Looking to get this fixed :) Hair transplant in turkey

[Hajo-K]

Hello everyone,

I am 39 years old. I started loosing hair at the back of my head (tonsur) about 10 years ago. I took a yearly picture and can tell that most of the loss happened about 5 years ago, but there might still be a progress going on. I am still wearing my hair quiet long and am ignoring the bold spot (as I cant see it looking into the mirror), but whenever I see a photo of me I think, damn, this looks horrible

For a while I took Finasterid and another common medication (forgot its name) but didnt believe its a good effect for the price.

I am now looking for a surgery in Turkey ... I already read quiet some information, but I feel an overall lack of transparency that makes me think there's lots of scam in the air. At the same time, happy to save some money ... I guess you've heard these thoughts many times.

Please have a look at the pictures below.

I just want the back of my head done.
I assume it is a lot easier to make this look natural than a new hairline on the forehead.
I am a very social person seeing many people and hope not to look like a zombie for too long

I was texting to about 10 clinics in Turkey that I picked from german newspaper reviews (most probably forms of hidden advertisment) and they answer very quick, offering prices without many details.
I know everyone is scared to be ripped off and scammed, at the same time I belive in humanity and am just optimistic that people will not be cruel.

Do you have any recommendations how to approach this?

Thanks so much! I promise to reply to every question

Best,
Hajo

 

[Hajo-K]

I have a bit of Psoriasis, that's why my skin is red and there are some dandruff, sorry

 

[Philw]

Hi mate
Thats a strange hairloss pattern
The crown area eats up alot of grafts
I would still keep on the meds at all times
Maybe go om propecia 1mg brand name
The crown area is actually differcult to do ie swirl pattern etc
Have u ever thought of hairloss fibres for the crown but u need some hair there for it to hold
Regards to turkey i like dr acar cosmedica

 

[Hajo-K]

Hi mate,

thanks for pointing out the difficulty of my two swirls. I'll ask the clinics I communicate with how they would deal with it.

About the hairloss fibres or the medication:
At some early point I just gave up worrying about my hair-loss. I think freeing yourself from worrying about it just by ignoring the whole fact is an effective way. So I wouldnt want to spend a lot of thinking about it again.

I was hoping the hair transplantation would be a one time thing that ends this story for a long while at least. Unfortunately I am just realizing that the transplant is going to cause a long aftermath, and that it might keep me busy for a whole month or so.

I was actually planning on going on travels to southern africa only a week later and I am just learning about how fragile the replaced hair will be in the time following

Happy about hearing your opinions!

thanks
Hajo

 

[HairHunter]

You look to have great donor hair. You also have a double whirl in your crown.
I would recommend you make sure a good surgeon makes the incisions where ever you decide to go to.
If you are considering Turkey I'd imagine it's down to price. Dr. Kostis of BHR is a surgeon worth considering based in Belgium. A bit dearer than Turkish clinics but trained by one of the best.

 

[Bigmac]

Hi Hajo-k, you do indeed have a double crown that will require a substantial number of grafts to fill in. At 39 your loss is most likely continuing albeit at a slower rate. I would suggest you consider using hair loss prevention meds again. You'll also need to ask if Psoriasis will be a problem. Are you using any treatment for this?
I`d not plan a trip to Africa so soon after your transplant. You should be taking it easy and keeping out of the hot Sun.
Your donor does look good. I don`t think you`ll have a problem with it.
Here is an old thread where a double crown was transplanted. Double crown hair transplant
Being concerned about scams is very wise. Not all doctors and clinics are ethical. Some do not have your long term interests at heart.
Out of interest, which ones did you contact and how many grafts were quoted?

 

[Philw]

Yes i think u would need 2 hair transplants on crown to get density
Have u thought about just shaving off
Save u alot of worry and MONEY
Belive me ive had 3 hair transplants and still not happy ie density
I wish i had just shaved off but cant now due to 2 strip scars

 

[Techno1]

I think Hattingen Hair would be ideal for you. 3000 plus grafts in one session to fix this big double crown. Have you a preference for FUE or FUT?
FUT will be more cost effective. Hattingen are very experienced at mega sessions.

 

[Hajo-K]

Hi Hajo-k, you do indeed have a double crown that will require a substantial number of grafts to fill in. At 39 your loss is most likely continuing albeit at a slower rate. I would suggest you consider using hair loss prevention meds again. You'll also need to ask if Psoriasis will be a problem. Are you using any treatment for this?
I`d not plan a trip to Africa so soon after your transplant. You should be taking it easy and keeping out of the hot Sun.
Your donor does look good. I don`t think you`ll have a problem with it.
Here is an old thread where a double crown was transplanted. Double crown hair transplant
Being concerned about scams is very wise. Not all doctors and clinics are ethical. Some do not have your long term interests at heart.
Out of interest, which ones did you contact and how many grafts were quoted?

Hi Bigmac,

thanks for your thoughts!

I do get Psoriasis treatment and for the last year it helped me to get rid of almost all the symptoms. Anyhow my past experiences showed that it's likely to come back and then its soon bad enough that I couldnt ever get a full shave.

