People from around the world go to Turkey for cosmetic surgery on their teeth, nose, hairline – even to lengthen their legs. The high-risk operation – a plot point in the recent film The Materialists – is pricey and the aftermath can be painful. So who is doing it and why?
Ezequiel is in his 40s and from Spain. He has a good job and is just below the average Spanish height but, he tells Nosheen Iqbal, he is in the middle of recovering from the procedure. His femurs have been broken and every day he turns a key which stretches the metal brackets on his legs, in a bid to gain inches. He explains why he thinks the operation will make him happier, and what it has cost him financially – and physically.
Journalist Ruth Michaelson reports for the Guardian from Istanbul and has spent time in a hotel where men who have had the surgery receive their aftercare and physiotherapy. She explains why Istanbul has been a hub for the surgery and why some men are taking such drastic measures to grow taller.
For questions or concerns about body dysmorphia please contact Mind on 0300 123 3393 or visit their website – Mind.org.uk – where there is a page of contacts specifically for Body Dysmorphia Disorder. There is also advice and guidance on the NHS website.
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