‘Gogglebox’ star Chris Steed has unveiled a whole new look after undergoing a £10,000 hair transplant.
The 40-year-old hairdresser has a full head of new locks following the procedure, which he says has made him feel “10 years younger”.
Chris, who appears on the Channel 4 show with his best mate Stephen Webb, had 2,000 hair grafts transplanted into his balding crown.
Chris said: “I am so pleased with the results and I do feel 10 years younger.
“I started losing my hair at a very early age and would be as bald as a coot now, just like my dad, if I had not received this help.
“As a hairdresser, I am acutely aware of the importance of having great hair and looking good and I am so pleased that the technology is there to make a real difference to the lives of men who are losing their hair. It can be heart-breaking and shatter your self-esteem.”
Chris started losing his hair at the age of 18 and used to wear wigs in the past but stopped because he was damaging his remaining hair by gluing the hairpieces to his scalp.
He added: “It was fun wearing the wigs for a time because they looked amazing but they are not a long-term solution.
“You damage your hair gluing them on and they can have embarrassing consequences and come off at the wrong times! I can remember one man almost getting the surprise of his life when it almost came off in his hand.”
Chris revealed that some concerned ‘Gogglebox’ fans contacted him on Twitter asking if he was ill because of his shaved head.
He explained: “I had it during a break in filming Gogglebox just after Christmas and then returned to the last series with my head shaved where they had taken the donor hair for the procedure. I was wearing a baseball cap to cover it up while my hair grew back.
“I had messages on Twitter from fans asking if he had cancer because I was wearing the cap - they thought I might have lost my hair through chemotherapy!
“Well, the truth is that I have had a hair transplant and I am very happy to make that clear. I have posed up now for pictures because all the lovely new hair has grown back.”
Dr Shahmalak, who carried out the procedure at Manchester’s Crown Clinic, said: “Hair transplants have never been more popular - particularly amongst celebrities who need to look good to stay in the public eye. You can completely change your appearance for the same cost as upgrading your car.”
Chris said he decided to go ahead with his hair transplant ahead of his nuptials to his fiancé, Tony Butland.
He said: “I am so excited about the wedding, it is going to be the happiest day of my life. I am thrilled that my hair will be looking good in the wedding pictures.”