Mustache Implants Taking Istanbul by Storm

In many cultures, the mustache has long been seen as a sign of virility and strength. Today, Istanbul has become a hub for men not only wanting to spruce up their facial hair, but also for those wanting to use facial hair surgery as a means to enhance their look.

Published

5 months ago

Categories

Lifestyle, World

Topics

Europe, Beauty & Style

Places

Turkey, Istanbul

Transcript

SCRIPT: Once a week without fail, twenty-five-year old Yunnus comes to this barber shop in central Istanbul, to have his moustache trimmed. For him, like many other Turkish men, a well-kept moustache is essential. SOUNDBITE 1 Yunus (Turkish, 7 secs): "It's passed on from Father to son, in Ottoman culture. A man without a moustache is not a real man." For Yunus and many like him, having thick hair is directly linked to virility and strength. Until relatively recently, moustaches would also tell a lot about a man's place in society: thick and bushy for left-wing activists, narrow and neat for religious conservatives, and hanging down on either side, for nationalists. And whereas they were once the look of the everyday man, moustaches are now also a common sight in the corridors of power. SOUNDBITE 2 Benoît Fliche, sociologist, French Insitute of Anatolian Studies (French, 19 secs): "The fact that Erdogan comes to power, as well as others with moustaches, that uproots the separation between the idea of the moustachioed common man and the clean-shaven official." Yunus is lucky in that his facial hair is all natural. The same can't be said for Engin. He used to feel insecure due to his thinness of his moustache. So six months ago, he paid for an extension at a special clinic in Istanbul. SOUNDBITE 3 Engin (Turkish, 17 secs): "I wanted to look like the old Turks, the Ottomans, and as I'm a rather nostalgic soul, and I admire that era, I had these implants done." The procedure cost a hair-raising 1500 euros. As for Ilkin, he came all the way from Azerbaijan to visit the clinic. In the last 2 years, more than 250 centres offering beard and moustache extensions have sprung up across Istanbul, catering mainly to customers from the Middle East. This clinic has seen the number of treatments double in the space of a year. SOUNDBITE 4 Meral Tala, Istanbul Hair Center (Turkish, 16 secs): "Our results are much better than before, thanks to the technique of 'Follicular unit extraction', which we have developed. So we foresee a very large increase in demand in the coming years." The technique consists of removing hair from the patient's body and transplanting it to the face. A novel idea, and one that's helping Istanbul gain a reputation as the Mecca of the Moustache. /// ---------------------------------------------- SHOTLIST: Istanbul, Turkey, Dec 2012/Jan 2013 Source: AFPTV -VAR Yunus at the barber - CU mustache -MS barber cutting Yanus' beard SOUNDBITE 1 -VAR of men with moustaches -MS Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan SOUNDBITE 2 -MS Yunus leaving the barber -PAN Engin walking to the clinic - VAR of Engin meeting the doctor, 6 months since his last appointment SOUNDBITE 3 -MS of Engin and the doctor saying goodbye -MS of Ilkin walking into the doctor's room -VAR of doctor examining his beard -MS of Ilkin sitting next to a photo of his moustache on the computer SOUNDBITE 4 -VAR of streets of Istanbul -MS of a young man making faces