February 21, 2019

Prince Harry and Hair Loss

There has been a lot of clamour around Prince Harry and his accelerated hair loss since marrying Megan Markle. Many magazines and papers have commented on the Duke of Sussex‘s balding pattern and commented on whether he would be interested in having it treated. We thought we could provide some helpful advice to Prince Harry if he was reading this blog.

Whats happening?

Prince Harry is likely suffering what most men suffer from- male pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia, is the most common cause for hair thinning and recession in men. It is primarily drive by testosterone (dihydrotestosterone) acting at the scalp hair.

Because Prince Harry is in the public eye it means more people are noticing his hair loss. There is nothing wrong with his current pattern of baldness if Prince Harry doesn’t mind his thinning!

How bad is Prince Harry’s hair loss?

There is a scale to qualify how bad any male’s hair loss is. This scale is called the Norwood scale and you can quite easily see where you yourself would fit in. Prince Harry is currently a Norwood 4 or 5 pattern of hair loss with particular focus on his crown or vertex thinning. As he has ginger hair and lighter skin his hair thinning can appear less pronounced than it really is. This is because there is less difference in the darkness of both colours so the contrast is less striking. For example, if you have light skin and dark brown hair- any thinning you may notice is more pronounced because of the drastic contrast between the two colours.

Norwood Scale, Male Hair Loss — Norwood Scale for Hair Loss

So Prince Harry’s hair loss is Norwood 4 or 5. It is only bad if he is worried about it. If he doesn’t mind then his hair loss isn’t bad at all – it is a natural process after all!

What can Prince Harry to do treat his hair loss?

He can choose a number of treatments. Assuming he is diagnosed with male pattern baldness he can pick between Finasteride or Minoxidil or choose both. These medications will help to prevent any further hair loss and thicken his existing hair.

In areas where has lost all his hair or receded to form bald patches, he would require an FUE hair transplant. Prince Harry’s choice of treatment will ultimately depend on his preference and lifestyle choices. He will obviously benefit from a full hair loss consultation before making any decision.

If Prince Harry chooses a hair transplant- how much will it cost?

An FUE hair transplant’s price takes into account what Prince Harry would like in terms of his results. This includes:

His desired hairline
The hair density he would like
Whether he will be choosing to take medications to prevent any further hair loss
What type of hair transplant surgery he would prefer to have

A recent study by Appalachian State University shed some interesting light onto how much a bald man would pay to restore their hair (4). Their study found that gentlemen would be willing to pay £4000-£5000 to go up each Norwood category. That means if Prince Harry wanted to achieve a Norwood level of 3, he may expect to pay around £4000-£8000.

Prince Harry wouldn’t be the first or last famous person to undergo hair transplant surgery or hair loss treatment. A recent paper has found a number of football managers undergoing the procedure or treatment, including:

Antonia Conte
Jurgen Klopp
Slaven Bilic

References

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Authored by

Dr Roshan Vara

Hair Transplant Surgeon & Co-Founder

Full Medical Member of the British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (BAHRS) Associate Member of International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS)

GMC Registered - 7458409

Reviewed by

Dr Dilan Fernando

Hair Transplant Surgeon & Co-Founder

Royal College of Surgeons

Full Medical Member of the British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery (BAHRS) Associate Member of International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS)

GMC Registered - 7458157