Watch out Before You Commit

Hi guys, after 1.5 years, I have a little update.
I am now half/half about Cinik and the whole Turkey industry.
Cheap prices come with cheap outcomes and here it is where: Your hairline.
Your hairline is the most noticeable of all parts of a transplant, and unfortuntately in Turkey and at those prices, they have no clue how to do it properly.
When I first wrote the review I was very happy about it because I thought it looked much better than before, until I notice that hair was not growing in the areas I thought it would.
Dr. Cinik made my hairline look very sparse, with big noticeable gaps between hairs, and with a clear drawing, from one angle you can clearly see that it is a transplant. That is a very bad drawing of a hairline, really unnatural.
Then the technicians, that mine personally I think they sucked, they put many double and triple grafts in the front, making the whole thing look pluggy. Once I notice, I could never wear the hair to the back.
Here is the catch: if you already have a hairline and you need hair in the crown area, then probably turkey is not a bad option for you, if you do need a hairline, forget about it, it will look bad. That's why all Cinik's pictures are from far and never show details. They can't do natural hairlines because THEY DON"T USE MICROSCOPES TO DIVIDE THE DOUBLES AND TRIPLES INTO SINGLES. You need single hairs to create a soft hairline, that's the catch.
If you decide to get a transplant, ask all the clinics if they use microscopes to create hairlines, if they don't: RED FLAG.
I have latin hair, so it is thick, it needs microscope and many single hair units to create a hairline, and in TUrkey, due the budget cuts, they can't do it.
Also my donor area is over harvested, the technician getting my hair was a bit too fast and I have many scars.
What is left for me now? what did I gain from saving a few bucks? Now I just got a new small transplant to soften the hairline in a clinic where they do have microscopes here in The Netherlands. And I also have an appointment to get SMP to cover the scars of the donor area.
If I would have gone to the good clinic at first, I would have needed one operation only, my donor area would be fine and I would have spent the same amount of money, but less time and worry about it.
Going to Turkey? Think twice.
When would I recommend Turkey? If you have thick and dense donor area and you don't need hairline, then turkey can work. In other cases where you need hairline lower and a more refine work, forget about it, better spend more money with a good clinic that uses microscopes, remember that part.
Cheers guys and good luck!

it's been already 8 months since my hair transplant. I have waited all this time to write the review, because it is when I can give you a better idea. Reviews posted right after surgery don't make much sense because results haven't come out yet, and after the surgery its easy to feel good after having been through all the stress of the operation.
First things first: Stress.
You will feel it, everyone feels it. It's scary, even being a relatively small surgery. Best is to bring a friend, partner, family. Even better to do it with another friend that also needs a transplant.
So here is the review, what to expect and what not, and the reality of the results etc.
1. Research: DON'T JUMP INTO IT before doing any research to have clear expectations. Understand that there are risks, and especially pay attention to your donor area. There are countless people having horrible experiences in their donor area, having a see-through back of the head.
So important to clarify with your doctor how many grafts they are taking, discuss your density etc. If you have thin hair already, I would advise to don't do it, it won't look good. If you do have a dense area on the back, then you are lucky, but still, pay attention, because some cheap deals come with inexperienced assistants that can ruin your natural hair which is key for your transplant. In this case, don't buy cheap, rather spend 500-1000$ more and get something better. Remember that this is permanent, you don't want to have a permanent ridiculous result for saving a few bucks.
Another important thing to KNOW before you commit: Your hairline.
I let the doctor draw my hairline at first, he draw a nice origin but the temples were too deep and straight, really unnatural to my taste. But I did my research before and I knew how my hairline was 15 years ago, so I made it more rounded and closer on the sides. Dr. Cinik said he preferred his option, but he respected mine and said it will look good anyway.
Thanks god I did that. I asked to draw it again, and I made everyone stop until I was satisfied. They were really nice people and helped me draw it again, we did it several times until I said: perfect, let's do it.
I can only say that my transplant looks amazing, and absolutely no one noticed. Not even my family. My girlfriend was in doubt the first weeks, but I told her...wait and see, the hair takes about 6 months to normalize. Which means: PATIENCE is also key.
So preparation from your side is really important, and managing your expectations is also critical.
