Medical Tourism: Should I go to Turkey for a hair transplant?
Medical tourism, a global phenomenon where individuals travel abroad for medical treatment, has been gaining popularity in recent years. While this trend can offer access to treatments at a potentially lower cost, clients should carefully weigh the disadvantages against the benefits and consider consulting with local healthcare professionals and travel experts before making a decision.
Your decision regarding a hair transplant destination shouldn’t be rushed; it’s essential to weigh both the advantages and disadvantages carefully.
When considering hair transplant surgery overseas, in places like Turkey, several drawbacks should be taken into account:
Overharvesting from Donor Site: Hair transplants involve two main areas: the recipient site (where hair is transplanted) and the donor site (typically the back and sides of the head). With Turkey’s FUE hair transplant technique there’s a risk of overharvesting hair from the donor area, which can lead to permanent damage and thinning of the donor site. This happens when more hair follicles are extracted than the donor area can safely support, compromising long-term hair health and potentially leaving unsatisfactory results due to poor-quality grafts. At We Grow Hair Indy, we have a robotic hair transplant machine that adjusts every 60 seconds to harvest the grafts evenly across the donor site. The digital mapping of the donor area also ensures that the patient is left with a very natural look post procedure and is virtually undetectable that a hair transplant was performed.
Excessive Density: While dense hair coverage might seem desirable, overcrowding hair grafts in one area can result in an unnatural appearance. This can also increase the risk of complications such as scarring and infections.
Incorrect Graft Angles and Directions: Precision in transplanting hair follicles at the correct angles and directions is vital for natural-looking results. Inadequate attention to these details during surgery, as observed in Turkey, can result in transplanted hair growing in an irregular or mismatched pattern compared to natural hair, affecting overall aesthetic outcomes.
Medical Education Standards Differ: In the United States in order to practice certain procedures, physicians have to be board certified, which comes after 3-5 years of being a resident. In Turkey, you only have to complete 6-9 months of residency training to practice medicine. Medical standards are set in place to ensure quality and care, which is something to highly consider as you are permanently altering your body.
Poor Hairline Design: Achieving a natural and aesthetically pleasing hairline is crucial in hair transplant surgery. In Turkey, there have been instances of poorly designed hairlines, including unnatural shapes or incorrect angles, which can lead to an unsatisfactory appearance. This is particularly significant for men, as improper temple hair reconstruction can result in a ‘pluggy’ or overly straight hairline. At We Grow Hair Indy, our hairlines are drawn with medical precision and factor in many variables, including age, face shape, and your personal measurements. Many clinics in Turkey do not factor in future recession and loss when designing a hairline, meaning your transplanted hair will not naturally blend in with non-transplanted hair.
Limited Follow-Up Care: Post-operative care and follow-up are critical for monitoring healing progress and addressing any complications. In Turkey, logistical challenges such as returning home shortly after surgery can hinder proper aftercare, potentially affecting recovery and final results. We Grow Hair Indy has an extensive year-long follow-up process that involves check-ins every few months with your consultant to make sure the results are what you want.
Unrealistic Expectations: Managing expectations is essential in any cosmetic procedure, including hair transplants. Some clinics in Turkey may oversell potential results without fully educating clients on the realistic outcomes or risks involved. This can lead to dissatisfaction post-surgery when expected results do not align with reality, compounded by potential language barriers or misinformation. When looking into the Turkey FUE hair transplant trend, most of the viral videos are based around the experience of the travel and arrival, not the end result.
Upselling: From the clients we have talked to that went to Turkey for a hair transplant, their experiences are similar in that the physicians will try to upsell once you are at their clinic. Since you’ve already made the journey, the sales teams in Turkey will offer other cosmetic procedures to tack on to your hair transplant as well as expensive medications to help boost your results that sometimes cost over $1000 every other month.
Our team of physicians have already begun receiving our first round of “correction” hair transplant clients that have gone overseas and need additional work done to their hair after not receiving their desired results. We Grow Hair Indy is one of two hair restoration clinics in the Midwest to have the Multi-Unit Hair Grafting™ technique and the ARTAS system, making it a much safer stateside option with less risks and over 20 years of experience in the hair transplant industry. Schedule your free consultation with one of our experts and let’s discuss how we can help on your hair restoration journey.
