"I recently had a fantastic experience at TurkeyMed and felt compelled to share.
I started researching hair transplants about six months ago. Living in the United States, the cost is exponentially higher than Turkey, so my focus quickly shifted to Istanbul. Plus, Turkey has developed unrivaled proficiency in hair transplants.
After reviewing before-and-after pictures and countless Reddit threads, I reached out to several clinics: Smile, Cosmedica, Vera Clinic, TurkeyMed, Hair of Istanbul, Now Hair Time, and Dr. Serkan Aygin. I emailed them with pictures and my information, requesting a quote. I wanted a proposal in black and white—price and estimated number of grafts.
TurkeyMed was among the most responsive of all the clinics. I ultimately chose them because their price and value proposition was unbeatable. But even more critically, their results seemed just as impressive as the others, if not more so. And despite the low price, this would be a DHI procedure, which many clinics charge more for.
My assessment was that TurkeyMed's capabilities were nearly identical to other clinics, but their actual clinic isn't quite as fancy and luxurious, leading to the lower price. I was drawn to the beautiful clinics of Vera and Cosmedica, but didn't think it was worth paying twice the price if the results would be the same.
I proposed December dates. Getting to Istanbul was a journey—a 10-hour red-eye from Los Angeles to London, six hours in Heathrow, then another 4-hour red-eye to Istanbul. I landed at 5:30am Monday as a worn-out zombie.
I was picked up within five minutes of going to the meeting point. Great first impression. Given the price I paid, having to wait for a bit would have been reasonable, especially arriving so early, but I was grateful, especially after 20+ hours of travel.
As the only passenger, I was driven to the clinic near the central business district. I arrived around 7am and the team had arrived early to accommodate me.
The initial consultation was kept short since they knew I was exhausted. We discussed and agreed upon the hairline and distribution.
The driver picked me up at 7:30am the next morning for the procedure. Again, I was the only one in the van—for every single ride actually. Three other procedures were happening that day but mine was the only one beginning that early. This felt nothing like a "hair mill" experience.
My translator, Zane, was always there to greet me and communicate throughout the procedure. "Okay now they are going to start pre-anesthesia...now the anesthesia..." This helped alleviate nerves. They really do coddle you.
The female technicians were true professionals. Two did the extraction, three did the implantation. They were talking and joking, which I've read bothered some people (understandable), but I didn't mind. I'm happy they felt comfortable and in a state of flow. Extraction took 1.5 hours, implantation took 3 hours. They worked fast, but it didn't feel rushed.
They fed me lunch afterward. I'm glad we didn't break between extraction and implantation since the less time grafts are outside your head, the better.
The next day they changed my bandage. On the fourth day they did the first wash. They gave me a two-month supply of special foam, shampoo, and supplements.
Overall, very positive. They made me feel valued and never made me wait. What I received reflected a high-end, five-star experience—not in terms of fancy facilities, but in treatment, communication, and care."
— Robert
