Crossing Borders for Care: The Growth in Medical Tourism

Medical tourism, or traveling to other countries for medical procedures, has seen big growth in popularity over the past few years. Despite headlines about botched surgeries and medical tourism horror stories, Americans are actually choosing international cosmetic procedures more than ever before.

Infegy Starscape reveals a clear pattern, while negative stories about overseas procedures get plenty of attention, they're not stopping the overall trend. In fact, our data shows Americans are increasingly seeking cosmetic treatments abroad, with conversations heavily concentrated around two specific destinations: Turkey for men seeking hair transplants and South Korea for women interested in plastic surgery.

The Risks: When Medical Tourism Goes Wrong

Let's be honest - not every medical tourism story has a happy ending. Through social listening with Infegy Starscape, we discovered some pretty sobering trends that show the darker side of seeking cheaper cosmetic procedures abroad.

One of the most telling insights we found was the emergence of something called "Hair Transplant Repair Day" on November 11th. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) created this day specifically to help patients who got botched hair transplants from sketchy clinics overseas. Their president noted that black market clinics have become a real problem, leaving patients needing expensive repair work back home.

Figure 1: Word cloud of growing hashtags among the popular medical tourism treatments (May 21, 2021, to May 20, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.

The data shows that these negative experiences get shared widely, with people warning others about specific clinics and locations. However, here's where it gets interesting - these cautionary tales don't seem to be stopping the overall trend.

The Surprising Truth: People Are Still Going

Despite all the warnings and horror stories floating around social media, Figure 2 shows that medical tourism conversations maintain an overwhelmingly positive sentiment at 85% positive overall.

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Figure 2: General sentiment regarding popular medical tourism treatments (May 21, 2021, to May 20, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.

This high positivity rate tells us something important: the success stories are not only more common than the failures, but they're also being shared more enthusiastically. When people have good experiences, they become genuine advocates, posting before-and-after photos, recommending specific doctors, and creating detailed travel guides for others.

Turkey: The New Hair Capital for Men

One of the clearest trends in our social listening data is the explosion of interest in Turkish hair transplants among American men. Turkey has basically become the go-to destination for guys dealing with hair loss.

Figure 3: Social universe surrounding the conversation of hair transplant destinations. (May 21, 2021, to May 20, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.

The word cloud for male medical tourism conversations is dominated by Turkey-related terms. Men are sharing their experiences in detail, often posting day-by-day recovery updates and comparing different Istanbul clinics.

Figure 4: Word cloud surrounding medical tourism among men (May 21, 2021, to May 20, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.

Our social universe shows how interconnected these conversations have become. Men are creating entire communities around hair transplant experiences, sharing everything openly and with no fear.

Figure 5: Testimonies and patient documentaries of hair transplant surgeries. (May 21, 2021, to May 20, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.

What's particularly interesting is how these conversations happen. Men are much more likely to discuss the practical aspects - costs, logistics, and results - rather than the emotional journey. The Turkish medical tourism industry seems to have tapped into this preference perfectly.

South Korea: An Emerging Plastic Surgery Destination for Women

While men are flocking to Turkey, our social listening data reveals that South Korea has emerged as a major topic of conversation among women discussing cosmetic procedures. The country appears frequently in medical tourism discussions, particularly around plastic surgery options. One of South Korea’s most popular surgeries to perform is blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), or, specifically, the double eyelid surgery.

Figure 6: Social universe surrounding the conversation of blepharoplasty destinations. (May 21, 2021, to May 20, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.

Figure 7 tells a different story from the male one. Terms like "Visit South," "South Korea," and "surgery often” dominate. Women's conversations about Korean plastic surgery and blepharoplasty are often embedded within broader discussions about Korean beauty standards, skincare routines, and K-pop culture.

Figure 7: Word cloud surrounding medical tourism among women. (May 21, 2021, to May 20, 2025); Infegy Social Dataset.

Just as Turkey has become the go-to destination for men's hair transplants, South Korea is establishing itself as a key destination for women seeking plastic surgery, particularly blepharoplasty procedures, due to its high reputation and expertise, as it boasts the highest number of cosmetic procedures per capita globally while specializing in face procedures.

Key Takeaways for Brands and Marketers

Build Community Around Shared Experiences

Medical tourism succeeds because people create genuine communities where they share real experiences, challenges, and successes. Brands should focus on facilitating authentic peer-to-peer conversations rather than just pushing promotional content. Create spaces where customers can connect over shared goals and support each other through their journeys.

Leverage User-Generated Content for Trust Building

Brands should encourage and showcase real customer experiences, making it easy for satisfied customers to share their stories and helping potential customers find authentic reviews and recommendations.

Use Social Listening to Identify Unmet Needs and Market Gaps

Marketers should use social listening to identify gaps in their client’s market - what are customers complaining about, where are they going instead, and what alternatives are they discussing? These insights can reveal new product opportunities or service improvements.