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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Joe SwashGareth GatesBianca Gascoigne
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.”
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.
Will Mellor’s new BBC documentary about real-life Post Office scandal victims airs tonight
Emily Sergeant
A new BBC documentary about real-life victims from the Post Office scandal fronted by Will Mellor is hitting TV screens tonight.
As the country finally starts to wake up to the full scale of the Post Office scandal – which involved the British postal service pursuing thousands of innocent subpostmasters for apparent financial shortfalls caused by faults in an accounting software system between 1999 and 2015 – actor Will Mellor is on a mission to find out what happened to the real-life sub-postmasters in this new BBC documentary.
The Stockport-born actor famously played the part of Lee Castleton in the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, and says he feels a “real affinity” will the families he spoke to for the programme.
For the new documentary and accompanying five-part BBC Sounds podcast series – which is titled Surviving the Post Office – Will actually speaks to Mr Castleton himself, as well as four other affected people and their families whose lives have been “torn apart”.
Will Mellor has fronted a new BBC documentary about real-life Post Office scandal victims / Credit: ITV
Surviving the Post Office ventures to all four corners of England, including East Yorkshire, County Durham, Lincolnshire, West Sussex, and Cornwall, as Will discovers that many of the sub-postmasters want to “take back control of their lives”.
According to the BBC, for some facing the past, that proves to be a “troubling experience”, while for others, it ends up being a “liberating” step forwards.
As well as exploring the financial losses for many, including the people featured in the documentary and podcast series, Will also gets to find out how they are coping with their emotions, trying to move on from the whole ordeal, and how the victims are finding support in unexpected ways.
📢 Actor Will Mellor meets the real-life victims of the Post Office scandal in a brand new documentary from BBC Local
Surviving The Post Office is coming to @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer tonight at 8.30pm. The podcast series is on @BBCSounds now
“I feel a real affinity with these families, so it was a privilege to hear their stories for this documentary and podcast,” Will said ahead of the documentary airing on BBC One.
“What shocked me the most after meeting so many sub-postmasters is just how far the impact and trauma has spread – the effect it’s had on people’s health, their children, and their whole communities has been massive.”