FUE Surgeon in New Zealand - Help and Advice

[george_nz_1]

Hi all,

I am based in Auckland, New Zealand and considering getting FUE treatment. 

I am 30 y/o, using finasteride for 3 years, reasonably advanced balding

Basically I am trying do research on a surgeon to use

There is a doctor Bulent Yaprak here in New Zealand.

Has anyone hear of him?

Here are his websites:

https://hairclinic.nz/

https://dryaprak.co.nz/

 

Other than him I am considering DHT Clinic in Thailand

Any advice appreciated,

Thank you 

 

[BurnieBurns]

23 minutes ago, george_nz_1 said:

Hi all,

I am based in Auckland, New Zealand and considering getting FUE treatment. 

I am 30 y/o, using finasteride for 3 years, reasonably advanced balding

Basically I am trying do research on a surgeon to use

There is a doctor Bulent Yaprak here in New Zealand.

Has anyone hear of him?

Here are his websites:

https://hairclinic.nz/

https://dryaprak.co.nz/

 

Other than him I am considering DHT Clinic in Thailand

Any advice appreciated,

Thank you 

 

I am a NZer too and have been to a very poor one here (not Bulent). It needed major fixing and also resulted in nerve damage. I don’t know Bulent thoroughly but hair transplants look like a very minor part of his practice. He also has only one picture of his work public and it’s very blurry. What does that tell you in 2023?

FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING do not go to anyone here or in Australia.

DHT Clinic and Dr Path are leagues above them for similar price. But why only Thailand? Do not let location be the main factor. Consult with multiple accredited surgeons on this site and go from there

Edited November 12, 2023 by BurnieBurns

[Gatsby]

Hey @george_nz_1. Unfortunately there is literally no one that I would recommend from New Zealand or Australia. I've seen a lot of results in person and I've had consultations with a lot surgeons here over the past 38 years. Doubles in the hairline, the crown used as a donor source and the list goes on. Also the prices that are charged are the same and even more than international elite surgeons. Have a look at patient reviews on the forum of their results and look into the surgeons who are performing excellent results. All the best!

[george_nz_1]

22 hours ago, BurnieBurns said:

I am a NZer too and have been to a very poor one here (not Bulent). It needed major fixing and also resulted in nerve damage. I don’t know Bulent thoroughly but hair transplants look like a very minor part of his practice. He also has only one picture of his work public and it’s very blurry. What does that tell you in 2023?

FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING do not go to anyone here or in Australia.

DHT Clinic and Dr Path are leagues above them for similar price. But why only Thailand? Do not let location be the main factor. Consult with multiple accredited surgeons on this site and go from there

Thanks for your advice. Sorry to hear your procedure in NZ did not go well, hope you got better results elsewhere

I have some faith in this Dr. Yaprak . There is even a Stuff article about an eyebrow transplant he preformed

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/69338357/head-hair-transplanted-to-eyebrow

In some ways you would hope extensive plastic surgery experience would mean good FUE surgery, but maybe not

I will explore many more options don't worry !

[BurnieBurns]

1 hour ago, george_nz_1 said:

Thanks for your advice. Sorry to hear your procedure in NZ did not go well, hope you got better results elsewhere

I have some faith in this Dr. Yaprak . There is even a Stuff article about an eyebrow transplant he preformed

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/69338357/head-hair-transplanted-to-eyebrow

In some ways you would hope extensive plastic surgery experience would mean good FUE surgery, but maybe not

I will explore many more options don't worry !

At the end of the day, hair transplants are an extreme specialisation. Follicles are tiny, delicate, micro-organs which only have a limited supply of. It’s good you’ll explore more options and here are some pieces worth noting.

- An eyebrow transplant may seem novel and newsworthy in our country, but on the global stage it’s very commonplace.

- it’s extremely rare if ever for someone to master all forms of cosmetic surgery. Hair transplants are also the least regulated.

- it’s entirely possible you may have a good result from Dr Yaprak and by all means consult with him. Just remember that most hair transplant patients range from dissatisfied to disfigured, especially over the long term. Even the top 5 in the world have patients who claim they ruined their life. Point is, by going to an ‘exceptional’ surgeon rather than a ‘good’ surgeon means you mitigate this risk substantially. 

