It was a scorching August day in and I was lounging at the pool of the Mercedes Club, my fitness center in midtown Manhattan.
I had invited one of my best friends Bennett to spend the day with me. When he walked onto the pool deck and took off his hat, I nearly passed out. A year ago, he was essentially a bald headed man. But today β about eight months after he took a trip to Turkey β he had a fully restored hairline.
I was flooded with emotions. Bennett, who's three years older than me and was a bit further along in the balding process, had been my hair loss mentor.
But now, he was one of the growing number of men who traveled 5, miles to Istanbul, the global capital for hair transplant surgery. Balding has become huge global business in the past two decades. So far, no matter how many new, promising pills and treatments hit the market, none have made the transplant redundant.
If anything, it's booming, and Turkey has built a reputation as the go-to destination. Looking at Bennett's luscious hair poolside was the first moment I seriously considered joining the ranks of the millions of men who have traveled to what's become known as " Hairstanbul.
