Cosmedica - Dr. Acar

After receiving 3500 grafts from Dr Maral in 2017 I was very happy with the growth I had at the front of my head. The Dr did say I'd need a second to fill out the crown.
I decided to go with Cosmedica (get more hair in the UK) as I wanted more of a curved hair line and felt Dr Acar would listen to my concerns a bit better than Dr Maral

Updated on 3 Mar 2020:
Forgot to add pictures.







Updated on 9 Jul 2020:
Had to let it grow due to lock down but had it cut since then.

Hi all,

I was on my hairtransplant in Cosmedica 2 weeks ago.

On surgery was Dr. Acar and two technicians . I'm very satisfied with how they treated me. After surgery you get all the medications and I didn't have any health issues on my recovery.
Organization of clicic is on very high level, and whole clinic staff is very professional.
They respose via email on questions after surgery is very fast.

I would definitely recommend Cosmedica and Dr. Acar for hairtransplant.

Hi guys, just had my fue hair transplant yesterday at 1/19/19 at cosmedica clinic in Istanbul, the whole process went smooth so far although the Anastasia was a pit painful . They told me they gonna pick me up from the hotel two days after my hair transplant for my first hair wash although most clinics wash the hair next day.

Updated on 29 Jan 2019:
So back again with the 10 day mark. Scabs are almost gone. I been talking proscar 1.5mg a day for the past 5 days, no side effects or whatsoever. Also taking multivitamins that contain saw palmato and biotin.
Updated on 18 Feb 2019:
It's been One month since the hair transplant. Been taking proscar AND biotin daily which has helped strengthening my hair and stop the hair loss.



Updated on 18 May 2019:
4 months since my fue. I'm really happy with the results so far. I'm still using finastride with no side effects that I know of. Let me know what you guys think compared to picture number 1. ................................................

I must preface this by noting that the anticipation related anxiety was far worse than the surgery itself, which, overall, went rather swimmingly. I think there were a few minor hiccups along the way, all of which are attributable to my inability to communicate with staff and perhaps the fact that I'd not received quite the volume of literature I wish I had directly from Cosmedica.
I. Pre-Surgery
I stayed at my preferred 5 star hotel when visiting Istanbul. I flew in from London the night before and used UBER (Mercedes vans) to travel to and fro. It cost me roughly 13 EUR to travel from my hotel to the clinic. I preferred not to be forced to interact with other patients - although most of the patients I did end up seeing in the clinic (vast majority were blue collar Brits and Spaniards) were pleasant. Given the plethora of hotels in Istanbul, I'd recommend this to the Radisson Blu by the Airport. That being said, a friend said it was just fine and the commute from the Airport and of course to the clinic were negligible.
II. Day Of
I arrived earlier than the group of patients. The Spanish receptionist who spoke English very well provided me with my post-operative medications, shampoo and materials. Shortly thereafter, the group arrived. As I had paid for VIP treatment, I was taken for a room where photos were taken of my head and blood was drawn. That blood would later be put into a centrifuge and the platelet-rich plasma extracted therefrom injected into my head (post-op). I then had roughly 3-5 minutes with Dr. Acar who advised that I ought to add to my crown and not solely focus on my frontal area - indeed having seen the pictures, that seemed sensible.
I was then taken to a room where my hair was to have been shaved. And here is where a bit of confusion arose. I had clarified over email with Cosmedia that I could indeed hide the donor site by shaving a window which was to have been covered by the hair above. Accordingly, a window was shaved (i.e. the donor site). When Dr. Acar presented pre-harvest, at which point I was already robed and xanaxed, he instructed the technicians to expand the window stip (i.e. the donor site). Ultimately, and for a week post-op, ended up looking like total psycho with thick tuft of hair around my crown, and sides, and then a shaved donor site and frontal area. I had to wait a week until I could have my barber over to my house to delicately shave the said areas.
III. Harvesting
Directly after my haircut, I was given a Xanax (quite strong as I was in and out of sleep for the next few hours) and shown to a modern, sanitary surgery room. The facilities are indeed excellent and I very much appreciated the ambiance - very professional and a swift pace. The harvesting began with the administration of anesthesia via a gun device. In terms of pain, it felt somewhere between being snapped by a rubber band and being pricked with a pen. I recall some 20 of these being administered. I was not expecting this, and although it wasn't particularly horrible, I wish I had been aware. Thereafter the injection based anesthesia was administered. This process took roughly 10 minutes and the harvesting began thereafter.
The harvesting was effectively painless. I recall this lasting roughly two hours with two technicians working either side of my donor area. I very much liked both of them. Pleasant, young and proficient. They were playing R&B top 40 songs from a mobile phone which I liked, though I'm not sure everyone would. From time to time a lady technician would come in to the surgery room to check in on progress.
After the harvesting stage, I was taken out of the surgery and few steps to the reception area which I was served a lunch (a not particularly appraising cheese and tomato sandwich with a juice box - not fresh OJ) - in retrospect, I should have asked my hotel to pact me a light lunch. In any event, I didn't have much of an appetite.
III. Transplanting
After roughly 15 minutes, I was taken back to the surgery and Dr. Acar presented to do my channeling. I understand that this is a particularly important process as the channels influence the manner in which hairs end up growing out. These channels were done by hand with a scalpel, and administered with great rapidity. Although painless, I still recall the sound of the consecutive delicate thrusts of the scalped penetrating my skin. This was the key distinction between the normal and VIP services.
IV. Bandaging
The donor site was bandaged. The transplant site was not. A headband was placed around the forehead and over the donor site bandages.
V. Departure
Thereafter, the harvested hairs were placed into the channels. The same technicians who handled the harvesting addressed the translating. I recall this taking roughly 2-3 hours. Every 5-15 minutes a nutrient spray was generously applied to the transplant site. I had entered the clinic around 7:30 AM and it was now approximately 4:00 PM. The rest of the non VIP patients were waiting in the lounge - most had completed their procedures and were waiting for the remaining surgeries to complete such that they could be transported back to their hotels.
I thanked my technicians, and within 5 minutes, they, and seemingly all the technicians and receptionists had left the clinic. There was a certain eeriness to this unnoticed exodus. A driver came to collect the patients. I had seen a patient with a large black cap and asked him for one. He found one for me and placed it on my head. I wish that there has been more post-op hand-holding, though I suspect the staff are all desensitised and keen to get home after a long day, whilst this was all new to me.
I called an UBER and returned to my hotel. I felt a bit shaken up, though overall pleased with the surgery.
I was frustrated about my head not having been shaved and looking silly and also the manner in which all staff seemed to have disappeared. Surely a receptionist could have stayed for the sake of good order.
VI. Post-Op
I came in at 9AM the following morning to have my bandages removed. There was a bit of bleeding and pus from the donor area which is normal, I understand. The following day my head was shampooed and from there I went directly to the airport few home.
It's frustrating to liaise with Cosmedia via email given the lack of English competency. Responses generally come within 24-48 hours, thought they're brief and do not provide detailed responses to queries. Would make sense for someone with a native command of the languages the tend to deal with regularly (Spanish, English, Arabic) take charge of their email administration.
VII. 6 Months
I'm now roughly six-months post opp. The hairline has certainly started to come in and its a world of difference given I had been Norwood III. I've keen to see what the next six months bring and premature to assess result at this stage.
VIII. Conclusions
Pros:
- Excellent Technicians
- Modern sanitary facilities
- Large teams well suited to mega-transplants
- Affordable
Cons:
- Lack of English competency (makes communication and assuaging normal pre-surgery trepidation difficult)
- Lack of clarity re: process (a simple scheduled outlining the events of the day would have been excellent)
- Post-op unnoticed exodus was disconcerting
Overall:
The surgery went seamlessly, generally. Dr. Acar and his team are professional, proficient and highly recommended. The Cosmedica clinic would do well to provide more information to their patients and provide additional immediate post-op support. The lack of English competency was/is frustrating, albeit understandable in Istanbul. Competitive price point. Should I need to, I would return.

