England cricket captain Ben Stokes has opened up about how hair loss has affected his mental health — and how getting a hair transplant at the Wimpole Clinic has helped him overcome this.
Millions of men are affected by hair loss. Male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss, and it impacts the emotional wellbeing of millions. According to recent research, 13% of men say hair loss has a serious impact on their mental health [1].
Celebrities and sports stars are no exception. In fact, these struggles may be made worse by being in the public eye. That’s why Ben Stokes decided to go public about his hair transplant in this joint mental health campaign with the Wimpole Clinic.
Below, watch and read our interview with Ben to find out everything you need to know about Ben Stokes’s hair transplant, including who performed Ben’s procedure, how many hair grafts he had, and how getting a hair transplant has affected his mental health.
Yes. In 2018, Ben Stokes had a hair transplant at the Wimpole Clinic. Led by Dr. Mir Malkani, our surgical team performed Ben’s FUE hair transplant, transplanting 1,800 grafts from the back of his scalp to his crown and temples to tackle the early signs of a receding hairline and crown hair loss.
In this video, Ben talks about his experience of getting a hair transplant at the Wimpole Clinic:
Speaking to Dr. Ismail Ughratdar, Ben revealed he’d been worried about hair loss for a while before getting a hair transplant:
“It’s something that I was very aware of and very worried about from a young age. Now, looking back to then, it was the first thing I would always look for in pictures. It was the first thing I would see when I watched footage of myself on the cricket field bowling.
“I guess that’s purely because of the angle the cameras are on you from a fielding point of view. When you’re bowling it’s above you, on top of your head. The more I played on TV, the more I noticed I was going a bit thin.”
While this thinning might not have obvious to casual viewers, it didn’t go unnoticed by some of Ben’s teammates:
“I started noticing it, the team started noticing it. Not in a bad way — loads of our team have thinning hair, so you just have a joke with everyone, because it’s just one of those things. But it’s amazing in cricket now how many people have had [a hair transplant]. It’s a conversation thing now. People ask about it: “What’s it like? How many grafts did you need? Does it hurt? I think I’m going to get one.” The stigma around it has just completely disappeared.”
Despite dressing room jokes, Ben’s hair transplant has been so successful that most people don’t even know he’s had one. Ben said:
“I got a lot of comments from the lads on the team before and after I had [my hair transplant] done. They’ve said in their own words that it is definitely the best one they’ve seen.”
This is partly because, unlike other athletes (such as Rob Holding’s hair transplant) who waited until the latter stages of hair loss to get a hair transplant, Ben took action while his hair was still relatively thick and full (around stage 2-3 on the Norwood Scale):
Like other celebrities with hair transplants who have come forward about their procedures, Ben believes the stigma around hair transplants is slowly decreasing:
“I was open about my hair transplant with friends and family. It’s quite hard not to, because I’d have no hair, plus a couple of red marks around it. But everyone handles it in different ways. Hiding it is how some people handle it.“But it’s 2023 now, and I think the way in which hair procedures are perceived is completely different. Even going back to when I had mine done, it used to be a big secret. Men didn’t want other people to know that they’d had a hair transplant.“But I think the more it’s publicly out there that people are getting them done, it’s making it a lot easier for men in particular to feel comfortable having it done.”
“I was open about my hair transplant with friends and family. It’s quite hard not to, because I’d have no hair, plus a couple of red marks around it. But everyone handles it in different ways. Hiding it is how some people handle it.
“But it’s 2023 now, and I think the way in which hair procedures are perceived is completely different. Even going back to when I had mine done, it used to be a big secret. Men didn’t want other people to know that they’d had a hair transplant.
“But I think the more it’s publicly out there that people are getting them done, it’s making it a lot easier for men in particular to feel comfortable having it done.”
Ben Stokes visited the Wimpole Clinic for his hair transplant procedure back in 2018. At his hair loss consultation, there was some thinning across his crown, as well as some temple hair loss and a slightly receding hairline:
Ben’s surgical team assessed his current rate of hair loss against the possibility of needing future hair transplants. Ben says this is one of the key reasons he chose to work with the Wimpole Clinic:
“At the first Wimpole Clinic consultation I had many years ago, we were talking about the future. They explain everything so it actually makes sense to you. I had no idea about what hair does. It would have been easier to just come in and go, “Yeah, let’s get this done, out you go.” But there was actually a conversation about the future. You know, this is why we’re doing this, and we’re going to do it this way because of X.”
