My second hair transplant surgery. Where to go? Which doctor to choose?

TheMirrorOfDreams

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My name is Noah, 21 years of age, from Norway.
Last year, December 4th. 2013, I had my very first transplant of 2000 grafts/3500 hairs. It was not a successful one, alas. It looks thin and the majority of the grafts are very poorly angled/placed. My previous "doctor" was Prasert Seesillapachai. Do NOT consult him for any hair related matter, trust in my Words. It has truly been a terrible experience. I played the fool, and went Ahead With a hair transplant, not knowing he was a butcher or had any artistic sense, whatsoever. He ruined me, and I'm the one to blame. But enough of that.

This time around I must choose the right surgeon/clinic to go to. I live in Europe, Norway, so the closer the better. But I am of course willing to travel longer distances.
I have included a photo of a list of recommended hair transplant surgeons in Europe, taken from "hair restoration network".

First one I contacted was Dr. Hakan *********. I asked about my age, and they said it was no problem. Which actually concerns me a bit. Should I be? This is what they responded with in their e-mail to me:


E-MAIL 1:

"Dear Noah,Thanks for interesting in having FUE surgery with Dr Hakan *********.

Could you send us some pictures for evaluation?

Our price is 2 euros per hair graft and 2.5 euros per beard graft and manual graft.
The utilities, like hospital, food, transportation in Antalya and medicines necessary after the operation will be paid by us.
We will pick you up from the airport and take to the hospital, where you will stay during the surgery.
If you use credit card for the payment, we will charge extra %8 for the tax but if you bring cash there will be no tax charge."


E-MAIL 2:

"Hey Noah,
Thanks for the pictures based on them you will need 2500 grafts but please be awarethat this is an estimate and the exact number will be determined when we see you in person.
We only do FUE.
Please feel free to ask any question.
All the best,"

E-MAIL 3:

"Hey Noah,

We can arrange 24 or 30 Dec. You will be staying at the hospital. No, your age wont be problem but we highly recommend to use Rogain daily base to protect the existing hairs. Extraction will be done by nurses and implantation will be done by Dr Hakan and his technician. Dr Hakan especially implants the front line.
All the best,"


I know he is recommended and all, but still... is he any good? Everyone claims to be the best, right?



The second surgeon/clinic I contacted, was Dr. Kyriakos Maras. They said they will come back to me, after having a word with their head-surgeon.

I also contacted Dr. Rahal. They seem very professional to me. And respond very amicably and professional.



What do you think? Would you recommend me another surgeon/clinic/hospital, or?
I sorta screwed up my first transplant, I don't want to go through that again, never again. :(
So this time I must make sure to choose the very best.

Thank you very much!


 

TMNK

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Dr. Hakan ********* should be pretty legit according to a lot of sources on the net. Go for it. Who did your first hair transplant? And why wasn't it succesfull?
 

bilboswaggins

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From what I've seen on the forums, he does some quality work
However I think you should reconsider doing the transplant. If you go through with it, that would be a total of 4500 grafts just on your hairline and you are only 21....
 

TheMirrorOfDreams

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Dr. Hakan ********* should be pretty legit according to a lot of sources on the net. Go for it. Who did your first hair transplant? And why wasn't it succesfull?
Prasert Seesillapachai of Yoskarn Clinic did it. Never consult him with any of your problems, believe me. He transplanted hairs where I did not ask for him to transplant, the angles of the hairs are downright awful, etc.

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From what I've seen on the forums, he does some quality work
However I think you should reconsider doing the transplant. If you go through with it, that would be a total of 4500 grafts just on your hairline and you are only 21....
Now it just look awful. I can't go around looking like this any longer. I've had just about everything I can take of it. I have more than enough body hair to compensate for any further balding, so that's a plus. :) I will discuss this matter with my hair transplant doctor.

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If I go to Dr. Hakan *********, can I rest assure the outcome will be top-notch? He charges less than many of the other places I've come across. I won't ever regret choosing him?

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I have decided on Dr. Hakan *********, Turkey. I think I will need approximately 3000 grafts all in all. Chances are I will leave for Turkey on the 17th. of November, and return to my country on the 20th. of November. I will keep you updated, and post pre-op and post-op photos, every week/month I will update.

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I also went ahead and contacted Dr. Kyriakos Maras HDC Medical Trichology Centre
Their prices are much steeper, but their replies are much more comforting. Both doctors are excellent, world-class, right? This is what they had to say:


Dear Noah





"Thank you for your enquiry , information and photos. I discussed your case with our lead surgeon Dr Maras. As I told you we need to be careful on planning a further procedure in order to put too much strain on your donor area. At your age it is almost impossible to predict how your hair loss will develop over the coming years and what may your needs be I having further treatments. So it is a good move that you are taking propecia, I hope this will help retain your existing hair long-term.





