This is a comprehensive but hopefully helpful review if you are considering travelling to Turkey to get a hair-transplant. Decisions… Decisions! I had been wanting to cover a bald patch on the crown area for several years. I knew the costs of hair transplants in the US & UK were outrageous. I also knew Turkey was an excellent option but I absolutely had no clue how to get to the hair-transplant clinics in Turkey. In November 2017, as I was pondering the prospect of spending Christmas in the Finnish Laplands to catch a glimpse of Aurora Borealis, I was bemused at the total cost of the trip. I thought I could I spend my money on something more worthwhile instead. I started searching vigorously online for the Turkish clinics which lead to an article in the Telegraph about hair transplants. The article stated that a Turkish surgeon named Dr.Tayfun has a company in the UK which practically takes care of everything to get your transplantation done. This eventually got me to the Gethair website. Next morning, I called Kaan and asked him a few questions, it took me 10 minutes to decide that I wanted to do it. Later that night, I sent the pictures of my thinning hair that Kaan had requested for the free consultation. A week later I had the report in my email and I called Kaan immediately to schedule an appointment at the end of December. I booked a flight to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines to Ataturk airport. Turkey here I come! Prior to my arrival in Istanbul, I was told where to locate the driver who would take me to the hotel. The driver was in the arrivals area with another gentleman who had also arrived from England for a hair transplant on the same day. On the way to the hotel, I enjoyed the views of Istanbul. The driver, with limited English, pointed to a few attractions and as we approached the hotel he mentioned that one of the top Kebab shops in Istanbul was just around the corner from the hotel. At the Asia Princess Hotel, we were welcomed by the staff and the concierge who kindly offered to take us to the rooms on the 6th floor. I was blown away by how modern and clean the hotel the room was. Nejat, the concierge, pointed to one of the pillows which was covered in plastic and said “” This is for tomorrow!!’’. I ordered room service and got a delicious meal, absolutely brilliant Turkish grills with chicken Caesar salad. At around 9 pm I received a call from Nasimi, the patient coordinator based in the clinic, and was told I would be picked up at 8:30 am. The Day! It’s the day of the procedure. I go downstairs for breakfast; it was a feast! I helped myself to some of the food, then headed back to the room to get ready. I put on comfortable clothes and met the driver in the reception at 8:30 am. It took about 5 minutes to get to the Medistate hospital where the Gethair clinic is located. The hospital was excellent, clean and modern. I was greeted by Galina the receptionist who spoke fluent English. Nasimi the coordinator was there as well. I processed the remaining balance and was taken by Galina to Dr.Tayfun’s office. He inspected my hair and drew circles to define the recipient area. He said my hair would look thick and good in a few months due to the large volume and long hair in the donor area. Dr.Tayfun stepped out and Galina took a few pictures of my hairline with a Nikon camera. I asked for how long Dr.Tayfun had been doing this and she replied ‘’ about 20 years ‘’ if I remember correctly. I was taken to a different room where 3 nurses shaved my head which was necessary to carry out the procedure. Until that point I had never seen my head completely shaven, so that was a first. The nurses removed my shirt and handed me a gown before proceeding to the operation room. In the room, the views were relaxing and the TV was on. Although there were stacks of DVDs, I was not really interested in watching anything. Galina clarified briefly each step of the procedure. One of the nurses started applying local anesthesia and I was asked whether I was fine with the injections, I did not feel any pain. Galina said some people react to the local anesthetics differently and apparently I was one of the lucky ones. Dr.Tayfun proceeded to make incisions on my scalp where hair had to be transplanted, the whole thing took about an hour from 9 am to 10 am. Once the doctor left, two nurses started taking hair follicles from the donor area which took about two hours. Although the nurses didn’t speak fluent English, they gave me clear instructions during the procedure. At around 12 pm, the extractions were finalized and I took a small break. At around 12:05, they started the implantation and 3 nurses got to work on my crown area and the frontal line. At around 2 pm the procedure was done. I think the last part was the most difficult for the nurses and I really appreciated the good shift they put in. As you can imagine, it is not easy to plant individual follicles. The total time of the procedure was five hours. My head was wrapped with a bandage professionally to prevent swelling and to counter bleeding overnight. My shirt was returned and had to be placed over my head without touching the implant area. In hindsight, a front opening shirt would have been a better choice. After the procedure Galina gave me antibiotics, pain killers and instructed me to be careful with the way I slept the first night. ‘’ No lying on the sides and please make sure you do not touch the areas operated on”” she said. A neck pillow at this stage would have been ideal. I was given lunch and Nasimi told me that If needed anything I could speak to him on Whatsapp. Once I had finished my lunch, Galina took me downstairs to the reception area where the driver was waiting. At the hotel, I found it really hard to sleep because I was not too sure where my head was on the pillow as I drifted away. I read in one of the reviews that a travel pillow could help and I recommend you have one prior to the operation. I managed to buy one at Istanbul airport at the departure gates. Washing day: Having not slept much in the previous two nights. I called the hotel reception to ask whether they could bring breakfast to the room which they did. I was relieved not be leaving Istanbul on the same day. I’m going to give immense credit to Dr.Tayfun’s team here and mainly the driver, whose name I believe is Gurkan (apologies if that incorrect). He took me and a couple of other gentlemen from England, back to the hospital at 9 am for the hair wash. Galina and another nurse were there, my hair was washed and the bandage taken away. The nurse put a band on my head which was done to prevent swelling. Final instructions were delivered by Galina together with a loose hat, shampoo, lotion and ATP solution. I left the hospital with Gurkan and whilst getting out of the car at the hotel, I banged my head! The driver looked at me and said we have to go back to the hospital. He called Galina and told her we were coming back. Upon inspection, the nurse at the hospital said I had lost 6 grafts in the incident. She was kind enough to put them back and told me to relax and be careful. I really appreciated the fact that even the driver had my best interests at heart. At the hotel and as bedtime was approaching, I had to take off the headband. Galina had informed me earlier that the hotel staff could do it for me! To their credit a couple of them, including Nejat, lifted the band expertly without touching the donor and recipient areas. Leaving Istanbul, My departure flight back to the UK was around 8:30 in the morning. I was surprised to find the driver at the hotel at 5 am, ready to take me to Ataturk’s Airport Concluding remarks My experience was remarkable in that I was in good hands from the moment I arrived in Istanbul until the moment I left. I highly recommend Gethair and regret not making a firm decision to find the clinic earlier. There’s always some discomfort associated with any medical procedure but it’s really nothing compared with the potential gain. I genuinely believe this is a much better option than what is available in the UK. Obviously the comparatively low price was a factor for me and I was extremely pleased with Dr.Tayfun’s team. Their experience, craft and skill were clearly major factors in making this experience a pleasant one. It has been one month since the operation and I cannot wait to report on the progress