Dr Matee: The famous hair transplant surgeon helping heroes and stars across Manchester and beyond
Dr Matee is the go-to guy for hair, eyebrow and beard transplants in 2021 - having treated the likes of Jack Fincham, Jake Quickenden, Gareth Gates, Katie Price, Joe Swash, Mike Hassini, James Lock, Gaz Beadle, Grant Hall, Stuart Hogg, Rob Wotton and Bianca Gascoigne, among others.
The number of famous faces who’ve signed up for hair transplants has risen considerably over the years. But there’s still one celeb who remains synonymous with the surgery.
It’s Wayne Rooney, of course – the former England footballer who bucked the trend of keeping hairline surgery secret by tweeting ‘before and after’ photos out to the world.
It was a bit of a watershed moment. Since the day Rooney openly admitted to getting treatment for male pattern baldness, some of the stigma surrounding hair loss began to fall away.
In the decade since that Tweet, hair surgery has acquired more celebrity sign-ups and moved into the mainstream – with more people than ever wanting more info about an industry that’s growing every day.
This past decade has also produced hair transplant experts and pioneers leading from the front, and one of the most famous examples of all is Dr Matee – a specialist who’s treated everyone from celebs to servicepeople.
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Having performed his first hair follicle work at Harley Street, Dr Matee proceeded to branch out.
Today, he is the go-to guy for hair, eyebrow and beard transplants – having treated the likes of Jack Fincham, Jake Quickenden, Gareth Gates, Katie Price, Joe Swash, Mike Hassini, James Lock, Gaz Beadle, Grant Hall, Stuart Hogg, Rob Wotton and Bianca Gascoigne, among others.
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But alongside sports, TV and music personalities, Dr Matee has also used his abilities to help those outside the public eye.
His ‘Hair for Heroes’ has been set up to treat those ‘who deserve and need it most’. This can include people with skin deformities, attack victims, and people who dedicate their time to supporting others (charity workers, NHS staff, servicepeople, social workers).
Hair for Heroes recipients can be nominated by anyone – with a panel regularly meeting to decide on each individual nomination.
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Dr Matee also differs from other surgeons in raising the issue of the “major mental health element involved in hair transplants that often doesn’t get discussed”. Part of his mission is to provide services that increase confidence in clients – with hair loss linked to anxiety and depression in some people.
Once upon a time, hair transplants were taboo. But during his time in the industry, Dr Matee says he’s seen the stigma slowly subside.
“Of course, not everyone wants to tell the world about it, but it is so common now,” he explains.
“Both men and women have it done. It has really helped men and women suffering confidence issues to really improve how they feel about themselves. The more people that talk about it, the more people will get help as it really is life changing in how people seem more confident after hair transplant surgery.
“We’ve had countless patients tell us the surgery has completely changed their lives. For people who don’t experience hair loss, they might not understand as much, but when it’s happening to you it can take a massive toll on your self-esteem and mental health.”
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Hair transplants by Dr Matee involve removing hair follicles from the back of the head, known as the donor area, to the front hairline or the top mid-scalp or crown. It is done under local anaesthetic and is a day procedure – classed as ‘minor surgery’.
Patients usually come in on the morning of the surgery and are back at home by the evening.
Dr Matee sees a diverse range of people each week – some popping in for their first treatment, others visiting for corrective surgery to fix botches following poor surgeries performed elsewhere.
The surgeon has even had his own transplant – fixing the corners of his hairline which had also thinned from the front.
But – busyness and big names aside – Dr Matee has also made headlines for his unique approach to surgery: The MinSim technique.
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“MinSim is my very own refined technique of doing hair transplant surgery,” he explains.
“It is something I have developed over the years that allows patients to undergo hair transplant surgery with minimum discomfort, easy recovery and optimum results.
“The MinSim technique, I feel, has revolutionised the patient experience and guarantees that the work we do as a team produces amazing results day in, day out for every single one of our patients.”
You can now get a real ‘swamp aesthetic’ with Lush’s new Shrek collection
Danny Jones
For reasons that escape us that we neither need nor care about, Lush has launched a limited-edition Shrek collection and the marketing has worked already: we want it.
Yes, the British-based cosmetics brand has just dropped a new collaboration straight from the swamp and perhaps because it’s totally random and counter-intuitive to the whole ethos of the character, we suddenly have an intense urge to bathe ourselves like the famously filthy character.
Lush‘s new Shrek set includes everything from a body spray, ‘Fiona’ scented shower gel, a ‘Shrek Swamp’ bath bomb and many more.
