I went bald at 20 - it left me depressed. Now I look like this - and I HAVEN'T had a transplant. Here's the revolutionary secret that's changing the lives of hundreds of men like me

When Johnny Thain realised helium was going bald astatine conscionable 20 helium tried everything to hole the problem.

From thickening powders to hairsbreadth extensions and a toupee, thing worked oregon gave him the earthy look helium desired. So helium resorted to wearing hats everyplace to ‘cover up the embarrassment’.

‘To beryllium honorable it depressed me. I felt arsenic if determination was nary hope,’ says Johnny, present 28, from Durham, England.

‘There were times erstwhile I struggled to permission the house, I avoided photos astatine each costs and I frankly truly struggled dating.’

This was until Johnny recovered the viral TikTok hairsbreadth stylist Rob Wood, proprietor of Novo Cabelo salons, 3 years ago, who fitted him with a revolutionary caller hairsbreadth system.

Hair systems are unsocial modern alternatives to a accepted wig. They are made from quality hairsbreadth attached to a near-impossible to spot ultra bladed furniture of silicone.

They person go an net sensation with videos of melodramatic transformations reaching up to 7 cardinal people.

Users, experts and hairsbreadth stylists each accidental that the melodramatic emergence is successful portion down to improved prime of the systems that present usage quality hairsbreadth – often collected from Asian men whose fastener tends to beryllium thicker.

‘Now the systems springiness a better, earthy decorativeness that users tin person assurance in,’ says Rob Wood.

Johnny says the hairsbreadth strategy was a lifeline. ‘It honestly changed my life, it has fixed maine a caller recovered confidence,’ says the bureau worker. ‘I truly struggled with dating earlier but present I americium engaged.’

Dr David Fenton, a dermatologist specialising successful hair, said: ‘You shouldn’t underestimate the intelligence interaction that hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment oregon thinning tin person connected a person, including anxiousness and depression.

‘Particularly for younger radical it makes up a immense magnitude of their self-esteem, truthful accelerated nonaccomplishment tin person a large impact.

‘People person ever looked to camouflage their hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment and we person decidedly seen an advancement successful the prime of options beryllium it hairsbreadth transplants oregon hairsbreadth replacement systems.’

Johnny is not alone. Around 8 cardinal women and 6.5 cardinal men successful the UK acquisition hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment of immoderate sort. In the US, those numbers rocket to an estimated 30 cardinal and 50 cardinal respectively.

What causes hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment tin vary. Genetics tin play a part, but sometimes it’s the effect of an autoimmune condition, wherever the immune strategy attacks the body.

Stress tin beryllium a factor, too. The accent hormone cortisol tin disrupt the hairsbreadth maturation cycle, truthful it sheds faster – and it’s besides thinner.

But precocious levels of hormones are the astir communal origin of hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment successful some men and women.

For young men similar Johnny who suffered hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment and a receding hairline, it is apt that they endure from androgenetic alopecia – oregon antheral signifier baldness. It’s driven by androgens, the antheral enactment hormones, and causes the maturation signifier of the hairsbreadth follicle to get shorter, exposing the scalp.

A 2005 survey revealed that 85 per cent of men implicit 50 endure from antheral signifier baldness.

Many men – and immoderate women – crook to medicine to dilatory their hairsbreadth loss. These drugs, typically finasteride and minoxidil, tin beryllium effectual – sometimes adjacent reversing the problem.

But galore patients with terrible hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment find that they request much intensive treatment.

Every year, thousands of men successful the UK acquisition a hairsbreadth transplant country – which involves transfering hairsbreadth follicles from different areas of the assemblage to a bald spot connected the head.

However, the process tin beryllium prohibitively expensive. Hair country successful the UK tends to outgo arsenic overmuch arsenic £4,000 ($5,300) – though galore men question overseas to countries specified arsenic Turkey to entree cheaper care.

In immoderate cases, a hairsbreadth transplant whitethorn not beryllium successful, meaning much country is required. Research besides shows that it tin instrumentality up to 5 months for the results of a hairsbreadth transplant to show.

Experts say, for these reasons, men are progressively turning to hairsbreadth systems alternatively of surgery.

Novo Cabelo, Rob Wood’s salons, person seen their income summation by 92 per cent successful the past year.

Mr Wood says helium began moving with hairsbreadth strategy a decennary ago.

‘One of the girls who worked for me, her brother-in-law was truly struggling with his intelligence wellness related to his hairsbreadth loss,’ says Mr Wood.

‘So, I did a spot of YouTubing and probe to spot what was really retired there, and what we could bash and that’s erstwhile I recovered the hairsbreadth systems.’

After investigating the hairsbreadth strategy retired connected his colleague’s brother-in-law, Mr Wood decided to unfastened Novo Cabelo and specialise successful treating hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment for each ages and genders.

Prospective clients are archetypal invited successful for a consultation truthful the squad tin measure which hairsbreadth strategy volition lucifer their earthy hair.

Then successful a two-hour appointment, the remaining hairsbreadth successful the bald spot is shaved off, earlier the hairsbreadth strategy is fitted with an adhesive and past styled.

According to Mr Wood, the hairsbreadth strategy tin past betwixt 4 to six months, but requires refitting each 3 to 4 weeks.

They necessitate upkeep and travel with a kit to cleanable and support the hairsbreadth piece. Mr Wood warns that the users should instrumentality peculiar attraction successful the prima and connected vacation arsenic the adhesive tin loosen.

However different than that wearers are capable to spell astir their regular lives, exercising, showering and adjacent swimming with the hairsbreadth portion on.

In the UK, hairsbreadth systems thin to outgo betwixt £450 and £600. Appointments to person the strategy refitted usually are priced astatine astir £50. (In the US, prices for systems typically scope betwixt $200 to $600. A refit costs astir $100).

‘Our clients similar that it is an instant result,’ says Mr Wood.

‘Another payment implicit transplants is that if you privation to stagger the quality of maturation implicit a year, truthful your friends and household are not shocked, you can.

‘We tin commencement with a abbreviated benignant and gradually physique up to springiness the quality of earthy growth.

‘These types of systems volition decidedly go the norm – the aforesaid mode extensions person go – wrong the adjacent 5 years.’

While Johnny Thain’s hairsbreadth seemingly grew backmost overnight, helium claims the earthy look meant that his friends person not noticed.

‘One of my champion friends doesn’t adjacent cognize that it is not my hair,’ says Johnny. ‘That is however bully it looks.’