Botched Hairtransplantion by HLC clinic in Ancara

[michael hofmann]

Hallo,

I just wanted to post by bad experience with the HLC clinic in Ancara. I have hairloss since my 17s. I have had a Strip surgey and 1000 grafts per FUE to cover the front and the 

hairline before many years. I have been using toppik to cover the front, mid. and the crown of my head and so far it was ok. As my hairloss was in progress it was obvious to others that it was a concealer and not real hair. It was preety much annoying for me and that"s why i have decided to do another hairtransplant to cover the front and the crown. I did a research for a clinic that uses body grafts and i have found hlc, for my bad luck. I did a consulting with the clinic in Frankfurt in January 2020 and they recommended 4000 grafts, 2000 from the head, 1000 from beard and 1000 from chest. I have book the Operation for December 2020. Iarrived to Ancara at the end of December, at the next Day i have had the consulting and the Operation. The "Doctor" by the consulting, Ozgur is his name, told me a have had a very goog donor area and they can go up to 6000 grafts and they can do the front of the head in a second operation with 2000 grafts. At this point i was very happy to hear that i have have such a good donor area and not preety much thinking that this guy was telling my lies to get more money i believed him. We agreed at this point to take take 1500 grafts from the head, 2000 beard grafts und 500 grafts from the chest. At the beginning the Operation i have asked the surgeon (Cengiz) at what point he will do the chest grafts, because the chest was not shaved. He did"nt knew nothing about it and told me it will not be necessary. I have asked to speak to Ozgur again, he came to the room and told me that we can do whatever i want but the chest hairs don"t really grow. I was left blown but i decided to go with the Operation. I have had already paid those guys and did the trip to Ancara. The "doctor" took 2200 grafts from the head and 2000 grafts from chest.

I don"t want to write all details but about 3 months after the operation i started usin toppik again and just waiting for the growth to come. 8 Months after the Operation i have had a medium Growth and did a lot of research in Internet about this. I was reccomended i should wait for about 16 months till the beard hair really grows. I was using toppik at this time and really thought i am worried too much and i should wait. I have booked a termin for the second Operation to do the front of my head and the hairline for 18 January 2022. I travelled to Ancara and at first did a consulting with Ozgur and his team at the same day. The "doctor" did not told me anything about the poor growth that i have had, he did not examined my donor area at all. Anyway, he told me they can take 2000 grafts from the head to do the front and 1000 grafts from beard to thicken up the middle part. I really have to say that by this time i was really under Stress because of my job and other issues. I thought this guy knows what he says and that this would be my last procedure. Well i was clearly wrong, the doctor there did not knew what the hell he was talking about and only cared about my money. At the surgery the "surgeon" Cengiz told me that his goal was 2500 gtafts from the head and that is what he did. 

Anyway, i don"t want to get more into details but i have ended up with a total depleted donor area and a hairline like a straight line with multiple grafts on the front. They left me with a much bigger problem than i have had before because the donor area looks like i am sick. The crown of my head after 2200 grafts is bald like before and i really feel like another person with a motilated head. I have talked at the Begin about 4 weeks after the Operation. I have send pictures to Dogan, the Koordinator from this clinic,their first reaktion was i should not worry about in and in 6 Months it will  be fine. After 6 Months the problem only got worse. I  am at the point where i can"t leave my house anymore without a hat and facing Depression. After 2 Months i have lost my job because of this, i just could not take it anymore having people staring at my head and laughing at me. I do not dare visiting my family because of this problem. I have talked to Dogan, the Koordinator of this clinic, 6 and half months after the Operation. He did not get back at me. I have called him ans asked him why did all this had to happen. He told me i should send the pictures per email and not per whattsup, i did that too and still did not got any answer. This sc.......g wrote then a message that i should wait for my turn.

Anyway, i really need your suggestions guys because i feel like my life is over. Those scams tricked me like a fool and only cared about my money. I feel stupid spending so much money to get a destroyed head. I really wish i knew about my Options so that i could get a better decision before. For the guys who are thinking to et a hairtransplant by HLC, stay away! I do not know how it was before but this clinic is the same as a hair mill in the Turkey.  

[Z--]

Can you please post photos of the donor and hairline?

I've heard that HLC is supposedly a decent Turkish clinic. Not saying they're necessarily "good", but I thought they were supposed to be better than your typical hair mill.

[THE TRUTH]

Damn ! That really sounds like a horror story. Sorry for your bad experience...

