Going bald is among men’s greatest concerns, with recent research revealing that almost half of men fret about losing their hair.
And is seems that Prince William has been struggling with a receding hairline after stepping out with a new buzz cut on Thursday amid claims Prince Harry ‘teased him about his baldness’.
It was reported that the father-of-three to be paid £180 to have his head shaved by his wife’s hairdresser, Richard Ward, and later decided to get the number one buzz cut.
A royal source said last night that William actually cuts his hair himself most of the time.
They said laughingly: ‘The Duke is very amused that anyone thinks he has enough hair to justify that kind of money. ‘
It is thought that Joey Wheeler, who works under Mr Ward, trimmed his hair at his royal residence at Kensington Palace.
And while the royal plumped for a buzz cut to transform his changing locks, stylists at a celebrity hair salon say there are plenty of other options Prince William could have embraced.
From braving a hair transplant to donning a wig, celebrity hairdresser Jay Birmingham shares the hairloss styling solutions men like Prince William can opt for.
Prince William debuted his new shaven haircut on Thursday. The 35-year-old showed off his new hairstyle while backing the national roll out of a recruitment drive to help veterans find work in the NHS
It is believed Prince William (pictured at Evelina London Children’s Hospital on Thursday) paid £180 to get his hair cut. We called on a celebrity hairdresser to suggest some options for balding men like William
HUMAN HAIR WIG
As Jay explains, patterned baldness can cause some serious anxiety and loss of confidence for men so a human hair wig can be an immediate solution to many hair loss conditions, but is only temporary.
With the growth of hair treatments, there are many available on the market to help promote natural hair re-growth but are not always effective.
As Jay explains, patterned baldness can cause some serious anxiety and loss of confidence for men so a human hair wig can be an immediate solution. John Travolta, left in 2014, and, right, in 2008, was rumoured to have worn a wig on occasion, although it was never confirmed by the star
A ‘FAUXHAWK‘
Jay says one of the most trend-led looks today is the ‘fauxhawk’, which comes with shaved temples and a retro pompadour.
While this is a popular solution to hair loss, Jay says it’s important to keep in mind your face shape and body structure. ‘The direction of the cut can make the receding hairline look less bare so choosing a good hairstyle is a must for people who try to keep themselves updated with the current trends and for balding men who are self-conscious about their physical appearance,’ he said.
A fauxhawk is a ‘less dramatic’ version of the mohawk and sides are fully shaven to the skin, and the remaining hair is kept as it is.
A fauxhawk, which comes with shaved temples and a retro pompadour, is a ‘less dramatic’ version of the mohawk. Jude Law, left, in 2016 and, right, in 2004, rocks a fauxhawk
A RETRO POMPADOUR
Jay believes that a retro pompadour hairstyle adds a ‘sophisticated class’ to any look; think Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
He explains: ‘The hair at the crown can be perfectly combed, matte or shiny to add dimension and be an illusion to help cover patterned baldness. It can either be simply slicked back or made into a specific angle as per the choice of the person and this style adds volume to thinning hair.
Jay believes that a retro pompadour hairstyle adds a ‘sophisticated class’ and serves as the perfect illusion to balding hair
A HAIR TRANSPLANT
As Dr Nestor Demosthenous explains: ‘Hair transplants are unrecognisable these days from the old ideas of unsightly plugs and uneven hairlines. Today’s procedures, particularly Follicular Unit Transplants (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), are incredibly advanced and carry a success rate of 90-100%, resulting in a natural finish.
‘Hair transplantation performed in this way can improve hair density at both the front of the head and in the crown area, by moving follicles from unaffected areas at the back of the head. FUE and FUT procedures require minimal downtime and most patients will have attained 60% of new hair growth after 6-9 months, with almost full restoration after a year.
As Dr Nestor Demosthenous explains: ‘Hair transplants are unrecognisable these days from the old ideas of unsightly plugs and uneven hairlines’. Wayne Rooney, right, before, famously had a hair transplant, left
‘It’s always going to be a big decision as to whether hair transplant surgery is right for you, but if you are concerned about thinning hair or balding, and you don’t want to go for the shorn style that Prince William has adopted, hair transplantation can significantly improve your appearance and your self-confidence.
