Big WSJ article on hair transplants didn’t reflect my positive experiences

This week the Wall Street Journal published a major story on hair transplants and why this ever-evolving surgery is “flourishing” – thanks in large part to celebrities who have undergone the surgery during the pandemic.

The sub-headline said the procedure was “often painful” in “procedures costing up to $15,000.” One celebrity spent $50,000 so far. That was not my experience at all. I felt no pain, even when they injected local anesthetic into my scalp. And my trip to Turkey – inclusive of airfare, hotel, meals and surgery – was $7,000.

Here’s a PDF of the article if you don’t have WSJ access.

The article even says many men the reporter talked to were shy. “Not everyone is happy to open up. Some transplant recipients would only speak to us anonymously,” reporter Horatio Silva wrote.

That obviously doesn’t reflect me. I wrote a whole book on my life with, without and again with hair. “Headscape, how a bald guy replanted his hair and restarted his life” begins with my losing hair in 8th grade and tells the entire story through humorous anecdotes about my angst and eventual trip to Istanbul to transplant 5,000 follicles.

The article does quote actor Cheyenne Jackson, who documented his transplant journey on Instagram. And includes a photograph of designer Marc Jacobs, who described his surgery as “excruciating.” Did he get anesthetics? I certainly hope so. Otherwise, I’m sure it is painful. Again, my entire experience with hair transplant surgery was pain-free with the great care of health care professionals in Turkey, who performed the surgery at a fraction of the cost.

The story quoted Dr. Gary Linkov of New York who said he noticed an increase in hair transplants in “the last two years or so.” The article attributed much of the interest to stress during the pandemic causing men to shed follicles and that many were seeing themselves on Zoom calls all day and wanting to improve their look. I suppose, since I had my surgery in 2019, I was ahead of the trend curve. That might be a first for me.

I’m sorry I wasn’t included in the article as I would have been able to bring a different perspective. Perhaps I should mail the reporter a copy of Headscape!