Cosmetic tourism is nothing new, but it seems to have taken on a new dimension in the past five years. It’s increasingly common to see friends or colleagues return from long weekends abroad with new hair sprouting from their scalps, a dazzling Hollywood smile, a freshly sculpted jawline – or even an entirely new silhouette. Either that, or people no longer feel the need to hide such procedures.
Alongside destination weddings, yoga retreats and digital nomadism, a new form of self-reinvention has emerged: a journey to transformation via the clinic.
Two unexpected powerhouses are at the heart of this quiet global makeover: Türkiye and South Korea. Each has developed its own area of expertise, designed to help image-conscious travellers achieve their beauty ideals, one follicle, tooth, or laser beam at a time.
What do these countries offer? How does it benefit their economies? And what happens if something goes wrong?
Bandages at the gate
Last year, during a stopover in Istanbul, I was amused, like many before me, by the curious sight of dozens of men wandering the terminal with bandaged heads. At first, I wondered if there had been an accident. Then I remembered: Türkiye is the world’s top destination for hair transplants.
@worbimed Hair Transplant Turkey #worbimed #hairtransplant #hairtransplantturkey #2000grafts #5000grafts #greffedecheveux #saçekimi #пересадкаволос #пересадкаволосвтурции #trapiantocapelli #trasplantedecabello #transplantecapilar #haartransplant #모발이식 #typ #foryou #foryoupage #viral #trending #hair ♬ original sound – worbimed hair transplant
The men, at varying stages of recovery, moved quietly toward their departure gates, heading home to tend their new follicles with the care of bonsai trees in a Zen garden.
Similar scenes are frequent at Seoul airport too, where travellers with swollen faces and surgical tape drift through the airport. There have even been cases of passengers being stopped at immigration for looking nothing like their passport photos.
What began as a niche industry has become a well-oiled cosmetic machine, and travellers are lining up.
Three women were detained at a South Korean airport after plastic surgery left them unrecognizable from their passport photos. pic.twitter.com/5RlzHleGjL
— Creepy.org (@creepydotorg) March 20, 2025
What’s behind the boom?
Several factors explain the recent boom. The pandemic played its part: people spent months staring at themselves on screens during video calls, noticing lines, flaws or hairlines they’d previously ignored.
Meanwhile, TikTok and Instagram were fuelling the rise of influencer culture and filtered beauty standards. The result? Ordinary people began feeling the need to look ‘camera-ready’ at all times.
Add to that the rising cost of private medical care in Europe and the UK, and it’s little wonder many began looking abroad. A root canal in Paris can cost twice what a crown-and-hotel package does in Antalya.
There’s also been a broader cultural shift: going abroad to redefine yourself has become a post-lockdown fantasy. From exotic weddings to yoga retreats to surgical getaways, it’s all part of the same modern pilgrimage: the pursuit of a better version of yourself.
South Korea's medical tourism business hit a record high of 600,000 visitors in 2023 and is set to get even higher.@oanhha discusses the rise in tourists flocking to Seoul for plastic surgery even as hospitals turn away Koreans seeking basic care https://t.co/Lwt1aXgDv6 pic.twitter.com/003eAI4WKh
— Bloomberg (@business) January 17, 2025
What each country has to offer
Rather than being competitors, Türkiye and South Korea are highly complementary, in services at least.
Türkiye remains the undisputed leader in hair transplants and dental reconstruction. Whether you’re dreaming of a thick new hairline, a full set of veneers, or a whiter, straighter smile, Istanbul and Antalya are packed with clinics promising same-day consults and ‘Hollywood results.’
South Korea, meanwhile, excels in aesthetic precision. This is the land of glass skin, laser facials, jaw sculpting and the famous double eyelid surgery. Want to soften your profile, brighten your skin, and leave looking like a K-drama star? Seoul’s high-tech clinics are waiting for you.
In short, Türkiye repairs what’s missing. Korea perfects what already exists.
Packages, prices and promises
Compared to private clinics in Western Europe or the United States, both Türkiye and South Korea offer considerably more affordable cosmetic treatments.
Türkiye is known for its full-package ‘beauty holidays’, which often include hotel accommodation, airport transfers and English-speaking staff. Korea tends to offer à la carte care, with higher prices, but is widely praised for its precision and results.
Hair transplants in Türkiye start at around €1,800; dental crowns cost between €200 and €400 per tooth. In Korea, laser facials start at €150, while rhinoplasty ranges from €2,100 to €3,500.
Government push and timing
These booms are the result of governments recognising the potential of medical tourism and investing heavily in its promotion.
At the start of the new millennium, Türkiye began investing in hair and dental tourism, adopting pioneering techniques like FUE hair transplants, originally developed in Japan. Cities like Antalya and Istanbul have built up clinic infrastructure for international patients. Istanbul alone now counts over 500 clinics and reportedly welcomed more than 1.5 million medical tourists in 2024. State support, from tax breaks to airline partnerships, has turned the sector into a multi-billion-euro engine.
@kensingtonmoore We literally saved so much money🥲 #beautytourism #medicaltourism #turkiye🇹🇷 ♬ Roxanne – Instrumental – Califa Azul
South Korea took a more structured approach, launching its Medical Korea initiative in 2009. The government introduced clinic accreditation, visa facilitation, multilingual services and VAT refunds for foreign patients. Investments extended to the broader K-beauty ecosystem. As K-pop and Korean dramas gained global traction, so too did interest in Korean aesthetics. In 2024, the country passed the one million mark in cosmetics and dermatological tourism, generating around $2 billion, with continued growth expected.
What if it goes wrong?
For all the glossy marketing, risks remain, and neither country is immune.
Follow-up care can be difficult. If something goes wrong, you can’t just drop by your clinic for a quick fix. Legal recourse is limited too: filing a complaint abroad is far more complicated than calling your local regulator. Most insurance plans don’t cover cosmetic procedures overseas, and refund policies vary widely.
In short: do your research, ask for credentials, and be clear on aftercare before you commit.
@mial1cious Replying to @: ♬ original sound – Mialicious 🇻🇳💋
In the end, Türkiye and South Korea offer two very different approaches to beauty tourism. One promises smiles and scalps with warm efficiency and all-inclusive deals; the other, skin-deep perfection delivered with futuristic finesse.
As the French say, il faut souffrir pour être beau/belle – and if suffering involves a four-star hotel, a polite doctor, and a new jawline served with your room service, it may well be the most comfortable discomfort money can buy.
