Looking for recommendations : India vs Turkey

[FlushRojThing]

Hi, I'm 28 with a Norwood stage 3 of balding (that's what I've been told) and my hairline has gone back massively in the last 5 years. I did video consultations with a couple of clinics in India (Eugenix - Gurgaon, Hyderabad), (Redefine Hair Clinic, Hyderabad)

I also did a consultation with Clinicana and found out about hair mills and was told that the doctor will absolutely not do the surgery, and it'll be technicians only (they also told me that no clinic in Istanbul will have doctors performing the surgery)

So, I have questions. Cost-wise, India is quite expensive and in both clinics, I've been told that the doctors will just oversee the process. So do I choose India or do I choose Turkey?

If I choose India, do I have better options in India apart from Eugenix? I can travel to any major city but would prefer Hyderabad.

If Turkey, then what clinics would you recommend? I've seen the names of Dr. Pekiner, Dr. Turan, Dr. Gur, Dr. Bek mentioned here frequently, but I couldn't find the right contact information.

I'm looking to get my surgery done in November/December, so I'd love to get some recommendations. So far, I've done so much research, that I've gotten overwhelmed and confused.

[Berba11]

First question is why India or Turkey only?

Second question would be; what is "quite expensive"? Half of Eugenix's packages are pretty low cost... How many grafts have you been told you need and what sort of budget are you attempting to operate within?

[FlushRojThing]

11 minutes ago, Berba11 said:

First question is why India or Turkey only?

Second question would be; what is "quite expensive"? Half of Eugenix's packages are pretty low cost... How many grafts have you been told you need and what sort of budget are you attempting to operate within?

I've been suggested between 4300-4600 grafts. Eugenix packages are Rs 100($1.2) or Rs 210 ($2.4) or Rs. 350 ($4.2) per graft, which is significantly more expensive than the ones in Turkey. Considering this, I'm looking at something between $4600 - $14000 at Eugenix. 

I'm Indian, living in the USA. Turkey and India are my only options currently that work in a reasonable budget. I cannot afford American prices, so I consider India to be home and I can rest well at home. Considering Turkey for expertise (most well known for transplants), cost and convenience (can fly out in few days)

 

 

Edited August 9 by FlushRojThing
Didn't answer completely.

[Berba11]

25 minutes ago, FlushRojThing said:

Considering Turkey for expertise (most well known for transplants)

Just want to address this point first… Standards and quality in Turkey are, for the most part, atrocious. Turkey is not at the forefront of good hair restoration - it’s the country where you are most likely to get a dodgy result. There’s over 500 clinics in Turkey and of those, maybe half a dozen to a dozen are pretty decent. 
 

From your list, Dr Bekir Bek looks a very interesting option but he’s not long been running his own clinic so I don’t think we have enough patient results yet to be too confident at this stage. 
 

Have you considered Thailand? At the budget price points, you’ve got Dr Ratchathorn, Dr Loarwong and a couple of others worth looking at. In my opinion, the former two are doing work that stands alongside much more expensive options in Europe. They also perform FUT which should absolutely be a consideration, especially as you’re a higher NW patient. FUT tends to be cheaper than FUE as well. 
 

Lastly, you’re not a NW3 at all. You’re at least a NW5 and probably a NW6 in reality. 

Edited August 9 by Berba11

[FlushRojThing]

10 minutes ago, Berba11 said:

Just want to address this point first… Standards and quality in Turkey are, for the most part, atrocious. Turkey is not at the forefront of good hair restoration - it’s the country where you are most likely to get a dodgy result. There’s over 500 clinics in Turkey and of those, maybe half a dozen to a dozen are pretty decent. 
 

From your list, Dr Bekir Bek looks a very interesting option but he’s not long been running his own clinic so I don’t think we have enough patient results yet to be too confident at this stage. 
 

Have you considered Thailand? At the budget price points, you’ve got Dr Ratchathorn, Dr Loarwong and a couple of others worth looking at. In my opinion, the former two are doing work that stands alongside much more expensive options in Europe. They also perform FUT which should absolutely be a consideration, especially as you’re a higher NW patient. FUT tends to be cheaper than FUE as well. 
 

Lastly, you’re not a NW3 at all. You’re at least a NW5 and probably a NW6 in reality. 

