50 Yrs... Heading to Turkey ....Maybe!

[GettingOld]

Hi, Im 50 years of age from Atlanta, GA and think I am a NW 3 Vertex. Kind of going through a mini mid life crisis now so just got back from Costa Rica to get new veneers (great place to go get dentistry done by the way) and thought I would address that receding hair line this year too. I have emailed and spoken to several patient consultants over the phone. I was considering Costa Rica also but just cannot find anyone there I am comfortable with. Based on my assessment of most FUE doctors with great reputations it seems to me a like a marketing driven specialty and I wonder if the value of the results can be had.

I have gotten estimates of 1,000 to 2,800 Fue grafts needed to restore my hair. My gut says that the lower numbers were driven toward getting me in the door and the later is probably what I need. At this point as crazy as it seems, I am thinking of getting on a long plane ride to Turkey and going with 2,800 grafts using Dr. Koray in Istanbul. He seems to have a very good online reputation and his before/after photos are some of the best I have seen. When I questioned him on the number of grafts being so high as compared to others, his logic was that my existing hair is very dense and to look right the hairline should maintain that density. He want to do 2100 grafts on the temples and 700 on the crown. What do you guys think based on the photos, Is he right?

At 2.50 Euros I can save about 42% over Dr. Cole in Atlanta even after travel. Am I crazy?

[topcat]

I think that any doctor that advised you to plant into the crown is not someone I would go to. Have they all advised you to do this?

But then again you are 50 so maybe it's not much of a risk referring to the crown.

[GettingOld]

All except one. The Atlanta based one (not allowed to say name), Rahal (Ottawa) and Koray (Turkey) all said they would implant in the crown. Only BHR (Brussels) said they would not. They said " Crown really not worth touching as could cause shock loss, so probably could be a trade off with transplanted hair for native there." What are your thoughts as to why I should not?

[topcat]

LOL………….well I’m a BHR patient so I can believe that and I had no idea about your consultation. Well first off you don’t really need it and second you could very well be opening up a big can of worms. The crown is fine in my opinion just leave it be.

[GettingOld]

I kinda of agree, but honestly my crown is the part that drives my wife crazy. Well really she drives me crazy for not combing it right. I figure though if not harm will come why not just address it all at once now.

[topcat]

You are probably better off trying Rogaine on the crown if you have not already.

The only reason not to address it is because you could be opening a big can of worms which is okay if you are prepared to deal with that if it should happen. Think of small circle of hair surrounded by a larger circle of no hair like a giant target on the back of your head, you might need to have a plan B ready should this happen and then of course you now have the potential for the target to become even larger. This is what I mean by opening up a can of worms.

Not trying to judge you or be offensive but at 50 I would expect you would be willing to take less risk as opposed to someone in their 20’s who easily throws caution to the wind. I think that if you have that frontal work performed you can easily style your hair so that the crown is no longer an issue not that it is even an issue now.

[GettingOld]

I got you. I think I just dont really understand the risk that I am taking yet as I am still new to this and am in the learning phase. From what I am hearing you say, the risk is that the transplanted hair in the crown may be fine but may trigger shock loss in the region surrounding the transplant and then I may be going back for more.

[topcat]

Yes exactly.

[itsmyhairs]

Going to quacks in turkey is the absolute worst thing you can do.

[GettingOld]

Going to quacks in turkey is the absolute worst thing you can do.

Do you have any basis for your comments. If your basing your comments on bias, prejudice or speculation you really are not being helpful to anyone. However, if you have some first hand knowledge based on the doctors being discussed please share.