Is hair really your crowning glory? Singers like Donald Sherrill and Kevin Glavin have made baldness a part of their professional image, and it works very well for them. Hair loss is, after all, a part of everyday life. We see it everywhere—on the street, in the office, on TV. Yet other singers may have been told that hair loss is working against them at auditions, and this is a part of everyday life as well.
Unfortunately, a bias against baldness is nothing new. In ancient Egypt, people smeared their heads with serpent fats and potions made from hedgehog hairs and fingernail scrapings in an attempt to regrow lost hair. While the treatments have advanced, the concerns haven’t changed—especially for someone in a highly-visible career.
“In the long run, I think it’s a matter of personal taste as much as anything else,” manager Michael Rosen says. With 20 years in the business, Rosen has encountered a lot of appearance-related issues, but “…never once have I heard of a singer missing out on a job because he was balding.” Rosen admits, however, that many singers may simply not be talking about this issue, and in fact some managers with whom we spoke would not address it at all. Why? We aren’t entirely sure.
“When you’re in show business, you’re in the business of looking good,” says David Reeves. “You want to dress up the stage.” Reeves is a vocal coach from New Jersey. He’s also a recent hair-transplant surgery patient.
Reeves underwent a procedure known as hair grafting (also known as punch or plug grafting). Grafting relocates pieces of hair-bearing scalp from the back and sides of the head (areas more resistant to hair loss) into surgically placed slits on the balding area of the head. Some physicians use scalpels to make the slits; others use lasers. The results appear to be similar in either case. When the procedure was first developed, as many as 20 hairs were transplanted to each site, sometimes creating a look similar to cornrows. In order to achieve a more natural appearance, grafting has been refined to transplanting one to eight hairs per site instead, which gives a smoother look.
The process takes anywhere from six to 14 hours, depending on how many grafts are being done. But don’t worry—anesthesia is an important part of the surgery. “I had an I.V. of Valium, as well as other painkillers along the way,” Reeves says. “There was not much discomfort—not that it was a picnic. But they brought me food, and when it was done, they sent me back to my hotel to sleep.” Some practitioners say you can be back to work the next day, but Reeves has his doubts. “That’s pretty optimistic. I was up and around the next day, but I wouldn’t have wanted to work.” But he did feel up to working by the second or third day.
The results are not immediate. “The first few days after the transplant, I looked like I had an extremely bad haircut,” Reeves says. There can be scarring, and the hair can’t be washed for at least five days. The transplanted hair may be a much shorter length, and even a different color than the surrounding hair. Initially, the transplanted follicles go into a resting stage, and the relocated hair falls out within one to two weeks. New hair doesn’t start growing for three to four months. The average time from surgery to full growth is about six months. However, many patients need more than one transplant. Reeves had his first treatment in June of 1998, followed by a second procedure in December.
Isn’t there a faster way, you might wonder? There’s another procedure called the “flap.” Simply put, a strip of hair-bearing skin is moved from the sides and back of the head to the hair-loss area. Unlike grafts, the flap is still attached at one end, so it continues to receive nourishment. The hair in the flap continues to grow instead of falling out and regenerating later. The up side is the immediate growth. The down side is the unpredictable direction of growth—sometimes the hair grows straight upward!
Grafting is not without risks. As with any kind of surgery, infection is always a possibility. The grafted hair may not take root and grow properly, and scarring may be deep and noticeable. And in a small percentage of patients, chronic hiccups occur right after the surgery, sometimes lasting for several days and requiring medication—a serious problem for singers.
The expense is a consideration as well. Grafts cost anywhere from $2,000 to well over $10,000, especially if numerous sessions are needed. With fees that high, it’s not surprising that the field has expanded dramatically over the last several years. It’s important when considering hair replacement surgery to find an experienced, qualified physician. The American Hair Loss Council suggests you look over the physician’s written references and contact the Better Business Bureau, your city or state medical societies, and your family physician. When talking to the doctor, a few questions to ask would include whether the physician is board-certified in plastic surgery or dermatology, which ensures training and experience; how many of these procedures he or she has performed; what the potential risks are (a good physician will not take this question lightly); and who will actually perform the various parts of the procedure.
A reputable physician will have questions for you, too. If they say you’re not a good candidate for this procedure, it’s wise to take their advice. Why would they turn someone away from this lucrative surgery? If you’re in the middle of extensive hair loss, it’s better to wait. The transplants “take” better when the hair loss is completed. Unrealistic expectations are another concern for doctors. A reputable clinic doesn’t want to have a patient who’s insisting on miracles.
If you know someone who’s had the surgery, ask them for their honest opinion. That’s what David Reeves did, and that’s how he found his surgeon. “It saved me a lot of time,” he says. “The person I knew who’d had it done had very thoroughly researched the options before choosing his doctor, and he was very satisfied.”
And so is Reeves. Feeling like he looks 10 years younger has increased his self-confidence. “It was a very positive experience. I can’t promise it’s the right thing for anyone else, but it was the right thing for me. I’d do it again tomorrow.”
David Reeves is a vocal coach who works with several companies in the New York area, including the Opera at Florham and the DiCapo Opera, where he’s the Music Director of the Young Artists Program. He coaches privately in New Jersey, and he also teaches at Montclair State University and New Jersey City University. In addition, he plays for numerous singers in recitals, auditions and competitions.
