Many celebrities are rumoured to have had hair transplants. In fact, some of them have come straight out and said it. However, others like Elon Musk, have kept coy about their hair restoration surgery, despite it being pretty obvious that their hair follicles have had a little help over the years.
Elon Musk is a modern master of controversy. However, his hair continues to steal the spotlight. His hairline has changed a lot over the years, leading to speculation on his possible hair transplant surgeries.
Curious about Elon Musk’s hair transplant? Read on to find out more about:
Key takeaways
Dr Michael May, the medical director and principal surgeon of the Wimpole Clinic, shares his insights on Elon Musk’s hair transformation.
Like many celebrities who have had hair transplants, Elon Musk has never actually revealed that he’s had a hair transplant. Unfortunately, male pattern baldness doesn’t magically reverse itself. Therefore, it’s likely he’s had a surgical intervention to give him the hairline he sported at the 2024 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony.
Elon appears to be one of the 80% of men who are impacted by androgenetic alopecia (the scientific name for male pattern baldness) [1]. This type of hair loss can take its toll from an early age.
Let’s take a look at how Elon’s hairline has changed over the years, and spot the giveaway signs of a hair transplant.
As a teen, Elon’s hair was pretty typical for most young men. He had thick hair across his scalp, with no obvious signs of a receding hairline or an uneven hairline, although it’s hard to tell because of his haircut in this image.
Compared with his younger brother Kimbal’s hair, Elon’s did look a little thinner across the forehead. Male pattern baldness can set in as early as adolescence and it’s not long after this photo was taken that Elon started to develop the first signs of hair thinning.
In the late 90s, when Elon helped establish online payment giant PayPal, his hair loss was brought to the world’s attention. This image shows Elon in his late 20s. Over the previous decade, he has suffered from significant hair loss.
“You can see significant frontal thinning that expands to the mid-scalp,” says the Wimpole Clinic’s principal hair transplant surgeon, Dr Michael May. “But the hair across his crown was still intact, and his hair thickness and density in the traditional donor areas look good, too.”
Hair loss like this is typical for men experiencing male pattern baldness. It’s shown on the Norwood Scale, which highlights the seven stages of progressive hair loss:
Elon’s temples appear to be around Norwood stage 4 at this point, though the hair on his crown hasn’t yet started to disappear.
These two photos were taken just 5 years apart — in 2002 and 2007 — but there’s a significant difference in Elon’s hairline.
The first photo shows a marked improvement in Elon’s hairline since the PayPal years. Dr May believes this is a result of hair restoration medication.
“He was most likely using FDA-approved medical therapy around this time, such as Minoxidil or Finasteride.
“But he has much better hair by the 2007 photo, and I think it’s unlikely this could have been achieved with medication alone. The hair in the frontal-mid scalp is much improved. I think he probably had his first hair transplant in this interval.”
Musk’s hair doesn’t change too much over the next few years, but it’s interesting to compare his upgraded hairline to his brother Kimbal’s receding hairline.
Both of these photos were taken in 2015. Kimbal is just 2 years younger than Elon, and his hair is certainly thinner around the front of his scalp but it’s not as pronounced as Elon Musk’s hair loss at a much younger age.
Although male pattern hair loss is genetic, it won’t always affect siblings the same way.
Elon’s current hairline is straighter and more even than ever before. As a result, our surgical team believes he’s had more than one hair transplant.
“He has really solid hair density now,” Dr May says. “It almost rivals his original hair. It looks really natural.”
Dr May also believes Elon is still using some kind of proven male hair loss treatment to maintain his thick, full head of hair.
“It’s usually a good idea to continue with medical therapy treatments after your hair transplant,” he explains, “as this helps to protect those DHT-sensitive hair follicles.”
Achieving hair transplant results like Elon’s takes extreme surgical skill. While his hairline looks exceptional, there are some telltale signs around his donor area that he’s had hair transplant surgery.
So is it possible to tell what type of procedure Elon Musk has had: FUE or FUT?