- you’re only 30 with potential for future loss, even on finasteride. True specialists can account for this. Also as you have advanced balding, this will very likely affect parts of your donor region. Many FUE surgeons harvest non DHT resistant hairs which leads to non lasting results. 
 

- Most great surgeons will have information on where they originally trained, often under the wing of another surgeon. In my opinion it would be shortsighted to believe having cosmetic surgery experience automatically qualifies them.

Good luck!

[george_nz_1]

On 11/13/2023 at 5:21 PM, BurnieBurns said:

At the end of the day, hair transplants are an extreme specialisation. Follicles are tiny, delicate, micro-organs which only have a limited supply of. It’s good you’ll explore more options and here are some pieces worth noting.

- An eyebrow transplant may seem novel and newsworthy in our country, but on the global stage it’s very commonplace.

- it’s extremely rare if ever for someone to master all forms of cosmetic surgery. Hair transplants are also the least regulated.

- it’s entirely possible you may have a good result from Dr Yaprak and by all means consult with him. Just remember that most hair transplant patients range from dissatisfied to disfigured, especially over the long term. Even the top 5 in the world have patients who claim they ruined their life. Point is, by going to an ‘exceptional’ surgeon rather than a ‘good’ surgeon means you mitigate this risk substantially. 

- you’re only 30 with potential for future loss, even on finasteride. True specialists can account for this. Also as you have advanced balding, this will very likely affect parts of your donor region. Many FUE surgeons harvest non DHT resistant hairs which leads to non lasting results. 
 

- Most great surgeons will have information on where they originally trained, often under the wing of another surgeon. In my opinion it would be shortsighted to believe having cosmetic surgery experience automatically qualifies them.

Good luck!

Thank for your advice. 

All very good points,

What surgeons would you consider to be really good currently? Interested to hear your views

 

Thanks,

George

[BurnieBurns]

Glad it's helpful. It's hard to give a definitive list of the 'best', it's worth taking your time to look at the cases presented here to get a decent idea. The forum recommended list is a reasonable bet however some are particularly 'renowned'.

At the end of the day it comes to who's best for your specific case and goals and the only way to get answers is through a lot of research and multiple consultations. e.g. how aggressive you want your hairline, do you care about the crown? How dense?  How many procedures are you willing to go through? Will your donor be enough for future loss?

To be more specific it would be good to know what your 'advanced balding' is. Where would you be on the Norwood scale? Also is it thinning or slick bald in the affected areas?

6 hours ago, george_nz_1 said:

Thank for your advice. 

All very good points,

What surgeons would you consider to be really good currently? Interested to hear your views

 

Thanks,

George

 

[2ndchance]

Hi @george_nz_1, both @BurnieBurns and @Gatsby are giving you a good advice. I was a little younger than you when i had my first transplant in Australia, back in 2010. Even met with some patients of this surgeon and he seemed ok. I admit i should have researched more but at a time i did not feel safe to go overseas for a medical procedure. Anyway it was a painful lesson, both from a recovery point (now i have a big scar) and also i reckon only 50 % was a success. But look, it's still not the end of the world, I always beleived i can "correct" it one day. I just dealt with it, people have cancers, much bigger problems, you have to put everything into perspective. I was ok for about 10 years as my crown area was ok and i use toppik for the front making it look ok. I kept the back a bit longer so that the scar is not visible (lucky my donor area is still ok, the scar is 4-5mm thick in some spots). But now my crown area is bold and i started doing research again. And here i am. So i read a lot of posts and i am considering Dr Laorwong in Thailand. I know location should not be a deciding factor but for me it is as it adds to the cost. And transplant itself is not cheap these days even overseas. I am trying to find the best value for money and someone who can transplant hairs into my scar. So i will probably end up waiting a year or so to save some money. I also like Dr Pittela in Brasil, just purely because he is not recommending medication and still gets amazing results. I dont want to take anything as i had a reaction when i did, about 10 years ago. You also have eugenix in india, @Gatsby had an amazing result with them. I might also get a quote from them. Also thinking to go to Europe on a holiday in a couple of years so i might consult with some european drs provided that the price is ok. Ideally i would love to do it now, i just wish i started researching a year or two earlier as prices seem to have increased around 30% which sux. I guess as surgeons become popular and in demand then they increase their prices as most people would i guess. Everyone wants to make money Also inflation. But in some countries cost should definetely be less. Anyway there are a lot of posts here, my advice is to hit a search button and do a search for a particular recommended surgeon. Then shortlist and do more research. And whatever you do, choose FUE i.e no scar. That scar is a constant reminder and FUE these days is just as good. All the best

