After doing my research I decided to get my hair Transplant done by Dr Ahmed Altan in Istanbul. The clinic was called Aestepool. Dr Ahmed is such a great guy with knowledge, experience and excellent customer service skills, he will literally answer all your questions himself rather then his techs. Everything was arranged for me, his driver Mustafa was on time to pick me up and take me to Mercure Hotel in Istanbul. It was a 5 star hotel and hospitality was great. Mustfa was so friendly and chatty and very organized. Dr Ahmed and his team showed great professionalism and took great care when doing my transplant. They took 4300 grafts and covered all my area. I chose Aestepool because Dr Ahmed was the only Doctor who spoke to me directly and explained everything to me before i left for Turkey. He also has great experience because he used to work at Transest but now he has his own clinic. The procedure was done in a big hospital where everything was available if anything goes wrong. In the i was called into Dr Ahmed’s office and was briefed on the next stages. I was also given a pack with medication and shampoo and spray for the healing process. I highly recommend Aestepool ???? I will update this post and add more photos as it gets better Updated on 3 Nov 2017: 10 days post op Updated on 11 Nov 2017: These are pics after 15 days, as you can see donor area is looking better and more hair growth. All scabs have gone. Updated on 17 Nov 2017: Updated on 17 Nov 2017: Updated on 24 Nov 2017: As you can see all transplanted hair have fallen off. Shock loss phase. Updated on 29 Jan 2018: These are pictures taken at 3 months after hair transplant. As you can see new hair growth has taken but still early days. Some photos are taken with camera flash. Updated on 4 Mar 2018: 4 months gone and seeing improvement. New hair growth but still need more density. I am being positive as its only 4 months and can take up to 1 year plus. I am seeing new hairs growing every other day. The front certainly looks better than before and rear on the crown i can feel lots of hair but now very thick yet. Updated on 4 Sep 2018: I am quite happy with the results so far and its made a big improvement in comparison to what it was before. Its a little bit thin at the back but i’m being patient as sometimes it takes as long as 18 months to see full results. Front view is excellent now. Also i’m st Seeing new hairs growing every other day. Let me know guys wha you think.
Here we go again my Realself friends! This is my second time going to Turkey for an FUE transplant. I wanted a better hairline and a bit more density on top so I went for it again. 21 months ago I went to Transest Clinic for my first FUE and I got about 4,000 grafts. This time I used Aestepool Clinic with Dr. Ahmed Altan and got just over 1,800 grafts. So why didn't I just go back to Transest Clinic?....Because Dr. Ibraheem and Dr. Ozturk both left Transest months ago. Dr. Altan started at Transest over a year ago and didn't like the way they did things so he left and started his own Clinic. I really wish he had worked on me the first time around but he wasn't there yet when I got my first FUE. At his new clinic (Aestepool Clinic) Dr. Altan uses a smaller micro motor .7mm punch vs the larger punch that Transest used. This reduces the chances of scars and can achieve a more aesthetic result according to him. Long story short Transest is not what it used to be and I can no longer recommend them. Just my opinion. In the last several years hair transplant clinics have exploded in Istanbul and there are now about 1,000 of them in the city. Most are illegal clinics with no doctor present and uncertified technicians performing FUE in business offices. No emergency care to help you should something go wrong, much higher chances of over-harvesting and wasted grafts, far less esthetic results and much higher rates of infection with these horrible clinics. Please keep this in mind when you are quoted 300-500 Euros less at some unknown clinic. Stick to the popular doctors/clinics and your chances of a good outcome go way up. About Dr. Ahmed Altan: A young Turkish doctor trained in Germany. Speaks Turkish, German, English and Spanish. His bedside manner is excellent and he genuinely cares for his patients. He's honest about what he can do for you and tells you what you can expect as a result. He doesn't use an assistant and replies to Whatsapp messages himself in a timely manner. This seems exhausting to me but somehow he manages to do it. Aestepool Clinic is inside a proper hospital in the Zeytinburnu section of Istanbul not far from the ocean. You can see the water off in the distance from the doctor's office. Dr. Altan's technicians are registered nurses and not just certified technicians. He put this team together less than a year ago but each of the technicians he chose had roughly 6-7 years of transplanting experience. Dr. Altan does bloodwork before you start to test for HIV, Hepatitis etc. and uses the same blood to administer PRP on the top of the head after opening the channels. As I write this I'm only 6 days post-op so I can't tell you my hair looks phenomenal. I can say that the doctor's professionalism, the confidence of his team and early results I see so far are very promising. One of the techs at Transest was a bit aggressive with harvesting just behind my left ear. 21 months later I still have a small sliver of about 1 inch high and as thick as dental floss bald spot. It's not noticeable to most people but I see it if my hair is cut real short. Dr. Altan didn't take any hair from that area but sadly he didn't want to fill it in either because he said it was more important to use every single graft to thicken the front and top of my head since I only had 1500-2000 available donor grafts. The techs give the anesthetic which I stressed about a lot before hand because the pain I felt from my first FUE anesthesia was horrendous. This time it was only about half as painful. It still hurt but nothing like the pain I felt at Transest Clinic. These techs at Aestepool were definitely pro's and administered the anesthetic with care and precision. The doctor took care and time to draw the hairline and measure it down to my eyebrows. I wasn't thrilled with the right side of my hairline as it was a bit crooked after my first FUE. Not terrible but it was something Dr. Altan wanted to correct and so far it looks excellent. Having a doctor that speaks English made the whole experience much easier. I had to use the translator last time and it's just not the same. Dr. Altan controls the whole procedure and runs a tight ship. He is in the room often checking on the work of the technicians and giving instruction. The techs don't speak much English and they will talk and laugh with each other in Turkish as they work but this was nothing new to me as I experienced the same thing at Transest. The "Mercure Istanbul Topkapi" hotel is really nice. The breakfast buffet is tasty and included in the price. They knock on your door every afternoon and give you bottles of water. They didn't charge me for those. The room service prices are very reasonable compared to the U.S. and the most expensive menu item was the New York Steak for about $12 U.S. (at the time I went). The whole process was easy and comfortable and In the end I received just under 1,850 grafts. Half of them were used to straighten and thicken up the hairline and the other half were spread across the top of the head to thicken it up. I didn't have any crown recession so I didn't need any grafts placed in the crown. I'll update as time goes by. as far as medications for my hair - I have been taking finasteride (generic for Propecia) every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the last 20 months. I hope this helped some of you and thanks for reading my long write up :) Updated on 12 Mar 2017: I guess I should share a pic of my hair before my first FUE so you'll have an idea of my starting point. The first FUE was 21 months ago. I was initially going to wait 15-16 months before a 2nd FUE but I had to wait 21 months because my work got busy. You can see that my scalp was pretty bare. Updated on 17 Mar 2017: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ Updated on 17 Mar 2017: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ Updated on 18 Mar 2017: 2 weeks post-op so far. I haven't seen much shedding yet but it's still early. I'm not sure I'll see much shedding this time around. Scabs are gone and back of head is still healing but it's coming along. Updated on 18 Mar 2017: 2 weeks post-op so far. I haven't seen much shedding yet but it's still early. I'm not sure I'll see much shedding this time around. Scabs are gone and top of head is still healing but it's coming along. Updated on 20 Apr 2017: It's too soon for an update but I was bored so I thought I'd do some photo crop/zoom and show some little hairs starting to break through the skin on the hairline where Dr. Altan added some density and evened out the left and right side (the right side of the hairline was a tad too high after my first transplant). Updated on 4 Jul 2017: I've already seen some good growth. My weak corner is filling in nicely already and I know there's more to come. My hair has already improved tremendously at just 4 months so I'm changing my "not sure" status to "worth it" because I'm really impressed with how it looks already. I feel like it took my 8 months the first HT to get the improvement I've already gotten at just 4 months this time. My hair is a bit damp with no product in it in these pics. Updated on 6 Aug 2017: I'm a couple days past the 5 month mark now. Grafts are starting to grow in a bit thicker now. I know it's still a little early but I'm seeing a big difference from the way it looked before the 2nd transplant. The top is still a bit see thru under bright lights but it's much improved already. I used to use hair fibers nearly every day after the 1st transplant. Now I rarely use the fiber. I don't even consider throwing it in to go to the supermarket or the gym. I only use it about twice a month now. I cut the back and sides a bit too short this time. The stylist used a #1 guard and that was a week ago so it's grown in just a little. Next time I'll have her use a #2 guard. It will look better right away and will look much better after a week or so. I'm very happy with the progress. Updated on 3 Oct 2017: So there's been more growth the last couple of months. I'm happy with the progress. I just got a haircut and took pics in some bright unforgiving light so you can see how it's going. In normal light it looks much fuller than it was. I can actually style it now and be happy with it. I prefer how it looks 10-12 days after a cut but I just got it cut today, took a shower and took some pics so here they are. Updated on 6 Oct 2017: The pics above were in harsh bright light so I thought I'd add a pic in normal lighting conditions.
