Bryn Elise, 29, from Boulder, Colorado, was given a quote of £3,438 ($4,400) to get hair extensions in her home country – but she managed to find a hairdresser in Turkey who charged her just £390 ($500)
A beauty influencer has revealed how she’s been saving a fortune on pricey cosmetic treatments by travelling abroad.
Bryn Elise from Colorado, US, has been jetting off to destinations like Thailand for dental work and Turkey for hair services, getting top-notch treatments without breaking the bank.
“I’ve been to Turkey to get my hair done three times now, and the price always differs a little due to fluctuations with the Turkish Lira,” said the 29-year-old. “Ironically, it has become less expensive each time I go.”
Bryn’s journey to finding affordable yet quality cosmetic services began early last year. “I received an email from my US salon informing me that they were raising the prices of the hair extensions I get to a staggering £3,438 ($4,400),” she shared. “While I loved my hair stylist, I just couldn’t justify paying that price.”
On a mission to find a wallet-friendly alternative, Bryn scoured Instagram for hair inspiration and stumbled upon a Turkish stylist named Bilal Karatay, who had a slew of glowing reviews. “I slid into his DMs to get a quote, and to my surprise, he told me he would do my dream hair for just £390 ($500),” Bryn enthused.
“This offer was too good to pass up, so I booked an appointment at the Ferdi Karatay salon and a flight halfway around the world.”
Of course, jetting off 6,217 miles for a hairdo isn’t without its challenges. “The first time I travelled to Turkey, I was a little panicked thinking about all the things that could go wrong and how I would manage the trip’s logistics. I calmed myself down by sitting in front of the mirror and telling myself that I just had to trust the process,” Bryn shared.
“After my first trip – and seeing how smoothly everything went – I felt more relaxed. Now travelling isn’t so stressful anymore.”
Bryn also shared how she slashes her travel costs. “I’ve found that if you’re flexible with your dates, you can get tickets from the US to Istanbul for around £546 ($700). And if you’re even more of a boss, you can use points and miles, and then the flights would be free,” she divulged.
“Once in Turkey, the costs are surprisingly reasonable. An Airbnb in Turkey for a week is typically £350 a week ($450), and food costs maybe £200 ($250) a week, and the restaurants are nice.”
While many of Bryn’s TikTok followers have cheered her on for discovering a thrifty way to maintain her locks, some have raised eyebrows in her comments section, questioning whether she’s factored in the regular upkeep costs associated with hair extensions.
Hair extensions generally require removal or replacement every three to four months due to hair growth, necessitating frequent salon trips. This means Bryn found herself travelling to Turkey thrice a year, pushing up the annual cost to around £4,095 ($5,250).
Even so, Bryn maintained it was still much cheaper than the £10,400 ($13,350) she would have spent yearly at a US salon.
“I’ve never been disappointed with the end results. My hair always looks great after I have it done in Turkey. I usually have 300 pieces of 22-inch keratin bond extensions with bleaching, toning and styling for a quarter of the price.”
Bryn’s beauty tourism extends beyond just her hair appointments. She’s had most of her dental work sorted out in Thailand and all her tattoos etched in Colombia.
“I flew to Thailand to get two fillings and X-rays for only £72 ($92). Dental procedures cost tens of thousands of dollars in the United States, but you can get the same work done in Thailand for a few grand.”
Regarding her body art, Bryn shared: “In 2020, long before I started flying to Turkey and Thailand, I fell in love with beauty tourism in Colombia and spent time touring the country with three friends. We had said that we’d all get matching tattoos together if we survived the £15 ($20) per person highest bungee jump in South America.
“So, after our three months in Colombia were almost up – and having survived the jump – we decided to take home some ‘souvenirs’ we’d actually care about.”
As their three-month stint in Colombia was nearing its end, Bryn and her friends decided to take home some ‘souvenirs’ that they’d actually care about. They each got wrist tattoos, costing a mere £20 ($25) for all four of them.
Bryn shared the appeal of tattoo tourism, saying: “The cool thing about tattoo tourism is there are incredible artists all over the world, and if you travel to places where the cost of living is lower, you can get a piece from a top-tier artist for a fraction of what you would pay in the US.”
She continued to add to her tattoo collection during her time in Colombia. “One of my most memorable trips to Columbia was spending a month in the jungle,” she said. “Back when the Titanoboa was king of the rainforest, I was inspired to get a boa tattoo to commemorate the experience.
“My friend Cody decided to start his tropical-themed sleeve with a beautiful design of palm leaves. Each tattoo session lasted about five to six hours, costing us around £117 ($150) each.”
Bryn’s journey has sparked interest among her followers in beauty tourism. “Since I have gotten hundreds of requests, I’m considering putting together group beauty tourism trips. It’s not just about saving money; it’s about the entire experience the adventure, the culture, the new friendships.
“We can explore beautiful places, get pampered, and still come out ahead financially,” she concluded.