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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
“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.”
He adds: “In every case, we go above and beyond.”
You can learn more about Dr Matee online.
Follow Dr Matee on Instagram here.
