Hair transplants are among the top plastic surgeries movie stars use to maintain their dazzling good looks. While some actors are forthcoming about their hair restoration procedures, others prefer to get a hair transplant without anyone knowing. That is why journalists and fans keep a close eye on famous people’s hairlines. This led to many hair restoration rumours, including Matthew McConaughey’s hair transplant.
However, while other rumoured celebrity hair transplants have never been confirmed or denied, Matthew has adamantly denied having had this procedure [1]. He credited his significant hair growth in the early 2000s to a non-surgical hair restoration treatment. This article will tell you all you need to know about:
Matthew McConaughey is a famous US actor born in Texas in 1969. He started his movie career in 1993 with a supporting role in the teen comedy Dazed and Confused. Matthew soon rose to international fame, starring in several blockbusters, such as The Wedding Planner (2001), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Dallas Buyer’s Club (2013) and Interstellar (2014). He also starred in the first season of the acclaimed TV show True Detective (2014).
Matthew has received numerous prestigious accolades throughout his career, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe (both for Dallas Buyer’s Club). He also received a Critics’ Choice Television Award for his role in True Detective.
During a 2022 interview with LADBible, the famous actor spoke openly about his struggle with hair loss. He admitted that in the 90s and early 2000s, he was experiencing significant hair shedding and a bald spot on his crown.
“I got a picture: Turn of the millennium party in 2000 in Jamaica, I was looking down laughing and there was a baseball-sized bald spot on the top of my head.”[1]
However, just a few years later, his previously visibly receding hairline was straight once more, and his frontal area was full and luscious. This sparked the rumour that Matthew must have had a successful hair restoration procedure.
The movie star vehemently refuted this allegation in his 2022 interview. He claimed that his scalp was even checked by a hair transplant surgeon who confirmed that he had never had surgical hair restoration [1]. However, his hair regrowth was so spectacular that many wondered whether the star was telling the truth.
The actor attributes his almost miraculous hair transformation to the diligent daily use of a plant-based topical hair growth remedy. The formulation contains saw palmetto for hair, which is a natural dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blocker, as well as some of the best essential oils for hair growth (including rosemary oil for hair and lavender oil for hair). Matthew says rubbing this treatment into his thinning areas curbed his hair loss and made his hair grow back much stronger and fuller.
It is hard to tell whether this remedy alone would be enough to produce the major hair restoration effect experienced by the actor. On one hand, the formulation is proprietary, so the ingredient proportions remain unknown. Saw palmetto, rosemary oil, and lavender oil do indeed have some scientifically proven hair growth properties (rosemary oil can be as effective as Minoxidil 2% [2]), but their concentration is important.
On the other hand, each person responds differently to treatment, depending on their genes and hormones. It is possible that the treatments worked exceptionally well against Matthew’s hair loss. However, it is also possible that the actor used other methods to make his mane appear fuller, such as hair thickening spray, a great hairstyle for men with thin hair or even a secret hair transplant.
Around his mid-20s, Matthew McConaughey started experiencing frontal balding. This is very common, as male pattern baldness often starts around this age [3]. By 1999, his androgenetic alopecia had already progressed significantly, reaching Norwood Stage 3. The actor had an M-shaped hairline, visible frontal thinning and a growing bald spot on the top of his head.
Male pattern baldness occurs as the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) binds to specific androgen receptors on your hair follicles. This makes the follicles decrease progressively in size and start producing miniaturised hair until they lose the ability to produce any.
Some areas of the scalp, such as the hairline, frontal area and crown, are more sensitive to DHT, so they are more prone to hair loss. Others, such as the back of the head, remain largely unaffected. That is why most men with this condition go bald in a typical pattern.
Androgenetic alopecia is the main cause of hair loss in men, affecting over 85% of the male population at some point in life [4]. Hair loss is often linked to mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, social withdrawal or low self-esteem. However, when experienced by an actor, it can have even more severe consequences, as their appearance can be crucial to their career.
Matthew’s hairline was a rollercoaster ride throughout his youth. He started his career with luxurious hair, went on to experience significant thinning, followed by spectacular regrowth. Here is the star’s hair transformation over the years.
In his early 20s, Matthew made his big screen debut with a full head of luscious hair (or so it seemed). The actor was careful to keep his hairline covered with bangs or a side parting. This makes it difficult to tell if he was already experiencing an uneven hairline or temple hair loss. From what can be observed, his tresses looked shiny, thick and youthful.
By the time he reached his 30s, the actor’s hair was visibly thinning. He probably experienced the first signs of hair thinning and balding in his mid-20s, and his male pattern baldness progressed gradually. But since Matthew was not yet very famous in the 90s, there aren’t many publicly available photographs of his hairline around this time.