My friend and I finally have done HT by FUE method. We returned home yesterday. We are so far very happy with the results and the treatment that we received. I am not going to describe my experience as detail rich as people are usually doing here. I will instead just add my comments on some of the recurring topics (not in any particular order) that can be seen in many reviews here which seemingly important to pay attention to when considering doing hair transplantation in Istanbul. Doctor: Our doctor Ahmed Altan is young in years but old in experience. He seemed well-mannered, friendly, open and skilled. We appreciated that fact that he was accessible from the day I directly contacted him to the end our stay in Istanbul. hope it continues like this moving forward because I would probably need his feedbacks during my recovering process. Clinic: Aestepool seems to be owned by the doctor Ahmed Altan and opened recently. The operations are taking place at Avrasya Hospital which is located in Zeytinburnu area of Istanbul. I wouldn't say that it is very modern clinic/hospital but I believe for this type operations highly sophisticated hospitals is not really needed ass I could see they had everything that they needed. Transfer between Airport/hotel/clinic: It went very well. Mustafa was extremely nice guy. Hotel: The clinic books for as a room at Mercury Hotel Topkapi, five star with great location. The hotel is close to Istanbul downtown as well as to the clinic and airport. Its breakfast selection is Great!! Pain level: One of the re recurring subjects in every review is the level and during of pain during the operation. I felt the pain only 5-10 minutes in total and only during . I didn’t feel any pain under rest of my approximately eight hours long operation. Medical team: All of them were great. I got the impression that they were really good at what they are doing and it seemed that they have done this types of operations hundred times before. For a picky person, the fact that none of them were able to speak English might be a little bit annoying but I didn’t mind this seemed to be is a general problem in Istanbul. Besides the doctor, Ahmed Altan who speaks excellent English we didn’t meet anyone, anywhere who could speak English. That’s very strange giving the fact that millions of tourists are visiting Istanbul each year. I will try to add my comments and upload more photos later Updated on 24 Jan 2017: Yesterday I washed my hair for the first time. I tried to follow the step by step the recommendations provided by the doctor e.g. I started off by applying a spray called Panthenol. After around 40 minutes I washed it off with worm water and used a shampoo called SebaMed ph 5.5. I think it went pretty well and I do feel that the de-scabbing process has already started Updated on 25 Jan 2017: feel some pain and my head is still swollen. could be an effect that my pills (metylprednisolon) finished. Updated on 27 Jan 2017: healing process is going well I suppose. redness is gone. I do still feel pain sometimes so I take one or two pills paracetamol. my donar side is itchy and I feel different kind of pain now. the pain now is similar to sunburn. I stated to apply aloe vera so we will see if it helps. regarding the number of grafts, I have to add that the doctor and his team was not totally honest. they promised me to plant maximum numbers of plant and ensured me that they have done it but now it can be clearly seen they haven't done this. This is kind of sucks because if they had added 1000 more grafts as they promised I wouldn't need to go through all the process again during the second session. Updated on 1 Feb 2017: I consider the donor area almost recovered from the wounds. In the last two days the amount of scars that ate falling off escalated dramatically. I can see that some hair follicles are falling along the scars. As I understand this is normal. The pain and headache is gone. I am considering to buy argon oil and massage my head with it. I have read in many reviewsites that it helps. Updated on 13 Feb 2017: scabs are totally gone and I can clearly see some hair growth as well as some and also some falling off. I can't say that I am happy with the results. as it can be seen the density is not good at all. Hope it gets better with time. It would be greatly appropriated if someone advise me what medicine, vitamins, shampoo, message oil etc should I use for better us. I read that argon oil, olive oil, mustered oil is good for hair regrowth but don't know to what extent this is truth. Updated on 4 Mar 2017: shedding lots of hair. The shock loss phenomenon that all reviewers were talking about is for real ;). I don't know how much shedding is normal or what to expect but I can see that most of the planted hair is gone. I took some photos from different angel and pased here this time so that it would easier for others to see and evaluate my progress. I am not taking yet any supplmentary medicine or vitamins. I started however to message my head with some oils. I am using a shampoo called pura dor. I guess it is too early to say if the shampo , oil message has any effect. Updated on 23 Apr 2017: It can be seen clearly now that some of the grafts has started to grow, especially in front side where the density was very good. I decided to not take any supplementary medicine in order to ovoid unpleasant side effects. However, I am trying to message my hair/head with a mix of mustered or olive oil hoping that this have some positive impact. Updated on 13 Sep 2017: Sorry for the long silience on my side. I have been busy with my work and couldn't update the progress in timely manner. As it can be seen the improvemnet is clearly visable and in general I am happy with the result so far. Dr Altan contacted me a few weeks ago to check the progress and he was also happy with the results and ensured me that it will get even more better. It is also pretty evident that I need to do the second HT to cover the crown area of my head. More than seven months pasted since the first HT so according to many sources It should be OK to do the next operation but I am not sure if I should wait or go for it. Updated on 13 Sep 2017: Due to some technical error the photos didnt get uploaded as attachment to my previous post so i am adding them here
Here we go then, a trip into the unknown, here's my little story about having my hair ripped out the back of my head and then stuck back on the top, weird when you think of it like that but that's basically the procedure. (Very clever though!) I'll start with the basics, I'm 45 years old now and my hair has slowly been getting worse since I was about 30, although the last couple of years it's got particularly bad which prompted me getting this procedure done. I think going bald has crept up on me and I also think I've been in some sort of self denial too, for instance, I'd look in the mirror at home and think "yeah my hair looks ok" passable at best, then I'd go out in the daylight have a photo taken or catch a glimpse in a shop window and think [RS bleep]! I'M BALD! How did that happen! The one that really done it for me was catching a glimpse directly on top of my head on a security camera, that wasn't a good day I can tell you! My hair was thinner than a size 0 supermodel. So here I am, getting it done. I've done a lot of research regarding hair transplants, price, reviews, pictures, clinic background etc, finally deciding on Transest in Turkey. Booking it was easy, I contacted Transest via email and Dr. Ahmed Altan got back to me straight away, I sent some pictures and booked a flight to confirm the day and that was it! Bingo! I'm in. I have often thought whilst reading other peoples reviews on the realself website, is this real? are these people real? are these reviews real? (Maybe it's just my sceptical untrusting mind!) Well I can definitely say this review is a real one because I'm doing it. (If that makes sense) Im writing this on the day of the procedure Thurs 6th October. I must say I am a bit nervous but I suppose that's normal. Quick mention to peterhoward1, thanks for the tips and advice, All very helpful. I'll do some updates over the next few days and hopefully post some pictures too. Updated on 8 Oct 2016: Not a great nights sleep, but ok. i have found that those sleep cushions for airplanes are great, that has helped a lot in regards to getting comfortable at night. good for helping you sleep a little more upright. would recommend buying one if your going to have the procedure. First wash tomorrow, looking forward to that as it still looks a bit bloody! Updated on 20 Oct 2016: 14 days after my op and its all going OK so far! Really itchy irritated back of the head in the first week, trying not to scratch is a challenge but that is all gone now. Everything seems to be healing up nicely. Washing hair normally now too. All is good. Updated on 24 Nov 2016: That's gone quick! I've been enjoying the full head of hair look for the last few weeks, it's been great! Sadly though it looks like my hair days are numbered, well...for now anyway. Noticed it getting a lot thinner this week but I'm still happy because I know what's hopefully coming. Everything seems to be right on track. I've had a fair bit of tingling and have been wanting to scratch, but trying to itch something when you have no feeling is a weird experience! (Parts of my head still feel very numb) it's coming back to life slowly, so I'm not worried. I've posted some photos from week 3-7 but as you can see they all look pretty much the same as I've been cutting it and keeping it all short, think I'll wait until after xmas to let it grow a bit. That should be 3 months then.. I'll keep you posted. Updated on 3 Jan 2017: Quick update on the progress. I've reached three months this week and have really noticed a difference in the last week or so! Maybe it was all those Mince pies & Turkey over Christmas ;) Well whatever it was it seems to be working! loads of new hairs spouting and definitely getting thicker. I am very happy at the moment. I was waiting for the dreaded shock loss to happen over the last few weeks but it didn't really materialize? maybe I've just been very lucky. One thing that i can say is that i have kept it clean by washing it everyday and I eat really well all the time (no processed foods) has that helped? who knows? it certainly hasn't done it any harm. Think i might stop cutting it now and let it grow a little bit and see how we get on with that. More pictures soon. Updated on 7 Feb 2017: 4 month update: So we are up to 4 months now and the last month I've really noticed a big difference in growth and thickness. Loads of little tiny curly hairs still coming through. (Like little cork screws...weird but funny ????) I have stopped trimming my hair on the top since Christmas (just back and sides now) Decided to let it grow see what happens. It's funny? But for the first few months your almost frightened to touch your head in case anything falls out! Completely different now, I'm very relaxed about it and just treating it like normal hair. Which it is of course! Still finding it strange to look in the mirror at my reflection and see hair at the front of my head! Good feeling though ???????? Very very happy with the progress so far and I'm sure you've heard this before...I wish I got it done ages ago! If your thinking about it? just do it! I've no regrets. P.s. I'm not using any special shampoo's, Sprays, medication or fibres. I'm just going Au naturel. Recent pictures including an updated before and after. Updated on 9 Mar 2017: Looking much better over the last couple of weeks. really noticed a difference. It's gone from looking a bit wiry and patchy to looking quite normal! Which is fine by me! Still haven't cut the top since Christmas just the sides every couple of weeks (sides grow really fast) I'm actually styling my hair which I haven't done for a long time! Life is indeed good! Very happy I'm going to get the top cut in a couple of weeks just before I go on holiday ;) Updated on 19 Apr 2017: A quick holiday snap. Its all going very well! seems like its getting thicker each week at the moment! Hair looks good and I'm feeling good! Very happy with the results so far. Updated on 19 Apr 2017: Here are some extra angles. Taken today. Updated on 2 May 2017: Hi, here are some outdoor photos that some people have requested. There has also been some requests for dr Altan's details, so here they are too. Email: dr.ahmedaltan@aestepool.com tel: +90 552 224 61 26 Updated on 4 Jul 2017: Hi everyone. A quick update on the progress. All going very well indeed I think it's filled out a bit more but I can't really tell? It's hard to notice when you see it everyday. I normally go by what other people say now. I saw some family members that I haven't seen since Christmas and they were quite shocked with the progress. I've stopped obsessing over it now, I think when you first have it done you look at it in the mirror at least 50 times a day thinking has it grown? Has it fallen out? Is it thinner is it thicker? My advice would be just let it grow and don't worry so much about it. Hard to do I know. But just got to let it take its course. Anyway... it's all good, I'm happy, very pleased with the results. Updated on 10 Aug 2017: Hello! 10 months have flown by! And what a difference it makes. Best decision I ever made having this procedure done. I've put some up to date photos on here as well as a BeforeAfter comparison. It's quite a difference! Can't believe myself sometimes. It's quite funny. I've seen a few people that I haven't seen for a couple years recently and all of the comments have been wow you look well! Or sometimes, you look slimmer or look taller ? They just can't put their finger on what's changed. I'm really glad I did this review too. if I can just help one person make a decision that might change their life for ever then that makes me a happy man. Or even happier I should say! Updated on 5 Oct 2017: Well that went quick! One year ago today I made the best decision ever. I can’t believe how quick it’s gone. I’ve gone from having no hair to having loads of it! and I couldn’t be happier. First three months seemed the longest but that’s only because I was patiently waiting for some growth. Funny little story: I went to a new hairdresser a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t tell him what I had done until the end of the haircut. Just to see if he could tell? He had no idea. He was really surprised when I told him. This sort of confirmed to me that people really don’t realise that I’ve had a Hair transplant. There is always that little nagging doubt in your head (well there was in mine) that makes you think that everyone you see can tell you’ve had a procedure. Well if a hairdresser can’t tell at close range that’s good enough for me! Good luck to all the other guys on here who have had their hair done recently. Hope it all goes well.
