Istanbul | Dr. Resul Yaman | 4,570 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐬 | 10th Feb 2024 | 1st of 2 sessions

[Shawnintheusa]

TLDR

Surgeon: Dr. Yaman

Surgery Date: Feb. 10, 2024

Number of Grafts: 4,570

• Single: 870 units
• Double: 2240 Units
• Triple: 1460 Units

Overall experience:  Great doctor and experience, would recommend

 

Hey everyone,

so this is my review of the surgery and experience with Dr. Yaman.  It’s a bit lengthy, but I think Dr. Yaman and the clinic deserve a round of applause and proper acknowledgement for such a pleasant experience.

I have been researching doctors for a couple of years and one thing that was clear to me was that I knew I wanted my procedure to have doctor involvement on some level.  Knowing that Dr. Yaman was involved in the incision process of the surgery, which is the most crucial step in my opinion,  and seeing countless results on this forum and other places of his work, I knew I would be in good hands and felt comfortable enough to finally book my appointment.  As mentioned, I have been researching this process for a couple years and have been communicating with Dr. Yaman’s office for the past year or so.  My coordinator and liason throughout the process was Ihsan.  It seems that Ihsan and Doga are the main points of contact for consults and I got to meet both of them, both were super cool dudes.

Consult

I sent over the typical photos and waited for Dr. Yaman to give me an initial understanding of the scope of work and the number of grafts to expect.  After a little bit of back and forth between procedure options, we decided that a two-procedure approach was the best route. 

The first procedure would take care of the hairline and front to mid scalp with approximately 4200-4500 grafts. The second procedure would focus on the crown and filling in density using a mixture of remaining donor area hair and beard hair, with a graft count to be determined later.

Once I felt that I had exhausted all of my other options in terms of Doctor choices, I went ahead and booked my procedure for Feb 2024

Trip to Turkey - 2 days and day before operation

I left LAX for Istanbul on a Thursday afternoon and flew direct with Turkish Airlines.  The flight itself was uneventful, and went by pretty quick.  Had the typical food on the plane you expect that wasn’t half bad, took a small nap, and the next thing I knew I was in Turkey.

I landed on Friday, about 1pm, and the clinic sent over their driver, Toojai, who was awesome and badass.  I know I am butchering the spelling of that name, sorry!  But he was super cool, and even with a little bit of a language barrier, gave me a warm welcome to Turkey.

One thing to keep in mind is Dr. Yaman’s clinic is outside the main parts of Istanbul you see and hear about.  Given this, I spent the first night of the trip in Old Istanbul.  The remaining two nights I was there I stayed local to the clinic but chose to book my own hotel as opposed to the one offered by them.  Just a personal preference.

After getting dropped off and settling into my room, I spent the rest of Friday walking around the city a bit and taking in some of the historical sites.  It helped to ground me a bit and calm some of the nerves and anxiety I had going over there, especially given I was traveling solo.  The idea of having surgery in another country and not having anyone there got me a bit tense.

I had dinner at a local restaurant in the neighborhood and then went back to my room at Hotel Amira.  I tried to get some rest before heading to the clinic in the morning., but some of the nerves crept back so it was a bit of a sleepless night.

Operation Day

 Saturday morning came and my boy, The Toojster, came to pick me up from the hotel to take me to the clinic around 8:30am.  It was a really pretty drive and the weather was perfect so I dozed off a bit.  About a half hour later we were at Dr. Yaman’s office and I was led to the third floor of a multi-floor medical clinic.  There are different procedures being done on different levels of the clinic by other associate doctors it looked like.  The hair clinic itself was very modern and clean.  Everything was bright enough to keep you alert with good natural lighting to keep the atmosphere less hospital like.

As I waited for Dr. Yaman to show up for my consultation, Ihsan showed up and formally introduced himself and started to explain the process a bit.  There were two other people there that day with me as well, and I got to talking with one of them and his father about why we chose Dr. Yaman and our personal/friends/families experiences with different doctors in Istanbul. 

Around 9:15/9:30 the man himself, Dr. Yaman, showed up and said hello to everyone and that is when I had my in-person consult with him. 

We went through my hair, looking at and speaking of the donor area and and measured my hair thickness.  We touched on the hairline and a list of other questions I had for him.  Each time he answered them thoroughly, patiently and in well spoken English.  Even if at times the right words couldn’t be expressed, he exuded enough confidence in his approach and answers to my questions to leave me no reason to second guess the procedure.

I got all my questions settled, settled on an initial hairline design and then we all clapped our hands and broke out of the of the office as if we were a finely tuned NFL offense ready to score a touchdown.

I was taken downstairs for a blood draw for the PRP portion of the surgery and then from there it was off to their prep room.  I changed into a surgery gown, the clippers came out to shave off the hair and then a final rinse before being led off to the operation room.

