Hair of Istanbul -- 2 HT, Nearly 4000 grafts, not much but destroyed donor to show for it

[Peezus]

Hey all.

So before I begin, this is a long read.

I recently underwent 2 HT procedures in Turkey (I know...) and it ended like a walking nightmare. They took grafts with a huge hole punch, only 4k total (both procedures) basically stripping me thin from ear to ear.

I can't lie and say since I underwent my 2nd HT I haven't been depressed, heartbroken & borderline losing my will to carry on with life.

Anyway, I wanted to share my experience with you all and see some recommendations on what I can do from here because I know repairs need to come from reputable and skilled surgeons. And I will most likely need SMP into my donor after another procedure just to get that area looking respectable again.

So I went to Istanbul last year, around this time, and got 2800 grafts with HOI, who have a very LARGE marketing / social media presence on Instagram. I was all set on heading to Cinik clinic until my GF (who lives with me and was researching about HT once I told her I was thinking of going) showed me the HOI profile. The hairline was THICK. Their results FULL. Everyone so happy, taking videos pulling their hair back to reveal a luscious Fabio mane!! It seemed too good to be true.

Probably because anything that does is.

I headed to their clinic after speaking to their Manager, Mehmet, who informed me of the name of their surgeon (I don't remember because since he never uttered his name to me again). He told me their hairline specialist would draw my line, then the surgeon would extract and place my grafts. That for one set price ($5k USD, a total I didn't have so I put half on credit) I could get as many grafts as needed.
I was sold a pipe dream.

Once I got there, I never even met the "surgeon". This should have set off alarm bells. He only introduced me to techs, wearing tech uniforms, who he called 'doctors'. I asked when I was going to meet the surgeon and he said "Don't worry, he will come in when we are placing the grafts, the team is very experienced with extraction"...Hair of Istanbul are a tech-run mill with cheap marketing tactics. I sadly had to learn this the hard way. They don't actually have an in house 'Surgeon' that does any work. The one person in the building dressed like a doctor is simply there to take people's temperature and walk in and out of the surgery rooms during procedures.

I figured plenty of Turkish surgeons have specialty DHI teams like Cinik, and that even Demirsoy has his trusted team of assistants who extract clean, precise manual or very small punch grafts. I was excited to finally have a hairline, luscious full forelock and vertex again like my early 20's.

I was given a drawn hairline FAR TOO LOW for my forehead. I asked them to raise it a couple of times after it was drawn on (it's still very aggressive). I was told they couldn't transplant to my crown, vertex or forelock, only my hairline because I had "too much existing hair" and they don't want to "experience necrosis" (which I guess they meant shock loss?).

I ate the explanation because I figured they get great results, they know what they're doing!!

I was taken to the procedure room and 2800 grafts were extracted and placed in under 3 hours (wtf, how? Never looked like that much but the donor sure did).
Not once did I see the surgeon in the room. I heard him come in once but he never grabbed the knife, it was all techs. I asked Mehmet why the surgeon wasn't working on me and he said "He is!" despite the fact I could see him in the mirror just near my eyeline. I wanted to tell them to stop. Everything in me said this wasn't going to end well.

I asked them to please pause the procedure and think about giving me some grafts on my crown and vertex where I was diffuse thinning. They obliged with a tiny sprinkle of like 10 grafts. Seriously.

I should probably mention at this point that I went for a SMP procedure about 3 years ago but only got in one session before I realized it wasn't the right look for my head shape / face. So I lasered off the hairline below my natural one and let the ink on my forelock, crown and vertex stay. Big mistake, I guess? Because their techs who do incisions DEFINITELY do not know how to tell a follicle from a mark of ink.

They filled in my hairline pretty dense, really straight and as I said, a bit thrown in the crown cause I begged. I went home feeling disappointed but hopeful somehow I would still end up with a full head of hair. I waited a year. I was met with a thick, full hairline with a big gap in the middle of it, spotty coverage in the left temple, and a nonexistent forelock so I had an island of no hair right behind this new hairline.

