Radio’s Sam Wallace opens up about his hair transplant journey and confidence boost

“I think there’s a sense of stability for a lot of people that they have to maintain [getting a hair transplant] a secret. I don’t really care. For me, I look at it as if I want to fix something, I just go and fix it.”

Wallace, a father of three, is candid about his transplant journey and why he did it.

He had spoken it on its shore breakfast show with fellow hosts Toni Street and Jase Reeves, but decided there was no point in going through with the process.

However, the successful transplants of two colleagues at the gym and their satisfaction continued to be delayed.

“Eventually I started doing some research. Then I talked to the doctor on a whim one day and just hung up. I had my transplant two weeks later.”

Although it may seem ugly and complicated, the concept of transplantation is much simpler than you might think. The procedure involves extracting healthy hair follicles from a donor area, which is usually the back of the scalp, and transplanting them into bald or thinning areas.

“At its absolute core, it’s very simple: take it out, clean it, put it back in,” says Wallace.

The procedure took almost a full day at a clinic in Sydney.

“It’s been really cool actually because I have three kids and it’s the longest I’ve ever sat and done nothing for about six years.”

And while pictures of his bloodied scalp and bandages taken after the procedure suggest the vaccination process would be painful, Wallace says it looks worse than it feels.

“It wasn’t painful at all. The only thing that was painful was the injections at the beginning to numb the top of your head, just like a dentist.”

Wallace is now in the early stages of what is described as the “Ugly Grandpa” phase, where all the hair that has been put on the top of his head has been shocked and is coming back out. He says it’s a “waiting game” from here on out.

“It’s like a farmer planting a crop,” he jokes.

Besides wanting to feel good about himself, Wallace says he thought carefully about his life circumstances and the impact a transplant would have.

“I guess for me it makes sense, from a commercial point of view, too,” he says, noting the reality of having a public job like his.

“If you look good, you can justify spending $10,000 [on a hair transplant]where other people may not be able to see it or justify it.

“There’s nothing wrong with being bald. But I’m not a very good bald guy,” he says, recalling his shock after shaving his head for the first time.

Christchurch editor Liam Stretch, who undertook the same transplant to Sydney in 2024, also decided the time and conditions were right for him. Now, more than a year down the road, he says his confidence has grown.

“It’s a world away from where I was when I look at the previous photos and the result is absolutely amazing,” she says.

“Sometimes you don’t even think about it, but it’s good to remind yourself how far you’ve come.”

Stretch says that since the transplant it’s the “little things” that have made the biggest difference. He remembers experiencing anxiety after spending half an hour trying to get a perfect manicure on his hair, only to find the wind and rain causing anxiety.

“There’s a social stigma. It seems like baldness is one of those things that people just comment on and kind of have free rein, and it does affect you.”

Now, she speaks openly to others about the transplant process and encourages people to do it if they feel it’s right for them.

“There are other things you have to consider before doing it, like how you’re actually going to feel with the hair. But for me, it’s been really, really, really positive.”

Wallace and Stretch chose to travel to Sydney as opposed to Turkey, another country at the forefront of hair transplant technology. They agree, while the procedure itself is cheaper in Turkey, the safety of being closer to home was a bigger draw.

“You still have to fly to Turkey. You still have to find accommodation and you can’t get on the flight straight away to go home because it’s such a long flight. Plus, I wasn’t away from my kids for two weeks,” says Wallace.

The price for the treatment varies depending on the clinic, the number of transplants required and the group involved.

In New Zealand, some clinics charge up to $14 per graft, while in Turkey, you can expect to pay between $1 and $4 per graft. Liam has 4900 grafts.

But, as both men note, it depends on what each person thinks would be the right thing to do in their circumstances.

Wallace’s advice before taking the leap: do your research and find out which treatment will be best.

“Don’t be afraid to spend a little more money. For some people, it just knocks 10 years off them right away, you know? I don’t know if it’s going to help this dusty old man, but we’ll see.”

Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle group in 2024. He previously worked as a media journalist for Hawke’s Bay today.