Should I get a transplant with Erdogan? (24 yrs old, Fin/Min for 2 years)

[deskenvelope]

Hello! 

I have been interested in a hair transplant for 2 years. I am 24 years old, and my hair loss has halted since I started taking Finasteride 2 years ago and Minoxidil 1 year ago.

See images here: https://imgur.com/a/Hbb8qSL. 

Currently, I am planning on getting an FUE procedure with Dr. Koray Erdogan. His clinic is recommending 2500-3200 grafts and settled on 3000. I am concerned this might be a bit much but I also like the idea of not having to get another transplant later. He will be doing the hole incisions himself and his surgical staff is doing the implantation. 

The reason I am going to Turkey is not simply cost— I am willing to pay a premium for the best hair surgeon in Turkey (or elsewhere), not a random "hair mill". I have received quotes that are much more for way less reputable doctors in the US.

I would appreciate any feedback on:

- ASMED/ Koray Erdogan's clinic. Are there other clinics that would be worth inquiring about? 

- Their graft quote (is this too much or too little?)

- Should I consider an FUT over an FUE? I like to keep the sides and back of my head short, so an FUT does not seem ideal because of the scar.

- Is it possible to get a FUE procedure done without shaving the top of my head? 

Other background: If I were in my 30s or older I wouldn't really care about the hair loss and would just shave it, but I'm not a big fan of this look for my mid 20s.

Thank you all so much!

Edited October 14, 2019 by deskenvelope

[JayLDD]

3000 sounds very realistic, your individual hair don't look particularly thick and your forelock is virtually gone. With your donor that thin I likely wouldn't consider FUT, although tbh your donor doesn't look particularly strong and perhaps it would be better to opt for FUT and start leaving the donor slightly longer to maximise its long term potential.

Its possible but not worth getting an FUE where you don't shave the top. A more difficult, slower, less precise and more expensive process. I'm also not a fan of conservative approaches that don't look good and leave you in the position of needing transplant after transplant to keep up, there are more consistent surgeons imo and those that are better at making every graft count, but for your level of loss I don't think that is optimal. I'd also look at Hasson/Wong as an example of surgeons that have many similar cases to yours with aesthetic results. I suspect their quote will be similar, potentially even larger.

Keser in Turkey gets more aesthetic and refined results imo but your loss is slightly too large for him to be an optimal choice I feel.

[Ian.]

Well once you have a transplant, you basically forfeit the head shaving option. If you would seriously be cool with being a head shaver within the next few years, I would think that going through all the stress of a hair transplant wouldn’t be worth it. Personally, I think that if you are unsure which surgical procedure to get, unsure how many grafts should be used, unsure of which doctor to go with, and unsure if you should even have a hair transplant, then there is no harm in holding off for a while.

Best,

Ian

[deskenvelope]

Hey Ian, thank you for the input! I'd like to clarify a few things.

Quote

If you would seriously be cool with being a head shaver within the next few years, I would think that going through all the stress of a hair transplant wouldn’t be worth it

I guess what I meant to say is if this happened to me later in life I wouldn't be so worried, but I know I'd like to have some hair back for the next 5-10 years.

Quote

Personally, I think that if you are unsure which surgical procedure to get, unsure how many grafts should be used, unsure of which doctor to go with, and unsure if you should even have a hair transplant, then there is no harm in holding off for a while.

To be clear: I was 100% ready to deposit and go to Erdogan/ASMED (or any other top clinic in Turkey or Europe) since I thought they have the best reputation and the graft count was very reasonable. However, I figured since I'm in the US I should reach out to more US doctors and get their feedback just in case. Most all of them have said along the lines that 3000 grafts is far too much for me and I'll be over-harvested. Some also strongly recommended FUT since I can always do FUE later if I need it.

I am concerned that their statement that my donor area will be over-harvested was under the impression that I am going to some sort of "hair mill" for like $1000 or something really low cost compared to their US clinics. The doctors that emphasized that FUT is ideal for me also seemed biased as they are able to do FUT for a price similar to FUE in Turkey, and they wanted to get me in for a consultation. I don't mean to sound skeptical since they mean well, but I want to be cautious about who I listen to. This is why I wanted to open up to this forum.