I was gutted. I couldn't style my hair any way but slicking the hairline back to hide the lack behind it. I swooped the thinning parts of my vertex to the side and prayed noone looked at the back of my head.

All the while realizing that the Punch graft they used was really large, thus it left me with some pretty sizeable 'moth bites' on my back of head, sides, and even behind my ears! They even took from the lower neck and up to near my 'swirl' in the crown, areas you're told are outside the safe zone. Once again, I should have ran and never returned.

But I did.
I spoke to their owner / manager. He told me I should be happy with this result--he sees nothing wrong. I pleaded with him to please give me my money back so I could go elsewhere. He said he could arrange another procedure with me so they can "fix it right for me".

I really should have just cut my losses and the eaten-up donor to this point and went elsewhere. I should have went back to Cinik (who I paid a deposit a month prior to HOI, but a flashy IG shown to me by my Girlfriend was like catnip).

I should have gone to a reputable surgeon or clinic in the states. Or the UK. Or Belgium, India, really anywhere but back to Turkey.
But sadly this past month, that's what I did. I returned to 'Hair of Istanbul' with the promise this time, they would listen to my concerns. They would fill in the areas I needed.

I was proven so wrong once again. Once I came in--the same deal. Only techs, no surgeon. The hairline guy refused me saying I wanted grafts in my completely diffuse crown and vertex that stopped me from most styles but 'swoop forward and hope wind won't blow'.

I was taken back to a procedure room in the basement, and this team of techs took nearly 5 hours to extract a mere 1k grafts and place them. All the while I had no translator present, no mirror to look in and no way to supervise if they were doing the job I had asked for.

Instead of giving me density in my vertex or crown, they just reinforced my already super thick hairline. They filled in a bit in the forelock / lower vertex, but not densely packed--random smatterings of hairs here or there. And a few sprinkled hairs going back to my crown.

Around the time they wanted to feed me and get me on my way, I put my foot down. I tried to tell the GM I wanted this done right and I wasn't happy. So he called the team back and they extracted an extra 200-300 grafts (idk, noone ever gave me counts, I had to demand them--and they put plenty of triple grafts in my HAIRLINE ffs).

This was the most rushed part of a very traumatic experience, I had a couple of young ladies from the next door esthetics clinic punching my grafts. A nurse from the clinic rushing the 'doctor' back in for incisions. They just wanted to get out of there. And this was when the fear really set in. I felt them pulling flesh out of my donor area, pulling more than just the graft and trying to pack it back in like it would just settle its way back down.

I felt them tug at my donor without giving me another round of anasthesia. I felt every single stab of the blade as they made their 100-200 incisions (into an area I ALREADY HAD DONE THE 1st TIME despite me pointing out precisely where I wanted on my vertex and crown). It was agony. I felt powerless because everyone acted like they were acting expediently to help but it was just so they could pass the buck and go home.

I really wish beyond anything in my life that hadn't ever found the Hair of Istanbul clinic.

I went back to my hotel, feeling drained and defeated. In the airport on my way home I ran into plenty of patients from all over other well-known clinics with neatly packed, tidy sections of grafts placed perfectly. Crown and vertex placed by clean graft extractions leaving a nearly unrecognizable donor area scar.

And I sat there, mangled. Feeling disfigured.

The few days since this procedure is the lowest I've ever felt in my life. And I've had suicidal ideations when I lost the love of my life. I had grief and loss hit me at the age of 20 when my mom died unexpectedly.

This week has been the most difficult and emotional of my life without compare.
And I'm not sure where to go from here.

So I need you all in this community to please, please try and help me. Tell me what I can / should do. What surgeons are the best for repairing this sort of case, filling in a vertex area with diffuse thinning and SMP already existent.

Should I get SMP on my sides, neck, back of head?
I really don't think I can live with it as pock-marked as it is.
I used to love styling my hair in a mohawk with shaved-down sides. Or having a nice skin tight fade.
And now I'm just thinking of the fact I'll never get to have that again.
I may not even have enough donor area to fully fill the areas I need for my diffuse thinning vertex.

