Boxer Derry Mathews Has Hair Loss Op to Stop ‘Slaphead’ Taunts
Liverpool boxing ace Derry Mathews has taken steps to silence those who had been mocking his genetic hair loss by having a hair transplant.
The former British and Commonwealth Lightweight champion went to a surgery in his hometown’s Mossley Hill district for an operation which he told the Liverpool Echo he had been thinking about for some time. “I had planned to get the transplant done about 18 months ago but with training, it just wasn’t the right time,” he said.
Having recently retired from boxing, however, he was able to go through with the surgery.
Boxer Derry Matthews photographed before and days after his hair transplant
The Echo reveals that Mathews had grown tired of being called a “slaphead” by his friends for the past eight years. Now 33, the ex-champion first started showing signs of Male Pattern Hair Loss in his early 20s, and with each passing year his receding hairline and thinning crown seemed to become more pronounced.
This is because Male Pattern Baldness is a progressive condition that typically causes men to lose their hair around the top of their head and hairline over many years. The reason they do so is that some men are genetically pre-programmed to be sensitive to a testosterone-related hormone known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In men who have this sensitivity, DHT causes follicle shrinkage, thinning hair and, ultimately, hair loss.
Surgical hair restoration can be something of a last resort for men who haven’t taken a more pro-active to their hair thinning earlier on. Had they started following a pharmaceutical hair loss treatment course when their follicles were still active - before the skin took on the smooth, shiny appearance of baldness - it is possible that they could avoided surgery. By using a personalised treatment course featuring either or both of the two clinically proven, MHRA licensed and FDA approved hair loss medications, finasteride 1mg and minoxidil, it can be possible to stabilise hair fall and regrow hair.
Stubborn areas such as the crown and hairline, and cases of advanced hairloss are often the hardest to treat, but topical applications of high strength minoxidil can be effective in promoting hair growth; these can also be combined with the daily DHT blocker finasteride 1mg - an oral tablet, taken once per day. For those who wish to take a more comprehensive approach to hair health, additional hair growth supporting products can be added in too. On-going treatment of this nature can help with preventing baldness over a period of time.
According to the Echo, Mathews had 5,000 individual hairs transplanted from the back of his head to the front and top these are known as donor hairs and when abundant, they increase the chances of a surgeon being able to deem a patient suitable for a hair transplant operation.
This is why respected surgeons tend to recommend clients follow a pharmaceutical hair loss treatment course for at least six months prior to their hair restoration surgery. Whilst some men will be sufficiently pleased with their results that they decide they don't need the operation after all, others will maximise their hair growth and limit hair fall, making the area easier to work with for their surgeon.
When hair is thin all over the head surgeons may not agree to go ahead with proceedings because the end result would likely be unnatural and disappointing. In answer to this, a handful of surgeons around the world have turned to more creative solutions in their search for hair, such as using body hair to re-plant on the head. In the future, donor hairs may be grown in lab.
The newspaper article states that transplants at the centre where Mathews had his surgery can cost up to £50,000. Because of the high prices of reputable UK clinics, some people head to Turkey for a cut-price version. This form of health tourism is largely frowned upon by the medical community, however, given the number of risks which come with having an invasive procedure which requires aftercare, so far away from home.
The former British and Commonwealth Lightweight champion went to a surgery in his hometown’s Mossley Hill district for an operation which he told the Liverpool Echo he had been thinking about for some time. “I had planned to get the transplant done about 18 months ago but with training, it just wasn’t the right time,” he said.
Having recently retired from boxing, however, he was able to go through with the surgery.
Receding hairline and thinning crown
The Echo reveals that Mathews had grown tired of being called a “slaphead” by his friends for the past eight years. Now 33, the ex-champion first started showing signs of Male Pattern Hair Loss in his early 20s, and with each passing year his receding hairline and thinning crown seemed to become more pronounced.
This is because Male Pattern Baldness is a progressive condition that typically causes men to lose their hair around the top of their head and hairline over many years. The reason they do so is that some men are genetically pre-programmed to be sensitive to a testosterone-related hormone known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In men who have this sensitivity, DHT causes follicle shrinkage, thinning hair and, ultimately, hair loss.
Surgical hair restoration can be something of a last resort for men who haven’t taken a more pro-active to their hair thinning earlier on. Had they started following a pharmaceutical hair loss treatment course when their follicles were still active - before the skin took on the smooth, shiny appearance of baldness - it is possible that they could avoided surgery. By using a personalised treatment course featuring either or both of the two clinically proven, MHRA licensed and FDA approved hair loss medications, finasteride 1mg and minoxidil, it can be possible to stabilise hair fall and regrow hair.
Stubborn areas such as the crown and hairline, and cases of advanced hairloss are often the hardest to treat, but topical applications of high strength minoxidil can be effective in promoting hair growth; these can also be combined with the daily DHT blocker finasteride 1mg - an oral tablet, taken once per day. For those who wish to take a more comprehensive approach to hair health, additional hair growth supporting products can be added in too. On-going treatment of this nature can help with preventing baldness over a period of time.
Maximising hair growth
According to the Echo, Mathews had 5,000 individual hairs transplanted from the back of his head to the front and top these are known as donor hairs and when abundant, they increase the chances of a surgeon being able to deem a patient suitable for a hair transplant operation.
This is why respected surgeons tend to recommend clients follow a pharmaceutical hair loss treatment course for at least six months prior to their hair restoration surgery. Whilst some men will be sufficiently pleased with their results that they decide they don't need the operation after all, others will maximise their hair growth and limit hair fall, making the area easier to work with for their surgeon.
When hair is thin all over the head surgeons may not agree to go ahead with proceedings because the end result would likely be unnatural and disappointing. In answer to this, a handful of surgeons around the world have turned to more creative solutions in their search for hair, such as using body hair to re-plant on the head. In the future, donor hairs may be grown in lab.
The newspaper article states that transplants at the centre where Mathews had his surgery can cost up to £50,000. Because of the high prices of reputable UK clinics, some people head to Turkey for a cut-price version. This form of health tourism is largely frowned upon by the medical community, however, given the number of risks which come with having an invasive procedure which requires aftercare, so far away from home.
The Belgravia Centre
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