Man, 26, Left 'Scarred' After Botched Hair Transplant

Luke Horsfield, from Bradford, forked out £1,250 for the transplant after he started to become concerned about his thinning hairline.

But he says the surgeons at the clinic in Istanbul took too many follicular units from the back of his head, leaving him with a huge bald patch months after the operation.

The 26-year-old, who had the op in December 2018, said: "I did everything they told me to do as aftercare once I had the operation.

"But after four months, I saw literally no growth. I rang them to ask why it hadn't grown, but I was told this was normal.

"It got six months and there was a little bit of growth but not much and after a year it still hadn't grown. I was left with scars and bald patches."

Luke, an IT technician, said he tried to complain but was ignored, with the clinic only offering him a £400 refund - not even a third of what the botched job cost.

He had been worrying about his hairline since he was 21, and thought he had found a bargain when he came across the clinic's ad.

However, he's now urging other men to make sure they do their research before going through with a transplant.

He added: "I had always been really self-conscious about my hair and I hated it being wet or getting blown in the wind.

"I'd always spend extra time styling it before going out, trying to hide my bald spot.

"It was affecting my confidence and my self-esteem, and it was something I'd been wanting to do a few years.

"I looked into it and a lot of the places offering the treatment in the UK charged around £6,000, but they were offering it for £1,250.

"They had great reviews on sites like Trust Pilot, so I thought I was getting good value for money.

"What I didn't know then was that anyone can post a review and companies can ask for reviews to be taken down, so I feel like I wasn't getting a full picture."

Luke posted a review of his operation and treatment on YouTube and was contacted by the Hair Dr clinic in the UK, which offered to fix his hairline for free.

Luke went under the knife again at the Hair Dr's clinic in Dewsbury on 3 March and was delighted with the results.

He added: "They've done a great job and I've already noticed signs of growth in my hairline.

"I'd just encourage anyone to properly research the clinic and operations first."

Dr Arshad, the lead surgeon at the Hair Dr transplant clinic, who carried out the procedure, said: "I would urge clients to check that the surgeon has a credible track record in this field and is indeed a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, before embarking on such a sensitive procedure."