I just wanted to have a full head of hair. To escape the balding that eroded my social life all throughout my 20s.
I just wanted what seemed too good to be true. And I suppose that's where I failed.

I placed trust in a place with little to no research but pictures and social media appearances.
I trusted hype over a reputable surgeon. And it cost me dearly.
Now I don't want to look at myself in the mirror.
I don't want to leave my room, nevertheless my house.
I cry basically every time I speak to my girlfriend and the kid we're raising together.

Because I can't be fully present, this is consuming my every waking moment.

Thus, I really need your help, guys.
I've been a long time lurker of the forums because I've contemplated a HT since 2011.
And I would always read the reviews on here to make my shortlist.
Sadly, my budget never stacked up to that wish list.
And I settled on Turkey because of budget.
And paid for it in many other ways.

Thanks for making it all the way through my story.

I wanted to vent because it has been really crippling keeping it in.

I feel like I don't want to read my poems anymore because I have to be seen.
I don't want to teach or host events like I usually love to.
My first book came out last year & I don't really want to have a proper launch in person because I'm afraid of the obvious wear and tear on my head & hair.

So I'm doing what I don't usually do--put myself out there and ask for a lifeline.



I've attached some images below.
Please offer me your advice, experiences, etc.

I appreciate you all.

Img 1-8: Vertex & crown area, post HT1, pre HT2.




Images 9-16: Immediately after HT 2. Bloodied, damaged donor & extensive scarring. Not enough grafts placed for coverage.



 

[Britanium]

While this makes for some very sad reading, you can recover from this. @Doron Haratiis a prime example of recovering from a bad experience. 

[Peezus]

5 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

While this makes for some very sad reading, you can recover from this. @Doron Haratiis a prime example of recovering from a bad experience. 

Where does it start, though? First I feel like I need to fix my thinning crown / vertex (which they did little to help). Then i need to cover up my badly damaged donor, which will be even more depleted by another procedure.

[TorontoMan]

Hey man, first thing I am deeply sorry for your loss and the situation you're in as a result of all this. At the same time, thank you very much for sharing this experience, you don't have any idea how many men you're likely helping sharing and it takes a lot to do it. Your write up is spot on with all the red flags you've identified. But lets slow down for a sec, how old are you now, where are you located and are you on any sort of medication?

The first thing I feel I would do in your situation is take a look at the list of surgeons recommended on this forum and set up an in person consultation if there is one near you, and if not, for now a video consultation could suffice. I think you need someone to assess how much damage is done and what your donor is looking like. You are NOT the first person to have a failed transplant and there have been many who have come through here and found solutions. I would not proceed with smp at this moment in time before you get a quality surgeon to look at your scalp. That being said, you do still have a good amount of hair, a good surgeon is capable of using remaining scalp grafts and potentially add in beard grafts to improve your situation. Some guys on here have had over 5+ surgeries to achieve results. 

Right now you need to be strong and free of judgement and other people's opinions. This shit happened but there will be a solution. If you need someone to talk to, you could always reach me on this forumn or reach me personally off the site if you'd like. 

Edited December 14, 2020 by TorontoMan

[UnbaldEagle]

Oh my G-d, your story makes me so sad and so angry at the same time. 😭 Really sorry you went through this, buddy. 😭

It's truly a horror story, but I don't blame you for going back, you thought it's just a matter of doing what you asked for the 2nd time around.

I once tried to expose this rogue clinic by proving how fake their instagram is with app-bought followers and photoshopped images to a poor devil who was once considering them, hopefully he didn't go there or if he still wants to, he'd better read your story.

Yes, I totally agree with JohnAC71, it's not all lost, you might want to reach out to @Doron Harati as he went through the same with some Turkish butchers. You have lots of hair, you just need to homogenize the density, a good clinic CAN transplant into your thin areas without damaging your native hair.

