Think I’ve made a huge mistake

[Adrenaline7]

I booked flights to Istanbul from Australia a couple of weeks ago (cost 3k) after doing weeks of research and talking to dozens of hair transplant clinics on WhatsApp, thinking I had nailed down a good clinic. I have since stumbled on far more and better information (from these and other forums) and realised that the clinic I had in mind, or even the 20 or so that made the short list, probably aren’t the best choice. Any top clinic that comes highly recommended seem to have long waiting lists and there’s no chance I’ll be able to get into any of them when I’m scheduled to fly in a weeks time. 
 

The clinics I have spoken to include Hair of Istanbul, EsteNova, TecniFUE International, Smile Hair, Hermest, Hair Neva, Hairpol, MedArt, NIM, HairHealth, Buk Clinic, Cosmedica, Clinicana and Long Hair Center.
 

Any suggestions on picking the best clinic from the ones above? Or any other suggestions on ones that may have availability at short notice? I thought Long Hair Center was a good choice based on personal reviews from another forum but it seems nobody is a fan of it around here. 

I know I’ve made a complete mess of this whole situation but any input and suggestions would be greatly appreciated guys. Thanks. 

[davidn]

Its not a "huge mistake". A "huge mistake" would be proceeding and walking around with a scarred head and unnatural wispy hair on top for the rest of your life. Just have a nice time in Turkey, its a beautiful country, come back, research a lot about hair transplants (and medication) and then if you stabilize your hair loss (usually with medication), decide the risks are worth the benefits, find a surgeon you think has amazing results, then consult with him/her, get a price quote, if you have enough proceed, else save up. But do yourself a big favor and dont proceed with life-altering surgery on your head because you already booked the tickets. You my friend deserve and owe to yourself that the surgeon who touches your head is top notch. Believe me brother, this will be the best 3k you ever "lost". Remember, you can make more money, but not more hair.

Edited November 6, 2022 by davidn

[Adrenaline7]

Thanks for the feedback.

I actually am on medication by the way. Been on Finasteride for 6 months now but doesn’t seem to be doing much to bring back the hairline (has probably stopped further loss in its tracks though). 
 

So absolute zero chance of getting into any decent clinic? I noticed Smile has a more expensive package where one of their 4 highly regarded doctors do the FUE incisions themselves. Is this still a bad option? 

[Pbaird98]

None of the above, not on any of the different package options. Dr Yaman who is forum recommended would be a much better choice, but to be honest it would be better to lose the travel cost if it’s too late to cancel than risking one of the hair mills you listed. Right now it’s not too late to save yourself from the risks of a possibly sub par procedure, it looks like you was originally going for the cheaper options. Glad you actually saw for yourself it’s not the way to go forward. 

[Adrenaline7]

I’ve seen quite a few bad reviews of Dr. Yaman around the place. 
 

One thing I’ve always wondered is how do these “hair mill” clinics avoid bad reviews on Google, Trust Pilot etc if it’s a 50/50 sort of chance of getting results. I get that it’s easy to fake good reviews but how do they avoid bad reviews. 
 

Also, to give you more perspective of my situation I’m a Norwood 3-4 with some diffused thinning on top but nothing awful yet, although I have very fine hair. Most clinics I’ve spoken to have estimated 3000-3500 grafts required. 

[Pbaird98]

7 minutes ago, Adrenaline7 said:

I’ve seen quite a few bad reviews of Dr. Yaman around the place. 
 

One thing I’ve always wondered is how do these “hair mill” clinics avoid bad reviews on Google, Trust Pilot etc if it’s a 50/50 sort of chance of getting results. I get that it’s easy to fake good reviews but how do they avoid bad reviews. 
 

Also, to give you more perspective of my situation I’m a Norwood 3-4 with some diffused thinning on top but nothing awful yet, although I have very fine hair. Most clinics I’ve spoken to have estimated 3000-3500 grafts required. 

Yeh every clinic has the sub par results, mostly see ok or good results from him, but like i said the best option is to cancel altogether and start considering the better, more reliable clinics. 
The online reviews such as google, Trustpilot get swamped with fake reviews (usually from one review posters) and they go out of their way to remove the negative ones. 

[mafpe]

47 minutes ago, Adrenaline7 said:

I’ve seen quite a few bad reviews of Dr. Yaman around the place. 
 

One thing I’ve always wondered is how do these “hair mill” clinics avoid bad reviews on Google, Trust Pilot etc if it’s a 50/50 sort of chance of getting results. I get that it’s easy to fake good reviews but how do they avoid bad reviews. 
 

