient area which has been numb for the last 5 days.

I feel some tingling in some of the grafts, which I hope is a good thing! Almost feels like the hair is growing haha.

 

See attached pics for 5 days post op.

[wibbles180]

Congratulations , really looking forward to seeing this result mature , out of interest how open was dr erdogan in letting you have the final say on your hairline ? Having visited him in London recently the hairline he drew in for me I feel was too low so I would like to know how flexible he was with your suggestions ?

[Quasimoto]

Hi Wibbles

 

Dr Koray draws the initial hairline and then ask's you to have a look and tell him what you think.

Like I said, I didn't like the first hair line he drew as I felt it was low and it was fairly sharp angled which is a hairline I have never had before. He said his design complemented my facial features.

He was fairly flexible and listened to me when I said I wanted changes, although I felt he was getting a little frustrated or offended each time we made the change (I'm not sure if this is due to the language barrier). This is something other patients said to me as well and they felt kind of put on the spot, which is probably my only criticism of the clinic.

 

In the end, we designed a hairline that we both agreed on. It was lower than I was expecting as I have always had a slightly higher hairline, but I am super glad he talked me into it because it looks great. He seems to know what he is talking about so my suggestion is listen to his advice and make small changes if you don't like something. But if you don't like something make sure you speak out and discuss it with him.

[Raman]

Hey Quasi,

Good to hear another fellow Aussie has had a HT with Dr Erdogan. Give it 6 months and you will be happy with how it thickens up. Congrats mate, happy growing!

[wibbles180]

Hi Wibbles

 

Dr Koray draws the initial hairline and then ask's you to have a look and tell him what you think.

Like I said, I didn't like the first hair line he drew as I felt it was low and it was fairly sharp angled which is a hairline I have never had before. He said his design complemented my facial features.

He was fairly flexible and listened to me when I said I wanted changes, although I felt he was getting a little frustrated or offended each time we made the change (I'm not sure if this is due to the language barrier). This is something other patients said to me as well and they felt kind of put on the spot, which is probably my only criticism of the clinic.

 

In the end, we designed a hairline that we both agreed on. It was lower than I was expecting as I have always had a slightly higher hairline, but I am super glad he talked me into it because it looks great. He seems to know what he is talking about so my suggestion is listen to his advice and make small changes if you don't like something. But if you don't like something make sure you speak out and discuss it with him.

 

 

Thanks for your advice , I have another couple of surgeons on my list and they both drew in a much more concervative hairline , I'd like to use dr Koray but will have to see if I can get him to move the hairline he drew back to my original high hairline rather than the one best suited to my face shape etc .... Happy growing

[Quasimoto]

@raman

 

Cheers bud,

been watching your progress and looks like you're starting to get some good growth you lucky bastard! Congrats

 

I'm now 10 days post op and covered in scabs.

Is it too early to start using my fingernails while shampooing?

I feel like they are just about ready to come off.

 

I have lost some little hairs already, I hope that's a good sign - the post op instructions says that it is normal to lose some in the first week.

 

Will post some pics tonight.

[Quasimoto]

So I am now 14 days post op.

I scabbed up pretty bad so I decided to hold off posting more pics until I had removed all my scabs.

At around day 12 I started to use a bit more force removing the scabs.

I found a lot of the scabs came off when pat drying my scalp with paper towel after shampooing.

I used q-tip's to remove the more stubborn ones - as my scalp was still a little sensitive I didn't want to use my fingernails too much.

Up until now I have been washing my head by pouring water from a cup - is it safe now to put my head under normal shower pressure?

 

I've attached my 14 day post op pics.

My transplanted hairs have grown quite a bit (they've pretty much caught up to my native hair now). I hope that in theory it means that as they continue to grow, they have survived the transplant and will grow back after the shed.

I have had a bunch of transplanted hair shed already over the past 2 weeks.

 

When talking with Dr Koray, he told me the density would be around 55FU/cm2 in the hairline and then 50FU/cm2 going back. I have checked closely and it is more like 40 FU/cm2 in the hair line and about 30-35 FU/cm2 behind - I am hoping that this is due to some of the hairs that have already shed but will grow back in the discussed density.

