Wayne Rooney, famous striker for the football team Manchester United, got a hair transplant at the beginning of June. Rooney, 25, has had hair loss issues since 2003, when he began to show signs of a receding hairline and overall thinning. Since then he has regularly shaved his head to hide the tell-tale signs of baldness, but it seemed that now he finally had the time and money to get a transplant. His wife, also 25, might have been putting a little pressure on as well for him to get a thicker head of hair. The procedure cost him a whopping £30,000. But was it really worth it?
During a team signing in Boston during their pre-season tour in the United States, Rooney showed off his new look with unimpressive results. The hairline firmly remained halfway up his head, and his shiny pate featured only a handful of thin, spiky hairs that did little to cover his skull. His skin clearly peeked through. It looked like wilted grass desperately trying to struggle up through desert terrain. Overall, it seems that the procedure was something of an expensive disappointment. However, it may seem like early days yet as the effects of the treatment maybe likely to occur after 6-9 months.
The hair transplant procedure involves taking hair from a donor area, usually lower down on the head or neck, and grafting it on the top of the head. The doctor makes incisions along the top of the head to help allow the hair to lie naturally, making it look less awkward or fake. The donor hair is then planted in the holes, where it hopefully flourishes.
While spending £30,000 to have a doctor cut holes in your head for no apparent reason seems like money down the drain, there is some hope for Rooney. It can take anywhere between six and nine months for the hair to take root in the new area, and even longer until it looks thicker and more natural. Rooney, his wife and his fans may still have something to look forward to.
While Rooney may have the money to spare on a risky operation, he may have been better off with a less costly alternative. Products such as Regaine contains 2-5% minoxidil to treat hair loss and male pattern baldness, making hair to return thicker in areas of previous baldness with long term usage. Overall it’s a cheaper and possibly a more reliable option then that Rooney’s transplant.