I'm also graduating very soon, and will have an indefinite amount of free time to recover/travel/etc. I don't think I can pull off taking time off for recovery/ being seen during recovery when I am working full time later next year and beyond.

[deskenvelope]

3 hours ago, JayLDD said:

3000 sounds very realistic, your individual hair don't look particularly thick and your forelock is virtually gone. With your donor that thin I likely wouldn't consider FUT, although tbh your donor doesn't look particularly strong and perhaps it would be better to opt for FUT and start leaving the donor slightly longer to maximise its long term potential.

Its possible but not worth getting an FUE where you don't shave the top. A more difficult, slower, less precise and more expensive process. I'm also not a fan of conservative approaches that don't look good and leave you in the position of needing transplant after transplant to keep up, there are more consistent surgeons imo and those that are better at making every graft count, but for your level of loss I don't think that is optimal. I'd also look at Hasson/Wong as an example of surgeons that have many similar cases to yours with aesthetic results. I suspect their quote will be similar, potentially even larger.

Keser in Turkey gets more aesthetic and refined results imo but your loss is slightly too large for him to be an optimal choice I feel.

Great Feedback! I added two more photos: one to see the front, and another of my donor. The original picture was after a very short haircut and with blonde hair and fair skin, the flash made it look like an even worse donor area. I can meet with an HT surgeon in California as they may know best.

I see in your signature you went to Erdogan, why do you recommend Keser? I’ll check in with Hasson/Wong too. I am open to any other recommendations too.

Thanks again!

 

[Ian.]

Yeah, that would make me nervous too. I'm not sure if there's anything sadder on forums than seeing a guy who got overharvested at a young age and left with no options. I happen to be more of a fan of stripping out, but every case is different. 

And maybe 3,000 grafts isn't overharvesting. Maybe it's the perfect amount. But what if not all of the grafts in the recipient area take? It happens. Will you have enough grafts for a supplemental surgery?

I'm glad that you're going to get more consultations as I am no expert. I don't know all the ins and outs of surgery. Like you, I've never had a hair transplant. That's why I really try not to "give advice." Just giving you things to consider. 

[JayLDD]

15 hours ago, deskenvelope said:

Great Feedback! I added two more photos: one to see the front, and another of my donor. The original picture was after a very short haircut and with blonde hair and fair skin, the flash made it look like an even worse donor area. I can meet with an HT surgeon in California as they may know best.

I see in your signature you went to Erdogan, why do you recommend Keser? I’ll check in with Hasson/Wong too. I am open to any other recommendations too.

Thanks again!

 

Basically I think its worth just looking at a few different options. Keser does 500-750 grafts a day with extremely precise placement and good density and in terms of growth rates is likely among the best in the world, as are his hairline aesthetics. Obviously  this is a much slower process and slightly more expensive, although to some might be more appealing, as well as the fact that he does extractions as well as incisions. For me I think Erdogan was by far the best choice for FUE and my situation looks semi-similar to yours, however I think in retrospect it would have been worth putting more consideration into FUT. 

Regarding the comments from US surgeons, imo they are largely disingenuous hacks without the same level of experience, or ability to do those graft numbers with high quality donor management. Partly this is because expenses and therefore cost of service are significantly higher in the US. To be honest Konior is the only US surgeon ($12 USD a graft however) that I would consider for FUE. Even in terms of FUT, Hasson/Wong I would place well above any US competition. I also would recommend consulting them because they hold less bias towards FUT/FUE like many American surgeons do. I haven't seen a single Erdogan case where there is a cosmetically significant difference to the donor after 3000 grafts unless shave with a 0 guard. Imo the majority of US surgeons will go out of business and deserve to, eventually raising the standards and leaving only the cream of the crop behind. There are certainly very talented FUT surgeons like Bloxham around but even he for example is very focused on FUT, both for legitimate but also financial reasons.

I went through the same situation of having a specific window of time for recovery, imo that is huge reason to consider a surgeon like Erdogan that is going to utilise more grafts and make a bigger impact.

