Esme

Hi Kaykay, I’ll be there at the beginning of May for 3 weeks. Are you on kakao? There’s always a group chat for March/April and May/June. If you let me know your KK name, I can send you the link. I would be happy to meet up with you :)

Its been 15 days post op, and the implant area is looking a lot cleaner making it easier to hide now that the scabs are gone. I was told to scrub the area hard from day 10, and have lost what I think to be around a few hundred follicles but its okay, as they can start falling out from as early as a week post op up until 4 months to allow new hair to grow through. Each persons healing time is different. The back of the head extraction area is still a little sore and hard to sleep on, but I can sleep on my side now so it's no problem. I wanted to correct what I mentioned earlier about needing special shampoo, as I've been doing a bit of research since and discovered you don't need a particular hair transplant shampoo. The success of your hair growth starts from within your body, not on the surface and so whilst you can find shampoos that market to thicken the hair, these won't affect your actual hair growth rate. The hair thickeners are just a coating to your hair strand to make it appear thicker. A good starting point for successful hair growth would be from a healthy diet and exercise (you can start exercising 1 month post op), and looking after your scalp, particularly the extraction area that has gone under severe trauma, by using cool to luke-warm water when washing rather than hot. I am so glad I did not opt to buy my dr's recommended shampoo for 35 euro per bottle (5 bottles recommended for the first 6 months). You can use any shampoo after 20 days, but if you really want to care for your hair, it is recommended to find one that is paraben and sulphate free to look after those new hairs. Baby shampoos and vegan/organic shampoos are a good example of this and can be found in your local drugstore for cheap. Otherwise, I have read various other transplant stories and recommendations from HT specialists worldwide that normal shampoo works fine.

HI yumicookie, I've been advised that on the third day after washing my hair for the first time, I may start wearing loose fitting hats such as sports caps. However, tight fitting headdresses such as beanies and headbands should be avoided. I think the first 10 days are the ugliest, and then once the scabs fall off, it will look a lot more normal. I plan on surviving these first days with my fringe and/or a light headscarf tied in a bandana style.

Thanks Kino! I found some posts on www.boards.ie forum where Europeans, mainly UK or Irish men, commonly travelled to various well-known doctors in Poland, Belgium and Turkey specialising in HT. There are only a few (less than 10) doctors names that get repeated for their quality work, and out of those 10, the predominant were in Turkey. Then it was just about narrowing down based on costs (ranging from €1.5-€6 per graft), the service provided (Aestimed was obv. outstanding) and ease of communication, which Dr Karadut responded to my emails very efficiently. I did all my research and decided on this clinic before flying, which in a way was advantageous for the transfer and accomodation being pre-sorted. Imo, this procedure is relatively simple with less room for error (than say Rhino or facial contouring etc), so its about finding a quality doctor, to which reviews on these forums (with progressive pictures) can vouch for. This is my second time in Turkey and I already can't wait for the next time I'll be back. Definitely one of my top countries in the world for its stunning scenery, friendly people and most importantly, its very safe! Istanbul looks like any other city, its well developed with lush greenery, office buildings, proper restaurants and ample shopping. You do not feel like you need to watch over your shoulder where ever you walk. I'm a female who went solo and felt fine. So long as you respect their culture and cover up i.e. always wear pants, they don't second-look you and just keep to themselves. Unfortunately, not many people speak English outside the Clinic, but google translate/maps/images can help you get by.

I decided to share my hair tranplant experience as there aren't many posts on this topic, and I for one certainly would have appreciated some insight on this before I underwent the procedure. Clinic: Aestimed, Istanbul, Turkey Dr: Aytac Karadut No. of grafts: 2,500 Time of procedure: 5 hrs Cost: €1,790 euros for unlimited grafts, incl. 2 nights accomodation in a 4/5 star hotel, all transfers to/from airport and clinic, lunch on day of operation and complimentary shampoo. Pain: 2/10. Only pain felt was for the local anaesthetic, it was painful for about 5 mins. I have a high pain tolerance, but the guy in the next room said he was shaking because it was unbearable. I know the procedure is in Turkey and not Korea, but I believe the procedures should be quiet similar. I had enquired at some Korean clinics; like Mojelim, For Hair and was quoted between 7-11M won for 1,500-3500 grafts respectively. It’s expensive compared to Turkey and I find Turkey is quite infamous for hair transplants. Even as I walked through the airport, I noticed many men with wrapped bandages around their head so it is quite a common procedure there. I also chose Turkey as I wanted to do Fat Grafting when I go to Korea, and was told through consults that it is risky to have HT and FG at the same time, as you risk infection from the open hair follicles. I wanted to make my face smaller, particularly to round off the top corners which I felt made my face more masculine, and inevitably for once in my life, no longer need a fringe - I’ve had one for almost my whole life. I only wanted to go 1cm lower. The photos look like more, because they shave a cm or two back and implant that whole area to ensure the same thickness consistency from front to back. The procedure is done under LA and I was awake the whole time. After having breakfast at the hotel, I was chauffered to the clinic where Dr Karadut took his time to draw the new hairline on my face. He was very patient and understanding, as he redrew the line again and again until I was happy. First they numb and shave the implantation and extraction area. The extraction area is a rectangle on the back of your head, where they will extract individual hair follicles at random spots within that rectangle. These donor spots will not grow back so this procedure is more like a hair replacement rather than volumising. Once you are flipped onto belly side, they extract the hair follicles using a machine. Then you flip onto your back again, and for me, it took about 2 hours to implant 2,500 grafts. (The guy in the other room had 3,500 grafts and took an hour longer). I didn't feel any pain whatsoever, and if by chance I did, I would just tell them and they would inject more anaesthetic. Between the extraction and implantation, I was given a lunch break and provided a Turkish meal. The clinic aims to make their patients feel as comfortable as possible. Whenever I needed a bathroom break, they would cover my head with bandages and a shower cap so I wouldn't see the blood, and whenever I tried to ask what step we were up to, they would cover my eyes with a light cloth and tell me to relax. At some points, I even managed to doze off. Dr Karadut didn't conduct the operation, his nurses did all the work under his supervision, however both nurses and the Dr were very thorough with their work and examinations, and I am happy with the results. Day 3 is when I can wash my hair and start using special shampoo Day 7-10 is slowly introduced the rubbing method for washing as opposed to patting. With this cleaning method, the scabs will slowly start to fall off and the area will look cleaner 3-4 months, the hair follicles will grow until this point and will shed, allowing new hair to grow through 7-10 month, your new hair would have grown back 12 month is when you see the final results. I'm currently 2 days post op and have had pretty restful nights even with sleeping in an upright position. The only uncomfortable feeling I get is trying to lay my head on a pillow as my hair is quite crusty and hard from all the blood, and water they sprayed during the operation - I can't wait to wash my hair tomorrow! I will try to remember to post photos at all the milestones noted above. Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask me any questions