Where do I begin...I guess at the beginning..My hairline began thinning approx. 8 years ago due to age/stress which only added to my stress, so began the vicious cycle. I did an extensive bit of research followed up by many consultations with HR Doctors. Some doctors appeared to be knowledgeable but extremely over priced so I decided on a doctors who's doctorate was from Harvard School of Medicine thinking what can go wrong? It's Harvard right? WRONG!!! he not only botched the HR but he spoke about his Porsche 911 that he just bought and how well off he was throughout the entire HR. I was not given any specific instructions just to return to the office in 3 days for a follow up..when I got there he was not in, I was seen by a plastic surgeon who basically said this was not his specialty but it looks OK..and that the office was closing down in 2 weeks! The end result was that 90 percent of the grafts fell out and never grew back...I would have felt better if I had donated the money to a homeless shelter! I totally gave up on the notion of having any HR done ever again in this lifetime until I received a random updates from RS..Thank You RS Community... I read review after review and became quite excited about HR not in the USA but in Instanbul! I began isolating the numerous doctors in Istanbul to find the ideal doctor..this time I will research and review until I found the right doctor as this is my ONE opportunity for FUE as I had no plans to go through this ever again. After many weeks I decided on Dr. Ahmed Altan of TRANSEST. Once my decision was made I contacted him by email and received an immediate response, I sent him my pictures and received a full explanation on the procedure and answers to my many questions and concerns. He was nothing if not professional and extremely open with me. My communication with him and reading all the other great reviews put my anxiety/doubts to rest. I booked my surgery date and flew out to Istanbul(Constantinople) a City full of amazing history and beauty. I arrived on 4/18/16, the driver Mustafa picked me up on time at 9:00 a.m. He was wonderful..he was able to get us to the hospital on time in spite of traffic (NY City style traffic) Dr. Altan and Dr. Ayse both sat with me and answered all my questions, not once did they impose their opinions on me. What resonated with me about these two doctors the most was not just knowledge and experience but they were kind, caring, humble and genuine!!! We exchanged the agreed upon fee and proceeded to the procedure room which was modern, well equipped and sterile. My HR took approximately 6 1/2 hours, I will detail the HR of my hairline and eyebrow soon..
First off, I owe a great deal of thanks to the RealSelf community. Without your guidance and inspiration, the review I am about to type would not have been possible. In an effort to ‘pay it forward’ to others, I have documented my personal hair transplant experience with Transest Hair Transplant & Aesthetic clinic in Istanbul, Turkey. Since this will be a lengthy review, I will summarize some items in this post and provide procedure details in other posts. My Background: I am a 45 year old male who has been thinning since my 20’s. On the Norwood scale, I would be considered NW 6/7, which is Norwood 6 with thinning donor. Back in 2004, I had a FUT strip procedure for 1,400 grafts. I’m convinced that any remaining hair in the front of my head is from the original transplant procedure. Otherwise, it’s thin throughout with very few hairs to the crown. Over the years, I have used many products to slow down the progression of hair loss. These include: Rogaine foam (2x/day), Nixoral shampoo (3x/week), Pura d’or (Argon oil shampoo) The Decision: I stumbled upon RealSelf while researching an entirely different topic. I’ve invested dozens of hours reading posts, Q&A’s, and performing general research on different forums over the last several months. I am sceptical by nature, and never did I think I would be one to travel to Turkey for a medical procedure. However, after reading countless reviews from guys like CaliD3, dereklucan, Mahiry, Gmang85, jusbu83 and countless others, I began to consider Istanbul as a real possibility. These guys were the trailblazers, and it was great to follow their experiences and see pictures of smiling faces with new heads of hair. So, my internal questions of “what if” became “why not?”. Besides, medical tourism is a booming industry and this seemed like a good opportunity to sneak in a cultural vacation. In considering clinics, I looked at many factors including pricing, location and of course positive and negative reviews. Two clinics that really stood out in my mind were Maral and Transest. I'm sure I would be happy with either one. Because the reviews for each were equally positive, I chose to go with Transest because the location was closer to the airport and cost was a few hundred dollars cheaper. Extra spending money to justify the decision to go.. Websites/Resources: RealSelf - WhatClinic - Facebook Google flights - Google maps Baldtruthtalk - Hairrestorationnetwork Tripadvisor - Turkeytravelplanner WhatsApp - Currency converter (iphone app) My expenses: $ 875 - Airfare from Philadelphia to Istanbul (connect in Frankfort, Germany) $1,900 - Hair transplant procedure (1,690 Euro) $ 50 - One extra night hotel that I booked (Premist hotel) $ 350 - Spending money (sightseeing, taxis, food, souvenirs) Other supplies (Amazon.com): $15 - Travel neck pillow (NeckSnug) $15 - Money belt (AlphaKeeper) $6 - European Schuko (plug adaptor) You should also bring these: Valid passport e-Visa (evisa.gov.tr) ($20) Two button down shirts Noise cancel headphones (for plane) See related sections for additional details regarding my procedure. Updated on 24 Mar 2016: Since a trip to Turkey involves a lot of planning outside of just the hair transplant procedure, I wanted to provide some useful tips and observations to hopefully help and guide others in their decision making progress. Other options/My anxiety: One of the harder decisions to make was regarding which clinic to use. To make an informed decision, I provided pictures and solicited advice from 8 HT clinics. The number of estimated grafts was all over the place. Using FUE, Transest, Maral Klinic and Tayfun Oguzoglu estimated they could find 3,000 grafts. Cosmedica estimated 4,000 grafts, AEK estimated 1,500 grafts, FUE Hairline said 1,000, the U.S. clinic said 700 grafts. One well regarded doctor (Hakan Doganay) said I was not a candidate for FUE at all, and one doctor said I was not a candidate for FUT. This was concerning because I am NW 6 with a prior 1,400 FUT and limited donor. What is a person to do? I want to be considered a candidate, but not at the cost of my donor being completely stripped and thinned. Anxiety! I also found that different clinics have different business models. Some clinics employ a doctor to serve just one patient per day. The doctor clinics in Turkey normally change between 1-2.5 euro per graft. Some doctor clinics provide 2 or 3 nights hotel with transfers, and some do not. The ‘Tech clinics’ that I contacted all seem to provide maximum number of available grafts (whatever can be safely harvested from your donor), hotel, transfers, medications, and sometimes PRP for one set price. In my case, the price was 1,690 euro which equalled $1,900. The flight: Unfortunately, no direct flights are available from Philadelphia, PA to Istanbul, Turkey but luckily there are plenty of connecting flights at good prices. (Thank you google/flights!). My flight from Philly to Frankfort, Germany took 8 hrs - then 1-2 hrs layover - then another 3 hrs flying from Frankfurt to Istanbul. It was a long flight each way (about 12 hrs), but I watched two movies each way and read and took naps. Honestly, since I was travelling alone with no kids, the flight was relaxing and the time passed rather quickly. Fun fact: For anyone flying international to Frankfort, Germany, I will tell you that this airport is huge. In fact, I nearly missed my connecting flight because the plane from Philly took off late and there was only 1 hour to transfer to the connecting flight in Frankfort. I literally ran at least 1/4 mile through Frankfort Airport, took the required train car, ran another 1/4 mile to the gate, went down a flight of stairs, then took the shuttle bus to the plane on the runway. Had I walked, I’m not sure I would have made the flight. It was quite the experience. I will add, however, that Lufthansa is a top notch airline. The flight crew speaks mostly German but they also know English and other languages. The Lufthansa crew provided terrific service on a long flight. Transest Clinic and Staff: Established in 2007, I found that Transest Hair Transplant & Aesthetic is one of the oldest HT clinics in Istanbul. The clinic is located within a few miles of Araturk Airport which makes it convenient for HT patients who simply want to fly in, have the procedure, and fly home without any sightseeing. If sightseeing is desired, then a 25 minute taxi ride will get you to the historic district of Sultanahmet. There are actually two sides to Transest clinic. Dr Ayse Ozturk handles the plastic surgery (Aesthetic) side, while Dr Ahmed Altan, newer to the practice, handles the Hair Transplant side. I also learned that Dr Ayse Ozturk’s husband - Dr Erdogen Ozturk - had previously worked HT’s at Transest but he now works out of another hospital. Also, Aytac Karadut, the former International Coordinator, is no longer with the company. The doctor informed me that Transest has performed more than 7,300 HT procedures since 2007. My procedure was performed by a team which included the doctor and surgical nurses/techs. The techs performed all of the prep work and extractions (which I describe in a later post), Dr Altan opened all of the new channels, and the techs implanted the grafts. I asked, and was told, that the doctor and techs have the following experience: Doctor: Ahmed Altan - 4 yrs HT Surgical nurse: Sumeyye - 7 yrs HT Surgical nurse: Kezban - 4 yrs HT General Director: Erkan Vural - 8 yrs HT ?The Price: The price I paid was 1,690 euro, which converted to $1,900 U.S. dollars on my procedure date of March 18, 2016. This price was all-inclusive and covered the HT procedure for maximum available grafts, PRP injection, transfers to/from airport, transfers to/from hospital and clinic, lunch on operation date, 2 nights hotel w/hot breakfast each morning, medicines and post-surgery shampoo. There were absolutely no surprise or extra costs, and at no time did the doctor or any representative of the clinic attempt to upgrade or sell anything additional. The cost of $1,900 cash is the only money that changed hands with the clinic. By comparison, a typical FUE rate in the U.S. would cost at least $7/graft. A procedure