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Nearly 5 months
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.
Hi All, this is my first review here, I'm a long...
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.
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.
Provider Review
Dr Acar was a very kind and understanding Doctor. Both him and his team are highly professional and very experienced. If I ever need a top up, I will no doubt be coming here again!