 

I am particularly impressed with the detail and precision of the graft direction. He has managed to create a very natural flow and even replicated a cowlick I had before I had lost my hairline. I do remember vaguely talking to him after the surgery and he told me that he had originally planned to put the grafts facing forward but then decided to change the direction to have them facing back after closer inspection of my native hairs. I can't really remember much more of the conversation as I was high as a kite ha.

I trust his judgement and there is no doubt he is a master of his craft - one of the other patients told me he was a heart surgeon before going into hair transplantation, so his attention to detail is good.

 

The donor area can become quite painful at night, almost like sharp nerve pain - I find some ibuprofen before bed does the trick.

The transplanted area is still super red, the photos don't really show just how red it is. But in person it is very noticeable. When is it safe to put Aloe Vera on the area to try and soothe the redness?

 

Work is getting pretty busy so next pics will be when I start to shed then I will do month by month. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask away.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Quasimoto

[TakingThePlunge]

Thanks for keeping us updated. Everything appears normal. Interesting about the cowlick. I thought I noticed this in the pics.

[ClemensWeber]

Is it correct that 3200 grafts were extracted with a manual punch and transplanted within 7 hours? Can you remember how long the extraction itself was? Was is done by 1 or 2 technicians?

 

Happy growing

[Quasimoto]

Hi Clemens

 

Like I said I was pretty out of it during surgery so was not too aware of the time.

Looking back at it now I think the surgery was about 9 hours in total - I have been able to work this out by looking at texts I sent to my fiance during surgery;

 

Approximately 8:30 am began surgery may have been a little earlier

10:30 am I told my partner there were still 900 grafts yet to be extracted

3pm Told my partner they were still implanting the grafts

5:30pm by this point I had finished surgery and taken a photo of my transplant

 

I believe there was only one technician doing the extractions.

 

Other patients that had the same amount of grafts had their surgery split over 2 days, not sure why mine was only one day.

[Yaz89]

Hi Quasimoto. Another Asmed thread! Looking good buddy. Really liking the hair line design. Be looking forward to your updates. Enjoy them little buggers before they shed the next few days!

[Quasimoto]

Thanks Yaz

 

Your journey really helped me in making my decision to go with Asmed.

 

I began shedding quite a bit already, probably about 50% of the hairs have now.

I find that some parts are quite numb and hard to touch - I see you also experienced this.

Did you at any stage notice your recipient area skin texture seem different at all?

Mine is a little lumpy at the moment. It swelled up really bad a few days ago but has since gone down.

After sending some photos Asmed got back to me and told me this is normal.

[Yaz89]

Thanks, I am glad to hear that.

 

Yes I experienced the same as well. It is all normal. The head has been in major surgery with massive amounts of trauma. It will heal. Numbness and tenderness; you will experience it for many months. Use warm compression if it is bothering you badly. I am 8 weeks post op from my second op, and once again my head is tender. It usually gets better once the grafts start to appear. Just think like you know the tenderness means there is activity under the scalp. A good sign I believe

[hkuser]

Hi Quasimoto, hope things are progressing well for you. Looking forward to your next update

[Quasimoto]

Hope everyone is well.

Haven't been on here in ages, actually had forgotten my password.

So much has been going on in my life since I was last on here.

Anyway, I've had some messages from people asking me for updates.

Approx 22 months I think, here are some pics today after a haircut.

All the best.

[Justin77]

Lol this is great, love how you just casually log back on here 22 months post-op to show off picture perfect results like this. Great hairline and amazing density! You must be very happy.

[Shuriken]

Wow what a fantastic result!

[BjornBorg]

Wow, just wow. Thank you for coming back. When did the redness go down to acceptable level and/or when did it disappear completely?

[Rinaldi363]

29 years old, going to the most expensive and best HT doctor int he world, and flying JC Emirates. (Where I work) and I'm 28. Jesus christ your life sounds great. I was probably the guy serving you on that flight, and then had to go to a budget doctor haha And your hair wasn't even terrible in the first place. Lucky bugger.

[bald67]

congrats good to see