My journey at HLC (Ankara). 3100 grafts

[EvansLawrence]

 

After many years reading this forum and many others, I am finally starting my own post. 

My case:

Male, 27 years old.

Hair loss since 17. I started then with minoxidil 2% and switched to 5% 3 or 4 years later.

No finasteride

Father: bald. Comparing my evolution and his (by pictures when he was young, it all seemed like I would continue his path.

My treatment with minoxidil may have helped keeping the hair, but in the last 2-3 years I have seen a little bit of extra hair loss. Not much, just a little.

So today is 8th of February of 2021 and I just had my first day of surgery. I arrived and I was left in the hotel instead of the clinic. Apparently the rooms are full. But this is super fine by me since tomorrow on day 10 I end the surgery and I leave turkey on 12th, so there is an extra night I would have to spent here anyway.

Why HLC? It seemed to me the safest bet. To be honest Dr. Couto in Spain would have been the number 1, and HLC the 2nd. But Couto's extremely high price and infinite waiting list made me go to HLC. I believe is the best choice in Turkey and maybe in the top 5 in the world

First thing I got received at the airport by one worker of HLC who drove me to the hotel (1 min by car from HLC). I spent the night and at the morning, at 7.50 I was already at the entrance of the hotel and carried to the clinic. The reception was nice. Ms. Ebru was the first person contacting me (she also called the night before, when I was in the car ride, to tell me to be prepared at 7.50).

Before breakfast she gave me some papers to sign. I had my breakfast and then went to the lobby at the 2nd floor. There I met 3 guys that were also in the surgery process.

I entered to the room where the design and pictures are made. There 2 doctors (Umut and Cengiz) as well as some nurses and a woman that was specialized in the hairline design (I cant remember her name 😕) were with me literally 45 mins deciding the design. They considerate your prefferences but also advise you wisely. For example my idea was a very low harline for which they estimated a total of 4000 grafts. They didnt recommend me this one since it was "too agresive" specially at a young age. We agreed at the end at 3100 even thought that at the email they estimated 2600 to 3000.  At the end I am happy with this decision. If I want to lower it in the future even more, there will always be possibilities. I feel like is also good not to traumatize the head with 4000 graftd at a first surgery.

My donnor area was good. They estimated a total of 9000 grafts available. This made me happy since I have seen cases with people of 6000 or 7000

 

I will end tomorrow the surgery. Maybe then I can update more. So far the surgery has been all made (extraction and implantation by dr. Cengiz).

 

I will keep this post updated until the month 12 so you can all live the process with me.

 

These are all Pre pictures. You can see that my hair quality is good, this allowed me cover my hairline and temples as I show in the pictures below.

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Edited February 9, 2021 by EvansLawrence

[Britanium]

Work in progress, looks really good so far. I like the fact HLC are responsible with regards to both hairlines and graft counts. 🙏

[BLE123]

You chose a good clinic so you've given yourself the best chance, HLC and Pekiner seem to do the best work in Turkey. 

[EvansLawrence]

2 hours ago, JohnAC71 said:

Work in progress, looks really good so far. I like the fact HLC are responsible with regards to both hairlines and graft counts. 🙏

🙏🙏🙏

[EvansLawrence]

1 hour ago, BLE123 said:

You chose a good clinic so you've given yourself the best chance, HLC and Pekiner seem to do the best work in Turkey. 

Thanks! Yes, HLC and Pekiner where my 2 choices. I decided that if I was about to raise my budget from Demirsoy I would just raise a little bit more and get to HLC.

[PizzaWolf]

@EvansLawrence Good luck and best wishes for your procedure. Thanks for sharing the experience.

Where did you fly to Turkey from?

HLC put you up in a hotel rather than their own apartment complex?

Were there only two doctors in your consult? What about Dr. Ozgur and team approach they advertise?

[Melvin- Admin]

Thanks for sharing your journey happy growing 🙏🏼

[EvansLawrence]

8 hours ago, PizzaWolf said:

@EvansLawrence Good luck and best wishes for your procedure. Thanks for sharing the experience.

Where did you fly to Turkey from?

HLC put you up in a hotel rather than their own apartment complex?

