Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch midfielder, regarded as one of the best football players in the world. Here is the teenage Sneijder smouldering into the camera, blissfully unaware of the baldness that is about to afflict him.


As you can see, he was something like a diffuse norwood 3 or 4v at the age of 25.


When Sneijder suffered an injury in early December that kept him out of the game for a few weeks, he decided to cheer himself up by treating himself to a hair transplant for Christmas.

The results are very impressive. The photo below was taken just a few weeks after the operation. The hairline recession is all but gone, although he still has a bald patch at the crown.


What is unusual about Wesley's transplant is that it was apparently carried out using a new 'hair multiplication' technique pioneered by Dr. Gho of the Hair Science Institute. Only part of the hair follicle is removed and implanted, leaving the rest of it in the donor area where it will grow back. The theory is that this will provide an unlimited supply of donor hair.

The new hair has grown back remarkably quickly. Transplants often require a year of 'growing in' before results are seen, while Sneijder's looks good after only 4 months.


However, Dr. Gho is seen as a somewhat controversial figure in the hair loss world and there have been doubts about the validity of his methods. If these results are a true indication of stem cell implantation, this could be the biggest step forward in transplant technology since the FUE technique.


While it is surely too late for Dutch international team mate Arjen Robben to save his hair, I would bet Wesley has recommended the procedure to BFF Rafael Van Der Vaart, who is also showing early signs of hairloss.


Norwood Rating : 2v