The world hair transplant capital is in Turkey, but is clinics’ golden age nearing an end?
Istanbul is a hub for hair transplants, with 5,000 clinics seeing patients from around the world. But competition from elsewhere is rising

Men with bloody, bandaged scalps are a striking feature of Istanbul’s bustling cityscape, whether they are strolling along the shopping streets or posing in front of its landmarks.
However, opinions are divided on whether Istanbul can maintain its crown as the world’s hair transplant capital.
Winter is high season for Istanbul’s hair transplant clinics, which operate at full capacity. One such patient is Aydin Kesti, a 27-year-old from Zurich, in Switzerland.
He is reclined on a treatment couch, slightly dazed from painkillers administered via a drip, while medical staff meticulously insert hair follicles into his scalp.

He is doing this for his ego, he says.