Once in the room, I met the techs that would be working with him during the procedure and I was put through some initial steps prior to the start, including getting my blood pressure checked, heart monitored and an IV line prepped for a saline drip.  They had to stick me a couple of times to get a vein, felt like the techs struggled a bit and werent too familiar with how to find a vein.  I could also have been dehydrated, who knows.

The tests wrapped up and then Dr. Yaman came in and reviewed the results.  He gave the all clear, proceeded to draw the final hairline, reviewed it with me and another aesthetician that was there, got my approval and off we went to start the procedure.

I was given a Xanax to calm my nerves a bit, they put on some Turkish music and from there Dr. Yaman gave the initial numbing shots into the hairline and scalp.  These shots weren’t as bad as the ones that came in the back of my head later on, but I am sure at this point that everyone is sensitive in their own ways to them.

I started to drift in and out of sleep as he went through the PRP and then the incisions.  And before I knew it, that part of the procedure was done.  From here, the techs took over, and had me turn over and lay face down, they proceeded to give me those painful shots into the back of the head that I mentioned.  I did have to grit my teeth a little bit and take some deep breaths but after about 30 seconds or so, everything went numb and it was just pressure I felt.

What I really liked about the way they gave their shots was that they constantly check to make sure I was pain-free in any spot they were going to operate on, injecting more where they needed to.

When I was sufficiently numb, they started to begin the extraction from the donor area.  About 20 minutes or so through this part of the procedure, I started to get uncontrollably itchy on my face, probably a reaction to some of the meds, or maybe even the Xanax that I took. I was moving so much that it was affecting the techs ability to properly extract, so I had them stop and we called in Dr. Yaman to check out the situation.  He ended up giving me an antihistamine and within a couple minutes I was calm, and we continue the extraction.  

Once the extractions were done, they applied the bandages and they gave me a decent lunch that included chicken skewers, rice, and a salad.

The final part of the operation came after once I was all wrapped up with eating, as I went back into the operation room to begin the implanting phase of the donor hair.  The techs had the hair sorted and ready to go, and this portion of the procedure took about two hours or so before all was said and done.  Throughout the entire time the techs were working on me, Dr. Yaman came in multiple times to check in on me and the work that was being done. I had no doubt that he was overseeing his techs me with the same he has himself.

Once it was all done, he came in for the final look of the procedure, and he ended up remarking that it looked much better than he had even hoped it would.  They gave me all the time I needed to recover, got me changed, and The Toojster took me to the hotel that I would be staying at the rest of the trip, the Wyndham Grand Istanbul.

Post Op Day 1

Sunday morning I was picked back up and taken over to the clinic for my first washing. The clinic has no operations on Sunday, so it was pretty quiet. The office staff proceeded to give me my first wash and then the medicines that I would need.  They walked me through step-by-step on how to wash my hair and the regimen of medicine.  I have to say one thing not mentioned enough on here is how tender the donor area is during the first wash.  It definitely caught me off guard and was one of the more uncomfortable parts of the entire process.

We took another round of pictures and I was out of the office about 45 minutes after I got there.  I spent the rest of the day out near Taksim Square and then called it another early night.

Post Op Day 2

Monday morning was very much the same as the day before.  The clinic was a bit busier but I was taken back for my second and final wash.  As I waited, Dr. Yaman came in and gave a Quick Look at my scalp and said everything looked great and that he wished me good luck and was looking forward to seeing me again next year.  And just like that, the legend was off to save the day for other patients. 

Once my second wash was all wrapped up, I said my goodbyes to the staff and we made the final trip through the city and to the airport.  I gave the Toojster a final dap and hug, and we said we would see each other in 12-18 months when I’m back for Round 2.

Six Weeks Post-Op

Just over five weeks since the operation and a lot has transpired.  My hair has shed a lot and the shedding started heavy around the 2-3 week.  It felt out fast and strong but the shedding also stopped pretty quick.  I didn't have any significant issues, no major pain or pimples, but I did have some scabs that took a while to come off.  My donor area did feel like I had a really bad sunbrun for a while as the skin was super tight.  I do get tingling sensations on my scalp from time to time, but I am sure those will subside over time as well.  I did use some hydrocortisone cream on my donor area after 4 weeks and it helped tremendously with the itching and the donor healing.

The biggest issue I faced during recovery was the swelling on my head and in my face.  It slowly worked its way down my face, to the point of having two black eyes.  That started around day 4 and lasted 3 days.

As of today, my hair is starting to fill back in and I see a lot of little hairs that I hope will sprout into proper size.  I still get the occasional itching on the scalp, but I try my best not to scratch the itch, can't say I am always successful in not doing it, but I dont see to have done any damage yet.  My left side is definitely lagging behind the right, and I am for sure anxious over the potential results, but nothing to do besides sit back and let these bad boys grow.