[Caren Yaprak]

Hi George.

I would like to take the opportunity to add in to this thread on behalf of Mr Yaprak and discuss some of the answers and opinions discussed. 

Firstly, it would be good to keep in mind the motivations behind advice regarding avoiding hair transplants in New Zealand. Some individuals who discourage local procedures may have vested interests in promoting overseas options.

Mr. Yaprak was the first hair transplant surgeon to operate out of New Zealand, beginning in 2015. He has performed this procedure many times on very happy patients who often come back for repeated procedures down the track for further grafting or density.  He is also considered an authority on hair transplantation in New Zealand and actively speaks at conferences and contributes to the advancement of the field.  You can watch some of his conference and teaching videos through his Youtube profile. 

Regarding before and after photos, as a member of ASAPS (New Zealand Association of Plastic Surgeons) he operates under strict guidelines regarding the use of before and after photos and the utilization of all media for plastic surgeons in New Zealand falls under their protocols (taken with the same background, in the same place, same lighting, same angle, etc).  Many of our patients come from all over New Zealand, so getting them to come back to our clinic in Hamilton for 9 or 12-month follow-ups is challenging (most would need to fly in) therefore obtaining after photos is mostly not possible.  We do, however, have some on our website which has recently undergone a re-development.  He is also more than happy to show you further photos if you decide to come in for a face-to-face consultation.

When considering the pro's and con's of having a hair transplant in New Zealand vs overseas, patients should consider important long-term aspects such as more accountability and follow-ups, ensuring personalized care and easy access to post-procedure support and adjustments.  We frequently encounter patients who've had difficult experiences overseas, such as receiving unnecessary sedation and discovering that the surgeon they expected wasn't present during the procedure or lack of post-operative . Moreover, when these patients return to their home country without any post-operative follow-up from the operating surgeon, there's a severe lack of accountability for their results and ongoing care.  

As pointed out in this thread, Bulent Yaprak also often performs reconstructive procedures on behalf of ACC for patients following injuries as well as full FUE hair transplants. His extensive understanding of human tissues, advanced surgical skills, aesthetic expertise, experience with complex cases, and ability to provide comprehensive care make him an excellent choice for a hair transplant surgeon in New Zealand. 

We are more than happy for you to call and discuss options/advice or email us for any information that we can provide.

We wish you luck for your hair transplantation journey. 

 

[Gatsby]

2 hours ago, Caren Yaprak said:

Firstly, it would be good to keep in mind the motivations behind advice regarding avoiding hair transplants in New Zealand. Some individuals who discourage local procedures may have vested interests in promoting overseas options.

I can guarantee you that speaking for myself I receive zero kick back in discouraging potential patients from having permanent life altering surgery in Australia and New Zealand. Hair organizations mean nothing in real term benefit to patients. At best they can be a starting point and often benefit the surgeons in receiving more work and benefit potential patients from very little to bad work. You only get one chance at this so never choose surgery based on geography. I highly encourage potential patients to do their research thoroughly and independently. If a clinic/surgeon feels the need to market themselves on hair forums then that's a red flag to me. You will often hear as a defense that the risks are great traveling overseas from Australia (and New Zealand). Sadly if you have done your research thoroughly this is further from the truth. The clinic that is a thirty minute cab ride from home can be one of the biggest regrets you can make. Results speak for themselves. A surgeon who can show a huge body of work spanning a decade as a minimum with elite work ranging from Norwood 3-6 is worth considering. Finally don't be in a rush in your research as this is for life. We sadly see too many people on this forum who require a repair from poor work to disfigurement.