Reality TV star Calum Best has had his sixth hair transplant – this time with strands from his beard.
The son of football legend George wanted to fill bald spots around his crown and thicken his hairline.
Calum, 42, had so little donor hair on his scalp that his surgeon had to remove some from his neck.
Experts said Calum was particularly suited to the groundbreaking procedure because his beard was like a “rug.”
The procedure, often done in multiple sessions of two to four hours over the course of several days, can cost between £3,000 and £10,000.
Calum Best relaxes with staff ahead of his sixth hair transplant – which was performed at the Crown Clinic in Manchester
Experts said Calum was particularly suited to the groundbreaking procedure because his beard was like a “rug.”
Hair transplant surgeon Asim Shahmalak (left) removes hair from Calum Best’s beard
Like Calum — who says he’s been battling hair loss since his early 20s – needs another transplant in the future, surgeons have suggested removing hair from his chest.
Thicker hair works best for transplants because it takes less draft to get the same effect as thinner hair. This is because thicker hair stops light from bouncing off the scalp – giving the appearance of baldness.
Beard hair is much thicker than the hair on the scalp, so it provides extra density for those experiencing hair loss, said Dr. Shahmalak.
The procedure was carried out at the Crown Clinic in Manchester, which has treated the likes of Coronation Street star Jack Shepherd, Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts and former footballer Didi Hamann.
Calum said, “I had my sixth hair transplant because I have a very aggressive hair loss gene.
“While all the transplanted hair I’ve received has remained permanent, I’ve continued to lose more and more of my natural hair.
“It’s very unusual to use beard hair for a scalp, but my previous procedures have left me with almost no donor hair on the back and sides of my scalp where surgeons normally remove it.”
The ex-Celebrity Big Brother contestant will receive all the benefits of the procedure after about nine to twelve months.
By then, all the transplanted hair will be fully grown and there will be minimal scars from the surgery on his neck and scalp.
Calum started going bald two decades ago and had his first hair transplant in Ireland in his 20s – though it’s not known where.
He then underwent three more treatments between 2012 and 2015 with Dr. Asim Shahmalak at the Crown Clinic.
In 2021, the model underwent a fifth transplant in Turkey, at the Cosmedica Clinic in Istanbul
Calum said, “Without Dr. Shahmalak’s help, I would look very different.
“I feel and look ten years younger with my hair kept, thanks to the wonders of science and the skill of my surgeon.
“But more importantly, I feel so much better about myself. If science can solve a problem, why not use it if it improves your mental health and puts a smile on your face?’
His father, former Manchester United star George, had a full head of hair until his death 18 years ago at the age of 59.
Balding Calum, 42, had so little donor hair on his scalp that the surgeon removed more than a quarter of the donor grafts from his neck
Beard hair is much thicker than the hair on the scalp, so it provides extra density for those experiencing hair loss, said Dr Shahmalak
Calum Best, who has been losing his hair since his early 20s, joked with Crown Clinic staff ahead of his sixth hair transplant
Calum pictured after his third hair transplant in 2015 (left) and before getting it done (right)
Medics used the follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique for the procedure — in which individual grafts are removed one at a time and then replanted.
Dr. Shahmalak transplanted 2,000 grafts to fill in Calum’s hair, including 550 just below his jawline.
Dr. Shahmalak said, ‘Calum has a very thick beard, especially just below the neck, where the density is like a cloth… he has such a strong covering there.
“Neck hair is thicker and great for adding density to a patient like Calum, who chooses not to take medication to slow his natural hair loss.”
Calum could have kept more of his hair by taking the clinically proven prescription drug finasteride, which slows or stops balding.
But he exercises daily and is reluctant to take unnecessary medication.
Some men who take it experience a loss of libido – which concerned him.
He added, “I’m very conscious of what I’m putting in my body. I have been battling my hair loss for two decades and I know many men in their 40s and 50s who are trying to save their hair and who are on Finasteride. It’s just not for me.’
Dr Shahmalak was the first in the UK to perform an eyelash transplant on a young woman from Manchester in 2008.
He is also one of the few surgeons in the UK to offer eyebrow, beard and sideburn transplants.