He’s a blue-eyed Hollywood dreamboat who’s dominated the industry for over a decade. But Bradley Cooper’s talent goes well beyond his devilishly handsome looks. While the A-lister frequently makes headlines for his professional and personal lives, one aspect of the latter that has largely flown under the radar is his hair.
Cooper showed signs of genetic hair loss early in his career. However, it soon went away, leading to speculation that he had a hair transplant. So, let’s find out whether Bradley Cooper’s hair transplant was just a rumour or something more.
Who Is Bradley Cooper?
Bradley Cooper is an American actor best known for his roles in The Hangover, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and A Star is Born.
Over the course of his career, the actor has received several Academy Award nominations and one BAFTA Award win.
Although he earned a Bachelor’s degree in English, he went on to attend Actors Studio in New York to obtain a Master’s in Fine Arts. During the latter, he did his first film, Wet Hot American Summer, but it was The Hangover that turned his career around.
The actor has since starred in several films such as Maestro, American Sniper, The Mule, and Limitless, which have earned him widespread acclaim.
Did Bradley Cooper Get A Hair Transplant?
Based on his photos, it does appear that Bradley Cooper might’ve had a hair transplant surgery in 2008, although he has neither confirmed nor denied the rumours.
However, aside from a minor restoration surgery, it’s also possible that the actor is taking finasteride — an FDA-approved drug for male pattern baldness — to prevent further hair loss.
An anonymous source told RadarOnline in 2014 that Cooper was taking Propecia, the brand name for finasteride because he was concerned about his hairline.
“(Cooper) is so anxious about his receding hairline that he's turned to balding remedy Propecia. (He) has a lot of bald guys in his family, so he's been on Propecia for a couple of years and, to his delight, it seems to be working.”
Bradley Cooper's Hair Loss Over The Years
Let’s take a closer look at the progression of Bradley Cooper’s hair loss.
Year 2003
Bradley had started to show early signs of hair loss at 28 as his hairline appeared receding and the hair on his frontal tuft looked somewhat thinner.
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Year 2005
At the age of 30, with his hair shaved, Bradley Cooper’s hairline has a clear “M” shape, which is typical of hereditary pattern baldness.
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Year 2007
This is when his hair loss is most apparent because he has formed a distinct widow’s peak, and his hairline is even further back.
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Year 2008
Early in 2008, Bradley Cooper’s hairline began to change — and for the better. This may have been a result of finasteride therapy. However, he would have needed to take the medicine for 3-6 to see an improvement.
By late 2008, his hairline had become much straighter, and it’s possible that he also had a hair transplant by then. When hair loss isn’t stable, a doctor might prescribe finasteride before a hair transplant. Cooper may have done both to get the best possible results.
Year 2009
There is a noticeable improvement in the fullness and thickness of the hairline and temples.
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Year 2014
Around this time, reports of him taking finasteride for his receding hairline emerged.
Note that even after a hair transplant, it’s possible to lose the “non-transplanted” hair. This, however, can be stopped with the help of finasteride, which is possibly what Cooper might’ve done to further protect his existing hair.
Year 2024
Bradley Cooper’s hair still appears full and thick at 49 years old, showing no signs of thinning.
What Type of Hair Transplant Did Bradley Cooper Get?
Bradley Cooper’s alleged hair transplant could have been performed using either FUT or FUE.
If he had hair restoration surgery in 2008, the FUT technique might have been used as it was more popular at the time — although it leaves a visible scar at the back of the head.
As Cooper’s hair hasn’t been short enough, it’s hard to tell if there is such a scar on his scalp.
However, since the newer FUE technique — where grafts are extracted directly from the scalp rather than removing a strip of skin — was also available at the time, Bradley’s hair transplant may have been done using this technique as it leaves no visible scars.
How Many Grafts Did Bradley Cooper's Hair Transplant Need?
If he had a hair transplant, Cooper might have needed around 1,000 grafts since he didn’t have a large area of balding.
His hair loss didn’t seem to have progressed beyond Norwood Stage 2.
It is a fairly early stage of hair loss on the Norwood Scale, but pattern baldness shows through a receding hairline, as was the case with Bradley Cooper.
Bradley Cooper Hair Transplant Before And After
Here’s a look at Bradley Cooper before his rumoured hair transplant and afterwards.
Reactions To Bradley Cooper's Rumoured Hair Transplant
Redditors were divided over whether Bradley Cooper had a hair transplant, was using finasteride or had opted for both.
"I’d say maybe a minor transplant around the temples then fin/dut, maybe minox to thicken it up."
"Honestly looks like he probably got on dutasteride and also has a really good stylist."
"I really doubt it’s a hair system. He didn’t have huge recession, a small fue would have easily fixed it plus meds to maintain."
Interested In A Hair Transplant?
Longevita is a UK-registered provider of hair transplants in both Istanbul and London. If you’re looking to get a high-quality yet affordable hair transplant, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
