RYAN SIDEBOTTOM: My FUE Hair Transplant
The Full Interview
Dancing On Ice star Ryan Sidebottom made an easy transition from sports star to celebrity. Fans of the ITV show warmed quickly to the gentle giant’s laid-back nature and long curly hair.
Here the ex-England cricketer reveals how a hair transplant from MHR protected his public persona as he embarked on a new career in show business.
Ryan Sidebottom was a stand-out figure in more ways than one during his triumphant cricket career.
The 6ft 4in bowler’s magnetic smile and flowing curls made him a cult hero as he took 1000 plus wickets for England, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
The same traits helped the 2010 World Cup winner skate into the nation’s hearts on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.
So, when Ryan started to lose his trademark tresses the sportsman feared he may lose an important part of his unmistakeable charisma too.
“I could see I was receding,” Ryan told MHR Clinic. “Playing cricket and bowling, you see your hairline. Your hair gets blown back. It’s there in the papers. It’s there on TV. I noticed it on Dancing On Ice too.
“I’m a distinctive character in terms of my hair. I’ve had my hair long since I was 15. It would have changed my personality and probably I would have become more introverted,” he explained. “It was really important to me to have the surgery.”
The day went smoothly. The procedure went swimmingly. I was very well looked after. I mean, it was just a really easy, very good day.
Ryan opened up about his hair loss concerns to two former cricket teammates, each of whom had hair transplants at MHR Clinic.
He explained: “I saw Michael Vaughan was part of the company. I saw he’d had a hair transplant and I thought it looked great. I thought the same about Michael Lumb’s hair transplant with MHR Clinic.
“I spoke to them and they said, ‘Look, honestly there’s a lot of people having it done. There’s a lot of people very, very happy with what they’ve had done.’ That was it. I was desperate to have it done too.”
Ryan booked a consultation with our CEO, Craig Henton. He was prescribed micro doses of hair loss medicine finasteride and fortnightly low level laser therapy. He was also given herbal supplements and DHT-blocking shampoos and lotions.
Ryan recalled: “Before I started taking the tablets and vitamins my hair felt frizzy and easy to break. A lot of hair would fall out when I brushed my hair. Once I started taking the medicines my hair seemed thicker. With the laser, it seemed in better condition.”
Ryan continued his medical treatments plan for five months, during his turn on Dancing On Ice and until his scalp, follicles and hair were in optimum condition for the most successful hair transplant possible.
Ryan explains why he had a hair transplant.
Recalling the day of his 1040 graft FUE surgery, Ryan said: “To be honest, it was not what I imagined. I was nervous. I thought I’d be taking the whole day. I thought I’d be in lots of pain. I thought I’d have a lot of ill effects afterwards.
“But it was all easy. The day went smoothly. The procedure went swimmingly. I was very well looked after. I mean, it was just a really easy, very good day.”
He elaborated: “In the morning you go through the procedure with the doctors, sign a form, take a few tablets and then have a local anaesthetic in the back of your head. There’s a very slight discomfort from the local, probably ten seconds in all. You lay face down while they take the follicles out. All very easy.
“I sat and had lunch. And then again, a local anaesthetic at the front and it was three more hours. Again, nice and easy. I watched television, listened to some music. I had a little snooze. I was really comfortable. That’s how easy it was. A lot easier and more comfortable than I imagined.
“Once the procedure had finished I thought I’d be in a lot of discomfort. I would have to say, none at all. The first four days you have to lay on your back when you sleep, so you don’t knock the follicles. There’s some salt-spray to keep the moisture in there. After that I could start shampooing my hair, gently dabbing the shampoo at the front on the follicles. As easy as that.”
“Once I started taking the medicines my hair seemed thicker. With the laser, it seemed in better condition.”
Ryan recounts his hair transplant process.
Speaking in the weeks after his FUE procedure, Ryan said: “Now I just keep taking my vitamins, keep on top of my meds, have regular laser to get the blood flowing to the follicles and my hair should grow ‘Hunky Dory’. In a few months’ time or maybe just a little bit longer, I’ll have a full head of hair.”
He later added: “I’ve shown friends and family and my girlfriend. They all think it looks absolutely fantastic. It all looks very symmetrical, it looks really great and I’m really chuffed. I’m really happy with what has happened.”
And offering advice for anyone considering a hair procedure, he said: “For any person out there feeling low in confidence because of their hairline, I would say, ‘Go do it. Go have it done.’ It’s that easy. And it’s just so comfortable.
“I can’t speak highly enough of MHR and what they’ve done for me.”