POSTED UNDER FUE Hair Transplant REVIEWS
Dr. Ilker Apaydin, 3600 Graphs - Frontal and Crown
ORIGINAL POST
Dr. Ilker Apaydin, 3600 Graphs - Frontal and Crown
Good5633January 29, 2020
WORTH IT$4,179
This is a “brief” review of my experience with Dr. Ilker Apaydin for my procedure on January 7, 2020 in Istanbul Turkey.
The Initial contact with Dr Ilker Apaydin was smooth and he did return all my inquiries. Even the most stupid ones. I contacted several clinics and doctors in order to get a consultation and feedback on my hair loss and what procedure to choose, everyone agreed that I needed around 3600 graphs via FUE, but Dr. Ilker Apaydin also offered exactly what I wanted, a transplant on the frontal part and my crown, and that was without me saying anything about it.
Based on the initial contact, Dr. Ilker seems like a caring person when a genuine interest in his patient’s well-being. That eventually became the “selling point”. After some correspondence back and forth, I decided to go ahead and schedule an appointment with Dr. Ilker and his team.
I was off to a rocky start, with a missing driver in the airport, but I reached out to the clinic who got in contact with the driver and the issue was resolved. Unfortunately I didn’t have any data on my mobile, but after some investigation I managed to get on the Wi-Fi at McDonalds (You have to buy access to the Wi-Fi) and I was on my way. From there I was checked into the hotel and had my procedure the following day.
The consultation was brief, but I believe Dr. Ilker nailed it in his first try. (More comments on this later)
For the procedure itself I have a few comments. Overall, Dr. Ilker and his team are very professional. I am all about a free and safe working environment and it is clear that Dr. Ilker treats his employee well and allow some free space in the working environment. However, since the operation room is quite small having employees pull out the mobile phones every so often can be a bit disturbing. One thing I will point out as unacceptable was when I could feel one of the technician’s mobile phone vibrating on my shoulder during the inserting of hair follicles. Perhaps I should have said something, but I didn’t want to disturb the technicians in their work. I also did feel some pain later in the procedure and due to language barrier (not all the technicians speak English), I didn’t get any more anesthesia until later when the pain became too much. I guess I just have low pain tolerance.
The rest of the procedure went well, though I did feel very uncomfortable immediately after the procedure and had to wait around 30 mins for me to regain control, as I could feel my body was very stressed from the overall procedure.
I got the impression that Dr. Ilker would be more present during the procedure than he actually was, but being told that we were two people undergoing a procedure made sense that he couldn't be with me all the time. He did check in on me from time to time throughout the procedure, but in the end I was left alone with the technicians who completed the work. At the end, Leila came in and we had a very nice chat about aftercare and the provided shampoo, lotion and medications. I also received a very detailed folder with all the instructions for the following days which was very helpful.
In my ratings I’ve been a bit rough and I compare it perhaps too much to top edge clinics, but a few things have made me feel this was something that was rushed a bit too much and resembles a factory line.
- The consultation was VERY brief and conducted in the adjoining room to the operation room, which basically consisted of leather chairs, a fridge and a mirror on the wall. I didn’t really feel I got the time to consider my new hairline.
- The operations room was small and the pictures on their webpage doesn’t resemble the truth.
- The operation chair was wobbly and unstable. It seemed quite old and I almost fell down when I turned around on it.
- I was led to believe everyone spoke English but only a few technicians, including Dr. Ilker and his assistances, actually speak and understand English.
- The follow-up on my procedure has been slow and somewhat uncaring. Around week 3 Cansu reached out to me for a quick follow-up, and I got to ask some questions that was on my mind which was promptly answered.
Now that we got the negative part out of the way I would like to praise everyone involved. Though everything seemed a bit rushed, I would like to highlight that I felt safe all the way through the procedure. Everyone was very kind and despite a lack of understanding they tried their best to make me comfortable when they could. It was thoroughly explained what the procedure was all about and what I had to do the following days in terms of aftercare, and there are no stupid questions when I inquired about any details. Big thumbs up from me on this part!
I am still waiting to see the results and I will return in about 6 month’s time when I have something to show. By then I will decide if it was all worth it.