Also, to give you more perspective of my situation I’m a Norwood 3-4 with some diffused thinning on top but nothing awful yet, although I have very fine hair. Most clinics I’ve spoken to have estimated 3000-3500 grafts required. 

can try to contact dr demirsoy's agent or FUEcapilars, although they might not have short notice availability unless someone canceled. they do have pretty short queue compared to top docs though, so there's a chance.

[BurnieBurns]

I honestly would forget getting a HT in Turkey. You've clearly gone about this the wrong way.

Fact is 95% of clinics there will butcher you and your risking an awful result. You need to go back to basics and research surgeons themselves, get multiple consultations, actually speak with the doctor, then make a shortlist. You cannot rush something that will affect you lifelong.

There are a couple of decent surgeons in Turkey but most of them do NOT have your interests at heart and just run a money making scheme 

[Berba11]

2 hours ago, Adrenaline7 said:

I’ve seen quite a few bad reviews of Dr. Yaman around the place. 
 

One thing I’ve always wondered is how do these “hair mill” clinics avoid bad reviews on Google, Trust Pilot etc if it’s a 50/50 sort of chance of getting results. I get that it’s easy to fake good reviews but how do they avoid bad reviews. 
 

Also, to give you more perspective of my situation I’m a Norwood 3-4 with some diffused thinning on top but nothing awful yet, although I have very fine hair. Most clinics I’ve spoken to have estimated 3000-3500 grafts required. 

You have to remember that a lot of guys who actually have an unnatural result have done so little research up front that they don’t even realise it’s an unnatural result. I’ve seen so many YT videos of guys showing off their new hair, which is full of multigrafts in the hairline & lacking any kind of irregularities and… they’re delighted! It’s honestly quite frightening. So reviews without good quality pictures are pointless. And it’s easy to get people to write reviews - a lot of clinics ask for reviews shortly after surgery, long before the results are even in. 
 

If I were you I’d reach out to Dr Demirsoy and see if they have a last minute opening. But otherwise just go and enjoy Turkey. How long were you intending to stay?

[Gatsby]

5 hours ago, Adrenaline7 said:

I booked flights to Istanbul from Australia a couple of weeks ago (cost 3k) after doing weeks of research and talking to dozens of hair transplant clinics on WhatsApp, thinking I had nailed down a good clinic. I have since stumbled on far more and better information (from these and other forums) and realised that the clinic I had in mind, or even the 20 or so that made the short list, probably aren’t the best choice. Any top clinic that comes highly recommended seem to have long waiting lists and there’s no chance I’ll be able to get into any of them when I’m scheduled to fly in a weeks time. 
 

The clinics I have spoken to include Hair of Istanbul, EsteNova, TecniFUE International, Smile Hair, Hermest, Hair Neva, Hairpol, MedArt, NIM, HairHealth, Buk Clinic, Cosmedica, Clinicana and Long Hair Center.
 

Any suggestions on picking the best clinic from the ones above? Or any other suggestions on ones that may have availability at short notice? I thought Long Hair Center was a good choice based on personal reviews from another forum but it seems nobody is a fan of it around here. 

I know I’ve made a complete mess of this whole situation but any input and suggestions would be greatly appreciated guys. Thanks. 

If you forfeit the ticket then you have probably spent the best $3k in having a great result by not getting butchered. And I can tell you from personal experience that you will be spending ten times that amount at least if you get butchered (if you have nay donor hair left). There is a reason that the top clinics are booked out for a year. My advice is to spend a year researching and educating yourself on hair transplant surgeons, meds, the industry, etc. All the best.

[mister_25]

5 hours ago, Adrenaline7 said:

The clinics I have spoken to include Hair of Istanbul, EsteNova, TecniFUE International, Smile Hair, Hermest, Hair Neva, Hairpol, MedArt, NIM, HairHealth, Buk Clinic, Cosmedica, Clinicana and Long Hair Center.

I wouldn't go to any of these even if they paid me. I'm pretty sure there are some good/top doctors on here with moderate wait times but maybe not 3 weeks of a wait.

[mr_peanutbutter]

maybe bicer has time

 

other than that: turkey is a wonderful country, instanbul always worth a visit

[StillAlive]

Check out Yaman, I had a fantastic experience with him and I really don't get this nebulous negativity around his work.

[NARMAK]

OP, i know it sucks, but don't go through with getting a hair transplant with a hair mill. You won't be down just $3k for flights but probably years of emotional pain and more money trying to fix things if they even can be. 

Use the flights to go on a holiday to Turkey instead and enjoy yourself. That may not have been your original intention but its probably a much better option and perhaps you can use that opportunity to go visit Dr Bicer and a few other reputable clinics in Turkey for an in person consultation instead of the HT at the very least. 

It sucks so much to think you had it all figured out and then have the rug pulled from you with flights booked, but it's a betrayer if bitter pill to swallow than going through with this. 

