Over the past few years, I have been considering doing something about my thinning hair. As you can see in my previous blog, I joined some forums to understand the different treatment options and decided on the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant method. Before the pandemic, I decided to go to Turkey to avail myself of the treatment as it would be cost-effective with well-known and skilled clinics. Fast-forward to 2023, I found that Academic Istanbul, a Turkish clinic, has set up a branch in Manila, Philippines.

As part of my quest to improve my appearance, I booked myself a few months ago to undergo some cosmetic procedures to correct areas that have bothered me over the years (more blogs to follow). I have four weeks’ leave and wanted to minimise downtime and consolidate any recovery time (as organised as this sounds, it made it challenging). 

Preparation

Prior to the procedure, I got reminder messages from the clinic on what I should and should not do in preparation for the hair transplant. I was advised to cease cutting my hair for a month before the surgery, as this allows the hair to grow and gives a clear view of where the donor and transplant areas will be. A week before, I was advised to cease drinking coffee and other meds that can cause issues with bleeding.

So … what was it like?

I arrived at 9 am Centuria Medical Centre, a large hospital building in Makati City and the location of Academic Istanbul Manila. The hospital was impressive, with various medical professionals’ clinics in the centre. Turkish clinics are well known for having excellent outcomes with hair transplants, and I was comforted to know that the clinic I chose has that Turkish experience. 

I was greeted by the owner, Mr Ertug and Yigit, the general manager, together with their medical team two. They clarified what I could expect for the day, and since this is our first face-to-face meeting (outside our zoom call), we had an opportunity to clarify any concerns.  

An obvious question from me was if the 3000 grafts would be enough. They clarified that they do not count the grafts; instead, they focus on the areas and the outcomes required. As a minimum, it was 3000, but I later found out that mine was more like 4000 grafts transplanted. Winning!!! 

 

My blood was drawn for tests, and I was cleared to continue with the procedure in a matter of minutes. They drew and discussed my hairline options with me until we settled on the placement that I was after. Their advice was crucial in finding a natural-looking hairline. Once this was settled, my hair was cut to a number 1 clipper-cut in preparation for the procedure. After this, I went into the procedure room to commence at about 9:30 am.

Anaesthetic

Before injecting the anaesthetic, they used a tool that felt like a rubber band being flicked in various places around my head. They explained that this tool was brought from Turkey and was designed to reduce pain, and it must have worked because there was minimal pain during the whole procedure.

There were areas around the temple that were tender when the anaesthetic was applied. There may be another two spots in the head with similar sensitivity. Apart from this, most of the sensation was bearable.

Harvesting

The “donor” area was harvested of hair roots to be transplanted. I was face-down on the procedure table where one medical staff concurrently opened channels in my scalp whilst the other harvested each graft and prepared them in a Petri dish.

Breaks

I was advised that we could take as many breaks as I needed during the day. I faced different directions during the procedure and sometimes wanted to break from certain positions.

Earlier, we anticipated that the procedure would take about 4 hours, but with the number of grafts I needed, it took the whole day. Knowing they were meticulous and did not rush the procedure was comforting.

I wanted to listen to music to help the time pass, but this was only possible during the second transplantation stage, as earphones would be in the way of harvesting. The time passed well, and I may have even napped in some parts!

We all took a 30-minute break for lunch as it is essential to keep energy and fluids up.

Implants + PRP

The second part of the procedure is to individually implant the grafts into the donor area, ensuring that the anaesthetic is still effective and topped up in the relevant areas.

The clinic also includes Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections during the procedure to stimulate hair growth.

This was pretty uneventful, with me spending most of my time lying on my back as the grafts were transplanted.

 

Aftercare

We finished the day at 5:30 pm, where they presented me with aftercare instructions. This was where I felt the clinic excelled. I received clear instructions on what to do and watch out for over the coming days and weeks. It is an excellent start in helping me care for my grafts.

 

Above this, I was asked to send daily photos to Yigit daily to receive advice on how it is healing, ask any questions, and, importantly, instructions on what I need to be doing.

Sleeping

This would be the most challenging aspect of the procedure. I was advised to sleep on a lounge chair (which was not available in the hotel I had organised).  

 

I was required to sleep mainly in a seated position using a neck pillow, careful not to come into contact with any surface. This was for a week. Since we have daily check-ins with photos, the clinic advised me to allow sleeping flat on a bed by day 6. The first two nights were the most difficult! But you get used to it after that.

First Day Wash

The day after the procedure, I returned to the clinic to go through the procedure for washing my hair. They supplied two products: an antiseptic foam softening the scalp and a special shampoo for 14 days.

10 Day Wash

Ten days after the procedure, I returned to the clinic for my day 10 wash. This is to remove the scabs that form after the transplant. 

PRP

I was advised that because my hair strands are pretty thin, I would benefit from Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections when I return to Sydney. Since I was in the Philippines for 4 weeks, the clinic performed the first two of these injections (included in the package), and I plan to continue 4 months (one per month) upon my return.

 

Final thoughts

I understand the procedure is available in a trip as short as 3 days!!! This would have been a good option for me as recovering at home may be more comfortable. However, as I bundled my recovery time with other plastic surgery procedures, this was not an option.

I can’t wait to see the progress of my hair transplant over the next few months. I know that the grafts will fall off over the next two months before they finally grow again permanently. I plan to provide further updates in the coming months. So far, I am pleased with the procedure and am very impressed by the aftercare, as they have been very responsive.