Hair transplant clinics exist in nearly all major cities in the world. So why would a UK citizen fly all the way to sunny Turkey for a hair transplant? Is there something different or special about that particular country, when it comes to hair loss procedures?

Every year, it’s estimated that some sixty thousand medical tourists flock to Istanbul’s 300+ hair clinics for a transplant operation. But that’s not all. The head of the development council of health tourism estimates that nearly three quarters of a million surgical procedures are carried on foreign patients each year in Turkey.

The price of a procedure in Turkey tends to come in at way below the cost of treatment in the UK or USA. Along with lower priced, but still potentially high quality treatments, the cost of accommodation, travel, food and entertainment make Turkey a deeply desirable destination for seekers of surgery and sun. The market for hair transplants in Turkey is fast becoming one of the busiest in the world, meaning surgeons can offer increasingly competitive prices, while boasting major levels of experience in the latest technologies.

Careful travellers used to avoid surgery abroad in places like Turkey, but the popularity of online communities, reviews and real-time public updates on social media, have given potential medical tourists a lot more confidence in their ability to avoid the pitfalls. While the UK press reports the odd horror story, and Turkey has suffered a blow to its tourism industry because of its political climate, the medical tourism industry is a real growth area. There are other alternatives and you can also compare the costs, doctor reviews, and many other important pieces of information on the reviews of top hair transplant surgeons by Medihair.

It’s entirely possible to travel to Turkey for a hair transplant, and receive a full and expert service from a world class surgeon with bags of experience, for a bargain price. Equally, it’s possible to fall victim to a cowboy operation and be left with a sore head and an empty wallet, for a less than sterling example of bargain-basement hair surgery. Turkey is a goldmine for inexpensive procedures, making hair transplants available to many more men. But it’s also less well-regulated than UK or USA clinics, and so a lot of care must be taken in selecting the clinic and the surgeon to carry out the procedure. Using social media, review sites and the testimonials of real clients is just as important, if not more, than looking at the clinic’s before and after photos, or simply taking their word for it. Don’t be afraid to shop around and ask questions, and you too could enjoy a world class, but cut-price hair transplant in sunny Turkey.