Singer Robbie Williams has revealed he had a hair transplant as many of us already know, as the announcement went viral within minutes of the first media piece.
The 39-year-old made the admission while chatting about how living in Los Angeles had rubbed off on him during an interview on The Graham Norton Show which aired on UK TV a few weeks ago. He said: 'I've lived in LA for a long time and they say, 'If you sit in a barber's shop for long enough you will get a hair cut.' Well, if you live in Los Angeles for long enough you're going to get some surgery.
'I've had a thatch done and I didn't even need it. That's the weirdest thing. I had three months off and got bored.'
A bizarre yet telling comment in my opinion however not the first we have heard from Robbie Williams - and I'm sure it will not be the last.
There has been speculation as to where in fact though he has had hair transplanted into as he has always appeared to have a solid head of hair, or so I thought until I came across a couple of pictures highlighting Robbie Williams hair loss concerns.
It is clear Robbie was experiencing initial miniaturization of the hairline at the very front which is a very difficult place to hide the early and initial signs of MPB especially given the hair styles he commonly wears with his hair combed up at the front. This would also possibly attribute to the grey flash he has only recently given himself in the front zone in an attempt to divert attention to the colour maybe and not the fact he has more hair in the area.
Back in his hay day of the single "Angels" he sported a short buzz cut on his album cover which exposed a prominent scar in the front region of his scalp just behind his hair line which was the result of a bottle incident he referred to in an interview with GQ magazine. The scar undoubtedly had become more exposed due to the miniaturizing hairline surround the scar in my opinion, making Robbie possibly self-conscious hence the desire to get a "thatch" - as he refers to the hair transplant procedure . At he point of addressing his frontal hair line via a transplant he more than likely will have had hair placed into the old scar too to help dilute it down and camouflage it's appearance.
It is highly likely also that like many hair loss sufferers who start to see the initial signs of MPB ( Male Pattern Baldness ) that he too has grave concerns over his hair loss and not only resorted to restoring lost hair via a hair transplant procedure but he is preventing further hair loss form occurring by taking the FDA approved preventative treatment - 1mg finasteride - more commonly known as Propecia. Hair loss is progressive and it only gets worse, not better, so putting an effective proven preventative treatment in place is going to mean over time if you opt for a hair transplant that you will need fewer procedures over time.
It is a positive, that someone as well known as Robbie has come out and told the world about his hair transplant procedure, despite the strange way he made the announcement. The word spread globally within minutes. It will further continue to help dilute the stigma associated with hair loss and hair transplantation in my opinion.
He had hair loss concerns and issues which he wanted resolving like many do, that much is very clear. His bizzare 'I got a thatch' comment will in turn help people get informed and see that there are viable solutions available to resolve hair loss today. It is important however to do extensive research in this area. How much research did he do...? Who knows, not much I would expect. But was he just bored and wanted any type of surgery in the next shop he passed - highly unlikely!
In my opinion it is just a shame he announced his hair transplant in such a way. The procedure is currently the most popular cosmetic procedure amongst men in the UK. He made himself look foolish and insecure as in my experience no one just gets a hair transplant because they are bored... not even Robbie (I'm too cool for school) Williams. Far from boredom but high levels of anxiety and fear of losing his image I expect. He tired to play it down in terms of how much his hair loss actually effects him, if it didn't effect him - why get a surgical procedure?
He will have felt the pain and anxiety which is associated and only too common with us hair loss suffers and it will have effected his self confidence and self esteem with force. He will have felt compelled to address the situation which he felt was undoubtedly getting out of control and too noticeable given his image. This procedure will have been very important to him and will have certainly made enquires and done research into how to best resolve his hair loss issues - guaranteed.
Hopefully he will pay forward the information he has gained and get his old band mate Gary Barlow up to speed as it is only a matter of time before his crown starts to really develop past to point of no return as he too is showing classic signs of MPB. Garry should consider getting onto proven treatments like Finasteride and Minoxidil as patients tend to respond well on the treatment if MPB is caught early especially in the mid to the crown region.
Let us hope these two former members of 'Take That' can get their hair " Back For Good "
Spexhair