Before
So my research began in November 2017. I am from the UK, I am 39 and had been Slowly losing my hair for about 15 years, mainly from the front top and of course receding from the sides but then it became worse all over the top. I always preferred having slightly longer hair than wearing it short but towards the end realised I had done the unforeseeable....... covering up the bald spots with more length. Basically I had turned into my Chemistry teacher from secondary school. I couldn't stand seeing what were once full locks turn into whisps off straggeld combover that were afraid to even set foot in the rain. Now was the moment so I seized it.
I was a norwood 4/5. I had contacted places in London first and set up a consultation at the Harley street clinic. Very nice place and very professional. They were going to offer me 2000- 2200 grafts for £8,000 and ask me to come in again a year later to get another 2000 grafts done. I didn't throw this option out the window but for £8,000 I wanted to view my options as it's a lot of money so I investigated some high end reputable clinics in Turkey. After sending my photos into about 8 different clinics in Turkey I started narrowing down my options reading websites, forums, different types of hair transplantation.
So I narrowed it down to:
AEK Hair institute (Dr Ali Emre Karadeniz)
ASMED (Dr Koray Erdogan)
Cosmedica (Dr Levent Acar)
Dr Cinik (Dr Emrah Cinik)
Once I had narrowed down these 4 choices I then started to look into the finer smaller details such as, price, customer care and communication, reviews, and before and after photos. It is not easy making a big decision such as this but there can only be one winner At some point I realised I had reached stalemate and was not getting any further in the decision process so I had to make a choice. In the end I chose Cosmedica (Dr Levent Acar) and I am going to explain my decision process in case there are any of you out there with the same dilemma as who to choose from. I am merely going to state my opinion so by no means am I trying to degrade or make the other HT clinics sound worse or inferior. This was only my journey and the results I found for myself.
AEK hair institute - After sending in my photos for consultation I found that the person I was speaking with on whats app was a bit pushy and gave me a choice out of FUT or FUE. Then he asked me if I wanted 3,000-3,5000 grafts or 4000-4,5000 grafts. I had to stop him and clearly say that I had no idea how many grafts I needed and which was the better option for me. I mean most places would have stated from the beginning that you need xxxx amount of grafts but this one just tried selling me 2 or 3 different options. He was kind enough to put me through to a Skype video call with Dr Karadeniz who was very pleasant to talk to but I still felt uneasy with what was said and what I needed. The more questions I asked the consultant the more he was saying that Dr Karadeniz is professional and not like the others and needed to see me in person and did not want to base everything on hairlines and my photos etc. I really felt like they just wanted to get me there and once there I would not really have a choice as to who to choose because i had done 75% of what was kind of needed anyway. Secondly, I was looking with great detail through the before and after photos of AEK institute and found that the actual hair styles of after the hair transplants were not appealing at all compared to the others I had seen from other clinics. Seriously, if my hair was going to look like those that were in the photos of AEK then I would have to give AEK institute a miss. I do not think they are doing themselves any favours by putting their after HT photos on the site. Take a look for yourself.
ASMED - This was very high on my list but I could not afford to go to a place such as this when Dr Cinik and Cosmedica also had such amazing results from the before and after photos like ASMED.
Dr Cinik- I had been talking to a consultant on whats app but had doubts so when reading the reviews online I had read that there had been quite a few people that had spoken to Dr Cinik so he could answer their questions. I thought that this was nice to have a doctors touch so asked the consultant if I could speak to Dr Cinik and she replied that she can talk and that everything must be spoken with her. Sorry but my pride got the better of me and I thought that if you want the sale then you go the extra mile to make the customer feel important. So this comment made me feel unimportant to them and if Dr Cinik really cared then he would have spoken to me.
Cosmedica - I had read some good reviews about Cosmedica. However there were a couple of reviews that stated that it was more like a high end place with high turnover based on technicians doing all the work. I found this to be untrue and technicians are really important in these places. I actually got in contact with the person who left a good review (Mr J) to ask him more questions and he ended up giving me his phone number so we could chat on the phone. Then we got on the whats app and he sent me photos of himself before surgery and at the three month stage after the transplant. I have to say that I was so impressed with his results and the way Mt J spoke of Dr Acar and the clinic that it was in fact Mr J that sold it to me. Mr J also put me in contact with a representative from Cosmedica (who is English) called Mike so I could chat with him more. Mike was very talkative and friendly and has also had two transplants with Cosmedica so I asked Mike to show me his photos via whats app. WOOOOOOWWWWWWWW! Mind blowing. I could not believe that hair transplants could make you have hair that looked this good again. One really positive thing I have to say about Mike is that he was not giving me any hard sell but was asking me to review carefully and to research and let him know if I had any problems. So I went away, looked into Cosmedica more. After one week of more researching and going back and forth I phoned Mike again and set dates and booked my flight to Istanbul.
I explained to Mike that I wanted Dr Levent to open the channels and create the incisions and that I was willing to spend more money to get Dr Acar to do this just for peace of mind. Mike said that this is possible and this would be the VIP package which also included up to 70% more pain free anaesthetic (non needle) it's like a gas gun which shoots a high pressure jet of anaesthetic into you. The VIP package also had 3 nights in the Raddison blue hotel, airport transfers to surgery, hotel and airport + more.
Before Surgery
Day 1
So on arrival at Ataturk airport I was picked up and taken to the hotel.
Day 2
Had breakfast and met the driver in the lobby who took me and a group of 4 others onto the Cosmedica that day. In total there were 5 of us and we all started to bond and get to talk about the whole thing as we were all in the same boat.
On arrival at Cosmedica we were taken to the reception where we were given a questionnaire. We were all given blood tests and blood was extracted from our arm so they could formulate the blood for the PRP injection. Then the all important chill pill (Xanax) to relax us and then onto Dr Levent for our pre-op consultation.
