Hair loss is one of the most common grievances amongst men and can affect about 40 percent of women. Whilst there's no harm in aging gracefully the effects of baldness can be far more penetrating than merely the loss of hair.
Hair loss can be emotionally debilitating as it isolates you and makes you go deep within yourself. You feel alienated from your friends and family as you feel violated and anxious, unable to openly discuss your feelings surrounding it. Suddenly your trapped in your own dark world, trust me I know. Unless you are a hair loss sufferer it's impossible to understand or relate. Be warned though as no one is immune to hair loss and chances are it is something you will experience at some stage.
As a sufferer you feel a loss of identity and self-image when you start to realize your losing your hair and it truly can be devastating. Your loss in confidence and self-esteem along with the lack of control surrounding your hair loss only amplifies your fear.
A recent survey revealed that 47 percent of hair los sufferers would spend their life savings to regain a full head of hair and that the likes of Johnny Depp and Jennifer Aniston were the hair inspirations for spending up to £20,000 on hair loss solutions. In addition to this financial sacrifice, 30 percent of people said they'd be willing to give up sex if it meant they could have a full head of hair. Others said they'd forgo cigarettes and even weekends.
Celebrities - especially men - are getting much more comfortable with the idea of surgical hair restoration and we are seeing many more famous men embracing the procedure every day. The truth is it is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Most men don't have to depend on their appearance to pay their mortgage bills, or to ensure that their career continues despite the issues associated with losing their hair. Celebrities find themselves in a unique position in this respect, especially when the world is watching them grow old and after meeting a number of household names over the years and offered them advice on the emotional aspects of hair loss as well as the hair transplants process they feel the need to stay young is of paramount importance to them and their careers.
Celebrity hair loss is becoming an increasingly hot topic in the media as we have all seen. The continuing demands on celebrities to keep their good looks, seems to be of great interest to the tabloids, but they rarely get the information correct, if at all.
There is regular interest in the hairlines of stars like Mel Gibson, Matthew Mcconaughey, Kevin Costner, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, David Beckham, Jeremy Piven etc and how they have changed over the years, for better or worse.
For example, a Google search for "Mel Gibson hair loss" has almost 50,000 entries. This attests to the amount of attention the media - and the public - are paying to celebrity hair restoration. His hair was scrutinized again in this article recently regarding his hair transplant: Recent newspaper article
Many celebrities don't mind their hair loss when it comes to their own personal life, but they realize that appearance is paramount in the entertainment industry. Celebs worry that their looks are important to the fans, and they seem to be right. Chat rooms and fan sites are abuzz with the hair lines of the stars or their balding crowns, not to mention the TV, magazines and newspapers which seem to always know when to get a picture at the right time.
We discuss celebrities and their hair transplants regularly on The Bald Truth UK Radio Show
Often celebrities have hair transplant surgery only to satisfy the demands of their careers. Soap Opera stars for instance, need those wonderfully youthful hairlines, something that would not be in such demand with the general aging public. The hair transplant design required by someone in this profession, however, might not be appropriate for the average person.
In order to create the illusion that time has simply stood still for people in the public eye, secrecy is paramount and I've had to sign many a confidentially agreement prior to a meeting with an A list star.
Leading hair transplant surgeons for 'the stars' are very meticulous about maintaining privacy, and understanding the special needs of their celebrity patients. Despite the 65% increase in the number of hair transplantations performed in the US and UK alone last year very few 'celebs' are prepared to come out about their surgeries which is a shame, as it would only help break down the stigma associated with hair loss and hair transplants.
Interest in celebrity hair transplants is not just reserved for film and TV stars, but for all kinds of professions in the public eye. Sports celebrities like Wayne Rooney, politicians, fashion designers, musicians, and now even top business executives recognize the importance of hair to their image and many hairlines have turned back time if you look very closely.
Busy celebrities often have their PR team try to discover what their treatment options may be, but rarely is the proper research done. After all, PR people are influenced by the media, just like the rest of us. Research into hair transplantation is vital and independent research should take a minimum of 8-12 months. This goes for celebrities too! Don't take short cuts due to your vulnerability as it can lead to much bigger issues. Make sure you do your due diligence - all of you.
Many patients I meet, including celebrity patients, are repair patients whos options can often be very limited as a result of jumping in too quick to hair transplant surgery and having inappropriate outdated work performed resulting in a pluggy unnatural appearance along with unsightly barbaric scaring.
In the world of the rich and famous, where ones livelihood depends on physical image the stakes are even higher one could argue.