There are two types of hair transplant techniques hair loss patients can choose from: Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). Elon Musk probably opted for FUT surgery to restore his hair. This is clear from the hair transplant scars that are visible through his hair.
Elon has a long, narrow scar that runs from the back of his head to his temple, most likely closed with a trichophytic suture. This type of scarring is only caused by FUT surgery. See more examples of visible scarring in a hair transplant close-up.
Also known as strip surgery, this type of procedure involves extracting a long piece of skin from the donor area (in Elon’s case, the back and side of his head) and dissecting it into individual hair grafts. This leaves a long, thin strip scar at the donor area, usually the back or sides of the head.
FUE, on the other hand, leaves tiny dot scars at the donor area because follicles are harvested with a micro-punch tool. These scars are nearly invisible, even if you cut your hair very short all over your head.
Nowadays, FUE is now more popular for men because it’s less likely to leave visible scarring. That means you’ll have more options for cutting and styling your hair without revealing your hair transplant.
FUT is usually the more expensive option of FUT vs FUE because it requires a larger medical team. However, it’s unlikely this is why Elon, the world’s richest man, chose this procedure.
FUT was the most popular surgery choice in the early 2000s. FUE only grew in popularity in the 2010s, so it’s likely Elon chose FUT because it was a more common procedure at the time.
Athletes including Ben Stokes and Rob Holding have had FUE hair transplants at the Wimpole Clinic, with fantastic results. Above, see before and after photos of Ben Stokes’ hair transplant, performed in 2018.
Considering the extent of Elon’s original hair loss, and the fullness of his current hair, he’s likely had a significant number of hair grafts over the course of his first and second hair transplant. We estimate this to be around 5000 to 5500 grafts in total.
Find out how many hair grafts you might need for your own hair transplant procedure.
Elon Musk may not have been the world’s richest man at the time of his first transplant, but he still had a sizable income. When he sold PayPal to eBay in 2022, he’s rumoured to have pocketed around $180 million from the deal.
So it’s not inconceivable that Elon spent a lot of money on his hair transplant. Elon’s two FUT hair transplant procedures probably cost around $20,000-$30,000 in total. Although this range seems broad, hair transplant prices vary widely based on clinic choice, location, technique used, the number of grafts required, and whether services like aftercare are included in the package.
While his results are indisputably excellent, it’s not necessary to pay that much for a high-quality hair transplant. Learn more from our research into the costs of having a UK hair transplant.
It’s not known which surgeon or clinic performed Elon’s hair transplants. But considering his status and wealth, he probably went to an exclusive Los Angeles hair transplant clinic, where patients pay top dollar for services from the world’s best hair transplant surgeons.
LA is a popular destination for celebrity hair transplants. It’s rumoured that Justin Bieber has had a hair transplant, which may also have been performed in a top LA clinic.
Our research, summarised above, outlines the average costs for a hair transplant in LA alongside other important statistics.
FUE and FUT can deliver very similar results, but there are several differences in the recovery process. Firstly, scarring — FUE leaves minimal scarring while FUT leaves a strip scar, which may be visible with a short haircut.
If your surgeon advises that FUT is your best option, don’t worry — a minor FUE procedure after your initial transplant can conceal any scarring from FUT surgery. If you prefer to grow your hair long around the donor area, it’s unlikely that anyone will ever notice an FUT scar.
Early recovery from FUE is slightly easier than FUT, because FUT may require stitches or staples to help the wound close, while FUE does not. It usually takes around a week for FUE incisions to heal over, while FUT may be closer to two weeks.
For this reason, your surgeon may advise a longer break from intense exercise following FUT, and you may experience a little more discomfort following an FUT procedure. However, with both procedures, you’re usually cleared to return to sports within several weeks and post-op pain and hair transplant swelling is generally mild.
In the early 2000s when Elon likely had his first hair transplant, techniques were less advanced than they are nowadays. Elon has a very natural-looking hairline — this was considered the best of the best at the time, and he likely paid a hefty price for it. Today, a hairline that mimics natural hair growth is considered standard for a hair transplant.