Were there only two doctors in your consult? What about Dr. Ozgur and team approach they advertise?

Thanks mate! I flew from Finland.

Yes. The reason for this that I arrived on 8th at the night and I come back on 12th since on 11th we need to do the cleaning and the PCR test. And the only 2 flights to finland they were at 7 am and 11 am, this wouldnt have been enough for me in order to get all done, so I took an extra day in turkey. For this reason and for not making me change they put me in an hotel 1 min away from the clinic by car, but they were super punctual to pick me up in the car. 

On the design room they were two doctors, the design stylist, a few nurses and the patient coordinator, Mr. Engin. 

They were very proffesional. My idea was a lower front line which they totally disadvantage me, even told me I would need to sign a paper where I would say that I dediced not to follow their advises. At the end it was not necessary sice for the design I wanted they were too many grafts and I didnt have that money. This is cool because they could have agreed in order to get more money for basically almost the same time with me. Any other clinic would have done it to get more money. They didnt. I ended up following their advises but still lowered a little bit more of what they initially told me. On email they said 2600 to 3000 grafts and we ended up with 3100.

I saw Orguz only my second day and he just was to see a special case of a guy there that had already 3 hair transplants in different clinics, not all satisfactory so it was a very delicated case.

[massman]

Your pattern of recession, hair type and hair density looks very similar to mine. Can you share any pictures of your hair pulled back pre shave? I'm looking at booking HLC in October, so I'll be following your progress closely. Thanks for sharing!

Edited February 16, 2021 by massman

[EvansLawrence]

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by EvansLawrence

[EvansLawrence]

2 weeks after + pic of my last day of surgery. Getting myself prepared for the shock loss 😌😌🙏🙏

[Britanium]

Looks extremely well refined work. And wow 🤩 yup unfortunately it’s time to say goodbye to those well implanted grafts for a few months 🙏

[Melvin- Admin]

Looking good man please keep us updated on your results.

[EvansLawrence]

I will add more info and pics to my experience. I am still waiting foe HLC to send me the pics they took. I reminded them twice but they appear to be very bussy to remember. I will try again if I dont get them this week.

So one crazy experience I would like to update here:

I was probably once of the most unlucky guys who went to have a hair transplant to Turkey since the pandemia started. I flew from Finland, getting my PCR negative 2 days before the flight but positive the day before I could fly back. This meant I had to be in lockdown in a Hotel in ankara for more than 2 weeks, since the PCR after 10 days came positive AGAIN. I was clever enough to buy a flying insurance, WHICH I STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO ANYONE WHO INTENDS TO FLY TO OTHER COUNTRY. At least until the pandemia is over. I didnt have much synthoms, just a little bit of cough and dry throat. If I had to say I would say I got the virus on the flight from Istambul to Ankara. That plane was fucking full.

Anyway, I survived and arrived back to my home about 3 days ago. HLC took good care of me in the meantime, sending me the food to the hotel. Which I had to pay at the end of my quarenteen.

 

Another fact to add. Right before the patient coordinator (She is called Ebru. And is just such a nice person) told me I was positive, I was waiting on the clinic for a small correction in the closing of my left temple that they were about to do me. They had to do that at the end of my quarenteen, since once I was diagnosticated with covid I had to leave inmediatelly the clinic. Which is totally understandable.

I now attach the closing of the temple that they corrected me just 4 days ago (the day before I left), and some other interesting pics from the surgery.

I add that if anyone here speaks spanish there is a spanish youtuber that is following my case, and we speak more detailed about my procedure there. His channel is mesiasss4

[Charlii]

Hi @EvansLawrence

I am also going next Week to the HLC am afraid if the PCR thingy will happen to me

the problem is i had already Corona before 2 Months and i heard that the PCR tests are very sensitive and it can be that it will still show a Positive result even after 3 Months.

Where did you buy the flight Insurance? At the Airline by it self or at your health Insurance in your Country?

Was your test after the 10 days negative?

Thanks

Charlii

[EvansLawrence]

7 minutes ago, Charlii said:

Hi @EvansLawrence

I am also going next Week to the HLC am afraid if the PCR thingy will happen to me

the problem is i had already Corona before 2 Months and i heard that the PCR tests are very sensitive and it can be that it will still show a Positive result even after 3 Months.

