Dad who lost hair at 22 plagued by mental health issues before radical surgery
Hair might not seem like a big deal - that is until you start losing it.
Musician Sandy Grigelis considered his hair to be part of his identity, explaining that it became his 'armour' when on stage.
So when his hairline started receding at the age of 22, it was all he could think about. With his confidence on the floor, he began spending two hours each morning fixing it into place to hide the bald patches before leaving the house.
The 28-year-old, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, who has since had a 'life-changing' hair transplant, became paranoid that people would notice his balding and spent thousands of pounds on products.
"My hair was always my thing," the former judge on BBC's All Together Now told the Mirror.
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His thinning hair was all the dad-of-one could think about (Supplied)
He spent two hours every day styling his hair into place (Supplied)"I did a lot of rock and roll stuff so my hair was this massive quiff and it became a part of my personality almost.
"So as soon as that starts changing, and you start noticing those changes, it really, really starts to affect you."
After getting out of the shower each morning, Sandy spent two hours in front of the mirror trying to make his hair look like how it did when he was 21.
He applied a strong clay product to fix it into place before adding a hair fibre powder to fill in the gaps.
"You want to cover it up and make sure that everything's in place perfectly, which is probably detrimental to actual hair follicles because it's bad for your hair if you put too much product in, so it was a double-edged sword really," he added.
The dad-of-one became so insecure over his hairline that he believed it was the first thing others noticed about him.
According to new research from Harley Street Hair Clinic, hair loss is triggering mental health issues for many - known as 'hairxiety' - particularly among young people.
An overwhelming nine out of ten young adults (88 per cent) between 18-24 say that they are worried about the possibility of their hairline receding, hair thinning or going completely bald.
Three-quarters of men (73pc) and nearly two-thirds of women (61pc) in the UK are currently experiencing some form of hair loss, including two-thirds (66pc) of 18-24-year-olds.
Sandy felt like his hair was part of his personality (Supplied)
The singer had a transplant to bring forward his hairline (Supplied)It took a toll on Sandy's mental health, and it saw him make up excuses not to do things.
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If it was raining outside, he would come up with another route to meet his friends to ensure his hair didn't get ruined, wth his actual hairline being exposed.
Or if he was on holiday, he wouldn't dare put his head under the water.
"It's really horrendous because you start thinking that everybody else is looking directly at that," he admitted.
"100 per cent I was thinking about it all the time. It got quite ridiculous really."
He eventually signed up for hair clinic subscriptions and spent £50 a month on finasteride and minoxidil treatments, which can treat hair loss.
Over the years, he spent thousands of pounds on products.
"I was trying to find anything possible. If I walked by a Boots, I would always go in and sample anything," Sandy said.
"Hair strengthening shampoos, conditioners, they're so expensive."
He added: "There is definitely a feeling of 'you're a guy get over it', so no one really knows what they are buying and just get on with it."
Sandy before the hair transplant (Supplied)Luck came his way when he won an online competition last June with Harley Street Hair Clinic - which he had been following on Instagram since the problem arose.
He had a Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) hair transplant, which replaces lost or thinning hair by taking healthy follicles from a donor area of the head (usually the back and sides) and transplanting them to a thinning area of the head - and Sandy says it has been life-changing.
Now, he steps out of the shower and can be ready in a couple of minutes.
"I couldn't believe it," he said of being announced as a winner.
"I just didn't think it was ever going to be a possibility because of the price and I had to prioritise my son.
"It happened so quickly and it was just a mix of so many emotions. Suddenly this thing I've wanted for years was happening and it completely changed me.
"It is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I just feel there's nothing holding me back now."
The only time Sandy spoke about his insecurity was when making jokes with his friends.
But following his transplant, he has realised the importance of sharing struggles around hair loss - and why it is about so much more than 'just hair'.
Sandy, pictured with his son, 5, never thought a transplant would be possible for him (Supplied)
Sandy is thrilled with his new hairline (sandygrigelis/Instagram)He has been open about his hair loss journey on Instagram, and has received hundreds of messages from other men thanking him for speaking out about the impact the issue can have.
"Making jokes was a good way of getting through it," he said.
"At the time, I wasn't speaking about it anyway near as much as I feel like I should have done.
"Because it's such a big part of my personality, my armour on stage, people judge you instantly [in showbiz] or in an audition.
"So when you don't have that armour, you're not portraying the best version of yourself."
On his advice for those with 'hairxiety,' the singer said: "Just talk about.
"We're doing better at this, with talking about insecurities.
"It should be as simple as chatting about what we did on the weekend."
For anyone who may be concerned about their hairline, Harley Street Hair Clinic has launched a new app called Hair Track, which allows users to track their hair and speak to a consultant for tailored advice and guidance. Find out more here: apps.apple.com/gb/app/hair-track/id1584288132.
Those worried can also access NHS advice on hair loss here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hair-loss/.
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