Thank you, I will consider Thailand too. I have been reading a little about Thailand but I'm concerned about the long wait time. I have a few more consultations lined up with clinics in India (Dr. Malay Mehta, Mumbai and QHT Clinic Hyderabad) 

For Turkey, the only reason I considered Dr. Bek and Dr. Pekiner is because they're very involved in all stages of the surgery and it's not just technicians working on you.

Eugenix, India and Clinicana, Turkey both told be NW3, so I went with that. Thanks for letting me know about the actual evaluation.

[Berba11]

29 minutes ago, FlushRojThing said:

I'm concerned about the long wait time.

My best advice is don’t rush and be prepared to wait. If you place a time constraint upon yourself then you limit your options which can be suboptimal. A HT is for life remember… Waiting an extra few months or a year for the right doctor is a drop on the ocean in the grand scheme of things. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to HT’s. 
 

31 minutes ago, FlushRojThing said:

Eugenix, India and Clinicana, Turkey both told be NW3

I’m genuinely amazed at this. Did you submit the same photo as in your OP? A NW3 patient has deep recession at the temples only. You have significant hairloss in your 20’s all the way back to the crown with some evidence of loss towards the rear left lateral hump which could be evidence of further progression towards a full NW7. FUT would offer you some additional protection in the long run. Can you share a donor area picture? And do you have a decent beard?

 

Also are you on any hair loss medication such as finasteride?

[Britanium]

As has been mentioned above you definitely are not a NW3, the pattern you can see developing is that of a NW6, which considering you're age could come round sooner rather than later. 

Although Dr Pekiner is obviously one of the better choices in Türkiye he is not at all known for doing larger cases (usually tops out around 3k worth of grafts) and he's also booked out pretty far in advance. 

You seem to be looking at the more affordable options, it can actually be very worthwhile in saving and/or waiting to get that particular Dr that suits you're particular needs. If you feel over whelmed right now then take a break from the research and give yourself a chance to absorb all the information you have learned so far. 

You're going to need to carry on with the research to get the right Dr. You definitely don't want a tech led/driven procedure. And it's actual real world results you need to be seeing, not those carefully chosen cherry picked examples you will see from the clinic themselves or their advertising. 

You also have not yet talked about any med regime you might have in place? Has this been considered? It would really help you retain what you have at present, and may also give some improvement. 

[FlushRojThing]

4 minutes ago, Berba11 said:

My best advice is don’t rush and be prepared to wait. If you place a time constraint upon yourself then you limit your options which can be suboptimal. A HT is for life remember… Waiting an extra few months or a year for the right doctor is a drop on the ocean in the grand scheme of things. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to HT’s. 
 

I’m genuinely amazed at this. Did you submit the same photo as in your OP? A NW3 patient has deep recession at the temples only. You have significant hairloss in your 20’s all the way back to the crown with some evidence of loss towards the rear left lateral hump which could be evidence of further progression towards a full NW7. FUT would offer you some additional protection in the long run. Can you share a donor area picture? And do you have a decent beard?

 

Also are you on any hair loss medication such as finasteride?

I did share the same image, yes. I have a good, thick beard. I have been using Minoxidil 10% and 0.5 mg oral dutasteride since Sept 2021, irregularly though. I have had poor habits in the past but use them judiciously now. I have also had about 7 PRP sessions in the past which gave great results at first, but not so much now. My hair loss was expedited by rapid weight changes and side effects from strong steroids that I used in 2021-2022 due to a condition with my eyes.

Attaching a picture of my donor area. 

 
 

[FlushRojThing]

2 hours ago, FlushRojThing said:

Hi, I'm 28 with a Norwood stage 3 of balding (that's what I've been told) and my hairline has gone back massively in the last 5 years. I did video consultations with a couple of clinics in India (Eugenix - Gurgaon, Hyderabad), (Redefine Hair Clinic, Hyderabad)

I also did a consultation with Clinicana and found out about hair mills and was told that the doctor will absolutely not do the surgery, and it'll be technicians only (they also told me that no clinic in Istanbul will have doctors performing the surgery)

So, I have questions. Cost-wise, India is quite expensive and in both clinics, I've been told that the doctors will just oversee the process. So do I choose India or do I choose Turkey?

If I choose India, do I have better options in India apart from Eugenix? I can travel to any major city but would prefer Hyderabad.

If Turkey, then what clinics would you recommend? I've seen the names of Dr. Pekiner, Dr. Turan, Dr. Gur, Dr. Bek mentioned here frequently, but I couldn't find the right contact information.

