Men flock to Istanbul for hair tourism

Already known the world over for its baths, coffee and sweet Turkish delights, Turkey is on the road to adding another item to its roster of specialties: the mustache.

Lip whiskers remain a highly sought-after mark of manliness in Turkey and the Middle East to the point that the naturally less hairy are increasingly seeking out mustache transplants at the hands of Turkish cosmetic surgeons.

Mustaches are traditionally considered a sign of virility in Turkey. Bulent Kilic / Agence France-Presse

Among them is Selahattin Tulunay, head of a thriving private practice that once specialized in hair transplants but has been adapted to cater to the increasing demand for mustaches. "I've been doing mustache implants for around three years now," he said.

"A lot of men have come to see me saying 'I'm 40 years old, I'm the head of a large company, and no one takes me seriously abroad. I want people to see that I have hair'," he added.

Only 30 years old, Engin Koc had long despaired of his clean-shaven face before he opted to go undergo the procedure seven months ago and get the mustache of his dreams.

"I wanted to look like the ancient Turks, like the Ottomans, and since I'm a nostalgic soul with an admiration for that era, I got the implants," he said, calling the mustache "a symbol of Turkish virility".

Mustaches have long been considered a serious matter in Turkey, with a popular saying stating that "a man without a mustache is like a house without a balcony". The shape of the specimen even holds political meaning.

"The bushy style is more the prerogative of the left or of Kurds," said anthropologist Benoit Fliche from the French Institute of Anatolian Studies in Istanbul.

"When neater, like that of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it becomes religious and conservative."

"And when it shoots down on both sides of the mouth like fangs, it's a mark of the extreme right," Fliche added.

Although the bewhiskered look is winning over fewer Turks from the big cities - who are drawn more towards Western fashion - a mustache and beard remain a must for men from Arab countries or the Turkic republics of Central Asia, who journey over to Istanbul to satisfy their need for hair.

"The Turkish television series broadcast in the Arab world wield a great influence," said Tulunay, adding that "it's upon seeing our actors that these patients called on us for the same beard or the same mustache".

These clients constitute the core of the new market for facial hair. In Istanbul alone, around 250 clinics or private practices are locked in fierce competition to sell their services, with promotions galore.

The majority are linked to travel agencies and offer package deals that include the operation, a hotel stay and airport pick-up.

The most competitive offer package deals start at $2,700 and come with much more bang for the buck than their European or United States counterparts.

Hair tourism is thus in full swing, fueled by a constant increase in the number of foreigners visiting Turkey, with estimates suggesting more than 35 million people flocked there last year.