When you think of all the things Turkey is famous for, a hair transplant may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Nevertheless, this $1 billion business is literally “booming” with a reported 350 clinics alone in Istanbul. An estimated 5000 people arrive here each month for a procedure medically known as follicular unit extraction, or hair transplantation as it’s more commonly known. Wikipedia describes it as “a surgical technique that moves individual hair follicles from a part of the body called the 'donor site' to a bald or balding part of the body known as the 'recipient site'.” It is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness.

These days, during a short walk around Taksim or the Grand Bazaar, it is very common to see men strolling around with bandages around their heads. Most of them arrive from Europe and the Gulf countries and they reportedly pay around $2000 for the procedure. This amount is quite small compared to what one would pay for the same procedure in the US, for example. And this is one of the main driving forces behind Turkey’s booming new business. With many clinics, surgeons and trained professionals bringing in a continuous flow of new people everyday, the business is also helping boost other industries like tourism, food, entertainment and real estate. 

Istanbul already being a top travel destination for most people in the Gulf countries and the Middle East, it is clear to see why the hair transplant business has grown so big. They may be coming for the hair transplant, but this doesn’t stop them from enjoying Istanbul and Turkey. Some of them actually make multiple trips for the treatment and some even end up staying longer or moving here. This way, the hair transplantation business also helps boost another, much larger business: Many take advantage of opportunities in real estate investment in Istanbul. Of course, there is no comparison in size as the market for homes for sale in Turkey dwarfs that of the hair transplantation business. Currently in some areas of Istanbul, the price of property investment or luxury homes for sale is even higher than the price of gold and one can see why. As the song goes “Istanbul’s streets are paved with gold” and nowadays, the hair transplant business is living its golden days while also boosting opportunities for other businesses.