Once one of the most celebrated darts players with several world titles under his belt, Van Barneveld also caused a darts-craze in his native Holland as well as in the entirety of Europe where the game originates from.
Back to 21st-century darts where the world champion is awarded a hefty amount, Raymond Van Barneveld (Barney) was paid very well for his talent multiple times. In return, he started losing his hair due to competition stress, family issues, and his genetic predisposition.
Barney, whose hair loss caused concern for him, tried to address it. The solution he deemed worthy for himself stands nowhere close to a hair transplant but for the sake of informing the general public, we will talk about it in this article.
Let’s analyze closer the method Barney came up with to fix his hair loss. Did he join successful people with hair transplants who engraved their names in the world of sports? And most importantly, which hair loss solution is the right one for you?
Let’s find out.
Raymond Van Barneveld’s Hair Loss
Van Barneveld has a competitive personality and he may be somewhat addicted to the egocentric adrenaline that comes with being in the spotlight during tournaments. He expressed on several occasions that his mental health and depression levels are very much linked to winning or losing. He finds himself in a dark mental place after taking a loss and everything else in his life that is going well is to no avail at those times.
Barneveld’s inherited hair loss became obvious in late 1990s and persistit until today. He was also battling obesity up until a few years ago. The whole world was glad to see that one day, he decided to shed the extra pounds and do something about his hair loss.
Did Raymond Van Barneveld Get A Hair Transplant?
Raymond van Barneveld, the number one man in the darts world for many years can still be seen regularly on TV as a commentary on matches or as a guest in other programs. He also recently openly talked about his hair transformation, which he underwent at a hair clinic in The Netherlands.
The truth is, Van Barneveld did not get a hair transplant; instead, he opted for the scalp micropigmentation treatment (SMP).
It is not correct to call it a hair transplant because scalp micropigmentation, also known as hair tattoo, is a different type of superficial cosmetic touch. The technique involves tattooing the scalp with hair root look-alike dots in a color most suitable for the patient. It’s basically a way to create a shaven look. This treatment is for those who keep a clean shave anyway due to advanced baldness.
The result may look natural when done professionally and it works best to camouflage scars. However, scalp micropigmentation is nowhere close to a hair transplant where you actually regrow your own hair.
Raymond Van Barneveld Before And After Scalp Micropigmentation
When we take a look at the state of Barney’s hair in the 2007 WDG Finals, we see the overall hair diffusion with the hair loss concentrating on his crown and hairline areas.
In fact, due to changes in his weight towards a healthier look, his overall appearance has greatly improved between then and now. The SMP plays a part in the positive change of course but not as life-changing and natural as a hair transplant would be.
How Many Grafts Were Transplanted?
Given that he hasn’t undergone a hair transplant, technically, zero grafts have been transplanted. However, since we’re here, let’s speculate on a possible future hair transplant and the ideal number of grafts for Barney.
With or without the SMP, Barney’s hair loss reached stage 5 going for 6 on the Norwood scale of baldness. The highest and baldest level is 7 so he does need a lot of grafts transplanted if he still has sufficient healthy donor hair on his sides.
Let’s just nail the minimum which is 4000 grafts but he could do much better with more.
How Much Would It Have Cost For Him to Have a Hair Transplant?
Let’s say he goes for the minimum amount of grafts, in this example 3000, and visits the same hair clinic in The Netherlands where he got his SMP done. The clinic has multiple locations throughout the country, has a good reputation, and bills generously.
A 3000 graft hair transplant costs $13,500 and up at a similar clinic in The Netherlands and medical tests needed before the procedure are not included in the price.
Those who seek a one-stop-shop experience often choose Turkey for its lower hair transplant costs, without any extra fees, and results that often surpass those of other locations in the world
. The highest quality hair transplant with guaranteed success rates (after you are deemed suitable) at an over the top clinic in Istanbul for the same number of grafts comes with a huge discount when compared to The Netherlands.
Where Should You Go For The Best Hair Transplant?
If we take a logic based decision model, the question should be answered taking quality, cost, overall experience, and before & after results into consideration.
We often advise hair transplant patients to go where they are treated best. It doesn’t only make sense but also encapsulates the logic based decision model. It may as well be that this is what the majority took notice of, and the reason behind tens of thousands flocking to Istanbul just to get a hair transplant done.
The logic is there, the results are evident, the savings are plenty, and life is short. The rest is entirely up to your personal decision making mechanism. If you need a hand to gather more information on your specific hair loss situation, Heva Clinic is here to help. On offer is a FREE online consultation, so you can hear what’s on offer and ask all hair transplant related questions you have in mind.
Meanwhile, make sure to keep the pulse of your hair loss speed to act on time because when it comes to hair loss, time is not your friend.