[Oxiborick]

10 hours ago, Adrenaline7 said:

One thing I’ve always wondered is how do these “hair mill” clinics avoid bad reviews on Google, Trust Pilot etc if it’s a 50/50 sort of chance of getting results. I get that it’s easy to fake good reviews but how do they avoid bad reviews. 

They get them taken down somehow. A couple days after I got butchered by a hair mill in the USA, a freaking terrifying review for them popped up on Google Reviews, but vanished in less than 24 hours. Wish it had been there before I had the procedure...

[SeanT1]

Dr. Yaman is said to be a decent choice.

I personally went to 'Elithair' in Istanbul and I'm happy with the result, regardless of it being a 'hairmill' (feel free to check my log thread or youtube).

 

[AB2000]

14 hours ago, Adrenaline7 said:

One thing I’ve always wondered is how do these “hair mill” clinics avoid bad reviews on Google, Trust Pilot etc if it’s a 50/50 sort of chance of getting results. I get that it’s easy to fake good reviews but how do they avoid bad reviews. 

One of these clinics that draw in a lot of people, name escapes me right now, clearly had google reviews which were copy and pastes, with certain words altered.

Turkey's clinics have their advertising costs reimbursed by their government, so they can afford the review farming services that are out there.  I don't know if Clickworker has done hair clinics specifically, but if you see the types of jobs they post you know companies like them are used, and they hire people to write reviews for small sums of money.

The gamble with with that country is the lack of regulation and how easily the techs, who do most of the work can be swapped out from one day to the next.  And we've seen it where the techs perform multiple types of surgeries, not just hair transplants.  You never know who's going to wind up working on your hair.  No matter what the Doctors claim, at hair mills they are minimally involved.

The downside - an unnatural looking head of hair - is worth bailing on the travel cost for most people.

[Adrenaline7]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I contacted Dr. Yaman’s clinic on WhatsApp and they have quoted me $3250 USD and around 3800 grafts. I’m aware that, although forum recommended, Dr. Yaman’s results have been doubted by many as of late, so the question now becomes is he trustworthy enough to go through with the trip? 
 

My other option is holding off until January and paying double that price to see Dr. Laorwong or Dr. Path in Bangkok. 

[Adrenaline7]

Not too keen on waiting until December 2023 or January 2024 to see Dr. Bicer, otherwise I’d give her a go. Dr. Turan seems to have quite the waiting list too. 

[HappyMan2021]

TRUST YOUR GUT! If you think you are making a mistake you probably are. Surgery is nothing to gamble on. 

What do you want us forum members to do? Ease your worries and convince you that playing Russian Roulette in Turkey is a good idea? 🤣

41 minutes ago, Adrenaline7 said:

Not too keen on waiting until December 2023 or January 2024

What's your financial situation look like? If you start saving now, perhaps you will have enough $$$ to go to an elite surgeon by the end of next year?

[NARMAK]

48 minutes ago, Adrenaline7 said:

Not too keen on waiting until December 2023 or January 2024 to see Dr. Bicer, otherwise I’d give her a go. Dr. Turan seems to have quite the waiting list too. 

Do not make the mistake of working to a timescale and choosing somebody that isn't good enough. It's better to wait for the right clinic and doctor than ending up with a sub par result and losing your precious donor area. 

[BurnieBurns]

Totally you should still go to Turkey for a Holiday. Biggest point for your HT journey is you shouldn't limit yourself by location. I guarantee there are good surgeons out there who could see you before December 2023

[Adrenaline7]

3 hours ago, HappyMan2021 said:

TRUST YOUR GUT! If you think you are making a mistake you probably are. Surgery is nothing to gamble on. 

What do you want us forum members to do? Ease your worries and convince you that playing Russian Roulette in Turkey is a good idea? 🤣

What's your financial situation look like? If you start saving now, perhaps you will have enough $$$ to go to an elite surgeon by the end of next year?

Money isn’t really an issue. I have enough savings to go wherever really, but still don’t want to overspend when I don’t have to. Happy to pay 10k in Thailand for a good doctor who does the whole surgery themselves, instead of 5k for Yaman if that’s what is suggested will get the best results. Definitely don’t want to spend 20-25k to get it done in the west though. 

[TommyLucchese]

As disappointing as it is, you're very lucky. You'll always earn more money but getting a bad hair transplant can send you down a miserable road. 

Right now it's lose 3k and walk away with your scalp intact....or take a huge risk that will probably cost you way more in the long term.

[Adrenaline7]

7 minutes ago, TommyLucchese said:

As disappointing as it is, you're very lucky. You'll always earn more money but getting a bad hair transplant can send you down a miserable road. 

Right now it's lose 3k and walk away with your scalp intact....or take a huge risk that will probably cost you way more in the long term.

Is Dr. Yaman really that risky?