Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
A man who paid a little over $1,000 for a beard transplant in a popular destination in Europe for cheap cosmetic surgery, has tragically taken his own life.
Mathieu Vigier Latour had saved up $1,300 to pay for the surgery, which would have cost five times more in his home country of France, but following the ‘man’s’ botched attempts of surgery he discovered his real occupation.
Mathieu Vigier Latour had visited the surgery in March (Family handout)
The 24-year-old had traveled to Istanbul, Turkey’s capital, in March for the treatment which in turn lead to him suffering with a severe body dysmorphic disorder.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is a mental health condition that causes you to view your own physical appearance unfairly – thoughts and feelings relating to your appearance can consume you and affect your thoughts and actions.
The transplant saw the ‘surgeon’ transfer 4,000 grafts of hair from his head and place them on his face, losing 1,000 grafts of hairs in the process.
Following the transplant Vigier Latour discovered that the man who performed his treatment was not even a qualified surgeon but an estate agent.
The botched beard transplant later lead to Vigier Latour tragically taking his own life (Family handout)
His father, also named Mathieu Vigier Latour, told broadcaster BFM TV: “When it started to grow out, it looked like a hedgehog, it was unmanageable.”
More to follow.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.