As interest in hair restoration surgery has grown, so has search volume for medical tourism as a way to get treatment and save money at the same time. HLM has performed comprehensive research and gathered extensive data regarding seasonal patterns and search demands for medical tourism in foreign countries, using both Google and Bing search engines as our data sources.
Let’s start with the main countries that experience the highest search volumes for hair restoration, originating from the United States. The list sorted by search volume from the United States, in descending order, is:
- Turkey
- Mexico
- India
- Thailand
- Hungary
- Australia
- Canada
- England
- Germany
- Guatemala
- Italy
- Poland
- Spain
The first five countries, Turkey, Mexico, India, Thailand, and Hungary, generate a staggering total of 1,045,330 searches for procedures from U.S. residents and potentially even in your local area.
In part one of this series, “Hair Restoration Trends 2023: Exploring Seasonal Surges & Annual Progress,” we examined fluctuating hair restoration search volume patterns over the course of a year. Our analysis focused on the period of August 2022 to July 2023.
Before examining the connection between medical tourism and broader hair restoration search phrases, let’s examine the month-to-month data and highlight the most significant findings we’ve gathered for searches about “getting your hair done overseas.”
Seasonal Peaks:
- Winter Peak: Hair restoration search volume has a notable surge in January. This can be attributed to the onset of the new year, resolutions, and ambitions for self-enhancement, which can encompass hair restoration. Additionally, some people may be planning for upcoming summer events and decide to begin preparations during this time.
- Spring Peak: Another prominent upswing occurs in May. As the spring season ushers in warmer weather and people gear up for the rest of the year, curiosity for hair restoration procedures rises.
Seasonal Dips:
- Summer Dip: Hair restoration search volume decreases slightly during June and July. This decline occurs, in part, because of the season’s greater level of activities, including vacations, summer sports, and holidays that temporarily shift focus away from hair restoration inquiries.
- Fall Stabilization: Following the summer dip, search volume stabilizes from September to November. After summer, those with thinning hair start considering treatment so they’ll look good for next summer, in addition to people resuming plans they paused in spring because they became busy.
Our survey data suggests that U.S. residents most actively research hair restoration during winter and spring, with a noticeable dip in the summer and stabilization in the fall. Other seasonal factors further influence these trends, such as New Year’s resolutions, seasonal changes, and vacation periods. Understanding these seasonal trends can help tailor your marketing efforts and services to better match when people are more likely to explore hair restoration.
How does this compare with all search traffic generated across the United States for hair restoration, both locally and abroad? For starters, during the same time span, 9,192,990 searches per year occurred related to hair restoration. Again, I’ll say it: These all originate from within the United States. WOW!
To dig deeper into the seasonal search trends, click here to read part one of this series: Hair Restoration Trends 2023: Exploring Seasonal Surges & Annual Progress.
Now, let’s look at the actual numbers. While the chart above confirms that interest continues to rise, the reality is that the seasonal trends indicate consistent, predictable surges that you can use to plan your marketing. This observation applies to both local searches and inquiries for medical tourist options for hair transplant procedures.
What can you do with this data?
Saving money will always be a factor for shoppers. That leads some to consider medical tourism, especially with the added allure of a tropical getaway, flight, and hotel included. In reality, we’re talking about 1 in 9 searches that most likely would end up wasting your team’s time because they’re considering medical tourism.
If you didn’t read our previous post titled “Battling the Increased ‘Price Shoppers’ in Hair Restoration,” it covers trying to convert a medical tourism price-shopping client through a combination of seeing the doctor, their experience, and being an authority. It clearly explains effective tactics for dealing with price shoppers considering medical tourism.
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