I walked into Dr Levents office, shook hands and we spoke about my objectives and hairline and main goals to achieve. I showed Dr Levent screen shots on my phone of previous Cosmedica patients of their scalp just after the FUE operation and then how their hair had turned out. (One of them being Mr J). Dr Acar immediately could see what I was looking for which was high density in the front and mid section. So it was agreed to give me a new hairline by bringing the current one down by about a Centimetre and packing in the front and mid section and new hairline with high density. Dr Levent explained that he would try and place as many grafts after that towards the crown area after that but admitted that I may not have enough grafts in this session so would expect the crown area to be less dense. I accepted that this would be the case as I was a Norwood 4/5 so would need two transplants for maximum effect. He drew the new hairline on me (this felt really exciting) and drew on my donor area and then it was off to the photo room to document the merkin on my head. After this I was taken to the wash room to shave my head. I had been really looking forward to this part because I had never had a grade 1 before so couldn't wait to feel it and see it. Wow, the weight that lifted off my head. the whole experience felt very therapeutic and uplifting, knowing that from this point onwards this was really about my own metamorphosis into bringing back a part of me that I had wanted for years.
The procedure
Step 1 - PRP needle injection - Yep, it hurt a little but this lasted 10 seconds and only about two injections.
Step 2 - The needle free pain injectors blasters - I got about 10 of these I would say all around the head. I wouldn't say it was painful, it is more of a shock factor when it hits you. It was like some annoying kid at school who would come up to you unexpectedly flick the back of your head and catch you off guard.
Step 3 - The extraction of the hairs from the donor area - This did not hurt at all. I was asked constantly at the beginning when testing the areas if there was pain and if there was discomfort they would pump it up with a bit more anaesthetic. When the head was totally numb you really feel nothing. Some moments I started snoring as the Xanax kicked in and I was that relaxed. One of the technicians had the sweetest voice and sang to the radio a little bit which showed she was relaxed but also enjoying her job.
Step 4 - Opening the canals with incisions - Dr Acar walks into the room, puts his hand on my shoulder to let me know he is there and asks me if I am ok and quietly says that he will now perform the incisions and opening of my channels. We speak a little while he is doing this mainly about grafts, medication and the after care but overall everyone was very attentive during this very important procedure and it was almost like a ritual where silence fell, the technicians had stopped singing and talking and were intently waiting for the professional to finish his work of art. The incision process is the most skilful part of the transplant procedure and it not about merely sticking holes in the head, but getting the density right, the direction correct, using the right width of punches from the FUE motor (i.e. is he going to give the sides a 0.75 and then blend this into the top with 0.80 holes. Not only was a surgeon in the room but an artist and I could understand afterwards why everyone fell silent during his presence. I guess for concentration. After the incisions were made he asked me again if I was ok and that he would see me soon.
Step 5 - Once the incisions were made I was led out to reception and given lunch (A sandwich , sweet fruit juice and chocolate cake) I devoured the lot. I was so hungry and I was actually gagging for sugar and I don't normally have a sweet tooth. It must have been the blood loss and I suppose, slight shock of the whole procedure and they wanted my sugar levels to go up.
Step 6 - Returning to the surgery room I got back on the bed, by this stage I was so relaxed, lying on my back and drifted off making snoring noises while the technicians initiated the final stage of planting all my grafts into the decisions that Dr Acar had made.
After 7 hours of being in surgery I was finally released, given instructions and taken back to the hotel.
After Surgery
After passing 2 nights in the hotel and wandering around Istanbul with my new found hair follicular chums I was picked up on the Monday morning and taken back to Cosmedica for my first head wash. It felt great to finally get the bandages off and to feel clean before my flight home.
A few tips that may help some of you that have already decided to get a hair transplant:
1) Do take a proper neck support pillow on your trip. You are going too need it. Although we were all given a complimentary inflatable neck support pillow by Cosmedica in order to sleep vertically at a 45 degree angle at night it felt constricted around the neck. I would really recommend buying a really comfortable memory foam pillow at the airport in the UK before you fly. Dixons sell a great one for £22.
2) Do not worry with what you might find after waking up the first morning after your procedure. My bed pillow and neck pillow were stained with blood (photo attached) and I was worried but later told this was completely normal. The donor area is still tender and is recovering. Cover the pillows with some towels and be prepared.
3) Do not remove your headband however tempting this may be. One of our group who had left a day early, returned home, took off his head band off and send us photos of himself and it looked like he had beaten up. He looked terrible.(huge puffy face and black eyes)
4) make sure you have a good breakfast in the hotel. This is the only food in the hotel worth eating and you can keep going back for more fresh scrabbled eggs.
5) During the day of surgery ands before your consultation with Dr Acar Have a list of pre-prepared questions ready on a piece of paper for Dr Acar. It is easy to forget some questions you have on the day due to nerves. Take your time and know everything you need to know.
6) When you get your head shaved to a grade 1, get some photos of it for a laugh so you can it to your mates :)
I have nothing more to add about Cosmedica for the time being apart from the fact Dr Acar was a gentleman and he was very kind , supportive and never pushy or unrealistic. An honest Dr and I respected his practice. The team at Cosmedica all knew what they were doing and were very polite and comforting. You could tell there was a good system in place between them. Some forums complain about technicians running the show but do not let that put you off with reputable clinics. There is nothing wrong with technicians being part of the team and being trained by a qualified and experienced Dr such as Levent Acar. Remember that the Dr has his company and reputation to uphold so he would not leave such important work to technicians who were incapable of carrying out his legacy.
Thank you to all who were there in my surgery and who placed all my little new friends on my head. All I can do now is wait for the results. I will post my before and after pics now and update every 3 months.
Good luck everyone with finding the right HT for you!

