More Hair Apparent
 

Aug 2005

Has balding Charles got new crowning glory?

Prince Charles's once balding crown now seems topped by a lustrous mop.

In just three weeks the prince has gone from threadbare to bouffant. So has the royal heir apparent had therapy to rejuvenate his thinning thatch?

Stylists believe he may have had a weave - a mini-wig made from real or synthetic hair which is woven, glued or taped to the head.

Or he could have had a transplant in which hair is traditionally taken from the back of the scalp and re-planted at the front.

Clarence House refused to comment on the sensitive issue.

But celebrity barber Carmelo Guastella, whose clients include Sacha Baron Cohen, is convinced the notoriously style-conscious prince has been re-crowned.

He said: "He's clearly had something done and my guess is it's a transplant rather than a weave.

"The problem with a weave is that it requires frequent retying, or tightening, of the wig. This is bad for the real hair it has to be attached to. It also means that, as the hair grows, the weave needs continual adjustment.

"After about six months a person can lose hair permanently along the stress point where the wig is tied, so eventually there's nothing left to tie on to."

A transplant is more likely as Charles's hair seems thicker at the front and thin at the back.

The new look was on display last week when Charles, 56, and Camilla visited games at Caithness. It was in stark contrast to the wisp-covered pate he revealed after a polo game at Tetbury, Glos, in mid-July.

One in two British men suffers some hair loss before 50. The condition can cause low self- esteem and severe depression.

Stars to have boasted about hair replacement therapy include cricketers Shane Warne and Graham Gooch.