Why Balding People Are Vacationing in the Middle East

Losing your hair has never prompted so many vacations—especially to the Middle East. Turkey has surged to become the hair-transplant capital of the world, drawing thousands of patients in search of affordable, high-quality procedures. As NPR reports, the country leverages cheaper labor, a competitive number of clinics, and savvy marketing to dominate this niche that's morphed into a full-blown industry. Clinics and agencies in Turkey now offer bundled travel packages to patients, complete with hotel rooms, translation services, and pre-surgery sightseeing trips. But the biggest appeal is likely the low cost of the actual procedure. One patient said his entire trip to Turkey—including the transplant, airfare, and lodging—cost him about $3,400 when clinics in California were quoting more than double that for the procedure alone.

Folks with thinning hair and frequent flyer miles are noticing. Data from the Turkish Health Ministry show 2 million medical tourists came in 2024, generating nearly $3 billion across the health sector. Istanbul—Turkey's largest city—boasts an estimated 5,000 clinics offering Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Direct Hair Implantation (DHI), a density that far surpasses what's available in the US or Europe. And that drives prices down while pushing clinics to compete with perks. Turkey's reputation for skilled surgeons has grown alongside its Instagram presence, with countless success stories drawing in clients who might otherwise hesitate. The government has also leaned in, offering tax incentives to clinics and promoting medical tourism as a pillar of the economy.

But the boom has also led to an overwhelming number of less reputable options for patients, and botched hair transplants can have serious repercussions. Dr. Mehmet Erdogan of the Smile Hair Club clinic in Istanbul said it's all led to a kind of "Wild West" atmosphere, and CBS News warns there's a "black market" of unlicensed practitioners. Ricardo Mejia, vice president of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, said an increasing number of doctors are teaching technicians at their clinics to do procedures, which is definitely sketchy and something to look out for if you book a trip to Istanbul. "[Doctors] think if they have the technicians do it, it makes the doctor extra income," he said. "It's like letting a medical assistant do a breast implant or face lift versus a doctor."