Updated on 30 Apr 2018:


Updated on 30 Apr 2018:


Updated on 30 Apr 2018:


Updated on 29 May 2018:
By month 4 the donor area has stopped itching completely which is a relief. The ugly duckling phase has finished but now I am entering the fuzzy chicken phase. The results are no
Way near to what I am hoping for but I can now see small progress and new hair growing through.

Updated on 6 Jul 2018:
Seeing big improvements. Wish my donor area looked amazing but I have suffered some shock loss. I’m using minoxidil only on the area of shock loss every day, and my donor area is getting better and seems to be growing back. The recipient area is looking much better, especially the hairline but I’m still looking for more density so fingers crossed in the next few months!!! 6 months coming up soon .

Updated on 9 Aug 2018:
Getting there

Updated on 2 Nov 2018:


Updated on 7 Feb 2019:
So 12 months have passed and I am very happy with the results. I am aware that the mid section and crown is still a little thin in areas and has less coverage however this was anticipated and Dr Acar said I would need a second transplant if he were to focus on the hair line and front section. I cannot fault my new hairline (which he also lowered by about a quarter of an inch) and has now framed my face. It's thick and I can style it well.
Out of natural light you cannot even see the gaps and spaces on the top which i have also added photos of.
I shall be returning for my second transplant this December ad hopefully I can have enough thickness on top. Looks like I'll be reviewing again in a years time ;)

I would like to thanks everyone at the cosmedica team, I was heading over for the FUE procedure and I was very anxious, from the moment I stepped off the plane until this present moment the whole team could not have been any more kind or helpful to me! I’m from Northern Ireland and had everyone questioning why I was going to turkey instead of London or Manchester and I can honestly say hand on heart I believe I couldn’t have made a better decision! Dr acar and his team are absolute professionals! They made me feel at ease the whole procedure and I couldn’t believe how clean the place was, the hospital was something else, I’d happily live in that place! I only had my transplant 3 weeks ago so it’s too early for me to see the results but I am over the moon with the new hair line and I will keep everybody up to date with photos in good time! Also I would like to thank Mike for the extraordinary aftercare he had provided me with, always able to take a call and answer any question no matter how silly it may be, just to make sure he’s helping to put your mind at ease, lovely guy and it helps that he’s been through it all before so he knows exactly what you’re going through! Highly recommended to everyone and happy to reply if someone has a question about my experience or just wants to put their mind at ease! Thanks again to everyone at cosmedica!

