By the time they reach the age of 21, almost a quarter of men are thought to begin seeing signs of hair loss and, by the time they are 50, up to 70 per cent of men are completely bald, either through choice or genetics.

Stars such as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Jason Statham and John Travolta have all braved the bald, with The Rock joking he had opted to shave his head because his hair ‘is a cross between an afro and hair from a llama’s ball sack,’ as Jason admitted ‘hair doesn’t suit me’ after donning a wig to star in 2013 movie Parker. Meanwhile, John shared he decided to let go of his locks once and for all in 2018 after being encouraged to by an unlikely friend – fellow bald star Pitbull.

After going viral when he revealed his smooth head, John said, ‘He would send pictures of me, I have all my hair, and he’d superimpose no hair and say, “I prefer this,” so I thought, maybe it’s time to do it.”

Prince William was recently voted the world’s sexiest bald man, with Dwayne, Shaquille O’Neal, Kelly Slater, Terry Crews, Danny DeVito, Samuel L. Jackson, Thierry Henry, Stanley Tucci and Vin Diesel also making the top 10.

Despite these famous faces being trailblazers in the modern-day reluctance of going bald, it seems that some men in the public eye have a hard time admitting they’re losing their hair, with a trend opting for hair transplants – and not all of them are honest about it.

However, some famous faces have been open about their decision to have their hairlines transformed. Footballer Wayne Rooney was amongst one of the first batch of stars to admit to having a transplant, writing on X – known at the time as Twitter – in 2011, ‘Just to confirm to all my followers I have had a hair transplant. I was going bald at 25, why not? I’m delighted with the result.’

Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean has also been open about his transformation, saying in 2013 in a now-deleted Instagram post, ‘Some girls get their boobs done, some guys get ab implants, all to make them happy! This was the one thing I did, and I couldn’t be happier.’

Journalist Marina Hyde recently discussed the lack of bald men in film and TV on podcast The Rest is Entertainment, saying, ‘In the pandemic, loads of A-List stars got their hair done, I can’t be that specific about it, but some people will say they’ve had it done. ‘A lot of US stars, sports stars, pop stars, are having their [widow’s peak] filled in. It’s happening all the time, it is completely widespread to the point that you don’t see anybody who has hair loss or is balding or is completely bald.’

Meanwhile, presenter Richard Osman lifted the lid on another treatment the stars of the industry could be using, stating you will notice you are going bald ‘very quickly’ if you work in TV due to the lights shone on talent in studios. He said, ‘They have an amazing thing on TV, all make-up artists have it, which is a thing called Nanogen. It’s almost like salt and pepper, and you put it in your hair, and it’s got like 50 different colours, so they match it exactly to your hair. It’s a powder, essentially, and then you hairspray it. It just fills in any possible gap that you might have.’

Discussing where stars are travelling to in order to undergo hair transplant treatment, Richard added, ‘Turkey, I think is the place that influencers go. But most TV presenters go to Dublin.’

In recent years, we haven’t seen male celebrities being so upfront about making a tweak to their hair, despite some of them being under scrutiny about how their hair seems to only get fuller as they age.

Hair transplant surgeon Dr Roshan Vara, co-founder of The Treatment Rooms London, has given insight on why this could be.

Dr Roshan tells Closer, ‘Over the years, public perception around hair loss and hair transplants has shifted. A few years ago, when hair transplants started gaining popularity, there was a surge of transparency among male celebrities, which helped normalise the treatment. ‘However, in recent years, we’ve seen a pullback. This could be due to an increasingly image-focused culture, where the pressure to maintain a youthful, flawless appearance has intensified. For men in the public eye, admitting to having aesthetic treatments is sometimes perceived as undermining “natural” attractiveness or masculinity, leading some to prefer privacy.’

THE HAIR TRANSPLANTS

Dr Roshan says, ‘David Beckham appears to maintain a thick and youthful hairline, potentially through a combination of specialised haircare products to keep his hair healthy and strong. He may have opted to have undergone a hair transplant to strengthen his hairline and temples, but this is not confirmed.

Many have noticed a drastic change in Elon’s appearance since he first came to our attention in 2002 when he launched PayPal, with him being visibly bald. Experts have suggested Elon was at stage four of seven when it comes to hair loss pattern, with it being estimated he has spent a whopping $20k-$30k (£15,519- £23,279) on hair transplant treatments. Dr Roshan tells Closer, ‘It is clear that Elon has had a hair restoration treatment and is strongly rumoured to have undergone a hair transplant to his hairline where he had thinned previously.’

OTHER TREATMENTS

But in the case of some other stars, Dr Roshan believes they have not yet taken the more drastic measures of undergoing a hair transplant but may be using other treatments to help their heads look fuller.

‘Other gentlemen may well be taking active measures to prevent hair loss, like non-surgical treatments such as Finasteride and Minoxidil to help maintain thickness,’ he says. ‘While we can’t confirm specific treatments for each, these are among the effective options that many pursue. Ultimately, the conversation around hair loss is evolving, and more open dialogue would likely benefit both celebrities and the general public in reducing stigma associated with a receding hairline or thinning crown.’

After Harry Styles debuted a dramatic new look after shaving his head in 2023, some speculated he could have been preparing to undergo a transplant. However, Dr Roshan doesn’t think so, telling Closer, ‘Harry is known for his thick wavy hair, and he might use natural oils or conditioning treatments to enhance his natural hair texture.’

Bradley Cooper has been the subject of hair transplant rumours for over a decade, as fans commented on the difference in his hairline between his movies He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012), with some experts speculating he could be using Propecia, a medication used to treat pattern hair loss. But Dr Roshan believes, ‘Bradley Cooper may rely on professional grooming and hair health supplements like Biotin, Zinc and Selenium to maintain his thick hair.’

Dr Roshan speculates former Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen maintains ‘a consistent look involving styling techniques and specialised products that add volume.’

Ben Affleck has been the subject of hair maintenance rumours following his latest split from Jennifer Lopez, with his hair seeming to change and disappear in recent months.
While fans online suggested the Gone Girl actor was using Finasteride or Minoxidil to retain his full head of hair, Dr Roshan believes there may be more to his changing appearance. He tells Closer, ‘Ben Affleck may have benefitted from targeted hair maintenance routines, possibly incorporating regular scalp and hair oiling to ensure his hair looks hydrated and healthier.’