Help in choosing clinic in Istanbul

[fatboy]

Hello,

I've finally decided to undergo a FUE hair transplant, and I'm in the process of finding a suitable clinic in Istanbul. Being a little overwhelmed by the abundance of positive reviews, I'd like to hear some first-hand recommendations and advise on what to look for, what are the signs of a good clinic, and how to spot fake reviews.

I've been in contact with Turhair, which enjoy only positive reviews (I'm from Eastern Europe, and they appear to target that region), and Asmed, which unfortunately are a no-go for me as they quoted EUR 9000.

My concern with some of the clinics, not to name them, is that the appear to post the reviews themselves. I'll appreciate your thoughts, as I feel like I am making a major decision in an information environment controlled by people who want to sell me their services.

By the way I am also open to options in Romania.

Thanks

[NARMAK]

Firstly i would urge you to look at the Forum Recommended list and which are based in Turkey. 

You probably have a budget like everybody but the problem is that if you cut a corner in choosing a quality clinic to save a bit of money, you will probably end up regretting your choice a lot. This isn't like when you buy a car and no longer like the colour, so you wrap it. Your donor area isn't unlimited and if you choose the typical Turkish hair mill, there's a very strong chance you will be over harvested and not get left with good results. It's always harder to be a repair case than getting it right the first time. 

Personally i would say what's more important to know is your age, current hair loss situation and whether you take any medication. 

Please post some pictures as well. 

Jumping straight to hair transplant surgery isn't the first step to take. Medication and hair restoration is.  Also not forgetting that you have to have realistic expectations on what can be achieved. 

So what are your expectations from the hair transplant? 

[Britanium]

Here is the forums recommended list:

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-transplant-surgeons.asp?sr=HRN-MOB

[Britanium]

Dr Bicer is €2 per graft. HDC (Cyprus) is around the same. Some of Europes best are between €2.50-5 per graft.. 

Can you give us some more info of yoursef? Age, Norwood level, Med regime & show some pics? 

[fatboy]

Yes, I do have a budget, and I am in the research stage now. Nothing is set in stone, and I may decide not to go with a transplant. Still undecided. I am 37 years old, balding from at least 10 years, and on Fin for the last 4 years. It has sort of stopped the process, but I still shed a lot. The current hair loss situation is not great, to say the least.

I have also used minoxidil, and still do from time to time, but I feel that the finasteride is doing all the work.

My expectations are not that I'll have a 15-years-old hairline again, but that I will restore it to an acceptable degree. I've seen plenty of great results on heads as bald as mine - but bear in mind that results are great according to my expectations, so they may not be so great everyone. A doctor told me I need 3600 grafts.

 

[NARMAK]

2 hours ago, fatboy said:

Yes, I do have a budget, and I am in the research stage now. Nothing is set in stone, and I may decide not to go with a transplant. Still undecided. I am 37 years old, balding from at least 10 years, and on Fin for the last 4 years. It has sort of stopped the process, but I still shed a lot. The current hair loss situation is not great, to say the least.

I have also used minoxidil, and still do from time to time, but I feel that the finasteride is doing all the work.

My expectations are not that I'll have a 15-years-old hairline again, but that I will restore it to an acceptable degree. I've seen plenty of great results on heads as bald as mine - but bear in mind that results are great according to my expectations, so they may not be so great everyone. A doctor told me I need 3600 grafts.

 

Thanks for sharing your picture. How often are you taking Finasteride as you said you still feel you shed? It's normal to lose a bit of hair as part of the normal cycle of telogen etc. 

Looking at that picture, there's a strong case for you being a Norwood 5 even. Your crown abd me midscalp looks like it's got thinning too. 

Minoxodil with a combination of Microneedling could help a little bit but it's a commitment and i'm not sure how much you will be able to keep adhering to that since you stopped Minoxodil as you felt you weren't seeing results. Bear in mind, both Finasteride and Minoxodil have different mechanisms of action which is why they work synergistically. Finasteride slowing/halting the hair loss with DHT inhibition, sometimes in rare cases helping with regrowth but Minoxidil being the main growth antagonist. However if you use Minoxidil alone without blocking DHT, it's a bandage imo so good thing you already on it for the last 5 years. 

I think it's good that you feel you have realistic expectations. Also, that top part gives an indication of the type of hair loss pattern but can you share more pictures of your donor area? 

[fatboy]

I'm taking 1 mg each day.

I think my donor are will be able to support the transplant, again I am aiming at an adult hairline.

To get back to the original question, I noticed that the list of doctors in Istanbul here is pretty small. Anyone care to join with a link or first-hand recommendation?

Cheers

 

[Britanium]

Apart from those on the recommended list in Turkey you could consider Dr Keser, HLC, Dr Demirsoy & Dr Turan/Dr Gur. 