Could you please post some pictures of your current situation as well as some before and after pictures so we get a better idea ? Tnx

[michael hofmann]

[michael hofmann]

I feel like they have destroyed my head and my life really....

[Melvin- Admin]

Can you share some more pictures? Pre and post-operative? You had surgery in January 2022? Is that correct.

[Z--]

11 minutes ago, michael hofmann said:

Holy damn. That's a brutal result. Absolutely disgraceful behaviour and treatment -- I'm so sorry, OP. It's 6 months, so hopefully some of the sides will recover (but tbh, looks like a classic case of overharvesting) and the result grows in a bit more in a few months, but your concerns are 100% warranted. Can you post pre-op photos, like from before your surgery with them and maybe a frontal hairline shot?

So the first operation got you 4,200 (2.2k head, and 2k chest) grafts and the second operation was 2,500 grafts (all head), right? So did they not use your beard? I don't understand why they started with chest before beard? That's super bizarre. 6,700 grafts should look way more than what you have (even 4,200 alone should, esp for the front which is most critical). I'm sorry to say, but I think this doesn't look good. 

This won't be an easy fix, but you will need to reach out to an elite repair doctor. Email one of the following: Bisanga, Konior, Mwamba, Zarev, and Sethi specifically (Eugenix) ASAP. Don't go back to the clinic. I'm sorry bro - I won't be mentioning these guys in the same breadth as the rare few decent Turkish clinics.

[michael hofmann]

I don"t have any pictures pre-operative but the donor area was just fine. I mean i could cut my hait at 1-2 cm without any problems. I hhad 2 operations by hlc, the first in December 2020 and the second in January 2022. I had no intentions getting a second hairtransplant but they really lured me in by saying they can go up to 6000 grafts. 

[michael hofmann]

The first operation was with 2200 grafts from the head und 2000 grafts from the beard, they did not use chest hair at all. the second operation was with 2478 grafts from the head and 1000 grafts from beard. The problem is that after 6 months my donor area has gotten even worse. I have send my picture to dr. Bisanga and Dr. Feriduni but i really do nit believe i have any chance to get a repair work done. They have depleted my beard too. Menthally this has really brought me down. I really do not know if i have the strengh to go through another surgery again. 

[Z--]

8 minutes ago, michael hofmann said:

I don"t have any pictures pre-operative but the donor area was just fine. I mean i could cut my hait at 1-2 cm without any problems. I hhad 2 operations by hlc, the first in December 2020 and the second in January 2022. I had no intentions getting a second hairtransplant but they really lured me in by saying they can go up to 6000 grafts. 

It's okay. You didn't know better. That's why people here always suggest staying away from repair offers from the clinic that botches them. Just don't go back and write this one off. If it gets better, great, that's only to your benefit (and it likely will, at least marginally) and if it doesn't, at least you know this is the absolute worst you're working with. Mistakes happen and life goes on.

Just reach out to the doctors I mentioned, they all have long wait-times. It's possible it may take a 6 months to a year to get booked in by them at a minimum (and I doubt they'll operate on you until the 12 month mark anyways), and hopefully by that time, one of them can help you rectify the situation. At the very least, they can prepare a game-plan with you. It's going to be some waiting and there are some other users here who can helpfully guide you like @RTC or @Gatsby, both who had bad initial transplants and have found viable solutions.

There's a few alternative options besides repairs too like shaving your head and doing SMP, but that might depend on how the donor looks. Sorry again man. 

Edit: To reiterate. This is in no way your fault. Even if you are a difficult case or higher Norwood, there is no excuse for overharvesting donor in the way that the pictures indicate. Keep us updated on what you decide.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Z--

[michael hofmann]

I have nor shaved my haid and it just looks awful. Thanks man, i just wanted to post my story because i really needed to tals to somebody and warn other people. I wll try to share more fotos

[THE TRUTH]

Oh my dear lord !.....

That is really bad overharvesting ! 😡

Do you have the pictures from the clinic ? Just to prove that were at this clinic in order to keep it fair. Thanks...

I am well aware of some of their mediocre results but so far this is the first hairmill type of botch that I see from them....

Really sorry for you bro...

First of all, you should honestly consult a very good lawyer before doing anything. 

And see what legal actions can be undertaken. 

Not only do you deserve a full refund but also a compensation for permanent donor area damage, disfigurement and wasting of your limited grafts...

