What makes this country a top destination for hair transplants: NPR

Constantinople – in a bright clinic on the east side of Constantinople, a man leans over the scalp of another.

There is an index in his hand and draws fine, careful lines throughout the skull. It almost looks like an art class. Apart from the canvas here is a human head.

Dr. Mehmet Erdogan (no relationship with Turkey’s president) runs the Smile clinic In Constantinople, an elegant multi-species complex that can boast of a 90-95%hair transplant. Since opening in 2018, the clinic has cured about 5,000 patients each year. Most come from abroad: around one third they only come from the United States.

“Okay, I’ll paint according to what I suggest,” says Erdogan, as the pen stumbles against the scalp of his patient, Justin R., a registered nurse from California. Justin, in the early 1940s, did not want the NPR to use its surname so that he could discuss a private issue of health care.

Hair transplants are not new – but suddenly, they are everywhere. And Turkey has become the unofficial capital of industry.

The country is now attracting patients from all over the world, enticed at lower costs, travel packages and a growing network of clinics. The result was a rising new industry, with a significant economic benefit. But although the process is generally considered safe When performed by a specialized surgeon, industry success has raised concerns about potential risks and supervision.

For Justin, the decision went down to dollars.

He told NPR transplantation, including airline ticket and stay, cost him about $ 3,400. He was given excerpts for more than double in clinics that arrived in California.

In the US, the average price for comparable procedures runs upwards From $ 13,000, according to a 2023 study published by the US Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Turkey has built an entire industry in this type of cost.

According to the Turkish Union of Health Tourism, about 1 million people traveled in the country 2022 only on hair transplants, spending about $ 2 billion.

At national level, health tourism brought even more: about 2 million medical tourists in 2024, creating about $ 3 billion, according to Data from the Turkish Ministry of Health.

Walk at Istanbul Airports and you will see ads-chaming men with fresh hair, clinics that promise all-inclusive packages with hotels, airport transport, translators and even sights.

The hidden risks

Not every story ends with a perfect hair line.

Has the International Hair Recovery Society marked concerns About the so -called “black market clinics”, where non -licensed professionals perform sensitive procedures or rush through many patients a day. The Medical Union says it has received reports of results ranging from abused hair to infections and scars.

Glen Jankowski, psychologist at College Dublin University and author of the upcoming book BaldnessIt warns that there are also medical risks that exceed natural results.

“It’s really important, especially hair follicles, you don’t too harvest in a session,” he explains. “It has an effect on your blood pressure. It is really important for medically trained people to do so – and sometimes this is not the case.”

Jankowski also says that patients are sometimes pushed into drugs such as minoxidil or Finasteride without complete consent. “These drugs can have significant side effects,” he says. “You should only take them with appropriate medical advice and up -to -date consent.”

The Turkish Ministry of Health has committed stricter supervision and more inspections. Still, critics say that the huge number of clinics – some estimates in only 5,000 in Istanbul – makes it difficult to impose.

The phenomenon of social media

So why do many men sign? It’s not just savings. Or vanity.

It’s psychology – and tiktok.

“Most people are worried about hair loss, regardless of their actual counts their hair, because advertising is so strong around it,” says Jankowski.

At the Smile Hair Clinic, the waiting room tells this story. A giant Tiktok screen loop and Instagram of happy customers, hitting their hands over fresh hair. “Five months ago I flew to Constantinople”, a man can boast. “Best decision ever.”

Social media have turned transplantation into lifestyle upgrades. It is a makeover to boast, not to hide. And the more men show their results, the more normal the surgery feels.

A few months after its operation, the NPR checked with Justin R., he says he feels younger, more confident – and grateful that he should not have had a twice behind at home.

Doctors like Erdogan say most patients feel the same. But it also admits the rush of clinics and customers has created an “wild west” atmosphere, where it is up to patients to do their job.

Of course, not everyone sign.

Jankowski, the psychologist, chose another route.

“The hair we carry over our heads. We believe it is really meaning. It is not,” he says. “[My hair] He no longer clogs my shower. Does not fall into my porridge. There is a beauty and wisdom [hair loss] Unfortunately we lose. ”

For some, this is the safest and cheaper choice of all – shave it and move on.