I'm looking to get my surgery done in November/December, so I'd love to get some recommendations. So far, I've done so much research, that I've gotten overwhelmed and confused.

Forgot to add:

I have been using Minoxidil 10% and 0.5 mg oral dutasteride since Sept 2021, irregularly though. I have had poor habits in the past but use them judiciously now. I have also had about 7 PRP sessions in the past which gave great results at first, but not so much now. My hair loss was expedited by rapid weight changes and side effects from strong steroids that I used in 2021-2022 due to a condition with my eyes.

[FlushRojThing]

9 minutes ago, Britanium said:

As has been mentioned above you definitely are not a NW3, the pattern you can see developing is that of a NW6, which considering you're age could come round sooner rather than later. 

Although Dr Pekiner is obviously one of the better choices in Türkiye he is not at all known for doing larger cases (usually tops out around 3k worth of grafts) and he's also booked out pretty far in advance. 

You seem to be looking at the more affordable options, it can actually be very worthwhile in saving and/or waiting to get that particular Dr that suits you're particular needs. If you feel over whelmed right now then take a break from the research and give yourself a chance to absorb all the information you have learned so far. 

You also have not yet talked about any med regime you might have in place? Has this been considered? It would really help you retain what you have at present, and may also give some improvement. 

Understood, about Dr. Pekiner. 

I have a max budget about $8000 which could get me a decent package at Eugenix but I'm unsure about the involvement of doctors. I've heard good things about Dr. Malay Mehta and his involvement in the whole process. 

My med regime:I have been using Minoxidil 10% and 0.5 mg oral dutasteride since Sept 2021, irregularly though. I have had poor habits in the past but use them judiciously now. I have also had about 7 PRP sessions in the past which gave great results at first, but not so much now. My hair loss was expedited by rapid weight changes and side effects from strong steroids that I used in 2021-2022 due to a condition with my eyes.

[Britanium]

1 minute ago, FlushRojThing said:

Understood, about Dr. Pekiner. 

I have a max budget about $8000 which could get me a decent package at Eugenix but I'm unsure about the involvement of doctors. I've heard good things about Dr. Malay Mehta and his involvement in the whole process. 

My med regime:I have been using Minoxidil 10% and 0.5 mg oral dutasteride since Sept 2021, irregularly though. I have had poor habits in the past but use them judiciously now. I have also had about 7 PRP sessions in the past which gave great results at first, but not so much now. My hair loss was expedited by rapid weight changes and side effects from strong steroids that I used in 2021-2022 due to a condition with my eyes.

Yeah heard things? We need to see real world results, and consistently too, full 12 month journeys that have been posted on forums etc like this one. PRP is not going to help with advancing hair loss, at best it COULD help in the initial few recovery months after having a hair transplant, at the worst and the most common it's a money grab, absolutely no proof it helps in the long term whatsoever. It's far more likely that you're regular med regime when in place and working was doing the trick. 

I'm looking at the nape of you're neck and seeing what could possibly be retrograde Alopecia, has that been mentioned/discussed by any of the clinics yet? I'm not saying it is, I'm saying it could do with looking at in person. 

If you're actually only 28, the hair loss you have at present is obviously already something that's going to need the right approach, not just for now but for the future too. 

I also spy some greying, which again is unusual at this age. 

[mr_peanutbutter]

in india id only consider eugenix and suneet soni. maybe Radha Palakurthi. have you checked how much they charge?

Edited August 10 by mr_peanutbutter

[rsb]

2 hours ago, mr_peanutbutter said:

in india id only consider eugenix and suneet soni. maybe Radha Palakurthi. have you checked how much they charge?

I don't see much results from Dr Radha, have you seen good results?

[rsb]

Please check doctors from Thailand. They are also not so expensive.

[Berba11]

10 hours ago, FlushRojThing said:

I did share the same image, yes. I have a good, thick beard. I have been using Minoxidil 10% and 0.5 mg oral dutasteride since Sept 2021, irregularly though. I have had poor habits in the past but use them judiciously now. I have also had about 7 PRP sessions in the past which gave great results at first, but not so much now. My hair loss was expedited by rapid weight changes and side effects from strong steroids that I used in 2021-2022 due to a condition with my eyes.

Attaching a picture of my donor area. 

 
 

Donor looks quite strong but with some possible signs of retrograde as @Britaniumnoted. Retrograde isn't normally an issue but it's something to bear in mind. The FUT vs FUE considerations will be more relevant here as large session FUE will test the borders of the "safe" zone (which in your case, might diminish and narrow over time) of the donor whereas FUT takes from the safest area entirely.

