Press & Media
Dr. Gökay Bilgin in the Media
Television crews, radio reporters and newspapers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Gulf and beyond have covered my work and Smile Hair Clinic, the Istanbul clinic I co-founded in 2018.
This page collects my broadcast interviews and documentary appearances, selected print coverage and the clinic’s recognitions. For my full story, read about me.
On television
ABC News, BBC, TRT World, TV8
On radio
NPR, All Things Considered
In print and online
USA Today, Gulf News, LA Times and more
Years covered
2018 to 2026
On Air: Television, Documentaries and Interviews
Broadcast is where you can hear me speak for myself. My most recent television interview was with the international news channel TRT World in 2026.
TRT World: why Türkiye leads in medical tourism
TRT World · 2026 · 6:48
I talk about Türkiye’s medical schools and hospitals, the role of social media in young patients’ decisions, and why I sometimes ask patients to wait rather than operate.
Quoted
What I Tell Journalists
“If you are doing it good and if you are helping people, it’s the most important thing.”
“It should not be done before its time. And it’s not really ethical.”
“It’s always better to get in touch with real people.”
“It’s really important to find an experienced team for yourself.”
Selected Print and Online Coverage
Articles in which I am named, pictured or interviewed, alongside features on the clinic I run.
Complete Press Archive
Every article we have on record, newest first.
Los Angeles Times · 13 Oct 2026
Top 10 Hair Transplant Clinics in Turkey (Last Update 2026)
Gulf News · 15 May 2026
The Tennessean · 20 Feb 2026
Turkey’s best hair transplant clinic: what sets Smile Hair Clinic’s doctors apart
NPR · 6 Oct 2025
How one country has become a top destination for hair transplants
The Gazette · 1 Oct 2025
The Gazette · 30 Sep 2025
Top 8 Best Hair Transplant Doctors in the World (2025 Edition)
The Denver Gazette · 26 Sep 2025
Hair Transplant Turkey: Get Your Hair Safely with Smile Hair Clinic
USA Today · 17 Sep 2025
Inside Smile Hair Clinic: A Look at Turkey’s Growing Hair Transplant Industry
Forbes India · 16 Sep 2025
Experience hair transplant in Turkey with Smile Hair Clinic
Financial Post · 15 Sep 2025
Smile Hair Clinic Becomes the First Hair Transplant Clinic in the World to Receive A-Rated Certificate from TEMOS
Mashable Benelux · 15 Sep 2025
Hair Transplant in Turkey with Smile Hair Clinic: Scientific Approach and Natural Results
Der Tagesspiegel · 11 Aug 2025
Die 10 besten Haartransplantationsärzte der Welt im Jahr 2025
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · 11 Jul 2025
USA Today · 13 Mar 2025
5 Premium Hair Transplant Clinics in Turkey Where Savvy Patients Go to Grow
SF Weekly · 2025
ABC News (Australia) · 6 Apr 2024
Hair loss is big business in the medical tourism industry, and Türkiye’s transplant clinics are cashing in
Newswire · 7 Jul 2023
The BBC Visits Smile Hair Clinic in Turkey to Document a Hair Transplant Journey
Wales Online · 23 Jun 2023
Getting a hair transplant in Turkey: highly-rated Smile Hair Clinic could be perfect for you
Liverpool Echo · 11 May 2023
Stoke Sentinel · 10 May 2023
Hair transplants in Istanbul continue to rise in popularity among Brits
Newswire · 19 Jun 2021
Smile Hair Clinic Implements a Cutting-Edge Sapphire Hair Transplantation Method
BBC News · Sep 2018
Hair transplants: Fighting against my receding hairline
Recognition for the Clinic I Co-Founded
Independent accreditation and industry awards received by Smile Hair Clinic, which I run with Dr. Mehmet Erdoğan.
2025
TEMOS A-Rating, a world first
Smile Hair Clinic became the first hair transplant clinic in the world to receive a TEMOS A-Rating for Quality in Outpatient and Ambulatory Care.
2026
Accreditation renewed
After its periodic re-evaluation, the clinic kept its A-Rating and remains the only hair transplant clinic worldwide to hold it.
2022
Two Klass Awards
At the 13th Quality of Magazine Klass Awards, the clinic won in two categories, including Hair Clinic of the Year. I accepted the award on the clinic’s behalf.
For Journalists and Producers
I give interviews in English and Turkish on hair transplantation, hair loss, medical tourism in Türkiye and how patients can choose a safe clinic.
Short bio for editors (third person)
Dr. Gökay Bilgin, M.D., is a hair transplant surgeon based in Istanbul. A graduate of Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, he worked at Medical Park and Medicana Health Group before co-founding Smile Hair Clinic in 2018 with Dr. Mehmet Erdoğan. He is the clinic’s Managing Director and has performed more than 5,000 hair transplant procedures.
Topics I speak on
- Why Türkiye became the centre of hair transplantation
- Natural hairline design and donor area planning
- Social media and the rise of very young patients
- How to spot an unsafe or unlicensed clinic
Request an Interview
For interviews, filming requests or comment, write to gokay.bilgin@smilehairclinic.com or use the contact form. If you are a patient rather than a journalist, start with the hair transplant Turkey page and the patient guide.