Hair transplantUnited Kingdom5 min read
Wayne Rooney's hair transplant: the tweets that started a conversation
In June 2011, aged 25 and playing for Manchester United, Wayne Rooney told his Twitter followers that he had had a hair transplant. He did not wait for the tabloids to find out: he explained why, said how he felt about it and, two days later, posted a photo of his healing scalp. Here is what he actually wrote and what the procedure means for men considering it today.
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Medically reviewed by Ellina V. Goncharova, dermatovenereologist, trichologist, surgeon. Review date: .
The main points in 30 seconds
- Wayne Rooney confirmed to his followers that he had a hair transplant, as the Manchester Evening News and The Guardian reported.
- He said he was going bald at 25, asked why not, and said he was delighted with the result.
- Modern hair transplantation is an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia, and you go home the same day.
- New hair starts to grow after 3–4 months, density becomes clearly noticeable at 6–9 months, and the final result can be judged at 12–18 months.
- At City Medical Centre an FUE hair transplant costs $2,200, and the first consultation is free.
Key facts about the procedure
- Stay in clinicSame day
- Final result12–18 months
- AnaesthesiaLocal
- Price
$2,700from $2,200
Before and after
Profile
Wayne Rooney
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Who
- Former footballer, manager and pundit
- Year of operation
- 2011
- Quote source
- The Guardian, 4 June 2011
Same (original English tweet quoted by The Guardian).
What did Wayne Rooney say about his hair transplant?
His first message, quoted by the Manchester Evening News, was direct: “Just to confirm to all my followers I have had a hair transplant. I was going bald at 25 why not. I'm delighted with the result.” He added that his scalp was “still a bit bruised and swollen” and promised his followers they would be the first to see it once it settled.
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WhatsAppHe kept that promise. As The Guardian reported, he then posted a picture of his head with the words “Hi all there's my head. It will take a few months to grow. Still a bit bloody to. But that's all normal.”
Those tweets are all we rely on. Rooney did not describe the technique, the number of grafts or how many sessions he had, so we do not guess. Everything below about methods and recovery describes hair transplantation in general, not his treatment.
Why a footballer's tweet mattered
Rooney was one of the most famous sportsmen in Britain, and he chose to talk about his hair on his own terms. His reason fitted into one line — he was losing his hair in his mid-twenties — and he treated the decision as nobody's scandal.
More on this topic: Hair Transplant, Beard Transplant, Eyebrow Transplant, FUE & DHI Hair Transplant in Singapore, FUE & DHI Hair Transplant in Málaga.
For many young men who notice thinning early, that tone was useful: it framed hair loss as a common problem with a medical answer, not something to hide.
His second tweet was just as telling. By saying the scalp was still a bit bloody and that it would take a few months to grow, he described the ordinary early stage of recovery that surprises many patients. Hair loss in men is mostly genetic (androgenetic alopecia) and can start in the early twenties; a transplant does not stop it, it redistributes resistant hair from the back of the head.
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Prices, the clinic and a free online consultation for each city:
How the operation is done today
Modern hair transplantation is an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia. Follicles are taken from the donor area — usually the back of the head and the temples — and implanted where the hair has thinned. At City Medical Centre three approaches are used:
- FUE — grafts are removed one by one and placed into small channels. No incisions and no stitches.
- DHI — grafts are implanted with a Choi implanter pen without pre-made channels, which gives close control over angle and direction.
- Combined DHI+FUE — FUE extraction followed by DHI implantation.
FUE
- Extraction
- One by one, no stitches
- Implantation
- Into prepared channels
- Anaesthesia
- Local
- Time at the clinic
- One day
- Price at City Medical Centre
- $2,200
DHI
- Extraction
- One by one, no stitches
- Implantation
- Implanter pen
- Anaesthesia
- Local
- Time at the clinic
- One day
- Price at City Medical Centre
- $2,500
Combined
- Extraction
- FUE extraction
- Implantation
- Implanter pen
- Anaesthesia
- Local
- Time at the clinic
- One day
- Price at City Medical Centre
- $2,700
Who can have it, and how to prepare
Rooney's age is a reminder that hair loss can start early. For a transplant to make sense, though, the pattern of loss and the donor area both matter. Typical reasons to consider it are a receding hairline or temples, a high hairline, low density, and diffuse or genetic hair loss. It can also help after trauma, burns, illness or hormonal disorders.
It is not for everyone. Contraindications include patchy (focal) alopecia, age under 18, trichotillomania, body dysmorphic disorder, cancer, severe heart disease, diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a pacemaker, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B/C, a history of pulmonary embolism and intolerance to anaesthetics. Before surgery the clinic sends a list of tests and instructions, and the number of grafts is estimated free of charge at the consultation.
The first weeks and months
“Bruised and swollen” and “a bit bloody” are words many patients would recognise from the first days. The scalp heals over roughly ten days. Between weeks two and four the transplanted hairs usually shed — this is expected, the follicles stay under the skin.
New growth begins around months three to four, density becomes noticeable at six to nine months, and the final result is assessed at 12–18 months.
What usually happens after a hair transplant
- Day of surgeryLocal anaesthesia, grafts are harvested and implanted; you go home the same day.
- Days 1–10Redness, small crusts and some swelling settle as the scalp heals.
- Weeks 2–4Transplanted hairs shed; the follicles remain in place.
- Months 3–4New hair starts to grow, often thin at first.
- Months 6–9Density becomes clearly noticeable.
- Months 12–18The final result can be judged.
A hair transplant at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre performs FUE, DHI and combined hair transplants for patients from abroad, including the UK. The first consultation is free and can be held online from photos. The price is quoted at the consultation and fixed in the contract, with no extra charges on the day of surgery: FUE $2,200, DHI $2,500, combined $2,700.
It includes dressings, check-ups, a care plan, a personal coordinator and follow-up appointments at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, and the clinic gives a lifetime guarantee of hair growth. Details are on the hair transplant page.
City Medical Centre has no connection with Wayne Rooney or his treatment. His tweets are simply one of the best-known examples of a man speaking 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.
Frequently asked questions
When did Wayne Rooney have his hair transplant?
He announced it on Twitter in June 2011, when he was 25 and playing for Manchester United, and said he was delighted with the result.
Which method did Wayne Rooney have?
He did not describe the technique in his own words, so we do not speculate. Today most transplants are done by FUE, DHI or a combination of the two.
Is it normal for the scalp to bleed or swell after a transplant?
Some redness, small crusts and swelling in the first days are common, as Rooney himself described. The doctor gives washing and sleeping instructions and checks the healing.
Can a man in his twenties have a hair transplant?
Yes, if he is over 18 and the doctor confirms a suitable donor area and pattern of loss. Because hair loss may continue, the plan should take future thinning into account.
How much does a hair transplant cost at City Medical Centre?
FUE costs $2,200, DHI $2,500 and the combined method $2,700. The final price is given after the free consultation and fixed in the contract.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
- Manchester Evening News, 2011-06
- The Guardian, 6 June 2011
Medical background and further reading
General information about the procedure from health authorities and medical societies. It is not advice for any individual patient.
- PubMed / NCBI — Follicular Unit Extraction for Hair Transplantation: An Update (Actas Dermosifiliogr, 2017)
- PubMed / NCBI — Donor site healing in follicular unit extraction hair transplantation (Cell Mol Biol, 2025)
- International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery — Hair loss treatments and solutions
How we prepare and review medical content · Medical disclaimer
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- The first consultation is free, online consultations are available
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- A personal coordinator guides you from the first message to recovery
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