of 3,500 grafts - if a U.S. clinic would attempt to perform in my case - would mean that 3,500 grafts x $7 per graft = $24,500. Obviously, paying less than $2,000 U.S. dollars feels like the bargain of the century if the procedure actually works! Money: Local currency is the Turkish Lira. Most places will accept Lira and Euro, and I found a few shops that also took U.S. dollars. With the recent turmoil in Europe, tourism is down and shopkeepers are desperate for business. When asked if they accept U.S. dollars, more than one vendor remaked that “money is money”. I converted $350 U.S. dollars to Turkish Lira at Philadelphia airport, just to have it handy. I kept the $2,000 cash, $350 TL, passport and boarding passes safely stored in my money belt at all times. As a general rule, $1.00 = 3 TL = .90 euro. Looked at another way, 1 euro = 3.2 TL = $1.10. I used a Currency App to keep everything straight. The Hotel: Since I planned to stay an extra day for sightseeing, I arranged my trip as follows: My total trip consisted of four nights, with my first night spent on the flight from U.S. to Europe. Premist Hotel - My first night in Istanbul was spent at a little boutique hotel called Premist Hotel. This little B&B style hotel is located in the heart of the historic district of Sultanahmet. This is a perfect location, literally a few minutes walk to Topkapi Palace, Sultan’s Tombs, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, and then Grand Bazarre. Price was about $50 per night which included a delicious breakfast. The hotel receptionist, Derya, was pleasant and helpful, and I spent time having tea in the cozy lobby. I simply can’t recommend this hotel enough. Helpful tip: If you stay at Premist Hotel, be sure to check out the shops and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. From the hotel, instead of walking straight up the cobblestone hill to the main attractions, just prior to the Art Store, make a left through the neighborhood and you will stumble upon outdoor cafes, fish markets, and vendor shops with fairly priced souvenirs. Walking down the cobblestone road (instead of up) will take you to the Bosphorus Straight where you can see the continent of Asia. (I took a selfie!) MidMar Deluxe Hotel - My last two nights in Istanbul were spent at MidMar Deluxe Hotel, which were included in the HT package. MidMar is located in a working class part of town, very close to the airport. Honestly, it’s a bit of a sketchy area but the hotel was clean and service was good. The breakfast, although robust, was not as good as Premist Hotel. ?Helpful tip: If you stay at MidMar Deluxe, be sure to take a 5 minute taxi ride (12 Lira, ~$4.00) to StarCity Outlet Center. This is an American style mall which contains a very large grocery store (food, beer, cookies), clothing stores, jewelry and appliances under one roof. A chocolate fountain with various fruits is on the 1st floor, and a pub style food court with tv’s can be found on the 3rd floor. I had a grilled cheese sandwich with bottle of water for 10 TL (about $3.00). My sandwich was better and cheaper than any food I had back at the hotel. My next posting will get into the actual HT procedure. Updated on 24 Mar 2016: Updated on 25 Mar 2016: My first impression upon arriving at Araturk Airport was that I had made it, but my luggage did not. Apparently my suitcase did not make the connecting flight. No worries, said the nice girl behind the Lufthansa counter. The suitcase will make the next flight and they will have it delivered to my hotel by 8:00 PM. Airport transfers were included in my package; however, I had previously informed the clinic that I would like to spend my first night in the historic district of Sultanahmet. So my next order of business was finding my way to my hotel. The girl behind the counter said the subway would be a good way to get there, and so I made my way to the subway. The subway is actually more of a trolley car that travels on the streets above ground. The Sultanahmet stop is literally right in the heart of the historic district, and a 5 minute walk to Premist Hotel. Helpful hint: The subway from Araturk Airport to Sultanahmet requires two tokens, one at each turnstile, due to a connecting rail. Purchase 2 tokens @ 4 TL each = $3.00. If you choose to take the subway from the airport, take to Stop 6. Get off on the right, go down stairs, cross over the tracks (locals walked me through an open passing train car which served as a bridge to cross over the tracks), then take that train all the way to Sultanahmet. Fun story: As I rode in the train, an older Turkish man was waving and speaking frantically at me. Mind you, I speak no Turkish and had literally been in the country for less than one hour. I finally realized that he was concerned for my safety as I leaned against the train door, and he was afraid I might fall out at the first stop. I moved away, and everyone on the train had a good laugh. By the way, I was probably the only person in Turkey wearing a rust orange jacket and white sneakers. I guess I’m an easy mark as a tourist! I’ve already mentioned how much I enjoyed the location and atmosphere of Premist Hotel, so I won’t go further. I will say that spending my first day and night in the historic district was huge for my confidence. With just three days in Istanbul, my free time was going to be limited and I wanted to take advantage of being able to sightsee as much as possible. When I returned to Sultanahmet two days later, I was already familar with the town and I knew my way around a bit. If you do get a chance, be sure to check out Arasta Bazaar located behind the Blue Mosque. Lots of outdoor vendors, reasonably priced, and almost a flea market atmosphere. Be sure to stop by vendor No. 8 which is run by a Moroccan woman and her husband. She is very friendly and helpful, and she gave me some great deals on turkish made pillow cases and silver jewelry. Business has been down significantly since the recent terrorist bombings and these vendors are very appreciative of any business they can get. I chuckled out loud when she used the ‘F-word’ to describe ISIS. To close out this chapter, I was thankful that my luggage arrived at the hotel around 7:00 PM. No use unpacking since I would be transferring to a new hotel after my procedure the very next day. I had planned on taking a taxi to the hospital for my procedure, but Dr Altan had called my hotel and also sent an email to inform me that he would be sending a driver to pick me up the next morning and deliver me to the hospital for my procedure. I was happy about this since it was one less thing I would have to arrange on my own. The driver is a small, happy man named Mustafa. His English is very limited so plan to use a lot of hand gestures to communicate. About 30 minutes later, we arrived at the hospital. The name of the hospital is ‘Ozel Erdem Hastahanesi - Gunesli. (I only know this because I snapped a picture on my way out). You can find a picture of the hospital if you Google ‘Erdem Hastahanesi’. It looks like the hospital receives 4.4 / 5 stars on Facebook, which is promising. It looks like the hospital accomodates everything from hair transplants, plastic surgery, and baby delivery. That’s enough background for now. My next section will get into the actual procedure. Promise. Updated on 31 Mar 2016: My hair transplant procedure took about 8.5 hours. I won’t lie, this was a long day. Since I was staying in the historic district the first night, I had planned to take a taxi to my procedure on Friday morning. However, I received an email and phone call from Dr Altan saying that he would send Mustafa, the Transest driver, to pick me up between 10-10:30am. This was nice of them since it saved me from having to hire a taxi to the hospital. Thanks to a traffic jam in each direction, I arrived at the hospital around 11:30am. The clinic typically likes to get started by around 9:00am. I met Dr Altan for about 15 minutes, signed papers, and handed over $1,900 U.S. dollars. (The cost for the procedure is actually 1,690 euros which converted to $1,904.60). I handed over $1,905 but the doctor returned the $5.00 bill and said that $1,900 was enough. I thought this was nice and fair of them. A few weeks earlier the price would have been $1,850 but the euro had gotten stronger against the dollar. It was nice being able to pay in U.S. dollars which actually saved me some money since I did not have to pay a bank to convert to euros. The clinic did not charge any conversion rate. The doctor snapped a few “before” pics of my head, then we moved to the procedure room which was the room next door. Since I would be checking into MidMar Hotel following my procedure, I had my suitcase and carry bag with me. The driver carried these to my procedure room so that all of my belongings would be close to me all day. This made me feel comfortable and secure. The procedure consisted of several steps: Following Prep work, the 3 major steps are: 1) Extract grafts from back of head; 2) Make new channels on top of head; 3) Insert grafts into new channels. In terms of timing and procedure, I had the following experience. 3 stages: Prep = Performed by surgical nurse (15 mins) 1 - Extraction = Performed by surgical nurses/technicians (3 hrs) Lunch = (10 mins) Prep = (5 mins) 2 - Channels = Performed by Dr Altan (1 hr) 3 - Implant grafts = Performed by surgical nurses (4 hrs) Prep work: I sat down in a chair, and the young nurse shaved my head. In my 45 years, I have never had a fully shaved head, so it was interesting to see how I looked in the mirror. It was strange, but not too frightening. The nurse then took a vial of blood to screen for disease and also to use for PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injections. I then lay down on a table for anesthesia shots. I like to think I have a fairly high pain threshold, but the shots were painful, probably a 5/10. The top of my head started to become numb. The nurse would poke with a needle and ask “pain?” If I said no, she moved to another area. If I said yes, then it was another shot to the head. In all, I counted a total of 70 anesthesia shots in this step. This is no typo.. I counted 70 needle shots to the head. Extraction: The Extraction step was performed face down on my stomach. In all, this step took about 3 hours. Members of the team took turns using a micro motor (which is basically a Dremel tool) to cut around each graft. The tech would drill around approximately 10 follicles, then rub over them before using a tweezer to pull out each drilled plug. This process was followed until all 3,500 grafts were removed. The grafts were soaked in petri dishes filled with a solution (possibly blood) and sprayed with saline to keep them moist while the second nurse sorted the grafts by 1, 2, and 3 hair. Dr Altan