By Rumesha Kashif

Turkey is quickly becoming the world’s go-to hub for cheap hair transplant surgery.  Men in need of hair transplants are flocking to Turkish clinics for the price, convenience and even the fun of an exciting overseas holiday.   However, Dr Russell Knudsen, a leading expert in the field of hair loss treatments and founder of The Knudsen Clinic, is actively warning his patients and all Australians not to go to Turkey.    Dr Knudsen has over 35 years of experience and has performed more than 8000 hair transplants.  He is also the recipient of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery’s highest honour, the Manfred Lucas Award, in 2014.

“I get asked about Turkey all the time and some of the stories I’ve heard will shock you,” Dr Knudsen said.

According to recent figures, approximately 60,000 people, mostly men, visit Turkey for hair transplants every year.   New clinics are popping up all over Turkey offering extremely cheap services due to the  intense competition between clinics, which cut quality in order to cut costs.

“Cheap hair loss clinics in Turkey appeal to many Australians as an easy and inexpensive way of getting treatment,” Dr Knudsen added.

“Some people even make a holiday out of it.  Unfortunately, the quality of service and care is extremely poor in most of these clinics.

“Not all results are bad.   Some people get extremely lucky however when things go wrong, they really go wrong and it can cost a lot of money to fix the issues and they can cause life-long health problems.

“In my view, it just isn’t worth the risk.    In over 90 percent of Turkish clinics, procedures are not even performed by a doctor, they are undertaken by unregistered staff members.   In these clinics, the doctor’s only job is to provide the local anaesthetic.   This is a serious violation of important legal requirements and medical regulations.

“Hair transplant treatments technically count as a type of surgery and must be performed by a registered doctor.   In Australia, doctors are also supposed to personally perform a face-to-face consultation with each patient and enforce a seven day ‘cooling-off’ period between the consultation and the surgery.

“The cooling-off period is supposed to be three months for patients under the age of 18.    However, Turkish clinics typically employ non-medically trained ‘consultants’ tasked with advising patients about their upcoming surgery.   These business people masquerading as trustworthy consultants offer enticing added benefits like hotel accommodation and transportation.

“As can be expected, vulnerable men in need of a quick fix flock to these clinics without much thought.”

Hair loss can be a serious form of embarrassment and self-esteem loss for many men in desperate need of a solution.   One of the purposes of hair loss treatment is to alleviate that embarrassment and restore confidence in men.

“If the purpose of hair loss treatment is to restore confidence, Turkish clinics do precisely the opposite,” Dr Knudsen added.

“Dodgy clinics prey on the insecurity and vulnerability of these men by promising to build up their confidence, only to crash it back down again.

“In addition, the philosophy of these clinics is that they will only ever see the patient once so they offer huge numbers of grafts to make the trip seem more attractive.  Some clinics even off the impossible promise of unlimited hair!  This deliberate over-harvesting of donor hairs means there is very little, or any, donor hairs left for future needs if the balding progresses.  Prospective patients should also keep in mind there is no follow up care for Australian patients given the clinic is in Turkey.”

Dr Knudsen has even noticed Turkish-style clinics popping up in Australia as well.

“There are currently two clinics in Sydney that emulate the Turkish model,” Dr Knudsen explained.

“My advice to anyone wanting to seek advice about hair loss is to speak to a hair loss doctor.   Do your research, ask your GP for a referral, look at their qualifications, check their industry memberships, read up on their reviews, look at their case studies.

“Many hair loss centres or clinics may appear above board however in reality, they are not.”

Dr Knudsen is the owner, founder and operator of The Knudsen Clinic, one of Australia’s leading providers of quality hair loss services.   He attends conferences around the world to learn about the latest and greatest innovations in hair loss restoration.  He uses these innovations in his own business so the people of Australia can reap the benefits.  His Sydney clinic also uses the ARTAS Robotic, which is a minimally invasive machine controlled by a surgeon.  The ARTAS system is precise, versatile and cutting-edge.  Dr Knudsen’s clinics are the only clinics in Australia that use this state-of-the-art, industry-leading technology.

“The cost of hair transplant surgery is higher in Australia however the difference in price reflects the difference in quality, as well other factors including regulatory insurance requirements,” Dr Knudsen added.

“Hair loss can be a serious problem for a lot of men.  So if you’re going to spend the money getting hair transplant surgery, you might as well do it right.   If you think something is too good to be true, you’re probably correct.”

www.knudsen.com.au