The Initial contact with Dr Ilker Apaydin was smooth and he did return all my inquiries. Even the most stupid ones. I contacted several clinics and doctors in order to get a consultation and feedback on my hair loss and what procedure to choose, everyone agreed that I needed around 3600 graphs via FUE, but Dr. Ilker Apaydin also offered exactly what I wanted, a transplant on the frontal part and my crown, and that was without me saying anything about it.
Based on the initial contact, Dr. Ilker seems like a caring person when a genuine interest in his patient’s well-being. That eventually became the “selling point”. After some correspondence back and forth, I decided to go ahead and schedule an appointment with Dr. Ilker and his team.
I was off to a rocky start, with a missing driver in the airport, but I reached out to the clinic who got in contact with the driver and the issue was resolved. Unfortunately I didn’t have any data on my mobile, but after some investigation I managed to get on the Wi-Fi at McDonalds (You have to buy access to the Wi-Fi) and I was on my way. From there I was checked into the hotel and had my procedure the following day.
The consultation was brief, but I believe Dr. Ilker nailed it in his first try. (More comments on this later)
For the procedure itself I have a few comments. Overall, Dr. Ilker and his team are very professional. I am all about a free and safe working environment and it is clear that Dr. Ilker treats his employee well and allow some free space in the working environment. However, since the operation room is quite small having employees pull out the mobile phones every so often can be a bit disturbing. One thing I will point out as unacceptable was when I could feel one of the technician’s mobile phone vibrating on my shoulder during the inserting of hair follicles. Perhaps I should have said something, but I didn’t want to disturb the technicians in their work. I also did feel some pain later in the procedure and due to language barrier (not all the technicians speak English), I didn’t get any more anesthesia until later when the pain became too much. I guess I just have low pain tolerance.
The rest of the procedure went well, though I did feel very uncomfortable immediately after the procedure and had to wait around 30 mins for me to regain control, as I could feel my body was very stressed from the overall procedure.
I got the impression that Dr. Ilker would be more present during the procedure than he actually was, but being told that we were two people undergoing a procedure made sense that he couldn't be with me all the time. He did check in on me from time to time throughout the procedure, but in the end I was left alone with the technicians who completed the work. At the end, Leila came in and we had a very nice chat about aftercare and the provided shampoo, lotion and medications. I also received a very detailed folder with all the instructions for the following days which was very helpful.
In my ratings I’ve been a bit rough and I compare it perhaps too much to top edge clinics, but a few things have made me feel this was something that was rushed a bit too much and resembles a factory line.
- The consultation was VERY brief and conducted in the adjoining room to the operation room, which basically consisted of leather chairs, a fridge and a mirror on the wall. I didn’t really feel I got the time to consider my new hairline.
- The operations room was small and the pictures on their webpage doesn’t resemble the truth.
- The operation chair was wobbly and unstable. It seemed quite old and I almost fell down when I turned around on it.
- I was led to believe everyone spoke English but only a few technicians, including Dr. Ilker and his assistances, actually speak and understand English.
- The follow-up on my procedure has been slow and somewhat uncaring. Around week 3 Cansu reached out to me for a quick follow-up, and I got to ask some questions that was on my mind which was promptly answered.
Now that we got the negative part out of the way I would like to praise everyone involved. Though everything seemed a bit rushed, I would like to highlight that I felt safe all the way through the procedure. Everyone was very kind and despite a lack of understanding they tried their best to make me comfortable when they could. It was thoroughly explained what the procedure was all about and what I had to do the following days in terms of aftercare, and there are no stupid questions when I inquired about any details. Big thumbs up from me on this part!
I am still waiting to see the results and I will return in about 6 month’s time when I have something to show. By then I will decide if it was all worth it.
Good5633's provider
UPDATED FROM Good5633
1 month post
Before and after pictures, 1 week to 1 month
Good5633February 11, 2020
Just adding some before and after pictures. The pictures taken are taken immediately after the procedure +1 day. Some swellings can be seen but nothing serious at that point in time.
Pictures from 1 week, the transplanted hair in its place showing the outline of the procedure.
1 Month marker, shedding is in full effect and I am embracing my inner ugly ducking phase, but boy I wish this will go a lot faster.