[FlushRojThing]

On 8/9/2024 at 8:17 PM, Britanium said:

Yeah heard things? We need to see real world results, and consistently too, full 12 month journeys that have been posted on forums etc like this one. PRP is not going to help with advancing hair loss, at best it COULD help in the initial few recovery months after having a hair transplant, at the worst and the most common it's a money grab, absolutely no proof it helps in the long term whatsoever. It's far more likely that you're regular med regime when in place and working was doing the trick. 

I'm looking at the nape of you're neck and seeing what could possibly be retrograde Alopecia, has that been mentioned/discussed by any of the clinics yet? I'm not saying it is, I'm saying it could do with looking at in person. 

If you're actually only 28, the hair loss you have at present is obviously already something that's going to need the right approach, not just for now but for the future too. 

I also spy some greying, which again is unusual at this age. 

Hi, sorry I couldn't reply before as it said I had reached a limit. 

I'm aware that a PRP won't help anymore, hence looking for transplant options. I mentioned Dr. Malay Mehta in India and wanted to know other experiences with because my only point of reference with him is a friend who had a transplant with him in October 23 and has had tremendous results. Mentioned his name only to see if people on this forum knew more. 

Coming to my nape, that's just a poor haircut I believe (weird taper to match the sides. )My dermatologist of 4 years didn't mention anything about it, neither did any of the clinics yet. I do believe that could need further examination again.

Greying: I've had it since I was 19. It hasn't increased much. It's been this way since then. Donor area hair are pretty dark though. 

[FlushRojThing]

18 hours ago, mr_peanutbutter said:

in india id only consider eugenix and suneet soni. maybe Radha Palakurthi. have you checked how much they charge?

Eugenix packages are Rs 100($1.2) or Rs 210 ($2.4) or Rs. 350 ($4.2) per graft, which is significantly more expensive than the ones in Turkey. Considering this, I'm looking at something between $4600 - $14000 at Eugenix for 4500+ grafts

[FlushRojThing]

14 hours ago, Berba11 said:

Donor looks quite strong but with some possible signs of retrograde as @Britaniumnoted. Retrograde isn't normally an issue but it's something to bear in mind. The FUT vs FUE considerations will be more relevant here as large session FUE will test the borders of the "safe" zone (which in your case, might diminish and narrow over time) of the donor whereas FUT takes from the safest area entirely.

Got it, thank you. I will take this into consideration as I do more consultations over the next week or two. 

[StoneCold]

@FlushRojThing I am on a somewhat similar boat as you. Though my grade of baldness is NW6 and I'm considering Eugenix in India for sure. However the minimal doctor involvement does concern me. I will be having an in person consultation with Dr. Arika late September to clear these doubts.

Also speaking with Dr. Soni who has had some great results but he has seemed to pioneer the combination technique hence not sure how he will be only for a FUE. Though he is in strong contention.

I have spoken to Dr. Radha and she's really very sweet. She is priced somewhat similar to Dr. Soni but doesn't have any recent reviews on the forum. I did find her a bit conservative on my assessment. You can surely consult with her only if you're OK to travel to Vizag.

I have also emailed Absolute clinic in Thailand and Dr. Yaman from Turkey and am awaiting their assessment.

I too reached out to QHT simply because of the ridiculously low costs and excellent reviews(in person references also) outside this forum. But somehow I'm not convinced and don't want to take a chance especially because this is a proper surgery and I want to get it right the first time and not give cost too much weightage. I will be visiting their clinic in Haridwar to first hand see how it is run before completely ruling them out.

So for now I'm sticking to only the forum recommend doctors and am also meeting Dr Tejinder Bhatti at the end of this month for an in person consultation. 

 

Edited August 11 by StoneCold

[FlushRojThing]

9 hours ago, StoneCold said:

@FlushRojThing I am on a somewhat similar boat as you. Though my grade of baldness is NW6 and I'm considering Eugenix in India for sure. However the minimal doctor involvement does concern me. I will be having an in person consultation with Dr. Arika late September to clear these doubts.

Also speaking with Dr. Soni who has had some great results but he has seemed to pioneer the combination technique hence not sure how he will be only for a FUE. Though he is in strong contention.

I have spoken to Dr. Radha and she's really very sweet. She is priced somewhat similar to Dr. Soni but doesn't have any recent reviews on the forum. I did find her a bit conservative on my assessment. You can surely consult with her only if you're OK to travel to Vizag.

