Jake Quickenden has shared that he’s undergone a third hair transplant, describing the process as “unbearably painful”.
The 37-year-old star, who rose to prominence on The X Factor and now presents competition segments on This Morning, took to Instagram last night (September 29) to discuss the procedure.
“I thought I’d pop on and talk hair transplants,” he began. “If you’re a guy and you’re losing your hair, it might not seem like a huge issue or a big deal but believe me, as a man who’s gone through hair loss, it is.”
Jake explained that he wanted to be “brutally honest”, explaining: “Today, I’ve had my hairline where I was receding behind my hair transplant. And my Friar Tuck, because I was getting a bit of an egg in a nest.”
He said he was glad he had the “really quick, really simple” procedure done, and that it consisted of 1,700 grafts over the course of six and a half hours, before joking: “I do quite like skinhead though, not gonna lie.”
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‘Closest thing to childbirth’
Former footballer Jake then discussed the pain of getting a hair transplant. He described the anaesthesia injections as “probably the closest thing that a man can get to childbirth” and “unbearably painful”.
In contrast, the procedure itself doesn’t hurt. “[The injection pain] lasts five minutes and then your head’s numb and then they do your hair transplant. So they take hair from the back, they take that hair out, they make incisions in the front where you’re having it or wherever you’re having it and then they pop those hairs in and it’s as simple as that.”
‘Great to see a male celeb talking about it’
His friends and fans were quick to show support, one saying: “Great to see a male celebrity talking about it,” and another writing: “Keep being you – you are a beautiful human who wears his heart on his sleeve and that makes you super special.”
“Good for you! It’s about confidence and how YOU feel,” said another, while one more commented: “We all know our own imperfections and need to address them for us. Just remember you are always lovely on the inside.”
Jake also added that he’s planning to restart taking two medications, finasteride and minoxidil, to help combat his hair loss. The former blocks the production of dihydrotestosterone. He explained that he stopped it before because it’s not recommended if you’re trying to have children but “I think we’re done with kids now”.
The star’s family is now complete
Jake is stepdad to his wife Sophie Church’s son Freddie, 11, and the couple share four-year-old Leo and eight-month-old Kit, who was born in January. Last month, he shared his sadness after his wife and sons went to the US to visit family but he had to stay home for work.
“I feel so [bleep] that I have to stay and work, I feel sad and guilty and just a let down,” he said. “They will have the best time at Soph’s sisters with her little ones, though.”
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