Hair Loss Strikes Wayne Rooney

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED (4th June 2011) Click to read: Rooney Tweets about hair transplant 

Wayne Rooney’s hair loss proves two things that even the young, rich and famous are not exempt from the effects of male pattern baldness. But they could be...

Rooney anxious about baldness

Manchester United’s striker may only be 22 but his hair loss is said to be causing him a lot of anxiety.

Wayne Rooney (centre) pictured with his Manchester United team mates in 2006

Undeniably Rooney’s getting a little thin on top and reports say his team mates have nicknamed him Bobby Charlton in reference to the Manchester United legend who is almost as well-known for his combover hairstyle as he is for being part of England's 1966 World Cup winning side.

Despite men’s apparent nonchalant attitude to hair loss, most are extremely stressed about it privately and at 23, Rooney is unlikely to be an exception.

Male pattern baldness can strike in men any time following puberty, but because it is a gradual progressive condition the effects may not be fully acknowledged until later years. About two-thirds of the male population will be subject to male pattern baldness by the time they’re 40 years old.

Rooney’s hair loss displays the classic male pattern baldness symptoms thinning hair and a receding hairline. However, there are non-surgical hair loss solutions that can effectively put a stop to any further thinning and may actually help to regrow hair.

Non-surgical hair loss solutions

Finasteride 1mg has been extensively proven to be the best medication for dealing with male hair loss. It is licensed by the MHRA and approved by the FDA, and - along with minoxidil (the only other officially recognised treatment for male pattern hair loss with these certifications) - is considered safe for professional sportsmen to use.

Click to See More Belgravia Male Pattern Hair Loss Treatment Success Stories (Results May Vary and Are Not Guaranteed)

Perhaps the reason Rooney doesn't appear to have sought treatment yet is because the oral medication was banned by use in professional sportsmen up until the start of the year. Finasteride 1mg was thought to disguise the use of banned anabolic steroids but The World Anti-Doping Agency lifted the ban on 1st January 2009.

If his follicles are not yet dormant (Rooney’s early stages of hair loss seen in photos suggest his are not), a minoxidil-only course may help him to encourage hair growth should he wish to avoid finasteride.

Another option is to include the use of the supplementary hair growth supporting products alongside either or both of these clinically-proven medications. These include low-level laser therapy gadgets such as the HairMax LaserComb, a home-use FDA-cleared hair growth device which is used for a few minutes up to three times per week to help stimulate follicles. Whilst not a substitute for a healthy diet - something a professional sportsman should know all about - is the use of highly-targeted hair supplements containing biotin, zinc and selenium for the maintenance of normal healthy hair growth, in addition to other key hair-friendly vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanical extracts.

Because Wayne Rooney is so young and his thinning hair not so advanced as to require surgery, he would most likely respond successfully to a combination treatment course consisting primarily of the proven medications. His hair loss process has been rapid but it means many of his hairs are most probably still present, they just appear thinner than before; this is the ideal situation for hair regrowth.