So what does Rob Holding’s hair transplant look like in 2023, three years (and one club transfer) after his FUE hair transplant procedure at the Wimpole Clinic?
Here, find out all about Rob Holding’s hair loss journey, including before and after photos, how many grafts he needed, and the impact Rob’s hair transplant has had on his mental health and well-being.
Rob Holding’s hair transplant drew headlines in May 2022, when he headed home his first goal against West Ham to help secure Arsenal’s vital three points towards Champions League qualification.
And while Aaron Ramsdale ripped into his teammate over his new hairline, it’s Rob who’s come out on top, with his fantastic hair transplant performed by Dr. Luciano Sciacca (GMC)
Dr. Michael May, the principal surgeon at the Wimpole Clinic, asked Dr. Sciacca whether he had invented a new Rob Holding hair transplant technique that helped cushion the flight of the ball off Rob’s new hairline as “it was quite an assist!”
While a hair transplant probably won’t help everyone put in a man-of-the-match performance, they have certainly helped many people boost their self-esteem and confidence. England cricket captain Ben Stokes also had a hair transplant at the Wimpole Clinic, which has had a positive impact on his mental health:
“When I had my hair done in 2018, I was 27 or 26 years old. Losing your hair at that young of an age is not something you want to be screaming and shouting about. It’s just amazing how much confidence I got after having [my procedure] and seeing the results. I wasn’t worried about it any more.”
As a young Bolton Wanderers player at the age of 20-21, Rob had a very healthy hairline.
However, over the next few years, Rob lost a significant amount of hair which resulted in substantial hair loss by his mid-20s. This is thanks to an inherited condition known as male pattern baldness (or androgenetic alopecia).
16% of men aged 18-29 are said to have moderate to extensive hair loss, which only gets worse with age. Unfortunately, Rob is one of the unlucky ones [1].
Rob Holding’s hair loss had a major impact on his self-esteem. In an Instagram post he posted on World Mental Health Day, Rob said:
“I struggled so much with my hair and self-confidence. I have had so many messages about where I had my procedure. The Wimpole Clinic in London treated me so well and I am so happy with the results.
“I’ve had so many messages from other people affected by [similar] mental health issues and self-confidence issues, I couldn’t recommend this place enough!”
A few months later, Rob could be seen sporting new hair growth across his scalp. And by the end of the 2021/22 season, this had grown out into a thick, full head of hair. By the end of the season, his new hairline was scoring on and off the pitch.
So how does Rob Holding’s hair transplant look now?
In October 2021, Rob Holding revealed he had an FUE hair transplant because he struggled with his hair loss and self-confidence. Fortunately for him, by choosing an experienced, reputable clinic, he managed to win it back with a successful hair transplant.
Following his move to Crystal Palace in September 2023, Rob’s hairline still looks fantastic. And while Dr. Sciacca’s skill, expertise, and experience deserve much of the credit for Rob’s long-lasting results, he’s keen to share the acclaim with Rob himself.
Dr. Sciacca said:
“I am very happy for Rob [Holding] and all the credit must go to him for his hard work. Our mission here is to help our patients to be the best version of themselves. If we have done that then we are very happy, we have done our job.”
The extent and rate of Rob’s hair loss were quite advanced when he came to the Wimpole Clinic for the best men’s hair loss treatment after experiencing progressive male pattern baldness.
His hairline had receded significantly, approaching stage 4 on the Norwood Scale. His classic M-shaped hairline had begun to recede further, creating balding on his crown as well as his temples.
This diagram shows how many hair grafts are typically needed to fill in each section of the scalp:
Dr. Sciacca used 2,600 grafts to perform Rob Holding’s hair transplant. These were taken from the donor hair area on the back of Rob’s head and used to replace the hair he’d lost in zones 1-4.
Many celebrities have alopecia. Hair loss affects 85% of men by the age of 50 according to the American Hair Loss Association (AHLA). However, there are many misconceptions when it comes to hair transplants and costs.
Celebrities like Elon Musk and David Beckham are said to have had extremely expensive hair transplants. Fortunately, it’s not usually necessary to spend tens of thousands of pounds on a hair transplant.
When asked about the reported £30,000 Wayne Rooney’s hair transplant cost, Dr. Sciacca gave a wry smile and said:
“I think this is where a lot of misconceptions come from. Unfortunately, I feel Wayne may have been a victim of his public profile. I don’t see a reason why anyone would pay so much if the reports are true.”
Dr. Sciacca continued,
“What we have been able to do with FUE & FUT techniques in recent years is really amazing, and it’s not as expensive as some clinics would like you to believe. I would really recommend to anybody considering a hair transplant to read our hair transplant costs analysis conducted early in 2022 where we examined UK prices nationwide. It’s a detailed guide for patients who want to choose the clinic that’s right for them.”
When asked how much Rob Holding paid for his transplant, Dr. Sciacca chuckled. “We respect the privacy of all of our patients. What I can say is he did not pay much more or less than the average UK figure we discovered in our cost analysis.”
We surveyed 108 hair transplant clinics around the UK in 2022 to discover how much patients are really paying for hair transplant treatment. The average cost of a UK hair transplant is £4,820.
Misconceptions also exist due to false information published online. For example, the NHS website states a hair transplant in the UK can cost anywhere from £1,000 to £30,000 [2]. Unfortunately, this is also widely cited.
As the founding member of The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) and the British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery, Dr. Michael May says “It’s not a nice thing to overcharge a patient for a hair transplant, but it dangerous to give people the idea they can have such a skilled procedure done for next to nothing”.
This is one of the reasons we have seen such a rise in medical tourism. An ISHRS study found that 77.5% of their member clinics saw 6 or more cases of botched hair restoration surgery every year — and many of these stem from overseas hair transplant clinics [3].
These clinics often have looser health and safety laws and medical regulations than the UK. Ricardo Meija, MD, reports that demand for hair transplants is so high that in some cases taxi drivers and refugees are conducting hair transplant surgery [3].
“There are hair transplants and there are Wimpole hair transplants,” says Dr. Michael May
“What differentiates us as a clinic is that we have very strict protocols that we will always follow.
“If we advise a patient to take preventative treatment such as Finasteride and defer surgery for 6 months, we won’t change our mind.
“We always put our patients’ interests before anything, even if that means we upset them in the short term.”
No matter who you are, we can help you get a premier hairline with treatment from the best UK hair transplant surgeons.
With a hair transplant success rate of 97-100% and hundreds of patients treated, we’ll restore your confidence along with your hairline. See our before and after hair transplant gallery to get an idea about what we can do for you.
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