Former Premier League footballer Wayne Bridge has revealed that he had a hair transplant at a top Harley Street Clinic to help “boost his confidence”.
The ex-Chelsea defender, 44, had more than 4,000 hairs implanted into the thinning areas of his scalp using the advanced Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) technique.
The technique involves extracting hair follicles individually from a donor area of the head, usually the lower back of the head that is rarely affected by baldness. This is done using a tool with a diameter of less than 1mm to avoid scarring.
It was performed at DHI Global’s Clinic close to Harley Street in central London.
The former footballer, who is married to Saturdays singer and TV presenter Frankie Bridge, said: “I had the hair transplant because I wanted to boost my confidence. I have been suffering from hair loss since my mid-30s and I just felt it would give me a bit of a boost to get it sorted.
“So many men are getting help with their hair and it is really no big deal.
“I told Frankie what I was doing and she was really supportive. She said ‘go for it’ and supports anything that makes me feel better about myself.”
He added: “What I particularly like about this treatment is that you don’t have to have your entire head shaved. They literally pick the donor hairs out and then implant them directly where you have the bald spots with very little fuss. There is very little disturbance to the scalp and the final results are completely natural.
“It means the downtime after the operation is minimal and I can quickly get back to doing what I love, which is staying fit and enjoying time with my family.”
Bridge played as a left back for Chelsea FC between 2003 and 2009 before moving to Manchester City.
He also won 36 England caps during his career, before announcing his retirement in May 2014.
Bridge lives in Surrey with Loose Woman star Frankie, 35, and their two sons Parker, 10, and Carter, nine.
He said he first realised he needed help when his hairline started thinning ten years ago.
“I used to like wearing my hair long but my thinning hair became more noticeable when I grew it. I thought of just shaving it all off but a better solution was a hair transplant. You hear about women having procedures to improve their appearance all the time and it is great that it is no big deal for men now, too.”
DHI has also previously worked with former England cricketer Phil Tufnell.
A DHI Global spokesperson said: “We are increasing the density in Wayne’s hair on his hairline and the top of his scalp. We are filling in the gaps to make him look younger and improve his body confidence.
“We treat a lot of high profile patients such as Wayne who love to stay fit and look good.”
