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The bald truth is that hair loss affects nearly all men by the time they hit age 50.
According to the American Hair Loss Association, 85% of American men experience some semblance of a chrome dome by 50, while two-thirds have noticeable shedding by age 35 and 25% notice some hair loss before turning 21.
However, there’s a growing trend among the balding types to seek out both invasive and non-invasive cosmetic hair restoration treatments.
“I’m pretty confident, but having longer, fuller hair adds an extra boost,” Steve Kinyon, a 34-year-old married dad of two, recently told the New York Postin an exclusive interview, while explaining his decision to board a plane and travel to Turkey for a $5,000 hair transplant.
Those looking to shed the ‘Baldilocks’ appearance can lean in on some top hacks used by men trying to get their hair back.
DERMA STAMPING
Microneedling with a derma stamp is a DIY tool that features a stationary cartridge with a bed of tiny needles. When applied to balding spots, they create superficial punctures in the scalp.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, in response to the pokes, the body increases blood flow to the triggered areas, stimulating collagen production to promote hair growth.
Researchers from the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine found that a combination of microneedling and minoxidil “showed a significant increase in hair count” across 472 participants in a March 2024 study.
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PRP
“For PRP, they extract your blood, spin it (in a centrifuge) to separate the platelet-rich plasma, and reinject it into your scalp to facilitate growth and ensure your follicles are strong and active,” 32-year-old New York consultant Turner Allen told the Post.
Michael Pollak and Steve Klebanow are the co-founders of Great Many, which launched in June 2024. They said PRP has risen as their studio’s “hero” anti-baldness technique.
“It’s like an all-natural fertilizer for your scalp,” Pollak told the Post.
TURKEY TRANSPLANT
Kinyon travelled to Istanbul for 4,000 grafts of hair implants.
“Some of my friends had previously gone and had great experiences,” the Utah software salesman said. “And it was super affordable.”
Specialists garner healthy follicles from a donor area — often located in the back of the head — and embed them into balding areas.
Patients’ scalps are numbed prior to the op, which can take up to 12 hours depending on how much hair needs to be transplanted.
ROBOTIC IDEA
Some baldies in New York are accessing non-human hands for help. ARTAS iX is a robot used by board-certified plastic surgeon Michael Wolfeld.
The AI-enabled machine’s job is to identify the best grafts for Follicular Unit Extraction transplants. Strands are then harvested by the thousands and deposited where they’re most needed.
“Patients chose the robotic system because they want great quality grafts and great outcomes,” the hair restoration specialist told the Post of the minimally invasive, virtually painless procedure that can take up to 10 hours.