Mathieu Vigier Latour, a 24-year-old French business student, took a tragic turn after a failed beard transplant in Turkey.
In March, Mathieu travelled to Istanbul for the procedure, drawn by the affordable price of €1,300 (181,519.00 Kenyan Shilling)-only a fifth of what the surgery would have cost in France.
However, this bargain came at a devastating cost, instead of a qualified surgeon.
The operation was performed by an estate agent posing as a doctor, a revelation that would haunt Mathieu and his family.
Following the transplant, Mathieu’s beard appeared unnatural and irregularly shaped, with 1,000 of his grafted hairs lost and 4,000 awkwardly transferred from his scalp to his face.
His father described the result as “hedgehog-like,” with patches of hair growing at unnatural angles.
In addition to aesthetic complications, Mathieu suffered from burns after the procedure.
Leaving him in constant discomfort that affected his sleep.
When he later learned of the deception—that the procedure was conducted by someone unqualified—Mathieu was devastated.
He struggled with what became an overwhelming dysmorphic disorder, obsessively focused on his altered appearance.
The toll on his mental health was intense, leading him into a downward spiral.
A Belgian specialist consulted for corrective treatment delivered another blow.
Explaining that his scalp would likely never recover fully from the patchy graft removal.
Despite seeking solutions, the trauma left Mathieu unable to bear the psychological burden.
Surgery gone wrong
He took his own life just three months after the failed transplant.
His family is left grieving the loss of a bright young man with a promising future.
His father, especially, is now committed to raising awareness about the hidden dangers of budget medical tourism.
Hoping that Mathieu’s tragic experience will save others from a similar fate.
“If Mathieu’s story can prevent another family from experiencing this pain.
It would be a tribute to his memory,” his father shared.
In his words, awareness is essential to help young people understand the risks of entrusting life-altering procedures to unverified practitioners seeking affordability.