Updated on 9 Jan 2018:
Hi everyone. 3 months in now, not supposed to see any progress at this stage but I am over the moon!! Hair is sitting up on its own without any hair product, (it used to be so light that it fell down with wax in it) here’s a few photos of before and so far, il keep loading as the months pass by! Cosmedica have changed my life!

I had been suffering hair loss since my early 20's I decided it was time to have my procedure done. The price of the operation is excellent compared to other places. The cons are painful injections. I will go for pain free injections next time. Operation took 9 hours for a 4000 graft (big procedure) was uncomfortable lying on bed all day. Well worth it in the end. If you are thinking of getting this done go for it, you won't regret it. I was taking Proscar and on the ninth day I got some side effects impotence! So I stopped taking the meds right away.

Updated on 17 Feb 2018:


Updated on 14 Apr 2018:


Updated on 14 Apr 2018:
Some are before and after a haircut. Well partial haircut lol. Pleased but not too happy about the scars on the right side of my head. Don't like them at all. I can still see them when I grow it too, maybe some repair work can be done or SMP. Overall it looks good I am pleased. Think I will feel better if Cosmedica Can cover my whole head. Worth the money. I knew there would be minor things to consider. Like the fact I will have to wear my hair at number 1 at the sides.

Updated on 28 May 2018:


Updated on 18 Aug 2018:
10 month update some before and after haircut. Going back in September for another HT, finish the back. Very happy with the results. I will never have the density I had when I was younger. For the price I can't complain in the UK it's more expensive.

Updated on 27 Sep 2018:
I had my second transplant fue on September 13th a year to the day I had my last one. This time I recieved 2700 grafts mid scalp. Hair was taken from back and sides of head. Also from chest and neck beard. My operation was oerformed bt Dr Acars team . A lovely young lady did my anaesthesia, I hardly felt anything this time. Great service great price, £1350 because of return custom. Price reduction from £1800.

Updated on 29 Sep 2018:
I had my second hair transplant fue on September 13th a year to the day I had my last one. This time I recieved 2700 grafts mid scalp. Hair was taken from back and sides of head also from chest and neck beard. My operation was perfomed by Dr Acars team. A lovely young lady did my anaesthesia, I hardly felt anything this time. Great service great price. £1350 because of return custom. Price reduction from from £1800. Great hotel too.

Updated on 14 Oct 2018:
One month into 2nd transplant transplanted hair has nearly all fallen out. Started using minoxidil foam yesterday. I tried to add photos yesterday but wouldn't work. I take vitamins multi and biotin. And wash with the shampoo provided.

Updated on 13 Nov 2018:
2month update before haircut. Hair from my previous transplant is growing back. Still no sign of hair from my 2nd procedure yet, still a month away. Transplanted hair grows back very slowly . I will be wearing my hair at the back and sides number 1. The patches in my donor are from extraction. When I shave number 1 its hard to see scars. I will follow up with some SMP to conceal scars .

Updated on 13 Dec 2018:
Can see hair starting to grow back I have been using minoxidil, so that always makes hair look better and encourages new hair to grow quicker. I have been taking multi vitamins and biotin every day. Also I have been washing with shampoo provided I don't drink or smoke this helps. Looking forward to end result if possible going back for a third due and after some amp to cover patches and a few tiny scars very happy so far.

Updated on 14 Mar 2019:
Finally starting to look really good. With my hair loss Norwood 7 it takes at least 2 FUE before it starts to take shape. I am still taking multi vitamins, biotin. I stopped using minoxidil last month as I want to see results without it. I just hope I can have a third FUE to finish the job. I will be going back to Cosmedica if possible . I would like to use Dr Acars top team next time around. The technician are amazing at their job. Only this is the crown I hear this part can be the most challenging. Then some SMP to cover scars.

Updated on 13 Jun 2019:
Hair is looking much fuller now. Still using multi vitamins and biotin. Happy with my results. A little patchy in the front in parts where grafts haven't taken. I hope I have enough donor hair left to finish my crown . I have heard it could take up to 3500 grafts just for my crown. I would also like my temple points done a little , not much. I will be going with Doctor Acar's top team next time around . Hopefully they can do a two day operation. Think it's about 2,400 euro. Great price! I will also need SMP to cover graft patches. So in another couple of years I will be done.

Updated on 24 Sep 2019:
Sorry my update is late guys. Again I'm very happy with the results . I hope I have enough donor hair for another FUE . It's getting a lot thicker. My left side hasn't turned out too well on both FUE I have had. I hear that not all of the grafts will survive that can happen. If I can get another FUE I'm going with doctor Acar's top team. A little more expensive but worth it.

