Tragic Death of French Student After Botched Beard Transplant in Turkey

A young French student, Mathieu Vigier Latour, tragically took his own life following a beard transplant that went wrong during a trip to Turkey, as reported by his father. At just 24 years old, Mathieu travelled to Istanbul in March to undergo the procedure at a specialist clinic, attracted by the significantly lower cost compared to France.

The business school student proceeded with the €1,300 (£1,082) surgery after being assured that the clinic was approved by the Turkish health ministry. However, the procedure did not go as planned. According to reports from the Telegraph and his father, Jacques Vigier Latour, 1,000 grafts were lost during the process. Jacques described the outcome to BFM TV, saying, “When it started to grow out, it looked like a hedgehog, it was unmanageable.” Mathieu experienced significant discomfort, including burns and an inability to sleep, due to the unnatural and poorly shaped beard, with hairs growing at awkward angles.

Further investigation revealed that the person who performed the surgery was allegedly not a qualified surgeon but an estate agent.

Although the family found a specialist in Belgium who began correcting the botched procedure, it was determined that the part of Mathieu’s scalp where grafts were removed could not recover.

This news deeply affected Mathieu, who reportedly fell into a post-traumatic shock and suffered from severe body dysmorphic disorder. His father explained that Mathieu felt trapped in a “vicious circle” and unable to escape his situation.

Tragically, just three months after the initial operation in Turkey, Mathieu took his own life at his student accommodation in Paris. Jacques hopes that by sharing his son’s story, he can raise awareness about the dangers of low-cost medical tourism and prevent similar tragedies. He concluded, “If this testimony could prevent this from happening again and alert everyone, I think that would be a tribute to Mathieu.”

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