It has been a while since we’ve been on the Musk train of thought[1], bringing up and dissecting things related to one of the richest men on the planet. And it does not stop yet, as this article is about another thing people genuinely wonder about Elon Musk, and it’s his hair. He is one of the most popular people globally, therefore, Elon Musk hair is a topic of great interest for people, since he has had quite a transformation.
Those who have seen the before and after pictures know how big of a difference it is, and this brings people to wonder what magic pills or transplant process Musk opted for. Let’s break down the process and what it typically involves down below.
But before we start, it’s good to know that he has never publicly talked about or promoted any specific process or service. The ones we talk about are famous potential options and possibilities that he could have gone for.
Elon Must Hair Transplantation
Starting with a rather expensive option that many cannot afford, but would likely hold no issues for a billionaire known for his net worth and company assets. There are two likely options here that the professionals offer for people looking for transplantation solutions.
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)
Even though this has been declared a more complicated procedure now, it was the one that people preferred initially. Also called the Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS), in Follicular Unit Transplantation, the procedure involves cutting up a strip from the back or side of your scalp and extracting each individual hair follicle from it. Those extracted follicles are then planted into parts of your head that are experiencing baldness in order to cover bald spots throughout the head.
Most of the transplants are carried out on men who have a receding hairline or bald spots on their head, and this works best in those cases. It takes an average range of 4-8 hours, with the person usually awake during the procedure with anesthesia to numb the area of the scalp that is under surgery.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
The second type of hair transplantation is called Follicular Unit Extraction, which has now become more popular than FUT that is mentioned before this one. In FUE however, instead of strips or parts of the skin, direct hair follicles are extracted from your skin and moved to the part of your skin where growth is stagnant or absent.
It is considered a safer method now because it involves minimal or no interference with skin on your head as it does in FUT. micropunches are used by surgeons to extract the single follicles each and move them, leaving no trace of the removal behind. It takes various sessions between 2 to 4 hours to complete the process. The transplanted hair in your head starts growing back in between 3-4 months.
Looking at Musk as a potential candidate for transplantation would not be too difficult because of his age, which is normally considered good as your hair loss patterns are already established compared to younger people. Moving and shifting hair to other parts of your head requires confidence in the fact that growth in that part is stagnant or absent and putting in hair follicles will not disturb already growing or changing hair characteristics.
Even if we can most likely deduce that due to its success rate and because Musk’s bank balance transplant is a clear option, we cannot exactly say which type of transplant method. It could be either one of the above procedures as both are absolutely affordable and within his reach.
Benefits of Transplantation
There’s no reason to convince you or anyone else regarding the benefits of transplantation, but laying down its benefits might help someone get to a decision that they are looking to reach, just like the ‘Elon Musk hair transplantation’ journey brought you here. It also helps you compare one procedure to another so that you can decide about the process with specific benefits in mind. Here’s how transplantation can benefit your hair and meet your overall goal from the process.
- There are different options within transplantation that can help different people reach their goals in their own ways. The variety presents people with options in case one specific procedure is not safe, convenient or preferable for them in any way. If you detest scarring and don’t want to go for FUT you can simply opt for FUE and go for the one you specifically feel comfortable with.
- The innovation and technology presented to us in this day and age makes the entire process much more efficient, not just for the surgeons who have to carry it out but for us in terms of quality. The precision that this new technology allows you is unmatched and simply much better in terms of quality than the previous procedures that would have to be done manually. It allows your end result to be as near to your vision or goal as possible, and recovery to be quick.
- The transplanted hair is as good to be styled according to any trends you want to follow as any natural hair growth you have. Because it basically picks your own hair and puts it in places you want it to be, the hair starts growing and taking root making it easier and easier to adapt to it as natural hair. Therefore, apart from a few minor things to tackle, there are no huge after-procedure limitations on you or your hair.
- The biggest benefit with a transplantation is that it is a one time process, providing you with efficient results to go by for as long as that hair satisfies you. Unlike other options in this list, that need continuous treatment and/or routine in-take in order to be as effective for your as a transplant is. You would have to take continuous medications or occasional plasma treatment every now and then you maintain your hair growth, whilst in transplantation you get it done within a few sessions.
Medication
Genetics, age, depression or anxiety, among several other health problems can be cited as the main or partial issues behind hair loss. It affects a majority of the population around the world, with mostly no clear indication of a reason behind it. This is why one of the most common methods of growing back or lessening hair fall for people is simply taking regular medication. Oral medications are the most common ones people use, including vitamins to boost their body in developing the necessary nutrients.
But even within medication for hair, there are different types of issues to be addressed. For example, there’s hair loss, thinning, texture, and several other scalp issues that need to be addressed. This is why consultation is important before you decide on a solution to implement on yourself, before having a professional take a look at your particular situation, any medication is a bet that could go either way.
For specific reasons such as hair loss, doctors often prescribe Propecia, a medicine brand that includes different elements from Dutasteride (also used to treat enlarged prostate), to Finasteride. These are just common names that are prescribed as oral medication solutions to one type of problem people face with hair. There are also other types of medications for different or similar issues as well that people prefer to take due to either side effects, allergies or specific issues.
Since there has been no dramatic shift in Musk’s own hair transformation, it is likely that he went down the medication route. There is no confirmation for either case, therefore the possibility lies equally on both sides. He could have been on medication for his hair loss throughout different years since it also seems likely that he avoided the transplant because of its time-consuming procedure. Musk has previously talked about how much time he dedicates to work, and it’s not your average 9-5 shift, so it would check out too.
Platelet-Rich Plasma
This is another not-so-complicated, but mildly scary procedure that people avoid because it feels like uncharted territory for them. Somewhere in the middle of a surgery and plain oral medication, lies the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy that is done via injections. So it’s not a surgery, in that you don’t have to use anesthesia to carry it out, mostly, and it’s not like oral medication level simple either.
It has been reported that the average time for this procedure is 20 minutes, with no need for surgery whatsoever. This non-surgical procedure is when a doctor uses the plasma injections to help boost your scalp up, in whatever way it is lacking, that could be general hair loss throughout your hair or just on your front hairline. A receding hairline is one of the most common issues people, especially men have with regards to hair fall. Often it is bad enough just on the receding hairline and the rest of the head grows healthy hair, therefore the procedure targets just the hairline area. That is all for the different hair growing techniques and procedures available out there for everyone and one of which is likely behind the famous ‘Elon Musk hair story’. Meanwhile, if this has piqued your interest enough to get a procedure of your own, consult a professional and get their opinion on what’s best for your specific hair and scalp.
