A 24-year-old man tragically ended his life following a failed beard transplant in Turkey by a fake surgeon who was actually an estate agent. Mathieu Vigier Latour traveled to Istanbul for the €1,300 procedure, significantly cheaper than in France. Despite the clinic’s approval by the Turkish health ministry, the operation went awry.
The procedure involved moving 4,000 grafts from Mathieu’s head to his face, but 1,000 grafts were lost during the process. His father, Jacques Vigier Latour, described the outcome as resembling a hedgehog, with an irregular and poorly mapped beard, causing discomfort and burns. Shockingly, it was later revealed that the individual who conducted the surgery was not a qualified surgeon but an estate agent.
In an attempt to rectify the situation, Mathieu’s family sought help from a specialist in Belgium. However, it was determined that the part of his scalp where grafts were taken would not recover. Subsequently, Mathieu developed severe body dysmorphic disorder and post-traumatic shock, fixating on his appearance flaws.
Tragically, three months after the initial procedure, Mathieu took his life in Paris. His father hopes that sharing his story will raise awareness about the risks of inexpensive medical tourism. This incident follows another case where a man had to leave his job due to a botched hair transplant that left him with visible scars and psychological distress.