[NARMAK]

2 hours ago, fatboy said:

I'm taking 1 mg each day.

I think my donor are will be able to support the transplant, again I am aiming at an adult hairline.

To get back to the original question, I noticed that the list of doctors in Istanbul here is pretty small. Anyone care to join with a link or first-hand recommendation?

Cheers

 

1mg/day Finasteride is good. How long have you been on it though? 

Your expectations also seem realistic. 

The list is pretty small because the majority of Turkish hair transplant clinics are known as a Hair Mill or as i've began to refer to them in a self trademark manner "Horror Mills" because almost everything about them is a horror show from overharvesting donor areas, large punches and high transection rates. Pluggy grafts etc. and dressing it all up as better than it is for social media etc.

Genuine and good quality doctors and clinics therefore are much more difficult to find and probably 95-98% don't make the cuts for the standards expected apart from those recommended on the forum. 

Usually it's better to save up and go to somewhere else. Why specifically is it that you want to go to Turkey? 

I know you said you are from Romania so you have a lot of options in Europe too if you wanted as well as those mentioned from the Forums recommend list in Turkey you could reach out to. 

Edited February 28, 2022 by NARMAK

[fatboy]

1 hour ago, JC71 said:

Apart from those on the recommended list in Turkey you could consider Dr Keser, HLC, Dr Demirsoy & Dr Turan/Dr Gur. 

Thanks, will check them out.

I've picked up Turkey as a result of reading a lot of positive reviews online. I think I can spot the fake ones, which are quite a lot, and I may be wrong about that. The prices seem reasonable, and Turkish doctors are popular for all sorts of procedures. Admittedly, Turkey is also a fertile ground all types of businesses, some of which are shady. That's why I am asking here, can't figure everything out by myself.

Istanbul hair transplants are very popular in Romania and Bulgaria, and there's the widespread opinion that they are superior than domestically performed procedures. Currently I can't afford a transplant in Western Europe, so my options are limited.

[Britanium]

2 hours ago, fatboy said:

Thanks, will check them out.

I've picked up Turkey as a result of reading a lot of positive reviews online. I think I can spot the fake ones, which are quite a lot, and I may be wrong about that. The prices seem reasonable, and Turkish doctors are popular for all sorts of procedures. Admittedly, Turkey is also a fertile ground all types of businesses, some of which are shady. That's why I am asking here, can't figure everything out by myself.

Istanbul hair transplants are very popular in Romania and Bulgaria, and there's the widespread opinion that they are superior than domestically performed procedures. Currently I can't afford a transplant in Western Europe, so my options are limited.

Apart from the names mentioned by the Forum and the ones I have given the rest cannot be relied upon. You could say ASMED but only if you were to choose the top option where Dr Erdogan does the channel opening/incision step, but that makes it the same as the Elite in Europe cost.

Istanbul/Turkey is popular because of the low cost, the sheer amount of clinics makes it the destination for most of the world. But ! It is not without massive risks, apart from the very few decent clinics it really should be swerved. It’s always better to keep saving if you cannot afford the clinic that’s right for your needs. 
If you do stick to the names/Clinics we have given then you will be ok, just know that the best hair transplants are not being done in Turkey. Dr Bicer remains one of the best choices. Keser is good but works on smaller numbers. Dr Demirsoy and Dr Yaman will suit any budget, but both have the occasional not so good result. 

Edited February 28, 2022 by JC71

[Gatsby]

If you’re from Romania I would book an appointment with Dr Zarev. 

[Britanium]

Also the online reviews can’t be relied upon… the only ones that can be trusted are actual patient posted ones, such as those here. 12 month journeys are the best. Other sources such as Insta/FB/Yelp/Trustpilot etc etc are manipulated by shills/marketing and they go to great lengths to get any negative ones removed. Here you will see the good, bad and ugly 👍🏽

Edited February 28, 2022 by JC71

[Britanium]

2 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

If you’re from Romania I would book an appointment with Dr Zarev. 

True but I think this is out of the OP affordability. Much as I will say it’s worth saving, not everyone will do that. 

[Gatsby]

1 minute ago, JC71 said:

Also the online reviews can’t be relied upon… the only ones that can be trusted are actual patient posted ones, such as those here. 12 month journeys are the best. Other sources such as Insta/FB/Yelp/Trustpilot etc etc are manipulated by shills/marketing and go to great lengths to get any negative ones removed. Here you will see the good, bad and ugly 👍🏽

This ^

[Gatsby]

Seriously if you are starting your research based on a budget then you are researching surgery the wrong way round. If you have to choose Turkey then I would recommend Dr Bicer. 

[Gramatik]

There's plenty of good choices in turkey. You could consider HlC, Pekiner, Asmed as top choices. Value for money choices in turkey are Dr Yaman, Dr gur and Dr Turan (fuecapilar), Demirsoy, karadeniz...