This is a review for Dr Levent Acar at Cosmedica clinic in Istanbul, Turkey. Prior to writing my review for Dr Acar I would like to give some history about my experience with the hair transplant process.
In 2010 my hair on top was so thin throughout and I was on way to being completely bald within a few years. I had my first hair transplant with Dr. Gabriel Hernandez in Tijuana, Mexico in 2011. She performed a FUT transplant (strip method) and did an excellent job creating a natural hairline for me. I decided to return to Tijuana in 2013 for a second procedure and made the mistake of listening to a friend and chose a different doctor. This other doctor from another clinic created a second large FUT scar and he transplanted very little hair so I was not satisfied at all. I should have gone back to Dr. Hernandez’s clinic but I can’t change the past.
Fast forward to 2015. I was rapidly losing more and more of my natural hair in the middle and crown area and did not want to take finasteride because of prior experience with side effects. I could picture myself in the future having significant hair around the hairline with nothing in the middle or crown so I decided I had to take action and have a 3rd transplant. I didn’t want another FUT scar so I started researching the FUE method. I found some great doctors in the U.S. that I was interested in but they were out of my price range so I looked elsewhere.
I researched affordable clinics and found positive reviews for Dr Acar at Cosmedica clinic in Istanbul Turkey. I was initially apprehensive about traveling so far. Duyga, who was responsible for communication for the clinic, calmed my anxiety by answering all of my questions. I must have sent her 30 emails before taking the plunge and purchasing my ticket. The price was $2100 for the procedure with maximum amount of grafts and PRP. Hotel for 2 nights was included in the package. I paid for an additional 4 nights at the hotel (Tempo Suites Airport) which cost $40 a night. Nonstop round trip ticket from NYC to Istanbul was approximately $800. All together, including food and sightseeing, I spent a total of $3300 for the trip and procedure.
When I landed at Ataturk airport the clinic’s driver took me to the hotel. My booking was already taken care of so it was a smooth check-in. I explored the neighborhood near the hotel the first day and enjoyed the local cafes. The hotel was nice and included a continental breakfast.
The next morning the driver picked me up at the hotel at 8am and took me to the clinic. The doctor and his team greeted me and were very friendly. Dr Acar is fluent in English and we discussed my transplant goals. He subsequently outlined the recipient areas. I initially wanted to focus on the crown as you can see in one of the photos where a marker was used to label crown area 1 and the middle was labeled area 2. However after seeing the before pictures prior to surgery I changed my mind and asked the team to work on the middle of head first and work back towards the crown. In addition they added some hair to my hairline.
I was taken to the operating room and given local anesthesia. One nurse extracted the grafts from the donor area, a second nurse created the tunnels in the recipient area and 2 technicians inserted the grafts. The procedure lasted 8 hours which included lunch. One thing the person taking the grafts from the recipient area did very skillfully was to avoid taking hairs right above the 2 FUT scars from my previous Tijuana procedures. This allowed for good coverage of the scars when my hair grew out. I had good hair density and they were able to extract 4000 grafts. The following day I came back to the clinic for the initial shampoo and was provided with antibiotics and other medications (included in the price of the package). The next few days I explored the city which is magnificent. The results a year later were incredible! However, after a year and half I noticed I was still losing my native (non transplanted) hair. I could have avoided this with finasteride but again did not want the side effects. In hindsight I should have started Minoxidil but didn’t.
I was still very happy with the results so I decided to go back one more time. Dr Acar reviewed my post transplant pictures via email and he was straight forward and told me my donor area was sparse and that they couldn’t harvest many grafts without thinning the donor area too much. When I decided to go ahead and have the second procedure 2 months ago in June 2017 he was very kind and discounted the price to $1000 knowing not much hair could be harvested this time. I do not think this is something he usually does and needless to say I was very grateful. In addition, at my request, he not only took hair from the back of my head but also from underneath my beard and chest area for the second procedure. I believe I received 2000 grafts total this time. Second transplant mirrored my initial experience. Everything went smoothly and the staff was very professional and nice. One difference was they moved into a brand new facility which is very modern. The hotel was also changed. They now use the Hyatt near the airport. The new hotel itself was great but to be honest I preferred the neighborhood I was in the first time around which had nice cafes and shops. I felt very safe on both of my trips. Istanbul is such a beautiful place with so much history. I recommend it as a vacation destination even if you don’t need a hair transplant.
I am now close to 2 months post second surgery and this time I have chosen to use 5% Minoxidil. I started with the liquid but my head itched so bad (propylene glycol) so I switched to the 5% foam which I am tolerating well.
Dr Acar’s whole team is great and you really do get the maximum amount of grafts! I believe the cost is still around $2100 dollars like I paid the first time in 2015. I suggest asking that both the nurse extracting the grafts and placing the grafts be a part of your initial consult with Dr Acar the day of surgery so that the whole team knows upfront exactly what you want accomplished. Dr Acar did this for me.
In summary I would recommend Cosmedica clinic and Dr Acar whole heartedly. Having a transplant at Cosmedica was one of the best decisions for my confidence that I have ever made!

SD New York

Updated on 7 Aug 2017:
Attached are photos taken before my most recent or second transplant with Dr Acar. Notice in the pic "Daybefore2ndtransplant2017Pic1" that Dr Acar outlined where he was going to take grafts under the beard. Also noted where chest hair extraction was taken in one of the photos. I am now 6 weeks post op and there is no scarring in these areas. I will post more photos at 3 months.

Updated on 16 Dec 2017:
Update of crown and donor area at 6 months

Updated on 6 Feb 2018:
Update on the crown

Hi All, this is my first review here, I'm a long time lurker but i'm hoping i can help contribute to the community.

Little back story, I started to lose my hair at around 18-19 by lose i wouldn't say I'm bald, just receding and thin in parts If i had to hazard a guess i would say i was about a 2 with a slight vertex on the norwood scale. I'm now 27 years old and as far as i can tell, there has been little to no difference in my hair loss for a good 5+ years. I also used my father as a reference as although lighter in hair colour (He's a ginger) he has pretty much an identical hair line to myself.

The plan was to try and have my original hair back, I used to have semi-long grungy hair with a fringe that i would spike up at the crown, however as I receded and got thinner on top, this style was no longer viable, so i started to cut it short. The pics attached were taken during what i can only call an "experimental" phase to see how idiotic i could look, but the longer my hair was, the thinner it looked.

