Rumours have been going around for quite some time about Tom Hanks’ hair transplant, which is said to have corrected his uneven hairline and temple hair loss. However, there is little agreement among hair influencers regarding when this procedure may have taken place, due to the many look changes the actor has experienced over the years.
Like many other rumoured celebrity hair transplants (such as Steve Carell’s hair transplant or Prince Harry’s hair transplant), Tom Hanks’s procedure was never addressed publicly by the actor himself. Since he is known for his discretion, it is not surprising that Tom would consider such matters private. So did he really have hair transplant surgery or did he find other ways to make his hairline appear more symmetrical?
At this time, there is insufficient evidence to say for sure whether Tom Hanks has had a hair transplant. If he has, it likely involved a small number of hair grafts. While his hairline did seem straighter later in life, the transformation seems to have happened gradually, mostly as a result of frontal balding. Moreover, treatments, such as Minoxidil or Finasteride, and cosmetics such as hair thickening spray and hair dye may have also contributed to a fuller-looking hairline.
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Thomas Jeffery Hanks was born in 1956, in California. He made his film debut in 1979 and went on to star in a plethora of beloved and critically acclaimed movies, such as Big, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia and The Green Mile.
So far, the famous actor has received 2 Academy Awards, 7 Emmy Awards and 4 Golden Globe Awards. He is still acting and starring in several new productions announced for 2024.
Over the years, there have been rumours that Tom Hanks might have had surgical hair restoration. However, there is no agreement upon when this hair transplant may have taken place or even if he had a single procedure or several hair transplant procedures. That is likely because the actor’s hairline appearance varies in different photographs, some taken around the same period.
It is difficult to find conclusive evidence of whether Tom Hanks ever had a hair transplant performed, and if he did, it was likely on a small area around his hairline. That is because he shows no transplant scars and his hair loss seems to slowly, but steadily progress with age, in a manner consistent with male pattern baldness.
His naturally tall forehead and textured, curly hair made it easy to hide his early hair thinning but also made his receding hairline appear different in photographs taken at various times, from different angles. And the fact that it took so long for his androgenetic alopecia to progress indicates that he may have used hair growth treatments to curb his hair falling out.
So, while Tom Hanks may have had a discreet hair restoration procedure for his M-shaped hairline, it is just as likely that he used other methods to make his hairline appear straighter during some public appearances, such as:
Tom Hanks displays typical signs of androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness), albeit not in a severe form. This condition affects 85% of men before the age of 50. It is caused by several factors, such as age, genetics and hormones [1].
At some point in their lives, most men start to produce excessive amounts of a male hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This hormone binds to androgen receptors in their hair follicles, which then start to shrink and produce smaller, finer strands until they stop producing hair altogether.
The most affected areas are the hairline, temples, frontal area and crown, with the back and sides of the scalp often remaining healthy [2].
Tom’s photographs over the years show a progressively receding hairline and a continuing increase in temple hair loss, which started in his 20s.
However, it is only after the age of 40 that he started to show considerable frontal thinning and he has yet to develop a bald spot on the crown. This means his androgenetic alopecia progressed slowly, so far maintaining itself at stages 2-3.
Here is a quick overview of how Tom’s hair has evolved across the ages, from childhood to the present day:
Ever since he was a child, Tom Hanks had a wide forehead and thick, textured hair. His hairline seemed to be naturally high as well, which only got higher as it matured.
The width of his forehead became even more noticeable in Tom’s teenage years. It is difficult to tell from the photographs below whether he was already experiencing the first signs of hair thinning and balding (it can happen to some men as soon as puberty), as he wore a side part which may have masked an uneven hairline.
It is not very clear what Tom Hank’s hairline situation was in the 80’s, as he sported a thick, curly, afro-like mane, which partially covered his forehead. So if he was already experiencing a receding hairline or temple thinning, it was not apparent on camera.
By 1988, when Tom cut his hair shorter for his star role in Big, there were already visible signs of a receding, M-shaped hairline, which suggests an early onset of male pattern baldness.
However, the way the actor styled his hair significantly contributed to the way his hairline was perceived. Wearing a longer tuft of hair in the middle of his already high forehead sometimes created the impression of a deeper M-shaped hairline than he had at that time. However, wearing a straighter, more even fringe covered his hair thinning quite well.