This is not just a poor result man. This is some serious stuff. 

Can't believe I myself used to believe they are one of the top clinics in Turkey...🤦‍♀️

Edited July 23, 2022 by Shill from the mill

[michael hofmann]

I don!t have any pictures from them. I am now planning to ask them to send me the pictures that they took. I only have one picture frot the Doctor at the end of the operation where it shows his face and the number of the grafts that they have taken. It shows my name too, this is why i haven"t posted it. I have spoken to Andreas Krämer about 3 Months after my Operation, he is a hair-consultant in Schwitherland and Germany and the founder of hairforlife. He promotes this clinic. He has spoken with the Director of the clinic and they gave him the same answer, that i should wait. I have now tried to speak to the Doctor Ozgur who did the consultin but they do not respond. I have spoken to Krämer and asked him to talk to these guys again. I really want to know how easy was to do something like this to somebody. I mean they have disfiguren my face. I will try to post more pictures. I have talked per Whattsup with the Koordinator from this clinic, the Dogan, and the guy spoke to me like i was the problem. 

[davidn]

I had a good result with this clinic, but everything other than that was awful. I guess they can be a good clinic in the op room itself, but it is very clear that they don't give a single shi* about you as an individual. They don't really respond to messages, nor to email. They operate on very young guys. And I think the ht aftercare is EXTREMELY important, it is like a patient-doc relationship, they need to have a game plan for you and not take your money and ignore you forever. There is absolutely no point in my opinion to go there if you can save up a bit more and go to someone like Ferreira who is better in the op room AND seems to be a very ethical doc. 

Edited July 23, 2022 by davidn

[michael hofmann]

I really don"t know if this can be fixed at all. I mean i have payed those scams for this 2 operations 20 K. My problem is this was done with actual malice in order to get more money from me. For me in the op room everything was a catastrophe. Not only they have destroyed my donor ares but gave me a hairline like a straight line with multiple grafts. I just wish i knew back then what i know now. 

[sukh123]

 You said you had a fut before that , tbh it doesn’t look like you had any growth from any of the surgeries . But tbh I don’t know how you looked before your transplants or before the hlc op so difficult without those pics to tell you what’s going on . 

[mister_25]

Absolutely horrific, this makes me question the legitimacy of the doctors in turkey especially with the fact that I hear that HLC strays far from the hair mill territory. Definitely need to consult with some of the best, especially those that specialise in repair work. I’ve seen some good repair work from Dr Mwamba in Belgium.

 

It’s actually disgusting that these so called doctors perform these brutalities on people that place their trust in them. 

[michael hofmann]

As for the emails before my operation they used to respond quiet quickly to every questions that i have had. But after the operation when i realised that something was wrong they changed their behaviour. I stayed in ancara for 5 days after the surery and at the third day of the surgery irealised that something was wrong with the way the hairline look. It was to straight and it looked clearly akward to the eye. I asked for a consulting and went from my appartement back to the clinic. I spoke to the Dr. Ozgur and before telling him what the problem was he attacked me with the question: what should i do now? I explained hit the problem and he go ahead taking fotos with his phone trying to convince me everything was ok. He then asked me if i needed more grafts on the hairline. I have send pictures to other Doctors now and the problem is that they have used multiple grafts with wrong angles at the front of the hairline. I mean does it get any worse?

[michael hofmann]

I had a FUT before 10 years with 500 grafts for the front part. You cannot see the hairline in these pictures so gut but i will try to post some more pictures. I have now shaved my head, not because i wanted to. I am fealing really embarased to go for a haircut with this problem. Well, this is my Situation right now. As for the Doctors from Turkey, i wish i knew what i know now before. What kind of Doctor does something like that to somebody?

[davidn]

3 minutes ago, michael hofmann said:

As for the emails before my operation they used to respond quiet quickly to every questions that i have had. But after the operation when i realised that something was wrong they changed their behaviour. I stayed in ancara for 5 days after the surery and at the third day of the surgery irealised that something was wrong with the way the hairline look. It was to straight and it looked clearly akward to the eye. I asked for a consulting and went from my appartement back to the clinic. I spoke to the Dr. Ozgur and before telling him what the problem was he attacked me with the question: what should i do now? I explained hit the problem and he go ahead taking fotos with his phone trying to convince me everything was ok. He then asked me if i needed more grafts on the hairline. I have send pictures to other Doctors now and the problem is that they have used multiple grafts with wrong angles at the front of the hairline. I mean does it get any worse?

oh god this is horrible behaviour man. This is not your fault, these are medical professionals who should guide you. Honestly, this whole industry on average has zero medical integrity. 

