Anna – At last I’m free from extensions and wigs
In spring 2003 I was told that I had a brain tumor that had to be surgically removed and during the subsequent radiation treatment, I lost my hair permanently on the crown. It was obviously a great sorrow to me that the hair on the treated area was not going to grow out again. I had never imagined I would have to use a wig or do a hair transplantation surgery in my life since I have always had a lot of very thick hair.
Hair transplant – before and after photos
I got my first wig
I came in contact with a wig maker who helped me get a kind of hair that attached with clips in my existing hair, where it was still thick. This hair was not always very comfortable or convenient. Sometimes the clips were itching and in the summer time it was like having a plastic bag on my head.
My laser treatment ended with hair extensions
After much reflection, I decided to look for another option and settled on laser treatment as it was written a lot about at that time. After three months of treatment I regained some hair but the greater part of my head was still bald. The hair that started to grow was both thin and fragile. In consultation with the laser clinic, it was decided that I would turn to their other program. The other program meant getting a kind of hair glued onto the scalp. I enjoyed not having to clip on or off the hair, but I kept missing my own, real hair.
Decided for a hair transplant
I decided to investigate if a hair transplant was an option for me. After some research online I was hooked on Ilter Clinic who gave a serious and professional impression. I was nervous before the first meeting. I also thought a lot about whether it was possible to get a good result when transplanting on such large area. I remember the first meeting that day with joy. MD Demir Ilter believed that a transplant would be a suitable option for me, and that it would be fine to transplant across the bald area. The decision was now mine to make. If I wanted to do the whole procedure at one point I would have to shave off all my hair, which felt scary. On the other hand, I did not want to divide the procedure into numerous parts.
I contacted my old wig maker to see if I could try out a wig to use during the time my hair grew out. Luckily it was possible to arrange! Now we only had to get started with planning the transplant procedure. It was both nervous and exciting!
The day of the procedure
The actual operation day began at 7.00 am. MD Ilter and one of his assistants met me in the hallway and described the plans for the day. We started by adding local anesthetic in the area for the surgery. MD Ilter then started taking out the transplants one by one. He explained how his assistants were going to put them in place. 13 hours, 2750 grafts, a good breakfast, lunch, and 4 movies later, the day was over. I did not felt any pain during the surgery and was able to relax. In case of minor pain or trouble sleeping, I got some painkillers and sleeping pills with me. I chose to take some tablets before going to bed and slept well all night.
Before hair transplantation
After the hair transplantation
Now I only had to wait on the result. After no more than 6 months I was able to wear a short haircut. It’s simply amazing to get pampered at a regular hairdresser again. No more clips or glue used to attach hair onto the crown. At last, my own, real hair was back. I did not expect the result to be as good as it got. And no one can spot my previous hair transplantation. Of course, I have not regained my natural density on the crown yet, but it takes up to a year before the full results are visible. Im so glad to feel happy with my hair again, after years of suffering from effects caused by the radiation therapy. A big thank you to everyone at the Ilter Clinic. And above all, to MD Demir Ilter!
Anna