Where did you buy the flight Insurance? At the Airline by it self or at your health Insurance in your Country?

Was your test after the 10 days negative?

Thanks

Charlii

Hello Charli!

Well I am not an expert but I think that 2 months is time enough. But maybe another cepa could be still possible for you to catch. Get a flying insurance if u can, and check the conditions and what it covers. I got it with an spanish flying company called eDreams. But there are many insurances you can get. If you fly with turkish airlines maybe you could call them and ask.

Good luck! 🙏

[giegnosiganoe]

Wow that's terribly unlucky! Glad your symptoms were mild and you're back home safe and sound. How long did you have to wait after the 10 days when the PCR test still came back positive?

Post-op looks great as expected. I'm very jealous of your native hair quality. I'm sure you will have a wonderful result.

Curious what made you want to get the temple closing touched up? It's great that they still managed to work you in for that.

Good that you're prepared for the shed. I personally am fully at peace with it

[Melvin- Admin]

35 minutes ago, Charlii said:

Hi @EvansLawrence

I am also going next Week to the HLC am afraid if the PCR thingy will happen to me

the problem is i had already Corona before 2 Months and i heard that the PCR tests are very sensitive and it can be that it will still show a Positive result even after 3 Months.

Where did you buy the flight Insurance? At the Airline by it self or at your health Insurance in your Country?

Was your test after the 10 days negative?

Thanks

Charlii

Can you provide proof that you’re no longer contagious? I got covid in late October, my doctor wrote me a note after 14 days saying I was no longer contagious. I traveled to cabo in December with no issues.

[Charlii]

5 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

Can you provide proof that you’re no longer contagious? 

Hi Melvin,

I can carry a certificate that I had Corona and that I am currently immune.  At least that is how it is according to Swiss law that I am immune for 3 months. But unfortunately the airlines don't accept this ... they want the PCR test.  

And immune is just a thing, since all the mutations have come, it has only gotten more complicated!

[Melvin- Admin]

10 minutes ago, Charlii said:

 

Hi Melvin,

I can carry a certificate that I had Corona and that I am currently immune.  At least that is how it is according to Swiss law that I am immune for 3 months. But unfortunately the airlines don't accept this ... they want the PCR test.  

And immune is just a thing, since all the mutations have come, it has only gotten more complicated!

That’s annoying, it’s not like you’re gonna go without being cautious. I didn’t require a PCR test. 

[EvansLawrence]

3 weeks! Shock loss started 😁

 

[EvansLawrence]

10 hours ago, giegnosiganoe said:

Wow that's terribly unlucky! Glad your symptoms were mild and you're back home safe and sound. How long did you have to wait after the 10 days when the PCR test still came back positive?

Post-op looks great as expected. I'm very jealous of your native hair quality. I'm sure you will have a wonderful result.

Curious what made you want to get the temple closing touched up? It's great that they still managed to work you in for that.

Good that you're prepared for the shed. I personally am fully at peace with it

Hey man. So on the 11th I got the PCR and was positive, this meant on 12th I couldnt fly. I got tested again on the 22th and was positive still. Finally I went 4 days later and was already negative. The good thing is that since I didnt have much synthoms I could get relatively quickly my negative result. For some people it can take up to a month. Definitely an experience I will never forget!. But its also important to stay quiet. I am a yoga and meditation freak so even tho I couldnt do much yoga after the surgery I kept meditating every day at the hotel. I stayed very quiet and also took time to watch all the movies and series on netflix I had pending 😁🙏

[Abi28]

Looks really good, hlc are the best in turkey.. I regret going with Pekiner and not with HLC in the first place..

Hair loss sucks, good luck on your journey.

[Gatsby]

That's looking great! You still have great looking hair. However would you consider topical finasteride to stabalize your hair loss?

[Marco Van Basten]

8 hours ago, Abi28 said:

Looks really good, hlc are the best in turkey.. I regret going with Pekiner and not with HLC in the first place..

Hair loss sucks, good luck on your journey.

How come mate?