Despite Machine Gun Kelly’s wild and bloody antics, you might have noticed a change in the singer’s hairline over the years. Speculations are that MGK had a hair transplant.
While the wild boy himself hasn’t said anything about it, there are many signs that point towards that possibility.
And it was especially noticeable because, around the time his star started to rise, his hairline was firmly in the reverse gear. He may have tried it with front-combed hair, caps, and ginormous mohawks, but the hair loss was still clear as day.
So, when did MGK finally decide to end his hair woes? Read on to get all the important deets on the Rap Devil’s hair transplant.
Who Is Machine Gun Kelly?
Machine Gun Kelly, much to many people’s surprise, wasn’t so-named when he was born. The Texas native was born “Colson Baker” in 1990. According to the singer, he actually got the nickname Machine Gun Kelly for his “rapid-fire delivery” when he was just 15.
However, fast-forward to four more years, he had his first taste of fame in the Apollo Theatre in 2009. There, at the Amateur Night in Harlem, had won back-to-back as a rapper (the first one to do so).
That got the ball rolling for him, his song Alice in Wonderland, which was released in 2009, put him on the map. His music video even won him an award at the Ohio Hip Hop Awards. Things finally took off when he signed with Bad Boy Records in 2011.
Then came more albums and hits like Wild Boy, Till I Die, and Alpha and Omega. A few years ago, he also released the music video of Bloody Valentine with his fiancee Meghan Fox, which also became quite popular.
Meanwhile, the singer also had some heated feuds with other rappers like Eminem and G-Eazy. Other than singing, however, he has also worked as an actor in different films and TV shows like WWE Raw and Roadies.
Did MGK Get A Hair Transplant?
While Machine Gun Kelly hasn’t confirmed it, it’s quite likely that he actually had a hair transplant for his receding hairline.
Although it’s not as common, the singer had already started to lose his hair due to androgenetic alopecia while he was still in his early 20s. And it was more noticeable around his temples.
More specifically, the Me, Myself & I singer had the “class A” variation of the Norwood scale. In this, only the hairline of the individual is affected while their crown hair remains intact.
This is what happened with MGK as well. His temples had started to recede, but he still had a fringe at the centre of his scalp – putting him roughly on Norwood 2A (a soft “M” shape”).
It was also around this time that he usually wore a cap and brushed his hair at the front. But then there were hairstyles in which his hairline would clearly show. And because it was receding, it also made his forehead look much bigger than it is now.
What Type of Hair Transplant Did MGK Undergo?
FUE and FUT are two different types of hair transplants, and it’s believed that Machine Gun Kelly had the latter. It’s known as follicular unit transplantation and involves removing a strip of skin from the back of the head.
And because of that, this technique leaves a clear linear scar on the back of the head. Although, it remains hidden if you have long hair.
However, MGK specifically had that area of his scalp shaved for a tattoo, and that’s when the linear scar was clearly seen by many, many people.
That led people to believe that he actually had a FUT transplant to grow his hair back.
For this, the surgeon removes a strip of skin from the back of the head to extract individual hair grafts. These are then transplanted to the bald spots on the scalp.
Many people prefer FUE over it because of this very scar that can be seen on MGK’s scalp. It gives away the fact that you had surgery quite easily.
How Many Grafts Did Machine Gun Kelly Have?
Using a graft calculator, it can be estimated that Machine Gun Kelly had around 1,500-1,800 grafts for his hair transplant.
And keep in mind that each graft can have around 1-4 strands of hair. So, he might have had around 2,000-3,000 hair in his bald spots with this surgery.
If he had a larger bald spot, the surgeon might have removed a longer strip of skin from his scalp to extract more grafts.
When Did MGK Get A Hair Transplant?
Machine Gun Kelly most likely had a hair transplant in 2014, around the age of 24. At the 2014 Gibson Brands AP Music Awards, he had a new hairline. While his hairline density was low at the time, it eventually got better as, of course, his new hair started to grow.
This change was most visible when in 2015, he showed up with slick-back hair at the BET Awards. The spots had completely filled up and it was like he was never even losing his hair in the first place.
Keep in mind that it can take 12-18 months for your hair to grow after a hair transplant. In 2015, it certainly looks like MGK recovered successfully from his treatment. And notice how shorter his forehead looks here.
His long blonde locks at the 2020 VMAs brought renewed attention to his hair. Many speculate that he had a hair transplant around this time. However, it’s much more likely that he had it in 2014 when his hairline truly changed.
Here, one thing to note is that having a hair transplant doesn’t mean that you won’t even lose hair to androgenetic alopecia. This surgery won’t cure your pattern baldness.
While the transplanted hair won’t fall, the non-transplanted hair still can. Therefore, if that happens, you’ll have another bald spot (just behind the transplanted hair extending all the way to the crown), and you might want to have another surgery.
This is especially true if you have the surgery at a young age, as MGK did.
How Much Did MGK’s Hair Transplant Cost?
It’s quite likely that MGK had a hair transplant in the USA, where a hair transplant can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 or even more.
Even back in 2014, clinics were offering this surgery for $10/graft. And since MGK needed around 1,500 to 1,800 grafts, the surgery might’ve cost him $15,000 to $18,000.
He could’ve gotten it for cheaper in Turkey. That’s because the hair transplant cost in Turkey is just around £1,700.