‘However, as with every medical procedure, it’s essential that you do your research and book a consultation with a specialist hair restoration doctor, who will give you honest and informed advice about the best treatment for you.’
A COMBOVER
Jay believes the combover, like the one Prince Charles sports, is the quickest and easiest solution for thinning hair because it makes hair look more voluminous.
‘Men with longer hair can opt for this instead of shaving off the entire crown,’ explained Jay.
A combover, which makes hair look more voluminous, is the quickest and easiest solution for thinning hair. Prince Charles, left, now, and, right, back in 1992, has a penchant for a combover
A THICKENING SOLUTION
Hairdresser Bradley Smith said: ‘I would recommend that William grows his hair again but has it clipped on the side. A nice tight fade going from grade one to grade three with a scissor blend to the top and a nice comb over using Nioxin, along with a thickening powder would really suit his style.
‘A closely trimmed grade one beard with sharp edges would give him a look of slightly older sophistication and being well-groomed, rather than this harsh army-style buzz cut.’
It is thought that Joey Wheeler (right ) gave Prince William (left) a haircut at Kensington Palace
AND EVEN MORE OPTIONS…
Extensions
The actor Mickey Rourke sported some much talked about hair extensions back in 2014
For a headline-grabbing spell back in 2014, the actor Mickey Rourke sported a gravity defying quiff.
Rourke, who had a thick head of hair in perhaps his most famous role in Nine and a Half Weeks, has regularly turned to extensions and hairpieces to enhance his diminishing locks in recent years.
Mainstream UK salons now offer hair extensions for men, using scientifically developed bonds that require little maintenance, as a discreet solution for thinning hair.
Micro scalp pigmentation
Specialist hair clinics have reported a rise in the number of men seeking ‘hair tattoos’
Micro scalp pigmentation, a process by which men have tiny particles of pigment tattooed onto their scalp to create the illusion of a very short strands of hair on a shaved head.
According to a hair clinic that provides the service, it’s been catering to increasing numbers of balding men in search of a confidence boost with the help of the so-called ‘hair tattoos’.
The Micro Scalp Pigmentation takes between two to five hours depending on the extent of the bald or thinning area, and most people have two to three sessions.
Staff at Vinci Hair Clinic in London, where the procedure was developed, claim it is pain free, with most clients describing a light tingling sensation in the scalp.
Spray on hair
It’s highly unlikely a royal – or any other man – would resort to it but the 1980s saw the arrival of hair in an spray can.
Applied to thinning areas, they were designed to either colour the scalp to enhance the remaining hair in the area and give it the appearance of more thickness, or even product hair-like filaments that would cling to the scalp and existing strands.
WHY PRINCE WILLIAM WENT FOR THE CHOP
The prince, who as a teenager used to hide behind his long, floppy blond fringe, has long been conscious of his receding hairline.
His brother Harry often teases his older brother about losing his locks and said that William ‘was already bald aged 12’ while chatting to a Second World War veteran in Barbados several years ago.
In 2014, the Duchess of Cambridge suggested the perfect solution for her husband’s growing bald patch – an alpaca toupee.
Prince William is pictured showcasing his lustrous locks at a church service in Sandringham in 2005
As they visited the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Kate was shown a tuft of alpaca wool – which was a similar shade of brown to the duke’s hair – and pointed to William’s head, remarking: ‘You need it more than me.’
‘By having a buzz cut reduces the maintenance and while it is relatively short it is not completely shaved down to the skin, which may be down to personal preference.
‘Shaving his head gives a dramatic change to his appearance as it has changed his face shape making his face appear fuller and I actually think it shows off his appearance more giving him more confidence,’ explained the stylist from Rainbow Room International in Glasgow.
Dylan continued: ‘It is great to see him embracing his receding hairline and not opting for the easy way out like hair transplant as losing your hair is one of the worst things that can happen to a guy. This look makes him seem more down to earth and an ‘everyday’ guy.’
Prince William is pictured, left, with more voluminous locks in 2009, and, right, with more thinning locks in 2014
He was pictured sporting the new shaven look while visiting Evelina London Children’s Hospital where he met veterans who are now working at the hospital.It is hoped the scheme will fill vacancies from porters to directors, with salaries from £15,000 to £100,000 a year