Was Wayne Rooney’s hair transplant worth the bother?

Evidence suggests that a higher number of young males than ever are requesting follicular unit extraction (FUE), a technique in which a small round punch is used to extract units of hair follicles from an area of dense hair growth to an area of thinning hair. Each unit contains between one and four hairs.

According to truck driver Paul Hawkins, 41 from Grays, Essex – it is worth it. The married father of three underwent a similar procedure to Rooney’s and even remortgaged his house to pay for the three separate operations he underwent, which cost Mr Hawkins £6,000 for each. However, he does warn that Rooney’s probable current elation at his full head of hair, may be replaced by disappointment in the coming weeks.

“The difference straight after the procedure is very noticeable – you can see the little hairs sticking out. But within a couple of weeks they all fall out and you don’t see any more for four months. The hair actually dies and re-grows like baby hair. It takes a year, sometimes 18 months, before it’s fully matured and you see the hair you’ll end up with. It’s such a slow process but definitely worth it in the end.”

Paul started losing his hair at the early age of 17 and had lost half of his hair by the time of his late teens. “One morning I was watching TV and Shaun Williamson, who played Barry in EastEnders, was talking about his own hair transplant. I was really impressed and decided to use the same expert as him – Dr Farjo.” He further added “I had to have it done in three separate procedures. I had the second two years later. And next week I am having the final one. It’s fantastic that someone like Rooney has come out and said he’s had it done”.

Dr Bessam Farjo, the Medical Director at the Institute of Trichologists, has noted a large increase regarding enquires about FUE, from parent’s of boys as young as 16 years old. However, he has warned against having the procedure at such a young age. 

I prefer to operate on someone who is 30 or over and I’d certainly avoid anybody who’s 25 or younger. There are two main reasons. The first is the younger you are, the higher your expectations – you don’t have the maturity to look into the future and think you need to look good when you’re 40 and 50.

The second is that younger men with a strong family history of hair loss are likely to lose a lot more hair, which makes their hair loss much more unpredictable. With younger guys we encourage them to concentrate first on controlling their hair loss by using medication. Low level light therapy may slow down hair loss. There’s also Regaine, an over the counter lotion or foam, which you apply to balding areas.”

Obesity epidemic: Child aged six suffers stroke

A six year old and an eight old suffered strokes that are thought to have resulted from their weight are two extreme examples highlighting the obesity crisis in under-16 year old’s. Recent figures released by 66 of Britain’s 168 acute hospital trusts under the Freedom of Information Act, show show that more than 5,500 children under the age of 16 were diagnosed or treated for obesity in hospitals in the past five years.

These figures can be further broken down by age with 500 children under five being diagnosed with clinical obesity, including 40 children under one, 49 one year old’s and 85 two year old’s.
These depressing facts show the continuing struggle Britain faces against obesity. The rising number of clinically obese babies and toddlers often leads to them suffering from weight related diseases such as diabetes and breathing difficulties, which would normally not appear until later in life.

It is reported that a chief cause of the problem are the parents who have no idea what to feed their babies. Sometimes they attempt to wean their babies while they are too young but inappropriate foods are also major issue. Doctors have seen babies fed crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks. In some cases parents have been found to be giving their infants puréed chips with milk, or mashing up takeaway food.

Dr Ken Ong, clinical lead for childhood obesity at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, said: “The one and two year-old’s we see are massively obese but it is only the very extreme who are coming to hospital clinics. There will be many more who are in the community or are not being recognized at all. The popular hope is that it is just baby fat and they will grow out of it, but our studies show that it is more likely to continue being obese and even become more obese.”

Pfizer files suit to protect Viagra patent

The 1 June 2011 saw Pfizer file suit against Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in an attempt to prevent Watson commercializing its generic Viagra drug. This legal action could well be the first of many for Pfizer as its patents on Viagra expire between 2011-2013.

It is expected that generic drug manufacturers will make legal moves to end the Viagra patent before its deadline is up. Companies could either sue Pfizer claiming its patent is invalid or file with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to launch generics ahead of the deadline. Watson Pharmaceuticals have done the latter, seeking approval to market Sildenefil Citrate Tablets, a generic version of Pfizer’s Viagra.

It is understandable why generic manufacturers may attempt to knock even a few months off the patent. Viagra had a total U.S. sales of just over $1 billion for the twelve months ending April 2011. Even one month’s sales are worth $83 million. Equally so, it is understandable why Pfizer will be willing spend millions of dollars in legal fees to protect the patent.

In the long run, the expiration of Pfizer’s monopoly on Viagra will be good news for consumers, as it will result in competition between Pfizer’s Viagra and new generic versions, driving down the price of erectile dysfunction medication.

Former Socceroos star in custody over gun charges

Fallen former Socceroos star, Ahmad Elrich, today finds himself in custody and will face a Sydney court in June over 11 gun offenses. Elrich was pulled over by police due to a faulty tail light on his Harley Davidson motorbike. Police allege that they found two loaded pistols and reusable plastic bags during a search. In addition, a quantity of the erectile dysfunction Cialis was discovered for which police claim he did not have a prescription.