I had always toyed with the idea of a hair transplant, but I always thought i would never be able to afford one as the procedure in the UK can be £9,000+
I was aware that websites such as Groupon would occasionally do deals, but they were always the FUT strip HT which i was not going to touch, I didn't want a huge scar on the back of my head, nor did i want to trust a Groupon accredited company with something as big as this!

I'd hear that HT's were much cheaper overseas and the medical facilities and hospital quality was just as good - if not better than here in the UK. I started to look around and originally saw some facebook adverts advertising clinics in Budapest doing FUE's for around £3000 and even claimed to have consultation clinics in my local area for free consultations. I contacted them, and long story short, they were only local one day a month which i could not attend due to work commitments and after sending them photos, was told it would be around £3500 for only a partial filling. after telling them I would think it over and get back to them, i was persistently badgered with emails and phone calls from them for well over a month. A company that only cared about money and not customers did not sit well with me.

Some time after, I remember watching something on the BBC about Turkey being the Hair transplant capital of the world, and that thousands of people from across the world go there for their HT's every month, this renewed my drive and i began researching all the different clinics in turkey, and one name kept popping up again and again - Cosmedica. not only were the reviews of this place great, the price was almost unbelievable, £1600 (at time of booking) for as many grafts as you would need and were possible in one session. I immediately contacted them via Whatsapp and a lovely lady called Duygu contacted me back the next day and told me to speak to their British representative Mike.

Mike called me after receiving my message and we had a nice chat. The best thing about mike is, he's not a salesperson, he's a client himself who also received a HT from Dr Acar (his results are amazing btw). So even from this point I already felt at ease, he explained the process and answered all of my questions - and believe me, i had a lot of questions. He is a genuinely decent and caring person who never once pushed, he just supplied me with all the info i needed and helped with any concerns, even now we still talk regularly and share videogame advice lol. Mike was the middle man between myself and the good Doctor, So I had my consultation via Whatsapp where I was was told that I had a good donor are and could get full coverage with 3500-4000 grafts on the front, crown and a some in the mid section.

Ecstatic with this, I booked my flights for the 1st of May 2017, with the Op being on the 2nd. a return flight from Birmingham airport cost just £120. I informed Mike about this and he arranged the shuttle from the airport and our hotel accommodation - all of which was included in the price. My girlfriend came with me and she too was allowed to stay in the hotel, at no extra cost. We decided to stay 1 extra night as i wanted a free day to explore the City, and was in no rush to get home. The extra night cost just £30.

Upon arrival to Istanbul, we met our shuttle and was taken immediately to the hotel, which is about a 10 minute drive from the airport and is absolutely gorgeous and very modern, the room was spot on, as was the free coffee and breakfast (which ill get to later). The location, though not in the main part, is ideal as there are loads of shops around for everything you need and is structured like a city centre, but is not overly touristy. the locals are very friendly and happy to help you, but no one pesters you or tries to beg or sell you things you don't want, it's great! The best bit about this location however, is the Turkish kebab shop next door called Oz Gaziantep. Easily the best Kebab I've ever tasted and probably also the cheapest too.

I was told that I would be getting picked up from the hotel at 8am and to have a good breakfast. I didn't sleep much due to the nerves/anticipation, so i spent most of the night watching TV, the only channel i could find in english was cartoon network, but it didnt bother me. I woke up at about half 6 to enjoy my last proper shower for a while, when reception phoned me to tell me I would now be getting picked up at 11. As I was already awake I figured I may as well go down for breakfast.

Upon heading downstairs, the first thing I noticed was that there was about 5 or 6 other people having their breakfast, who were wrapped in bandages from having a Hair transplant. They too, were singing Dr Acar and Cosmedicas praises. The breakfast in the hotel is fantastic! An array of cereals, fresh juices, cheeses, yogurts and breads filled the room, and there were also some hot options such as chips, omelette and sausages. all of which was delicious.

When it was time, myself, an American and an Irish couple (girls also get hair transplants here) were picked up by a very friendly gentleman who spoke very good english. We were put into a very luxurious minibus that looked like a limo from the inside and transported to the hospital, which is now in a newer, more modern building.

We were then escorted to the floor where cosmedica operates where we waited in reception. I Filled out some medical forms, had my blood taken, and was then taken to see Dr Acar for my face to face consultation. From the get go i felt at ease. The doctor is very soft spoken and friendly. he again explained the procedure and my options, drew my hairline and answered any questions I had. I've read a few peoples reviews where they have said that they felt rushed at this stage and was in and out. I can honestly say that this was not the case, The doctor knows that this is a life changing decision, and he gave me all the time that I needed during the consultation, this also put me at great ease. From here, I paid my money, got my hair shaven off and was given a pill which i believe may have been a Xanax to help with the nerves and to relax you. My advice - TAKE THE PILL!

I was then taken to the operating theatre where 2 members of his staff - a male and a female (another male would come in from time to time) got me comfy, administered local anaesthetic and started to extract the grafts, the doctor came in not too long after this to explain what was going on, show me some of my grafts in a petri dish and then create the slits where my grafts would go.
I wont go into too much detail with the surgery but i'll say it lasted about 6-7 hours, this included a lunch break after the slits and extractions where the hospital provided you with a sandwich, drink and other nibbles. The procedure itself is relatively painless, there were part where I fell asleep only to wake myself up by snoring. I felt sorry for his team having to endure that, but i will say his team were lovely, very friendly and very professional. The only thing that hurt was the anaesthetic, and there were parts where that hurt like hell! There is an option for a painless anaesthetic for an extra £100, but being a manly man (and a tight-arse) decided to just suck it up and take the pain.

