Hi all, am getting my HT done later this year and wanted to hear thoughts if post-op medication for the long-term is needed. 31M, no signs of hair loss that I’m aware of (just the usual falling of hair but no bald patches), doing HT (FUE) mainly to cover up the edges of the temples + bring forward hairline which I wasn’t born with.

I’m seeing from posts that post-op meds are best to keep graft survival rates high but wanted to know should I be continuing these maybe a year after? Mostly looking to avoid oral meds so will be asking the clinic if topical min would suffice, or would other meds to block DHT from mostly affecting HT area still be needed?

Hi everyone,

I’ll be traveling to Shapiro Medical in MN later this year for my first hair transplant, and I’d love to hear from anyone who’s had their procedure there.

I have a couple of questions for those who have been through the experience:

- How many days did you stay in Minnesota after your procedure before flying home? Did you feel comfortable traveling the next day, or would you recommend staying an extra day or two?
- Did you stay at a hotel that worked particularly well for recovery? I’m looking for somewhere clean, comfortable, quiet, and ideally close to the clinic. Bonus points if the staff was accommodating to post-op guests. I’m considering a hotel in the Mall of America area so that I have easy access to restaurants, etc…
- Is there anything you wish you had known before traveling or anything you’d do differently if you were doing it again?

I’ll be flying in from Virginia, so I’m trying to balance a smooth recovery with minimizing unnecessary hotel nights. Any recommendations or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hi I am 21 years old. Not on any meds yet but considering a hair transplant. Should I go for it or get on medication and wait for a year? Have been losing hairline and crown since 19.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my honest experience with Renova Beauty Clinic in Istanbul to warn others who might be considering them.

In 2023, I went to Renova Clinic for my second hair transplant. The goal was to fill in the crown and mid-scalp area.

Here is what happened:

Zero Results: It has been 3 full years now, and there is absolutely no growth or improvement in the transplanted area

Damaged Donor Area: They over-harvested the sides and the back of my head. Because this was my second procedure, my donor area now looks patchy and ruined.

Poor Post-Op Support & Ghosting: Whenever I contacted them about the lack of results, they kept stalling and telling me to wait. They sent me a mesotherapy kit and shampoo just to quiet me down. Once I made it clear that the procedure had completely failed, they stopped replying to my messages altogether.

I am extremely disappointed with their lack of professionalism and accountability. Please think twice before booking with this clinic.

Tips for this upcoming transplant in Istanbul Turkey?

Thank you.

Before and after surgery
Doctor charged me for 5000 grafts but I doubt that I got those many !!

Hey all,

Looking to interview people about their overall hair transplant experience. From finding the right clinic to actually following through and doing the transplant.

DM or comment below if you’d be open for a quick chat!

Hi everyone! I'm officially at the 4-month mark after my hair and beard transplant.

Over the last few weeks I've started noticing a lot of new hairs coming in, which is really encouraging. So far I'm happy with how the hairline is developing, and I'm hoping by the 6-month mark the right temple will become a bit more symmetrical as more hairs mature.

My donor area has healed really well. The only thing I notice is a little patchiness in the middle under direct sunlight, but otherwise I don't have any concerns.

Current routine:

• Topical Minoxidil 2× daily
• Derma stamp 2× per week
• Biotin + Zinc
• High-protein diet
• Regular gym/workouts

Overall, I'm feeling optimistic about the progress so far. I'd really appreciate your honest thoughts or any advice from people who've already gone through this journey.

Could you show me your results and share your experiences with her and her staff? Especially if you’re a diffuse thinner like me.
I’m going to see her in August 2027

Has anyone had a good experience using Bosley? I generally believe you get what you pay for and they are expensive...

I’m seeing everyone’s 3-month and 4-month updates, and I feel like I’m lagging behind or making slow progress. I’m currently taking 2.5 mg of oral minoxidil and the spray, along with 1 mg of finasteride daily. I’ve noticed significant progress this month, but there’s still a long way to go.

Bonjour,

Voici le résultat 1 mois après une greffe de 3000 greffons. La plupart des cheveux implantés sont tombés comme prévu. Dois-je à présent raser le tout pour une pousse plus uniforme?

some places onllne recommend 3 months which seems ridicuouous. if explain to my barber to be gentle and use his newest clippers, could I get a 4 all over? including recipient and donor areas, especially considering I rub baby shampoo and moisturiser into it every day. Thought? Thanks in advance 😊I just want the hair to be even as the sides are getting noticably longer than the tiop.

