Dr. Sibel Ulusan in Turkey - Male, New Jersey/US

[jerseyman]

Hello All,

I came accross this forum recently (after my hair transplant was already done in Turkey) and I thought it could be helpful to share my experience and progress and get your feedback. I'm currently on day 13 after my operation. I have been taking pictures since the operation, so let me know if I should share more to get your feedback.

About myself: I'm Turkish/American from New Jersey, just graduated from college and finally decided to get my hair done. I was referred to Dr Ulusan in Turkey. Someone from my family had an operation done with her and recommended her because she performed his entire operation. I actually had no idea about what you guys call "hair mills" in Turkey until I came accross this forum. It was a relief though, because my operation was actually done by a real surgeon. I just did not know the importance and rarity of that in Turkey.

My operation: Doctor first gave me a consultation via video call with her translator/consultant before I flied to Turkey. At the clinic, we also re-visited my expectations and we agreed on the hairline design and the density planning together. I'm open for your feedbackand really hope that I get my old curly hair back

Pictures taken on my operation day and during my stay there:

Picture from today (day 13):

 

 

[Melvin- Admin]

Did the doctor perform the extractions? 

[jerseyman]

Yes. The doctor extracted the grafts from the back of my head. I think she was using a motor tool.

During that time her assistants were counting and categorizing the grafts. They kept telling the count of single and multiple grafts to the doctor. Doctor opened the new channels after that. In the end, nurses joined and started helping her insert the grafts. It was a long and tiring day for me... 

[jerseyman]

 

Hey everyone - I hope you're all doing well! It's been a while since my last post here—around 16 months I guess. I wanted to come back and give you all a detailed update on my journey. I am very happy with the result, but want to hear more on what I should do next if there is any advice.

The first couple of weeks adter the opeartion were a bit nerve-wracking, as expected. There was some redness, a bit of swelling, and the typical shedding phase where I lost a lot of the transplanted hair. However, reading this forum I knew all of that was normal and part of the process, so I remained hopeful and patient. 

Months 1-3

The first three months required a lot of patience. During this period, not much happened on the surface. The shedding phase continued, and I started seeing tiny, thin hairs beginning to emerge. At this stage, I was advised to focus on my scalp care routine, keep the area clean, and avoid any activities that might strain the newly transplanted grafts.

Months 4-6

By month four, things started to get exciting. The new hair was growing steadily, and I could see a noticeable difference. The density was still not perfect, but it was a massive improvement from my pre-transplant days. I followed all the post-op instructions diligently, which I believe played a significant role in my progress.

Months 7-12: Major Improvement

Around the seventh month, I began to receive compliments from friends and family. By this time, the hair was thicker and growing at a normal rate. I started to style it differently and experiment with different looks, something I hadn't done in years.

By the time I reached the one-year mark, I was satisfied with the density.I also felt lucky because curly hair does make it look fuller I think. The donor area had healed completely, and the new hair blended well with my existing hair. It felt incredible to feel the thickness that I had missed for so long

This year:

In the last few months, I've focused on maintaining the health of my hair. I try to use quality hair care products and stay on a health diet. My confidence is at an all-time high  and I am very happy how things turned out for me.

For anyone considering a hair transplant, especially in Turkey, I highly recommend you choose a surgeon who actually does the incisions and even extractions. I am confidently sharing my results here without hiding my face because when I first posted here in Jan 2023, this forum seemed very helpful and supportive. I was not actively posting here for more than a year. Now I am back and the forum is still ethical in the way that it is promoting science and it is educating everyone.

This forum and reading others kept me going during the waiting period. There was not anyone here that went to the same doctor but it was great to learn from you guys and judge my doctor's work. Things that I learned here and confirmed my trust with my doctor were: Only singles at the front hairline, density planning is important, harvesting should be homogenous and without a damage.

I'd love to hear from anyone who is a bit further along in their journey. What worked best for you in terms of aftercare? Any tips on maintaining the results?

[YodaHead]

That’s a great result!! Congratulations. 
How many total grafts?

[translator]

Great results.

Dr Sibel is considered as one of the best in Turkey (at least in Turkish forums) and she offers a few options where she is fully involved or her husband (also a dr)

Edited Tuesday at 01:42 PM by translator

[jerseyman]

Thank you for the responses. It was 5,012 grafts in total and around 41 percent of it were single grafts based on what Dr Ulusan and her translator reported.

Doctors (Dr Sibel and her husband Dr Zafer) highly suggested me to use finasteride and minoxidil, but I was very against it at the time. We planned the operation thinking all the remaining hair I have at the frontal and vertex may fall off eventually (my male relatives are all mostly bald).

My goal is not to have another session in the future. I am very happy with the coverage I have now and I really want to keep it this way. Now I am considering taking minoxidil tablets, and I am still scared of finasteride side effects... Do side effects really go away when you stop? Does anyone have any experience?

 

 

[Hairwolf]

Wow such a transformation! If I were you I’d get on Fin now to keep the great result you got. The side effects are exaggerated for the most part. Most don’t get any.

[Al - Moderator]

It looks like it turned out very well. Thank you for coming back and updating us. How old are you? You look very young. I think you should at least try some meds because you had a very low hairline transplanted and with that much hair loss at a young age, you are probably going to lose a lot more hair over the years if you don't do anything to keep it.

 

[BogdanNn134]

how much is the price per graft?  How many people are doing the surgery per day?