38 Male, 4500 Grafts, Norwood-6, Dr. Cinik, VERY HAPPY

Sorry, I havent updated this post for such a long time. I've been living my new self and loving it everytime I put gel in my hair and spike it like I used to 10-15 years ago. I never wear a hat anymore! When I tell people I had a hair transplant they don't believe me. They can't even tell. Amazing how far hair transplants have come, especially FUE with an experienced team. The hairline has been perfect and looks very natural. I'm now thinking about doing my crown area. Money well spent. Also, just to be honest, I think if I were to go back to the first surgery and do something different, I think I would have opted-out of using my beard hair to add more density in the back of my head. Keep in mind all the front hairline hair is hair from my head, so it's the same type of hair. The beard hair was used towards the back to add density. The hair on my head is thin and straight, and the hair on my beard is thick and curly. I never knew it was curly because I never grew out my beard. For guys that have straight hair on their head, I would probably not recommend using your beard hair especially if you are planning to get another surgery to add more density. I had 4000 grafts taken out from the back donor area, and the donor area still feels dense. I think I might be able to get another 3000 in the second operation. I'm very very happy with the results, and seriously considering another surgery to fill the crown area.

Best Decision ever !

My experience with Dr. Cinik and his team can only be described as EXCELLENT. In fact, I don't think I have ever felt so good about doing something this big and this good for myself. I can only wish I had done this 5 years ago. The thing you have to understand about FUE surgery is that it is all about the experience and practice, and not just about Ph.D. degrees and lavish offices in big cities. A technician can give you better results than a doctor would if that technician has more experience, training, and practice than the doctor does. This is one of the main reasons for choosing Dr.Cinik and his team. They have a high traffic office that serves anywhere between 5 and 8 patients every single day, which is a good thing because it means that they have plenty of experience and practice. The other main reason is the cost that makes it affordable and accessible to most people, hence the high traffic, a win-win situation for all. My advice, just go for it. Book the ticket, and fly out there. Do this thing for yourself. I promise you will not regret it.

Managing Expectations:

Yes, Dr. Cinik will actually come and visit you 3-4 times during the operation to check on the progress, so it is simply not true that you will not see him again after he draws your hair line. Yes, the anesthetic shots will hurt, a lot, but only for few seconds. Yes, it is scary being in another country you don't speak the language. Yes, you will feel rushed throughout the whole procedure, and for a good reason because the operation takes about 7-10 hours to complete, and the faster it is done the better chance the grafts will have to survive. Here are few notes that may help you. Dr.Cinik's office has translators that speak almost any language. Just ask, and they will have the translator present on the day of your operation. Almost everyone speaks English. The team conducting the surgery are very professional, very nice, and most importantly very experienced. They are always smiling, always trying to calm you down, help you out, educate you, reduce your pain/fears/anxiety, and make you feel comfortable. Last but not least, and you probably already know this, Dr. Cinik does not perform the operation himself, he only draws the hair line, and his team takes care of everything else. Yes, the team is highly specialized, experienced, efficient, and professional throughout the whole procedure.

Tips I did not learn online:

1) Do not eat too much for breakfast the morning of your operation. It is tempting because the Hotel breakfast is amazing, but you should not have a full belly because during the first 2 hours or so of the procedure you will be laying face down, on your belly, and that can be very uncomfortable with a full stomach.

2) Do not be afraid to venture outside the hospital the next day and explore the nearby restaurants. Especially the one across the street from the hospital. They have some amazing BBQ meat, and it is very cheap and delicious. A lot of doctors, nurses, and patients eat there.

3) Every one will have a different experience and opinion. Everyone's body is different. Some felt more pain than others. I felt more itchy than many others. However, we were all very happy to have made the decision, and we all wanted to talk about it to each other.

4) Do not stay too long. I was there from Sunday till Saturday (6-7 days), and that was a bit too long. Many people are there for 2-4 days at most. Some even left the next day.

5) Ask questions. You will only have around 10-15 minutes with Dr. Cinik. Be prepared with a list of your questions. If he draws your hairline, and you don't like it, just say so. He can always adjust it for you. Only leave his office when you are satisfied with it.

6) Almost no one was 100% happy with their hair line. This might sound like a bad thing, but the reality is that most of us were about 90% happy with the line. This is mostly because the new hairline will not be exactly how you remembered it (assuming you still remember it). I'm about 90% happy with mine because the new one actually looks better than the original one, but not the same. It's just human psychology. People are generally difficult to please, so try to be 100% happy with your new 90% hairline. I certainly am.

7) Don't be shy to approach and talk to other people that have done the surgery. We all want company, and we all want to know your opinion. We are all excited, and we all want to talk about it. Be friendly, and make some friends while you are there.

The first step to get your hair back is to book that flight.

Good luck !