The BBC Visits Smile Hair Clinic in Turkey to Document a Hair Transplant Journey

ISTANBUL, July 7, 2023 (Newswire.com) - The BBC has filmed a documentary about Turkey's medical tourism and hair transplantation, going to Turkey for the first time to document a first-hand experience. The team accompanied Paul Readman (26) on his transformative journey to restoring hair with low-priced surgery at Istanbul-based Smile Hair Clinic. 

Dealing with the effects of hair loss 

BBC reporter Tiffany Sweeney visited Paul in Middlesbrough, his hometown in North Yorkshire, England, one week before his hair restoration treatment. Talking with him, his parents, and friends, she learned about the effects of hair loss on Paul's social life and the reasons for getting a hair transplant in Turkey.

Paul chose hair transplantation because his receding hairline had significantly impacted his confidence. He had been saving up for six months to pay for the £2,000 procedure at Smile Hair Clinic, which would have cost him four times more if he had gone to a UK clinic. 

Meeting with Dr. Mehmet Erdoğan and Dr. Gökay Bilgin at Smile Hair Clinic 

Upon arrival in Istanbul, the BBC team accompanied Paul to Smile Hair Clinic, where he met with Dr. Mehmet Erdoğan and Dr. Gökay Bilgin for a consultation and hair analysis. The surgeons inspected his hair, designed a new hairline, and shaved his head to prepare him for the surgery. 

The six-hour operation started by injecting local anesthesia with a needle-free gun. The surgeons then extracted 2,700 hair follicles from the back of Paul's head, where his hair was the thickest. The last stage of the procedure involved reinserting the harvested hair grafts into Paul's hairline before placing bandages and seeing him off. 

Paul said the surgery was quick and nearly painless. The only pain resulted from some injections of the local anesthetic. 

Transformation stages and Paul's experience 

A month after Paul's hair transplant procedure, the BBC team returned to Middlesbrough to check up on him, see how his hair was growing, and learn about his family's take on his new look. 

One month after the surgery is the worst time for hair transplant patients because they experience the so-called shock loss. 

Paul was no exception. His hair entered the shedding phase about two weeks after the surgery, with the donor areas having patches due to the trauma of the procedure. However, the first results came four months after the treatment. 

In a video sent in later, Paul shared his experience, showcasing considerable hair growth that surpassed his expectations and boosted his confidence. Saying that choosing Smile Hair Clinic was the best decision, he said he was happy with the result and excited to see how his appearance would change over the following months. 

Source: Smile Hair Clinic