Istanbul hair transplant boom shifts focus to more European clients
ISTANBUL
Türkiye’s growing dominance in the global hair transplant industry is reinforced by Istanbul’s rise as a key medical tourism hub, with a sector representative signaling an increase in demand from European countries.
“We have practically covered the Middle Eastern market — almost everyone has had a transplant. Now, the focus is shifting toward Europe,” Elif Ural, a board member of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), told daily Hürriyet.
For hair transplant operations, individuals from Germany, Spain, Italy and England particularly travel to Istanbul at present.
“Istanbul is now the hub of this industry. We are unable to send patients to [the Mediterranean city of] Antalya for hair transplants even if we offer half the price. In this sense, Istanbul has outperformed Türkiye and established itself as a brand,” Ural explained.
Estimates suggest that around 750,000 international visitors visited Türkiye for hair transplants last year. However, due to widespread unregistered operations, obtaining precise figures is challenging.
This is linked to the industry operating largely off the books, with approximately 90 percent of transactions going unrecorded, according to Ural.
Still, projections suggest that over the past six years, around six million people have traveled to Türkiye for hair transplant procedures, Ural noted.
While the average cost for a procedure was around 4,000 euros for hair transplants last year, it has now dropped to between 1,500 and 3,000 euros.
In addition to hair transplant operations, dental treatments are another significant draw, particularly in Antalya, with British patients, in particular, recognizing the city as a leading destination for dental work, Ural underlined.
Dr. Servet Terziler, head of the Turkish Health Tourism Association (TUSATDER), on the other hand, warned that oversaturation in the hair transplant market has driven some businesses to cut corners.
"Many companies rushed into hair transplantation for quick profits, but those that couldn't maintain quality have already disappeared," he explained.
Meanwhile, Turkish investors are also opening clinics abroad, particularly in European and the Gulf countries, potentially reducing the number of patients flying to Türkiye for treatment.
Despite various challenges, Türkiye’s health tourism industry welcomed a total of 1.5 million visitors and generated $3 billion in revenue last year — the country aims to increase this figure to $6 billion this year, with a long-term objective of $20 billion by 2030.