[True]

On 10/14/2019 at 1:56 PM, deskenvelope said:

Hello! 

I have been interested in a hair transplant for 2 years. I am 24 years old, and my hair loss has halted since I started taking Finasteride 2 years ago and Minoxidil 1 year ago.

See images here: https://imgur.com/a/Hbb8qSL. 

Currently, I am planning on getting an FUE procedure with Dr. Koray Erdogan. His clinic is recommending 2500-3200 grafts and settled on 3000. I am concerned this might be a bit much but I also like the idea of not having to get another transplant later. He will be doing the hole incisions himself and his surgical staff is doing the implantation. 

The reason I am going to Turkey is not simply cost— I am willing to pay a premium for the best hair surgeon in Turkey (or elsewhere), not a random "hair mill". I have received quotes that are much more for way less reputable doctors in the US.

I would appreciate any feedback on:

- ASMED/ Koray Erdogan's clinic. Are there other clinics that would be worth inquiring about? 

- Their graft quote (is this too much or too little?)

- Should I consider an FUT over an FUE? I like to keep the sides and back of my head short, so an FUT does not seem ideal because of the scar.

- Is it possible to get a FUE procedure done without shaving the top of my head? 

Other background: If I were in my 30s or older I wouldn't really care about the hair loss and would just shave it, but I'm not a big fan of this look for my mid 20s.

Thank you all so much!

No.

[True]

20 hours ago, deskenvelope said:

Hey Ian, thank you for the input! I'd like to clarify a few things.

I guess what I meant to say is if this happened to me later in life I wouldn't be so worried, but I know I'd like to have some hair back for the next 5-10 years.

To be clear: I was 100% ready to deposit and go to Erdogan/ASMED (or any other top clinic in Turkey or Europe) since I thought they have the best reputation and the graft count was very reasonable. However, I figured since I'm in the US I should reach out to more US doctors and get their feedback just in case. Most all of them have said along the lines that 3000 grafts is far too much for me and I'll be over-harvested. Some also strongly recommended FUT since I can always do FUE later if I need it.

I am concerned that their statement that my donor area will be over-harvested was under the impression that I am going to some sort of "hair mill" for like $1000 or something really low cost compared to their US clinics. The doctors that emphasized that FUT is ideal for me also seemed biased as they are able to do FUT for a price similar to FUE in Turkey, and they wanted to get me in for a consultation. I don't mean to sound skeptical since they mean well, but I want to be cautious about who I listen to. This is why I wanted to open up to this forum.

I'm also graduating very soon, and will have an indefinite amount of free time to recover/travel/etc. I don't think I can pull off taking time off for recovery/ being seen during recovery when I am working full time later next year and beyond.

You're a fool.

 

 

I would consider only:

Cooley

Bernstein

Wong

If you think they're too expensive, consider the expense of regret.

[1978matt]

Donor looks a bit weak and maybe only has a total of 4000 FUE grafts before it would start to look very thin.  You need to have it examined in person.

H&W, Cooley, Shapiro, Bloxham, Bernstein, Mohebi all solid guys to go and visit.  Then there's my own doc and his protégé Nadimi of course, though from experience the waiting lists can be long.

Edited October 15, 2019 by 1978matt

[Sean]

Nope

[deskenvelope]

7 hours ago, Sean said:

Nope

Care to elaborate?

[Kraistoff]

Hello mate 

3000 does sound about right. I have 4500 and was slightly more bald than you behind the forelock

Before you go for surgery decide what matters to you . Do you want to carefully design your hairline with the doctor and have time to look at it in the mirror without feeling rushed through the door? 

[deskenvelope]

On 10/16/2019 at 10:55 PM, Kraistoff said:

Hello mate 

3000 does sound about right. I have 4500 and was slightly more bald than you behind the forelock

Before you go for surgery decide what matters to you . Do you want to carefully design your hairline with the doctor and have time to look at it in the mirror without feeling rushed through the door? 

Just saw your results— I am very impressed especially seeing the before and after.

 

I don't see a huge issue with an impersonal experience given that the technicians are qualified and the doctor has at least some say in it. I am going to be firm that I don't want more than 3000 grafts.