[sukh123]

4 minutes ago, michael hofmann said:

As for the emails before my operation they used to respond quiet quickly to every questions that i have had. But after the operation when i realised that something was wrong they changed their behaviour. I stayed in ancara for 5 days after the surery and at the third day of the surgery irealised that something was wrong with the way the hairline look. It was to straight and it looked clearly akward to the eye. I asked for a consulting and went from my appartement back to the clinic. I spoke to the Dr. Ozgur and before telling him what the problem was he attacked me with the question: what should i do now? I explained hit the problem and he go ahead taking fotos with his phone trying to convince me everything was ok. He then asked me if i needed more grafts on the hairline. I have send pictures to other Doctors now and the problem is that they have used multiple grafts with wrong angles at the front of the hairline. I mean does it get any worse?

Can you post a photo showing your hairline so we can see it straight on, the thing is I don’t see no hair expect a few whiskers on your head . So what was your baseline before all your surgeries would help 

[sukh123]

500 grafts from a fut are you sure or you meant 5000

[michael hofmann]

500 grafts from fut, yes. I just wanted i coverage on the temples because i had only lost my hairs on the temples back then. It was a small surgery with small fut scar

[THE TRUTH]

22 minutes ago, michael hofmann said:

I don!t have any pictures from them. I am now planning to ask them to send me the pictures that they took. I only have one picture frot the Doctor at the end of the operation where it shows his face and the number of the grafts that they have taken. It shows my name too, this is why i haven"t posted it. I have spoken to Andreas Krämer about 3 Months after my Operation, he is a hair-consultant in Schwitherland and Germany and the founder of hairforlife. He promotes this clinic. He has spoken with the Director of the clinic and they gave him the same answer, that i should wait. I have now tried to speak to the Doctor Ozgur who did the consultin but they do not respond. I have spoken to Krämer and asked him to talk to these guys again. I really want to know how easy was to do something like this to somebody. I mean they have disfiguren my face. I will try to post more pictures. I have talked per Whattsup with the Koordinator from this clinic, the Dogan, and the guy spoke to me like i was the problem. 

I know Kramer....

Yeah he is the german version of Spencer Stevenson aka Spex...

Just a salesman who is promoting clinics he's been working with... 

Allright thanks.  Looking forward to see additionnal pics. 

Man I feel bad for you...😢

Like I said, consult with an excellent and very experienced lawyer and see what your options are from a legal standpoint. 

If they are ethical (which I highly doubt considering how they played you like a fool  but I hope I'm wrong...) they should give double the price of a full refund for this poor result, head disfigurement and wasted resources....

Here are your options. 

1) Get SMP and shave your head. That will conceal both your balding pattern on top and your damaged donor.

Be careful though. The SMP industry is a minefield just like the hair transplant industry. The last thing you want is a botched SMP because it's really hard to remove. Do your research carefully. Also SMP often fade away quicker than what they promise you so beware you'll need touch-ups. SMP has advantages and disadvantages. 

2) Go to an worldclass repair doctor. I have no idea how much resources you have left in the scalp, beard and body hairs so I don't even know if it's possible at this stage. But still worth consulting. 

Dr. Umar from Los Angeles used to be the best for body hair repairs.  Dr. Konior is arguably the best surgeon in the world. But his prices are astronomical. 

Dr. Bisanga and Dr. Pinto are also good repair docs in Europe. Only downside with Bisanga is that he sometimes turns you off when the donor supply is not there anymore whereas Pinto is fully booked at the moment. 

As far as more affordable options

Ferreira and Ximena are also good options to consider. They have Lorenzo's skills but without his  hairmill aspect...Ximena has done some amazing repairs on Mesiasss4, a spanish youtuber who was also in a similar situation like you. 

HDC Cyprus has sucessfully repaired Doron Harati and Marcos Ximenez Lopez...

Dr. Cooley in the US is also a good repair doc. 

Sethi is also excellent for repairs jut recently there was a pretty "weird" result (TrackRat) 

 

 

[michael hofmann]

Thanks man, i really appreciate it. I am now trying to see how can i get throught this. But it has really brought me to my knees. I have lost my job and my family because of this. I really do not know if i have the strength to go through another surgery again.