later informed me that 50-60% of my grafts were 1 hair, 40-50% were 2 hair, and 1-2% were 3 hair. In total, my donor yielded: ~1,900 (1 hair), 1,550 (2 hair), and 50 (3 hair), for a total of 3,500 grafts and 5,150 hairs transplanted. Tis is a relatively small yield, especially considering that my hair is on the thin side. However, the fact that they were able to actually harvest 3,500 grafts from my donor was more than I could have imagined when the procedure began, and this makes me very happy. As for the work rotation, the two nurses (Sumeyye and Kezban) started with the extractions, followed by the nurse with head scarf, followed by Erkan Vural. (Note on Mr Erkan: He was interchangeably called Dr Erkan and Mr Erkan, so I’m not sure if he has a PHD or something else, but I suspect he is not an MD. However, I believe he was listed as General Director on a website, and I was told that he has 8 years experience in HT). I would be thankful if somebody could learn his true credentials for the record. Lunch: Once the extractions were completed, we broke for a 10 minute lunch which consisted of eggplant in beef, noodles, roll, and apple. I believe the lunch break would normally be longer, but I suppose we were making up time for a late start. Besides, I was so hungry by this point that I finished everything in 5 minutes. Then it was time for more anesthesia shots to the head. Prep: After sitting on the table, the younger nurse administered a new round of anesthesia shots to the forehead. This is the area that would be receiving the grafts. Even though the number of shots was less (only 7 shots) and took just 5 minutes, I can tell you that the pain level was very much higher than it was in the initial round. Apparently the forehead contains many more nerve endings than other parts of the head. I believe it, since this round of shots registered an 8 out of 10 on the pain scale. Yes, it hurt that much. I have a fairly high tolerance for pain, but actually yelled out loud a few times. Good thing is, the shots were done fairly quickly and we were on to the channel insertion. Channels: The channel part of the procedure was performed while sitting in a chair. This took about 1 hour. Dr Altan informed me ahead of time that the channels were the most critical part of the procedure, and that he does all of the channels himself. This held true in my case. Mr Erkan held me still while Dr Altan made the channels in my head. It was hard to see, and I had to remain perfectly still, but the doctor essentially used a tool to poke 3,500 holes from my forehead back to the crown. This part of the procedure was painless but I could hear a crunching noise with each hole that was made. I took advantage of watching the Turkish Top 20 music channel while this part of the procedure was performed. Many of the acts were American, like Katy Perry. Not sure if the Turks enjoy the American music videos or if they were catering to their audience, but it may be a combination. After all channels were cut, I believe the doctor administered the PRP injections, then it was time for the nurses to place the grafts. Graft implant: The third and final phase of the procedure took the longest at approximately 4 hours. The two surgical nurses used tweezers to place each of the 3,500 grafts into a channel, one at a time. At times one nurse placed grafts, sometimes they switched places, and sometimes they both placed grafts with one nurse standing on each side of my head. They talked and giggled in Turkish while working, which I really didn’t mind, since they seemed to enjoy their work and this task obviously required a great deal of manual dexterity and coordination. Occasionally when a cell phone would ring, they would check it and then get back to work. Not sure if these were personal texts or work messages, but it didn’t bother me so much because the job was tedious and these little disruptions were probably healthy. By this time, I was mostly exhausted. At one point, I asked how many grafts remained to be implanted, and they said 2,000 with an ETA of 2 hrs. Ugh. This was entirely painless but it was difficult to remain still for so long, and my neck was cramping. I was thankful when they repositioned my head from time to time. I actually caught myself dozing off a few times. On one occasion, I caught myself and jolted awake which startled the nurses. We all had a laugh. Once all grafts were placed (again, about a 4 hour process), I met Dr Altan in the office room next door for post-surgery instruction. Post Surgery: Along with post-surgery instruction, Dr Altan provided Cipro (antibiotic), Prednol (anti-inflammatory), and Majezik (pain pill). He also provided Haarex shampoo specially formulated for HT and to be used to completion. All products were free of charge and at no time did the doctor or anybody else at the clinic offer or attempt to sell me anything in addition to what I had already paid. Funny story: So following the procedure and post-op instructions, the doctor said that Mustafa would return me to the hotel. The car was a fairly small vehicle, similar to a Mazda compact minivan. We waited a few minutes outside in the car, then the doctor appeared. I guess we were providing him a ride home, I thought. Then the two nurses who had just worked on me for 8 hours appeared. It turns out this was a carpool and we were giving everyone a ride home. How interesting. So, Mustafa drove me to the hotel with the doctor and two nurses crammed into this little 5-speed car, zipping through side streets and over bumpy roads, 8:30pm after 8.5 hours surgery. This is certainly not something you would experience in America. The young nurse shared cookies and skittles as we drove. After about 10 minutes, we made it safely to my hotel and I was free to relax and prepare for the next day. Sleeping and Post Checkup: Night one, I had some general discomfort and a slight pressure headache, but nothing that necessitated taking the blue pain pills. My foam neck pillow came in handy as this kept the donor (back of head) off the nice hotel pillows. I would estimate sleeping about 4-5 hours total. The next morning, I woke, shaved, and had a nice breakfast in the MidMar Hotel basement where Mustafa met me at 9:30. Mustafa drove us to the Transest clinic (different from the hospital) where I met Dr Altan who addressed any questions or concerns. The assistant removed my bandage and replaced it with a black headband. I actually felt pretty good considering I was poked and prodded over 7,000 times just the night prior. My forehead was a bit swollen but nothing major. The office assistant then washed my hair while discussing proper technique. I asked about wearing a hat in public. His preference was that I not wear a hat, however, he said it would be okay if I was absolutely careful to not allow the hat to touch any of the implanted grafts. Finally, he asked that I forward an email with pictures in 10 days so he could monitor progress and concerns. I was happy to hear that he was interested in ongoing follow-up. After the 20 minute office visit, Mustafa returned me to MidMar hotel, and I was free to tour the city. Updated on 31 Mar 2016: The following pictures show a progression of hair growth from days 3-13. Updated on 6 Apr 2016: The best part of my trip (other than the hair) is being able to share my experiences and hopefully inspire others to make the journey if it feels right for them. The worst part my trip was learning that there was a suicide bombing in Taksim Square. This occurred one day after my procedure. I learned of the bombing while I was walking and shopping in the historic district of Sutanahmet. Although I was in Istanbul just miles from the attack, I saw and heard nothing suspicious. Admittedly, the event did put me on edge a bit, but despite the seriousness of the day I still felt very safe walking the city. I'm a numbers guy, and statistics would show that you have a much higher probable chance getting hit and killed by a car than getting caught up in a terrorist attack. The threat was certainly in the back of my mind, however My suggestion is to take normal tourist precautions if you go. Remain vigilant, and stay apart from large tour groups. I don't say this to dissuade anyone from going, in fact, from a personal standpoint I felt safer walking streets in Istanbul than cities in America. Some other tips: definitely check out the coveted bazaar with almost 4,000 shops, but don't buy anything there. Much better deals can be had in the local family owned street shops without the haggling. Tea is popular in Turkey. It's not uncommon for shopkeepers to invite you into their store for a cup of tea. This is part of their culture, but mostly they would like to sell you a carpet (Turkish rug). Their carpets are hand made of silk and wool, and stunningly beautiful. Each carpet can take 8-12 months or more to weave. I have pictures of a woman weaving carpets in a small corner store. The larger ones can still go for between $1,500 to several thousand dollars, but this is still a 75% savings vs if you were to buy domestically. Regardless, I did not purchase a rug in Turkey. After all, that money can go towards a second hair transplant. Updated on 6 Apr 2016: Things have been progressing well. I still shampoo using the special Haarex shampoo provided by the clinic. In addition, I resumed using Rogaine foam (2x/day) and started Finasteride (1.25 mg on M, W, F). I also take a daily multi-vitamin and daily biotin supplement (5000 mcg). I also try to eat fairly healthy and drink lots of water to give my new grafts the best possible chance to grow. I haven't experienced any shedding (that I've noticed) other than just 1-2 little hairs that fell out while shampooing. Not sure if this is a sign of more shedding to come, but I am not looking forward to it. The final few pictures are from today. Updated on 9 Apr 2016: Here are a few more pictures from end of week 3. I would say that everything is fully healed with no soreness anywhere. Numbness on top of head (recipient area) has subsided. I'm surprised I still haven't experienced shedding. Not sure if the shedding will come later, it may vary by person. Anyway, I'm very happy with the way things look at just 3 weeks post-op. My co-workers have been very supportive and quite a few men with thinning hair have been watching closely. (They may make the trip if it works for me.. Lol!). I try to take all pictures under direct light to really capture the details, so I think the hair really looks better to the naked eye than on camera. Let me know your thoughts! Updated on 15 Apr 2016: Not sure how many people read the posts, but I will continue to post pictures to track my progress. For my daily routine, I still use the special Haarex shampoo provided by the clinic. That bottle will last a long time. Once it