The 29-year-old footballer appeared in court with his father and was refused bail due to the seriousness of the charges and the concern he represented a flight risk. Elrich was once considered one of the the most exciting players in Australian soccer. As a right back or attacking winger he was one of the leading assist getters in Australia’s National Soccer League in the 2003-04 season. At this time he represented Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympics, gaining the first of his 17 caps.

Following a brief stint in Korea, Elrich signed for Premier League club Fulham. However, he never cemented a place in the first team and a serious knee injury sustained when playing for the national side in September 2006 eventually saw him released. Despite spells in Norway and back in the Australia A-League, Elrich has continued to struggle with form and knee injuries and has been without a club for over a year.

Chilli’s to treat Shingles infections?

If you have ever suffered from shingles you will know what an excruciating burning sensation the viral infection can cause. About twenty five thousand people in the UK get shingles every year. Now, a strange cure in America has been approved by the FDA with its active ingredient coming from chilli peppers called Qutenza patch.

According to Dr. Matt McCarty at the Balcones Pain Consultants USA “This is toxic, if you were to breathe it in or get it on your eyes it would be devastating in terms of burning, so a lot of caution has to be used.”

However in the UK we have a much less dangerous drug called Valtrex with its active ingredient Valacyclovir similar to what is in Zorivax cream for cold sores


Most shingles sufferers have had chicken pox years before. The virus remained dormant in the spine, until one day it invades the body, enflaming neurons or nerve endings under the skin.

Shingles rash starts as small blisters on a red base, with new blisters continuing to form for three to five days. The areas that are typically affected are the head, abdomen, neck, face and arm or leg. In rare cases, areas of the face like the nose and eyes may also be affected. Shingles can be spread from an affected person to babies, children, or adults who have not had chickenpox. Instead of developing shingles, these people develop chickenpox.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney confirms hair transplant

Follically challenged football superstar Wayne Rooney has joined the growing list of celebrities to undergo a hair transplant operation. After being mercilessly ribbed by his team mates for his Hair loss, he took to Twitter over the weekend to reveal the news. “’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”.



Other celebrities to have undergone a hair transplant include actor James Nesbitt, Chef Gordon Ramsey, and Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner.  Rooney later revealed more to his 740,000 Twitter followers, commenting “It’s still a bit bruised and swollen when it dies down u will be first to see it. Anyone recommend any good hair gel. Haha” and “’I had it done in Harley street hair clinic London. Thanks to all the staff who looked after me.”

Not only is the procedure a painful process, as evident in Rooney’s post on the social networking site, but it is a very expensive one too. Dr Maurice Collins, of the Hair Restoration Blackrock clinic outside of Dublin, is the surgeon who performed the two operations on actor James Nesbitt.  Dr Collins charges a staggering £7.60 for each hair follicle he transplants. Therefore the procedure would cost a minimum £7,000 as the average patient would probably require between 1,000 and 4,500 follicles to be transplanted. It is rumoured that fiery Chef Gordon Ramsey, paid £30,000 for his treatment at the Alvi Armani Centre in Beverly Hills.

Dr Collins explains the process – “The hair at the back of your head is immune to the balding process, there’s always a “horseshoe”. We take little strips of skin from there, meticulously dissect each hair follicle and transplant them one by one, using microscopes. I’m pleased to say 98 per cent of the transplanted hairs go on to thrive”

Basically, a patient does not get any “extra hair”. The hair gets transported from an area it won’t be missed to an area that requires it. Usually there are a team of approximately 18 people working on a transplant, which can take roughly eight hours to perform. The technicians, nurses and surgeon need to ensure the hair is kept alive when it is deprived of oxygen outside the body, and it is vital the hair is back inside the patient’s head as quickly as possible.
Professor Andrew Messenger, a consultant dermatologist at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield and president of the Institute Of Trichologists, clearly backs the procedure – “With a good surgeon, transplants work very well,’ he says. So long as the patient ‘has got good hair density at the back of the scalp — and quite a lot of money’.

Men fined over sale of fake Viagra online

The former landlord of Hayes’ Tiger Lounge has been fined £10,000 for selling illegal medicine for erectile dysfunction online.

Saranjit Bhambra, 27, ran the ‘keepithard.co.uk’ website which has now been taken offline, selling illegal fake versions of Viagra such as Kamagra and Tadil, The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launched the investigation known as Operation Rome following a test purchase. This lead to a search at a mechanics, and officers found evidence connecting to an illegal online website.

Bhambra, of Woodrow Avenue, Hayes, appeared at Southwark Crown Court last Thursday (May 26) for sentence, after admitting to the offence at an April hearing. At that hearing, identical charges against his father Narinder were dropped, and the judge warned that he could face jail time.

Mick Deats, MHRA Head of Enforcement, said: “While websites such as these may look professional, what we see behind the scenes tells a very different story. These unlicensed medicines were being sold from a mechanic’s garage which means they risk additional contamination due to the unsanitary conditions in which they were stored. “The unlawful sale of medicines, including those to treat ED, poses a serious threat to public health and today’s sentence reflects the nature and gravity of this crime.”

Bhambra was recently removed as landlord of the Tiger Lounge, in Dawley Road, after its licence was temporarily suspended for health and safety breaches.