Thanks for calling me to reason about the africa trip soon after. I thought its a good moment to hide away from my peers for the post-op time, but yeah ... guess your right.

I got the following quotes, all for FUE without having asked for it, all from Istanbul

Name	grafts	Price in EURO	thoughts
Estepera Hair Clinic	3500-3800	2170 EUR
CB Hairtransplant Dr. Resat Arpac	4000	2322 EUR
DrT Hair Dr.Alev	3000	1650 EUR
Hairmedico	2500-3000	2600 EUR (done by assistant) 4000 EUR (done by doctor)

I think Hattingen Hair would be ideal for you. 3000 plus grafts in one session to fix this big double crown. Have you a preference for FUE or FUT?
FUT will be more cost effective. Hattingen are very experienced at mega sessions.

I have a strong preference for FUE, cause I woudnt want to have that scar. Who knows. I might have to wet shave at some point in my life.

 

[Hajo-K]

Yes i think u would need 2 hair transplants on crown to get density
Have u thought about just shaving off
Save u alot of worry and MONEY
Belive me ive had 3 hair transplants and still not happy ie density
I wish i had just shaved off but cant now due to 2 strip scars

Hi Phil,

thanks for this.

I tend to be very optimistic. In my optimistic scenario I go to Turkey once, transfer the money, letting my skin cure for a month and afterwards wont ever think of it again.

Now that I almost decided to go do the transplant it's a good moment to talk about concerns. I managed to ignore my bold spot and that's how I got along for the last years. Anyhow, whenever I take an intentional look at it I really dislike it. So in the worst case the hairtransplant could open a new chapter of me constantly thinking about it - which I really wouldnt want.

AS I say ... I havent thought about things going wrong. And I dont think I'd like to repeat the procedure including the full shave again.
Cause I dislike the shave. Never had it, but wouldnt want to. Also because I do have problematic, reddish skin

What do you guys think ... whats a realistic scenario? I took annual photos of my hair loss progression and I can say it slowed down. Still I think it will somehow continue.

 

[Hajo-K]

Also ... the whole thing about the number of the grafts ... Is anyone actually counting them? Haha. At least I won't. So I guess you just have to trust these people before your scepticism eats you up... no?

 

[Philw]

Being realistic i reckon u will get thin coverage but better than bald

 

[Hajo-K]

Would it make sense to get the maximum amount of grafts now and hope that a single treatment is enough?
I think I'd be fine with just more density, I wouldnt have to go back to normal

 

[Philw]

Hi mate
Sorry just looking at ur pics again and its not as bad as i was thinking
deffo stay on meds
Yeah i reckon u could go for 1 big max session but just be prepared thats all
If u really just want one op and thats all ,u are gonna have to bite the bullet and go for it
I think u will be ok maybe 60% better that what it is now
Have u looked at dr bicer

 

[JoeMan]

Definitely check out Dr. Biçer. She's more expensive but this is not something to take lightly either.

 

[Philw]

Yeah it is mate espeacally if u just want 1 big op
U should be ok
Dr acar is good cosmedica but make sure u get the package where dr acar does all the work
Cosmedica has a uk based consultant but they are not very helpful but dont let that stop u seeing dr acar
Good luck with it all

 

[Bigmac]

Hi Bigmac,

thanks for your thoughts!

I do get Psoriasis treatment and for the last year it helped me to get rid of almost all the symptoms. Anyhow my past experiences showed that it's likely to come back and then its soon bad enough that I couldnt ever get a full shave.

Thanks for calling me to reason about the africa trip soon after. I thought its a good moment to hide away from my peers for the post-op time, but yeah ... guess your right.

I got the following quotes, all for FUE without having asked for it, all from Istanbul

Name	grafts	Price in EURO	thoughts
Estepera Hair Clinic	3500-3800	2170 EUR
CB Hairtransplant Dr. Resat Arpac	4000	2322 EUR
DrT Hair Dr.Alev	3000	1650 EUR
Hairmedico	2500-3000	2600 EUR (done by assistant) 4000 EUR (done by doctor)

I have a strong preference for FUE, cause I woudnt want to have that scar. Who knows. I might have to wet shave at some point in my life.

There is only a couple of clinics in Turkey that perform FUT, all the rest will only offer FUE. I`ve only come across Hairmedico from your list. They have results on the French International hair loss forum. One thing is for sure, it takes skill to recreate a crown and you have two. IF Turkey is your destination of choice I would contact some of the better know clinics. Ask to see grown out results of their crown work.
I`ve seen many FUT scars that are pencil thin but I understand your preference but remember, FUE can leave bad scarring that won`t allow a shaved look.
Here is an example of a double crown transplant at Seager clinic. The pictures aren't the best quality but show a smaller area than yours that required 1886 grafts.

 

[Techno1]

@Hajo-K said
I have a strong preference for FUE, cause I woudnt want to have that scar. Who knows. I might have to wet shave at some point in my life.

Your skin is pale which could mean it is prone to scarring. If you ever do wet shave it will be much later in life.