To call Sir Elton John a mega-star is a gross understatement. Before his superstardom, the highly acclaimed singer, songwriter, and pianist struggled with his self-image, mainly brought on by his thinning hair.
Elton John has had a hair transplant, however, “it didn’t work” so he sought other alternatives. Sir Elton speaks openly abut wearing wigs after his failed attempts at a hair transplant.
He underwent the very painful procedure in Paris following the progressive loss of his hair in his early 20s.
Flamboyant Style
Known for his flamboyant looks including stylish glasses, Elton John’s hair usually took center stage with him.
Of his stage outfits, as he called them, “costumes”, Sir Elton stated that they were an unfettered depiction of his life as an adult and a performer. This was in complete contrast to when he was growing up, as he had more of a restrictive childhood.
During the 1970s to 1980s, his hair became fodder for the British tabloids and was frequently reported on.
Losing It
In his biopic, Rocketman, Elton John’s mother predicted that he would lose all his hair by the time he was 20 years old. Although she was one decade off, she wasn’t altogether wrong.
According to the rocker, he had already started exhibiting signs of thinning hair well before he celebrated his 30th birthday.
After an ill-fated decision to dye his hair, he suddenly came face to face with losing it all.
Elton John has stated that he does not like being bald, at one point likening himself to the Dreamworks animated film character, Shrek, when he doesn’t have hair.
He went further to say that he doesn’t have the right head shape to pull off the bald look.
The Transplant Solution
Living a life so much in the spotlight while still a young man and feeling very self-conscious, presenting himself as bald for all the world to see was no longer an option.
Elton John had always been doing things with his hair. In the early days, it was a key part of his overall style, complementing his oversize glasses and bejeweled outfits. He would dye it and wear it in different styles, as his performances would allow.
Deciding to take the bull by the horns and solve his baldness once and for all, Sir Elton sought solutions. This led him to Paris and a so-called pioneer in the art of hair transplants.
In what was described to him as a simple procedure, Sir Elton decided to go with this alternative, with the anticipation that in the end, he would be a changed man.
Elton John underwent two transplants and according to him, they were anything but simple and were extremely painful.
It Didn’t Take
To make matters worse, the procedures simply did not work. Elton John speculates that his hard-living lifestyle at the time might have had something to do with the failed transplant.
In an article published in the Daily Mail UK in October 2019, Sir Elton recounts in graphic detail the choice which left him wearing wigs.
The public was front and center and very vocal in their critique of each hairpiece he experimented with over the years.
Elton has said that he faced constant ridicule and was the brunt of cruel jokes in the British tabloids during his struggles with finding the right solution to cover up his thinning hair.
Not one to be deterred, and through a series of trial and error, he has finally settled on a look with which he is comfortable.
No Longer A Conversation Piece
As one of the most celebrated musicians in the world, with his many accolades, and a knighthood to boot, Sir Elton John has been lauded by presidents and royalty alike.
The 73-year-old mega-star and philanthropist has been traversing his world unencumbered by appearances, and with a full head of hair.
Speaking very openly about his struggles and very personal choices for his hair also puts him in a very human light and has made his hair no longer shrouded in mystery.