Hair transplant Turkey: Istanbul hair clinic pushes back technological boundaries

Istanbul’s Cosmedica Clinic is pioneering the use of the Micro Sapphire DHI hair transplant technique, which offers unparalleled graft success rates of 99% against the industry standard of 60-70%

This new development in high quality hair transplant technology comes from combining the existing techniques Micro Sapphire FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) and DHI (Direct Hair Implantation).

Dr. Levent Acar, the founder and lead surgeon of Cosmedica, said, “We are delighted to be achieving the best hair graft survival rate of any technology in the hair transplant field. We can promise our patients the best chance of a permanent solution to hair loss and a natural-looking hair transplant.”

The patient’s own hair is taken from areas with full hair and transplanted into the balding areas. These hair grafts are resistant to the hormones that cause hair loss. Micro Sapphire DHI uses surgical tools made of the precious stone sapphire, which offer finer and more accurate incisions than steel instruments. In this way, Dr. Acar can avoid damage to the hair roots.

Micro Sapphire DHI no longer removes entire sections of skin, as used to be standard with FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation). There is only micro scarring in the donor area. A DHI implanter pen is used to insert the hair follicles into the balding area, giving 360-degree protection to the transplanted hairs.

Why have a hair transplant in Turkey?

Standard FUE hair transplants in the UK or elsewhere in Western Europe easily cost many thousands of pounds. A typical price per graft is around £3, and a standard hair transplant might involve about 3,500 grafts, giving a total price of roughly £10,500. Very few, if any, British clinics offer the very latest techniques as Micro Sapphire DHI.

By contrast, the best clinics in Istanbul offer fixed-price packages which do not vary according to the number of grafts required. For example, Cosmedica Clinic’s hair transplant price for up to 5500 grafts is €3790. This includes a stay in a luxury hotel while the patient is in Istanbul and personal treatment from Dr. Acar.

It is a common misconception that aesthetic surgery in Turkey means compromising on quality. While without doubt there are clinics in Turkey that offer substandard and possibly unsafe levels of treatment, the best Turkish clinics offer world-class standards of care.

There is incredible competition between hair transplant surgery clinics in Istanbul. At the bottom of the market, therefore, clinics compete on price. However, at the top of the market, Istanbul hair doctors are constantly innovating to set themselves apart. This is the environment from which Dr. Acar has emerged to offer a world-leading standard of care.

Dr. Acar: pushing back the boundaries of hair transplantation

Dr. Levent Acar, born in 1981 in Germany, is a three-time winner of the Whatclinic Service Award, an international award for special service and the best medical results. Since 2005, Dr. Acar has successfully performed over 20,000 hair transplants. From 2008 to 2010, he was the director of the Medical International Hospital, an international clinic in Istanbul, as well as the Medical Aesthetic Unit.

The experienced surgeon is a regular guest at world congresses, for example in Prague or Las Vegas. He trained as a doctor in Turkey and Germany, and speaks English, Turkish and German fluently.

Dr. Acar’s secrets for success

A personalised approach is crucial to any reputable hair surgeon’s success. Each patient has individual needs, is affected differently by hair loss, and has an individual physiology that may make them suitable for particular treatments. Dr. Acar is proud of his attention to detail to each of his patients.

One of the many advantages of the Micro Sapphire DHI technique is that incredibly accurate placing of individual hairs is possible. This means that Dr. Acar can set a completely convincing final result, rather than the Ken-doll extremely straight hairline that people often associate with hair transplants.

The process begins with a free consultation and hair analysis, which Dr. Acar offers to prospective patients. Photos are taken of the patient’s current hair situation and analysed by Dr. Acar and his experienced team.

These photos are compared with the patient’s medical history and Dr. Acar and his colleagues draw a conclusion about likely solutions and the prospects for success.

Once an agreement has been met with the patient, it is time to book the desired hair transplant package. Travel to Turkey is not included, but Istanbul has one of the world’s best-connected airports so this should not present a problem.

The client is picked up at the airport in Istanbul and taken directly to their luxury hotel. Transfers to the clinic, back to the hotel and back to the airport are also included in the package price. Medical tourism is supposed to be relaxing as well as life changing.

Once in Istanbul, the preliminary consultation with the attending doctor takes place. Unlike in some other Turkish clinics, all doctors at Cosmedica Clinic can communicate with patients in English. During the procedure, the patient is usually awake and can talk to the staff or read, as desired.

The transplantation

The hair restoration treatment begins with needle-free anaesthesia of the scalp. This technology allows for an almost completely pain free experience. The hair follicles are harvested with a hollow needle and transplanted directly into the recipient region.

The transplanted hair does not have to be prepared first but is inserted directly after removal. The hair follicles are thus only cut off from the nutrient supply for as short a time as possible. As a result, an average of 99% of the transplanted hairs grow back. Almost all leading clinics now offer DHI, but almost none offer the most advanced version, Micro Sapphire DHI.

Cosmedica Clinic offers a comprehensive aftercare service to give the implanted hair the best chance of success. Patients receive detailed instructions about what to do and when to do it. The first hair wash is done at the clinic by a trained technician. Cosmedica Clinic staff are on hand for a year afterwards to deal with issues and concerns.