FUT was the most common type of hair transplant, so FUT scars were visible for most people who had a transplant and then cut their hair short, including Elon. Now, FUE is the most common choice for men who want to wear their hair short after the procedure, so it’s usually possible to get a hair transplant without anyone knowing.
Back in the early 2000s, there were fewer high-quality clinics available with experienced surgeons. Today, there are many clinics available with highly qualified surgeons — the Wimpole Clinic, awarded best hair transplant clinic for four years running, has clinic locations across the UK from Brighton to Newcastle.
Furthermore, complementary therapies such as PRP hair treatment were not generally available alongside a hair transplant. Research suggests that combining a hair transplant with treatments like PRP improves outcomes [2], so many clinics now offer complementary treatments before, during, or after the procedure.
If your hairline is looking a little like PayPal-era Elon’s, don’t despair. There are tons of hair restoration options available — and they won’t break the bank.
Our hair transplant prices start at just £3,499, and we work with some of the best hair transplant surgeons in the UK. To find out more, take a look at our before and after hair transplant gallery and our clinic reviews.
Book a free consultation to discuss your hair loss with our expert trichology team, and learn whether you’re a candidate for a natural-looking hair transplant.
Hair transplant outcomes are generally better when the procedure is combined with long-term Finasteride or Minoxidil use. One study found that taking 1 mg of Finasteride daily from 4 weeks before to 48 weeks after a transplant boosted surrounding hair and density for men with male pattern hair loss [3].
Another study suggests that both Minoxidil and Finasteride help grow thicker hair, make transplanted hair grow back faster, and stop or slow down further hair loss when combined with a hair transplant [4]. For this reason, surgeons often recommend using these medications before and after a hair transplant.
Final results are usually visible by a year post-surgery, although it can take up to 18 months for some people [5]. However, you’ll start getting new hair growth just 3-4 months after a transplant, so the appearance of your hair is often greatly improved long before the 1-year mark.
Celebrities tend to choose clinics with a proven track record of success. There are lots of high-quality hair transplant clinics in LA, so these are often the first port of call for celebs based in that area.
In the UK, long-standing clinics that have delivered successful results for other celebs, such as the Wimpole Clinic, are the natural choice. Stars including Rob Holding, Jonathan Joseph, Ben Stokes, and Baga Chipz have all had successful transplants at the Wimpole Clinic.
Male or female pattern hair loss is the most common indication for a hair transplant, but not everyone with androgenic alopecia is suitable for the procedure. You may not be a good candidate for a hair transplant if you are [6]:
Wimpole Clinic Services:
Hair Transplants, Beard Transplants & Eyebrow Transplants.
Talk to a specialist
Dr. Michael May (GMC No: 1642315) is the Medical Director and Principal Surgeon of the Wimpole Clinic. He has 25 years experience in the field of hair transplant surgery has completed over 10,000 hair transplant procedures, accumulating an unmatched breadth and depth of experience that is exclusively available to Wimpole Clinic patients.
Dr. May entered private practice in 1982 when he first became involved with hair surgery, since then, he has dedicated his career exclusively to the science and practice of hair transplant surgery and hair restoration.
He qualified at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London after which he trained and registered as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. Dr. May was instrumental in developing the revolutionary technique of follicular unit transplant (FUT), and subsequently he also presented papers and lectures in the UK and Europe to professional colleagues. He quickly became recognised by his peers and colleagues as a leader in the field of follicular unit hair transplantation. He specialises in hair restoration surgery covering; FUE, FUT lateral slit, eyebrow, eyelashes, beards, side burns, burns, repairs
As a leading authority in his field, Dr. May became a founder member and past President of the BAHRS and is the current president of the European Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons. In addition, Dr. May is a registered member of The Trichological Society and a Diplomat of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS) in 2002. Dr. Michael May full list of associations are as follows:
Dr. May is available to prospective Wimpole Clinic patients during their consultation and carries out many of the hair transplant procedures at the clinic.
