Most of us will encounter hair loss at some point in our lives. In fact, male pattern baldness – the most common type of hair loss – affects a whopping 85% of all men.
This often results in a receding hairline, thinning of their hair on the crown and temples and, in severe cases, it can lead to complete baldness.
But it’s not just men that suffer with hair loss. Around eight million women also experience it, with the stages following pregnancy and the menopause typically resulting in thinning hair.
Hair loss can have a huge impact on our mental health and wellbeing, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of – and hair transplants are a great option for those who feel their quality of life is being negatively impacted due to their hairline.
In fact, according to Harley Street Hair Transplant Clinics, every 13th man has a hair transplant and it’s one of the most frequently-performed cosmetic procedures for men.
The procedure can cost anywhere between £1,000 to £30,000 – depending on the type and extent of hair loss.
But if you’re considering spending that much money, it’s likely you’ll want to know what to expect – as well as what the outcome will be.
To get all the details, Metro spoke to 44-year-old James, an editor who underwent a hair transplant on December 1, 2020, about his experience.
Warning, the below contains images some readers might find graphic.
Choosing the right hair transplant method
‘It may be life-changing, but getting a hair transplant is not the easy option. I know – because I had one,’ James says.
There are many approaches – both with the style of hair transplants you can choose, how it’s done, and how you prepare for it.
Some require full shaving of the head, some require a close crop, while others claim to be able to treat a patient with no cutting or shaving of hair beforehand.
James adds: ‘Check reviews and proceed with caution – you want to get it right first time.
‘The method I had is the more invasive one, where a slice of skin is removed from the back of the head and the hairs removed individually before being re-inserted to the front of the head, in thousands of tiny scalpel cuts.’
More recently-developed methods use a less-invasive ‘hole punch’ system (which James stresses is not the technical term), where the hair is removed with a punch effect, then is re-inserted.
He adds: ‘Your clinic will tell you which method is most suitable for you.
‘Because I had quite a lot of area to cover, I had the strip method, which allows the surgeon to remove more hair at once. I was also told that it makes it easier for the practitioners to work with the hair.’
How it went
Recalling his experience, James says he arrived at the clinic early and had ‘prepared for a long day’.
He recounts: ‘I had been advised to cut the front of my hair – both the areas of complete hair loss and just beyond, so they could go well back beyond the hairline to “futureproof” the transplant and protect against receding.
‘I had the option to shave the whole head, to allow better access – but I chose not to, as I didn’t want it to be too obvious I’d had a transplant. This is something I’d do differently next time.
‘I spent eight full hours in the chair – the first hour was spent cleaning and cutting out the slice of hair at the back of my head, before sewing up the wound.’
Then a practitioner separated the hairs from the skin and laid them out ready to insert while the surgeon prepared James’ scalp for the hairs by making thousands of tiny cuts into his head with anaesthetic.
James says: ‘The scraping feeling was quite unpleasant. The hairs are painstakingly reinserted, either one-by-one or in couples or triples, to replicate the natural way hair grows and make the finished result more natural.
‘I had breaks for lunch but, apart from that, I was in that chair for hours. I passed the time by chatting and watching movies.’
The whole process took eight hours to complete.
‘I looked in the mirror and barely recognised myself. The initial effect is quite gruesome,’ James adds. ‘The scalp looks quite bloody and my hair had been shaved back.
‘I’d travelled quite far from home for my treatment, so the only person treated to my appearance was my girlfriend. Lucky her.’
The recovery process
In terms of recovery, James adds: ‘For the pain of the wound to subside it took about a month. The implant area healed faster. On day one, my face swelled up like a balloon and my forehead became enormous – I looked like something off Star Trek.
‘This is normal – though it looks anything but – and subsides after a few days.
‘The pain was quite considerable – more from the wound and the stitches, which took weeks to heal, rather than from the implants.’
James also had to sleep sitting up, with an inflatable pillow, to prevent his head from touching the bed.
‘Even painkillers every four hours didn’t help much – it was very sore and made me pretty miserable for a few weeks,’ he continues.
As the days went by, James developed scabs which formed a ‘crust’ on his head – which had to be massaged off each day with a gentle shampoo.
James said: ‘More accurately, my girlfriend had to massage off. She bravely massaged the crust with a soft sponge each day to loosen the scabs to help the healing without disrupting the hairs. Then she gently dried it with a towel.
‘I was left with a scar around six inches long, in a sort of “smile” at the back of my head.
‘I was told it would not be visible unless I went down to lower than a grade 4 – so I can never now get a buzz cut, if I want to keep it hidden.’
Can you wear a cap to cover up?
James also couldn’t wear a cap for 12 days post-op, in case he dislodged the hairs.
He underwent the procedure during the pandemic, so people wouldn’t see it in person, and he angled the camera on Zoom calls to cut off the top of his head.
To shave or not to shave?
James explains that the clinic shaved the front of his head and all around the hairline, then left the back of his hair long – so he could comb it forward to cover the front area.
‘This gave an unconvincing comb-over effect,’ he adds.
‘I would not have been able to go to work without feeling like a complete wally.
‘If you have to go for the crop option and you have a job you have to attend in person, you might be better off taking a fortnight of holiday – or just embrace it.’
James’ friend had the option where you have no hair cut and was just as pleased with his result, but the treatment was a lot more expensive.
In total, James’ hair transplant cost £5,000 – compared to his friend’s, which was £8,000.
The results
So, the golden question, was it worth it?
James says: ‘I am largely delighted by the results – I was very unhappy with my hairline before and now that self-consciousness is entirely gone.
‘My only regret is not going for a closer crop before I got my transplant so that it was easier to access and insert more hairs into the forelock.
‘The coverage I have there now is fine, but I’d like it to be even thicker – especially after going through the lengthy op and healing process.
‘It would be a big deal to go through it again to attain perfection – and as I may need a top-up in a few years anyway, as more natural hair loss occurs, I plan to have the forelock thickened up then.
‘I gather more clinics now claim to be able to get full results without shaving, so I may well go for a different method next time – especially as the area to be treated will be smaller.’
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