Opinions on Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man vary, but one thing is clear: he’s a handsome man with a fine mop of hair. Although of late, there have been quite a few rumours about the genuity of the latter, with many suspecting Andrew Garfield has had a hair transplant.

It wasn’t so long ago when looking at his photos it did seem as if he was experiencing hairline recession, especially around his temple areas. But it doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. So, what changed? Let’s find out!

Who Is Andrew Garfield?

Born on 20 August 1983, Andrew Russell Garfield, who is 40 years old at the time of writing, is a British/American actor who is widely known for playing Peter Parker in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Before he entered the world of acting and theatre, sports very much seemed to be it for him. In an interview with The Guardian, he mentioned playing rugby, football, cricket, and also doing swimming and gymnastics.

After it didn’t work out, things finally clicked for him in acting. But like many others, he struggled quite a bit to break into the industry, working odd jobs as a waiter, barista, barback, telemarketer, and cricket coach, as per Backstage magazine. However, he finally made his film debut in Boy A in 2007, which brought the spotlight on Andrew’s acting prowess.

Arguably, The Social Network and Never Let Me Go were turning points in his career, and he never looked back after them. His role as Desmond Doss in Hacksaw Ridge got him his first Oscar nomination as the Best Actor, and it was followed by another one for Tick, Tick… Boom! (although he didn’t win either time). He’s currently filming his upcoming movie We Live In Time alongside Florence Pugh.

Did Andrew Garfield Get A Hair Transplant?

Analysing his photos, it does look like Andrew Garfield may have had a hair transplant sometime between 2020 and 2021. His temple hair loss was evident enough before that, which further highlighted the overall unevenness of his hairline. Additionally, there was a degree of thinning at the top front of his scalp, although it wasn’t particularly significant.

It was much the same during the filming of Tick, Tick… Boom in 2020. But then, in 2021, his hairline changed quite suddenly and drastically. The temple hair had made a comeback, density at the top was restored, and the hairline was much straighter (in a very natural-looking way).

Now, it should be noted that Andrew Garfield has joked about using Propecia (brand name for the hair loss drug finasteride) for his hair. In a 2021 WIRED Autocomplete interview, answering the question “How to get Andrew Garfield (sic) hair,” he replied, “Propecia,” but then quickly followed it up with “I’m just kidding.” The veracity of his jokes being “jokes” has been questioned by some.

Why Was Andrew Garfield Experiencing Hair Loss?

It’s possible that Andrew Garfield was experiencing hair loss due to pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. It’s the most common type of hair loss that results from a combination of hormones and genetics. Mainly, the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which is a byproduct of testosterone, is considered the culprit in the shrinking/miniaturisation of hair follicles, followed by permanent baldness.

One interesting aspect of this hair loss is that it progresses in a distinct pattern (hence the name). It can begin with the recession of the hairline at the temples, which is what was seen in Andrew’s case too. Meanwhile, you can also experience thinning of the hair at the top of the scalp, with a bald spot eventually forming on the crown area as well. A Norwood Scale can help in the tracking of the progression of the hair loss. Andrew Garfield seemed to be somewhere around Norwood 3 by 2020.

Interestingly, on Stephen Colbert’s show in 2021, when Andrew’s brother and father were also on the show, Colbert noted how Andrew’s hair situation was markedly different from that of his brother and father (in that they were bald). The actor replied, “I got my mother’s genes. My brother got my father’s.” However, as far as genetics for hair loss go, it’s a bit more complicated than that.

What Type Of Hair Transplant Did Andrew Garfield Get?

If Andrew Garfield had a hair transplant, it’s more likely that he had an FUE – Follicular Unit Extraction – surgery. In this, units of hair are taken out from the back of the scalp (so the surgery uses your very own natural hair) and implanted into the balding areas through small incisions.

There’s another technique called FUT – Follicular Unit Transplant. In this, hair grafts are not taken directly out from the back of the scalp. Instead, first, a strip of skin with hair is cut out from the back, and hair grafts are then extracted from that. With this surgery, the main downside is the long linear and relatively visible scar at the back of the head. For this reason, FUE has become more popular and is usually preferred.

How Many Grafts Were Needed For Andrew Garfield’s Hair Transplant?

Since Andrew Garfield’s hair loss was not so extensive and mostly limited to the front and temple areas, it’s possible that he might’ve only needed around 1,000 grafts for his surgery.

You can use a graft calculator to estimate the number of grafts you might need as well. But keep in mind that it can vary between patients depending on the size of their balding area, the density of the hair at the back (donor area), hair type, etc.

Conclusion

Andrew Garfield hasn’t said anything about getting a hair transplant surgery, but he might just be on the list of celebrity hair transplants seeing how his hairline has changed.

If you’re also considering a hair transplant, make sure to get in touch with a board-certified professional for an accurate diagnosis of your problem. They’ll also prepare a suitable treatment plan for you.