Edited December 14, 2020 by UnbaldEagle

[Peezus]

9 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

Hey man, first thing I am deeply sorry for your loss and the situation you're in as a result of all this. At the same time, thank you very much for sharing this experience, you don't have any idea how many men you're likely helping sharing and it takes a lot to do it. Your write up is spot on with all the red flags you've identified. But lets slow down for a sec, how old are you now, where are you located and are you on any sort of medication?

The first thing I feel I would do in your situation is take a look at the list of surgeons recommended on this forum and set up an in person consultation if there is one near you, and if not, for now a video consultation could suffice. I think you need someone to assess how much damage is done and what your donor is looking like. You are NOT the first person to have a failed transplant and there have been many who have come through here and found solutions. I would not proceed with smp at this moment in time before you get a quality surgeon to look at your scalp. That being said, you do still have a good amount of hair, a good surgeon is capable of using remaining scalp grafts and potentially add in beard grafts to improve your situation. Some guys on here have had over 5+ surgeries to achieve results. 

Right now you need to be strong and free of judgement and other people's opinions. This shit happened but there will be a solution. If you need someone to talk to, you could always reach me on this forumn or reach me personally off the site if you'd like. 

Thanks so much for your help man, I'm almost crying in relief because I've not felt seen or heard since this surgery and I really feel like there's no way up for me.

I appreciate you extending yourself, and I'll definitely be reaching out to you.

[Peezus]

3 minutes ago, UnbaldEagle said:

Oh my G-d, your story makes me so sad and so angry at the same time. 😭 Really sorry you went through this, buddy. 😭

It's a truly a horror story, but I don't blame you for going back, you thought it's just a matter of doing what you asked for the 2nd time around.

I once tried to expose this rogue clinic by proving how fake their instagram is with app-bought followers and photoshopped images to a poor devil who was once considering them, hopefully he didn't go there or if he still wants to, he'd better read your story.

Yes, I totally agree with JohnAC71, it's not all lost, you might want to reach to @Doron Harati as he went through the same with some Turkish butchers. You have lots of hair, you just need to homogenize the density, a good clinic CAN transplant into your thin areas without damaging your native hair.

I just wish I didn't trust them a second time. I wasted 1,000 plus of valuable donor. And I think I damaged the recipient areas even worse because their techs were careless, rushing through the 2nd half of my procedure. No one was listening to me, it was a fight for me to even get a mirror to see myself.

 

This clinic is the biggest sham I have ever encountered. And I am so mad I fell for it. I know others in Turkey have stellar reputations with mixed results (Cinik, Asmed, etc) but I wish I had gone with even one of those instead because they at least leave you with a manageable donor.

 

I'm hopeful I can fix my thinning areas and settle what they did to my donor area. But right now I wouldn't explain my current mind state as anything resembling stable or hopeful.

 

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Gasthoerer]

I am a very sorry that you had such a traumatic experience. Unfortunately, the pics do not give enough info to give you real advice. Therefore, I can only say what I have always said:

HT is a life altering procedure. You should have F2F consultation first: Donor measured, marked recipient, pics etc. Then you take this pics home and think about your plan or even ask for a second opinion. If you like the plan, proceed for surgery. 

I even do this (first check, make pics, get a second opinion) when I buy a second hand car. Your own is much more precious than a car. 

Summary: Please do not rush into HT or SMP again, but take your time. This might be your last shot. 

[Britanium]

Feel free to pm me anytime too. Even if just for moral support! 

[UnbaldEagle]

18 minutes ago, Gasthoerer said:

Summary: Please do not rush into HT or SMP again, but take your time. This might be your last shot. 

I agree, and would just add that we are prone to make very bad decisions when we're depressed.

OP, I know you're in a very bad place mentally, but just stay on these forums for a while, we'll try to help and encourage and I'm sure you'll feel better knowing you still have options to fix this, but don't rush into anything yet. 