In our opinion we can build on the existing shape of the hairline shape by adding some single hair grafts where needed to feather it out. There is not much to gain if we change the shape as can only be done by removing grafts. It is a possibility that after dong this the hairline could end up looking quite irregular as the removal of some grafts could damage some others and you will end up needing another touch up to sort it out. Please note that this is a possibility.





Another reason in not changing the hairline by graft removal is the possibility of scaring in an area that is quite visible. This is the same reason that the grafts that were wrongly planted by the mad doctor above the temporal peaks should not be removed by FUE extraction, but it would be safer to resort to laser hair removal. The grafts seem to have taken well as are quite dark so 3-4 sessions of laser treatment should be sufficient if not to remove completely, to weaken the hair enough that is not visible anymore.





We can try and use neck hair as requested for some parts of the hairline but this depends on how easy their extraction is. It is not our usual practice to use neck hair as it is outside the safe zone that we harvest grafts from.





We would like to suggest that to correct the hairline and add density to the front top we would not like to exceed 1500 grafts, less if possible. This is a safe estimate for the area indicated in attached photo enclosed in red. The area marked in green is a potential area that appears thin but may not need immediate attention so we can economize on using up more grafts at this stage. If there is sufficient density for thickening the frontal area marked in red there may be no need for the time being in putting more density at the back as well as a dense front wil conceal any difference in density at the back. This cannot be confirmed before an actual examination of the area in person.





The costs wil depend on final number or graft and will be based on following rates:





€3.50 per FUE graft


€4.00 micrograft removal/p item





As I said we don’t recommend the removal of grafts in the specific area so if we discard this option to get you a cost the projected surgery fee wil be €5,250.





The surgery takes place over 8 hours and we are likely to need one day to complete the procedure, but this is subject to the surgeon’s advise and may like to plan some extra time. Of course this wil depend on your final decision. Local anaesthesia is used throughout and while the procedure is carried out, you can watch television or listen to music. Regular comfort breaks are scheduled throughout the day, including a mid morning snack and lunch.





The recovery period on average is between 7-10 days. The post-operative period for FUE is significantly quicker as there is no stitching. You can carry on with your normal activities after the procedure, with some limitations regarding physical activity for the first month. Comprehensive post-operative instructions will be given to you after surgery, and can also be found on our website.





As far as I am aware there are weekly scheduled flights from Norway (Oslo & Bergen) to Cyprus. Accommodation is available in our guest apartment, situated directly opposite the clinic, and provided at no extra cost. Wi-Fi access is available at the accommodation and at the surgery room so you can stay connected at all times. The city centre is only 10 minutes away and the surrounding area has an array of food outlets, restaurants and supermarkets.





We recommend that you stay with us at the clinic in Nicosia for a minimum of 4 nights depending on length of your procedure, so you should fly in the day before and leave two or three days after, but we can provide accommodating up to 7 nights, sometimes longer if required depending on the needs of the guest accommodation at the clinic. We provide comprehensive written instructions on aftercare and the products you will need for the immediate post op after care, free of charge.





As far as availability is concerned, we have limited availability until the end of the year, mainly in December.





I hope to have provided you with some useful information regarding the options for your procedure, the way our clinic works and have answered some of your questions. Please do not hesitate to ask as many questions as you want and any advise I can give as I have been working at the clinic for 7 years now and have encountered hundreds of clients with different needs and objectives. It may be useful to have a virtual discussion on Skype about our recommendations and answer any questions you may have. The surgery rooms of the clinic will be closed between 24 December 2014-7 January 2015 for refurbishment works.





I look forward to your reply.





Kind regards


George





George Georgiou


International Patient Coordinator





HDC Hair Transplant Clinic"












What do you think? Dr. Hakan ********* recommended me a total of 2500 grafts, but needed to see me in person first, in order to ascertain the amount needed. HDC-clinic recommended me a total of 1500 grafts. A more conservative approach, I guess. But what I want is fullness. No matter which of the two I choose, I am in good hands, right? I just don't know who to go for... :/ Both are top-notch, right? But why such different answers. Thanks a lot!

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This is my current situation...

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TheMirrorOfDreams

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My goal, very roughly...

This is basically my goal, though VERY roughly...
On the front view photo, I would like to extract the implanted hairs below the red line and implant them in my hairline above the red line. I want to fill in the temples and sideburns, possibly by utilizing body hair. I also want to remove the grafts (not sure if you can see them in the photos) on the sides outside of my hairline.




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dark&bald

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your hair looks pretty good. If you use some concealer, no one would suspect any hairloss. At the age of 21, I think another transplant would be unneeded stress more than anything else.
 

TheMirrorOfDreams

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Dr. Koray Erdogan VS. Hakan *********? Both are located in Turkey I see, and both are recommended...

