Brian McFadden's hair transplant: “People should not be embarrassed”

What did Brian McFadden say about his hair transplant?

The Irish Mirror quoted his Instagram caption: “The last few years my hair line has been thinning and receding due to my life style and the general stresses we go through in life. It’s been really making me self conscious and uncomfortable so I decided to do something about it.”

In the video, dressed in a surgical gown, he told the camera: “I feel good. I’m looking forward to having my old hairline back again because it is going a little thin.” On Twitter he added that “people should not be embarrassed about getting your hair done. It’s just moving hair from the back of your head to the front.”

Those posts are what this article relies on. He did not describe the technique or the number of grafts in them, so we do not guess. The medical sections below describe hair transplants in general.

Why his openness struck a chord

McFadden was 37 and had spent most of his adult life in front of cameras. Instead of letting fans spot a new hairline and wonder, he showed the process himself and gave a plain reason: he felt self-conscious. The Irish Mirror noted that many people online thanked him for being candid.

His one-line summary — moving hair from the back of the head to the front — is also a fair description of the principle. The donor area at the back of the head holds hair that is resistant to the genetic process behind most male pattern hair loss. The transplant relocates it; it does not create new hair out of nothing, and native hair elsewhere can still thin later.

How the procedure works today

A hair transplant is a one-day outpatient operation under local anaesthesia. Grafts are taken from the back of the head and temples and implanted along the hairline, temples or crown. Three variants are in common use:

• FUE: grafts extracted one at a time, then placed in small channels, with no incisions or stitches;
• DHI: grafts implanted straight into the skin with a Choi implanter pen;
• Combined: FUE extraction with DHI implantation.

Is it right for you?

A receding or thinning hairline like the one McFadden described is one of the most common reasons to consider surgery. Others include thinning temples, a high hairline, low density, diffuse or focal alopecia, and hair loss after trauma, burns, illness or hormonal disorders. What decides suitability is the donor area and the pattern of loss, which the doctor assesses at the consultation, free of charge, together with a graft count.

Contraindications include age under 18, trichotillomania, body dysmorphic disorder, cancer, epilepsy, severe heart disease, diabetes mellitus, a pacemaker, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B/C, a history of pulmonary embolism and intolerance to anaesthetics. Once a date is booked, the clinic sends the list of tests and preparation instructions.

What recovery looks like

For about ten days the scalp heals and crusts fall away. Between weeks two and four the transplanted hairs shed, which is normal. Growth begins at three to four months, the new density becomes visible at six to nine months, and the final result is assessed at 12–18 months. People who share early photos, as McFadden did, are usually showing the very start of that journey.

1. Day 0Local anaesthesia, graft harvesting and implantation; home the same day.
2. Days 1–10Healing: crusts form and fall off, follow the care plan.
3. Weeks 2–4Shedding of the transplanted hairs, which is expected.
4. Months 3–4New hair starts to come through.
5. Months 6–9Noticeable improvement in density.
6. Months 12–18Final result.

Hair transplant at City Medical Centre

City Medical Centre carries out FUE, DHI and combined transplants for patients from Ireland and other countries. The first consultation is free and can take place online. Prices: FUE $2,200, DHI $2,500, combined $2,700 — quoted at the consultation and fixed in the contract. The price includes dressings, healing check-ups, instructions on washing, sleeping and headwear, a personal coordinator, photo progress tracking and follow-up appointments at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months; the clinic gives a lifetime guarantee of hair growth. See the hair transplant page for details.

City Medical Centre has no connection with Brian McFadden or his treatment. His posts are referenced only because he chose to talk about the procedure publicly.

Hair transplant prices in this article are the current offer, valid until 31 October 2026. Regular prices: FUE $2,700, DHI $2,900, combined method $2,900. The price that applies to you is confirmed at the consultation.

Frequently asked questions

When did Brian McFadden have his hair transplant?

He shared the video and photos in February 2018, when he was 37.

Why did Brian McFadden get a hair transplant?

He said his hairline had been thinning and receding and that it made him self-conscious and uncomfortable, so he decided to do something about it.

Which technique did he have?

He did not name the technique in the posts we quote, so we do not speculate. FUE, DHI and a combination of both are the main methods today.

Will transplanted hair fall out again?

The hair shafts usually shed in the first weeks, but the follicles stay and regrow. Hair from the donor area is resistant to genetic loss and normally keeps growing long term.

How much does a transplant cost at City Medical Centre?

FUE is $2,200, DHI $2,500 and combined $2,700. The price is confirmed after the free consultation and written into the contract.