finishes, I will alternate with an Argon-oil shampoo and Nizoral shampoo. I also use a small amount of Rogaine foam 2x per day, and take 1.25mg Finasteride every M, W, F. Besides that, I take a multi-vitamin and biotin supplement. The donor and recipient sites continue to grow with no apparent shedding. I keep wondering if/when the shedding will happen. Not sure if the PRP procedure, my daily routine, or just chance is keeping the shedding at bay, but I guess we will never know. Updated on 22 Apr 2016: Things continue to progress as week 5 draws to a close. Still no shedding which is positive. At this stage of the game, I'm thinking it won't happen. The donor and recipient areas both continue to grow. The donor is obviously a bit thicker at this stage, so I'm thinking a haircut might be needed in the next few weeks to keep things even. I continue to use the medical shampoo, Rogaine, and Finasteride. I also resumed using Nizoral shampoo (part of the Big 3) 2-3 times per week. If you suffer from MPB hair loss, you will want to make sure Nizoral (Ketakonazol) is in your arsenal. I'm really hoping to see some quick growth in top, with enough to cover some of the crown area. As a NW grade 6, the 3,500 grafts were enough to cover the front and top, but not enough to cover the crown. Im hoping my donor area is strong enough after one year to provide another 1,000 grafts for the crown. If not, then I may need to resort to BHT. (Turkish clinics will transfer from beard to head!) Updated on 29 Apr 2016: Here we are now, 6 weeks post-op. The transplanted hairs continue to grow longer, and the donor area continues to thicken. Still no shedding of hairs, which is a good thing. I would say that things look about as good as possible considering it's only 6 weeks in. I am happy and excited at the prospect of having hair again (who-hoo!). However, the lack of hair in the crown area is very bothersome. I look forward to having the crown taken care of in the future. Take care all! I continue to use minox (daily), finast (3 days), Haarex shampoo (4 days) and Nizoral shampoo (3 days). This regimen seems to work great for me so I will stick with it. Updated on 6 May 2016: Week 7 is in the books. No changes in my hair treatment plan or anything else. The hair continues to grow at a slow but steady rate. Hair is getting longer but still sparse, like a porcupine, but I can feel (and see) tiny black hairs growing up between the longer hairs. Looking forward to these little guys continuing to pop to thicken everything up. I will see you in another week, and then probably update monthly. Take care! Updated on 13 May 2016: Hello RS community. Today marks the week 8 anniversary of my HT with Transest. I would say things are still progressing. The original fine hairs continue to lengthen, as well as some transplanted hairs. In addition, little black hairs are sprouting. From a distance, these create a "shadow effect" on my forehead. If you've had a HT, you probably know what I'm talking about. It looks a lot like a sunburn in the recipient area. The donor area looks fine, and I may eventually have it cut since I like to keep it on the shorter side. From this point, I will probably update monthly. Feel free to ask questions; otherwise, I will post an update at month 3. Take care! Updated on 2 Jun 2016: Hello RS community. I've been following my normal regimen and wanted to report on progress. Little black hairs are growing in, which leads me to believe there was some prior shedding of the transplanted hairs. I may not have seen the actual shedding if the hairs came out with the scabs around day 6-7. Anyway, at 2.5 months, I think I have at least as much hair as I did prior to the procedure. Today I had my first haircut to even out the sides. I asked the barber to use a #4 guard on the back and sides, and lightly trim the top. I had wanted to keep the top longer to give the illusion of more hair, but Franco went to town and I ended up with something of a crew cut. Haha. Anyway, I'm not too concerned since it's been hot outside and summer is coming. Let me know what you think. Updated on 22 Jun 2016: Here are updated pics that mark the 3-month milestone. I continue to follow the regimen described in earlier posts. It's difficult to tell from the pics, but the hairs are growing in thicker. Still a lot more time needs to pass, but so far I am happy and excited with results after just 3 months. I will post again next month. Updated on 18 Jul 2016: Hello RS community. My procedure was March 18, so today represents month 4 of my HT. My hair continues to thicken and grow daily, and I'm 100% satisfied with the progress to date. I'm finally using up the last of the Haarex Premium shampoo that was provided by the clinic. When it's gone, I will resume using my Pura D'or argon shampoo and conditioner. In addition, I continue using Rogaine foam daily, and I take 1.25mg finasteride every M, W, F. My hair seems to look and feel healthy and appears to be growing at a faster pace, but I'm not sure how much, if any, of the growth can be attributed to minoxidil or finast. I look forward to getting another hair cut soon, only this time I will ask the barber to buzz the sides with a #4 and leave the top to grow out longer. I know that some of you with upcoming procedures are very concerned with the recent turn of events in Turkey. If you choose to make the trip, I would advise you to maintain a low profile, don't get caught up in large groups or demonstrations, and by all means do not say anything bad about president Erdogan. If you survive the trip, it will be the best $2,000 you ever spent. Good luck! Updated on 18 Jul 2016: Updated on 21 Jul 2016: Here is a closeup picture at month 4. Density has improved a great deal. Updated on 17 Aug 2016: Hello RS community. This marks the "5 month anniversary" of my HT procedure with Transest. Things continue to progress, with added thickness on the front and top. I didn't have enough donor at the time to hit the crown, but started on finast 4 months ago to see if this will help the crown. Coworkers who knew about the procedure have remarked how nice the hair is looking. A few people I haven't seen in awhile have also commented on a slight change in appearance, but they have no idea it's the hair. (I've had questions like, 'are you working out'? And 'have you lost weight?.. you look great'. No, it's not the body, it's the hair (Haha!). As far as routine, I finally used up the last of my HT Shampoo. My routine includes the following: - Nizoral shampoo (M, W, F) - Finasteride (M, W, F) - Rogaine foam (daily) As you can see, the so-called "Big 3" are incorporated to help combat thinning of the donor hairs. I've used Nizoral and Rogaine for a few years now, but I think think the addition of finasteride is really helping to keep my existing donor in check. It's only been 4 mths, and results can take 6-12 mths, but the donor area obviously looks healthier now than it did pre-op. (I also stopped taking a Creatine supplement which was absolutely killing my hair!). I use the Rogaine foam in the morning, and sometimes at night. It doesn't take much, and I really like the foam because it serves as a styling gel without having to use another product. I will post again in another month. Until then, feel free to comment. Updated on 16 Sep 2016: Hello again RS community. Sept 18 marks the 6 month anniversary of my HT. This timeframe is supposed to be where things really start taking off, so I am excited for the future. Although I've seen consistent growth since day 1, it's been a slow grind and lately I'm feeling impatient as I'm anxious for the finished product. The front and top continue to grow and thicken, and I hundreds of new growth stubbles can be felt in all areas, including towards the crown. Hair grows at a rate of 1/2 inch per month, so in another month or two the stubbles should be actual hairs. The pictures are taken under direct light, so I believe the actual growth and coverage looks better in person than it does in the pictures. My regimen incorporates the big 3 (finast, rogaine, nizoral). I started with finast 5 months ago (M, W, F). They say it can take 6-12 months to see effects, so I'm hoping this med will help to recover some growth in the crown area that I wasn't able to hit with grafts in the first HT session. I've included a few pics from last week and this morning, before and after a hair cut. Overall, I am happy and pleased with results to date, and excited for the future. In a few months I will see where things stand and may send a note to the clinic to see how many more grafts could be grabbed for a crown session. Good luck and happy growing! Updated on 18 Oct 2016: Today marks the 7 month milestone of my procedure. I believe things are progressing, albeit very slowly. The front looks okay, but still very minimal coverage on the top and crown. I've been feeling impatient lately because at 7 months I should have experienced about 70% growth. I'm starting to wonder how much additional growth is in the cards for me. Will I see another 30%? Only time will tell, I guess. Regardless, I'm thinking another trip to Istanbul should be in my future. I'm sure the clinic can scrape up another 1,500 grafts to hit the crown. Just need to convince the wife.. Updated on 19 Oct 2016: I wanted to post two more pics after my recent haircut. The barber used a 3.5 grade on the sides and scissors cut the top. Looks very trim now. Front on, you can see the density which looks great. (1,000% improvement over the 'before' pics). The second pic shows part of the crown and top that still needs growth. They say the top and crown are the last to respond, so I'm hoping the remaining 30% expected growth takes place in this area. Cheers Updated on 17 Nov 2016: I'm now 8 months into this journey and feeling very good about the progress to date. Looking back over prior pictures, I can definitely see month to month progress being made. At the 8-month mark, I should be about 80% complete, with the remaining 20% growth coming over the next 4 months. Finasteride can take time to work its magic, with benefits coming over two years, so I'm hopeful the medicine extends my hair journey well beyond 12 months. My regimen consists of Rogaine, Propecia/Finasteride (M, W, F) and Pura D'or (Gold label) Argon shampoo. I left my Nizoral shampoo at the gym, but probably won't bother replacing it at this point since the Pura D'or contains Ketoconazole as an ingredient. Oh, and I recently colored with JFM light brown, which I swear adds thickness to the hair. Unlock Hairflick, I desperately wanted to stay away from 'Trump (Oompa Loompa) Orange'! Let me know if you have questions or feedback. Happy hair growing, everyone! Updated on 18 Dec 2016: Okay, so the RS app crashed just as I was finishing my review. Not a happy camper about that! Today