All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors.
However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through links in this article.
Picture this: Youre 5,672 miles away from home, nine hours ahead of all your loved ones.
Courtesy of subject
But what if I told you my hair journey led me to the Netherlands instead?
For those of you who are new to the conversation of hair transplants: welcome!
But I decided against that pretty quickly.
Two very similar airplane bathroom selfies; two very different heads of hair before and after my transplant.
Before we get into why, Ill take you through my journey one step at a time.
As a 90s kid, gender norms paved the way on how society categorized me into heteronormative boxes.
My hair was an important part of my identity at the time.
The day before my procedure as compared to 12 days afterwards.
Despite that, genetics hit me like a ton of bricks in my twenties.
But in fact, my dad noticed his hair loss as early as high school.
My Keeps questionnaire results directed me to purchase their5% Minoxidil Topical Solution.
More people should talk about hair loss on social media.
Episodes ofBotchedpainted a financially devastating picture for me, leaving me discouraged every time I thought about it.
(That number is, of course, contingent on the severity of one’s hair loss.)
Thats where medical tourism comes inand for hair transplants, Turkey is like Disney World.
Many clinics there offer all-inclusive packages that include the procedure (anesthesia, graft harvesting, implanting, etc.
In Turkey, they have the process pretty streamlined at this point, says Dr. Bhanusali.
My thing is this: I’m not against people going to Turkey.
It’s just that you have to know what you’re getting yourself into.
It’s like Russian roulette, and we’ve seen incredible results from some of the places there.
To that point, we’ve also seen equally terrifying results.
In dermatology, our training is focused on becoming experts of the hair, skin and nails.
That being said, many hair transplant surgeons come from varying backgrounds, he says.
Given the disparity in the background of many surgeons, training can vary.
I always look at the prior history and what throw in of doctor they were originally, he says.
The procedure most closely aligns with dermatologists, as well as plastic and facial plastic surgeons.
Welcoming me with open arms was their very first question: Are you suffering from (beginning) baldness?
The next step was to share pictures of my hair with my doctor via Whatsapp.
Sometimes our hair grows in singular hairs, doubles, triples, and quadruples.
So, occasionally doctors will actually split follicles.
Two very similar airplane bathroom selfies; two very different heads of hair before and after my transplant.
An hour and a half long Uber drive later, I arrived at Haarkliniek De Kroon.
Watching each strand of hair make its way to the floor was emotional for me.
Upon final examination, my donor area was marked and it was time to go under the lamps.
My doctor walked me into a bleak operating room where I was greeted by two hair technicians.
I decided Id get lost in the music and attempt to maintain my composure on my own first.
Eventually, it worked.
I felt each and every one of the injections on the back of my head.
I wept like a baby, loud enough for the entire clinic to hear me.
Thankfully, the anesthesia kicked in quickly, but not fast enough to erase the memory of each injection.
Local anesthesia is by far the most common.
You could anesthetize someone [with general anesthesia], but there are risks associated, he says.
We provide nitrous oxide to our patients, as well as local anesthesia, adds Dr. Bhanusali.
I took several breaks throughout this step just to catch my breath.
I even caught glimpses of my doctor inspecting my follicles as I was lying on my right side.
Every hour on the hour I asked them how much longer we had to go.
Ultimately, this part of the process took a little over four hours.
The day before my procedure as compared to 12 days afterwards.
Its pretty common for hair transplant patients to receive a series of PRP treatments immediately after their procedure.
This timing helps maximize the benefits by promoting healing and supporting the newly transplanted hair follicles.
My treatment plan at Haarkliniek De Kroon included this initial PRP session in the price.
The best way I can describe how my head felt the first three days post-op is simply…weird.
Imagine trying to make a fist while your hand is taped to a wall.
Grooming writer forGQand founder of the forthcoming grooming platform Blue Print,Adam Hurly, agreed with my assessment.
(He got a transplant in Turkey a few years back.)
It was refreshing to clean myself up as much as I could.
Over the next couple of days, my donor and crown areas were itchier than ever.
Unfortunately, there wasnt much I could do to combat this.
(I tried fanning my head, which provided very little relief.)
Its worth mentioning that I wasnt incapacitated throughout my trip like I thought Id be.
While I was scared to go outside during the day, I knew getting outside would raise my spirits.
It Doesnt Stop Here
Whats shock loss, you might be wondering?
I was, too.
At about two and a half weeks post-procedure, my shock loss was starting.
Dr. Bhanusali assured me its just a part of the process.
The [final] results are not dependent on how much shock loss you have.
Some people have it, some people don’t, he says.
I don’t stress too much about it.
I just let my patients know it probably will happen.
And if it does, its nothing to worry about.
Patience is going to be my biggest challenge throughout this next phase.
Dr. Bhanusali set realistic expectations for me by saying I should expect my best results at the 12-month mark.
But even so, a hair transplant isnt a one-and-done cure-all for hair loss.
You need a good plan in place to combat the ongoing hair loss.
They asked about everything from pricing and location to pain levels and the recovery periodthe list goes on.
I say this with confidence because for a long time, that was me.
As a man, societal norms have prevented me from oversharing for fear of seeming too vulnerable.
Take the time to research their clinic and look for before-and-after photos of previous patients for credibility.
Read more about hair loss:
Watch Brooke Shields' ten-minute hair routine:
