In 2025 salon owner Sinem Çekinmez left Turkey, where she reportedly had money problems, and subsequently moved to Cape Town where she continued offering aesthetic treatments. But now, after some red flags around her were raised, she may have left South Africa.

Turkish "medical aesthetic expert" Sinem Çekinmez, who apparently left that country last year while owing several suppliers money, surfaced in Cape Town, where she was recently offering treatments.

But controversy now also marks her time in that city.

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At first, Çekinmez seemed confident, advertising her local services online, including on social media.

But this stopped.

Now it appears she may have left South Africa - that is what she told a Cape Town business owner, from whom, until recently, she was renting a room to see clients.

Broader problem

Daily Maverick has established that Çekinmez was not registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

As of this week, while the council has not received complaints against her, the Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine Society of South Africa is in contact with the council's inspectorate over how to deal with the matter and broader issues.

The society said someone operating without proper qualifications or Health Professions Council of SA registration was considered a "bogus practitioner".

Daily Maverick has established that there is growing concern about them in the beauty and aesthetics field.

While authorities have been alerted to some, there are many more who have yet to be officially...