Marco van Basten’s hair transplant: “quite hard”, but “it’s growing again”

What did Marco van Basten say about his hair transplant?

At the beginning of March 2025 the former Ajax and AC Milan striker, now a regular analyst on Ziggo Sport’s talk show Rondo, missed the programme because of a hair transplant. A month later he looked back on the decision in an interview with De Telegraaf, which Voetbalzone quoted. He explained how it started: “It was starting to get a bit thin.” His former teammate Ruud Gullit had told him “it comes across as a bit old”, and Van Basten concluded: “If I have to do it at some point, then I should do it now.”

He did not present it as an easy success: “I have to say that I do regret it a little bit. I found it quite an ordeal, I must say. It was quite hard. On the other hand: it’s growing again, so we’ll see.” Around his return to the studio Voetbalzone also reported his first Rondo appearance after the procedure.

That is everything this article relies on. Van Basten did not describe the technique, the number of grafts or the course of his recovery in detail, so we do not guess. Where methods and timelines are explained below, they refer to hair transplantation in general, not to his treatment.

A rare honest account: “quite hard” and “a little regret”

Celebrity stories about cosmetic procedures are usually told afterwards, when everything looks perfect. Van Basten spoke one month after the operation, at the point where many patients feel least sure about their choice. That makes his words more useful than a glossy before-and-after photo.

The first weeks after a transplant are the least rewarding part of the whole process. The scalp needs care, crusts have to heal, and around weeks two to four the transplanted hairs fall out before the new growth starts. For someone who appears on television every week, that phase is visible and uncomfortable. His “it’s growing again, so we’ll see” describes exactly the waiting that every patient goes through.

The lesson for anyone considering the procedure is to plan for this: take the recovery period into account, expect a few months in which the result is not yet visible, and discuss your expectations openly with the surgeon.

How a hair transplant works

A hair transplant is a one-day procedure under local anaesthesia. Follicles are taken from the donor area at the back of the head and the temples, where hair is resistant to hereditary hair loss, and implanted in thinning areas. The patient goes home the same day.

The right option depends on how far the hair loss has progressed and how dense the donor area is. That is decided at a consultation, not on the basis of a famous name.

Who is suited, and what to check before booking

Common reasons to consider a transplant include a thinning crown or temples, a receding or high hairline, overall low density, and hair loss after trauma, burns, illness or hormonal disorders. Before the date is fixed, the doctor checks for contraindications: age under 18, trichotillomania, body dysmorphic disorder, cancer, epilepsy, severe heart disease, diabetes mellitus, a pacemaker, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or C, a history of pulmonary embolism and intolerance to anaesthetics.

Useful questions to ask at the consultation:

• how many grafts my donor area can realistically give;
• which zones will be treated first and what density to expect;
• how the first weeks will look, and when I can return to work, sport or public appearances.

Recovery: what the first year looks like

Days 0–10 are about healing and following the instructions on washing, sleeping and headwear. In weeks two to four the transplanted hairs shed; the follicles remain in the skin. Growth starts around months three to four, density becomes noticeable at six to nine months, and the final result is assessed at 12 to 18 months. Anyone who knows this in advance is less likely to feel what Van Basten described in the first month.

1. Day of surgeryLocal anaesthesia, grafts are harvested and implanted; you go home the same day.
2. Days 1–10The scalp heals and crusts come off; you follow the care instructions.
3. Weeks 2–4Transplanted hairs shed — the phase many patients find hardest. The follicles stay in the skin.
4. Months 3–4New hair starts to grow.
5. Months 6–9Density becomes noticeable.
6. Months 12–18The final result can be assessed.

A hair transplant at City Medical Centre

City Medical Centre performs FUE, DHI and combined hair transplants for international patients. The first consultation is free and can be done online; the number of grafts is calculated free of charge, and the price is fixed in the contract with no extra charges on the day of surgery. The price includes a lifetime guarantee of hair growth, dressings and check-ups, a care plan, a plan for returning to sport, photo progress tracking and follow-up appointments at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. A personal coordinator is available from the first message to the end of recovery. Patients from the Netherlands will find more on the hair transplant page for Rotterdam.

To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Marco van Basten or his treatment. His words are simply a candid example of what the first weeks after a transplant can feel like.

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 Marco van Basten have a hair transplant?

At the beginning of March 2025. He missed an episode of the Ziggo Sport show Rondo because of it and spoke about it a month later in De Telegraaf.

Does Marco van Basten regret his hair transplant?

He said he regretted it “a little bit” because the process was quite hard, but added that the hair was growing again and that time would tell.

Why did he decide to do it?

He said his hair was starting to get thin, and after Ruud Gullit remarked that it made him look a bit old, he decided that if he was going to do it, it had to be now.

Why are the first weeks after a transplant difficult?

The scalp needs care while it heals, and between weeks two and four the transplanted hairs shed before new growth starts after three to four months.

How much does a hair transplant cost at City Medical Centre?

From $2,200 for FUE, $2,500 for DHI and $2,700 for the combined method. The final price is set after a free consultation and fixed in the contract.