I recently underwent a hair transplant and made my decision based on numerous reviews, especially from Reddit. Now, I'd like to share my detailed experience.
I am 24 years old and have been experiencing hair loss since I was 21. It wasn’t just the receding hairline; it affected my entire top head and crown area.
In July 2023, I started using Finasteride and Minoxidil. I applied Minoxidil once daily at night before bed, and for the last two months, I've been applying it twice a day.
I was initially uncertain if it was too early for a hair transplant because of my young age and the potential for further hair loss.
Ultimately, I saw very good results from using Finasteride and Minoxidil and decided to go ahead with the hair transplant.
I wanted to ensure I chose a good clinic, but it wasn’t easy as almost every clinic has some negative reviews. I did extensive research through reviews on YouTube and Reddit.
On Reddit, I found someone who had conducted thorough research on various clinics: https://www.reddit.com/r/HairTransplants/s/tlmgwnDtVD
This included Dr. Bekir Bek in Ankara. Among the most renowned in Turkey, I found Kaan Pekiner and Dr. Bekir Bek. Both have overwhelmingly positive reviews. From what I’ve read, the entire procedure is personally conducted by the doctor, not by assistants.
Since Kaan Pekiner was too expensive for me, I contacted Dr. Bekir Bek. I sent him some pictures and explained my issue. He gave me very good advice and answered all my questions about the hair transplant. He even advised a friend of mine to wait instead of offering him a hair transplant, which showed me that he gives honest advice and doesn’t just try to sell a transplant.
I went ahead with the hair transplant and now want to share my experience:
I had a total of 3160 grafts implanted in the front area of my head. Together with Dr. Bekir Bek, we opted for a hairline, that fits for my head shape, considering my young age and wanting to ensure that the results would still look good in case of further hair loss.
Dr. Bekir Bek scheduled two full days for my transplant, during which no other patients were treated. This was particularly important to me as I didn’t want to be treated in a clinic where hair transplants are done in an assembly line manner, making you just another quick patient.
Dr. Bekir Bek uses a microscope throughout the entire transplant to work very precisely. This allows him to use a thinner blade and ensure that adjacent hair roots are not damaged, thereby avoiding the risk of a "shock hair loss effect" (the loss of many hairs after the transplant).
This also allows achieving the same density effect with fewer grafts. However, this makes the transplant take longer, which is one reason for the higher price compared to some clinics in Istanbul.
Dr. Bekir Bek did not extract and implant all the grafts at once but over a total of 4 sessions, each extracting about 800 grafts and then implanting them. This way, the extracted grafts were never lying out for more than 2 hours, which should increase the survival rate of the roots.
We spent about 50 minutes just drawing the hairline, as I wanted to discuss it thoroughly with him. My biggest fear was setting the hairline too low, which could make it impossible to save my head with a second transplant in case of further hair loss in the future.
It's been two weeks since the transplant, and I’m very satisfied with the result so far.
My head healed remarkably quickly after the transplant, looking normal again after just 1.5 weeks. The hairline was transplanted with single-hair grafts and in a zig-zag pattern, making it look very natural as the hair grows out.
My donor area looks as if I hadn't undergone a transplant after 10 days. It healed incredibly fast, and there are no visible gaps so far.
Below are my before and after pictures. It's been almost 3 weeks since the transplant now, and I am extremely satisfied and happy with the result. I will upload more updates in a few months to share the final outcome.
For me personally, it was the right decision to have the transplant at his clinic. Do thorough research before getting a transplant in any clinic!