[Peezus]

20 minutes ago, Gasthoerer said:

I am a very sorry that you had such a traumatic experience. Unfortunately, the pics do not give enough info to give you real advice. Therefore, I can only say what I have always said:

HT is a life altering procedure. You should have F2F consultation first: Donor measured, marked recipient, pics etc. Then you take this pics home and think about your plan or even ask for a second opinion. If you like the plan, proceed for surgery. 

I even do this (first check, make pics, get a second opinion) when I buy a second hand car. Your own is much more precious than a car. 

Summary: Please do not rush into HT or SMP again, but take your time. This might be your last shot. 

I am deeply regretful not being more diligent both times. Because the result of the first was decent to the point I felt if they could just recreate those results in the patchy areas, and in my vertex, I could be satisfied. But I didn't realize their first one perhaps did more damage than anything. And just how bad they had mined my donor area.

 

I wish I had a time machine to warn myself to go with anyone else. I had appointments last fall set with both Demirsoy and Cinik, even paid a down payment for Cinik. And ultimately, the Social media of HOI gave me a false sense of results & confidence. I genuinely think this is the biggest mistake of my life.

 

And I will be much more careful with my next steps from here because I'm not sure I have much grafts left to work with after what they did to me.

[Peezus]

1 minute ago, UnbaldEagle said:

I agree, and would just add that we are prone to make very bad decisions when we're depressed.

OP, I know you're in a very bad place mentally, but just stay on these forums for a while, we'll try to help and encourage and I'm sure you'll feel better knowing you still have options to fix this, but don't rush into anything yet. 

You guys have no clue just how much your responses here have helped me feel less alone.

 

I've felt suicidal. Had panic attacks. I wanted to just crawl into a ball and die, even now. But I have a kid to be strong for. I have a whole life full of good things, even if how I see myself right now isn't who / how I want to look. I am hoping at the end there's some kind of satisfying result from all of this. I'm just kind of still deep in a hole right now. Appreciate you guys.

[PizzaWolf]

@Peezus Can you take some clearer photos of your hair? Maybe some with your hair wet and slicked back. Also some current photos of your donor.

I'm very sorry about your miserable experience with a shoddy clinic.

 

[Britanium]

Just now, Peezus said:

You guys have no clue just how much your responses here have helped me feel less alone.

 

I've felt suicidal. Had panic attacks. I wanted to just crawl into a ball and die, even now. But I have a kid to be strong for. I have a whole life full of good things, even if how I see myself right now isn't who / how I want to look. I am hoping at the end there's some kind of satisfying result from all of this. I'm just kind of still deep in a hole right now. Appreciate you guys.

We are here for each other. There are so many members that can help you, so much experience/knowledge. You now have come to the right place and your next shot will be a informed choice, whenever that might be. 
 

[Peezus]

17 minutes ago, PizzaWolf said:

@Peezus Can you take some clearer photos of your hair? Maybe some with your hair wet and slicked back. Also some current photos of your donor.

I'm very sorry about your miserable experience with a shoddy clinic.

 

Well, right now I can't since I just received my 2nd procedure from them last week and I have yet to grow in any new hair. But they completely ignored the areas I asked to add density because they don't seem to be experienced enough in doing so.

[Peezus]

18 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

We are here for each other. There are so many members that can help you, so much experience/knowledge. You now have come to the right place and your next shot will be a informed choice, whenever that might be. 
 

Thanks, my newfound friend. I hope my next choice is the right one--and an informed one. I just don't know how long I'll have to live with this shit result in the meantime. Plus whatever becomes of my donor after that procedure, most likely SMP...it just hurts to have go through all of this when I could have just made the right choice a year ago...

[UnbaldEagle]

7 minutes ago, Peezus said:

Thanks, my newfound friend. I hope my next choice is the right one--and an informed one. I just don't know how long I'll have to live with this shit result in the meantime. Plus whatever becomes of my donor after that procedure, most likely SMP...it just hurts to have go through all of this when I could have just made the right choice a year ago...