With Ben’s agreement, the team extracted 1,800 hair grafts using the FUE technique. FUE is a popular choice because it heals much faster than FUT, and leaves virtually no scarring, so it’s much easier to get a hair transplant without anyone knowing.
Within a few weeks, Ben’s hair transplant had healed and the scabs began to fall off, leaving him with almost no sign of his procedure:
Ben took excellent care of his hair transplant, which helped him recover quickly with no complications:
“I was told the aftercare was very very important. So I didn’t properly wash my hair for two weeks, just sprayed it with water in the shower. Avoided knocking it, slept with one of those neck pillows you get on the plane to make sure. I was very lucky, I didn’t scab that badly. But as soon as I felt I could put a hat on, I was going out.”
Ben’s vigilant aftercare helped transform his hairline, resulting in a seamless, successful hair transplant:
Ben found the hair transplant procedure at the Wimpole Clinic straightforward:
“I just walked in, sat down, watched some TV and then seven hours later I was in a car on the way to the hotel.
“The procedure itself, I wasn’t worried about. It was more afterwards. I remember having it done, and for two or three days afterwards thinking, “This isn’t going to work.” I definitely had buyer’s remorse for two or three days. But I think that’s just a natural reaction to having something like that done.”
You can expect some redness, swelling, and scabbing around your scalp for a few days after your procedure. During this time, it’s important to take some hair transplant downtime and rest for a few days. With good aftercare, you’ll quickly find your scalp starts to recover.
Ben’s 1,800 grafts were implanted around his hairline, and crown, particularly in zones two and six:
Ben’s preventative hair transplant has meant he could restore his hair without much public scrutiny:
“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.
“If I ever had a cap on, the first thing I would do when I took it off is ruffle my hair to cover up the bald spot. You subconsciously start doing these things. Even if I was putting a suit on, I’d be looking at the back of my head and thinking, “What does it look like?” Just those tiny things that start creeping in that you worry about. But since having it done, I don’t have to do that any more. It’s something you don’t have to worry about any more.”
Preventative hair transplants are becoming more popular as more men look to retain rather than restore their hairline. Dr Malkani explains the benefits of getting early treatment for your hair loss:
“Seeking treatment early on in your hair loss journey is really important. In some cases, you may not even need surgery if it’s possible to manage your hair loss with medication. This can save you money and keep your hair intact without invasive measures.
“But even if a surgical procedure is recommended, early treatment means you can create a hair loss management plan that maintains your hairline now and for many years to come.”
We respect the privacy of all our clients, so we can’t reveal the exact cost of Ben Stokes’s hair transplant. But it’s safe to say his hair transplant cost no more or less than any other Wimpole Clinic patient would pay for similar treatment.
Our hair transplant prices are approximately in line with the national average, as found in our UK hair transplant cost analysis.
With hair transplant finance options available, hair restoration surgery is accessible to more people than ever before. So if you’re having a hard time accepting your hair loss, book a free consultation at the Wimpole Clinic.
We have clinics across the UK, so you can meet our team, discuss your options, and ask as many questions as you like before you take the plunge. There’s no pressure, and you’ll get all the information you need to make an informed decision.
If your mental health is suffering as a result of your hair loss, it’s always worth consulting with a few hair loss clinics to discuss your options.
Not everyone with hair loss needs a hair transplant. Many non-surgical hair loss treatments, such as laser hair regrowth, are very effective, depending on the extent of your hair loss. If you’re in the early stages of hair loss, Finasteride and Minoxidil can restore your hair and make you feel more confident.
Ben Stokes, Rob Holding, and thousands of other clients have found peace of mind and renewed confidence at the Wimpole Clinic. Here’s Ben’s advice for anyone considering a hair transplant of their own:
“Don’t rush into it. Listen to everything that your clinic says. You need to have in your mind that it’s a prolonged process. It is more complicated than just going in, getting it done, and getting a nice head of hair again. So take on all the advice you can from the professionals and don’t rush into it.
“But don’t underestimate it — when you have this done, it’s insane. If someone who knew you before says it looks good, you’re buzzing.”
To find out if a hair transplant is worth it for you, book a free consultation at the Wimpole Clinic.
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