Overall Procedure Experience

I have to say the entire experience was much more than I could have asked for, especially given all then nerves I had.  I never felt like a number with Dr. Yaman and always felt like someone was looking out for me.  It’s really hard for me to find fault in anything they did and time will tell with results.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Dr. Yaman to anyone considering a hair transplant in Turkey.  I know his price may seem budget, but his work is top tier.  I think others, including Melvin, have mentioned he is under priced for the level of detail and care.

Hopefully I’ve covered most of everything, I would love to hear thoughts and comments from everyone.  I am also willing to answer any and all questions you guys might have, hopefully I can convince some of you out there on the fence that the journey is worth it!

Thanks everyone, wish me luck! I’ll keep you all updated with progress pics!

Pre-Op Pics

Post-Op Pics

 

1-day Post Op

 

2-days Post Op

 

1-week Post Op

 

2-weeks Post Op

 

3-weeks Post Op

 

1 Month Post Op

 

 

5-weeks Post Op (Current)

[Gramatik]

Happy growing. The design looks pretty good and hopefully you will have a great result at month 12. With the second surgery for the crown area you will have a massive before-after change. I will be following your jounrey. Thanks for sharing it with us 👍

[Hairwolf]

Good comprehensive report here. Looks like it’s going to be a good one here. Happy growing!

[Reina]

Happy growing. Great description of the whole experience with the clinic. It will help other members who are looking to have a hair transplant with dr yaman. How many grafts did dr yaman propose for the second hair transplant ? Also can you tell us the cost of your hair transplant ?

[Shawnintheusa]

31 minutes ago, Reina said:

Happy growing. Great description of the whole experience with the clinic. It will help other members who are looking to have a hair transplant with dr yaman. How many grafts did dr yaman propose for the second hair transplant ? Also can you tell us the cost of your hair transplant ?

Thanks, hoping for the best!

the second transplant will be same amount of grafts, another 4000-5000 with a good portion of it coming from the beard.

Cost was what most others have mentioned here, $3250.

[diegoyrenny]

Any cobblestone? Ive seen other cases of his here were some people are having this issue

[Miller1980]

Happy growing @Shawnintheusa. I have seen great work from dr yaman and if everything goes well you will have a great result too. Best of luck 🤞

[Shawnintheusa]

13 hours ago, diegoyrenny said:

Any cobblestone? Ive seen other cases of his here were some people are having this issue

None on my end 

[SeanT1]

On 3/22/2024 at 1:40 AM, diegoyrenny said:

Any cobblestone? Ive seen other cases of his here were some people are having this issue

Do you have references? I was thinking of going to Yaman instead of Eugenix.

[diegoyrenny]

On 3/24/2024 at 1:01 PM, SeanToman said:

Do you have references? I was thinking of going to Yaman instead of Eugenix.

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/66661-ht-1-dr-resul-yaman-3050-grafts-ht-2-dr-michalis-~2700-grafts/

[SeanT1]

4 minutes ago, diegoyrenny said:

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/66661-ht-1-dr-resul-yaman-3050-grafts-ht-2-dr-michalis-~2700-grafts/

Thanks, but isn't this because the client keeps shaving his transplanted area?

An important rule after a transplant is to not shave and let it grow for a few months to let the skin underneath heal and put weight on the grafts to stop cobblestoning. 

[Reina]

50 minutes ago, SeanToman said:

Thanks, but isn't this because the client keeps shaving his transplanted area?

An important rule after a transplant is to not shave and let it grow for a few months to let the skin underneath heal and put weight on the grafts to stop cobblestoning. 

Indeed this patient was shaving his head constantly after his hair transplant, while it’s now allowed to shave your transplanted area for at least 7 months. This can cause some damage to the scalp. 

[Malledive]

I did not shave but buzzed/clipped my hair. You can read online that many people do that already from day 10 on without problems. Im buzzing after my 2. HT too - without any cobblestoning or redness or pimples. You can do the math yourself

Edited March 26 by Malledive

[Shawnintheusa]

Reading online vs taking doctors recommendations…

can’t blame yaman if directions aren’t followed bud 

[Shawnintheusa]

Two Month Update

So it’s been two Months since my surgery, I look in the mirror and forget what my hair looked like pre transplant.  

As you can see from the photos below, it’s early days but already a good change from the first month.  I have no discomfort anymore from the surgery and my donor area has mostly healed.  I do get the occasional itchiness and still have a lot of redness on my hairline.

Hoping the growth I've seen so far continues 

 

 

[Gatsby]

Two months to me is like being in prison post op. It's the worst time post op in my opinion. For only two months @Shawnintheusa everything seems to be going to plan. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to your updates! All the best!

[Miller1980]

Its right on track for 2 months. You selected a good surgeon and best days are coming for you..just be patient and you will see a nice improvement in your scalp 🙏

Edited Thursday at 10:28 PM by Miller1980