I know it hurts so bad.  But we've all made some very bad decisions in life, the most important thing is not to be too hard on yourself, that won't do you any good right now.

While this community will always try to deter people from going to hairmills like HoT, if it still happens I'm sure you'll find us non-judgemental and empathetic. So please try to be kinder to yourself and know you'll have this fixed somehow. I agree with the others though, more pictures are needed as frankly right now I don't see your situation as tragic? I've seen a lot worse. I believe you though, you wouldn't be in such despair if you hadn't had a very bad result.

In the meantime, please check out this repair case, you will find it relatable and perhaps give you some hope:

Dr. Maras at HDC clinic in Cyprus, 2550 grafts REPAIR hair transplant over Arenamed's (in Turkey) first experience

 

[Melvin- Admin]

I’m very sorry to hear your disappointment, but the pictures aren’t that clear. Unfortunately, I say this all the time, but there are no money-back guarantees. That’s why going cheap can turn expensive in the end. That said, the pictures show a decent head of hair.

The post-op pictures don’t really show how you the donor has healed. I suggest taking some new pictures with the hairline fully exposed and pushed back. Also, be sure to include some clear donor shots.  How long ago was your second procedure?

[Peezus]

1 hour ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I’m very sorry to hear your disappointment, but the pictures aren’t that clear. Unfortunately, I say this all the time, but there are no money-back guarantees. That’s why going cheap can turn expensive in the end. That said, the pictures show a decent head of hair.

The post-op pictures don’t really show how you the donor has healed. I suggest taking some new pictures with the hairline fully exposed and pushed back. Also, be sure to include some clear donor shots.  How long ago was your second procedure?

Just last week.

The donor was moth eaten after the first one, only not as bad as it is now. I had my reservations about going back but they promised me they would listen to my concerns and fill in my crown / vertex they didn't the first time.

They basically told me they wouldn't once I got there, as they thought I would keep losing hair in that area and it was too premature. Despite the fact their website often gives guys an entire head of hair all the time on their social media. I should have known better than to trust social media--as I'd researched on this site for years with in depth reviews and results from members. Was locked into Demirsoy or Cinik (I know he has mixed reviews) but changed at the last moment. Did the same with my 2nd, was set on going to Cinik for a repair but HOI told me they would make it right for free and I think I just foolishly believed it would be different.

 

Extractions seemed MUCH cleaner after the 1st procedure. But regardless, they use a very big hold punch. And they take from outside the safe zone.

 

Here are some donor area pics after the 1st HT:

And after the 2nd:

[Gatsby]

Peezus you are not alone and you will come out of this. You will be in a spot where this will in hindsight be a terrible experience and nothing more than learning from a mistake. The first thing is you need to forgive yourself and don't feel you have done anything wrong (because you haven't). Turkey (and nearly every country) has a host of false marketing and disgraceful surgeons. But this aside you have a lot going for you. I can easily tell that you have great hair in both calibre and density. As Melvin stated would you be able to post a clear photo of your hairline? The biggest problem you will experience now is 'patience' because that is what will get you out of this situation. Do not do any SMP, etc for at least 12 months as the scar healing process will ruin it. If you could upload your pics each month so that you can get the support of the forum and the feed back you need that would be great. Feel free to pm me if you would like. Take care and be kind to yourself during this. By the way this is or 'was' my donor region even after one repair.

 

[Peezus]

33 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

Peezus you are not alone and you will come out of this. You will be in a spot where this will in hindsight be a terrible experience and nothing more than learning from a mistake. The first thing is you need to forgive yourself and don't feel you have done anything wrong (because you haven't). Turkey (and nearly every country) has a host of false marketing and disgraceful surgeons. But this aside you have a lot going for you. I can easily tell that you have great hair in both calibre and density. As Melvin stated would you be able to post a clear photo of your hairline? The biggest problem you will experience now is 'patience' because that is what will get you out of this situation. Do not do any SMP, etc for at least 12 months as the scar healing process will ruin it. If you could upload your pics each month so that you can get the support of the forum and the feed back you need that would be great. Feel free to pm me if you would like. Take care and be kind to yourself during this. By the way this is or 'was' my donor region even after one repair.

