I received a hair transplant with Dr Mehmet Demircioglu at Diamond Hair Clinic in July 2024. It has been an absolutely fantastic experience. There is nothing I can say negative about him or the practice. All accommodation and travel to and from the hotel, clinic and airport is covered with your cost, making it as smooth and minimally stressful as possible. Diamond asks that you pay in cash, on the day, with no pre-deposit. Only that you show your flight confirmation once you’ve booked your flights. I paid €5,500 not including flights. I booked my surgery for June 3, 2024, securing the date by booking my flight tickets on April 20, 2024, and sending a screenshot of the tickets to the clinic. Shortly afterward, I discovered that the cost for new patients had increased to €6,000. Fortunately, my fee remained at 5,500 Euros, the rate available when I booked. I wanted a hair transplant for a long time (10+ years) and have done extensive research into different hair transplant clinics in Turkey. There was no way I was going to pay £1000 and risk an inexperienced technician in a hair mill, botch my hair transplant, regretting it for the rest of my life. When you arrive at the airport, you are escorted to a meeting point and wait for your driver who takes you to the hotel to check in (Hotel is called Tryp by Wyndham Topkapi). The hotel is pretty standard, but the staff are super friendly and you see a tonne of other guys with hair transplants walking around too so you don’t feel alone. This is your last night of looking “normal” for a while so I decided to go out to the hotels restaurant, which is a short free shuttle bus drive away. I had fish dinner by the river at sunset and went back to my room. The next day breakfast at the hotel, and then a car will take you to Diamond in the morning for the procedure. Dr. Mehmet welcomed me with a friendly smile and warm handshake. I was very anxious but he instantly recognised this, and made me feel so much more at ease within minutes. We discussed my hair loss, my expectations, hairline design, and all the formalities, including payment. He showed me photos of his other patients too. We tried different options for about an hour and a half until we had both agreed a surgery plan we were happy with. Dr. Mehmet was very knowledgeable but also very direct and honest with facts, and what was feasible and what was not. He made it all seem much less intimidating. He then takes a bunch of photos, before he draws your new hairline. And you can look in the mirrors as long as you like until you’re happy. And he will redraw it as much as you need. Then, two technicians shave your head. I had never rocked a shaved head before so this was startling for me. Lying face down, the procedure begins with a sharp panging device hitting your scalp which is unpleasant but not overly painful. This is the non invasive numbing device, a standard before anything is injected for Diamond. Often other clinics will try charging extra for this. I’m not sure it did much however, because next, the injection of the anaesthetic into the scalp which was very painful for me (but I am known to be a bit of a wimp!). I was yelling out and clenching my fists as the needle went in many times. But the technicians asked me to take a deep breaths, they were smooth, professional and quick, checking regularly with me that I was happy to continue. After ten minutes of pain, the anesthetic worked and you feel nothing for the rest of the procedure. 10 minutes of pain seems a small price to pay! Except the sound of needles going into your scalp which is unpleasant but not painful. You can feel things moving on your scalp but it doesn’t feel like you’re being touched. Overall the procedure felt unpleasant, but not painful. Some patients apparently sleep but I could not. The first stage, extraction (2 hours approx), is done by the technicians. Removing the hairs from your donor area. The second stage and most important is the incisions, done by Dr Mehmet (2 hours approx). We chatted a bit as I lay on my back with my eyes covered from the bright surgery lights. Dr. Mehmet was very funny and making me laugh so it was a much less scary experience. The final stage, implantation, is done by the technicians (3 hours approx). Placing the harvested hairs into Dr. Mehmet’s intricately positioned incisions. You break for lunch after stage 1, and can ask for a break to use the bathroom or stretch as many times as you like. Dr. Mehmet only sees one patient a day, and maximum 10 a month. So you have his entire focus throughout which was a HUGE plus for me. I had heard multiple stories of patients being rushed out as another one is through the door. He also gives you his personal phone number for any questions during recovery which has been invaluable. He told me there is no such thing as a stupid question! Some patients he is still in contact with 6 years later for advice on buying supplements and shampoos etc. I am quite a nervous and anxious person, but time after time, Dr. Mehmet has listened to me and reassured me. He’s a friendly, charismatic and brilliant professional, who made the whole experience as positive as possible. After you’re finished, I felt quite shocked and dizzy. But the technicians guide you to sit upright and you take it slow. Your donor area is dressed in a bandage. Dr. Mehmet then sits with you and goes over the debrief as well as a thorough aftercare plan (I would advise making as many notes as possible on your phone as there is lots to remember). You will be taking several tablets for the next couple of weeks. Although Dr. Mehmet is available on WhatsApp to ask directly. I finished the day at about 5:30pm. After that it’s back to the hotel for the evening, and you spend the following day in the hotel room resting. I managed about 4 hours of broken sleep and some short naps. Just sleep when you can and when it feels natural. You can order any food you like to from the menu to your room, but I would advise getting some snacks for your mini fridge the day before. The food was not great, but I didn’t care at that point! I had been dreading the flight home ever since saving for a hair transplant, and being in public at the airport. But honestly once the shock of being shaved, and the rest day (which you spend a good chunk of looking at yourself in the mirror to normalise your new appearance). It didn’t feel so anxiety-inducing. I put my headphones in, played my switch, and no one bothered me. I’m sure plenty of people looked at me but I didn’t notice. I saw many other men in Istanbul airport looking the same as me. Nobody cares, they have their own lives. Also, the day after the rest day, all the pain had subsided so that helped too. Overall, I underestimated how unpleasant the transplant would feel. But I am so grateful I chose Diamond and Dr. Mehmet and his team to guide me through the process. Because of their patience, kindness and professionalism. They made it so much better. My advice would be, BE PREPARED! It’s a big surgical procedure and quite shocking visually what you go through in a short space of time. It’s also an emotional rollercoaster. And secondly, ideally TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU. Many of the guys I saw with transplant bandages were with partners or a buddy. I wish I had someone there with me it would have made the process easier. I have completed my first milestone, the “10-day wash” where you remove the crusts and scabs so can kind of see for the first time, what your new hairline looks like. I’m thrilled with what I am seeing so far. The hairline is full of “irregular irregularities”, not a perfect straight line or a perfect zigzag. NO NATURAL HAIRLINE is straight perfectly or zigzagged. It looks very good so far, I can’t wait to see what it looks like after shock loss and some real growth comes through. I received 4500 grafts in total. 3500 on my front and temples and 1000 on the crown. Pictures below. Photo 1) Hair loss photographed on the day of the procedure. Photo 2) Day 2 after the procedure. Photo 3) Day 2 after the procedure (side) Photo 4 & 5) After 10 day wash. Overall, brilliant experience with Dr. Mehmet Demircioglu and Diamond Hair Clinic. 5 stars!