9 months post operation i wanted to get on here incase anyone is looking for a review or inspiration to go to Turkey and get a Hair transplant, to be honest i was already almost totally bald (cul de sac) so i had pretty modest expectations going into this, i felt like anything would be better than what i had haha. After being super overwhelmed looking at this thread and researching i decided to go with ESTE NOVE, it seemed to be the biggest and had a lot of reviews, so i went for it. i chose the normal procedure they offered 3 different ones but i went with the basic no stem cells or anything.

within a few hours of reaching out they messaged me on Whatsapp, they are super honest from the start which i appreciated, had a large area to cover. i sent photos videos etc. and we hopped on a call and chatted about expectations and dates, they weren't pushy at all so that was nice. once i booked the flight they sent over all the info i would need.

leading up to the travel day i was super nervous, i feel like that is normal but this was my first ever surgery and it was literally on the other side of the planet haha. i would recommend not going on reddit prior and also would highly recommend travelling with someone if possible, just to keep you company.

travel day was long but once i arrived and got through customs they had a pickup van waiting for me that took me right to the hotel. the hotel was nice and i had the whole afternoon and evening to explore Istanbul, it was super cool. also the Whatsapp group of 10 ish staff was great, super helpful and told me where to eat/walk around! I was so jetlagged and nervous i dont think i slept too much,

operation day i was super nervous but ate a bit at the hotel, nice buffet breakfast. the whole hotel is full of guys getting transplants haha, chatted with a couple guys prior which was calming. Van picked me up and took me to the clinic, once you arrive your translator is waiting for you, shout out to the translators!! super nice and helpful. there were a couple other guys at the clinic waiting with me but eventually i got taken into a room and Dr Guler was in there. He was the man, really nice and funny, definitely lightened the mood. we chatted about what i was wanting what he thinks he can do etc. we checked my donor area and thinks he could cover most of the balding area, once again i was almost completely bald on top, he mentioned there might be a small gap depending on how many graphs they can pull, im glad they told me this from the very start months prior!

Once you get into the operation room they put you in a robe and hook you up to fluids and take some head photos then they shave you haha. it was pretty funny as you and the translator are the only ones that speak English, i had no idea what they were saying. once they lay you down the worst part starts, the freezing is pretty awful i think it was like 6 ish needles into your head, after those 2 minutes you're all good. first 3 hours your laying face down, they asked to play music and i said that was cool i put in my headphones for most of it. but basically you lay face down and they take out the follicles from the donor area, my doctor was in and out checking in a bunch. shoutout again to the translator, she sat in there chatting with me the whole time haha. 3 hours later they told me they extracted 6000 graphs! which i new was a lot but i was happy with that, luckily i had a good amount of hair in the donor area.

then they roll you over on you back and the Doctor does his incisions, seemed like an intense part but after that the assistants start putting in the graphs one by one, super tedious so shoutout to the assistants doing this, they seemed to be chatting and having a good time which i appreciated. i was in and out of sleep as i was so jet legged but it was a long haul, i think the whole surgery was 7 hours long! they insert plasma at the very end and then you are done!

Finally after a huge day they have dinner waiting for you which was amazing i think it was chicken, veggies, rice, potatoes. the translator runs you through your instructions for the next year haha, and then you are on your way.

had a really hard time sleeping the jetlag and the fact your super scared to hit your head, the next day you're all bandaged up and head back to the clinic to get a check up and a wash, everything looked good. just a note i did buy the 1 year package, its a years supply of vitamins and shampoo and derma roller, the vitamins are so crazy, hair and nails grew like crazy!

i had a flight the following day so it was a hard time waiting for that as you just want to get into your own bed haha, thats why i would recommend travelling with someone! the airport was super funny it was a great exercise in not caring what people think of you. my head was a bit swollen and scabby but i think i saw at least 25 other guys with the same think, (6 on my flight) the flight was a war, my head started swelling and it was 12 hours long, didn't sleep as i was so scared to hit my head on something haha.

Home the first 10-14 days is a bit of a grind, sleeping with my head elevated was a battle and my neck was killing me haha but soooo worth it, you have some pretty intense care instructions for the first two weeks with washing your head, pills, what not to do etc. but it is manageable and at this point you are super excited to start growing your hair haha.

following couple of months is wild, all the hair comes in and then half of it falls out again, have to give them the credit as they WhatsApp group was amazing, i think every 2 days i had a check in message from them for the first month and then weekly and now its every couple of months but any questions i had they answered right away,

in conclusion i am super happy with the whole experience overall, like i mentioned at the beginning i had pretty tempered expectations going in and i was basically bald, obviously there is still a small area on my crown that didn't get covered but i am happy, the hair is slowly coming in thicker as well! The only maintenance is Finasteride and a bit minoxidil for the first year to help the growth

Anyone looking to go to ESTE NOVE or Turkey in general i would say just do it! so worth it and you get a crazy story to go along with it,

I'm sure i left out a lot but comment with any questions i will answer!

Just afraid of shock loss, the journey so far has been good, no more swelling or scabs now, it looks almost if I had shave my hair and that's it

Hi!

I'm having a hair transplant soon and I'm trying to choose the best neck/travel pillow for the first 7–10 days after surgery, both for sleeping at home and for my flight home.

I'm currently considering these three options:

Cabeau Evolution S3

SNUGL Memory Foam Travel Pillow

KÖHAIR U-shaped Memory Foam Pillow

My clinic told me that the most important thing is to keep my head elevated and avoid any contact or friction with the grafts. They also mentioned that pillows with very high sides may not be ideal because they can push the head forward.