Tom Hanks’ hair loss intensified during the next 5 years, as could be seen in 1993 when the actor embraced a short haircut for Forrest Gump.
By 1994, as he shaved his head for the lead role in Philadelphia, Tom’s temple hair loss was significantly more pronounced, displaying the typical appearance of stage 2-3 male pattern baldness.
There is some online debate regarding when Tom Hank’s presumed hair transplant may have taken place. Some commenters suspect it happened in the late 90’s.
While the actor’s hairline seems to be significantly straighter in 1999 compared to 1998 it may be because, in the 1998 photograph, he is wearing his hair longer in the centre of his forehead, while in the one from 1999, his locks are slicked back and he may also have experienced some extra hair shedding at the centre of his hairline.
Others believe that the hair transplant happened in the early 2000s. But once more, photographic evidence from 2000 to 2004 seems to point to a progressive increase in hair thinning mid-forehead, making the hairline seem straighter and the angles of the M-shape seem wider.
By 2024, Tom’s hairline is once more almost straight, likely due to this frontal hair shedding, as the hair on his temples and hairline doesn’t appear to be situated lower or to appear fuller than before.
Finally, there are also suppositions that the actor may have had a hair transplant operation around 2014-2016. However, Tom’s hairline appears quite similar from 2014 to 2017. His frontal hair does seem a bit fuller in 2017, but that effect is so slight it that may also have been achieved with cosmetics or hair growth treatment.
In 2020, Tom Hanks shaved his head once more for a part, so his hairline became clearly visible. Thus, it is easy to compare it with the way it was 26 years before. As shown by the photographs, the actor seems to have experienced progressive temple and hairline recession, with no indication of additional hair grafts.
While in the 2020 image, the curve of his hairline is, indeed, smoother than in 1994, it is also situated higher, suggesting it became more uniform as it receded, catching up with the temple hair loss.
One of Tom Hanks’ most recent photos, taken in 2024, shows the 67-year-old actor maintaining a similar hairline to the one he had 10 years previously, which suggests it is likely that he is using some hair growth treatment to keep his androgenetic alopecia from advancing.
If Tom Hanks has indeed had a hair transplant procedure, it was likely performed using the Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) technique. This has been increasingly favoured over the Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) technique in recent years because it leaves virtually no visible scarring on the donor area.
While Tom does not have many photos taken from behind, he does not appear to have a transplant scar on his scalp, suggesting that it is less likely he opted for FUT. Had he done so, when wearing his hair short, he may have had a visible scar on his donor area from where the strip of skin containing healthy follicles was harvested.
Just like Chris Evans’ rumoured hair transplant, Tom Hanks did not require a high graft hair transplant given the fact that he only seems to be stage 2-3 on the Norwood scale which measures male pattern baldness.
He has likely simply topped off his hairline and temples, with no additional grafts needed on his crown or frontal area at the time of his presumed procedure. According to the hair graft calculator, this means he probably needed a 1500 hair grafts hair transplant.
Were Tom to decide to get a hair transplant today, he would likely need some additional grafts in the frontal area, which has been experiencing more advanced thinning lately, meaning he would likely be recommended a 2000 graft hair transplant.
Since it is uncertain when, where and even whether Tom Hanks had a hair transplant, it can be difficult to accurately estimate how much it may have cost. However, since he lives in California, he would likely have had hair restoration surgery at one of the best clinics in Los Angeles. Getting a Norwood stage 2-3 procedure at a high-end hair transplant clinic in LA costs over $15.000, while the average hair transplant cost in this area is about $11.500.
While the price of similar high-end hair transplants is equivalent in the UK (£15.000), the average hair transplant cost is significantly lower, under £5.000. Since Tom is a wealthy and successful actor, he may have opted for the best services available, rather than search for the best price-quality ratio.
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Our hair restoration success rates are 97-100% regardless of the surgical technique you opt for and our results speak for themselves, as you can see from our before and after hair transplant gallery. You don’t need to worry if you want to get a hair transplant without anyone knowing. Advancements in surgical technique have made it easier than ever to get a natural-looking hair transplant, which emulates your original hair growth patterns perfectly.
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