FUE Hair Transplant 5100 Grafts at Maral Clinic in Istanbul

All scabs gone by this point. After doing a lot of research online i found 9 days is the safe point. All implanted hairs are rooted by now and even if hair sheds or falls out, it will not damage the hair cell under the skin which will grow in a few months! Phew!

Almost all my scabs had fallen out by the end of the first week. i think this was due both to the skill of the operating team, and my post-op regimen of using H2Ocean spray. I sprayed it on my head almost every 30 minutes. This was a bit of a hassle but helped immensely and also prevent any itching.

Hello to all contemplating getting a hair transplant procedure done. I am 30 years old and from London in the UK. I had been thinking about getting FUE done for quite a while now but, as is the case with any medical procedure, was hesitant to take the plunge and do it. I've been balding since my early 20s and although it hasn't affected me in a big way, it has still had an impact on my self-confidence.

I found Maral clinic online a few months ago and after reading glowing reviews from other patients, and checking their website, decided to send them an e-mail. Their response was immediate, informative and promising. I sent them some pics of my hair loss situation, got an evaluation, and booked a date for the FUE.

After arriving in Istanbul, i was picked up from the airport and taken to my hotel which was pretty basic but clean and the staff were nice. The next morning, i had my first meeting with Dr Maral as we discussed the specifics of the transplant such as my concerns, hair line options etc. Throughout this meeting i found Dr Maral to be a very professional and well-informed man which is not surprising considering the amount of experience him and his team have. He answered all my questions in detail and made me feel like i was in very good hands.

The procedure was done on the same day following the meeting with Dr Maral. They are a busy clinic with a few operating rooms and i was there with a couple of other patients on the day. I met Dr Maral's team who shaved my head and applied the local anesthesia needed before the operation. In terms of pain, you only feel the first two or three shots of anesthesia which is like a sting. After that, there is complete numbness and the procedure is painless. I fell asleep at one point!

They managed to extract 5100 grafts from my donor area, which i was told is pretty high. and after a quick lunch, went to work on planting the hair. Due to the high number of grafts, the procedure lasted until the late evening but i could watch some TV, use my tablet, and like i said, i fell asleep at one point.

The next day I came back to the clinic to have my dressing removed from the donor area and receive my post op care package from the clinic. This included a lotion to be applied before having a shower in order to soften scabs on the recipient area, and a shampoo for washing. I was also given a special pillow so i could sleep without rubbing my recipient area, and medication for pain, swelling etc.
I also did a lot of research online and found that a saline spray is very good for speeding up healing after an FUE so i bought and used something called H2Ocean which was recommended by a few doctors on forums. This was my own personal choice and i think it really helped with removing scabs early on.

All in all, I would recommend getting an FUE to anyone considering it. I am 13 days post op at the time of writing this review and so far i am very happy with my choice. I wish i had thought about doing it for a shorter time, and had gotten it done earlier. The procedure is not invasive at all, the healing time is minimal, and the results(hopefully) are well worth the investment.
Furthermore, i definitely recommend getting down to Istanbul and seeing Dr Maral. Felling relaxed and at ease during the procedure is INCREDIBLY important, and i feel that i could do this due to him and his lovely team.

I will be posting pics of my progress as i go along. I am planning to start using Minoxidil and Finasteride after a week (20 days post op) or so to maintain my remaining hair. I believe Minoxidil is also thought to help in the growth of transplanted hair. Will try and see!