If you go to Dr. Cinik, you know you are paying little money compared with other clinics in Europe or the US. You are basically saving money by doing so.
So you can't expect the red carpet and being the only one getting the surgery. No, there will be a bunch of other people doing the same, scare as you are. Dr. Cinik will set the density and the direction of your hair, which is one the most critical points. The harvest of your donor area is also equally important, but he won't do it, he is too busy helping another 5-10 people. So that is the risk of going to Istanbul fellows. If you get a bad technician, it can ruin your life. If you don't, you could get great results.
I went to Cinik because all the positive reviews, and because I have density in my donor area, i decided to run the risk, and it went well for me. My transplant looks natural, hair is now normalized and the texture is all the same. A high dosis of confidence and well-being.
Last but not least: REAL RECOVERY TIMES
Most doctors will tell you to go work in 5 days and that it will be fine: ABSOLUTE BS.
I have experience with surgeries, doctors always tell you a lie just to make you feel good. The reality of the recovery is well-different, but having patience and real expectations it shouldn't be a problem.
First 8 - 10 days are critical, it's when the transplanted hair gets fixed. So here: NO VISITS, NO GOING OUT, NO GOING TO WORK. Stay at home, relax, play video games, read books, order food online. These days are so critical that any stupid friend touching your hair can ruin your transplant. So my advice, stay home, rest and you will heal properly.
The first 3 weeks are also really important, FOLLOW strictly all they say in the post operatory and day care: No sun, use a cap/hat etc, and avoid exercise, including sex. Really, if you do any of this because you think is fine and your transplant doesn't work, don't tell you were not warned.
After three weeks you could return to work with a cap or hat. If you work in finance or where people have to dress, just tell everybody you had a transplant (best option to avoid people touching) its scary thing to admit, but once you do, people will respect you, because most men want the same. If you are too scared, say can you had an infection or skin problem and you have to wear that hat/cap, depends on how well you can lie.
Your donor area could still look red, it can take up to 3 months of redness, depends on your skin tone, mine is pale so I got the longest redness ever, I just wore a hat anytime I was out. To cover your donor area, which will take around 3 months to get filled again, you can use a great product called dermmatch. Inexpensive and it really does the work well, make sure you choose your right color.
If you are lucky like I was, you hair will start growing around month 2.5/3, and it was after 3.5 months where it looked normal and I started going outside without any cap. Important to still keep out of the sun as much as possible, the first 6 months are really important for healing. You could still go to the beach, but wear a cap, all the time.
And it was after month 7, that the transplanted hair started to get the same texture as the natural one. The texture will change, at first it will look different, but later it will adapt and it should look natural. Make sure you take all the supplments, and if I were you, I would buy the package they offer at Dr. Cinik, I only bought for 6 months and I regret it, the product they offer is actually real good and is not a scam.
So to recap:
> Research what's going to happen with your donor area
> Manage your expectations — have a clear idea of how your front line should look like
> Don't expect the red carpet, you are saving money and you will be with a bunch of other people at the day of the surgery
> first 8-10 days are critical for your recovery. Don't fly back next day, stay another day and fly back when you feel better. The hotel is comfortable and inexpensive, so you will be just fine.
> first 3 months protect your hair with a cap/hat and avoid sun exposure at all costs
> Be patience, the results of the transplant can take up to 12months. It really varies from person to person.
Overall I give dr. Cinik and his team 4 stars. I am very satisfied, Dr. Cinik was patient with me and took the time needed to check on me, he did a good job with the direction of the hair and the density, which is the reason I went to him.
But I told them that at the day of the surgery everything felt a bit messy, the rooms needed painting, the music they were playing was horrible and I was really stressed. The girls that took my hair were a bit stressed too, one was too fast and moving my head abruptly, the other one was friendly, but I see a difference and one side of the hair looks better than the other.
The good thing is that I told them this, and I suggested them to play calming music since we are all scared. They listened and they say they will do it and that it makes sense. So they want to improve and make things better, which is a good sign.
Overall I would come back to Dr. Cinik and I recommend him, BUT important to go there well-informed and knowing the risks involved.
Good luck fellows and hope my review helps you with your decision.