marks the 9 month anniversary of my 3,500 graft HT. Time flies when you're growing hair. Whoohoo! Overall, I'm very happy with the results compared to my starting point. I've attached a 'Before and After' snapshot for comparison. Not sure how much growth remains, but I'm hoping to carry some momentum into the first few months of 2017. My regimen: • Finasteride (1.25mg on M, W, W) • Rogaine (2x/day) - Nizoral shampoo (M, W, F) - Pura d'or (Gold) Argon oil shampoo - Pura d'or Argon oil conditioner The front and sides are looking good for someone who started as a NW6. As you can see in the pics, the crown area is still in need of desperate help. As I sit here tapping on my iPhone, I can feel hundreds of new growth stubbles on the top. I'm hoping these grow full enough to 'comb back' over the crown area. Lol!! Actually, I've been taking finasteride for about 8 months so I'm really hoping the finast will spur some growth in the area that wasn't reached with the HT. I'd jump at the opportunity to travel back to istanbul next year, if my wife will allow it. For now, I am due for a hair cut and will add some light brown hair color to tidy things up. Happy growing, people! Check out the pics and let me know your feedback and thoughts. Updated on 29 Dec 2016: Here are some pics taken after my recent haircut. I think the fresh cut looks nice. You will notice my hair looks thinner in certain pics, especially under direct lighting. I will use some light brown hair coloring this week to smooth out the color and add density. For your viewing pleasure, I've included 3 bonus pics of your 'president elect' with his look-alike doppelgänger. Updated on 17 Jan 2017: Folks, it's that time again. I've attached some pictures for my 10 month update. I continue to see the hair thicken and grow. The front and top have grown considerably denser in the past month, which is awesome. I'm 100% happy, but still want more, if that makes any sense. In a few months I will consider whether to revisit my friends in Istanbul to hit the crown. My regiment is still the same: Pura d'or (gold) Argon/Nizoral shampoo Pura d'or conditioner Rogaine (daily) Finast (M, W, F) Note: I recently attended a public event and experimented with Finally Hair (hair fibers). I've included a before/after picture of the crown which shows the hair fibers actually do work. Cost was $15 for a bottle that should last a few months. I wouldn't want the hassle of having to use the product daily, but I will say it worked great. Let me know if you have questions or feedback. Updated on 18 Feb 2017: It's that time of the month again (I mean for a HT update). Things are still progressing but it gets less obvious once you reach this stage. I continue to take finasteride 3x per week, and I use my special shampoo and conditioner. I'm also due for a color and trim. Who would have thought a head of hair could improve ones outlook on life? Seems silly, I know. I will say that I am 100% satisfied with the procedure, and of course wanting more... Turkey in 2017?! I've attached some recent pics and 2 older pics for comparison. Let me know if you have any questions. Happy hair growing! Updated on 18 Feb 2017: Here are a few pics to show with hair color. This morning I applied JFM, light brown color (sorry, no 'Trump Yellow' for me). I have fair complexion and find the light brown blends and fades nicely, and helps to thicken the hair. Pics are taken under direct light. Updated on 16 Mar 2017: This review for March 18 represents my 12 month HT anniversary. It feels like just a few months ago I was planning my trip to Istanbul. I started as a NW6 and now have pretty good coverage with 3,500 grafts. Despite being very happy and satisfied with the results, I can no longer recommend Transest since my HT doctor (Dr Altan) has left that practice. When I return to Turkey for a follow-up session to hit the crown, I will most likely book with Dr Altan at his new clinic Aestepool. (CaliD just returned and had good things to say). Although I doubt any new hairs will be sprouting at this stage, I'm confident that the transplanted hairs will continue to thicken in the coming months. Of course, I will never have a mop like Trump or Geert Wilders, but that's actually a good thing. Haha I've attached a few pics. Let me know if you have any questions. Updated on 25 Sep 2017: Just checking in with an 18 month update. Not bad for someone who started as NW 6/7. I'm looking forward to an opportunity to revisit istanbul for a follow-up procedure, hopefully early next year. Good luck to everyone! Updated on 17 Nov 2017: Hello fellow hair growers. It’s been awhile so I wanted to check in with a quick update and some new pictures. I had a haircut a few days ago which motivated me to give an update. I’m currently 20 months post-HT, so I wouldn’t expect to see any new growth. I stopped taking Rogaine (Minoxidil) several months ago. I noticed no shedding after stopping the Rogaine, but my libido improved. I realize this runs counter to every study that says Minoxidil does not affect libido, but I disagree. I continue to take Finasteride (1mg/day) which seems to be working nicely, with ZERO side effects. Overall, I’m very happy and grateful for what I have. I’m hoping Turkey will reinstate issuing Visa’s to the U.S. soon, so that Americans can get back to transplanting the hair they desperately need. I don’t check in often on RealSite because I absolutely hate the changes the site has made to the feeds and auto-correct... the user experience stinks! RS might want to consider replacing the man in charge. Happy hair growing!
I was considering a hair Transplant a few months ago but reconsidered after dealing with an arrogant doctor named Tugrul Maral. During the initial consultation, he got upset because I asked for a discount (Read my other Review for Details) Anyways, after that horrible experience, I decided not to go forward with the procedure. However, just a few months later, I found another doctor named Dr Ahmed Altan. I sent him an email and he replied within 24 hours. His response was polite, professional and courteous. He responded with how many graphs he thought I would need and a cost of $1880 US dollars which is their flat rate for an unlimited graphs for one day. He made me feel so comfortable I decided to move forward. I purchased a plane ticket online immediately, got a ViSA online and emailed the doctor my Itinerary. Again he replied quickly and told me my dates were confirmed and that the driver would be at the airport to pick me up. He even gave me his whatsup account info so I could contact him if I needed. The day of the flight, I texted Dr Ahmed Altan through whatsap letting him know that I was about to get on the plane so he knew I was definitely coming (I wante to make sure that someone was there to pick me up).I finally landed in Istanbul and went out to look for my driver but could not find him. I started to panic so I called the good doctor on whatsap and he picked up right away (I was very happy). I told him I could not find the driver or my name card anywhere. He asked me to stand by a specific phone store and that he would have the driver go there. The driver showed up 2 minutes later. I was so relieved.We got to the hotel within 15 minute and I was given a very small room with no ventilation. It was small hot and stuffy. I didn't want to complain because the rooms were free and I assumed that was all they had. About 2:30 am I couldn't get to sleep because the room was just too hot and there were no windows. I finally went down to reception and asked if I could be upgraded to a suit and that I would be happy to pay the difference. I guess I asked the proper way because he changed my room immediately to a very nice room at no charge. I was so grateful that I gave him a very generous tip. I was told to be ready by 8:50am so I got ready and went down at 8am to eat the complementary breakfast (by the way, the breakfast was amazing, something you would expect from a fine hotel. I then realized what a nice hotel this really was). I was picked up on time and was taken to the hospital by 9:00. I was introduced to the good doctor and I was just the nicest guy. I was young seemed very knowledgeable. The hospital was very clean and they had other doctor there as well. I was introduced to 3 other doctors who where the for different procedures. The doctor sat me down and explained the details of the procedures and the steps they would take. I felt really comfortable by this time. Everything was so well organized and professional, my mind became at ease. They took me into another room where I met the 2 techs that were going to work on me. They too were very friendly. They didn't speak any English and I didn't speak any Hungarian, but we were able to get to know each other pretty well simply because they were very nice and took the time to understand what I was saying anytime I had something to say. The whole procedure took about 9 hour with a 1 hour complementary lunch. In all they were able to do 2600 graphs. I just did not have enough hair loss to do more I guess. I men another patient there who had 4600 graphs done at the same cost. He had much more hair loss than I did so I guess he had the space. After the procedure the good Dr took me into his office and gave me all the medication and shampoo I needed. Explained each one thoroughly and even gave me a print out instructions just in case. This Clinic was just awesome. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am right now. I cant tell you how it looks yet because only a day has gone by since the procedure, but the Transest made the process as pleasant as possible. (I also want to mention that my flight schedule changed and my return flight was pushed back a day, the generously told me he would cover the extra day. Definitely when above and beyond. I told him about the room incident and he called the hotel to move me to the top floor but my new room was so nice, I declined.I will post more pics later.Here are some pics of the hotel, hospital and surgery. clinic (Transest). There are actually 3 doctors that I met there. 1. Dr. Ahmed Altan 2. Dr. Ayse Ozturk 3. I cant remember his hame Updated on 17 Mar 2016: Hair is growing in quickly and head seems to be recovering very fast, but I am experiencing several headaches. Dr Ahmed said this is normal in some patients and should go away shortly. Hair seems to be growing in evenly so far. Updated on 1 Apr 2016: Its been 4 weeks since my procedure and my hair seems to be growing in evenly. Happy with the results so far. Just had my first hair cut to even out. Donor area still feeling slightly sore to the touch. Updated on 22 Aug 2016: I have a full head of hair and o can feel the stubblea of alot more coming in. This was the best money I ever spent. Thank you Dr. Ahmed Altan.