Pictures from 1 week, the transplanted hair in its place showing the outline of the procedure.
1 Month marker, shedding is in full effect and I am embracing my inner ugly ducking phase, but boy I wish this will go a lot faster.
Replies (7)
March 1, 2020
Wow, you and I got the same number of grafts, done on the exact same day, by the same doctor! What's more, our level of hair loss is similar! Thank you for sharing. Now that you are almost two months in, we would love to see photos! I will post mine shortly.
March 2, 2020
Wow, this is random :) I think I spotted you at some point. Was planning on doing a follow-up at 3 month marker, so expect an update in a month or so. I am also documenting this on youtube, just search for "4. Video - 5 weeks update, Hair transplant with Dr. Ilker Apaydin" and it will pop up, there you can see a more in-depth review of my progress and overall procedure.
I'll look forward to see your results once you post them, good luck mate. :)
I'll look forward to see your results once you post them, good luck mate. :)
March 2, 2020
Just noted you already have an initial review posten and see that we have the sort of same experience. :) Amazing work on the top, I hope mine will turn out as well.
March 2, 2020
Thank you for the kind words. So far, to be honest, I am a bit nervous about my progress at this almost-2 month mark. I see some patches of non-growth, here and there, and given the high density that Dr. Ilkyer is notable for, I am not sure of I am an exception or if this is normal for some individuals. So, naturally, I will be following your progress on YouTube and RealSelf very closely... especially given that we probably had the exact same technicians cutting up our heads! Thank you for sharing your journey so thoroughly... I know it takes some effort.
December 30, 2021
You're 2 years post-op. How are your results??
Actually not sure why you think Dr. Ilker is noted for density? I read your initial review where he recommended far more grafts than other clinics. Same in my case.
But I think he recommends extracting way more graphs than other clinics b/c the "survival rate" of his grafts is so poor (they are not extracted properly, preserved properly, and the incision sizes are not carefully calibrated to match the graft sizes).
For example, in my case, most clinics told me I needed only 1,500 grafts b/c I only have moderate recession in my temple corners. But Dr. Apaydin ripped out 2,250 grafts! I was shocked, but like you, I thought "Well, at least the density will be amazing!"
Actually, no. Only 750 grafts of the 2,250 grafts survived. That's right, 2/3 of the grafts were completely wasted! The nurses/technicians might as well have just extracted those 1,500 grafts and thrown them directly into the rubbish ban. Wasted. Gone. Forever.
So only 750 grafts survived in the recipient area. This is only HALF of the 1,500 grafts recommended by other clinics which, assuming these other clinics would have handled the grafts properly, they would have given me much better density.
See what I mean? He extracts more, but b/c he doesn't extract them properly, you actually get LESS density with MORE grafts extracted! Translation: Your donor is needlessly depleted b/c you get no density in return.
If you go to a reputable clinic, they will extract LESS grafts but give you MORE density b/c all the grafts they extract will survive in the recipient area.
In short, Dr. Apaydin's clinic is sloppy.
Actually not sure why you think Dr. Ilker is noted for density? I read your initial review where he recommended far more grafts than other clinics. Same in my case.
But I think he recommends extracting way more graphs than other clinics b/c the "survival rate" of his grafts is so poor (they are not extracted properly, preserved properly, and the incision sizes are not carefully calibrated to match the graft sizes).
For example, in my case, most clinics told me I needed only 1,500 grafts b/c I only have moderate recession in my temple corners. But Dr. Apaydin ripped out 2,250 grafts! I was shocked, but like you, I thought "Well, at least the density will be amazing!"
Actually, no. Only 750 grafts of the 2,250 grafts survived. That's right, 2/3 of the grafts were completely wasted! The nurses/technicians might as well have just extracted those 1,500 grafts and thrown them directly into the rubbish ban. Wasted. Gone. Forever.
So only 750 grafts survived in the recipient area. This is only HALF of the 1,500 grafts recommended by other clinics which, assuming these other clinics would have handled the grafts properly, they would have given me much better density.
See what I mean? He extracts more, but b/c he doesn't extract them properly, you actually get LESS density with MORE grafts extracted! Translation: Your donor is needlessly depleted b/c you get no density in return.
