Sheila Sim’s hair transplant: a woman’s story of thinning hair, in her own words

Being 1.74 m tall helped, she added: “However, when seated, the secret I’ve been carefully hiding on the crown of my head becomes visible.”

According to her posts, the procedure took two days and was estimated at about 3,000 grafts taken from the back of her scalp; she had first booked it five years earlier and postponed it twice because of her pregnancies. She described the pain afterwards as “very, very slight”, three to four out of ten. That is all we rely on here. We do not guess at her technique or her clinic, and where this article explains methods and timelines, it describes hair transplantation in general, not her treatment.

Women’s hair loss often looks different from men’s. Instead of a receding hairline it tends to show as a widening parting, a thinner crown or overall low density. The causes vary too: genetics, hormonal changes, illness and long-term stress on the hair can all play a part. That is why the first step is always a diagnosis, not a booking.

For women, implanting between existing hairs without shaving the whole head is often an important question. Which method fits is decided at the consultation, after the doctor has looked at the thinning areas and the donor zone.

• Get the cause checked first: if hair loss is still active because of a hormonal or medical problem, that needs attention before surgery.
• Be ready for a realistic graft count: the doctor estimates it free of charge at the consultation.
• Contraindications include patchy (focal) alopecia, age under 18, trichotillomania, body dysmorphic disorder, cancer, epilepsy, severe heart disease, diabetes mellitus, a pacemaker, HIV, hepatitis B/C, a history of pulmonary embolism and intolerance to anaesthetics.

Like Sheila Sim, many women plan around pregnancy; this is worth raising with the doctor when you choose a date.

Patience matters most in the middle months, when it can look as if nothing is happening.

The price includes follow-up appointments at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, all dressings and check-ups, a personal coordinator, and the clinic gives a lifetime guarantee of hair growth. More details are on the hair transplant page.

To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Sheila Sim or her treatment. Her story is simply a well-known example of a woman who talked openly about the procedure.

Hair transplant prices in this article are the current offer, valid until 30 November 2026. Regular prices: FUE $2,700, DHI $2,900, combined method $2,900. The price that applies to you is confirmed at the consultation.