Hollywood veteran Mark Wahlberg has always had a rock-solid hairline. While his forehead has always been on the wider side, the overall shape of his hairline has consistently remained the same. 

It’s possible that, unlike his brothers, Mark might have been blessed with the hair genes, but some suspect that the actor has had a hair transplant or might be on drugs like minoxidil and finasteride. 

It’s even speculated that he might be wearing a secret wig or spraying on some hair fibres to have denser-looking hair. But is any of it true? Let’s find out! 

Who Is Mark Wahlberg? 

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg, or “Marky Mark,” is an American actor born on June 5, 1971 (currently, he’s 52) in Massachusetts, although he was a singer before he became an actor. Almost 10 years before making his TV debut, when he was just 13, Mark became a member of the band New Kids on the Block with his brother Donnie.

But this was only for a few months as he went on to form his own hip-hop group, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, which is known for its chart-topping song Good Vibrations. 

However, you don’t need to dig deep to find some very troubling and ugly things about Mark’s past, which include racist hate crimes, violent behaviour, and, of course, his comments on 9/11. 

Even so, the actor has made a mark for himself in the industry, starring in hits like The Departed (for which he got his first Oscar nomination), Ted, Boogie Nights, Planet of the Apes, The Fighter, Three Kings, The Other Guys, Max Payne, etc. He’s even received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the time of writing, he’s got two films coming out: Arthur the King and The Union. 

Is Mark Wahlberg’s Hair Natural?

It’s very likely that Mark’s hair is his own. But it’s not as if the actor hasn’t ever experimented with artificial hair. To look the part in his film Rockstar, the actor actually had hair extensions, and even then, he’d grown his hair out so the extensions would blend in with his natural hair.

That’s not the only time he’s worn a wig. He also had one on when he was filming The Lovely Bones. Actors wearing wigs for their roles isn’t anything new, but as far as Mark’s hair is concerned off-camera, it has never looked like he’d been wearing a wig or applying hair fibres. 

Did Mark Wahlberg Lose His Hair?

At no point in Mark’s career has it seemed like the actor was losing his hair. If anything, it’s only gotten better and kind of plateaued. 

One of the big reasons why many people believe that Mark might’ve lost his hair at some point is because his brothers have what’s known as androgenetic alopecia or pattern baldness.

And since it’s genetic (can run in the family), it’s assumed that Mark might’ve experienced something similar, although he’s been pretty good at hiding it. But because he hasn’t ever shown any signs of balding or thinning, it’s possible that he never got that hair loss gene.

Pattern baldness isn’t as simple as getting it from your father or mother’s side of the family. It can be a combination of both as well. Also, your hormones, mainly dihydrotestosterone (DHT), are responsible for pattern hair loss. How sensitive your follicles are to this hormone plays a role in their miniaturisation. 

Has Mark Wahlberg Had A Hair Transplant? 

While it doesn’t appear that Mark Wahlberg hair transplant ever happened, under certain lighting, it almost looks like he has an FUT scar.

FUT or Follicular Unit Transplant is a type of hair transplant surgery in which a piece of skin is removed from the back of the scalp. From that, hair grafts are extracted and then transplanted into the bald spots. But this surgery leaves a linear scar on the back (on the lower side). 

While this technique used to be more in demand, it was eventually taken over in popularity by FUE or Follicular Unit Extraction as it doesn’t leave any scars. 

Keeping that in mind, it’s possible that Mark had a hair transplant in the early 2000s, but there’s no confirming it as there are hardly (if any) photos that indicate Mark Wahlberg’s hair loss or transplant. 

Conclusion 

Hair transplants of celebrities aren’t uncommon. Like the rest of us ordinary folks, they’re also vulnerable to hair loss due to different reasons (like genetics, over-styling, excessive dyeing, etc.). 

And since their livelihood can very much depend on how they look, it’s not surprising that they may consider turning to hair transplantation. However in Mark’s case, it’s very doubtful that he had this surgery, since there are no photos of him indicating either hair loss or a hair transplant. 

Still, those who’re seeking this surgery might not always be able to afford it. In the UK alone, the average cost of it is around £5,000 (it’s $7,000 in the US). That is why many people choose to become medical tourists for hair transplants in Istanbul, where it can be 3-5 times cheaper, being around £1,500 on average.

If you’re losing your hair, make sure to consult an experienced and board-certified doctor first. They’ll prepare a treatment plan for you according to the cause of hair loss and your desired goals.