If you go to a reputable clinic, they will extract LESS grafts but give you MORE density b/c all the grafts they extract will survive in the recipient area.
In short, Dr. Apaydin's clinic is sloppy.
UPDATED FROM Good5633
5 months post
5 month update with Dr. Ilker
Good5633June 6, 2020
As the title says, I am now 5 months post my procedure and the hair is coming along nicely. Some areas are not as dense as the desired goal, yet, but I hope this will fill in over the next few months. The hairline design is amazing, as it blends perfectly with my existing hair, this part has grown really well.
Almost no contact from the clinic, but they do respond to my messages when I ask about my progress.
So far so good, just hoping for the last spots to fill in and I would call the procedure a great success.
Almost no contact from the clinic, but they do respond to my messages when I ask about my progress.
So far so good, just hoping for the last spots to fill in and I would call the procedure a great success.
Replies (6)
June 11, 2020
Amazing. And with the beard, a great combination. Keep both!
September 16, 2020
Any updates?
October 4, 2020
Hello,
Nice to see your progress. I hope you had what you wanted to have. You can share updated photos with me also ilker@drilkerapydin.com
I am always on call for your questions.
00905322743208
All the best
Dr Ilker Apaydin
November 3, 2020
Hi Dr. Ilker, I’ll forward you some pictures when I can. Thanks for everything
Replies (19)
I am like you and waiting until 6 months until I review Dr. Ilker. I have quite a big "gap" with no hair on my right side (left side is much better) which I believe they simply did not draw the line correctly or put enough grafts. So I will see.
Anyway when I asked about this Dr. Ilker basically said it was normal (even when not logical) and did not follow up at all with my concerns. So for now I'm also on "Wait & See".
I just don't think it is fair to give a positive or negative review right after a surgery, that takes months to see results.
I'm trying to keep it quite linear in regards of updates and general review. Right now I am struggling with my feeling whether or not this was the right decision. I notice smaller "mistakes" on the transplanted hair, and recalling the procedure one of the technicians also did some incisions during the transplant procedure after Dr. Ilker had done his part. That area in particular seems more rough, and the directions of the hairs in that specific area seems inconsistent compared to the rest. But, I will have to wait and see the final result before I can truly express whether all of this was worth it.
So yeah, "Not Sure" yet. :)
Like you, I think the drawing lines was done in Rush mode. I agreed, but they don't really give you much time for yourself to really look at it and/or ask about your expectation.
Anyway, like I previously mentioned I also see inconsistent area, especially my left side so I will see in a few months how it really look. At that point Dr. Ilker will have no choice to respond to me if it looks bad, lol.
I had one follow up from Cansu about 2-3 weeks after the surgery. It is when I mentioned my worry about the "gap" with no grafts. She asked me to reach Dr. Ilker which just mentioned it was perfectly normal... then after asking him if he could explain it "logically" as it don't make much sense to me, he never responded back.
I'm just pragmatic here. So let's see if Dr. Ilker was right about this then I will review. No need to rush anything at this point anyway, as if I need a correction, it will not happen before next year anyway. :)
I'll look forward to reading you review and see the final outcome. Good luck mate. :)
And yes, the consultation is a "consultation" in name only.
For prospective patients, Dr. Apadyin has no interest in hearing your expectations or opinions. He walks into the room, draws on your head, and it's clear he wants to quickly leave. If you ask questions, he gets visibly annoyed and intimidates you into silence (he knows you've come from a foreign country and cannot easily cancel so you're a "captive audience"). He literally said to me "I'm the doctor, you should just leave it to me." In other words, shut up. You're not allowed to have an opinion about YOUR OWN HAIRLINE.
I had a pocket mirror with me, and as I brought it out I asked if I could use it to see the temple lines better (like at a barber where they use two mirrors to show you your sides/back), and he literally raised his voice toward me and said "Don't do it!!"
Unbelievable. You're not allowed a close look at your own hairline design. He takes personal offense if you question anything.
Not surprisingly, the hairline "design" was a disaster with unnatural temple angles, etc. His hand also "slipped" while drawing the frontal hairline and so now it droops down unnaturally. I noticed it in the mirror, but was bullied into silence. Imagine that. A doctor who creates such a cold atmosphere during the consultation where you can't even speak up when you notice he's drawn the line crooked!
