Recently, I had the pleasure of welcoming Swiss Television SRF to my office at the Orient-Institut Istanbul. The SRF team was in Istanbul to prepare a documentary for the health program “PULS”, focusing on the growing phenomenon of medical tourism from Switzerland to Turkey in the field of aesthetic and plastic surgery.
In the interview, I had the opportunity to share insights from my research on beauty practices and body-related interventions in Turkey, particularly from my project “Hairyless Masculinities”, which explores male beauty ideals, hair transplants, and the increasing societal pressure on men to conform to certain standards of appearance.
We discussed questions such as:
- Why has Turkey become a leading destination for beauty surgeries, especially in the face and hair sectors?
- What social and cultural dynamics are driving this development?
- How do people navigate these beauty norms, and where does Körpereigensinn emerge—that is, a self-determined, embodied resistance to societal expectations?
One of the key aspects we reflected on was the cultural centrality of the face and hair in the Turkish context, shaped by religious, social, and media influences.
The interview was conducted by Daniela Lager, who led the conversation with great curiosity and sensitivity. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Daniela Lager and the entire SRF production team for the professional, warm atmosphere during the filming.
A special thanks also to Joël Baumann for the thoughtful and inspiring conversations we had in advance of the filming, which really helped shape the direction of our exchange.
👉 Some snapshots from the filming and our conversation can be found below.
I look forward to watching the documentary, which will be aired in autumn 2025 on SRF’s “PULS” program.