 

Gatsby,

 

Thanks so much for sharing a piece of your story, my friend. Those are some gnarly strip scars. You're strong for pushing through! You mind sharing with me your progress up to this point? What routes did you take to repair?

 

I am trying to remain optimistic but it's just so disappointing knowing I could have avoided all of this if only I had chosen the right clinic from day one. I can't go back, I guess. Only forward. Appreciate you reaching out and I'll do the same when I have any questions or need to vent!

[Captain Haddock]

@Peezus

As I was reading your story I was expecting a far worse looking donor and recipient area, than what I finally came to see from your pictures. It doesn't look that bad at all. 

You still have a lot of hair and a combo of ~1500 scalp + 500 odd beard hair + SMP should seal the deal for you my friend. 

I'd say wait for a year till your donor/current HT results grow in. Meanwhile you could research recommended surgeons here. 

 

 

[Peezus]

4 minutes ago, Captain Haddock said:

@Peezus

As I was reading your story I was expecting a far worse looking donor and recipient area, than what I finally came to see from your pictures. It doesn't look that bad at all. 

You still have a lot of hair and a combo of ~1500 scalp + 500 odd beard hair + SMP should seal the deal for you my friend. 

I'd say wait for a year till your donor/current HT results grow in. Meanwhile you could research recommended surgeons here. 

 

 

Thanks man. In general, I would rather not have had the trauma of 2 less than successful HTs and a completely raided donor area. I think I might have some good grafts left, but yes, it will undoubtedly take the last of what I've got with it. And I'll be even more threadbare there. I hope the result is better than I fear at the moment and I can wait a few years until my crown & vertex thin to where they're going to be long term. I really was hoping a year back that 1 HT would give me the look of a mid-30s guy and I'd be set for life, if not until my 50s. Unfortunately, they botched it and robbed me of tons of grafts.

Thanks for giving me your perspective, though, and if some are saying it's not that terrible--I'm hoping as the donor grows back it's less horrific than I envision.

[Gatsby]

26 minutes ago, Peezus said:

Gatsby,

 

Thanks so much for sharing a piece of your story, my friend. Those are some gnarly strip scars. You're strong for pushing through! You mind sharing with me your progress up to this point? What routes did you take to repair?

 

I am trying to remain optimistic but it's just so disappointing knowing I could have avoided all of this if only I had chosen the right clinic from day one. I can't go back, I guess. Only forward. Appreciate you reaching out and I'll do the same when I have any questions or need to vent!

Peezus at the age of 18 I had a hair transplant way back in 1985!! I then had another 6 months later!!! In hind sight I never really needed the first one, let alone the second one. I was just paranoid about going bald and I had mild temple recession. And the grafts I had were 4mm round! They were plugs and each one held up to 12-14 hairs. One year after the first surgery I wanted them removed. I was paranoid every time the wind would blow and expose my 'doll hair' hairline. It took 6 surgeries to finally remove the grafts in the hairline that were very low. By 24 I wore a wig to hide the scar left on my hairline as well as my increasing baldness. Nearly four years ago I had SMP to camoflauge the scars. This is a pic taken a month after that other photo of my donor scars were taken. Life is good man! Even when I felt I had to wear a hair piece I told all my friends.

But in total honesty I don;t think your donor is as bad as you feel it is. It's at it's worst now so patience is the name of the game until your hair starts to grow out. By all means keep doing your research and doctors who specialize in repair work. I highly recommend you get in touch with Eugenix also. Take care my friend and I look forward to you updating your results!

 

[aaron1234]

If your 2nd procedure was just last week then take a deep breath.  You won't know for several months what kind of result you'll get, so be patient.  In the meantime, are you on fin?  Not getting on fin when you already have a good head of hair might be a worse mistake than going to Turkey for a HT.