After the grafts were put in place, I was bandaged up, given my aftercare pack and pills and dropped back at the hotel for what was one of the worst nights sleep of my life. For 10 days post op, you have to sleep on your back at an elevated angle, something I've never been good at doing, you are given a free neck pillow which helps, but it is an inflatable one which does get uncomfortable after a while, my advice would be to buy a decent memory foam neck pillow before you come if you are considering this.

The next day I decided to explore Istanbul, you are given a free hat to wear to protect your head from the sun, it makes you look like Jamiroquai, but it isn't too bad. Istanbul is a beautiful place btw, I fully recommend exploring it.

The next morning I was picked up again by the VIP minibus and taken for my first hair wash, the nurse showed both me and my girlfriend how to do it properly and answered any questions I had. At this point I was given the option to buy 6 months or 1 years supply of optional medicines, vitamins, shampoos and finasteride to help accelerate hair growth. A 6 month supply will cost you £170, so I purchased it. I was then given my forms of what had been carried out, and my 10 year warranty., and got to see the Doctor one more time to make sure he was happy with everything. I thanked him and his team, and was then given a ride back to the hotel to grab my things before being dropped off back at the airport.


I am in regular contact with Mike, and I have Dr Acar's email if i need to contact him. I am just coming up to 4 weeks post op and am currently going through the "Ugly Duckling" stage, but i remain anxious to see the hair coming through, In which case i will post regular updates.

My Overall experience with Cosmedica has been excellent! Both the Dr and his staff are all lovely people and i can not recommend them enough. My dad is waiting to see my results before he himself goes over there for the same thing haha.

Thank you again Dr. Acar, Mike, and everyone else at Cosmedica for making what was potentially one of my most nervous experiences, into a very enjoyable one.

I have attached some pictures of Before my Op. Some during the Op and some after the OP for your viewing pleasure.

Updated on 29 Sep 2017:
Hi guys sorry for the slow reply, I've been busy with everything. I've attached some more month by month progression snaps as well as some I've just taken. So far I'm very happy with the results. Any questions feel free to ask.

After almost 10 years of continuous hair loss, I decided to take the big step and get FUE hair transplants. As you will see in the pictures below, I had lost a lot of hair at the front and had virtually no hair left in the crown, something which caused me a lot of frustration. After almost a year of research, looking at clinics in both Spain and the UK, I realised that I would need at least 3500+ grafts, but I wasn't prepared to go through two separate sessions or pay the extortionate prices. I decided to get the procedure done in Istanbul Turkey in one “mega session”, as I had seen so many positive reviews and the fact that they had such a high volume of clients reassured me of their expertise. I decided to choose Cosmedica because of the numerous success stories which were published in the Spanish media and because it seemed so straight forward (all organised, airport pick-up, hotel, pick-up, transfer to the hospital, etc.). It was a bit daunting when I first reached out to them, because of all the language barriers (which I immediately realised after the first consultations by email), but I couldn't expect them to speak perfect English, nor dedicate their precious time to answer all of my questions. I booked my flights and a few weeks later I flew out to Istanbul. I won't lie, I was very nervous about the fact that I was by myself in a foreign country about to get surgery, and I had virtually no idea whether it would be a success or a total failure.

After arriving at the airport, I was transferred to a nice hotel 10 minutes from the airport, where I was immediately reassured by half a dozen guests who were in the first few days of their post-op. The next day I got picked up by a driver (a few hours later than planned, which made me more nervous) and taken to the hospital. I was greeted by a professional and caring team of doctors, nurses and “hair technicians”, who were already busy with several other patients who were either starting or just finishing their procedure. I spent around 15 minutes with Dr Acar, who examined me, then drew my new hairline and told me that I needed 4000 grafts. He explained the next steps and what would happen, and then left me in the hands of his competent team. I won't say that the procedure was pain free, the anaesthetic which they administered was quite painful, but after a few minutes it was almost completely pain free for the next 6 hours of surgery. At any one time I had 3-5 hair transplant “technicians” extracting, organising and inserting the grafts, while I was fully conscious (local anaesthetic).

The next day I went back to the hospital, had my bandages removed and got given all of the necessary medication for the next 7 days, as well as a special post op shampoo. The first few days were quite tough, as I found it hard to get a good nights sleep, but after 7 days I was completely pain free and sleeping well. After 10 days all of the tiny scabs had already fallen off and my work colleagues didn’t even realise (apart from the fact that I had all my hair shaved off like a Navy seal).

It took about 4 months before my new hair started to grow and even after 5-6 months I wasn’t fully satisfied, but every couple of weeks I noticed minor improvements and it just kept on getting better. At this moment in time, I’m 8 months post-op and I couldn’t be happier, my hair is thick, feels natural, and my new front hairline is better than I can ever remember. The crown area (which according to Dr Acar takes longer than the front) has improved over the last month or so, and I hope it continues to thicken up over the next 6 months (although even if it didn’t, I am still so satisfied with the overall result). My family and friends are absolutely amazed by how much of a success the operation was and constantly complement my new head of hair, saying that it was the best decision I ever made (and they are right!).

If you are reading this, feeling nervous and not sure which clinic to go to for hair transplants, I would highly recommend that you choose Cosmedica. As you can see in the pictures, they did a brilliant job and the results are very natural. I want to take this opportunity thank Dr Acar and his team, as well as Roberto and Salva from Microfue for all their support the day of the procedure.

Updated on 17 Feb 2017:


Updated on 25 Feb 2017:
More Pics from 9 Months Post Op

Updated on 25 Feb 2017:
Almost 10 Months Post Op