Passengers With Visible Hair Transplant Scars on Airplane Go Viral
Government Support and Competitive Pricing Attract Patients Worldwide
A video showing the inside of an airplane filled with men who recently underwent hair transplant surgery in Turkey has gone viral. All of the men were seen boarding the flight with visible signs of recent hair transplants on their heads.
According to the UK’s Daily Mail on June 15, a Ukrainian influencer recently posted a short video on his social media that he filmed on a Turkish Airlines flight on May 6. The video showed male passengers with little hair sitting in nearly every seat, most of them displaying densely packed dots on their scalps that appeared to be traces of hair transplants.
He captioned the video “Turkish Hairlines,” adding that it was “a common scene in Turkey.” The phrase, a parody of the airline’s name, is a kind of joke that has emerged because so many men travel to Turkey for hair transplants.
The video sparked a wide range of reactions online. Some viewers expressed discomfort, saying, “Hair loss treatment is a sensitive issue?aren’t you mocking people’s appearance?” Others defended the men, saying, “We should applaud those who took such a brave step.” On the other hand, some pointed out, “Scenes like this are actually common on flights,” or argued that “people are being overly sensitive.”
Turkey is recognized as one of the world’s leading destinations for hair transplant procedures, earning its reputation thanks to low costs and a high standard of medical care. The affordable prices are due not only to the local cost of living but also to medical tourism promotion policies implemented since 2019. At that time, the Turkish government provided tax breaks for medical staff and subsidies for hospitals, actively fostering the medical tourism industry.
According to the Turkish Healthcare Travel Council (THTC), Turkey accounts for about 60% of the global medical tourism market for hair transplants. Over one million people visit the country each year for the procedure, and the number of visitors is expected to reach 1.1 million this year.
Locally, a hair transplant involving around 4,000 grafts costs about 2,000 to 4,000 euros (approximately 2.9 million to 5.9 million won), a price that usually includes accommodation and transportation. In comparison, the same procedure costs at least 7 million won in Korea, making the price difference significant. As a result, even after factoring in airfare, many find that they can actually save money by traveling to Turkey.
Turkey’s hair transplant market has grown beyond individual treatments to become a national industry. The rapid expansion of the sector is due to the combination of low medical fees, the weak value of the Turkish lira, and strong government support. In 2022 alone, about one million foreigners visited Turkey for hair transplants, spending an estimated $2 billion (about 2.7 trillion won).
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