Known for his comedic prowess, especially when it comes to creating relatable characters, the world is no stranger to Kevin James…or his (rumoured) hair pieces. Despite being entirely bald now, the King of Queens actor was either often seen wearing a Kangol hat or had a suspiciously straight hairline not so long ago.
While Kevin has admitted to doing some “stuff” to his hair to make it look denser, many people wonder if a hair transplant was ever in the mix. In this blog, we’ll dig a little deeper into Kevin James’ hair transplant rumours and any of the other things he might’ve done to grow his hair back. We’ll also get into why he’s decided to go completely bald now.
Who Is Kevin James?
To Gen Zers, he might be that guy from the meme who’s got his hands in his pockets and is looking sheepishly at the camera. However, to millennials, he’ll always be known as Doug – the manchild-ish average Joe – from the 90s sitcom King of Queens.
Born on April 26, 1965, on Long Island, Kevin George Knipfing, better known as Kevin James, didn’t always want to be a comedian or even an actor, considering he was once a footballer and a wrestler (even Joe Rogan voucher for his abilities as a wrestler). Even though that dream of his didn’t come true, Kevin did quite well for himself on the small screen.
He started his career in stand-up in the 80s, but soon enough found a place for himself on TV, starting with the reality show The New Candid Camera. In the late 90s, however, he landed his breakthrough role as Doug.
The show ran for 9 years, even winning Kevin his first Emmy. During that time and afterwards, Kevin also transitioned to the silver screen, starring in films, such as Mall Cop and Hotel Transylvania while doing stand-up. His Prime Video special Irregardless is set to release next year, and he’s also got a couple of films coming up.
Did Kevin James Have A Hair Transplant?
While Kevin James has not admitted to getting any kind of hair transplant, there’s an FUT-like hair transplant scar at the back of his head, alluding to the possibility of this surgery.
It’s not exactly clear when he might’ve had this surgery since it almost looks like Kevin James got hair pieces on since the beginning of the early 2000s. And when you couldn’t see his hair, his scalp would be more or less covered with hats and caps.
Here’s another look at Kevin’s “hair” in 2004:
It should be noted that in the 90s, the FUT technique of hair transplant was the only one that was available (the newer FUE was introduced in 2002 but became popular a few years later). This this technique, which is used to this date in certain cases, takes a strip of skin from the back of the back, which is what leaves a prominent linear scar.
From this strip of skin, hair grafts are extracted and then transplanted into the back spots through small incisions. The problem is the older hair transplantation techniques weren’t as refined, certainly not how they are today.
But it’s not just about that because things like poor patient selection – meaning you’re not the right candidate for the surgery – negligence in aftercare, or inexperience of the surgeon could also lead to poor results. It’s possible that Kevin James’ hair transplant didn’t work out for him due to one or more of these factors.
Why Did Kevin James Lose His Hair?
Kevin James’ hair loss probably occurred due to androgenetic alopecia or pattern baldness. It’s the most common type of hair loss in men, which is characterised by the recession of the hairline in an M-shaped pattern along with the thinning of the crown area of the scalp.
In this type of hair loss, dihydrotestosterone – which is a byproduct of testosterone – is believed to influence the shrinking or miniaturisation of the hair follicles. This makes them turn into thinner, softer and lighter vellus hair. In androgenetic alopecia, this process is irreversible and you eventually end up bald.
Kevin also probably lost his hair because of pattern baldness. While it’s permanent, it can be treated, not cured, through hair transplant and other non-surgical treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, PRP, laser, etc.
However, not all these treatments work out for everyone and the fear of the side effects of some (like finasteride) might also make people not want to try them out. In any case, this is something you need to discuss with a medical professional.
In Kevin’s case, during a 2021 interview on LiveKellyandMark, the actor stated that he decided to shave it all off in the end because “God was leading me that way…”
He said that he was “losing more and more hair” every year – pattern baldness is progressive – and he was “spraying” things onto his scalp to cover it. The “spraying” probably refers to the use of hair fibres, which can work but you need to have some hair for the fibres to stick onto. It’s possible that Kevin’s hair loss had become just too extensive for this solution to be feasible in the long run.
In the 2022 interview with Jimmy Fallon, Kevin said that after shaving his hair for his role in the film Becky, he waited for his hair to grow back, but was eventually disappointed as it “didn’t come in very thick.” This could also refer to that very popular myth about shaved hair growing out thicker than before. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work either.
What Type Of Hair Did Kevin James Have Transplanted?
A hair transplant uses a person’s natural hair for transplantation. So, assuming the scar on Kevin James’ head is from a FUT surgery, he would’ve only had his scalp hair redistributed from one part of the scalp to another.
In a transplant, the hair at the back and sides of the head is extracted from what’s known as a “safe donor zone.” This hair is supposed to be immune to the effects of the hormone that causes hair loss, which is why it’s used for transplantation.
The hair you see in a restoration surgery is in no way “fake hair” (unless biofibre was used). If the surgery looks fake, it’s not because of the hair but probably the poor transplantation technique.
How Many Grafts Were In Kevin James’ Hair Transplant?
Since we don’t exactly when Kevin James had a hair transplant and how his hair looked afterwards, it’s not possible to make any assumptions about the number of hair grafts he needed.
In the late ’90s, before Kevin James’ wigs (alleged, of course) became a thing, his frontal hair looked thinned out, although he wasn’t experiencing extensive hair loss. At that time, he looked like he was a Norwood 3, which usually needs about 1,000 to 1,600 grafts.
But keep in mind the number of grafts you need can vary depending on how strong your donor area is, how big your bald spots are, what type of hair you have, your aesthetic goals, etc. Only your surgeon can give you an exact number.
Can I Have A Hair Transplant Like Kevin James?
A FUT hair transplant, like the one Kevin James is believed to have had, is still done and you can get it as well. However, concerns about a relatively slower (and more difficult) recovery, and the strip scar is usually why the FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction method has become more popular.
In FUE, units of hair follicles are taken out directly from the scalp (not through a piece of skin cut out from the scalp), which are then used for transplantation. This surgery also leaves scars, but they’re small, round and less visible with shorter hair.
Still, FUT surgeries can be useful, especially when there are concerns regarding the strength of the donor area. The “transection rate” or simply the risk of damage to the grafts is lower in FUT, according to StatPearls, so this surgery might be preferred when your donor area isn’t too dense and each graft counts.
Conclusion
Kevin James’ is now completely bald. However, it does look like he tried to restore his hair through an FUT surgery. The linear scar at the back of his head is a telltale sign of that surgery, but due to reasons we don’t know, it didn’t work out for him.
While he may be a case of a failed celebrity hair transplant, there are others who’ve enjoyed quite a lot of success with it, such as Elon Musk, Rob Holding, Wayne Rooney, etc. If you’re also seeking an affordable hair transplant, you can consider getting a hair transplant in Turkey, where the average cost of the surgery is around £2,000.
But before any of that, if you’re losing your hair, make sure you get in touch with a medical professional for a proper diagnosis. They’ll prepare a suitable treatment plan for you depending on your needs.