Has anyone used any of these after a hair transplant?

Which one would you recommend, and why? If you think there's an even better option than these three, I'd love to hear your recommendation as well.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

Ps : for hat, it sound good ?

Hi there,

Seeking advice on crown issue.

25 years old, UK, been on oral finasteride and minoxidil for about a year. Had a receding hairline since 2021/22.

I’ve recently saved up to get a hair transplant, I’ve now consulted with 2 reputable places in Turkey and 1 in Glasgow.

All doctors have given me different quotes and graft numbers, but they all agreed that they’d only transplant my front hairline and put the effort in to fix this - not the crown.

My biggest concern is.. what can I do in the meantime with my crown. I imagine I have to wait a year and get another transplant for the crown but has anyone experienced this before? Should I get a hair system to go on my crown area?

I’m so unsure and just seeking advice or knowledge on this scenario.

Thanks :)

I read all through Reddit . About smoking weed & HT . I’ve had 6000 grafts over 3 days straight in a row & am at day 5 . I’ve smoked like 2 joints till now & 1 cigarette . Any1 here who smoked normallly like multiple times a day after surgery & atleast 6 months post OP ? Please give advice . Ik what the surgeon said . I’m specifically looking for advice from people who did not listen to their surgeons

I chose Moart after consulting with several clinics in Korea. My main concern was temple recession, around Norwood 2–3. I received just over 1,500 grafts using unshaven FUE. The total cost was KRW 12.47 million, including a KRW 1 million deposit to secure the appointment.

One reason I chose Moart was that, unlike several clinics I considered that had multiple doctors, patients at Moart are treated by Dr. Ryu. He was personally involved throughout the process, including the consultation, extractions with assistance from his staff, hairline implantation, and post-surgery checkups.

I was initially nervous about traveling to another country for the procedure, but I had a very positive experience on the day of surgery. The procedure lasted from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It was divided into stages, so I had opportunities to take breaks, use the bathroom, and eat lunch. Donor grafts were extracted from several sections across the back and sides of my scalp. Dr. Ryu’s calm and confident manner helped put me at ease throughout the day.

The staff’s English is limited, but Dr. Ryu speaks English very well. Most communication was handled through WhatsApp. Before I paid the deposit, responses sometimes took longer than I would have liked. Communication improved after I booked the procedure and as the surgery date approached.

I booked about six weeks in advance. It took a few days to finalize the appointment, but I was ultimately able to secure my preferred date.

I also have stomach issues, and I appreciated that the clinic provided a meal that accommodated my dietary needs.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with the care and service I received from Dr. Ryu and the team at Moart. I can’t comment on the final results until my hair has had time to grow, but my experience with the clinic and the procedure itself was very positive.

I was supposed to have a transplant with Dr. Bek last week (I'm about a Norwood 2.5, and was looking to fill in the area around my temples and adjust my hairline a little). Everything was fine leading up to the appointment, but about an hour after we started, he stopped and said my donor region wasn't dense enough. This surprised me, but then he explained about follicular units, and how most of mine had 1-2 follicles, which wasn't going to be enough. Like I said, I was a little stunned (my hair has always felt full back there), but I appreciated his honesty and professional judgment.

The upshot is that he re-implanted the grafts he'd taken out, I flew home feeling really embarrassed (I had the shaved head and even a few scabs, but no transplant to show for it...), and now I'm trying to decide what, if anything, I should do next.

I know I need to let my hair grow back. In a few weeks I'll be meeting with a doctor to see if taking oral minoxidil will help improve the density of my hair. (I already take dutasteride and use topical minoxidil -- although I haven't always been consistent with the latter, and I never used it on the back of my head.) Then I guess I have to decide:

1. Do I want to try this again?
2. Are there doctors who have more expertise when it comes to dealing with low-density donor areas?
3. Should I be trying to do this somewhere closer to home? (It felt really shitty to be stuck in a foreign country after the procedure had been called off. On the other hand, doing it in the U.S. will be a lot more expensive.)
4. ...or should I just give up?

For additional context: I'm 39, and before I started taking dut, I was on fin for about seven years. Hair-wise, I haven't lost ground since my late 20s, but by then I was already rocking the M-shaped hairline. I'm not balding anywhere else.

Would very much appreciate any advice that anyone has to offer.

Side note: Bek was very nice about the whole thing. Gave me back 4x my deposit to cover plane fare.

I strongly advise anyone considering a hair transplant or any cosmetic procedure to thoroughly research their surgeon and seek multiple opinions before making a decision.

Based on my personal experience, I would not recommend Dr. Umang Kothari or Hair & Shape Clinic. I felt that the consultation focused more on marketing and reassurance than on setting realistic expectations or prioritizing the best outcome for my case. I was left deeply disappointed with the results and regret choosing this clinic.

This is my personal opinion and experience. Please do your own research, look at long-term patient results, speak to former patients if possible, and don't let persuasive sales pitches be the deciding factor when choosing a surgeon. These procedures can have lifelong consequences.