There’s even a cute little Gingerbread Man bubble bar and fittingly-titled ‘Get Outta My Swamp’ shower slime (whatever that is) and we’re curious enough to try all of them.
Teasing the new items as an early exclusive for those who shop directly through the Lush app, the Dorset-born company have enticed customers by urging them to “embrace [their] inner ogre”, quipping, “There’s no need to look Far, Far Away”.
The officially licensed collab with DreamWorks Animations has products starting from £6 — the donkey bath bomb, specifically — and is already available here in the UK.
Our assumption is that the idea for this probably came from nothing other than the viral success of their well-timed Saltburn line earlier this year, which we’re still laughing about, to be honest.
As kitsch and gimmicky as it might sound on the surface, we have to admit it looks quite good if you’re into that kind of stuff, which we suspect a fair Shrek-thusiasts now are too.
So, if you fancy kitting your bathroom out with a load of green goodies or are just a massive Shrek fan yourself and will snap up almost every bit of merch you see (we know there’s plenty of you out there), you know where to look.
We’re sure that their bath bombs and scented sprays are just like onions: lots of layers and depth behind them — but we’ll leave that for you lot to find out.
Better still, no you have the perfect stuff to pack in your toiletry bag when you take your trip to the enchanted forest to stay in the Shrek’s Swamp. Again, we don’t have an explanation for you, but we don’t need one.
Everything you need to know about Michael McIntyre’s MAGNIFICENT tour at AO Arena
Danny Jones
British comedy legend Michael McIntyre is rolling back into Manchester this weekend for a double bill of his brand-new tour, MAGNIFICENT at the AO Arena.
Still one of the biggest names in UK comedy and always delivering a reliable and largely family-friendly performance (this being a 14+ show), he’s set to pack out the legendary Manc entertainment venue this Friday and Saturday.
Despite being a household name for the best part of two decades now, this latest show is actually his first stand-up tour in five years and has already received pretty solid reviews from the likes of Chorlte, so it’s great to see him back out on the circuit.
With all that in mind, we thought we’d provide those going along to either of his two Manchester shows with all the info you need.
Are there tickets left?
First off, if you’re still looking to grab tickets to see Michael McIntyre at Manchester’s AO Arena, although the Sunday is sold out there are still a fair few tickets left for the Friday, 22 March show.
With the cheapest tickets starting from just £34.50 and the closest seats going all the way up to £147.06, you can pretty much have your pick of the bunch.
As always, if you’re feeling like being a bit posh and treating yourself (you always deserve it, as far as we’re concerned), you can of course spring for the more premium hospitality packages like the Electric Lounge’s Champagne Experience. You can find the full gamut of tickets HERE.
Warm-up act and stage times for Michael McIntyre’s Manchester show
As for stage times, comedy shows at the AO Arena skew slightly earlier than the likes of your live music in Manchester but we can still let you know how long you can expect to be there.
Doors are set to open from 6pm on both nights but the jokes won’t start flying until 8pm, so you’ll have plenty of time to grab a drink, something to eat, nip to the loo etc.
With opening support act Jake Lambert — who has also turned with the likes of industry heavyweights Romesh Ranganathan and Jack Dee — set to take the stage for a 20-minute warm-up set at 8pm, McIntyre isn’t due on until 8:20pm, and his roughly 75-minute set will take you up to 22:10pm, so you should be out well before the venue’s curfew at 11pm.
The AO Arena is right in the heart of the city centre, so it’s fairly easy to get to.
On foot:
The AO Arena is located within the Manchester Victoria Station complex in the city centre, on the corner of Trinity Way, Hunts Bank and Great Ducie Street. You can enter through the station (up the stairs), through the Trinity Way Tunnel, or from Hunts Bank.
By tram: Also super straight-forward – hop off the tram at Manchester Victoria and you’re right by the stairs to the venue. It’s also a short walk from Exchange Square and Shudehill. Trams run directly to Victoria Station from Rochdale, Bury, Altrincham, East Didsbury and the Airport.
By train: While Piccadilly is the city’s largest train station, plenty of trains do pass through Manchester Victoria. You can plan your journey through the National Rail website.
Parking: The postcode if you’re driving to the AO Arena is M3 1AR. There’s an on-site CitiPark car park with 958 spaces, which can be pre-booked here. Bear in mind that Trinity Way is closed after concerts to allow gig-goers to leave safely, though cars are allowed out of the car park with directions from staff.
About the AO Arena
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
Also, if you’re looking for somewhere for a classy drink and a nice bite to eat, then the brand-new Mezz restaurant is the perfect spot for some pre-gig fun.