Elon Musk's Hair Then vs. Now: Why Many Believe He Had a Hair Transplant

In life, some things are beyond our control — hair loss, dark circles under the eyes, and lip size. You're born with the genes you have and the features you inherit. But thanks to cosmetic procedures and skilled surgeons, we can alter our appearance to better align with our preferences — at a price, of course.

Want bigger lips or a BBL? If you have the money, you can get it. The same goes for hair. If your hair isn’t growing or starts thinning earlier than expected, a hair transplant can restore it.

And that brings us to billionaire Elon Musk. By the time he was around 28, he was already showing signs of hair loss, particularly around his crown — one of the first areas men tend to lose hair. Naturally, this has led people to speculate: Did Musk undergo a hair transplant? Here’s what we found.

Elon Musk is outspoken on social media, but one thing he hasn't addressed is whether he underwent a hair transplant. However, based on past photos and his current hairline, it certainly looks like he did.

In 2024, Dr. Ross Kopelman, a hair restoration surgeon with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Palm Beach, shared his professional insights on Elon's hair transformation in a YouTube video. According to Dr. Kopelman, all signs suggest that Elon underwent a hair transplant.

When Elon was younger, he had a strong hairline with no visible signs of hair loss. But as Dr. Kopelman points out, Elon eventually started brushing more of his hair toward the front — possibly to conceal a receding hairline, which can begin in one’s twenties.

By the time Elon launched X.com in 1999, which later became PayPal in 2001, his crown was noticeably thinning. Dr. Kopelman described it as "a thinning hairline, a thinning mid-scalp, and recession of his temples," calling it "classic male pattern baldness."

At this stage, Dr. Kopelman believes Elon likely began medical therapy with finasteride or minoxidil. Without treatment, his hair loss would have likely progressed further. "I believe if Elon did not go on one of those two medications or a combination of those medications, he probably would have had complete hair loss and recession," he explained.

Fast forward several years and Elon's hairline appears significantly fuller and more defined, matching the sides of his head. Dr. Kopelman suggests that at this point, Elon may have continued benefiting from medical therapy and possibly undergone his first hair transplant using a procedure called follicular unit transplantation (FUT). This method typically leaves a scar on the back of the head.

Dr. Kopelman also pointed out a thinner spot near Elon's left temple, which he believes could be a scar — another potential indicator that Elon underwent a hair transplant procedure.

While Dr. Kopelman believes Elon underwent one hair transplant, he also suggests that several years later, Musk may have had another procedure, receiving "anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 grafts." He notes that Musk has shown signs of "improved density and decreased the recession that he was having previously."

Of course, until Elon himself confirms it, this remains speculation.