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Dr. Koray Erdogan of ASMED Surgical Medical Centre, sure as hell looks much more professional and reassuring to me, than Dr. Hakan *********. State of the art facility. His results are great. Would any of you happen to have any experience with him? Don't think I can go wrong with him. If I'm not wrong, he does SMP as well. His prices are affordable for me as well. I think I would need to request him extracting the majority of the badly implanted grafts, and re-implant them with the correct angle and height. Awaiting their response. I have lots of questions for them, hehe. This is their first e-mail to me:


"Thank you for your interest to our clinic. Dr.Koray evaluated your photos, he wants to see you in the live consultation first, because as you are in a very young age and you had one not successful operation before it is important to evaluate your situation live.


Best Regards,"
 

TheMirrorOfDreams

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Personally I would go to see doctor Feriduni in Belgium
Dr. Koray Erdogan has a 3 months waiting list. :/ I don't know why, but I feel there is somethign a bit "off" about Dr. Hakan *********. Just my silly intuition. I'm sure he's great! Dr. Hakan ********* doesn't do repair work, so... you wouldn't happen to know Dr. Feriduni's prices per FUE graft? Thank you very much!
 

Spanishlad

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I dont know Feriduni's prices but I have seen numerous examples of his work and have always been impressed. In my opinion his hairlines are some of the best.

I know its easy to say but I wouldn't let cost effect your decision. You cant afford to waste more donor hair on a mediocre result.

I have no experience of Dr Erdogan so couldn't really advise you on him.
 

newguy27

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Hei there, I'm from Norway aswell. 28 years old and just booked my first hair transplant with Dr Feriduni in Hasselt, Blegium.
I've searched ALOT on the web and read up on the most popular Surgeons, and for me it was either feriduni or ******** in belgium. I finally decided on Feriduni and I'm up for surgery in mid july 2015. I'm starting to see NW5 patterns, so way worse off than you atm. I'm having 3500 grafts, and thats just about 15k€ in terms of cost.

Best of luck to you! and keep us posted.
 

TheMirrorOfDreams

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I have now sent an e-mail to every single recommended hair transplant surgeon thinkable. :p

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Hei there, I'm from Norway aswell. 28 years old and just booked my first hair transplant with Dr Feriduni in Hasselt, Blegium.
I've searched ALOT on the web and read up on the most popular Surgeons, and for me it was either feriduni or ******** in belgium. I finally decided on Feriduni and I'm up for surgery in mid july 2015. I'm starting to see NW5 patterns, so way worse off than you atm. I'm having 3500 grafts, and thats just about 15k€ in terms of cost.

Best of luck to you! and keep us posted.
Thanks (takk så mye)! I bid you good luck! It's a ****ing nightmare, I know. :/

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Just out of curiosity, are you also on Propecia?
Yes, I am. Have been for 13 months now. I quit rogaine though. Didn't like it. I may resume it.
 

Spanishlad

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Hei there, I'm from Norway aswell. 28 years old and just booked my first hair transplant with Dr Feriduni in Hasselt, Blegium.
I've searched ALOT on the web and read up on the most popular Surgeons, and for me it was either feriduni or ******** in belgium. I finally decided on Feriduni and I'm up for surgery in mid july 2015. I'm starting to see NW5 patterns, so way worse off than you atm. I'm having 3500 grafts, and thats just about 15k€ in terms of cost.

Best of luck to you! and keep us posted.

Good choice and good luck!!! Please keep us posted
 

TheMirrorOfDreams

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Dr. Kyriakos Maras - HDC Hair Clinic in Cyprus

I am now checking out HDC Hair Clinic in Cyprus. Anyone familiar with Dr. Kyriakos Maras? Any personal experiences? They seem very professional to me in their e-mails, and they are recommended as well. They recommended me a total of no more than 1500 grafts via FUE. I might need to extract about 1000 of the previously implanted grafts, in order to correct the bad angle of the hairs as well. I might also use neck/nape hair to rebuild temples and sideburns. Maybe some leg hair and some hair from my chest too.

I am also awaiting reply from Hasson & Wong, Bernstein and a few more top hair transplant surgeons.


Many thanks!
 

TheMirrorOfDreams

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Reply from Hasson & Wong

One of Dr. Wong's representatives replied to my e-mail the other day, regarding my situation, my options.
This is the gist of what he said:

I have two options (but it will be decided on the final evaluation before the surgery):

1. "He feels that if the existing hairline in the front can be transplanted into without lifting the entire hairline out, that may be a good option." I'm told he could also possibly FUE out the hair in the corners/outside of the temporal peaks, and use them to build on the new hairline.

2. "If he feels it is not feasible to do this, he will take out the entire hairline with a possible fue of the corners that are unable to be excised with the removal of the hairline."

(not sure if I'm allowed to copy and paste this, but my sole intention is to share it With you People and hear you out)


I have included photos of my hair. It looks so ****in terible, it makes me want to yell out in frustration and cry my eyes out. :(
I have also included another two photos of what I would like to achieve (the last two images), if at all possible.

I've really done goofed, haven't I...
 

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TheMirrorOfDreams

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My goals. Please have the amateurish doodles excused. :p

:turned:
 

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