One thing is for sure is when they told me I could "Relax, watch TV, listen to music, bring my laptop, etc.." I can say this is a total joke because there's no way you can do that during the surgery. (they had some music on, but they were speaking and joking all the time so this lacked of professionalism even if I agree transplanting for 5-6 hours is not such a cool work)
Well, 6 months post-op and it's clear they weren't!
2/3 of the grafts did not survive (poorly extracted/preserved) so they might as well have extracted the grafts and thrown them in the rubbish.
They also didn't bother to separate the grafts into singles/doubles/triples and so they just implanted doubles/triples all along the edge of my hairline for that "pluggy" look.
And...the extractions weren't spaced so they ripped a bald spot in my donor.
An utter and complete mess that will need repair surgery....
Me too. When I called him he was chatty and seemed genuine. I felt reassured and booked. But when I met him I felt the opposite - that he was arrogant and dismissive. I think he knows you're a "captive audience" once you've flown into Turkey so he doesn't really need to be nice to you anymore. He knows it's too late to cancel. But to be honest, I wanted to cancel immediately after meeting him in person. I got bad "vibes."
"The consultation was VERY brief. I didn’t really feel I got the time to consider my new hairline."
Same! He walked in and drew lines on my head. It was clear he had no interest in hearing my expectations or opinions. I was really really bothered by this. When I tried to ask questions, he got VISIBLY annoyed. It was clear he didn't want to spend more than 3 minutes on the so-called "consultation." It's NOT a consultation. It's a "Here's your new hairline you better like it!" session.
You're going to have to live the rest of your life (!) with this hairline, but he won't let you spend more than 5 seconds looking at it. I had a pocket mirror I wanted to use to see the sides more clearly (like at a barber where they use two mirrors), and he literally raised his voice toward me and said "Don't do it!" Heaven forbid you spend a minute looking at your future hairline....
"One thing I will point out as unacceptable was when I could feel one of the technician’s mobile phone vibrating on my shoulder during the inserting of hair follicles."
I did not feel the nurses/techs were professional at all to be honest. They talked and giggled throughout my ENTIRE procedure. It made me nervous. I felt like they were just "processing" my head with no interest in the end result or quality of the job.
"I got the impression that Dr. Ilker would be more present during the procedure than he actually was."
Ha! Same! But it wasn't just my "impression" that he would be more present. My consultation plan literally said he would be supervising the extractions! Well, after he did the incisions in the morning, I NEVER SAW OR HEARD from him again....vanished!
"But being told that we were two people undergoing a procedure made sense that he couldn't be with me all the time."
Actually I've since learned he takes the afternoons off. That's why he's not there. He does 45 mins of incisions early in the morning on one head, and then 45 mins of incisions later in the morning on another head. And then he leaves the nurses/techs to do the extractions/implantations in the afternoon. Which explains why....
"In the end I was left alone with the technicians who completed the work."
Me too. He never checked in on me once. Dr. Apaydin was GONE. I was left alone with the technicians all afternoon. Which is not just unethical, but technically illegal...
"The follow-up on my procedure has been slow and somewhat uncaring."
Probably b/c they don't care. When I contacted the doctor b/c my donor area was ripped apart by the nurses/technicians (click my username and you can see the photos in my review) he told me it was "Normal." Ha! It was anything but normal! The extractions clearly were not spaced. I asked "How long before the bald spot fills in?" He replied "A couple weeks." Wrong. It took 10 WEEKS...even his website says the donor area should look normal in 10 DAYS! I can never cut the back of my hair short b/c of the butcher job in my donor area.
"A few things have made me feel this was something that was rushed a bit too much and resembles a factory line."
Same! But not a "bit." They WERE rushing!! They rush b/c they're "processing" two patients a day to maximize profit (when they are only staffed to handle one patient carefully).
I didn't get the feeling that this was a "team" dedicated to giving their "best" to each patient. The whole atmosphere was rush rush rush. You're not a "patient" so much as a head to be "processed." And processed sloppily like sausage.
I don't think they really care about the result to be honest. Because, even if the results are bad, you're back far away in your country and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. So there's no accountability.