As one of the biggest rock and roll stars, Elton John is renowned for his flashy and flamboyant style apart from his musical prowess.
Though the singer’s hair has always been a unique part of his ensemble, like many others around the world, John suffered from baldness. To address his hair loss, he even had surgical hair restoration, but John didn’t get the results he wanted.
The question remains, however, what went wrong with Elton John’s hair transplant. In order to better understand this, let’s look into it in more detail.
Who Is Elton John?
Sir Elton John is a British singer and one of the world’s most successful and influential musicians. Throughout his distinguished career, the music legend has worn several accolades, including Academy Awards, Grammys, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
John was a musical prodigy who had started playing piano at the age of 3; he also received a scholarship at Royal Academy of Music — one of the oldest and most prestigious conservatoires in the UK.
Eventually, the singing superstar released his first song, Thank You for All Your Loving, in 1968 and went on to become a prolific hitmaker with songs such as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Rocket Man, I’m Still Standing, and Cold Heart. Though John retired from touring in 2023, the singer plans to release a new album.
Did Elton John Get A Hair Transplant?
Elton John admitted in his official autobiography, “Me,” that he had two hair transplants in Paris. While the icon does not specify when he had the procedures, it may have been around the late 70s, since he mentions having “hardly anything left on top” by 1976.
“I was directed to a man called Pierre Putot in Paris, supposedly a great pioneer in the art of hair transplants. Undergo a simple procedure, I was told, and I’d be leaving his clinic a changed man. It didn’t quite work out like that . . . I had it done twice, and both times it hurt like hell.”
Elton John’s Hair Loss Over The Years
Here’s a look at Elton John’s hair through the ages.
Year 1971
Aged 24, Elton had long, scraggly hair. Though he did not appear to be balding, it did look as if his frontal hair was thinning (miniaturising).
Year 1972
With his hair shorn close to the scalp, the receding hairline, as well as the thinning at the top of Elton’s head are clearly visible.
Year 1975
In his late 20s, the piano man’s baldness had progressed to an advanced stage. Based on the Norwood Scale, he appeared to be at Stage 5. The following year, as he notes in his memoir, he’d more or less gone completely bald.
Elton john rock music awards 1975, marked as public domain
Year 1976
Often, Elton wore a cap or hat. Rarely, he would be photographed without a hat on, which revealed the extent of his baldness. Around this time, he’d already reached the advanced Norwood Stage 6.
Year 1978
It’s possible the Cold Heart singer had his first hair transplant in 1978 because his hair looked considerably denser near the end of the year.
Year 1982
A few years after we believe Elton had his first hair transplant, his hair again started looking thin. Even though Elton had a greater relative density at the front, his scalp was visible through his hair and his frontal hair looked notably miniaturized.
Series: Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 – 1/20/1989, Elton-John-1982-cropped, marked as public domain
Year 1985
In 1985, about 38 years old, we believe Sir Elton John had his second hair transplant. Come 1986, he had much better frontal coverage though his hairline was still high. This surgery seemed to have yielded better results than the first one.
Year 1988
Although the singer often wore a hat, he’d also probably started wearing some kind of a hair system the same year — though not as frequently as he did in the 90s and onwards. The Rocket Man singer notes the following in his book:
“ . . . after I got sober, I had a weave done, where they take what’s left of your hair and attach more hair to it. I debuted my new look at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. . . . Eventually, I gave up and got a hairpiece, made by the people who make wigs for Hollywood movies.”
ANSA, Elton John with Luciano Pavarotti in Modena 1996 (2), marked as public domain
Year 2024
The music legend has since been wearing wigs to hide his hair loss.
What Type Of Hair Transplant Did Elton John Get?
In his book, Elton mentions getting “strip-harvesting” surgery for hair restoration. It is more commonly known as FUT or follicular unit transplantation.
Before the newer FUE technique became popular, hair transplants were typically done using the FUT technique.
This surgery involved cutting a piece of skin out from the back of the scalp and extracting hair grafts from it, which are then redistributed in the balding area(s).
Despite being still done today, the surgery is less preferred by patients because it leaves a noticeable linear scar on the back of the scalp, requires stitches, and takes longer to recover from.
How Many Grafts Did Elton John Need?
Considering how extensive Elton John’s hair loss was, his hair transplants could have required anywhere between 5,000-6,000 grafts. Had it not been for the first hair transplant, his hair loss would’ve likely advanced to Norwood Stage 7.
Norwood Stage 7
It is the most advanced stage of hair loss on the Norwood Scale, resulting in complete baldness at the top, front and crown of the scalp. Only a horseshoe-shaped strip of hair is left on the sides and back.
Why Did Elton John’s Hair Transplants Fail?
Though the dated surgical technique might have contributed to the failure of Elton John’s hair transplant, the singer himself has attributed it to a couple of factors, including poor aftercare and drugs.
“ . . . the transplant just didn’t work. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it had something to do with the amount of drugs I was taking. Or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the one thing they told me I mustn’t do in the weeks after the procedure was wear a hat — advice I chose to ignore completely . . .”
Recreational drugs such as nicotine, marijuana, or cocaine may reduce blood flow to the scalp, and blood supply is critical for the survival and growth of transplanted hair follicles. Therefore, any reduction could negatively affect the results.
Additionally, hair transplant patients are advised to not cover their head with anything for at least 1 week after the surgery as it can also damage the grafts.
Another notable incident that may have impacted the results of Elton’s first surgery is that he bumped his head on his way out of the hair transplant clinic.
“After the first procedure, I left the clinic reeling in agony, lost my footing as I tried to get into the back of a waiting car and hit the top of my head on the door frame. It was at that moment I discovered however much a hair transplant hurts . . .”
It takes about two weeks for hair transplant grafts to become secure in the scalp, so hitting your head can dislodge them.
Elton John Before And After Hair Transplant
Here’s how Elton’s hair looked before and after his hair transplant before he decided to start wearing wigs.
In public domain (left) and Hianna, Elton John in 1980s, Cropped, CC BY 2.0 (right)
Interested In A Hair Transplant?
Even though Elton John’s hair transplant failed, hair transplants of today can offer excellent results and look very natural. However, following the aftercare instructions is crucial.
If you have any questions about this surgery, feel free to get in touch with the experts at Longevita.