You know, it's hard enough doing your school homework when you're growing up. You know full well that you are never going to use that calculus you had to learn (unless you grow up to be a mathematical engineer), and who really cares to learn detailed battle plans for every war that was ever fought in the world... But when deciding on a FUE clinic in a foreign country, now that’s a different thing altogether. When you start doing your homework and researching doctors and clinics in Istanbul, Turkey who perform FUE hair transplants, you tend to pay a little more attention, and try to look past some reviews which provide NO before or after pictures, and spit venom from the beginning. I mean, you really want to find a good situation, clinic and doctor before you let anyone make 4,000 new holes in your head that can scare your kids half to death. So, seeing that I just had my FUE surgery yesterday, I thought that I would start to write a beginning to end journey over the next year. YES, it takes a year to see the full results, so anyone that says that they are not happy after 3 weeks to 3 months was definitely given too many pokes with a sharp needle to the top of your head during the procedure. So, let's begin. After about a month of research, I chose TRANSEST HAIR TRANSPLANT CLINIC after talking with a few of my associates and reading reviews on this site as well as others I could find online. I am 56 years old, and I live in Abu Dhabi, UAE so Turkey was only about 4-5 hours away with only a 2-hour time difference. Turkey has recently starting getting to the top of many lists when discussing medical tourism, and hair transplants using FUE in Turkey offer one of the best values for your money. I had a FUT procedure done in 2002 in New York City, when GOOD hair transplants were really in their infancy. I can't remember how many grafts I got then (the number 1,000-1,500 stands out) but I still have the scar in the back of my head to prove that I really did get it. I had been losing my hair slowly since about 30 years old, so at 43, I thought it was time to augment the follicle situation. Most of the grafts from that operation were transplanted in the front and top of my hairline, to fill in density, and I still had some coverage on the crown of my head, and besides, that would have cost lots more, so I went for the front coverage. After about a year, I was very happy with the results, and again waited for technology and costs to catch up with reality and my pocketbook. I figured I would need another operation in the future when the rest of my "born with" hair finally gave up the ghost, and unfortunately, I was right. The bare crown of my head became larger every year, and I believe what I still have up front is the transplanted hair from 2002. So I am here to tell you that it does survive and thrive over time. When I choose the TRANSEST Clinic, I booked my flight from Abu Dhabi with miles that I had on account, and chose the month of March to visit for the operation. The clinic pays for 2 nights at the Midmar Hotel, which is about a 5 or 10-minute drive from the Ataturk Airport, Istanbul. I had been in constant contact with over the previous month with Aytaç, the scheduling coordinator, who handed over his duties to Dr. Ahmed Altan about a week before I was due to arrive. I’m not sure if Aytaç is on holiday or if they had a change in HR personnel, but it was nice to be in contact with the doctor who would be overseeing the operation. Since I arrived on Sunday for a Monday operation, the normal driver and clinic had their day off, so I found a taxi and arrived at the Midmar Hotel in about 5 minutes, and 20 Turkish Lira (which is about 6-7 Euro). On Monday morning, Mustafa the driver picked me up at 8:45 am and drove me to the clinic which is a short drive away. I met with Dr. Altan and he went over the procedure, what was to be expected, how long it would take for final results (12 months) and answered any questions that I had. After taking my payment of EUR 1590 (cash, no charge), he led me into the operation room where they took a vile of blood for analysis, and had me change to a hospital gown to wear over my jeans. I was led to the table that I would be inhabiting for the rest of the day, and the dreaded “stick-your-head-with-many-needles” that is so often talked about here on this site. I knew what to expect from my previous stint, so it really wasn’t that bad – come on people – SUCK IT UP and endure the short procedure for a lifetime of new hair. The technician administering the injections was a complete pro with needles (she also took my blood), and the injection experience was not that bad at all. You could have banged me in any part of my head with a pan after the injections and I wouldn’t have felt anything. The whole procedure was absolutely painless. If you are scared of needles or could have bad dreams in the future, I guess you will have to get a toupee instead. ? The whole procedure took almost 9 hours, and I was finished at 6:00 pm that night. Like my experience in New York City 14 years previously, the technicians that work with Dr. Altan do about 2/3 of the work, changing shifts about once or twice when extracting the hair follicles from the donor area (Stage #1) and then again when putting the grafts in the new channels where they will be transplanted (Stage #3). Dr. Altan did the entire Stage #2, where he opened the 4,000 channels in the recipient sites on my head. After I was finished, the technicians heavily bandaged my donor area and cleaned the entire scalp the best they could without disturbing the newly transplanted hair. I then met again with Dr. Altan in his office, and we went over which pills I would be taking for the next few days, when I would use the pain pills (if needed), and gave me a large bottle of special shampoo to be used starting in about a weeks’ time. The transplanted grafts need about 7-10 days of as little rubbing or touching to ensure a good solid transplant – same advice that I received from my first operation. The driver then took me back to the hotel, and I ordered room service, since I didn’t want to put off any diners with the bandages and raw donor and recipient sites on my head. The hotel has a great kitchen and the customer service here is fantastic. So far, I have had the Chicken Schnitzel and the Caesar Salad with grilled chicken – both highly recommended. The next morning after eating at the breakfast buffet that comes when staying at the hotel, the driver picked me up at 10:15 am for my last appointment with Dr. Altan. He asked how my night went and if I had any concerns or pain. Fortunately, I did not, and do not, have any pain from the operation. I slept sitting up in bed at about a 45-degree angle, so that none of the recipient area of my head was touching a pillow or anything else. Sleep came rather easily, so again, no problems. He was careful when removing the heavy bandaging covering the donor area, and cleaned the area with an antiseptic lotion. He asked again if I had any questions or concerns, and made sure that I had all his contact information (email, whatsapp, etc.) so that I could contact him at any time if I had any concerns. I was given a black elastic headband to wear just below the recipient areas for 2 days, to try to keep any swelling down that might travel down from my scalp to my face. I briefly met Dr. Ayse Ozturk (the plastic surgeon at the clinic) who had a quick look at Dr. Altan’s work and gave it a high passing grade. (See, there you go. School and homework never end, no matter how old you get.) Another one of the surgeons took a picture in the hallway on my way out with Dr. Altan and myself, and the driver then took me back to the hotel for the day. I will be staying another 2 days here in Istanbul at the Midmar to relax and take it easy, so that the surgery can heal a little bit more without having to get on a plane and travel 5 hours back to the Abu Dhabi desert. So in conclusion for my first report, the TRANSEST CLINIC was a great choice, very professional, friendly and really, really good at what they do. The doctors and technicians were wonderful, and I couldn’t have had a more enjoyable experience considering all the old and new holes that are now in my head. I will update with post-operation pictures once my initial review is accepted to the site. CHEERS! Updated on 9 Mar 2016: Post operation pictures are now posted showing both a front and rear view with the bandages applied. I have no pain whatsoever, but I have some pain pills just in case it gets sore a little later in the evening. Everyone will experience different pain or possible discomfort, but fortunately I seem to heal quickly. Updated on 9 Mar 2016: The morning after surgery, I was picked up by the driver and taken to the Transest Clinic to have my bandages removed and was given a tight black headband to wear for the next 2 days. Some people experience swelling in the face as swelling can gather in the head below the surgery area, so all the clinics try to play a little prevent-defense and keep the swelling from traveling down toward the eyes. I have not yet had any swelling whatsoever and I am trying to keep the itching to a minimum by keeping my entire scalp moist with water that I use from a spray bottle (my form of prevent-defense). Updated on 19 Mar 2016: 10 days post operation for 4,000 grafts at Transest Clinic. Redness from surgery has almost disappeared and scabs have mostly fallen off. Healing well with no pain or headaches.
Dear Exquisite421995, It is still unclear which exact temperature is better for graft storage outside body but to slow down oxygen starvation it is better to store in 6-8 'C
Dear Genius680723,Early stage of hair loss is thinning(miniaturizing) so probably they are falling together with thick hair and this can be also regular/seasonal falling. If you think there are more than 50 hairs/day falling I recommend you to go to a doctor to check and speak about possible treatment options.