Edited February 28, 2022 by Gramatik

[fatboy]

Dr Zarev is too expensive at this point for me, with EUR 4 per graft.

Having a budget is a discussion by itself. I've decided that I can spend an amount of money on HT now, but have not committed 100% that I will go with it. I can wait a bit more, or I can not do it at all. Again, that's why I am asking for advise. I am heavily biased by seeing the positive reviews, and I know that, so I am taking extra caution.

I will go ahead and contact the recommended clinics in Turkey, and see what they will offer. I believe I am an easy case and will not be a challenge for Turkish doctors, or technicians, or whoever is actually doing the procedure.

[Gatsby]

11 hours ago, fatboy said:

I believe I am an easy case and will not be a challenge for Turkish doctors, or technicians, or whoever is actually doing the procedure.

WTF?😟

You do know that barbers, taxi drivers have all worked and do work as techs in Turkey do you not?? Save up for a quality surgeon while you spend that time doing your research on here. You can always have a hair transplant 'tomorrow.' If you are butchered and scarred you will be looking at that for the rest of your life.

[fatboy]

@Gatsby, that was an attempt for a joke Of course I will not settle for a barber puncturing my head. I was under the impression that there's reputable clinics in Turkey and asked for guidance in that direction.

To sum up, your opinion is that Turkey procedures are not worth the risk, am I right?

[AA1989]

3 hours ago, fatboy said:

Of course I will not settle for a barber puncturing my head. I was under the impression that there's reputable clinics in Turkey and asked for guidance in that direction.

To sum up, your opinion is that Turkey procedures are not worth the risk, am I right?

You sound pretty wise to the bad side of hair transplants in Turkey.

The problem you, I or anybody else going to a Turkish clinic have is, how do we really know what the techs were doing last year? perhaps they were a barber or a taxi driver. I'm pretty sure the clinic will not tell you that.

HT's is big business in Turkey. A combination of manipulated reviews and slick marketing produces a steady flow of willing victims😏 There is so much competition that price becomes the deciding factor for many prospective patients. This pushes otherwise reputable clinics to enter the hair mill market aka 'stack'em high sell'em cheap'. A race to the bottom. The lack of official oversight by the authorities means there are little or no consequences for poor results/malpractice.

Your head your choice. You're not in a desperate situation with time on your side. Think long and hard before 'rolling the dice'. Unlike many, you know the risks.

Edited March 1, 2022 by AA1989
typo

[NARMAK]

Have you taken any medication at all so far? 

I don't know if you mentioned it at all but it's probably important to maintain what you have and yes you may have a budget but you should ideally save up enough to pay for a reputable clinic. 

[AA1989]

9 hours ago, Gatsby said:

WTF?😟

You do know that barbers, taxi drivers and Syrian refugees have all worked and do work as techs in Turkey do you not??

We need to be mindful that being a refugee does not preclude you from being a talented and well trained medical professional in their home country. Someone who forced to flee their country because of persecution, war or violence deserves an equal chance to build a life. Clearly, refugees are often exploited, but regardless of where they come from or their nationality, they need to be trained and competent before performing a HT.

 

[NARMAK]

2 hours ago, AA1989 said:

We need to be mindful that being a refugee does not preclude you from being a talented and well trained medical professional in their home country. Someone who forced to flee their country because of persecution, war or violence deserves an equal chance to build a life. Clearly, refugees are often exploited, but regardless of where they come from or their nationality, they need to be trained and competent before performing a HT.

 

Gatsby can probably reply for himself and i 100% agree with you that refugees can be incredibly talented in their own countries and due to the incredibly awful circumstances of war, they end up leaving everything. 

However, there's got to be a level of competence imo and experience people have to have before they should be allowed to become a technician in hair transplants and putting the specific prior occupations/circumstances of the individuals to one side. As long as they are properly and adequately trained, then i have no issues with that. 

The problem is that Turkey can have such lax standards in these Horror Mills that they employ technicians with very little or no experiences in some examples for some of the stuff they are due to perform as part of a hair transplant. It's not just unethical but downright criminal in some circumstances. 

[Gatsby]

4 hours ago, AA1989 said:

We need to be mindful that being a refugee does not preclude you from being a talented and well trained medical professional in their home country. Someone who forced to flee their country because of persecution, war or violence deserves an equal chance to build a life. Clearly, refugees are often exploited, but regardless of where they come from or their nationality, they need to be trained and competent before performing a HT.

 

I totally agree and now this is perhaps a more prominent time than ever for us all to be reminded of this. My point however is that this needs to be not only celebrated, but to be made transparent to the potential patient. Whether the tech is a hair dresser, taxi driver or other.