A head start in battle against baldness

No longer are men prepared to sit back and watch their hair disappear.

A plethora of celebrities, from James Nesbitt to Wayne Rooney, have now made hair transplants and treatments for men a hot topic of conversation.

One of Yorkshire’s own local celebrities, DJ Jason Griffiths (aka JK of radio and television double act JK and Joel) has now talked about his recent hair-replacement treatment in a bid to dissolve the stigma surrounding male hair loss.

Jason has admitted to feelings of insecurity, often highlighted through him being in the spotlight.

The 36-year-old Radio Aire DJ has been aware of his diminishing hair line since the age of 25, a common problem among many males, but highlighted further recently because of his career in children’s television.

Having tried a variety of different pills and potions over the years, Jason has tried to take a humorous approach to the subject and taken to hiding his hair under a cap.

Jason said: “Hair loss is often seen as just ‘one of those things that happen’ but it can be very hard to come to terms with it as it affects the way you see yourself as well as your confidence.

“Working in children’s television, it’s obviously important to convey an image of vitality, energy, and, I suppose, a youthful edge, so it doesn’t help when you realise you are going bald.

“I never thought I’d see the day when my career relied upon my looks – I have had numerous comments made about my thinning hair over the years, with colleagues joking about getting the camera angle to hide my bald patch, or ‘egg in the nest’ as it’s most often referred to.”

Leeds Hair Replacement Clinic picked up on Jason’s concerns and contacted him to see if they could help, or at least let him know that there are a number of treatments available.

After attending a couple of consultation sessions, which involved taking hair samples and scalp measurements, Jason decided on a hair-replacement system.

Three weeks later, Jason went back to the clinic to have the system fitted.

A combination of thin lace netting and human hair, which is pre-matched to the original hair’s colour and texture, was fitted over Jason’s scalp using a bonding solution.

According to the clinic, the hair-replacement system allows clients to go about their daily life as normal, which is important for Jason as a lot of his time is spent performing various stunts on television.

He needs to return to the Hair Loss Studio every 3-5 weeks, as he would with regular haircut appointments, to have the system removed, cleaned, cut and restyled in line with his own hair growth.

Jason said: “I think it’s important to raise the concerns that most men feel and try to dissolve the stigma around hair replacement.

“When I told my wife I was thinking about going ahead with this treatment, she just said, ‘so what – it’s just like me getting hair extensions’.”

Sean Baruch, director at Leeds Hair Replacement Clinic, said: “Hair loss is a common unspoken problem among most men.

“We’re really eager to eliminate any initial concerns about hair-replacement treatments and the negative connotations that are often insinuated.

“Thankfully, there are a number of high-profile men who are leading the way for change, like JK and, of course, Wayne Rooney.”

LIVING WITH HAIR LOSS

MALE-PATTERN baldness is the most common type of hair loss, affecting 6.5m men in the UK. It generally starts with a little thinning of the hair, followed by wider hair loss, allowing more of the scalp to become visible. For a few men, this process starts as early as the late teens. By the age of 60, most men have some degree of hair loss. Some men aren’t troubled by this at all; others, however, suffer great emotional distress associated with a lack of self-esteem and, in some cases, depression. If you have inherited the genes responsible for male-pattern there’s little you can do to prevent it from happening.