A man has claimed that his family have trouble recognising him and people think he’s “15 years younger” after undergoing a hair transplant.
When Alan Gooding’s hair began to recede and thin, he hated what he saw in the mirror.
The dad-of-six’s insecurities only grew when his friends used to constantly tease him about his balding locks.
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But while his own vanity wasn’t an issue, he was motivated to take action when he was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, on his scalp.
In a bid to protect him from the sun’s damaging rays, he opted to undergo a hair transplant – costing £6,800 – and now people think he’s “15 years younger”.
“The best bit is that my family love my new barnet,” the author from Hertfordshire, told What’s The Jam.
“They now joke, asking: ‘Who is that handsome stranger?’ as they struggled to recognise me at first.
“I wasn’t looking for change; my motivation was to protect my head from the sun.
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“But the results have been transformative.
“It looked like someone had driven a lawnmower right through the middle of my head.
“Now people think I’m 15 years younger – and I’m really enjoying life again.”
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Alan, aged 77, was shocked when visiting his dermatologist in October 2023 and being told of his aforementioned diagnosis.
At first, he thought it was a “joke” – especially as he was told to stay out of the sun – something as an avid tanner he wasn’t willing to avoid.
But while he did apply suncream when holidaying in the Canaries, he would only do it the once, leaving his scalp burned.
While receiving treatment, he was advised that a full head of hair would offer him an extra layer of protection from the cancer coming back.
Three days later, he went through with the invasive procedure, which took seven hours to complete.
Over 2,400 grafts from the back of his head were implanted into his scalp using a tiny needle through the method of FUE (follicular unit extraction).
FUE involves removing individual hair follicles from a donor area and transplanting them into areas of thinning, promoting hair regrowth.
Now, especially after losing his wife last year, he’s finally got a pep back in his step.
He said: “The treatment and recovery was surprisingly easy.
“Apart from the initial injection, I felt no pain.
“Now, I’m seeing the full results of the regrowth.
“While I still miss my wife very much and need private time for reflection, this confidence boost has helped me embrace life to the fullest again.
“My new hair has put a bowl in my stroll – a part of my life I thought was lost forever.
“And my colourful pals have had to work on a new line to rib me.”
He received treatment at the Wimpole Clinic, the UK’s top-rated hair transplant clinic, with surgeon Dr Kieran Dayah, who has worked with sports stars Ben Stokes and Rob Holding.
Alan hopes to share his hair transplant journey to prove that there is no age limit on self-improvement – and that men shouldn’t feel ashamed of getting cosmetic work done.
He added: “I never thought I’d reinvent myself, especially at this age.
“But here I am, and I couldn’t feel better.
“It’s never too late to change your life.
“With men, our looks all come down to our hair – so this was always going to be a huge transformation.
“I went in looking like Yul Brynner and came out looking like Wee Willie Harris, a rock star from my younger days.
“There’s no time limit on looking – and feeling – your best.”
