Andy Halliday, Hearts’ current defensive midfielder and often labelled a “forgotten man” despite his memorable on-field heroics, recently generated a lot of buzz for the floppy curls on his head. Seeing how not so long ago, Halliday was showing visible signs of baldness, it was a surprising yet dramatic change.

There have been no talks of perms on Halliday’s end, at least to our knowledge, but many have speculated that the footy star had a hair transplant surgery. It could definitely explain why his hairline has moved forward instead of inching backwards, as one might expect. But was the surgery also responsible for making his hair curly? Let’s find out more about Andy Halliday’s hair transplant (all alleged, obviously).

Who Is Andy Halliday?

Born on 11 October 1991, Andrew William Halliday or just Andy Halliday is a midfielder for the Hearts Football Club who’s also notably been a part of the Rangers, among other football clubs. Andy was a boyhood Rangers fan who had a ticket for the club for “15 or 16 years” since he was just a 4-year-old, as reported by Sky Sports.

After proving his worth with Livingston, Middlesbrough and Bradford City, a run during which his teams won several silverware, including the SFL and FA, he was finally able to realise his childhood dream by becoming a part of the Rangers in 2015.

The then Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard, once even called Halliday his “unofficial captain.” Eventually, however, the midfielder became more and more of a fringe player until his stint with the club came to an end in 2020. He’s currently a part of the Heart of Midlothian, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the season and reports of Motherwell, among other clubs, showing an interest in him, we can only wait and see what the future holds for him.

Did Andy Halliday Have A Hair Transplant?

From his photos, it does look like Andy Halliday had a hair transplant, possibly in November 2022. Halliday had unusually shaved his head around that time, but besides that, the overall shape of his hairline also looked quite different than before. That could have been the result of the transplantation of new hair grafts there.

Whereas before his hairline had the classic M-shape of pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia, after this happened, Halliday’s hairline had a distinct V-shape with a prominent widow’s peak as well. For some time after that, the front of Halliday’s head continued to look a bit patchy, which could’ve been the result of a temporary shock loss after a hair transplant.

By the end of 2023, however, Halliday had grown full and long curls. And if you’re wondering whether his (alleged) hair transplant had anything to do with it, it’s unlikely, but there’s a possibility. Andy already had quite wavy hair when growing up, but since he kept it relatively short, his curls might’ve never gotten the opportunity to be on full display.

It should be noted though, that a hair transplant may temporarily change the texture of your hair. Your hair might feel frizzy, and it could take 1-2 years for your hair to regain its original texture. It’s the result of the unavoidable trauma that the hair follicles experience when they’re being relocated from one part of the scalp to the other. So, Andy’s hair may look even curlier now because of that.

Why Did Andy Halliday Have A Hair Transplant?

Andy Halliday probably had a hair transplant after experiencing hair loss due to pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. It’s a type of hair loss that affects both men and women and is the result of a combination of hormones and genetics.

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a byproduct of testosterone, is considered the main culprit as it results in the shrinking or miniaturisation of hair follicles. It can progress gradually in a distinct pattern with the recession of the hairline and thinning of the hair at the top. At the same time, a bald spot can also form on the crown.

Unfortunately, this type of hair loss is permanent. A hair transplant will not cure it, but it can treat it by taking healthy hair follicles from the back of the head, not affected by the DHT hormone, and transplanting them in the bald areas of the scalp.

As a result, the transplanted hair should stay with you for a lifetime. But the hair that’s not been transplanted can still fall off. You can consider a second hair transplant in this instance (if you have enough donor hair).

Did Andy Halliday Lose His Hair?

Andy Halliday didn’t go completely bald, however, he had experienced noticeable hair loss at the front of his scalp. When the footballer had gotten his head shaved, patchy areas were clearly visible at the front. His hairline was probably uneven as a result of the hair that he had lost due to pattern baldness.

How Many Grafts Were Used In Andy Halliday’s Hair Transplantation?

Andy Halliday might have gotten somewhere between 1,500 to 2,000 grafts for his transplantation surgery. Most of Halliday’s hair loss was concentrated at the front, and it looked like he was on Stage 3A of the Norwood Scale (since no hair loss could be seen on the crown).

For that area, you might need 1,500-2,000 or 3,000-4,000 hairs as each graft can have 2 hairs per average (but it can be anywhere between 1-4). You can use a graft calculator to get an idea of the number of grafts you might need, but only your surgeon can give an exact estimate.

Andy Halliday Before And After Hair Transplantation

Andy Halliday’s hair before his hair transplant looked relatively thin and wispy. As mentioned above, androgenetic alopecia results in the shrinking of the follicles, so the hair becomes thinner and thinner. After the rumoured surgery, however, his hair looks much denser and thicker since the surgery takes healthy hair from the back and relocates it at the front.

Conclusion

Andy Halliday has grown out quite healthy and dense-looking hair since his speculated hair transplant. The obvious signs of hairline recession that he once had are also all gone, especially with his hair being curlier than ever.

If you’re also looking for an affordable surgery, you can consider getting a hair transplant in Turkey, where the surgery can cost £1,500 to £2,000 on average due to differences in cost of living and exchange rate. But before anything, make sure to consult an experienced and board-certified medical professional for a diagnosis of your hair loss and an effective treatment plan.