Turkey locals left furious as Aussie influencers invade Europe to get plastic surgery: ‘We feel like second class citizens’

Australian influencers have been flocking en masse to Turkey in recent years for cheap and fast plastic surgery.

Now locals from the country have been left furious as more and more of their top surgeons turn away from their public health system in favour of the Aussie dollar.

With thousands travelling to Europe every year for cheap procedures, some locals say they ‘feel like second class citizens’, the Outspoken podcast recently reported. 

‘Each year it’s predicted that 15,000 Australians go overseas for the purpose of medical tourism,’ hosts Amy, Sophie and Kate Taeuber said.

They went on to say that Turkey has ‘become a hot spot’ for hair transplants, liposuction, breast implants and porcelain veneers among influencers Down Under. 

More recently, online personalities like Skye Wheatley have booked themselves in for a procedure called the fox eye face lift. 

With ‘billions’ of Australian dollars flooding into the country through medical tourism channels, some clinics have also started to put together ‘travel packages’.

Many now offer all expenses paid trips to Turkey for those willing to fork out a few thousand for cheap cosmetic surgery in the country. 

‘The sad thing is, all of this medical tourism is having a negative impact on the locals,’ the Taeuber sisters said.

‘Many of them say they feel like second class citizens in their own country… because a lot of doctors are choosing to turn their backs on the hospitals in favour of opening up their own private clinics.’ 

Additionally, the Voices in Bioethics scientific journal advised as recently as 2022 that medical tourism in Turkey may be leading to ‘health care inequalities between foreigners and Turkish citizens’.   

‘Due to expanded demand for services, medical tourism has led Turkey to develop its healthcare system and expand the number of people who can become physicians,’ the publication said.

‘Yet, more must be done to prevent fraud, ensure fair prices that Turkish locals can afford, and help public hospitals maintain some of the tourism market shares.’

Now locals from the country have been left furious as more and more of their top surgeons turn away from their public health system in favour of the Aussie dollar. Pictured: Stock photo

The Australian government largely advises extreme caution when considering medical tourism due to the high level of health risks associated with the practice. 

Some of those risks include infection and disfigurement due to lower quality surgical skills and practices, as well as fewer regulations for medical environments. 

There is also generally a lack of discussion before and after the operation surrounding best practices for recovery, and whether the procedure is necessary in the first place. 

It comes as influencer Skye Wheatley, 30, who won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! this year, shared her plastic surgery demands earlier this month while revealing her plans to travel to Turkey for a ‘fox eye’ lift.

The social media star, who shot to fame on Big Brother in 2014, revealed in an Instagram video that she will be heading overseas to get the controversial cosmetic procedure done.

Influencer Skye Wheatley, 30, who won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! this year, shared her plastic surgery demands earlier this month while revealing her plans to travel to Turkey for a ‘fox eye’ lift

Skye also revealed her plans to have liposuction on her inner thighs and arms but admitted she’s worried it will look unnatural.

‘I am going to Turkey. I am getting the fox eye lift. It is pretty much a half face lift. The surgery itself is not very invasive,’ she said.

‘I want the smallest little lift, I don’t want to look crazy, I don’t want my eyebrows to be any higher than they are. I just want a little bit of a lift when my face is relaxed.’

Skye said she has ‘wanted this for a very long time’ and is having the procedure done by the same doctor her friend used.

‘I know a few people who have had it and they look amazing,’ she continued.

‘At lot of people watching this don’t know much about surgeries and will think I’m going to look older, that’s fine but I’m still doing it.’

The fox eye lift, also known as the fox eye thread lift, raises the edges of the brows using a soft PDO (polydioxanone) thread, aiming to recreate the look of the surgical fox eye lift without the need for an operation.