I have also emailed Absolute clinic in Thailand and Dr. Yaman from Turkey and am awaiting their assessment.

I too reached out to QHT simply because of the ridiculously low costs and excellent reviews(in person references also) outside this forum. But somehow I'm not convinced and don't want to take a chance especially because this is a proper surgery and I want to get it right the first time and not give cost too much weightage. I will be visiting their clinic in Haridwar to first hand see how it is run before completely ruling them out.

So for now I'm sticking to only the forum recommend doctors and am also meeting Dr Tejinder Bhatti at the end of this month for an in person consultation. 

 

Thanks for the detailed reply! I have reached out to Dr. Suneet Soni for a consultation this week, and had a consultation with Eugenix already. 

Coming to Dr. Radha, I can easily travel to Vizag since I'm based out of Hyderabad. Won't be too much of a hassle, but I didn't find a lot of recent results of hers, plus her website seemed really outdated and there weren't many recent results there too. That caused me to go on the backfoot about her. I'm awaiting assessments currently from Dr. Bekir Bek in Turkey, Dr, Malay Mehta(speaking with him tomorrow) in Mumbai, and Dr. Laorwong in Thailand. 

QHT didn't seem right to me as well, but their reels are flooded on Instagram, so I decided to check them out. I will check out Dr. Tejinder Bhatti. 

[LUKA-]

Trust me, I just got a hair transplant from Bhatti and Not even 30% hairs survived. I have trauma from such a bad experience. 

[Britanium]

Dr Bhatti is not a good option, and hasn't been for years. He's a very knowledgeable guy, and has done some good work in the past, however these days it's more like a hair mill. 

[TakeMe15YearsBack]

@FlushRojThing, I am pretty much in the same boat as you. As of now, my narrowed-down list includes Eugenix, Dr. Malay Mehta, and New Roots Hair Transplant - Dr. Nliesh Pund (they seem to have given good results based on the IG page, with the latest celebrity hair transplant of actor Rohit Roy). Dr. Suneet Soni's results are encouraging as well, but somewhat unsure of the outcome with only FUE + BHT. Please keep us posted on who you decide to go with and the rationale behind it. 

[FlushRojThing]

Update: My opinion: I got an extremely realistic and detailed analysis from Dr. Bek. Though I absolutely would love to consider him further, his earliest appointment date is April 2025, and I'd like to get a transplant this year. 

Dr. Bek's response:
Your donor area looks suitable for HT according to the photos. A two-stage plan should be made for you. 1) increase the density in the hairline and midscalp. However, operating on the entire scalp in a single operation is something I do not find right and healthy. As a result, I can recommend a two-stage plan. First, a new hairline and midscalp depending on the amount of graft that can be taken. The second operation should be planned for the remaining area at least 8-10 months later.

The reason why we recommend a two-stage plan in this way is that it requires very frequent graft removal from the donor area to operate on the entire head, and as a result, there is a possibility of damaging the grafts we did not take in the donor area. To give information about the operation process, Dr. Bekir will personally carry out all the processes, graft removal and implantation.We operate with the stick and place method.

Also, your donor area will not be enough to cover the entire area properly in a single operation. The remaining part should be considered as a second operation.

In your case, we do not need to make an estimate because there is a lot of open space. We can work on a maximum of 1700-1800 grafts in one day. We can work on 3500-3800 grafts in 2 operation days. We need a 3rd operation day for a larger number of grafts. Of course, the donor The region must be suitable for this

What I mean is that we do not need to give you a graft estimate. If your budget is suitable, we can take the graft in 2 operation days and plan a hairline and mid-scalp area accordingly.

If you want more area to be covered, we will need a 3rd operation day. If we plan a 3rd operation day, then we can exceed 4000 grafts. Of course, the donor area must be suitable here.

Please let me know if this is okay to share, if not, I will go ahead and delete this from here.

[FlushRojThing]

Update two and more questions: 

Another doctor I spoke to mentioned "Exosome Assisted Hair Transplant" and mentioned that "due to this, you see tangible results in the hairline within 4-6 months, and in the crown and vertex in 6-8 months." He said something along the lines of "you'll see change and results faster."

When I asked him more, he mentioned you can read about QR678 NEO and I did, so I found this. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7489598/

@Moderators, I tried to search more, but didn't find much. Any further reading notes or information you can share?