Day 11 — DHI with Dr Resul Yaman in Istanbul (3,100 Grafts, Hairline + Temples)

I'm posting this as the opening entry of a journey I'll update at months 3, 6, 9, and 12. At Day 11 it's far too early to assess results, but the experience side of the procedure is fresh and worth sharing.

**Background**
36, UK-based, gradual hair loss over the past few years affecting hairline and temples with some thinning at the front. Researched extensively before choosing — consulted with five Turkey clinics (Yaman, Doku/Dr Serkan Aygin, Medart, Estetik International, Adem & Havva via Bookimed) and three UK options (Este Medical, Harley Street Hair Transplant with Dr Aziz Elgindi, and Farjo Hair Institute with Greg Williams FRCS Plast, ISHRS Fellow).

**Why I chose Yaman**
Despite Greg Williams being the more credentialed surgeon overall, I chose Yaman because: IAHRS verification (peer-reviewed), 17 years of independent practice, and crucially his commitment to personally doing the design and channel incisions on the day. He also explicitly opposed robotic DHI on technical grounds, was conservative with grafting in our pre-call (held a 2,000–3,000 range under pressure from me to compare to other clinics' 4,000+ proposals), and was honest about finasteride side effects rather than pushing it. The £2,500 all-in cost vs £6,000 in the UK with Williams was also a real factor.

**Pre-trip communication**
Excellent. Doga (the clinic director/coordinator) was responsive on WhatsApp, gave all the information I needed, and arranged a video call with Dr Yaman before I committed. Yaman himself joined the video call and walked through his clinical approach.

**Travel and hotel**
Solo from Manchester via Pegasus MAN?SAW. Airport pickup was on time and well organised. Hotel Gorrion (5?, included) was excellent — separate review elsewhere. Punctual pickup and drop-off for all clinic days.

**Day 0 — Surgery (4 June 2026)**
- Picked up from the hotel on time.
- Met Dr Yaman in person for the first time. He did a microcamera assessment and drew two hairline options on me — I picked one.
- Day-of estimate from the assessment was up to 2,900 grafts. Final count ended up at 3,100. This was above the under-2,000 ceiling I'd originally asked for in writing; Dr Yaman exercised clinical judgment on the day and I accepted his view.
- Local anaesthesia only (his preference, mine too). No sedatives offered or needed.
- The numbing process was a bit painful — manageable but uncomfortable. During the procedure a few spots were occasionally missed and hurt when worked on; the team re-anaesthetised promptly each time I flagged it.
- Total procedure length: 8–9 hours.
- Dr Yaman did the final hairline design and channel incisions personally. Team handled extraction and implantation under his supervision; he was in and out checking on them throughout.
- PRP injection done before channel opening.
- Lunch break: chicken kebab with rice in a private room — appreciated being alone to decompress.
- Doga was available as translator throughout but I rarely needed it — only to ask for breaks or flag pain.

**Day 1 — First wash and aftercare**
- Picked up from hotel for clinic visit.
- First wash done at the clinic with in-person instructions on how to do it at home.
- Aftercare pack: 3 × 100ml foam shampoo, 100ml saline spray, multivitamins (a thoughtful extra — not strictly required), 5 days of meds, written instructions, inflatable neck pillow.
- One note: the 100ml of saline isn't enough for the full healing process — I bought another litre locally before leaving Istanbul. Worth knowing in advance.

**Days 2–11 — Recovery so far**
- Swelling on forehead for the first 5 days, with some spreading down the sides near the eyes. Resolved by Day 7.
- Pain was manageable. The single hardest part was sleeping at 45° angle for the first 5 nights — I barely slept the first few. The provided neck pillow was essential.
- Scabs stayed until Day 10. Final scab removal was a special wash session — applied foam shampoo for 15 minutes and gently massaged scabs off as instructed.
- No complications.
- Worked from home Days 1–4, returned to the office on Day 8.
- Doga messaged on Day 10 for progress photos and confirmed the post-scab routine (transition to baby shampoo).

**Cost**
£2,500 all-in (procedure + 3 nights 5? hotel + transfers + PRP + aftercare pack). Paid by card across 2 separate transactions to avoid foreign-transaction limits — recommend doing the same and notifying your bank beforehand. Due to FX on the day I actually paid slightly under £2,500 and they rounded down to the nearest 1,000 TL, which was a nice touch.

**Three things that surprised me**
1. How well-organised the operation was end-to-end — every pickup punctual, every step clearly explained, no friction at any handoff.
2. The team's efficiency during the procedure itself — focused, quiet, and Yaman was in and out maintaining oversight without being theatrical about it.
3. The aftercare quality — being collected for the first wash and walked through it in person makes a real difference vs trying to follow written instructions cold.

**Three things to know if you're considering this**
1. Buy extra saline (1L) before you fly home — the 100ml they provide runs out fast.
2. Plan for 5–6 rough nights of sleep at 45° angle — the neck pillow they provide is essential, don't lose it.
3. Pay by card in 2 split transactions to avoid your card being blocked for unusual foreign activity.

**Day 11 verdict**
Based on the experience alone, I'd recommend Dr Yaman without hesitation. Update to follow at Month 3 (when shock loss is in full swing — expect a less rosy entry then), Month 6 (initial growth visible), Month 9, and Month 12 (mature result). All commentary on actual results will be in those updates, not here.