It is certain, however, that by the year 2000 his hair loss had become problematic. His M-shaped hairline could no longer be denied, his frontal hair was so thin you could see his scalp, and he had also developed the tell-tale bald spot on the top of his head.
Over the next few years, Matthew surprised his fans with a newfound hair fullness and a hairline that only grew straighter with time. This miraculous hair regrowth is not a common occurrence, especially after stage 3 male pattern baldness had already set in. It is normally seen in men who have had a natural-looking hair transplant.
Rumours that the actor had surgical hair restoration started circulating among fans and plastic surgeons alike. However, Matthew maintains that this amazing transformation was achieved only through the diligent use of a plant-based hair growth remedy.
One of the main things that must be kept in mind when analysing Matthew’s hairline is his naturally voluminous, wavy hair. This great texture is excellent for covering up frontal thinning, especially when it is grown a bit longer. This may be why the actor’s hairline looks very different in photos taken just a couple of months apart. Every time he cuts his hair shorter, his hairline becomes M-shaped, and his frontal area seems thinner. But as he lets his hair grow, his hair thinning becomes barely visible:
While the movie star may sometimes use hair thickening products to make his hair seem fuller, long wavy hair is simply easier to style into a position that covers thinning spots. And Matthew’s hair stylist is obviously skilled in creating an epic bro flow, which is one of the best haircuts for balding men.
Now in his mid-50s, Matthew McConaughey still has a full, wavy mane to be envied. While you can still see some temple hair loss, and his hairline is curved rather than a straight line, his alopecia seems to have significantly improved. Whether it is the hair growth treatment he swears by or some other secret kept close to his heart, whatever the actor did to fix his messed-up hairline has worked.
Had Matthew had a hair transplant in the late 90s or early 2000s, he would have had a follicular unit transplantation (FUT) procedure. That was the gold standard at the time, as it was before today’s more popular follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique was perfected.
FUT surgery involves harvesting an entire strip of skin from the back of the head, cutting it up into hair grafts under a microscope and implanting the grafts into the thinning areas of the scalp. This procedure leaves a fine scar on the donor area, where the strip was removed.
However, if the actor were to get hair restoration surgery nowadays, he would most likely opt for FUE surgery. FUE involves harvesting individual hair grafts and reimplanting them into the transplant area. While this technique takes longer to complete, it leaves virtually no scarring and makes for an easier and shorter hair transplant recovery.
Back in 1999, when his hair loss was at its peak, Matthew would have likely needed at least a 2500-graft hair transplant. He would have had to cover his temples and frontal area, as well as the bald patch on the top of his head. He could opt to have this surgery performed in a single session or to have a hairline transplant first and get the top of his head filled in at a later time.
However, if the movie star wanted to get surgical hair restoration today, he would need significantly fewer grafts. Judging by his current appearance, he would simply need to get his temples topped up and his frontal area filled in. This means a 1500-graft hair transplant would likely suffice.
Of course, it is easy for celebrities to enhance their appearance in photos or videos, making their hair seem healthier and fuller. Only a surgeon could confirm the exact number of grafts Matthew would need upon a thorough examination of his scalp.
It is hard to say how much a hair transplant would have cost at some unspecified point in the early 2000s, when Matthew is rumoured to have had his. However, it is easier to determine what he might have to pay for hair restoration surgery in the present day.
Hair transplant costs can vary significantly with factors such as geographic location, clinic reputation, number of hair grafts needed and additional services. However, since Matthew spends a lot of his time in Hollywood, he may have opted for a hair transplant in Los Angeles.
According to our research, an average 1500-graft hair restoration surgery costs $11,590 (around £8750) in LA. However, a famous movie star would probably opt for a high-end clinic, where the same procedure could cost upwards of $15,000.
If you are interested in getting an average Norwood stage 2-3 hair restoration surgery in the UK, it costs £4,820 on average (around $6,400). And the best hair transplant clinics in the UK have a success rate close to 100%.
If you are wondering whether you should stick to hair growth medications like Matthew or have your hair surgically restored, our experts are here to help. Book a free, no-obligation hair transplant consultation with one of our excellent surgeons. They will determine if you are a good candidate for a hair transplant.
If so, they will walk you through the entire procedure, answer all your questions and help you choose the best treatment option to regrow your full, luxurious head of hair. See the kind of results you might achieve by browsing our hair transplant photo gallery.
An increasing number of actors, singers and footballers get hair transplants nowadays to help them maintain their hair. Some of them openly discuss their procedures, others prefer to remain discreet. Here are the hair journeys of some other celebrities rumoured or confirmed to have had hair restoration surgery:
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